United Kingdom General Election 2015

[Kryten]

I have to say, the E-Goat poll results are quite interesting; the majority of posters leaning towards the Tories or UKIP. It's interesting because during my RAF career the Tories always seemed to reduce defence spending (Options for Change leaps to mind), and Labour seemed to be the party that would always increase UK defence capability....

 

[Witty_Banter]

I never did understand HOW Labour were able to spend the way they did. If any one of us were thousands of pounds in debt, then we'd have a real issue borrowing more money. Surely the same should extend to countries in trillions of pounds of debt?

As for the cutting of the military - I'm not sure anyone can justify having a large armed force 'just in case' these days. We're reducing the size of our military force, and at the same time Joe Public is calling for an end in our involvement in places like Afghanistan, etc. How do we justify needing a larger force that will be involved less? Of course the way we're going, we're certainly more of a Defence Force than an Armed Force - border control job anyone?

Anyway back to it - if our little voting thingy is any indication of how the public will go, could we be on for a Con/UKIP coalition?

 

[Warwick Hunt]

Out of the three potential coalition evils (Con/UKIP, Con/Lib Dem, Lab/SNP), an alliance between Cameron and Farage seems to be the lesser of them.

 

[Jim_P_Pulfrew]

I don't believe the current crop of New Labour champagne socialists would ever allow a resurgent left to scupper their elevated positions in the food chain. It would appear to be standard scare tactics by some to keep on about the ‘79 election and the winter of discontent, conveniently forgetting 13 years when the looney left were very effectively suppressed. The current Labour party is being tacitly driven by the small C conservative policies of so called Blue Labour which are much closer to the centrist policies the country needs.

In my humble opinion an EU referendum whilst we are still in an economic recovery phase would be ludicrous in the extreme. Love them or loathe them the Tories have managed to keep us in a very favourable credit score, although based to some extent upon the plan that Alistair Darling proposed. If we get to a position where we are effectively weakening the EU the markets will howl their heads off and we will soon be enjoying the same rating as our French buddies. Cameron, if he gets in will boot any referendum so far into the long grass it will be effectively killed. All he has to do is manage his backbenchers and any UKIP squealing for another five years and as he said in his kitchen he is offski, with the legacy of the man who saved the Union and kept us in Europe.

On defence, expect to see cuts labelled as capability gapping a la Harrier and Nimrod until the money is finished being spent on the big ticket items. This is also how both parties will manage the 2% NATO tariff and also by including the spend on Trident Replacement. Worringly, we are starting to get pulled into peace keeping again across the globe, and there will be a time very soon when the scales will tip and we cannot chuck any resource at the next regional spat. My fear is that the government of the day will keep committing to maintain our ‘position of prominence’ on the world stage and bolster the next big US mission even after the tipping point is passed.

The poll results are interesting so far and as a snapshot would indicate a Con/UKIP pact of some sort. I am yet to be convinced. UKIP will inevitably capture a lot of votes but translating them to seats is a different thing. In my constituency they may get a lot of support but not enough to transfer power. Farage himself will probably not get in due to Al Murray stealing a lot of the protest votes that UKIP will be relying upon. They may keep Carswell and Reckless and have an outside chance with Nuttall in Bootle plus one maybe two others; but there will be more gaffes and I expect a full on assault on their credibility from Lynton Crosby and his dark acolytes which will severely limit their effect.

Finally I apologise for the tattooed feckwit remark if it has caused offence. It is an old Billy Connolly saying from the 80s which is probably inaccurate now.

Jimps

 

[Jim_P_Pulfrew]

Out of the three potential coalition evils (Con/UKIP, Con/Lib Dem, Lab/SNP), an alliance between Cameron and Farage seems to be the lesser of them.

Don't write off a Labour Lib Dem pact or coalition too soon!

Jimps

 

[busby1971]

B72 your first comment forms a part of my belief that we should ban political parties and vote for our representatives on what they say they will represent and what they do.

With regards your second point, this probably explains why Labour some times win two elections but rarely a third, the recent collapse of the economy occurred 10 years after they came to power, however, we tend to have more frequent 7 year economic cycles, give or take.

Kryten, the comment on Options is a little weak, Options followed the collapse of the Soviet Block and the evaporation of the total war threat (at the time) it would have been madness to maintain the status quo forces wise.

 

[muttywhitedog]

With regards your second point, this probably explains why Labour some times win two elections but rarely a third, the recent collapse of the economy occurred 10 years after they came to power, however, we tend to have more frequent 7 year economic cycles, give or take.

I thought that the election in 2001 was the first time Labour had won a 2nd term.

 

[busby1971]

I thought that the election in 2001 was the first time Labour had won a 2nd term.

Not so, 1929 & 31, 45 & 50, 64 & 66, 74 & 74, finally 97, 01 & 05.

 

[justintime129]

I thought that the election in 2001 was the first time Labour had won a 2nd term.

1945
1950

1964
1966

1974 minority
1974

 

[Kryten]

B72 your first comment forms a part of my belief that we should ban political parties and vote for our representatives on what they say they will represent and what they do.

With regards your second point, this probably explains why Labour some times win two elections but rarely a third, the recent collapse of the economy occurred 10 years after they came to power, however, we tend to have more frequent 7 year economic cycles, give or take.

Kryten, the comment on Options is a little weak, Options followed the collapse of the Soviet Block and the evaporation of the total war threat (at the time) it would have been madness to maintain the status quo forces wise.

