Re: The General Election Thread : Fri Apr 03, 2015 7:10 am  

Sturgeon was easily the best performer. The SNP, Green and Plaid leaders all had an advantage in that they were able to take pot shots at Cameron and Miliband without their own policies coming under any scrutiny. Sturgeon had the advantage over the other minor parties' leaders in that she's battle hardened by the independence campaign.

I can't gauge whether the debate will have done UKIP any good. I always think that Farage is a complete idiot, but he still seems to be popular.

Overall I think the debate will have little impact on the election result. But the group that I think will have least enjoyed it will have been Labour candidates in Scotland.

Re: The General Election Thread : Fri Apr 03, 2015 7:45 am  

cod'ead wrote: You keep trotting out this crap, where from? The Kings Fund appraisal of LimpDem 2010 manifesto on NHS You didn't need to trawl the internet to find something that didn't say anything at all, you could have just read the manifesto! Here, let me help you Giving Local Health Boards the freedom to commission services for local people from a range of different types of provider So, for the umpteenth time, just why did you vote to privatise the NHS?

cod'ead wrote: You keep trotting out this crap, where from? The Kings Fund appraisal of LimpDem 2010 manifesto on NHS You didn't need to trawl the internet to find something that didn't say anything at all, you could have just read the manifesto! Here, let me help you Giving Local Health Boards the freedom to commission services for local people from a range of different types of provider So, for the umpteenth time, just why did you vote to privatise the NHS?

Re: The General Election Thread : Fri Apr 03, 2015 8:04 am  

Cibaman wrote:

Sturgeon was easily the best performer. The SNP, Green and Plaid leaders all had an advantage in that they were able to take pot shots at Cameron and Miliband without their own policies coming under any scrutiny. Sturgeon had the advantage over the other minor parties' leaders in that she's battle hardened by the independence campaign.

I can't gauge whether the debate will have done UKIP any good. I always think that Farage is a complete idiot, but he still seems to be popular.

Overall I think the debate will have little impact on the election result. But the group that I think will have least enjoyed it will have been Labour candidates in Scotland.

I think that expectations of Miliband were so low due to ongoing press mockery that he has so far come out of the two staged TV events very well. If Labour can use him sparingly until the last week of the campaign and if he can get through gaffe free and they keep Balls off screen they may do well. Indeed if it weren't for the SNP they could win. But the SNP will do well as Sturgeon outperformed the other leaders and was the only person with a plausible sounding alternative approach to Cons and Lab.

Re: The General Election Thread : Fri Apr 03, 2015 5:26 pm  

Can I make things clear and concise?

If you are employed by someone else and you vote Tory you are out of your mind, you are illogical, you are being ripped off and conned, in fact lets make it even simpler YOU ARE STUPID!!!

Now go vote for whom you "think" will be better for YOU.

Re: The General Election Thread : Fri Apr 03, 2015 7:59 pm  

Cibaman wrote:

Sturgeon was easily the best performer. The SNP, Green and Plaid leaders all had an advantage in that they were able to take pot shots at Cameron and Miliband without their own policies coming under any scrutiny. Sturgeon had the advantage over the other minor parties' leaders in that she's battle hardened by the independence campaign.

I can't gauge whether the debate will have done UKIP any good. I always think that Farage is a complete idiot, but he still seems to be popular.

Sturgeon knows she's on to a winner, and could end up deciding the path of the UK for the next term. She can therefore be as suitable confident and cocky as she wants to.

I don't think there was a clear winner. Cameron took a slightly aloof 'statesmanlike' stance but gave a good performance, Miliband came across as a bit lightweight to me, Sturgeon simply annoys me and has for a long time, Farage did his job pretty well apart from the idiotic HIV comments, Clegg was ok but looked a bit like Oliver begging for more, Bennett is out of her depth and her fluffy begging was pathetic, that Welsh woman looked like she'd just come out of the pub.

