[Archived] The General Election 2015

[Guest]

Well if it's the SNP and Labour it's off to France a gain,

Communism being slightly better than that coalition.

If that happens, this lady would seem to agree with you, so please take her with you.

[yoda]

If that happens, this lady would seem to agree with you, so please take her with you.

Looks like she is saying vote Labour to me !

As Jake Thackray said, it's the tongue on a woman that spoils the job for me

[Mike E]

Looks like she is saying vote Labour to me !

As Jake Thackray said, it's the tongue on a woman that spoils the job for me

Never had a good BJ, has he?

[yoda]

Never had a good BJ, has he?

A bit to late to ask him now

[thenodrog]

Scotland seem to just want to keep getting a referendum until the leaders get the outcome they want, they've had one though and they bottled it, end of discussion.

Aside from all that- I don't think UKIP are a racist party, but their policies on immigration are similar to all the other major parties and they want to leave Europe which I think is a terrible idea.

As Norman Hunter once opined 'it's always best to get your retaliation in first'. Lets @#/? em off! How funny would that be?

[adopted scouser]

Never had a good BJ, has he?

He got one off sister josephine

[thenodrog]

When I read the dinosaur views expressed by some on here it's like living in the dark ages. Anyone who shows the slightest whiff of liberal or socialist thinking is immediately rounded on by the local cabal of free thinking right wingers.

Very contemporary.

And vice versa.

If that happens, this lady would seem to agree with you, so please take her with you.

Every dark cloud has a silver lining as they say.

[yoda]

He got one off sister Josephine

The Widow of Brid was a bit of a goer as well I believe

[Guest]

Every dark cloud has a silver lining as they say.

Strange that you would consider Katie Hopkins leaving as a dark cloud, but as for the rest, at least you've seen the light and had a nice philosophical change of view.

[K-Hod]

http://benjaminstudebaker.com/2015/05/02/britain-for-the-love-of-god-please-stop-david-cameron/

Interesting read.

[jim mk2]

Good find K-Hod.

I wonder if the economic illiterates on here will bother reading it ?

[Neil Weaver]

Question for you Jim - ever read http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0091906814 ? It's a long shot, but wonder if you could learn anything?

[joey_big_nose]

What is striking is that there does seem to be a lot more consensus across economists that austerity is not working rather than the reverse. Which is a bit worrying. I think this article sums it up well

"The Conservatives plans leave much less room for borrowing for public investment and raises the concern that once again, the UK will sacrifice long-term prosperity for short-term gains. The Conservatives plans would bring down the debt level more quickly but at the cost of lower investment, growth and employment."

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/generalelection/election-economics-austerity-past-present-and-future/

I would like to see pro austerity counter analysis if people have them.

[Rover_Shaun]

Time to vote with the good people of Clitheroe, Whalley, Waddington, Dunsop Bridge, Slaidburn, Gisburn, Whitewell and all the Range Rover driving millionaire farmers of the Ribble Valley and Forest of Bowland. There can't be many more North West constituencies with such ludricous boundaries?

[K-Hod]

Good find K-Hod.

I wonder if the economic illiterates on here will bother reading it ?

I just thought it was good to see an impartial view from an observer, not trying to change anyone's minds.

Everyone votes for who they want to regardless!!

[T J Hooker]

Never had a good BJ, has he?

Just thinking how creepy it would have been to hear a primary school teacher of mine say that. Eeeeeeewwwwwwww

[Biddy]

I just thought it was good to see an impartial view from an observer, not trying to change anyone's minds.

Everyone votes for who they want to regardless!!

Not trying to change anyone's minds? With the title "Britain: For the Love of God, Please Stop David Cameron"?

It's certainly an interesting article but is VERY one sided. Graphs like the GDP one stop at around 2012 when its been the past couple of years where the current situation really is. The article mentions the £9000 tuition fees and states education should be free. Fails to mention it was Labour that brought in tuition fees in the first place.

As I say, an interesting article but by no means balanced.

[T J Hooker]

Is anybody choosing not to vote?

[K-Hod]

Not trying to change anyone's minds? With the title "Britain: For the Love of God, Please Stop David Cameron"?

It's certainly an interesting article but is VERY one sided. Graphs like the GDP one stop at around 2012 when its been the past couple of years where the current situation really is. The article mentions the £9000 tuition fees and states education should be free. Fails to mention it was Labour that brought in tuition fees in the first place.

As I say, an interesting article but by no means balanced.

It was, I went to uni between 2003-2006, tuition was £1100 pa. Then they skyrocketed right after I left (luckily) to £9k, Nick Clegg pledged to reduce tuition fees if he got in, then did a u-turn as we all know!! I don't think university education should be free, but a 900% increase in fees can't be right surely?

I should have worded that better, I'm not trying to change anyone's minds personally was what I meant!

[only2garners]

That's also rather selective with the fas K-Hod. The Labour government introduced tuition fees at £1,000 and then in 2006 introduced a "variable rate" of up to £3,000 - in practice virtually every institution charged £3,000. Then there was the Coalition's increase to £9,000, albeit in a completely different format. It is in effect a graduate tax now, in that it's paid when an individual's pay reaches a certain level and it looks like the majority of loans will never be repaid. The new arrangements have had the rather odd outcome of having increased the numbers of students from poorer backgrounds going to university.

[Biddy]

I agree, I also think Higher Education should be free. It is absurd that Scotland should be devolved from higher education charges especially as it was the Scottish Labour ministers that effectively had the deciding vote to push through the increase for those of us south of the border. It was also the last Labour government (Peter Mandelson) that commissioned the Browne Review into fees and funding. It was only on the back of that report that fees got increased. The report itself said there should be no cap at all. I think the Lib Dems actually did get the £9k cap added, so at least they did something.

Is anybody choosing not to vote?

Oops, forgot to add that option to the poll. Updated now.

[Mike E]

Just like to say, if you support a smaller party don't vote tactically for Labour or the Tories.

Vote for who YOU WANT in power. Tactical voting just furthers the political big 3. Give the power to who you want. Not to someone you don't want.

[ultrablue]

Unfortunately that ain't the way it works at the moment Mike. Vote tactically now if you want your vote to matter. Campaign between elections for PR if you want to support smaller parties.

[Mike E]

Unfortunately that ain't the way it works at the moment Mike. Vote tactically now if you want your vote to matter. Campaign between elections for PR if you want to support smaller parties.

Why would I vote for a party I don't actively WANT in power (which is the whole point of voting in the first place)?

To vote tactically is dishonest imo and stops the voter having any right to complain when politicians are equally dishonest.

[Gav]

Why would I vote for a party I don't actively WANT in power (which is the whole point of voting in the first place)?

To vote tactically is dishonest imo and stops the voter having any right to complain when politicians are equally dishonest.

A good example a few years ago in the locals was vote Tory or risk BNP getting in, absolute no brained, Tory every time.

Good honest tactical vote.