** The General Election Thread **

[reohn2]

JC's opening salvo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0as7_hT1V44

He's trying to do a bit of a "Donald", presenting himself as the anti-establishment candidate, that he wont follow their rules, etc. Trouble is he's so bad and oratory he can't pull it off and he just looks rather silly. And he's starting from the wrong place - such a low level of support before even starting makes his ploy just look desperate.

Ian

So what do you want honesty and good policies or an agent orange who can talk a good story,or more of the disaster the last six years has brought under the Tories?
First an idiot in the form of Cameron and his failed chancellor Osborne,then another Thatcher in the form of May and her chancellor who had to do an about turn on his first budget.
The Tories have presided on cuts to health,education and other public spending with an austerity plan that's failed at every turn,meanwhile cut taxes for the higher tax bracket,May promising to do more to catch the tax evaders whilst doing very little in reality.
Meanwhile we have the bedroom tax,no clampdown on zero hours contracts,a promise of grammar schools,which will only benefit those who can afford to have their children tutored to pass the exam to get in them.
More and more Chinese money buying up the country and building power stations etc,with all the strings attached.200billion spending on nuclear deterrent renewal we don't need or can ever use.
Whilst the city and other multinationals owns the politicians they've put in place.
Etc,etc,etc,etc.

Is this the way we want the country to carry on being run?

[ChrisOntLancs]

I think the "we can't build more because of foreign aid" is twaddle put out by those wanting to cut foreign aid.

it definitely is.

that's my point, but besides that i'm ambivalent. lower it, raise it, keep it, i don't care. it's a big distraction from the things that actually matter to the UK.

politicians on the right claim they don't want to send any money over seas, but they're happy to spend all day talking about it when they could be talking about housing, employment, education, health care.

the people that are talking about all of the above are being labeled "limp wristed lefties", terrorist sympathisers, the list goes on.

it's as if the daily mail, the sun, and all the politicians they cheer for can be trusted when they are attacking jeremy corbyn, when they're probably lying about that too.

it's all spin, not just that bit, or that bit, all of it.

[Psamathe]

JC's opening salvo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0as7_hT1V44

He's trying to do a bit of a "Donald", presenting himself as the anti-establishment candidate, that he wont follow their rules, etc. Trouble is he's so bad and oratory he can't pull it off and he just looks rather silly. And he's starting from the wrong place - such a low level of support before even starting makes his ploy just look desperate.

Ian

So what do you want honesty and good policies or an agent orange who can talk a good story,or more of the disaster the last six years has brought under the Tories?
First an idiot in the form of Cameron and his failed chancellor Osborne,then a another Thatcher in the form of May and her chancellor who who had to do an about turn on his first budget.
The Tories have presided on cuts to health,education and other public spending with an austerity plan that's failed at every turn,meanwhile cut taxes for the higher tax bracket,May promising to do more to catch the tax evaders whilst doing very little in reality.
Meanwhile we have the bedroom tax,no clampdown on zero hours contracts,a promise of grammar schools,which will only benefit those who can afford to have their children tutored to pass the exam to get in them.
More and more Chinese money buying up the country and building power stations etc,with all the strings attached.200billion spending on nuclear deterrent renewal we don't need or can ever use.
Whilst the city and other multinationals owns the politicians they've put in place.
Etc,etc,etc,etc.

Is this the way we want the country to carry on being run?

No.
But it's looking like that is how we are going to have our country run because Corbyn cannot get any significant level of support in the electorate and wont step aside to allow another leader to try and turn round Labour in the eyes of the electorate.

Being realistic, however great Corbyn's policies might be they are never going to get implemented because Labour under him will never win a General Election. So in practice all Corbyn is actually doing is keeping Ms May in power and forcing her policies on the country.

I don't know what planet Corbyn is living on but he seems to be putting his personal power and position above the interests of the country.

Ian

[landsurfer]

Imagine ..if we spent the whole budget for Overseas Aid on a hospital .. in the UK ... or on additional funds for the NHS .... would any lives be saved ?
Or would a number of Bank Nurses, Locum Doctors, Private consultants .. just get richer ...
?????

[reohn2]

No.
But it's looking like that is how we are going to have our country run because Corbyn cannot get any significant level of support in the electorate and wont step aside to allow another leader to try and turn round Labour in the eyes of the electorate.

Being realistic, however great Corbyn's policies might be they are never going to get implemented because Labour under him will never win a General Election. So in practice all Corbyn is actually doing is keeping Ms May in power and forcing her policies on the country.

I don't know what planet Corbyn is living on but he seems to be putting his personal power and position above the interests of the country.

Ian

It's not the electorate that's not giving their support it's the media.
And as long as the electorate listen and are swayed by that media instead of listening to the policies on offer and thinking for themselves,they'll vote for more of the same.

