The Politics Thread

[thebish]

Actually I am in favour of more prominent hustings at local constituency level. I hope that now more people have developed a taste for seeing the issues discussed in this sort of format, town hall hustings where all the candidates go up against each other will become more common and better attended.

have you not got those in your area? All it needs is for someone to organise them - here it seems to be only the churches that do it - I've done it the last two times (and was threatened with a brick through my window cos I told the BNP they were not invited...) they are always very well attended...

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Actually I am in favour of more prominent hustings at local constituency level. I hope that now more people have developed a taste for seeing the issues discussed in this sort of format, town hall hustings where all the candidates go up against each other will become more common and better attended.

have you not got those in your area? All it needs is for someone to organise them - here it seems to be only the churches that do it - I've done it the last two times (and was threatened with a brick through my window cos I told the BNP they were not invited...) they are always very well attended...

If they go on, then they're not well advertised. I'm sure they happen somewhere. How well attended are yours?

(I have been moving about a bit recently though, and I don't read local papers.)

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Why do the Conservative strategists think that people who didn't even know who Nick Clegg was three weeks ago are suddenly sophisticated enough to try and engineer a hung parliament with their vote?

If it's not on the ballot paper, it's not worth campaigning against.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1oMooR9yBc

[William the White]

Why do the Conservative strategists think that people who didn't even know who Nick Clegg was three weeks ago are suddenly sophisticated enough to try and engineer a hung parliament with their vote?

If it's not on the ballot paper, it's not worth campaigning against.

It is on the ballot pper, surely? Clegg = 'neither of the above'... No sophistication needed if there seems to be a real alternative to the disliked Labour government and the mistrusted Conservatives...

Tories are entirely thrown by this - the possible taking away of their 'birthright' after all these surprising (for them) years of waiting... In the entire history of the Tory Party, I believe, no leader has failed to become PM... until Hague, then IDS, now, possibly, Cameron... They didn't prepare them for this in Eton...

Obviously, I hope the Lib Dem bandwaggon keeps on rolling, for two reasons - it has every chance of keeping out the Tories, and I'm a strong, long-term supporter of PR, because it will give me the chance of voting someone other than Labour in Bolton NE, and I think Brown will bite that bullet and Cameron won't, so Clegg won't make the deal with him...

I don't expect you to be 100% with me on this...

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

There is no 'hung parliament' option on the ballot paper.

I'm not arguing against what you have just written (though you know I disagree with you) - I just think that resources might be better deployed against targets people are actually able to put their 'X' against, come 6 May.

Have you clicked on that YouTube link to the Conservatives' election broadcast this evening? What a waste of time, even if the Nick Clegg impression is amusing.

[William the White]

There is no 'hung parliament' option on the ballot paper.

I'm not arguing against what you have just written (though you know I disagree with you) - I just think that resources might be better deployed against targets people are actually able to put their 'X' against, come 6 May.

Have you clicked on that YouTube link to the Conservatives' election broadcast this evening? What a waste of time, even if the Nick Clegg impression is amusing.

On this, if this alone, we can agree... In that sense, yes, it will go over the heads of many of the viewers... In 1992 Labour had all the best, most sophisticated election broadcasts - they were brilliant, because they had all the media professionals on their side... went right over the viewers' heads... They lost an election they were 'certain' to win... even according to the exit polls...

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Tories are entirely thrown by this - the possible taking away of their 'birthright' after all these surprising (for them) years of waiting... In the entire history of the Tory Party, I believe, no leader has failed to become PM... until Hague, then IDS, now, possibly, Cameron... They didn't prepare them for this in Eton...

It's difficult to speak in these terms because the Party has only had formal leaders since 1922.

But yes, even Bonar Law had 6 months as PM during his 12 years as leader.

[Verbal]

Actually I am in favour of more prominent hustings at local constituency level. I hope that now more people have developed a taste for seeing the issues discussed in this sort of format, town hall hustings where all the candidates go up against each other will become more common and better attended.

we organised one at uni a week ago. Was good fun. I do love a good hust.

[Worthy4England]

Actually I am in favour of more prominent hustings at local constituency level. I hope that now more people have developed a taste for seeing the issues discussed in this sort of format, town hall hustings where all the candidates go up against each other will become more common and better attended.

we organised one at uni a week ago. Was good fun. I do love a good hust.

Having attended a few over the years, in the context of a General Election, where your chosen candidate for the next five years will have to follow the voting directions of the Whip (generally), they're pretty much pointless - unless your Candidate is in the Cabinet and has a high degree of influence over which way policy is going. Most of the back-benchers won't have this opportunity.

[as]

So tonight the slippery sods have to admit how much debt we're in and how much more they're going to charge us for their mistakes in running the country....well, that's the plan anyway, providing one of them will answer the f**king question.

