The Politics Thread

[Lost Leopard Spot]

The devalued pound is obviously not good news for living standards, but could there be a growth silver lining?

Our exports become more price competitive abroad and as do our home-produced products and services in relation to foreign alternatives.

Or is this all eaten up in the higher prices we face for commodities etc, Athers?

There's one thing it's not good for and that's the Tory vote. There are, apparently, nearly a million Brits living abroad of which a fair few have the vote and utilise it. Their number one concern is the exchange rate. A fickle lot are your 'poor' ex-pats, they lash out in anger when stung, and if the fall in the pound continues it will add up to another half point swing against the Tories [this is according to a friend who works for NatCen - a survey and polling organisation]

That pales into insignificance against the negative electoral consequences of lower living standards and higher inflation in the UK!

Although you have said that it might be balanced by better exports and therefore more jobs - so might not be a negative in that sense, but is a negative to the expat community not matter how the domestics eventually see it.

[BWFC_Insane]

Not being a psephologist I cannot tell you why, but my friend at NatCen tells me an 8% swing from Conservative to UKIP delivers far more seats against the Conservatives than an 8% swing from Labour to Conservative does, and this apparently is not a controversial statement.
If it is controversial I shall go away and quiz him about it tonight.

I think you've got that bit in bold, backwards, otherwise yes I'd entirely agree....

Assuming that is the case, well I don't doubt your friend in that nationally that may be the case, looking at the overall electorate as presumably that swing hurts the Tories in Lib Dem and Labour marginals as well, whereas a swing to Labour may not matter in several seats.

I was looking at isolated marginals though. For example in a Con/Lab marginal any vote from Tory to Labour would be more damaging than the Tories losing votes to UKIP. In that particular marginal.

The national picture and trend is more complicated to calculate I guess, so I'll bow to your friends knowledge on that subject.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Not being a psephologist I cannot tell you why, but my friend at NatCen tells me an 8% swing from Conservative to UKIP delivers far more seats against the Conservatives than an 8% swing from Labour to Conservative does, and this apparently is not a controversial statement.
If it is controversial I shall go away and quiz him about it tonight.

I think you've got that bit in bold, backwards, otherwise yes I'd entirely agree....

Assuming that is the case, well I don't doubt your friend in that nationally that may be the case, looking at the overall electorate as presumably that swing hurts the Tories in Lib Dem and Labour marginals as well, whereas a swing to Labour may not matter in several seats.

I was looking at isolated marginals though. For example in a Con/Lab marginal any vote from Tory to Labour would be more damaging than the Tories losing votes to UKIP. In that particular marginal.

The national picture and trend is more complicated to calculate I guess, so I'll bow to your friends knowledge on that subject.

yep I got that back to front oops
And yes, he's talking nationally as the poll was of expats and therefore has to be spread on a national rather than regional basis or specific marginals.
(And it shows how much I don't know. I had no idea that you could live abroad and still vote. But that's a different matter)

[Montreal Wanderer]

Bugger the ex pats LLS, I'm of to Portugal in 5 weeks. My holiday has become almost 20% more expensive in the last 8 weeks!

Eh? I don't like the way this thread is going....

[Hoboh]

The devalued pound is obviously not good news for living standards, but could there be a growth silver lining?

Our exports become more price competitive abroad and as do our home-produced products and services in relation to foreign alternatives.

Or is this all eaten up in the higher prices we face for commodities etc, Athers?

There's one thing it's not good for and that's the Tory vote. There are, apparently, nearly a million Brits living abroad of which a fair few have the vote and utilise it. Their number one concern is the exchange rate. A fickle lot are your 'poor' ex-pats, they lash out in anger when stung, and if the fall in the pound continues it will add up to another half point swing against the Tories [this is according to a friend who works for NatCen - a survey and polling organisation]

That pales into insignificance against the negative electoral consequences of lower living standards and higher inflation in the UK!

Although you have said that it might be balanced by better exports and therefore more jobs - so might not be a negative in that sense, but is a negative to the expat community not matter how the domestics eventually see it.

Who gives a feck what the rats who jumped ship think?
They should be more concerned about blending into the country/life style they have chosen, same as should apply over here.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

The devalued pound is obviously not good news for living standards, but could there be a growth silver lining?

