The General Election Thread

[malg]

The stone might not be such a bad idea. Labour have been using these 6 pledges since the start of the campaign but on the whole they have been ignored by the media in favour of things like bacon sandwiches. With this the pledges are getting a lot of traction, especially as the Tories have been tweeting pictures of the original stone. Sure it's a gimmick but is there such a thing as bad publicity?

There's something to be said for that. Some of the pledges are just nonsense though. That NHS one is so vague that I'm stunned he didn't sack the tit that came up with it.

 

[Len Rum]

The stone might not be such a bad idea. Labour have been using these 6 pledges since the start of the campaign but on the whole they have been ignored by the media in favour of things like bacon sandwiches. With this the pledges are getting a lot of traction, especially as the Tories have been tweeting pictures of the original stone. Sure it's a gimmick but is there such a thing as bad publicity?

It'll be a piss stone by next weekend.

You're a class act mate.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

The stone might not be such a bad idea. Labour have been using these 6 pledges since the start of the campaign but on the whole they have been ignored by the media in favour of things like bacon sandwiches. With this the pledges are getting a lot of traction, especially as the Tories have been tweeting pictures of the original stone. Sure it's a gimmick but is there such a thing as bad publicity?

Rolph Harris says yes.

 

[scotty123]

The stone might not be such a bad idea. Labour have been using these 6 pledges since the start of the campaign but on the whole they have been ignored by the media in favour of things like bacon sandwiches. With this the pledges are getting a lot of traction, especially as the Tories have been tweeting pictures of the original stone. Sure it's a gimmick but is there such a thing as bad publicity?

It'll be a piss stone by next weekend.

You're a class act mate.

He's sharp though!

 

[argyle]

What Labour should have done years ago is explain strongly that the financial crisis had little to do with them. It was a global crisis not caused by Labour. Every country suffered from it. The spending of Labour wasn't any different to what had gone before or different to many other countries.

A strong narrative however has taken place that it was all Labour's fault and as they've done nothing to disprove this over the last 5 years Miliband looked very silly and weak last night trying to argue against it.

I can understand that in principle but there's one thing I really can't get my head round and that's the " there's no money left" message passed from labour to the Tories at the change of office

I run a business in the ebb and flow world of the building trade,responsible for the employment of 20 people.
Getting through 2 recessions is down to only ever spending what's necessary and being basically prudent.This has allowed us to safeguard everyone's jobs and a modest pay rise every year. There's plenty of times in business when the cash is flowing but it's only through managing it and keeping cash in reserve for when it gets tough that a business can survive and flourish.
It baffles me that a government of supremely educated people can't see the big picture
I left school with no qualifications at 16 so perhaps I just have a simplistic view,maybe the more educated on here can explain the difference because I can't see it

This is how simple it is. No-one can get it into their heads that the country has to be run like a business or it goes bust. It went bust in 2008 almost because we rely on a liquid market where money is accessible but that all but dried during the recession and it still has not recovered because the banks are ever more wary of who they lend to. Getting banks lending again was the biggest challenge facing the Tories yet Red Ed wants to attack the banks??

Madness, Miliband is a vote winner for people who do not understand where jobs and money comes from but he is not a business winner. There was one businesswomen last night who ran a small business and she absolutely tore him to shreds because things like raising the minimum wage, banning zero hour contracts will all completely destroy some businesses. The minimum wage should rise but it should rise naturally with inflation, not at the expense of the people who pay the damn wages who will probably fire them off as a result, he is stupid really.

She is a Tory activist who posed as an undecided.

 

[argyle]

Lucky13world is some seriously fucked up place.

I have come to the conclusion that most of the right wingers on this thread are someone like Rascal using a pseudonym, another laptop and a proxy server. Only a Leftie doing comedy about the right could come out with some of the pearlers on this thread! There are a few real right wingers but a couple such as the above have to be parodies surely and some of them bloody good! The first paragraph above is gold!

You are correct UCB , the Socialist Republic of Ashton is fucked up.


More wise words from Call me Dave.

 

[Len Rum]

It'll be a piss stone by next weekend.

You're a class act mate.

He's sharp though!

Not really.