[thebish]

Actually I am in favour of more prominent hustings at local constituency level. I hope that now more people have developed a taste for seeing the issues discussed in this sort of format, town hall hustings where all the candidates go up against each other will become more common and better attended.

have you not got those in your area? All it needs is for someone to organise them - here it seems to be only the churches that do it - I've done it the last two times (and was threatened with a brick through my window cos I told the BNP they were not invited...) they are always very well attended...

If they go on, then they're not well advertised. I'm sure they happen somewhere. How well attended are yours?

(I have been moving about a bit recently though, and I don't read local papers.)

we have about 300 people attend - largely from our end of the constituency. Others are organised in other parts of the constituency.

[jimbo]

Actually I am in favour of more prominent hustings at local constituency level. I hope that now more people have developed a taste for seeing the issues discussed in this sort of format, town hall hustings where all the candidates go up against each other will become more common and better attended.

have you not got those in your area? All it needs is for someone to organise them - here it seems to be only the churches that do it - I've done it the last two times (and was threatened with a brick through my window cos I told the BNP they were not invited...) they are always very well attended...

If they go on, then they're not well advertised. I'm sure they happen somewhere. How well attended are yours?

(I have been moving about a bit recently though, and I don't read local papers.)

we have about 300 people attend - largely from our end of the constituency. Others are organised in other parts of the constituency.

We had one at uni yesterday. Guessing they only really put the effort in when doing it in marginal seats like ours. There was a good turn out from students, and there were candidates from the big 3, UKIP and Greens. I've never seen anyone put in a performance as poor as the labour candidate did yesterday though. Think she'll have lost everyone's vote in that room.

[Gertie]

I've just cringed through the lunchtime news featuring Gordon Brown. For every person who has ever slagged someone off and then had that horrible, sinking realisation that the person has overheard. Yowchie.

[thebish]

I did that most spectacularly at a wedding I officiated in Hartlepool...

The service over - Bride and Groom disappearing out of the door to be greeted by photographer - I walked into the side-room where the Registered Person was putting away the marriage registers and remarked to her "That was a bunch of miserable gits wasn't it?" then realised my radio mic was still on - and guests were still leaving...

still - unlike Brown - I'd stand by my remark - cos they were utterly miserable gits!

[Little Green Man]

He's now gone to the woman's house to apologise in person.

It's just like an episode of The Thick Of It, but without the swearing.

[H. Pedersen]

What a stupid controversy. George Bush once called a guy a "major league asshole" on mic and nothing happened. I bet Brown would have gained more votes by standing by his words.

[Tombwfc]

What a stupid controversy. George Bush once called a guy a "major league asshole" on mic and nothing happened. I bet Brown would have gained more votes by standing by his words.

To be fair, there was national outrage when Brown spelt someones name wrong, and another when it was revealed that he often shouts at people. It being front page news that he says private stuff in private is just par for the course.

Still, he is a bit of a PR nightmare. Sometimes I think that it's good that he's not like Robotic-Dave, but there is a point where an endearing 'humaness' (which isn't a word I don't think, but roll with it) just becomes being an incompetant feck*.

[BWFC_Insane]

What a stupid controversy. George Bush once called a guy a "major league asshole" on mic and nothing happened. I bet Brown would have gained more votes by standing by his words.

To be fair, there was national outrage when Brown spelt someones name wrong, and another when it was revealed that he often shouts at people. It being front page news that he says private stuff in private is just par for the course.

Still, he is a bit of a PR nightmare. Sometimes I think that it's good that he's not like Robotic-Dave, but there is a point where an endearing 'humaness' (which isn't a word I don't think, but roll with it) just becomes being an incompetant feck.

I think Brown does genuinely care. But the shame is that some folk are so shallow as to judge by issues such as this, rather than on policy and general intelligence.

Also the other parties would get away with this far more, people perceive that because the western world has had a recession that everything is shit and Brown and Labour must go, so this sort of thing just comes in handy for them to find more reasons.

Sadly the Tories are going to get in with a small majority, its so predictable after all this talk of a hung parliament. The Lib Dem vote won't quite materialise as they are picking up the younger voters, and Labour whatever they do, just can't get past folks shallowness and its a bit like cyclical football, people just want change for change's sake.

When Cameron gets in and people find out that he's actually mainly doing stuff for the priviliged few (as with any Tory) it'll change again, just hopefully soon enough!

[a1]

What a stupid controversy. George Bush once called a guy a "major league asshole" on mic and nothing happened. I bet Brown would have gained more votes by standing by his words.

ronald reagan never nuked the ruskies , neither.

lol

[a1]

10 internet pounds to the first techno record that uses what he said where theyd normally put the sci-fi film sample.