[Archived] The General Election 2015

[thenodrog]

The problem is Miliband would have required SNP help, Labour couldn't pull ahead to the level where they wouldn't need it. Perhaps the Conservatives did scaremonger a bit, but maybe they were right? The SNP want to break up the union and along the way get everything they can at the expense of the other countries.

The SNP and their rise is in a large part Labour's fault.

Hey just had a thought.... if the SNP had got their act together just a few years earlier we would never have had to suffer the devastation under Gordon Brown!

[thenodrog]

........The personal attacks on Ed Miliband were disgraceful. .

Grief!!! I don't recall much tbh but if there were any they must have been absolutely zilch compared to the personal attacks on Margaret Thatcher! I know that back then you were a strong supporter of the Iron Lady but you've changed to the dark side ever since and some of your comments have been both distasteful and repugnant in the extreme.

[thenodrog]

For the very first time, you've got something absolutely right.

A comment that would never have appeared if somehow your Labour lot had triumphed on Thursday.

[Mike E]

It's funny how it's the fault of the electoral system when the Tories win. An electoral system that was overwhelmingly supported in the referendum four years a go. As for the election results; it's nonsense to take the results of one electoral system and apply it to another when the voting is completely different. You can't automatically presume the parties would poll the same under an alternative system. The electorate voted for their candidate in full knowledge of how the system works.

On the Labour front; I wonder who will get the JimMk2 kiss of death: Gordon Brown will win the next GE. David Milliband will be the next PM, Ed Miliband will be the Next PM. Come on Jim, keep your winning streak going, who will be the next Labour PM? and why do you think they should be?

Evidently not, hence the clamour for reform (even from some Tories and from the SNP bloke on Fri night's QT).

[thenodrog]

I see that Tony Blair, Peter Mandelson, and some Labour MP have criticised Ed Miliband and Labour campaign and not campaigning for the centre ground.

Labour need to stop the trade unions having such a big say in who Labour appoint as next leader also been said today by Peter Mandelson

That infighting has been going on for years behind the scenes in the Labour. The Unions that Margaret Thatcher defeated were communist infiltrated and in the main communist led in the 70's and 80's, and I doubt much has changed since then apart from their obvious decline in their powers and significance.

[thenodrog]

Stinks to high heaven. The big two were determined to undermine UKIP by fair means or foul.

Indeed. Farage parked his UKIP tanks on their lawns and they've sent in the A-10 Warthogs.

[koi]

Evidently not, hence the clamour for reform (even from some Tories and from the SNP bloke on Fri night's QT).

Only 'clamour' I've heard is from those that lost, as usual. The fact still stands that it was put to the electorate and overwhelmingly rejected. Move on.

[yoda]

Indeed. Farage parked his UKIP tanks on their lawns and they've sent in the A-10 Warthogs.

Just wait until they start on the SNP

[jim mk2]

Grief!!! I don't recall much tbh but if there were any they must have been absolutely zilch compared to the personal attacks on Margaret Thatcher! I know that back then you were a strong supporter of the Iron Lady but you've changed to the dark side ever since and some of your comments have been both distasteful and repugnant in the extreme.

Have you been reading the Sun, Mail and even the Telegraph over the past few weeks ? . All 3 hit the new depths of vindictiveness.

A comment that would never have appeared if somehow your Labour lot had triumphed on Thursday.

The electoral system needs reform, You're always moaning about Blackburn always having a Labour MP. Under PR your vote would count.

Here is a question I would like all Tory voters to answer.

It is often said that "the true measure of a society is the way in which it treats its most vulnerable people".

That being so, how do they justify returning a Conservative govt that will allow Iain Duncan Smith to continue his campaign of terror against the sick and disabled?

Would any Tory voter like to answer the question I posed earlier ?

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

A. Why do you think this ? Who knows what makes a good leader - personally think the public perception was driven by character assassination in the Tory press.

i don't read the press because of the bias towards particular parties instead of remaining impartial (on all sides) and i still sussed he was a weak leader

B. Which policies would have stifled growth ? Think the only thing they tried to point out was that the people mainly affected by Tory austerity was the the average working man.

Higher rates of tax and windfall taxes on companies purely because they had the audacity to make profits!

