The General Election Thread

[hilts]

Tristram Hunt
Appropriate rhyming slang

Talk about fiddling while Rome burns!

However I won't vote for a party that advocates flat rate tax, privatising the NHS and allows rich benefactors to buy a cabinet position.

Ukip are a joke.

Are those UKIP policies? Just looked on its site and that doesn't seem to be the case, and does it have cabinet positions? Where did you see this?

They do tend to change their mind a lot policy wise, i always discount the privatising the NHS argument from the left though, it tends to be bollocks depending on context, it is a desperate Labour smear they have used for the last 30 years at least

 

[Gabriel]

Tristram Hunt
Appropriate rhyming slang

Talk about fiddling while Rome burns!

However I won't vote for a party that advocates flat rate tax, privatising the NHS and allows rich benefactors to buy a cabinet position.

Ukip are a joke.

Are those UKIP policies? Just looked on its site and that doesn't seem to be the case, and does it have cabinet positions? Where did you see this?

They do tend to change their mind a lot policy wise, i always discount the privatising the NHS argument from the left though, it tends to be bollocks depending on context, it is a desperate Labour smear they have used for the last 30 years at least

In the current political climate, I expect all parties to start shifting policies as they become attuned to the electorate.

 

[Ducado]

UKIP is the answer to the current blandness of UK politics, and the arrogant assumptions of the main Westminster parties that we are so dumb we will put up with the crap they keep serving us, which is more of the same just a different suit.

I find their media unfriendly image to be quite refreshing as well, everything the other parties do in public is so scripted like they are selling soap powder!

 

[hilts]

UKIP is the answer to the current blandness of UK politics, and the arrogant assumptions of the main Westminster parties that we are so dumb we will put up with the crap they keep serving us, which is more of the same just a different suit.

I find their media unfriendly image to be quite refreshing as well, everything the other parties do in public is so scripted like they are selling soap powder!

I was watching Farage before and he admitted that he said he felt uncomfortably sat in a train full of people not speaking english, now whether you find this statement appalling or not at least he said it and admitted saying it, can you imagine any MP for Labour or the Tories coming out with it, even if they thought it not a chance in hell

If you watch any politician nowadays they will do nothing other than tow the party line even when we all know they don't believe in what they are saying

Some will judge Farage as racist because of his comment and never vote for him
Some will try and see in what context he meant it
Some will think it racist and like him more for it

At least you have something to judge him on

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

UKIP is the answer to the current blandness of UK politics, and the arrogant assumptions of the main Westminster parties that we are so dumb we will put up with the crap they keep serving us, which is more of the same just a different suit.

I find their media unfriendly image to be quite refreshing as well, everything the other parties do in public is so scripted like they are selling soap powder!

Yep. After the next election you can guarantee that we'll get a raft of "This result has clearly shown that we need to listen to the voters" before they go off and do exactly the same thing they did before.

 

[hilts]

UKIP is the answer to the current blandness of UK politics, and the arrogant assumptions of the main Westminster parties that we are so dumb we will put up with the crap they keep serving us, which is more of the same just a different suit.

I find their media unfriendly image to be quite refreshing as well, everything the other parties do in public is so scripted like they are selling soap powder!

Yep. After the next election you can guarantee that we'll get a raft of "This result has clearly shown that we need to listen to the voters" before they go off and do exactly the same thing they did before.

Any politician who says they should listen more to the electorate should by law be punched squarely in the chops

 

[Rascal]

When bright people are considering voting for UKIP i really do fear for the future of this country

 

[Gabriel]

UKIP is the answer to the current blandness of UK politics, and the arrogant assumptions of the main Westminster parties that we are so dumb we will put up with the crap they keep serving us, which is more of the same just a different suit.

I find their media unfriendly image to be quite refreshing as well, everything the other parties do in public is so scripted like they are selling soap powder!

I was watching Farage before and he admitted that he said he felt uncomfortably sat in a train full of people not speaking english, now whether you find this statement appalling or not at least he said it and admitted saying it, can you imagine any MP for Labour or the Tories coming out with it, even if they thought it not a chance in hell

If you watch any politician nowadays they will do nothing other than tow the party line even when we all know they don't believe in what they are saying

Some will judge Farage as racist because of his comment and never vote for him
Some will try and see in what context he meant it
Some will think it racist and like him more for it

At least you have something to judge him on

Andrew Neil resurrected the comment, and Farage connected it to the idea that feeling thus was what many other people in the UK felt, but that the Westminster parties were too afraid to address the issue.