So I'll ask again,do you want honesty and good policies,or more of the same look after the rich,devil take the hindmost,line the pockets of the rich,Tory policies ?

[Cyril Haearn]

The LibDems will get 48% of the votes and 60% of the seats

A third referendum will be held with a big majority to stay

The last year will soon be forgotten, maybe we could tell our grandchildren about it to scare and warn them, but they would never believe us

[mercalia]

The LibDems will get 48% of the votes and 60% of the seats

A third referendum will be held with a big majority to stay

The last year will soon be forgotten, maybe we could tell our grandchildren about it to scare and warn them, but they would never believe us

and what prescription does your doctor have you on

[ChrisOntLancs]

The LibDems will get 48% of the votes and 60% of the seats

A third referendum will be held with a big majority to stay

The last year will soon be forgotten, maybe we could tell our grandchildren about it to scare and warn them, but they would never believe us

that's such a precise estimation i feel too intimidated to challenge it

to be honest i'd like to see them do well in this election, farron's speculated homophobia aside (that's why i keep quoting andrew mitchell, nobody batted an eyelid at that)

i think my shtick is about yellow journalism. it doesn't matter who offers one, we won't get a decent govt until we put an end to that.

[Psamathe]

No.
But it's looking like that is how we are going to have our country run because Corbyn cannot get any significant level of support in the electorate and wont step aside to allow another leader to try and turn round Labour in the eyes of the electorate.

Being realistic, however great Corbyn's policies might be they are never going to get implemented because Labour under him will never win a General Election. So in practice all Corbyn is actually doing is keeping Ms May in power and forcing her policies on the country.

I don't know what planet Corbyn is living on but he seems to be putting his personal power and position above the interests of the country.

Ian

It's not the electorate that's not giving their support it's the media.
And as long as the electorate listen and are swayed by that media instead of listening to the policies on offer and thinking for themselves,they'll vote for more of the same.

So I'll ask again,do you want honesty and good policies,or more of the same look after the rich,devil take the hindmost,line the pockets of the rich,Tory policies ?

Is it the media ? Whenever I see Corbyn on TV making a speak (excerpts) they seem to chose the most significant bit and he comes across really badly. I can't see what else the media could do. Maybe not show any excerpts of him ?

I can't say it isn't the media, can't say it is. Maybe some evidence about how the media has caused Corbyn's polling to fall so disastrously? At this point any half ok'ish opposition should be riding high (given the state of e.g. NHS, e.g. house building, etc). It is often easier to blame something else that accept the real reason and Corbyn does appear good at failing to recognise reality.

Ian

[blackbike]

The LibDems will get 48% of the votes and 60% of the seats

A third referendum will be held with a big majority to stay

The last year will soon be forgotten, maybe we could tell our grandchildren about it to scare and warn them, but they would never believe us

We would not have a referendum if the Lib Dems won the election.

Their leader, Tim Farron, voted in favour of a referendum but then voted against implementing Article 50.

He probably wouldn't bother asking the people for their advice again as he is obviously prepared to ignore it when it is offered.

Good job his opportunist little party is an irrelevance.

https://order-order.com/2017/01/30/mps- ... ck-result/

[mjr]

JC's opening salvo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0as7_hT1V44

He's trying to do a bit of a "Donald", presenting himself as the anti-establishment candidate, that he wont follow their rules, etc. Trouble is he's so bad and oratory he can't pull it off and he just looks rather silly.

Trump's not exactly a great orator, so why should that be a barrier?

[mjr]

an interesting table the BBC put on its website about the vaious G7 countries and what proportion of GDP is spend on aid - mugs UK at the top?
G7 spending on overseas aid.JPG

I'm sick of you people talking this country down. When we act fairly and live up to our promises, acting as world leaders, you call us "mugs"! Have you no pride in your country? Do you really think cutting things like medical aid to Syrian refugee camps would make be a good thing to do?

[Spinners]

I liked the TV debates last time around and developed a bit of a crush on Leanne Wood

How is Leanne getting on with her Welsh lessons?

Dunno. In my dreams she always whispers to me in French...

[reohn2]

Is it the media ? Whenever I see Corbyn on TV making a speak (excerpts) they seem to chose the most significant bit and he comes across really badly. I can't see what else the media could do. Maybe not show any excerpts of him ?

I can't say it isn't the media, can't say it is. Maybe some evidence about how the media has caused Corbyn's polling to fall so disastrously? At this point any half ok'ish opposition should be riding high (given the state of e.g. NHS, e.g. house building, etc). It is often easier to blame something else that accept the real reason and Corbyn does appear good at failing to recognise reality.

Ian

But which do you prefer,someone who talks the talk,eloquently.
Or someone who walks the walk and isn't afraid to ?

[Bonefishblues]

The walker of the walk needs to be able to take others with them on their ramble too, though, IYSWIM