C. This was the most amazing scaremongering of the election. After fighting to keep Scotland in the Union - the Tories effectively said that the MPs that Scotland voted for weren't fit to be part of the political process in Westminster. I have no time for the SNP, but Tory strategy has effectively ripped the Union apart again.

The Tories did what they had to do to win the Election,at least they had a plan.Red Ed just thought he could turn up and just waltz into Downing street with no effort at all.He even had the cheek to plan on having his now infamous stone slab put in the gardens of No:10.

D. Hindsight is always a wonderful thing - let's look at Tory policy to sell off BT, gas, water etc etc - all of which has led to big business making huge profits at the expense of the tax payer.

They didn't need hindsight,at the time everybody knew it was a poor deal for the British taxpayer and had they waited until the price had got to a reasonable level of $600-800 dollars they would have raised between $18-24 Billion instead of the paltry $6.5 Billion that they got for it.Yes the tories didn't get a great price but it's a lot harder to put a value on public utilities than it was Gold.

E. This freeze has led to worse public services and thousands of job losses.

As has been pointed out before,poor management of public services has been the main reason for this.Prime example being my area Rossendale,the local council have plans in place for a brand new sparkling £3.5m bus station in Rawtenstall (not exactly a priority).Yet the town of Haslingden has seen it's swimming pool closed because they couldn't 'afford' to do necessary repairs.Guess which party had control of the council when this decision was made?

A. Most people I have spoken to were surprised at how well he came across during the election - personally I think his brother was more "voter friendly" but I must admit I didn't think Ed was anywhere as near as weak a leader as the press made out.

B. I personally don't agree with people being penalised for being successful - however I have a huge problem with big business that deliberately take advantage of tax loop holes to make huge profits at the expense of the tax payer. This is my biggest issue - if they paid the same amount as the normal working man I wouldn't have an issue, but the truth is you or I probably pay a higher % on PAYE than many businesses.

C. They had a plan of negative scaremongering - why couldn't they concentrate on their policies - bit like why they wouldn't explain where the £12bn was going to be saved from the welfare budget.

D. TBH don't know the full background of why they decided to sell when they did - personally the one area I would agree with the Tories is that as a country we should live within our means - but personally would pay another few % in tax to have a world class NHS and public sector (another Tory press myth that civil servants, teachers etc etc are over paid and work shy - when most are under paid in extremely stressful jobs).

E. I agree there has been poor management - but you address that poor management and not just cut the budgets first. Why can't they streamline - introduce efficiences and then make cuts based on what is required rather than just arbitery cuts that put vulnerable people at risk ?

[yoda]

Have you been reading the Sun, Mail and even the Telegraph over the past few weeks ? . All 3 hit the new depths of vindictiveness.

The electoral system needs reform, You're always moaning about Blackburn always having a Labour MP. Under PR your vote would count.

Would any Tory voter like to answer the question I posed earlier ?

Not being a Tory voter can I reply as a small business owner,

Does it take money to look after the sick and disabled you refer to,

If so where does it come from ?

I know where my money comes from

[thenodrog]

Here is a question I would like all Tory voters to answer.

It is often said that "the true measure of a society is the way in which it treats its most vulnerable people".

That being so, how do they justify returning a Conservative govt that will allow Iain Duncan Smith to continue his campaign of terror against the sick and disabled?

'Campaign of terror'. Rephrase your question without all the emotive claptrap and you might get more response.... but not from me btw.

[jim mk2]

'Campaign of terror'. Rephrase your question without all the emotive claptrap and you might get more response.... but not from me btw.

OK then, I didn't know you were so sensitive.

How about, "campaign of economic deprivation and mental anguish against some of Britain's most vulnerable people" ?

Not being a Tory voter can I reply as a small business owner,

Does it take money to look after the sick and disabled you refer to,

If so where does it come from ?

I know where my money comes from

I can't reply if you don't even understand the question.

[yoda]

OK then, I didn't know you were so sensitive.

How about, "campaign of economic deprivation and mental anguish against some of Britain's most vulnerable people" ?

I can't reply if you don't even understand the question.

Typical,

Ask a question and then because you don't like the replies, start bleating

[thenodrog]

The usual work shy unwashed anarchists come out of their squats.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32678518

Go for em Dave.

[Mike E]

Only 'clamour' I've heard is from those that lost, as usual. The fact still stands that it was put to the electorate and overwhelmingly rejected. Move on.