 

[Len Rum]

I have come to the conclusion that most of the right wingers on this thread are someone like Rascal using a pseudonym, another laptop and a proxy server. Only a Leftie doing comedy about the right could come out with some of the pearlers on this thread! There are a few real right wingers but a couple such as the above have to be parodies surely and some of them bloody good! The first paragraph above is gold!

You are correct UCB , the Socialist Republic of Ashton is fucked up.


More wise words from Call me Dave.

I like it.
Number one is my favourite.
Especially as it came as such a surprise!

 

[scotty123]

You're a class act mate.

He's sharp though!

Not really.

Yes he is

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

He's sharp though!

Not really.

Yes he is

It's all relative.

 

[kas_tippler]

He's sharp though!

Not really.

Yes he is

Wish you'd make your minds up

 

[Paulpowersleftfoot]

I can understand that in principle but there's one thing I really can't get my head round and that's the " there's no money left" message passed from labour to the Tories at the change of office

I run a business in the ebb and flow world of the building trade,responsible for the employment of 20 people.
Getting through 2 recessions is down to only ever spending what's necessary and being basically prudent.This has allowed us to safeguard everyone's jobs and a modest pay rise every year. There's plenty of times in business when the cash is flowing but it's only through managing it and keeping cash in reserve for when it gets tough that a business can survive and flourish.
It baffles me that a government of supremely educated people can't see the big picture
I left school with no qualifications at 16 so perhaps I just have a simplistic view,maybe the more educated on here can explain the difference because I can't see it

This is how simple it is. No-one can get it into their heads that the country has to be run like a business or it goes bust. It went bust in 2008 almost because we rely on a liquid market where money is accessible but that all but dried during the recession and it still has not recovered because the banks are ever more wary of who they lend to. Getting banks lending again was the biggest challenge facing the Tories yet Red Ed wants to attack the banks??

Madness, Miliband is a vote winner for people who do not understand where jobs and money comes from but he is not a business winner. There was one businesswomen last night who ran a small business and she absolutely tore him to shreds because things like raising the minimum wage, banning zero hour contracts will all completely destroy some businesses. The minimum wage should rise but it should rise naturally with inflation, not at the expense of the people who pay the damn wages who will probably fire them off as a result, he is stupid really.

She is a Tory activist who posed as an undecided.

Doesn't really matter what she will be voting
She made him look like the fool he clearly is

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I do wonder if Milliband's utterly ridiculous carved stone gimmick will prove to be his 'Sheffield Rally moment'.

Seriously, who the fuck thought that was a good idea?

 

[EalingBlue2]

Ideal scenario for me, conservatives win enough seats to form a government with lib dems and DUP in return they have to drop the referendum and stop playing to the right wing rump. Tory party splits with about 25 defections to UKIP and a big national split.

This repositions the Tories to where they once were when they claimed to be the natural party of government and centre right. UKIP surge in the polls but slowly become older and irrelevant.

Next election a bloodbath for Tories and labour win but after that they become what they once were and fight elections against labour for the centre.

With the deal also the Tories finally agree to some electoral reform and have a decent referendum on the voting system rather than Europe.

If not a labour lib dem Plaid coalition with Occassional support from SNP or Tories would do me.

Sadly though I don't think any of the parties have a real plan to deal with Britains woes or really to position Britain for the middle of he 21st century.

I see parties who have given up on policies and direction and all seem to just be against stuff with no idea what they believe.

The parties spend their time slating tax dodgers, profit shifting, dole blisters, each other without any real solutions to the issues!

 

[Bluemanc100]

I do wonder if Milliband's utterly ridiculous carved stone gimmick will prove to be his 'Sheffield Rally moment'.

Seriously, who the fuck thought that was a good idea?

It looked like it was designed by a small child

 

[Damocles]

I do wonder if Milliband's utterly ridiculous carved stone gimmick will prove to be his 'Sheffield Rally moment'.

Seriously, who the fuck thought that was a good idea?

I think the idea of having 6 guiding principles that are literally set in stone for your term in Government is a very good idea.

The principles themselves were badly designed but the idea was excellent and every party should do it. Manifestos are essentially broad policy documents detailing views on every issue possible.

