The Politics Thread

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Bish - will you accept a grovelling admission of mistake on the Lib Dem question?!

like you said mummy - I've had the benefit of watching the lib dems promise much and deliver nothing many times... you're still young and idealistic (it'll wear off)!

What can I say - I've learnt my lesson! (Which is not to say that Lib Dem holds in places like Eastbourne were not seriously irritating.)

I actually think Cameron has paid a heavy price for his loyalty to George Osborne. He clearly wasn't the man you want as shadow chancellor going into an election in these circumstances (though his position was nailed down long before that situation developed proplerly.)

Similarly, if you geuinely believe that Britain is broken, is Chris Grayling really the man to fix it?

It's all what ifs now, but I'd love to know what the result might have been with Ken Clarke and David Davis in those respective positions.

[Lord Kangana]

It'll be even more interesting to see whether Clarke emerges if and when a Lib/Con coalition is considered. Theres already murmurings of unrest form within Conservative central office about how the campaign was undertaken. I'm guessing Osborne is one of those bugbears.

[boltonboris]

Went to vote at 4-15 yesterday at Farnworth Cricket Club. The activity was frantic, two people coming out as we got there, me, the wife and the dog, then six people descending on the place as we left. They wouldn't let the dog vote unfortunately.

We did at Ellenbrook Primary School. We got there followed by 2 others, there were 4 people in there and nobody going in after us.. This was at 8pm!

Perhaps Greater Manchester is even more apathetic than the rest of the nation

[Hoboh]

At least we will find out who really has the interests of England, Wales and Northern Ireland at heart now.

[Puskas]

Bish - will you accept a grovelling admission of mistake on the Lib Dem question?!

like you said mummy - I've had the benefit of watching the lib dems promise much and deliver nothing many times... you're still young and idealistic (it'll wear off)!

Anyone read Private Eye? Latest issue has "Those Liberal Revivals in full" complete with quotes from newspapers (Guardian, Independent, Sunday Times) from 2004, 1993, 1991 and 1985 all saying "it looks like this revival could be the real one, unlike the last" followed by their disappointing result in the following election.

As an aside to MWCIEC - you made a schoolboy error - making a simple, clear prediction with a testable outcome. Honest, yes, but when has honesty ever got anyone anything? To be a political commentator you have to either:
a) Predict nothing at all, then nod wisely after the event (my prefered tactic); or
b) Predict loads of things - preferably not consistent with each other. That way a couple of them are bound to come off, you can point to them as evidence of your great foresight and gather the admiration.

[Puskas]

At least we will find out who really has the interests of England, Wales and Northern Ireland at heart now.

How?

[Hoboh]

Went to vote at 4-15 yesterday at Farnworth Cricket Club. The activity was frantic, two people coming out as we got there, me, the wife and the dog, then six people descending on the place as we left. They wouldn't let the dog vote unfortunately.

We did at Ellenbrook Primary School. We got there followed by 2 others, there were 4 people in there and nobody going in after us.. This was at 8pm!

Perhaps Greater Manchester is even more apathetic than the rest of the nation

Mrs hobo and I knew the minute we set foot in the polling station who would win on our patch, maybe thats why people are so apathetic about voting! More expensive swiming baths, pot holes, and one way systems to follow

[Raven]

Delighted. None of them has a mandate. They might have to start doing their job and serve the best interests of the country.

Like that will happen, will carry on doing what they have always done, filling their own pockets, sniping at each other and doing whats best for themselves.

[Hoboh]

At least we will find out who really has the interests of England, Wales and Northern Ireland at heart now.

How?

Easy, the ones who are prepared to put the mess we are in first before popularity, cuts are needed and only the tory's were credited with actually going to carry them out, the other two will have to come clean now or be dammed forever.

[Lord Kangana]

This lie that keeps getting propogated about Tory cuts. Did everyone miss the little piece of legislation that Brown and Darling snook (is that a word?) through that there was to be a commitment by whichever Government to half the deficit in the lifetime of the next parliament? You can argue all day long about how it would be achieved, but fundamentally it was a central tenet of all the parties.