Our exports become more price competitive abroad and as do our home-produced products and services in relation to foreign alternatives.

Or is this all eaten up in the higher prices we face for commodities etc, Athers?

There's one thing it's not good for and that's the Tory vote. There are, apparently, nearly a million Brits living abroad of which a fair few have the vote and utilise it. Their number one concern is the exchange rate. A fickle lot are your 'poor' ex-pats, they lash out in anger when stung, and if the fall in the pound continues it will add up to another half point swing against the Tories [this is according to a friend who works for NatCen - a survey and polling organisation]

That pales into insignificance against the negative electoral consequences of lower living standards and higher inflation in the UK!

Although you have said that it might be balanced by better exports and therefore more jobs - so might not be a negative in that sense, but is a negative to the expat community not matter how the domestics eventually see it.

Who gives a feck what the rats who jumped ship think?
They should be more concerned about blending into the country/life style they have chosen, same as should apply over here.

I don't actually disagree. Apart from calling them rats...expats describes them nicely enough. And the difference between expats and emmigrants is usually one of degree community in the country of exile, but with some people it's merely a matter of time... the longer you're there the more emigre and less expat you are.

[thebish]

I don't actually disagree. Apart from calling them rats...expats describes them nicely enough. And the difference between expats and emmigrants is usually one of degree community in the country of exile, but with some people it's merely a matter of time... the longer you're there the more emigre and less expat you are.

why are immigrants to the UK never called ex-pats?

[Montreal Wanderer]

I don't actually disagree. Apart from calling them rats...expats describes them nicely enough. And the difference between expats and emmigrants is usually one of degree community in the country of exile, but with some people it's merely a matter of time... the longer you're there the more emigre and less expat you are.

why are immigrants to the UK never called ex-pats?

They may be in the country they came from.

[Hoboh]

I don't actually disagree. Apart from calling them rats...expats describes them nicely enough. And the difference between expats and emmigrants is usually one of degree community in the country of exile, but with some people it's merely a matter of time... the longer you're there the more emigre and less expat you are.

why are immigrants to the UK never called ex-pats?

Bet they get called rats though, eh?

[Hoboh]

Stone me, put a fez on his head and it's Tommy Cooper!

Would you buy a second hand car off either of these two?

[Bruce Rioja]

Stone me

you're usually stoned enough.

[Hoboh]

The Ukip bandwaggon is starting to roll! If that don't wake up the daft arse Torry's to the fact a LOT of people in the UK are worried about all aspects of a German led Europe, then they will be in real trouble next election. Cam is a bigger washout than John Major ever was and as for his mate the little fatty chopped chancellor, well, he's just realising not all money gets fired out of mummys fanny!
Clegg's smooth as a sheet of ice and twice as slippy.
What his name the leader of labour and One Ball, his chancellor have no answers to anything except spend, spend, spend and tax, tax, tax, never heard them say they'll reverse all the tory cull, sorry cuts.

It's got to be Ukip with plans to deal with the most fundamental changes this country could see in the future since the Magna Carta.

If Europe was a woman, no way would you ask for a second date. Some people find it to be a fatal attraction but others find it a hell of a bloated Bunny Boiler.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

The Ukip bandwaggon is starting to roll! If that don't wake up the daft arse Torry's to the fact a LOT of people in the UK are worried about all aspects of a German led Europe, then they will be in real trouble next election. Cam is a bigger washout than John Major ever was and as for his mate the little fatty chopped chancellor, well, he's just realising not all money gets fired out of mummys fanny!
Clegg's smooth as a sheet of ice and twice as slippy.
What his name the leader of labour and One Ball, his chancellor have no answers to anything except spend, spend, spend and tax, tax, tax, never heard them say they'll reverse all the tory cull, sorry cuts.

It's got to be Ukip with plans to deal with the most fundamental changes this country could see in the future since the Magna Carta.

If Europe was a woman, no way would you ask for a second date. Some people find it to be a fatal attraction but others find it a hell of a bloated Bunny Boiler.

Yep, that persuaded me. I'll vote UKIP then.