It's not really that weak an argument - the fall of the Berlin wall was in Nov 1989, and Options for Change followed within a year with almost alarming haste. While I accept your point that maintaining the status quo would have been unwise, cutting total manpower by approximately 18% to around 255,000 while the Soviet Union still existed was utter madness..

I also seem to recall that in the early 80s the Conservatives were close to selling HMS Illustrious to the Australians....which if they had would have made the Falklands War a bit more of a challenge...

 

[unruly1986]

There seems to be a habit of Tory bashing going on throughout the country; 'they help the rich' 'steal from the poor' etc etc. People seem to forget that under the Coalition, the income tax threshold has actually risen, essentially a pay rise for everyone in work.

A term I hate is 'Bedroom Tax'. Hang on a minute, if you are being given a free home, don't have to work (I appreciate some people genuinely can't before you start), and have a room that isn't being used, then I don't understand why it is unreasonable for you to have to make a contribution.

From what I have read, Labour seem intent on borrowing more money (read they will borrow on our behalf - our great great grandkids will be paying it off). The coalition for all their faults, are reducing the deficit and I don't see why this is a bad thing.

I think that UKIP raise some valid points (and I'm not a tattooed thug!), especially on immigration and our relationship with the EU. That said, UKIP don't stand a chance of getting in in my local area therefore I will be voting smart and ticking Tory on the ballot paper. Anything to prevent Labour getting their hands on government. The reason that we are in this mess (financial and some people would argue overpopulation via immigration) is due to Labour and they seem to want to carry on as they did under Blair and Brown.

ETA: Do you want this guy running the country?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRHZOL9O0UQ

 

[justintime129]

A term I hate is 'Bedroom Tax'. Hang on a minute, if you are being given a free home, don't have to work (I appreciate some people genuinely can't before you start), and have a room that isn't being used, then I don't understand why it is unreasonable for you to have to make a contribution.

There's severe shortage of one bedroom houses/flats in the social housing sector. The majority of people paying bedroom tax are living couples or single people living in 2 bedroom accommodation. It's not their fault they can't move into one bedroom accommodation but in the world of pickles Osborne Cameron and IDS it is.

I hope the Tories get decimated at the polls. Cameron has done as much as Thatcher to split this country into the haves and have nots.

 

[AVliney]

There's severe shortage of one bedroom houses/flats in the social housing sector. The majority of people paying bedroom tax are living couples or single people living in 2 bedroom accommodation. It's not their fault they can't move into one bedroom accommodation but......

agreed, but this tax does not affect people that work and pay there own rent etc, it only affects those that don't work and get housing benefit!

 

[busby1971]

Nobody pays the bedroom tax, they just get benefit to meet their needs. There us nothing stopping them taking on a lodger to help out. This would also help out others who can only get help to live in accommodation that matches their needs.

 

[Witty_Banter]

I think the only way they could get away with the 'bedroom tax' thing, would be if there was sufficient / adequate alternative housing in the local area and those who didn't need the extra room refused to move to a size of house they could feasibly occupy. Don't get me wrong, everyone likes a bit of extra space for potential growth, but if you don't own the property or are not paying your full quota, I don't think you should have any say in the matter. However, I also think that the Govt should pick up all the costs of moving those people (think disturbance allowance).

I'll agree there is a fair amount of Tory bashing going on at the moment - I'll also agree that on the whole they bloody deserve it.

As for the 'voting smart bit', I'll have to disagree with that one. If everyone put their balls on the chopping block and voted for who they truly wanted to get in, the smaller parties would get a lot more seats and the reds and blues would get a bloody good wake up call!

 

[justintime129]

I have to say, the E-Goat poll results are quite interesting; the majority of posters leaning towards the Tories or UKIP. It's interesting because during my RAF career the Tories always seemed to reduce defence spending (Options for Change leaps to mind), and Labour seemed to be the party that would always increase UK defence capability....

That will go down like a ton of bricks on here. Don't you know the Tories are the party of the serviceman. Not.

 

[justintime129]

Nobody pays the bedroom tax, they just get benefit to meet their needs. There us nothing stopping them taking on a lodger to help out. This would also help out others who can only get help to live in accommodation that matches their needs.

Aren't things so simple in your world. Where is this social housing available for those people to move down.

 

[Witty_Banter]

There's plenty of space left in the country to build houses on, there just isn't anywhere to work in the places they could build houses. Plus there is the whole green belt / brown belt business (which to be honest I think are unsustainable and unrealistic given the UK's current population).

Put some good infrastructure / manufacturing in the Welsh Valleys / Scottish highlands / Penines, and create other places to live and work!

 

[justintime129]

There's plenty of space left in the country to build houses on, there just isn't anywhere to work in the places they could build houses. Plus there is the whole green belt / brown belt business (which to be honest I think are unsustainable and unrealistic given the UK's current population).

Put some good infrastructure / manufacturing in the Welsh Valleys / Scottish highlands / Penines, and create other places to live and work!

That's what the Tories would have you do move to places where theres work. If only it was so easy

 

[busby1971]

Aren't things so simple in your world. Where is this social housing available for those people to move down.

I didn't say anything about social housing, I said people should look at renting a room out, helping people stay in their current homes and others to find a place to live. Young people setting out in the private sector regularly have house shares because it is all they can afford, why should people on benefits get a better deal, just because they are not paying for it.


There was a trailer on TV for a programme about benefit tennents, a participant said that people renting should have the same rights as those who buy. Doesn't happen when you rent anything else so why should it apply when you borrow a house or flat.