Did it do UKIP any good? I've seen very little comment on my social media feeds apart from a few long-term Labourites posting a few bits, but a few people I've never seen comment on politics have commented they thought Farage was the only one telling the truth. That's the big issue for many people - the lies, spin, rhetoric and complete lack of straight answers from the other parties is just plain boring and doesn't tell anyone anything. People find Farage's direct approach refreshing.

It didn't help make my mind up. I like policies from a couple of manifestos, but I'm still not swayed by anyone in particular.

cod'ead wrote:

Farage came across like the shouty drunk down the pub, who keeps butting into other peoples' conversations with the same argument.

Which I suppose is what he actually is

Not really, in reality he was one of the few who didn't keep interrupting. That gobby Welsh housewife and the frightened looking Australian tended to butt in the most.

But then no matter what he did or said you were always going to have a bitch, were't you?

Re: The General Election Thread : Sat Apr 04, 2015 12:00 pm  

Leaguefan wrote:

Can I make things clear and concise?

If you are employed by someone else and you vote Tory you are out of your mind, you are illogical, you are being ripped off and conned, in fact lets make it even simpler YOU ARE STUPID!!!

Now go vote for whom you "think" will be better for YOU.

Alternatively you could vote Labour and look really stupid - one thing everyone knows if you vote labour you will be worse off - at least with the Tories you have a chance of being better off.

The thought of the two Ed's and Yvette running the country should be sufficient to stop anyone voting Labour.

Re: The General Election Thread : Sat Apr 04, 2015 12:55 pm  

Leaguefan wrote:

If you are employed by someone else and you vote Tory you are out of your mind, you are illogical, you are being ripped off and conned, in fact lets make it even simpler YOU ARE STUPID!!!

Now go vote for whom you "think" will be better for YOU.

Setting aside those who vote for the colour of a flag irrespective of the merits of those who currently stand underneath that flag, then thats exactly what most will do, they will vote for those who they "think" will be better for them.

And if they are currently employed (as per your example) then they could feel that with a new tax code of 1060 against a tax code of 647 in 2010, they are better off and will be in future - because very often thats what it all boils down to, do I have more money now and if I vote for "xxx" will they raise revenue from tax codes ?

It can be as simple as that.

Re: The General Election Thread : Sat Apr 04, 2015 4:47 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

Alternatively you could vote Labour and look really stupid - one thing everyone knows if you vote labour you will be worse off - at least with the Tories you have a chance of being better off.

The thought of the two Ed's and Yvette running the country should be sufficient to stop anyone voting Labour.

I don't know that and probably millions of others don't know that either, BUT in the interest of fairness, plus I'm always willing to learn, please do explain where you this "KNOWN" is from, its derivation and where we can all see and understand it.

Over to you.

Re: The General Election Thread : Sat Apr 04, 2015 8:01 pm  

BobbyD wrote:

You didn't need to trawl the internet to find something that didn't say anything at all, you could have just read the manifesto! Here, let me help you
So, for the umpteenth time, just why did you vote to privatise the NHS?

You must live in a strange world if you think that:

Giving Local Health Boards the freedom to commission services for local people from a range of different types of provider

Is a mandate for privatisation

Re: The General Election Thread : Sun Apr 05, 2015 2:35 am  

Leaguefan wrote:

I don't know that and probably millions of others don't know that either, BUT in the interest of fairness, plus I'm always willing to learn, please do explain where you this "KNOWN" is from, its derivation and where we can all see and understand it.

Over to you.

Labour position is to borrow more to fund spending on welfare and public services. The levels of borrowing are significant, that debt has to be funded somehow - you do the maths it isn't difficult even for you.

The Tories have had to borrow to fund the deficit they inherited - and that has cost us all, increased VAT for a start. Do you seriously believe Labour will be able to borrow these billions without anybody being worse off?

I personally don't like Cameron but I dislike him less than Miliband and Brown's merry band of hatchet men/women. I can't see a situation whereby Cameron can stay in charge so Labour will have to do deal with the SNP and that is where the problems will start. Salmon will want some influence and a heap of money - you reap what you sew.