General Election 2015

[Hampster Gull]

Agreed. Whether you support them or agree with what they've done, the current coalition have shown it's possible to actually get things done if you work together. Now imagine what could be achieved if the best bits of the Tories and the best bits of Labour joined forces to form a government !

You wouldn't get a whole unfortunately

 

[Machiavelli]

I really wouldn't count your chickens - this makes for an interesting read - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31066643. It effectively predicts what I've said all along ( and predicted in a conversation with [MENTION=28490]Machiavelli[/MENTION], possibly even on this thread but I can't be bothered to check through 41 pages ! ) that it will end with a hung parliament and one of the two main parties running a minority government.

I can confirm this, and I also can't be bothered to locate the post. Certain posters are extremely good at locating communications with other posters, but I'm not one of them.
I can also confirm that Westdene provided an extremely cogent list of outcomes, identifying four in descending order of likelihood, which went something along the lines of (and apologies for the errors, Westdene, as this is by no means accurate):
Lab-SNP
Minority Lab
Minority Tory
Rainbow coalition, although (mercifully for me at least) lacking any blue or indigo/violet.

 

[Soulman]

Could be a right Ed balls up.

" A Labour victory in May's general election would lead to the UK economy coming to resemble struggling France, one of the world's leading investment banks has warned.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch said that Ed Miliband would "seriously interfere with the private sector", binding businesses in red tape and discouraging investment in the UK.
In a research note published on Friday, The economists predicted that a Labour-led government, governing alone or in a left-wing coalition, would mean an economy structured like France, which has strict laws on working hours, minimum wages and contracts"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...-Labour-government-warns-Bank-of-America.html

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Could be a right Ed balls up.

" A Labour victory in May's general election would lead to the UK economy coming to resemble struggling France, one of the world's leading investment banks has warned.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch said that Ed Miliband would "seriously interfere with the private sector", binding businesses in red tape and discouraging investment in the UK.
In a research note published on Friday, The economists predicted that a Labour-led government, governing alone or in a left-wing coalition, would mean an economy structured like France, which has strict laws on working hours, minimum wages and contracts"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...-Labour-government-warns-Bank-of-America.html

Bank of America Merrill Lynch economists don't like the idea of British employees being paid £8 an hour minimum wage but without mentioning the fact it will be 2020 before that rate is achieved.

 

[Hampster Gull]

I see Red Ed is stoking up Welsh nationalism. Another Labour nail in the coffin of the UK

 

[Titanic]

Latest Guardian ICM poll:

Conservatives 36% (+6), Labour 32% (-1), Lib Dems 10% (-1), UKIP 9% (-2), Greens 7% (-2).

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/feb/16/tories-up-six-points-latest-icm-opinion-poll

 

[beorhthelm]

Latest Guardian ICM poll:
...

wowzers, thats a bit of a shift. they had Labour 33% Tory 30% a month ago. first left wing poll to put the Tories in front?

 

[yxee]

What happened to this cost of living thing? Labour have gone very quiet on that front now that inflation is threatening to turn negative.

Meanwhile...

Ed Balls is getting receipts from his gardener (nobody told him it was the seller's responsibility to pay the tax)
and the shadow business secretary is aiming for an economy like France's.

This is ridiculous.

 

[beorhthelm]

Ed Balls is getting receipts from his gardener (nobody toldhim it was the seller's responsibility to pay the tax)

of course he does, so he can claim the expenses.

 

[yxee]

of course he does, so he can claim the expenses.

Oh of course not, that has to be wrong. He told me it was the: "right thing to do"!

 

[Pavilionaire]

Balls' comments about ordinary people needing to keep receipts for all cash payments they make led to today's BBC Radio Five Live phone-in topic being "Is it all right to pay cash?". Cue an hour of sanctimonious tax professionals doing battle with heart of gold, Robin Hood-minded white van men.

In simplistic terms the lower paid think the top paid don't pay their fair share, while the top paid think the bottom are all black economy benefit cheats. The middle are pissed off with both of them, cue the rise of Middle England champions like Nigel Farage, Katie Hopkins and Jeremy Clarkson.

