The 2015 Popularity Contest (aka UK General Election )

[davek]

SNP have already ruled that out.

And she is on TV later. BBC 1 at 7.30.

Crazy parties dont advocate an end to austerity mate.

A party of responsible government north of the border pilloried by people who live in a country where their political parties rule over carnage in our public services and who's only success is to massively increase the number of food banks. But they're sane.

 

[roydo]

In summary, poshos are rubbish at footie.

Except the poshest of the posh. They will win the league.

 

[davek]

It is definitely an outlier.

But to be fair to Ashcroft, he has published this poll regularly for a few months, so to call it propaganda is a bit hyperbolic. Keep in mind that other reputable pollsters have also shown large leads to both Labour and the Tories in the past few weeks (all outliers).

That's not my argument. I'm saying that it's a selective use of data. If he polls multiple times and doesn't publish them all then he leaves himself open to that charge.

 

[roydo]

Crazy parties dont advocate an end to austerity mate.

A party of responsible government north of the border pilloried by people who live in a country where their political parties rule over carnage in our public services and who's only success is to massively increase the number of food banks. But they're sane.

Lets see how they actually act as MPs mate. Remember, most of their good politicians are probably in Holyrood.

 

[SNova]

Genuinely, as a matter of interest, which policies do you think are good?

Firstly, the main ones that people know about. Leaving the EU, having an Australian Point Style immigration system and decreasing foreign aid.

Then;

Fund 20,000 more nurses, 8,000 more GPs and 3,000 more midwives

Invest an extra £1.5 billion into mental health and dementia services over the next five years

Scrap hospital parking charges

End ‘health tourism’ by making sure those ineligible for free NHS care pay for treatment

Increase social care funding in total by £5.2 billion between 2015 and 2020

Scrap the ‘bedroom tax’

Bring back grammar schools and support a range of secondary schools including vocational, technical and specialist schools

Waive tuition fees for science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) subjects at university

Oppose the so-called ‘Mansion Tax.’

Scrap HS2: this is an expensive, politically-driven vanity project for which there is no good business case. It will blight our countryside and not solve the problem of capacity

End road tolls wherever possible

Allow British businesses to choose to employ British workers first

Prevent foreign criminals coming into the UK and deport those who commit crimes here

Decriminalise non-payment of the BBC licence fee and review its cost with a view to its reduction.

There is also a policy to help our war vets more.

I agree with many more, but this list is getting very long haha.

 

[davek]

Lets see how they actually act as MPs mate. Remember, most of their good politicians are probably in Holyrood.

We've seen how they act as MSPs. I dont see them turning into a rabble overnight. There's no interest for them in making problems for a government here. They'd merely look to a Labour Government in order to speed up the promise of powers going to Scotland made by ALL political parties in 'THE VOW' before the independence vote.

 

[The Esk]

Firstly, the main ones that people know about. Leaving the EU, having an Australian Point Style immigration system and decreasing foreign aid.

Then;

Fund 20,000 more nurses, 8,000 more GPs and 3,000 more midwives

Invest an extra £1.5 billion into mental health and dementia services over the next five years

Scrap hospital parking charges

End ‘health tourism’ by making sure those ineligible for free NHS care pay for treatment

Increase social care funding in total by £5.2 billion between 2015 and 2020

Scrap the ‘bedroom tax’

Bring back grammar schools and support a range of secondary schools including vocational, technical and specialist schools

Waive tuition fees for science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) subjects at university

Oppose the so-called ‘Mansion Tax.’

Scrap HS2: this is an expensive, politically-driven vanity project for which there is no good business case. It will blight our countryside and not solve the problem of capacity

End road tolls wherever possible

Allow British businesses to choose to employ British workers first

Prevent foreign criminals coming into the UK and deport those who commit crimes here

Decriminalise non-payment of the BBC licence fee and review its cost with a view to its reduction.

There is also a policy to help our war vets more.

I agree with many more, but this list is getting very long haha.

Interesting, when I have time later I will challenge a few of those policies if you don't mind...

 

[The Esk]

But as a starter, why leave the EU and what safeguards would you expect if indeed we did leave?

 

[daylightrobber]

Except the poshest of the posh. They will win the league.

I think you'll find they bought it.

 

[daylightrobber]

Tory letter of support from small businesses is turning into a joke, they forgot to take the address of the bottom were it was from before giving it to the press, conservative cental office, some named dont have anything to do with the firms quoted , a few have already asked to be taken off as they hadnt been approached for permission to add there name to be used, one of the firms listed is the stanley conservative club, in short tory hq supports the torys not small business owners

Love seeing a Tory squirm

 

[roydo]

We've seen how they act as MSPs. I dont see them turning into a rabble overnight. There's no interest for them in making problems for a government here. They'd merely look to a Labour Government in order to speed up the promise of powers going to Scotland made by ALL political parties in 'THE VOW' before the independence vote.

So lets say the Tories end up as the largest party in the HOC. A party that very few non Scots can even vote for will effectively ignore the democratic outcome of the rest of the UK. Now I fully accept that is a result of the Union being maintained last year, and I am happy to accept the democratic out come of any election, but how a democratic party can think that is any way, er, democratic, is lost on me I am afraid.

So, if the Labour Party gets the highest number of seats, and they form an alliance with the SNP, I would have absolutely no problem with that for clarification. This is not about Tory/Labour for me, it is about the democracy of it.

 

[Mrk]

That's not my argument. I'm saying that it's a selective use of data. If he polls multiple times and doesn't publish them all then he leaves himself open to that charge.

Only if it can be proven....

He's critical of the Tory election strategy and regularly points out the bad statistics within polls for the Tories, so it's unfair to insinuate he's being selective to show the Tories in a better position than they are.

 

[Goat]

 

[Clint Planet]

Top UK Bosses - in no way extracting the waste body fluid.

 

[The Esk]

I get the feeling Labour will form a minority Government with no alliance and challenge the "minor" parties to vote them out with the likelihood of a returning Conservative/liberal Government replacing them.

The other reason for forming a minority Government is that the minor parties will find it incredibly difficult to raise the finances required for a second GE campaign. No party is going to vote for an election it cannot afford to participate in.