Wrong, that was AV not PR.

[Sandiway Blue]

A. Most people I have spoken to were surprised at how well he came across during the election - personally I think his brother was more "voter friendly" but I must admit I didn't think Ed was anywhere as near as weak a leader as the press made out.

I think David would have caused the Tories a lot more problems had he been made leader.As i mentioned earlier i don't read newspapers but i honestly couldn't envisage Ed as a leader.

B. I personally don't agree with people being penalised for being successful - however I have a huge problem with big business that deliberately take advantage of tax loop holes to make huge profits at the expense of the tax payer. This is my biggest issue - if they paid the same amount as the normal working man I wouldn't have an issue, but the truth is you or I probably pay a higher % on PAYE than many businesses.

I agree with the thing about big businesses but this has gone on for decades and no government has bothered to sort it out.To coin a phrase:"they all p*ss in the same pot?" I think that Labour made a big mistake though in not appealing to the small business's.If they want to govern again they can't keep making threats of high taxation.

C. They had a plan of negative scaremongering - why couldn't they concentrate on their policies - bit like why they wouldn't explain where the £12bn was going to be saved from the welfare budget.

I agree,tbh i think that all parties were guilty of this throughout the campaign.

D. TBH don't know the full background of why they decided to sell when they did - personally the one area I would agree with the Tories is that as a country we should live within our means - but personally would pay another few % in tax to have a world class NHS and public sector (another Tory press myth that civil servants, teachers etc etc are over paid and work shy - when most are under paid in extremely stressful jobs).

I wouldn't say overpaid or workshy but again i wouldn't say underpaid either,especially teachers.I think they are paid about right especially when you consider that the pension they get is rather good.

E. I agree there has been poor management - but you address that poor management and not just cut the budgets first. Why can't they streamline - introduce efficiences and then make cuts based on what is required rather than just arbitery cuts that put vulnerable people at risk ?

Do you not think a lot of this is the top management operating in self preservation mode? I totally agree that they need to sort out the whole structure of services from top to bottom,Lancashire County Council are in the process of doing exactly this,however the local councils are the ones that need sorting out.The whole system stinks of corruption and feathering their own nests with no fear of anybody doing anything about it.

The usual work shy unwashed anarchists come out of their squats.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32678518

Go for em Dave.

I noticed Charlotte church sticking her oar in,if she wants to pretend to be a socialist then no doubt she will soon be distributing her wealth amongst the poor and needy alongside Russell Brand...

Of course i won't hold my breath....Hypocrites!

[thenodrog]

What a grade a plonker.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/05/10/george-galloway-general-election_n_7252800.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cuk-ws-bb%7Cdl4%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D349867

[Sandiway Blue]

What a grade a plonker.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/05/10/george-galloway-general-election_n_7252800.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cuk-ws-bb%7Cdl4%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D349867

I'd like to think we would see the last of him however he is like a dog turd that has been stood in.You think you've got rid of it then you see a stain a little while later.

[thenodrog]

Must admit it would be very ironic if he'd been turfed out by dodgy postal voting but it's unlikely because the Labour woman's majority was massive.

[joey_big_nose]

I don't think personal attacks by posters from either the left, centre or right is going to make anyone change their minds about how to vote. Its wasted energy. What's the point?

This is a good article in my opinion. I particularly like it because it is well structured and presents referenced and verifiable evidence.

http://benjaminstudebaker.com/2015/05/08/misinformation-how-the-tories-won/

[jim mk2]

Fascinating article and worth reading through all the comments at the end too - but will anyone else on here bother ? I suspect not.

The problem is summed up by the final 2 posts; that, in the end, trying to change entrenched views even when the facts are irrefutable, is a waste of time.

[thenodrog]

"Entrenched views" now that's funny!

[adopted scouser]

What a grade a plonker.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/05/10/george-galloway-general-election_n_7252800.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cuk-ws-bb%7Cdl4%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D349867

He was fed up because his constituents only voted twice instead of five or six

[thenodrog]

Is it just me but I'm detecting an unspoken sense of relief from all and sundry both in private and in the press and media and even within the labour party that miliband's brand of socialism has so dramatically failed? The amount of knives being plunged into his back from all sides but particularly from his own party speaks volumes.