General Election 2015

[Joe Gatting's Dad]

When will labour honestly admit that they left the country in an appalling over borrowed state five years ago, which was nothing to do the world recession caused by the bankers?

 

[Simster]

So, let me get this right. For the first couple of years or so of this government, the economic-guessers on the left were telling anyone who would listen that the coalition were cutting too far, too fast which would ruin any hopes of economic recovery.

Now, faced with a economy that is recovering better than most across the globe, they seem to be saying that:

1. the Tories/coalition didn't cut enough, debt is still too high.
2. the Tories will cut too far if they are form part of a government next time round.

It's like watching a group of blindfolded 4-year-olds trying to pin a tail on a donkey.

I have to take issue with this idea that the coalition have presided over an economy that is recovering better than most - for most of their 4.5 year tenure to date they have been running an economy that has limped along well behind all the other G8 economies except Italy. They cut far too deeply early on, which completely throttled the recovery. They did seem to learn their lessons though, and massively reduce the cuts - to the same level as Alistair Darling had advocated.

It's just a shame that apart from Darling and Chuka Umunna, I find the Labour party as unelectable as the other two main parties.

 

[Triggaaar]

Tories will have the poor starving and living in slums while they refuse to build housing for the sole purpose of inflating the price of their own property portfolios and create a Morlock underclass.

You don't seriously believe that do you? Even if Westdene hadn't shown you that Labour built less, it was obviously nonsense.

Labour will lie and cheat but people will be better off and they will give dignity back to the people.

I'm not too concerned about the lying and cheating, all parties will do that to some extent. And in the short term, my family would be better off if Labour were in (NHS salary), but in the long term we'll be worse off because they'll make our economy worse. It's criminal that we're all paying so much to service our country's debt (a criticism of all our governments, not just Labour).

Bad news for you Torys in the news tomorrow. Hospitals unable to cope and declaring major incidents.

Isn't that bad news for the people that live in this country, rather than for Torys?

Unless you are incredibly rich,who in their right mind could vote Tory?
We're all in this together....
NO!
We non millionaires are all in it together,struggling to maintain a decent lifestyle while the top couple of per cent Lord it over us.
There is a bigger and bigger gap now between the haves and the have nots.
It will never change under the Tories.

It's not the gap that's important to me, it's how well the majority and the poorest are doing. If we can improve the lives of the poorest people in the country, but the gap also increases, what exactly is the problem?

 

[somerset]

I think I will vote Conservative this time ( first time ever in a general election)....... based mostly on the fear of massive strategic changes by a Labour govt, messing with the general upward trends of our economy and employment levels.

 

[Triggaaar]

I think I will vote Conservative this time ( first time ever in a general election)....... based mostly on the fear of massive strategic changes by a Labour govt, messing with the general upward trends of our economy and employment levels.

I'm sorry, but you're not allowed to vote Tory. You say it's because you want the economy and employment levels to do well, but we all know that the only possible reason you could vote Tory is that you hate poor people, and you want to keep them beneath you, you selfish Tory *******.

 

[drew]

Whilst it is true that vulnerable people, alongside others less vulnerable, may fare less well when cuts are made, I think it is unfairly simplistic to make such a sweeping comparison. Politicians in central government do have to take some tough decisions and do not control how councils choose to allocate their cash. Of course, times are hard and it is very regrettable if such cuts are made. I watched a huge crane yesterday taking down Xmas decorations in town and by coincidence wondered how much that hire cost. I am not saying that we should not indulge in a bit of Xmas cheer, but one could argue that the money might have been spent on the vulnerable. Obviously the debate suited you with your simplistic conclusion; we could easily say just as sweepingly that if councils wasted less, then there would indeed be cash for the needy.

Maybe you are now being too simplistic. Towns don't put up decorations just to add a bit of xmas cheer. It is done because the traders are competing against traders in other towns. If councils don't make some effort the business goes elsewhere! It's not also about a council just randomly deciding where they will spend the money, it is about where they have to make cuts because the budgets have been reduced.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

So, let me get this right. For the first couple of years or so of this government, the economic-guessers on the left were telling anyone who would listen that the coalition were cutting too far, too fast which would ruin any hopes of economic recovery.

