The 2015 General Election

[Mantis]

Just watched that interview with Natalie Bennett on Sunday Politics... Wow.

She makes Ed look positively statesman-like and sensible.

 

 

I honestly don't know where you got the idea from that left and right is only about economics.

I honestly don't now where you get the idea that its about something else

 

No seriously, what makes you think left and right is only about economics?

[villaajax]

 

Just watched that interview with Natalie Bennett on Sunday Politics... Wow.

She makes Ed look positively statesman-like and sensible.

 

 

I honestly don't know where you got the idea from that left and right is only about economics.

I honestly don't now where you get the idea that its about something else

 

No seriously, what makes you think left and right is only about economics?

 

 

Have an 'unlike' for that added in comment

[tonyh29]

Surveys suggest that concern about the NHS is the main priority of the electorate.

What's interesting is that arond 2010 to 2014 it was only a main concern for around 30% of voters ... The argument then was more around the economy..2015 and healthcare has gone back to around 46% where it had been pre recession

I'm wondering if labour are being quite smart here ... They (Labour ) spent 4 years saying the Torys were wrong on the economy , balls did his amusing hand gesture at ever PMQ's ... at face value the Torys have won the economic argument (you can argue the pros and cons and manipulation of data but in simple terms the economy has faired well in terms of positive news etc) you'll notice that balls isn't so prominent of late for example .... So to some extent Labour know they may have lost that argument so now it's all NHS this and NHS that and that is the agenda they are pushing ...

So have Labour made the NHS the number one issue rather than it actually being the number one issue ?

(In much the same way UKIP have made immigration an issue when it wasn't )

Edited January 28, 2015 by tonyh29

[Mantis]

Labour have definitely pushed the NHS as an issue as they know that's where they're perceived to be strongest.

[Rodders]

 

Just watched that interview with Natalie Bennett on Sunday Politics... Wow.

She makes Ed look positively statesman-like and sensible.

 

 

I honestly don't know where you got the idea from that left and right is only about economics.

I honestly don't now where you get the idea that its about something else

 

No seriously, what makes you think left and right is only about economics?

 

 

just my view but with politics, 'it's always been "the economy stupid". 

 

It's been the chief philosophical division between parties, privatisation v nationalisation to varying degrees, socialism, unchecked capitalism, keynes and friedman.

 

 It's not left or right wing whether you think gays should marry, or terrorists locked up without charge. Those are separate issues of state / church or  the civil rights  - v state authoritarianism where you will have far more overlap ( even if there are some certain coincidences with some issues which may have particularly depth in a party - ie probably far more tories anti gay marriage or anti green energy than others but it's not typically a left right thing. 

Edited January 29, 2015 by Rodders

[ismail-villa]

Ah this will be my first vote [emoji4] so I'll probably not be arsed and just vote Labour or whoever my family vote for.

[mjmooney]

Ah this will be my first vote [emoji4] so I'll probably not be arsed and just vote Labour or whoever my family vote for.

[Seat68]

Being from stafford, the NHS is a major issue with me, we are losing and lost essential services. 

[Stevo985]

If there was an option in this poll, I'd go for "haven't got a **** clue at the moment"

[Eames]

I've gone for Lib Dem.

 

For no other reason than I feel sorry for the poor buggers at the moment and want to help.

 

A chimp in a blue suit gets elected in my consituancy (Damien Green -MP isn't going anywhere). I usually vote for the party that bothers to come to my house for a chat - rewards effort if nothing else.

[bickster]

If there was an option in this poll, I'd go for "haven't got a **** clue at the moment"

You don't have to vote until you decide, if you change your mind, you can even delete your vote then revote to reflect your current opinion

[Stevo985]

 

If there was an option in this poll, I'd go for "haven't got a **** clue at the moment"

You don't have to vote until you decide, if you change your mind, you can even delete your vote then revote to reflect your current opinion

 

Are you talking about VT or the actual polls on election day?

[meregreen]

Just keep an image of that evil b******d Ian Duncan Smith in your mind. The thought of leaving the most vulnerable in our society in his tender embrace for another five years should make it a lot easier to place that cross next to the Labour candidate. It's isn't all about economics. It also involves compassion and caring for those in need,  something that simply doesn't exist in the Tory party. Labour aren't perfect, who is, but they are the only real and viable alternative to the dreadful thought of five more years of Tory viciousness to the poor.

