General Election 2015

[silkyman]

Haven't the tories borrowed more than any other government in history?

 

[.V.]

See the article I posted yesterday.

 

[Stringy]

I can tell I am going to hate all the coverage of this election. I was watching Sunday Politics or whatever it's called and that fat old bloke with the glasses Andrew Neil wouldn't shut up and let Lucy Powell speak for a minute. Are there any interviewers who are not blatantly pro-Tory (that horrible bint on Sky News was awful), or at least not trying too hard to be Paxman?

Each time Labour attempts to highlight the third point of their strategy they are shouted down and told not to concentrate on the Tories. How can they explain the third part of their strategy without talking about the Tories?

I think the reason for the lack of understanding of economics on behalf of the electorate is that politicians don't truly understand it themselves. Tories bang on about how taxation should be low in order to not stifle business initiative. Labour want higher taxation because ordinary people are being exploited. No-one knows the magic figure of what taxation rates should be in order to strike a balance between the two.

I don't buy into the argument that reducing taxation inadvertently raises tax revenues because the rich make more money. But I can see why lowering taxation is music to many people's ears. Just don't complain if you ever end up disabled.

 

[SUTSS]

Just got the leaflet through the door from the Labour candidate. It's very impressive. Covers so much details and he comes across very well. It's a pity that Labour have no chance of winning here because I'd much prefer him to Keith Simpson.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Take the above AAV article. If George Osborne is such a colossal screw up, and his record on debt is so unbelievably poor, then why is this not a key aspect of the Labour narrative in the build up to the election?

It's quite rare of both Tories and Labour to directly and specifically attack each other in specific policy terms. They just trade soundbite and rhetoric attacks. Ultimately they can't be specific with policy because a) they want to leave themselves as much wriggle room as possible, and b) because both sides know that they'd pretty much do the same regardless of which of them was in power. See Labour with privatisation of the NHS, see Tories with levels of borrowing, the pot is calling the kettle black in almost all cases.

 

[Pyeman]

I see what you mean. I heard on the radio earlier that the Tories have claimed that under Labour, people would have to pay something like £3,000 extra tax. Then the reporter broke the figure down and explained it properly, and basically it was bull shit. Just a load of smoke and mirrors with no real valuable information given.

 

[mase]

 

[John Locke]

Go on Sir Nige.

 

[HertsWolf]

I don't buy into the argument that reducing taxation inadvertently raises tax revenues because the rich make more money. But I can see why lowering taxation is music to many people's ears. Just don't complain if you ever end up disabled.

This.
Taxes pay for a lot of good stuff as well as a lot of crap. it's taxes that pay for roads, libraries, healthcare, etc. Surely what we want is more/better transparency so that our taxes are accounted for properly not shunted into consultants pockets. I want decent schools, not £15 million of "facilitation skills and inter-departmental platitude coordination training". Interesting that we now pay FAR more for our privatised trains and privatised bus services than we ever did when they were nationalised.

Indeed: don't end up poor, disabled or unable/unwilling to drive everywhere.

 

[HertsWolf]

Haven't the tories borrowed more than any other government in history?

Attila the Hun borrowed a lot, to be fair. Well he used the 'air quotes'... I need to "borrow" your savings.

 

[SUTSS]

I always don't know why we're so allergic to taxes in this country. I do think better transparency would help people understand where it was going.

 

[Spear]

4 point lead in tonight's poll for the Conservatives, may get a majority at this rate

 

[Spear]

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

That makes it seem like they're saying "HELL YES".

 

[silkyman]

This is going to be the most tedious election ever, fought entirely in the medium of memes.

Ill researched, innacurate, bullshit memes. The likes of Britain First are going to have a field day.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

I see Cameron did the usual political b*llsh*t on BBC this morning.

It's no wonder people have as such no interest in elections when the main leaders are just full of spin, plodding b*llocks, dodging questions with genuine answers and full of the stuff they p*ss take on Yes Prime Minister.....and that isn't to blame Cameron as you can guarantee Miliband will do the same stuff in his interview later in week.