Now, faced with a economy that is recovering better than most across the globe, they seem to be saying that:

1. the Tories/coalition didn't cut enough, debt is still too high.
2. the Tories will cut too far if they are form part of a government next time round.

It's like watching a group of blindfolded 4-year-olds trying to pin a tail on a donkey.

This with bells on

 

[Hastings gull]

Maybe you are now being too simplistic. Towns don't put up decorations just to add a bit of xmas cheer. It is done because the traders are competing against traders in other towns. If councils don't make some effort the business goes elsewhere! It's not also about a council just randomly deciding where they will spend the money, it is about where they have to make cuts because the budgets have been reduced.

I am not sure that I would go to Eastbourne or Ashford to buy, say, Xmas cards, because their Xmas decorations are better?! Of course it is about making cuts and I was not suggesting that it would be at random at all. What I took issue with was the sweeping comparison that central government lack compassion because a council, on a reduced budget, decided to cut this and that. Councils are surely like many other organisations - given reduced funding, they cut at the coal face rather than themselves.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

I shall be voting UKIP, shame as I was once a Labour person through and through and the Tories where a dirty word in our household.
Will never trust Labour again. Even if UKIP didn't exist I still wouldn't vote Labour and would possibly vote Tory.

I must be one of those rich nasty people, because Labour people never send their own children to private schools do they, they never lined their own pockets did they, they did all this shit and a lot worse.

 

[somerset]

I'm sorry, but you're not allowed to vote Tory. You say it's because you want the economy and employment levels to do well, but we all know that the only possible reason you could vote Tory is that you hate poor people, and you want to keep them beneath you, you selfish Tory *******.

Of course, you got me..........

( despite having my origins in council estates across Hove, Hangleton, Croydon, Shoreham and Lancing)

 

[Triggaaar]

I shall be voting UKIP, shame as I was once a Labour person through and through and the Tories where a dirty word in our household.
Will never trust Labour again. Even if UKIP didn't exist I still wouldn't vote Labour and would possibly vote Tory.

I must be one of those rich nasty people, because Labour people never send their own children to private schools do they, they never lined their own pockets did they, they did all this shit and a lot worse.

While I basically agree with you, I think 'Will never trust Labour again' is a dangerous attitude. At the end of the day, it's just a political party, and things change. All parties are capable of messing things up, all parties are capable of improving. Each election time, a party needs to earn my vote (or to be more honest, do less to lose it than the others are doing). I personally agree that Labour completely messed up our economy, and didn't pay off any of our debt when it could have, but that doesn't mean they will always be hopeless with the economy.

Of course, you got me..........

( despite having my origins in council estates across Hove, Hangleton, Croydon, Shoreham and Lancing)

Poor made good - the worst kind of Tory

 

[larus]

I have to take issue with this idea that the coalition have presided over an economy that is recovering better than most - for most of their 4.5 year tenure to date they have been running an economy that has limped along well behind all the other G8 economies except Italy. They cut far too deeply early on, which completely throttled the recovery. They did seem to learn their lessons though, and massively reduce the cuts - to the same level as Alistair Darling had advocated.

It's just a shame that apart from Darling and Chuka Umunna, I find the Labour party as unelectable as the other two main parties.

This is a complete fabrication. They haven't cut really. Look at the current account deficit. We're still spending a huge amount more than we're raising. Left wingers constantly want to spend today and pay back tomorrow, until tomorrow comes, when they suggest the same, and so on.

At some point, the level of debt gets too high, and then interest rates go up. The alternative solution is to debase the currecncy, i.e. QE which is in effect printing money.

All parties are full of LIARS. They don't want to tell us the truth that the promises they make aren't achievable, as the elite are allowed to avoid paying taxes due to clever tax schemes and dodgy tax havens, and the welfare state is now seen as a right (way of life), rather then a benefit. There's issues at both ends, and the left wingers never want to accept reform, as they squeal that the NHS isn't safe, "Nasty, Nasty Tories", etc..

 

[Soulman]

When will labour honestly admit that they left the country in an appalling over borrowed state five years ago, which was nothing to do the world recession caused by the bankers?