[Demitri_C]

You honestly think labour care? they all dont care, its just deciding which is the less of two evils mere green

[Eames]

Just keep an image of that evil b******d Ian Duncan Smith in your mind. The thought of leaving the most vulnerable in our society in his tender embrace for another five years should make it a lot easier to place that cross next to the Labour candidate. It's isn't all about economics. It also involves compassion and caring for those in need,  something that simply doesn't exist in the Tory party. Labour aren't perfect, who is, but they are the only real and viable alternative to the dreadful thought of five more years of Tory viciousness to the poor.

Cuts that are so vicious and wrong that Labour the good old party of the people are commited to the Tory spending plans. This isn't "Ah but Labour" this is simply, they're all clearings in the woods and nothing will change.

[coda]

I thought there'd be more ukips on here.

[sharkyvilla]

Just keep an image of that evil b******d Ian Duncan Smith in your mind. The thought of leaving the most vulnerable in our society in his tender embrace for another five years should make it a lot easier to place that cross next to the Labour candidate. It's isn't all about economics. It also involves compassion and caring for those in need,  something that simply doesn't exist in the Tory party. Labour aren't perfect, who is, but they are the only real and viable alternative to the dreadful thought of five more years of Tory viciousness to the poor.

Cuts that are so vicious and wrong that Labour the good old party of the people are commited to the Tory spending plans. This isn't "Ah but Labour" this is simply, they're all clearings in the woods and nothing will change.

Cuts are inevitable when you're losing hundred of millions a year. Labour would be idiots if they said they wouldn't implement cuts as they'd lose any economic credibility they have with the electorate.

[Condimentalist]

 

 

Just keep an image of that evil b******d Ian Duncan Smith in your mind. The thought of leaving the most vulnerable in our society in his tender embrace for another five years should make it a lot easier to place that cross next to the Labour candidate. It's isn't all about economics. It also involves compassion and caring for those in need,  something that simply doesn't exist in the Tory party. Labour aren't perfect, who is, but they are the only real and viable alternative to the dreadful thought of five more years of Tory viciousness to the poor.

Cuts that are so vicious and wrong that Labour the good old party of the people are commited to the Tory spending plans. This isn't "Ah but Labour" this is simply, they're all clearings in the woods and nothing will change.

Cuts are inevitable when you're losing hundred of millions a year. Labour would be idiots if they said they wouldn't implement cuts as they'd lose any economic credibility they have with the electorate.

 

 

Cutting expenditure is one way to balance the books. Raising income through progressive taxation and cutting down on evasion and aggressive avoidance is another.

[Eames]

 

 

 

Just keep an image of that evil b******d Ian Duncan Smith in your mind. The thought of leaving the most vulnerable in our society in his tender embrace for another five years should make it a lot easier to place that cross next to the Labour candidate. It's isn't all about economics. It also involves compassion and caring for those in need,  something that simply doesn't exist in the Tory party. Labour aren't perfect, who is, but they are the only real and viable alternative to the dreadful thought of five more years of Tory viciousness to the poor.

Cuts that are so vicious and wrong that Labour the good old party of the people are commited to the Tory spending plans. This isn't "Ah but Labour" this is simply, they're all clearings in the woods and nothing will change.

Cuts are inevitable when you're losing hundred of millions a year. Labour would be idiots if they said they wouldn't implement cuts as they'd lose any economic credibility they have with the electorate.

 

 

Cutting expenditure is one way to balance the books. Raising income through progressive taxation and cutting down on evasion and aggressive avoidance is another.

 

Agreed and both should be happening.

 

What the new government SHOULD do is totally overhaul the tax system and remove all loopholes, work arounds and off-setting schemes, licensing arrangements etc etc. To replace the above would be taxes payable on a sliding scale according to profitability. The more profitable a company is, the more it pays. If you trade in the UK, you pay UK tax on the profts earnt in the UK.

 

The sole solitatary and very lonely good idea UKIP have managed is to overhaul personal taxation, do away with NI and have one flat rate of tax. You earn x, you pay tax at y%. Not hard.

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

I do have issues with Greens, (their stance on nuclear power for example) but at this point in time, with no real alternative, they are the best of a bad bunch simply for being anti-austerity.

 

Although I'm not sure they are even standing in my constituency, in which case it's a choice between sectarian, pro-austerity parties. Delightful.