Dodge question...dodge question...turn question into your own question...blame other party....highlight your positives and divert question to it.....turn next question into your own question...blame other party again for their ideas....blame them 3rd time so people forget the question that has been asked....etc, etc, etc.

 

[Tilbury]

It's not a case of 'I can do it well', it's 'he can't do it'. Negative politics and it's fucking off putting and shit.

 

[.V.]

http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/factcheck-wrong-george-osborne/20587

 

[Blitzballer]

I'd personally rather not vote. I agree with much what the UKIP party have to say but not sure if they can actually deliver the changes they promise to make.
I come a family of predominately labour voters with the exception of the old man who is a Tory supporter.
Still on the fence for the time being, but I can definitely rule myself out for voting Labour

 

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

First leaflets through the door of this campaign and they were from... Labour who notched an almighty 5% of the vote last time around. Admittedly that was a particularly poor showing but they've polled above 15% here on just one occasion since the 70s (and that was in the landslide year of 97). Very peculiar.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

I've just had a Labour leaflet through too. Maybe a strategy to get out there early. Mines currently a paper aeroplane.

 

[GodsGift]

I'm not really sure what Delph brings to the team. What is he supposed to be achieving?

Stabilising the economy?

 

[Pyeman]

Stabilising the economy?

How bizzare. I'm 99% certain I posted that comment in the Italy v England match thread. So either 1FF has had a 'moment', or I'm losing the plot.

Probably the latter.

 

[Modernist]

I've just had a Labour leaflet through too. Maybe a strategy to get out there early. Mines currently a paper aeroplane.

The Labour one is the only one I've received that talked any sense (still have a few to come yet though), at least I had the pleasure of returning the UKIP flyer back to the person delivering it. I did take a look at it before he circled back, what a load of nonsense that was, how people can vote for them and rich boy farage is bewildering.

Nice to see ukip's drop in the polls.

 

[Alty]

The Labour one is the only one I've received that talked any sense (still have a few to come yet though), at least I had the pleasure of returning the UKIP flyer back to the person delivering it. I did take a look at it before he circled back, what a load of nonsense that was, how people can vote for them and rich boy farage is bewildering.

Nice to see ukip's drop in the polls.

'Rich boy' Farage? You know he's up against Cameron, Clegg and Miliband, right?

 

[TheArtfulDodger]

I assume he means the fact that Farage paints himself as some kind of usurper of the political order. He's just a Monday Club Tory, he was even in the party for a while for fuck's sake.

 

[S2_Blade]

Hard to decide who to vote for this time around, I went Lib Dem last time out but they just sold that vote out to Cameron in end when they would have had more power if didn't but the fancy job title for Clegg was obviously too hard to resist and now Lib Dem vote will be minimal.

Onto Ukip and there is more chance of me becoming a season ticket holder at Hillsborough than voting for them so that leaves Labour and can barely bring myself to vote Labour because Ed Miliband is such a wet fart who has no fight in him.

In end i will end up voting Labour but can't see Labour getting a majority because Ed Miliband is such a numpty.

 

[Red]

He comes across as a numpty, but he's a very intelligent man. Still, if personality politics is your thing.

 

[S2_Blade]

He comes across as a numpty, but he's a very intelligent man. Still, if personality politics is your thing.

I am not doubting his intelligence for one minute, just think Labour need a stronger leader with the likes of Ed Miliband in background.

 

[Red]

I'd personally rather not vote. I agree with much what the UKIP party have to say but not sure if they can actually deliver the changes they promise to make.
I come a family of predominately labour voters with the exception of the old man who is a Tory supporter.
Still on the fence for the time being, but I can definitely rule myself out for voting Labour

What do UKIP have to say other than wanting to leave the EU and capping immigration more than than the other parties? Or does that in itself get your vote? I'm just wondering because a lot of people like the EU and immigration stuff, but when you ask them about UKIP's other policies they haven't got a clue what they are?