The Politics Thread

[Athers]

A staggeringly good piece of political maneuvering yesterday by the Tories, dividing the Labour party on north and south lines, whilst setting the initiative on the future of the NHS. If it works in Greater Manchester, they get the kudos. If it doesn't, the local Labour politicians take the flak. Meanwhile, they get a another top down re-organisation of the NHS sneakily past an unsuspecting voting public. I don't like George, but by feck I admire his political nous.

It is interesting how they consciously had lots of conferences up here, given the GM councils loads of power as a 'reward for their good governance' and yet there are few Tories on said Councils.

Soon we can expect them to say 'they've trusted Manchester/the North more than Labour ever did' etc.

[bobo the clown]

When in a car crash don't drive straight into another one. Giggle

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[Lost Leopard Spot]

Britain has always been multicultural - you could say it's an essential part of our culture to be so... we have mixed/absorbed/integrated/added saxons, celts (of various persuasion), vikings, normans, romans... was there a time when Britain was NOT multicultural?

None of those are types of brown people though.

And yet you make disparaging sweeping statements about all Russians... I'd watch your glass house if I was as racist as you, pal.

[Beefheart]

Britain has always been multicultural - you could say it's an essential part of our culture to be so... we have mixed/absorbed/integrated/added saxons, celts (of various persuasion), vikings, normans, romans... was there a time when Britain was NOT multicultural?

None of those are types of brown people though.

And yet you make disparaging sweeping statements about all Russians... I'd watch your glass house if I was as racist as you, pal.

Have I?

[thebish]

Britain has always been multicultural - you could say it's an essential part of our culture to be so... we have mixed/absorbed/integrated/added saxons, celts (of various persuasion), vikings, normans, romans... was there a time when Britain was NOT multicultural?

None of those are types of brown people though.

And yet you make disparaging sweeping statements about all Russians... I'd watch your glass house if I was as racist as you, pal.

Have I?

you said Putin is a loon and you couldn't find a BWFC russian doll when you were in Prague - which is basically the same thing!

[thebish]

ha!

well done broadcasters for sticking together and standing your ground! Cameron declared he would just be involved in one debate - but it had to be one with 7 or 8 leaders - basically a forum for brief soundbites and no opportunity for any of them to be seriously challenged or to go into any depth or detail.... and he'd only do it looooong before the campaign proper is under way...

but the broadcasters say no - there will be three debates - the last of which will be cameron-milliband - and that will be a week before the election and will go ahead whether or not cameron turns up!

he's now in a hole...

[thebish]

tweet response of the day...

[Worthy4England]

[Worthy4England]

ha!

well done broadcasters for sticking together and standing your ground! Cameron declared he would just be involved in one debate - but it had to be one with 7 or 8 leaders - basically a forum for brief soundbites and no opportunity for any of them to be seriously challenged or to go into any depth or detail.... and he'd only do it looooong before the campaign proper is under way...

but the broadcasters say no - there will be three debates - the last of which will be cameron-milliband - and that will be a week before the election and will go ahead whether or not cameron turns up!

he's now in a hole...

It would appear to be the case. Can't understand it myself. You would have thought that anyone with aspirations to be PM (and some without), would want the debate, the chance to tell the country about their amazing record and how it will continue yadda, yadda.

[thebish]

ha!

well done broadcasters for sticking together and standing your ground! Cameron declared he would just be involved in one debate - but it had to be one with 7 or 8 leaders - basically a forum for brief soundbites and no opportunity for any of them to be seriously challenged or to go into any depth or detail.... and he'd only do it looooong before the campaign proper is under way...

but the broadcasters say no - there will be three debates - the last of which will be cameron-milliband - and that will be a week before the election and will go ahead whether or not cameron turns up!

he's now in a hole...

It would appear to be the case. Can't understand it myself. You would have thought that anyone with aspirations to be PM (and some without), would want the debate, the chance to tell the country about their amazing record and how it will continue yadda, yadda.

especially if up against Ed Milliband, who - let's face it - is not the most rabid debating attack-dog that ever there was!!

[Beefheart]

I don't think the debates should be about whether the leaders want to participate but whether the electorate they're supposed to represent want them to do it, shirley?

[thebish]

cameron kept coming out with the extremely lame "but we have a debate here in the house every Prime Minister's Question Time" - why doesn't the honourable member debate with me now?

wanker!

if he seriously thinks that 6 one-way unanswered questions is a "debate" then he should just feck off now.

[Harry Genshaw]

cameron kept coming out with the extremely lame "but we have a debate here in the house every Prime Minister's Question Time" - why doesn't the honourable member debate with me now?

wanker!

if he seriously thinks that 6 one-way unanswered questions is a "debate" then he should just feck off now.

I didn't find them particularly enthralling last time and probably wouldn't bother watching them this tbh. I hope it's not my general dislike of Cameron that's making me think this but he's behaved like a right dick over this as far as I can see. I don't recall him insisting on such specifics when he was in opposition, and can only guess he's running scared that in the last debates, even against a walking disaster as Gordon Brown, he couldn't persuade enough of the electorate that his party should form the government.

His attempt at trying to play the tough guy with the broadcasters is going to make him look either arrogant or scared.

[Bruce Rioja]

But can Cameron eat a toasted bacon sandwich in a dignified manner? This is equally as important!

The whole TV debate just struck me as being nothing other than pantomime the last time out. I'll be looking at manifestos rather than TV performances, but unto each their own.

[bobo the clown]

The whole TV debate just struck me as being nothing other than pantomime the last time out.

Exactly this ... and ones where Brown & Cameron were so keen to appear decent and reasonable that they gave Clegg an easy ride and watched his rating soar as a result.

Interesting to see RedEd today pronounce that he will bake them into the law. This great British tradition which has happened precisely once.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Problem is, the manifestos are fairy tales...

[malcd1]

Problem is, the manifestos are fairy tales...

Does that not sum up politics in general?

[thebish]

The whole TV debate just struck me as being nothing other than pantomime the last time out.

Exactly this ... and ones where Brown & Cameron were so keen to appear decent and reasonable that they gave Clegg an easy ride and watched his rating soar as a result.

Interesting to see RedEd today pronounce that he will bake them into the law. This great British tradition which has happened precisely once.

ha! haven't heard that in a while! c'mon? seriously??? really???

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Problem is, the manifestos are fairy tales...

Does that not sum up politics in general?

It does, but given they are election promises (effectively), and formulated only months before the election, I find it particularly despicable that they can't keep to them. I understand stuff changes, but often they do the opposite within weeks, which makes me believe they are downright lies and fraud.

[Worthy4England]

The whole TV debate just struck me as being nothing other than pantomime the last time out.

Exactly this ... and ones where Brown & Cameron were so keen to appear decent and reasonable that they gave Clegg an easy ride and watched his rating soar as a result.

Interesting to see RedEd today pronounce that he will bake them into the law. This great British tradition which has happened precisely once.

Well what a surprise to see you two chaps, spiritedly defending good to honest Tory thinking.

I didn't actually bother my arse to watch most of them last time, but it does strike me as odd, that when we have rules to ensue that parties get equal coverage in the election run-up that one party is saying they don't fancy it. I reckon he's more worried about Farage and trying to defend the immigration numbers than owt else.