The 2015 Popularity Contest (aka UK General Election )

[Mrk]

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.

That's all well and good, but how would they pass any legislation? They'd just be a ghost government, unable to do anything. I highly doubt the Lib Dems would side with Labour outside of a coalition, so even if Labour do have an 'understanding' with the SNP, on current predictions they still won't have enough seats.

I too think we'll see a minority government, but it won't last very long at all...

 

[davek]

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.

It's about governments not majority parties. If you cant stack the numbers up for you + your similarly thinking partners then how is it not democracy if they have to stand aside in favour of a bloc that CAN get the numbers?

That's FPTP I'm afraid. Change it to PR and I'd be all for it. But we have what we have and to deny legitimacy to parties who can govern in a coalition/loose arrangement is just barmy.

 

[davek]

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.

It looks possible at the moment (certainly the bookies favourite bet anyway).

I still think it'll be a CON+LD+DUP concoction running the country come May 8th.

What a dogs breakfast. It'll fall within months and we're into a second election.

 

[roydo]

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.

Hard to disagree with that mate.

Unless the Lib Dems seriously pick up, (unlikely) and look to bed down with the Tories again, that is certainly most likely.

But whatever happens, it will be politically fascinating.

 

[davek]

That's all well and good, but how would they pass any legislation? They'd just be a ghost government, unable to do anything. I highly doubt the Lib Dems would side with Labour outside of a coalition, so even if Labour do have an 'understanding' with the SNP, on current predictions they still won't have enough seats.

I too think we'll see a minority government, but it won't last very long at all...

With SDLP/Plaid/SNP/Green votes they'd be able to do it (and the anti-government bloc would be fatally disunited anyway by that stage, so the numbers in passing a budget/legislation would not be an issue)

 

[SNova]

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

Of course I don't mate.

With the EU firstly if we were to leave it wouldn't surprise me if other major countries held a referendum and decided to leave as well and therefore collapsing the EU.

But regardless, I'd like us to take our seat back at the world trade organisation. Once we do get our seat back the EU has to trade with us, there are many many countries that aren't in the EU that still trade with the EU.

I also don't want to pay to be in this EU.

Better for our fishing industry.

I do not like the EU at all.

 

[davek]

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.

His polls are in danger of becoming rogue within the industry.

 

[Mrk]

It looks possible at the moment (certainly the bookies favourite bet anyway).

I still think it'll be a CON+LD+DUP concoction running the country come May 8th.

What a dogs breakfast. It'll fall within months and we're into a second election.

I can see no way the LD's would ever enter into a deal that included the DUP.

 

[Mrk]

His polls are in danger of becoming rogue within the industry.

As I've made clear a few times in this thread, I'm no fan of pollsters, but there's a difference between being inaccurate and deliberately misleading. A few weeks ago, the 'Gold standard' of pollsters had the Tories on a 6pt lead - it happens.

 

[roydo]

It's about governments not majority parties. If you cant stack the numbers up for you + your similarly thinking partners then how is it not democracy if they have to stand aside in favour of a bloc that CAN get the numbers?

That's FPTP I'm afraid. Change it to PR and I'd be all for it. But we have what we have and to deny legitimacy to parties who can govern in a coalition/loose arrangement is just barmy.

Indeed it is. And I dont think I am making my point very well.

Let me try again. The SNP are not a UK wide party. Now neither are a few other (very) minor ones, granted, but the SNP do not have to answer to anyone outside Scotland. No one.

If they act in a reasonable and responsible manor in the possible semi governance of the UK, not just their own interests, then fine. But I have a feeling they wont, because it is possibly in their longer term interests not to.

Lets see.

 

[Pienaar's gloves]

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.

Decreasing foreign aid is probably the sickest policy on show at this election.

 

[SNova]

Decreasing foreign aid is probably the sickest policy on show at this election.

Why? Polls show the majority of the UK agrees with this. Especially to places such as India who have space programs.

 

[roydo]

Decreasing foreign aid is probably the sickest policy on show at this election.

Agree with that. Cant remember who came up with the quote, Clegg I think, but along the lines of the UK making some spending cuts shouldnt mean us destroying the lives of others less fortunate, or something.

You could argue the toss about who we send aid to, but not for decreasing it wholesale.

 

[roydo]

Why? Polls show the majority of the UK agrees with this. Especially to places such as India who have space programs.

Pretty sure a similar poll would show a preference for capital punishment.

 

[SNova]

Pretty sure a similar poll would show a preference for capital punishment.

Yes, I'd argue for capital punishment. For some crimes (with a good amount of clear evidence) as long as it costs less than putting them in prison.