[Hoboh]

The Ukip bandwaggon is starting to roll! If that don't wake up the daft arse Torry's to the fact a LOT of people in the UK are worried about all aspects of a German led Europe, then they will be in real trouble next election. Cam is a bigger washout than John Major ever was and as for his mate the little fatty chopped chancellor, well, he's just realising not all money gets fired out of mummys fanny!
Clegg's smooth as a sheet of ice and twice as slippy.
What his name the leader of labour and One Ball, his chancellor have no answers to anything except spend, spend, spend and tax, tax, tax, never heard them say they'll reverse all the tory cull, sorry cuts.

It's got to be Ukip with plans to deal with the most fundamental changes this country could see in the future since the Magna Carta.

If Europe was a woman, no way would you ask for a second date. Some people find it to be a fatal attraction but others find it a hell of a bloated Bunny Boiler.

Yep, that persuaded me. I'll vote UKIP then.

You'll understand after a decent coffee and you wake up.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

The Ukip bandwaggon is starting to roll! If that don't wake up the daft arse Torry's to the fact a LOT of people in the UK are worried about all aspects of a German led Europe, then they will be in real trouble next election. Cam is a bigger washout than John Major ever was and as for his mate the little fatty chopped chancellor, well, he's just realising not all money gets fired out of mummys fanny!
Clegg's smooth as a sheet of ice and twice as slippy.
What his name the leader of labour and One Ball, his chancellor have no answers to anything except spend, spend, spend and tax, tax, tax, never heard them say they'll reverse all the tory cull, sorry cuts.

It's got to be Ukip with plans to deal with the most fundamental changes this country could see in the future since the Magna Carta.

If Europe was a woman, no way would you ask for a second date. Some people find it to be a fatal attraction but others find it a hell of a bloated Bunny Boiler.

Yep, that persuaded me. I'll vote UKIP then.

You'll understand after a decent coffee and you wake up.

I'm just going for a coffee now.

[boltonboris]

Of that John Kerry was made out of chocolate, he'd fvckin eat himself

[Bruce Rioja]

The Ukip bandwaggon is starting to roll! If that don't wake up the daft arse Torry's to the fact a LOT of people in the UK are worried about all aspects of a German led Europe, then they will be in real trouble next election. Cam is a bigger washout than John Major ever was and as for his mate the little fatty chopped chancellor, well, he's just realising not all money gets fired out of mummys fanny!
Clegg's smooth as a sheet of ice and twice as slippy.
What his name the leader of labour and One Ball, his chancellor have no answers to anything except spend, spend, spend and tax, tax, tax, never heard them say they'll reverse all the tory cull, sorry cuts.

It's got to be Ukip with plans to deal with the most fundamental changes this country could see in the future since the Magna Carta.

If Europe was a woman, no way would you ask for a second date. Some people find it to be a fatal attraction but others find it a hell of a bloated Bunny Boiler.

If you ever have your identity stolen then I live in hope that the next bloke posts considerably less 4uckwittery on here than you do.

[Hoboh]

The Ukip bandwaggon is starting to roll! If that don't wake up the daft arse Torry's to the fact a LOT of people in the UK are worried about all aspects of a German led Europe, then they will be in real trouble next election. Cam is a bigger washout than John Major ever was and as for his mate the little fatty chopped chancellor, well, he's just realising not all money gets fired out of mummys fanny!
Clegg's smooth as a sheet of ice and twice as slippy.
What his name the leader of labour and One Ball, his chancellor have no answers to anything except spend, spend, spend and tax, tax, tax, never heard them say they'll reverse all the tory cull, sorry cuts.

It's got to be Ukip with plans to deal with the most fundamental changes this country could see in the future since the Magna Carta.

If Europe was a woman, no way would you ask for a second date. Some people find it to be a fatal attraction but others find it a hell of a bloated Bunny Boiler.

If you ever have your identity stolen then I live in hope that the next bloke posts considerably less 4uckwittery on here than you do.

Typical Europhile

[Bruce Rioja]

Typical Little Englander

[Hoboh]

Typical Little Englander

Proud of my roots, dont want to pretend I'm some sort of cosmopolitan whizz kid on a European love in. Some of us remember the treachery of our partners in this so called club of equals, you know the ones busy selling exocets and still shipping them while the Junta was sinking our ships. if I wanted to be in the club I'd have joined the Commies brother!