Think the main problem for UKIP is ensuring they have enough spokespeople who are sufficiently capable of addressing policy issues when vigorously interrogated. Even Farage looked uncomfortable today when grilled on Green Tax issues, and while it may be that we've just become accustomed to our politicians 'towing the line', politicians being unable to answer questions makes them appear ignorant and, ultimately, unelectable.

 

[Damocles]

Completely disagree the rest of their policies are not relevant, they are made up just so if they get questioned they have an answer, UKIP will not gain power, they know it so do the voters, their aim is to get us out of europe, if they gain enough support to form a coalition with the tories they will want only one concession, a referendum on the EU

They are trying to force through one policy, no one who votes UKIP need worry about their other policies as they will never see the light of day

They are the equivalent of an online petition, enough people sign up for it and the big boys are forced to tackle the issue to save their own arses

You have massively oversimplified UKIP. They are a real political party with real candidates and real policies. They are not a single issue party any more and your idea of "protest voting" is something that they are actively attracting purely BECAUSE people think they're a single issue party.

The idea that any political party in the world can be summed up by one policy is just ridiculous and I'm sure many UKIP voters would agree.

 

[hilts]

UKIP is the answer to the current blandness of UK politics, and the arrogant assumptions of the main Westminster parties that we are so dumb we will put up with the crap they keep serving us, which is more of the same just a different suit.

I find their media unfriendly image to be quite refreshing as well, everything the other parties do in public is so scripted like they are selling soap powder!

I was watching Farage before and he admitted that he said he felt uncomfortably sat in a train full of people not speaking english, now whether you find this statement appalling or not at least he said it and admitted saying it, can you imagine any MP for Labour or the Tories coming out with it, even if they thought it not a chance in hell

If you watch any politician nowadays they will do nothing other than tow the party line even when we all know they don't believe in what they are saying

Some will judge Farage as racist because of his comment and never vote for him
Some will try and see in what context he meant it
Some will think it racist and like him more for it

At least you have something to judge him on

Andrew Neil resurrected the comment, and Farage connected it to the idea that feeling thus was what many other people in the UK felt, but that the Westminster parties were too afraid to address the issue.

Think the main problem for UKIP is ensuring they have enough spokespeople who are sufficiently capable of addressing policy issues when vigorously interrogated. Even Farage looked uncomfortable today when grilled on Green Tax issues, and while it may be that we've just become accustomed to our politicians 'towing the line', politicians being unable to answer questions makes them appear ignorant and, ultimately, unelectable.

I don't really know much about their members but not all of them appear to be career politicians so will certainly get tripped up on many details i would have thought, he really did struggle with the green tax question

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

When bright people are considering voting for UKIP i really do fear for the future of this country

Actually, I completely agree with them that the EU should be a trade organisation and not a political entity. I also agree that we should have some control over our own borders.

 

[hilts]

Completely disagree the rest of their policies are not relevant, they are made up just so if they get questioned they have an answer, UKIP will not gain power, they know it so do the voters, their aim is to get us out of europe, if they gain enough support to form a coalition with the tories they will want only one concession, a referendum on the EU

They are trying to force through one policy, no one who votes UKIP need worry about their other policies as they will never see the light of day

They are the equivalent of an online petition, enough people sign up for it and the big boys are forced to tackle the issue to save their own arses

You have massively oversimplified UKIP. They are a real political party with real candidates and real policies. They are not a single issue party any more and your idea of "protest voting" is something that they are actively attracting purely BECAUSE people think they're a single issue party.

The idea that any political party in the world can be summed up by one policy is just ridiculous and I'm sure many UKIP voters would agree.

You seemed to have missed the point by some way, i never said they weren't a real political party, they have one aim and one aim only but as a party they need a manifesto, what's in the manifesto is largely irrelevant as they cannot at this time gain power, they are getting votes because of three things

Eu
Immigration
Apathy towards the main parties

I have yet to hear a single person state they are voting for them because of any other policy they might have

If you think otherwise you would be wrong

 

[Gabriel]

I was watching Farage before and he admitted that he said he felt uncomfortably sat in a train full of people not speaking english, now whether you find this statement appalling or not at least he said it and admitted saying it, can you imagine any MP for Labour or the Tories coming out with it, even if they thought it not a chance in hell

If you watch any politician nowadays they will do nothing other than tow the party line even when we all know they don't believe in what they are saying

Some will judge Farage as racist because of his comment and never vote for him
Some will try and see in what context he meant it
Some will think it racist and like him more for it

At least you have something to judge him on

Andrew Neil resurrected the comment, and Farage connected it to the idea that feeling thus was what many other people in the UK felt, but that the Westminster parties were too afraid to address the issue.