The one thing that the Government is absolutely crying out for, are clear and concise pass/failure metrics for their term. 5 years down the line if those policies weren't met then the country kicks them out. At the moment, one of the big issues with politics in general is that all sides can argue all issues because nobody has given specific, measurable goals on what they want to achieve publically.

We should encourage more people to do this, not less.

 

[EalingBlue2]

This is how simple it is. No-one can get it into their heads that the country has to be run like a business or it goes bust. It went bust in 2008 almost because we rely on a liquid market where money is accessible but that all but dried during the recession and it still has not recovered because the banks are ever more wary of who they lend to. Getting banks lending again was the biggest challenge facing the Tories yet Red Ed wants to attack the banks??

Madness, Miliband is a vote winner for people who do not understand where jobs and money comes from but he is not a business winner. There was one businesswomen last night who ran a small business and she absolutely tore him to shreds because things like raising the minimum wage, banning zero hour contracts will all completely destroy some businesses. The minimum wage should rise but it should rise naturally with inflation, not at the expense of the people who pay the damn wages who will probably fire them off as a result, he is stupid really.

She is a Tory activist who posed as an undecided.

Doesn't really matter what she will be voting
She made him look like the fool he clearly is

A country can be run financially sensibly but it can never and never should be run like a business, to suggest so is a fallacy.

A country has to look after al its people, a business has to look after its productive people and remove the others. A country needs to do things that are not always economically rational , a business shouldn't.

Whilst I agree over the long term a country needs to balance its books and does better need to evaluate expenditure , that is where in many ways the similarity ends.

 

[Damocles]

A country can be run financially sensibly but it can never and never should be run like a business, to suggest so is a fallacy.

A country has to look after al its people, a business has to look after its productive people and remove the others. A country needs to do things that are not always economically rational , a business shouldn't.

Whilst I agree over the long term a country needs to balance its books and does better need to evaluate expenditure , that is where in many ways the similarity ends.

So basically you mean that it needs to be run as a non-profit business?

Most would agree

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I do wonder if Milliband's utterly ridiculous carved stone gimmick will prove to be his 'Sheffield Rally moment'.

Seriously, who the fuck thought that was a good idea?

I think the idea of having 6 guiding principles that are literally set in stone for your term in Government is a very good idea.

The principles themselves were badly designed but the idea was excellent and every party should do it. Manifestos are essentially broad policy documents detailing views on every issue possible.

The one thing that the Government is absolutely crying out for, are clear and concise pass/failure metrics for their term. 5 years down the line if those policies weren't met then the country kicks them out. At the moment, one of the big issues with politics in general is that all sides can argue all issues because nobody has given specific, measurable goals on what they want to achieve publically.

We should encourage more people to do this, not less.

I'm wary about responding to this post in case its contents get completely misrepresented by you, but I'm nothing if not a risk-taker.

It's not the principle of having some totemic commitments; it certainly worked for Blair. It was the utterly ridiculous way it was conveyed - carved on a piece of fucking stone. Very amateurish. Almost farcical. Milliband looked like an utter tit, although as a career politician, what do you expect?

I also expect he'll need planning permission if it's going to be a permanent structure in the back garden of a Grade1 listed building.

 

[Damocles]

I'm wary about responding to this post in case its contents get completely misrepresented by you, but I'm nothing if not a risk-taker.

Well that was a good way to put me in a mood of good faith discussion, nice job.

It's not the principle of having some totemic commitments; it certainly worked for Blair. It was the utterly ridiculous way it was conveyed - carved on a piece of fucking stone. Very amateurish. Almost farcical. Milliband looked like an utter tit, although as a career politician, what do you expect?

I also expect he'll need planning permission if it's going to be a permanent structure in the back garden of a Grade1 listed building.

Literal gestures seem to appeal to people more than figurative ones. He is literally carving his principles in stone; not hiding them or trying to say "ah but what I actually meant was.." or any of the usual tricks people suggest politicians get up to. An unequivocal, not negotiable, clear statement on exactly where his positions lie backed up by something solid and tangible.

It will probably win him votes amongst the silent majority. Those on Gogglebox will probably love it.