 

[Titanic]

Latest YouGov (Peter Kellner) prediction:

 

[Machiavelli]

Latest Guardian ICM poll:

Conservatives 36% (+6), Labour 32% (-1), Lib Dems 10% (-1), UKIP 9% (-2), Greens 7% (-2).

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/feb/16/tories-up-six-points-latest-icm-opinion-poll

I was expecting you to post that one. In addition, I was expecting you not to post these four from the weekend:

Populus have topline figures of CON 31%, LAB 33%, LDEM 10%, UKIP 15%, GRN 5%
YouGov/Sunday Times – CON 32, LAB 35, LD 7, UKIP 15, GRN 7
Opinium have topline figures of CON 33%(+1), LAB 35%(+1), LDEM 8%(+1), UKIP 14%(-1), GRN 6%(-2).
ComRes have topline figures of CON 32%(-1), LAB 34%(nc), LDEM 7%(nc), UKIP 16%(-2), GRN 4%(+1).

 

[Titanic]

I was expecting you to post that one. In addition, I was expecting you not to post these four from the weekend

Lefties like to quote the ICM polls as the 'Gold Standard'... so I thought it would be appreciated on this thread.

 

[Elvis]

So according to that YouGov poll, a party with 4% of the national vote could hold all the aces. UKIP seem to be predicted a % vote of anywhere between 7% and 16%.Come May its where this floating 9% goes which could be key. Its going to be a close one with plenty of twists, turns, expense scandals, tax avoidance and ladyboys....involved.

 

[piersa]

It amuses me that the unions have essentially shot themselves in the foot by voting Eddie and Eddie in. Those two are a political parody.

 

[Buzzer]

Shit just got real. Political heavyweights Ant & Dec deliver a scathing attack on Ed Miliband*

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/pol...and-Dec-criticise-Labour-and-Ed-Miliband.html


*No, this is not a parody. Seriously, who the hell cares about what Ant & Dec think of the current political climate? Have we sunk that low that these are the opinion-formers?

 

[beorhthelm]

... UKIP seem to be predicted a % vote of anywhere between 7% and 16%.Come May its where this floating 9% goes which could be key....

i think this variance tells us more about the inaccuracy in the polling methods than about the floating UKIP vote. polling seems to be an art, and they've not really had to factor in a 4th national party before, so their modeling is unlikely to be right. i doubt the trends for UKIP translates very well nationally, so the small the poll samples will throw up misguided numbers.

 

[mikeyjh]

Shit just got real. Political heavyweights Ant & Dec deliver a scathing attack on Ed Miliband*

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/pol...and-Dec-criticise-Labour-and-Ed-Miliband.html


*No, this is not a parody. Seriously, who the hell cares about what Ant & Dec think of the current political climate? Have we sunk that low that these are the opinion-formers?

Bloody hell, it looks like it - Nowt against Ant & Dec, but the Telegraph, could they not do better?

I agree with their opinion on TV debates, utter tripe for people who can't make their mind up based on policy and fact.

 

[cunning fergus]

Balls' comments about ordinary people needing to keep receipts for all cash payments they make led to today's BBC Radio Five Live phone-in topic being "Is it all right to pay cash?". Cue an hour of sanctimonious tax professionals doing battle with heart of gold, Robin Hood-minded white van men.

In simplistic terms the lower paid think the top paid don't pay their fair share, while the top paid think the bottom are all black economy benefit cheats. The middle are pissed off with both of them, cue the rise of Middle England champions like Nigel Farage, Katie Hopkins and Jeremy Clarkson.

Yes, interesting point, I was thinking similar this morning listening to Edward Balls.

In the general whatabboutery of the HSBC "scandal" the relativism from politicians and some on here only seemed to extend to the noble benefit cheat and how these heroes are pursued through the courts for theft in comparison to the rich tax avoider, when in fact the straighter line is to those engaged in the black economy who are also not paying tax on taxable income.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...ck-market-is-10pc-of-UK-economy-says-IEA.html

About 10% of the UK's economic performance is not taxed, so £150bn is being lost to the Government....................staggering numbers, will anything be done?.