Think the main problem for UKIP is ensuring they have enough spokespeople who are sufficiently capable of addressing policy issues when vigorously interrogated. Even Farage looked uncomfortable today when grilled on Green Tax issues, and while it may be that we've just become accustomed to our politicians 'towing the line', politicians being unable to answer questions makes them appear ignorant and, ultimately, unelectable.

I don't really know much about their members but not all of them appear to be career politicians so will certainly get tripped up on many details i would have thought, he really did struggle with the green tax question

That's one of the reasons they need incumbents to defect, as these sitting politicians are already versed in the Westminster game and less likely to become flustered. It also adds to UKIP's general credibility with the voters, as having more established people means it can no longer be seen as simply a one man party.

 

[Damocles]

UKIP is the answer to the current blandness of UK politics, and the arrogant assumptions of the main Westminster parties that we are so dumb we will put up with the crap they keep serving us, which is more of the same just a different suit.

I find their media unfriendly image to be quite refreshing as well, everything the other parties do in public is so scripted like they are selling soap powder!

They haven't got a media unfriendly image. It's the same again, their PR has blinded people to their realities.

UKIP had no MPs up until a week ago, they control less seats in councils than the Scots Nationalists and not long overtaken the Green Party - almost 10 times less than the Lib Dems. Despite this they have blanket media coverage with every outlet and their leaders are constantly seen "interacting with real people". No party since Labour in 1997 has controlled the media agenda in the way that UKIP has recently and it isn't by accident. Worse, these people are going to steel works and sat in pubs trying to give off impressions of being "one of us" whilst being millionaire public school lot who got us into this mess in the first place.

UKIP is nothing more than a carefully orchestrated campaign by an extreme wing of the Tories who has simultaneously wrapped itself in the flag whilst playing on the completely invented myth that they are different from other parties. It's the exact same shit we've seen for decades and like battered housewifes everybody is falling for it again.

 

[Damocles]

When bright people are considering voting for UKIP i really do fear for the future of this country

Actually, I completely agree with them that the EU should be a trade organisation and not a political entity. I also agree that we should have some control over our own borders.

We already have some control over our borders. We control who comes in and out and who needs a visa based on which country they come from. What other powers should we gain? Drop out of the EEA?

 

[hilts]

When bright people are considering voting for UKIP i really do fear for the future of this country

You hate the tories, you probably think the Libs sold out and i think you have mentioned that Labour are not proper socialists, on this basis i would have thought you feared for the future many years ago, i know i do

The percentage of people bright or otherwise who hold your views would be pretty small in this country so it ain't looking good

 

[Anonymous]

Could be a seminal election next year as I think a significant number of people are fed up with the dross that passes for leadership and policy among the main parties. Listened to Pienaar's Politics on 5 Live this morning and Chukka Ummuna was talking in meaningless platitudes and Boris Johnson was making shit up as he went along.

I'm seriously thinking of voting UKIP, not because I believe in their policies but because I want to kick the main parties in the balls and give them a wake up call.

So to give the other parties a kick in the bollocks, you want to vote for an extreme, far right wing party.

Be very fucking careful what you wish for.

 

[hilts]

Could be a seminal election next year as I think a significant number of people are fed up with the dross that passes for leadership and policy among the main parties. Listened to Pienaar's Politics on 5 Live this morning and Chukka Ummuna was talking in meaningless platitudes and Boris Johnson was making shit up as he went along.

I'm seriously thinking of voting UKIP, not because I believe in their policies but because I want to kick the main parties in the balls and give them a wake up call.

So to give the other parties a kick in the bollocks, you want to vote for an extreme, far right wing party.

Be very fucking careful what you wish for.

There is no one else that is the problem

 

[Rascal]

When bright people are considering voting for UKIP i really do fear for the future of this country

You hate the tories, you probably think the Libs sold out and i think you have mentioned that Labour are not proper socialists, on this basis i would have thought you feared for the future many years ago, i know i do

The percentage of people bright or otherwise who hold your views would be pretty small in this country so it ain't looking good

Give me the Tories over UKIP everyday of the week.

I abhor the Far right and in my opinion UKIP are borderline facist

 

[hilts]

When bright people are considering voting for UKIP i really do fear for the future of this country

You hate the tories, you probably think the Libs sold out and i think you have mentioned that Labour are not proper socialists, on this basis i would have thought you feared for the future many years ago, i know i do

The percentage of people bright or otherwise who hold your views would be pretty small in this country so it ain't looking good

Give me the Tories over UKIP everyday of the week.

I abhor the Far right and in my opinion UKIP are borderline facist

On what basis would you call them borderline facist?