[Puskas]

At least we will find out who really has the interests of England, Wales and Northern Ireland at heart now.

How?

Easy, the ones who are prepared to put the mess we are in first before popularity, cuts are needed and only the tory's were credited with actually going to carry them out, the other two will have to come clean now or be dammed forever.

I see.

So if a Lib/Lab pact take power and scrap Trident, you'll applaud them for making cuts? Ones which aren't going to be popular with everyone, but sorting out the mess by making cuts is more important than popularity, right?

[Hoboh]

This lie that keeps getting propogated about Tory cuts. Did everyone miss the little piece of legislation that Brown and Darling snook (is that a word?) through that there was to be a commitment by whichever Government to half the deficit in the lifetime of the next parliament? You can argue all day long about how it would be achieved, but fundamentally it was a central tenet of all the parties.

Only saw bits about taking tax from the rich and cutting Trident to fund everything from the LibDems TBH and Browns reticence to do anything other than push his view we have to spend our way out of this so hopefully private investment will follow, nice ain't it? Labour subsidising big business What about the poor overtaxed unwashed Gordy?

[Hoboh]

At least we will find out who really has the interests of England, Wales and Northern Ireland at heart now.

How?

Easy, the ones who are prepared to put the mess we are in first before popularity, cuts are needed and only the tory's were credited with actually going to carry them out, the other two will have to come clean now or be dammed forever.

I see.

So if a Lib/Lab pact take power and scrap Trident, you'll applaud them for making cuts? Ones which aren't going to be popular with everyone, but sorting out the mess by making cuts is more important than popularity, right?

If Labour even consider putting trident on the table they should be hung as traitors!

[Puskas]

At least we will find out who really has the interests of England, Wales and Northern Ireland at heart now.

How?

Easy, the ones who are prepared to put the mess we are in first before popularity, cuts are needed and only the tory's were credited with actually going to carry them out, the other two will have to come clean now or be dammed forever.

I see.

So if a Lib/Lab pact take power and scrap Trident, you'll applaud them for making cuts? Ones which aren't going to be popular with everyone, but sorting out the mess by making cuts is more important than popularity, right?

If Labour even consider putting trident on the table they should be hung as traitors!

But don't we need to make cuts? I'm just going off what you were saying - might not be popular, but they need to think of the bigger issues....

[chester white]

Rochdale turned out to be a Labour hold then, bigots.

Story of the night - everyone disappointed?

Actually turned out to be a Labour gain

not sure it was an actual gain - but they did increase their vote...

apologies, the boundary changes had thrown me!

[Hoboh]

How?

Easy, the ones who are prepared to put the mess we are in first before popularity, cuts are needed and only the tory's were credited with actually going to carry them out, the other two will have to come clean now or be dammed forever.

I see.

So if a Lib/Lab pact take power and scrap Trident, you'll applaud them for making cuts? Ones which aren't going to be popular with everyone, but sorting out the mess by making cuts is more important than popularity, right?

If Labour even consider putting trident on the table they should be hung as traitors!

But don't we need to make cuts? I'm just going off what you were saying - might not be popular, but they need to think of the bigger issues....

Yes we do, I agree, but not with Trident, I would much rather get out of Afghanistan, sit at arms lengh and hit any muppets there or in North Pakistan with cruise missiles, cheaper in the long run.

[Puskas]

I see.

So your initial quote of "Easy, the ones who are prepared to put the mess we are in first before popularity, cuts are needed " isn't quite accurate. Cuts, but only in the areas you approve of cutting?

Setting things up nicely to claim that the Tories are the only ones with the nation's interests at heart by nature of the definition you initially propose?

Cunning....

[Bruce Rioja]

Don't listen to Jeremy Vine's R2 show then if you don't like him.

I don't and I don't.

[thebish]

put trident on the table! blimey - what a kick-ass way to start a meeting!

[Lord Kangana]

Is Cameron on drugs? He's managed 40-odd more seats than Labour, despite them having the least popular leader since Pol Pot and an economy in an utter f*ckin mess? Its not a success.

Ooh wait, he's just backtracked on everything he's just said.

Ok, my bet is a referendum on voting reform as a carrot for the Libdems.