I thought they might admit it after admitting they had messed up on immigration. I suppose two big cock ups was too much to admit too. Especially after they may have to admit they have a tit in charge of their party

 

[Soulman]

While I basically agree with you, I think 'Will never trust Labour again' is a dangerous attitude. At the end of the day, it's just a political party, and things change. All parties are capable of messing things up, all parties are capable of improving. Each election time, a party needs to earn my vote (or to be more honest, do less to lose it than the others are doing). I personally agree that Labour completely messed up our economy, and didn't pay off any of our debt when it could have, but that doesn't mean they will always be hopeless with the economy.

Poor made good - the worst kind of Tory

I would like your opinon to be correct however, Labour have got this country in debt ever since i can remember, which would be the 70's. Personally i still kick myself for voting for them in 1997, they can not run a country imo.

 

[Triggaaar]

I would like your opinon to be correct however, Labour have got this country in debt ever since i can remember, which would be the 70's. Personally i still kick myself for voting for them in 1997, they can not run a country imo.

I can't help but agree. Accept I don't kick myself for voting them in in 97, the Tories were being so annoying, they had become so complacent and thought they could do what the hell they liked.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

I would like your opinon to be correct however, Labour have got this country in debt ever since i can remember, which would be the 70's. Personally i still kick myself for voting for them in 1997, they can not run a country imo.

Think we all made that mistake of voting for Labour back in 1997. It was Blair that made me vote Labour, he made the Tories look old and tired at the time. A change was needed, but little did we know how much they would change this country. Never going back now, like yourself. I think this country needs a radical change now, from how we give out benefits, how we run our services, and control of our borders.

 

[Simster]

This is a complete fabrication. They haven't cut really. Look at the current account deficit. We're still spending a huge amount more than we're raising. Left wingers constantly want to spend today and pay back tomorrow, until tomorrow comes, when they suggest the same, and so on.

At some point, the level of debt gets too high, and then interest rates go up. The alternative solution is to debase the currecncy, i.e. QE which is in effect printing money.

All parties are full of LIARS. They don't want to tell us the truth that the promises they make aren't achievable, as the elite are allowed to avoid paying taxes due to clever tax schemes and dodgy tax havens, and the welfare state is now seen as a right (way of life), rather then a benefit. There's issues at both ends, and the left wingers never want to accept reform, as they squeal that the NHS isn't safe, "Nasty, Nasty Tories", etc..

It's not a complete fabrication at all, but I should clarify what I mean: I mean they went down the path of implementing their programme of cuts until they realised it was denting any chance of a recovery, and then they recoiled. The net result is that overall cuts are about half what were first planned. It is to Osborne's credit that he realised he was going to create a major problem if he continued to cut, but nevertheless I wish the overall reduced level of cuts had been planned from the outset.

And I fully agree with your NHS squealing. I am tired of the bloated and poorly managed NHS being exempt from reform scrutiny. I sighed when I heard Labour's feeble NHS squealing last week, every bit as much as I sigh when I hear the Tories whinge about overspending. Because in my view, this issue of debt has been MASSIVELY overplayed. I see no problem with debt as long as a) it is repayable, and our government credit rating would suggest that it clearly is; and b) you have tangible assets to show for your debt, in much the same way that a mortgage leaves you a house. So, yes, we have a national debt, but we also have improved schools, hospitals, and a transport network to show for that spending. It hasn't been blown on fast cars and palaces.

I would like your opinon to be correct however, Labour have got this country in debt ever since i can remember, which would be the 70's. Personally i still kick myself for voting for them in 1997, they can not run a country imo.

I'm not quite sure why you'd be so sure that a competent centre-left government could never run the country - it certainly works in many parts of the Western world, and Labour managed very successfully for half their time in power I'd say.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...g-firms-place-their-bets-for-may-9955994.html

Not long now comrades.

 

[Ernest]

A & E figures another nail in the Tories coffin, hope none of the Tory fan boys or their families get sick before May

 

[Triggaaar]

A & E figures another nail in the Tories coffin, hope none of the Tory fan boys or their families get sick before May

Do you not care if the Labour fan boys become sick? I find it strange how some of you think the game of politics is more important than the actual issue of the problem with the health care system.