labour only 2 points behind in polls

[simmo]

Those who think that someone like Cameron being educated at Eton should count against him should remember this. Politicians tend to be wealthy, whatever the party, they tended to have good high paid jobs like Lawyers or Barristers before moving into politics, does being an ex- Lawyer mean you will be good at running the state education system or being an ex-barrister mean you are highly qualified to run the country?

There are very few from what would be considered a normal background which those who point the finger at Cameron and co would consider them to be in touch with reality and have experience of the real life running of institutions like schools / hospitals etc...

How many of the current batch of MP's were teachers, nurses or retail shop workers? so what makes any of them more qualified to know what its like and what is best for those in low paid jobs?

Correct, in the modern age politicians of two main political parties tend to come from more wealthier families. Many prominent labour politicians are ex-barristers and whom are very affluent in their own right, but that is irrelevent as to who is best at running the country for us as also is where someone went to school 20-30 years ago is too.

The only prominent politician that really didn't have probably a wealthier than average upbringing that comes to mind is John Major, there will probably be others but he is the only one I can think of straight away.

 

[The Modfather]

The governing party are always behind in opion polls, and lose seats at local elections because there hardcore base of supporters cannot be arsed.

Invariably these people come out of the woodwork during a general election. If the Tories are only 2 points ahead in the opinon polls, during the worst recession for 60 years, then they have absolutley no chance of winning.

Cameron is adopting the same policy as Blair did when opposition leader. i.e keeping his mouth shut, not having any policies, and hoping that the electorate vote for them because of how appalling the current government are. All spin over substance yet again.

If Cameron had an idea he would have ditched the liability that is George "jolly hockey sticks" Osbourne

 

[looney]

The governing party are always behind in opion polls, and lose seats at local elections because there hardcore base of supporters cannot be arsed.

Rubbish. Polls in the UK are historiclly biased against Conservatives, for starters there supporters are harder to get hold of, at work etc, and are more reluctant to reveal voting intentions, veiwing it as a secret ballot, more reserved/conservative.

Count up the gobshites on here and you would expect a massive labour majority followed by level tory/bnp with no Libdem suppport. That clearly not the case though looking at the poll is it?

 

[The Modfather]

Rubbish. Polls in the UK are historiclly biased against Conservatives, for starters there supporters are harder to get hold of, at work etc, and are more reluctant to reveal voting intentions, veiwing it as a secret ballot, more reserved/conservative.

Count up the gobshites on here and you would expect a massive labour majority followed by level tory/bnp with no Libdem suppport. That clearly not the case though looking at the poll is it?

The Tories are apparently, only 2% ahead in the opinion polls and need a swing of 8% to overhaul Labour. Thats why most people are predicting a Labour victory my friend.

In order to oust this government we need strong opposition not clueless Cameron. Apart from Ken Clarke the Tories have absolutely no one of any substance.

 

[User removed 4]

The Tories are apparently, only 2% ahead in the opinion polls and need a swing of 8% to overhaul Labour. Thats why most people are predicting a Labour victory my friend.

In order to oust this government we need strong opposition not clueless Cameron. Apart from Ken Clarke the Tories have absolutely no one of any substance.

Can you give me the names from the parliamentary labour party who have '' substance ''?

 

[The Modfather]

Can you give me the names from the parliamentary labour party who have '' substance ''?

Dennis Skinner.

Also the funniest man in Britain

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

The Tories are apparently, only 2% ahead in the opinion polls and need a swing of 8% to overhaul Labour. Thats why most people are predicting a Labour victory my friend.

In order to oust this government we need strong opposition not clueless Cameron. Apart from Ken Clarke the Tories have absolutely no one of any substance.

Doesn't all rest on Uniform National Swing you know. If tories do well in the marginals they could easily win on 5-6% which many polls are now showing.

 

[The Modfather]

Can you give me the names from the parliamentary labour party who have '' substance ''?

Claire Short and Jack Straw fell on there swords over Iraq which was commendable.

In the past the Tories had the likes of Thatcher, Hesletine, Tebbitt, whose politics I did not agree with, but at least they has character and convictions.

The opposition should be giving the government a bloody nose on a daily basis, but with the exception of Ken Clarke & Vince Cable no one else is capable of doing this.

What a sorry state of affairs

 

[stevey-o]

Last time I commented on a political thread I got accused of being an election broadcast for Labour. I'm not, I'm just not Tory either and won't vote Tory as the "only alternative". I think there are a lot of us around and the polls are reflecting how people while not in favour of Labour, don't hate Labour enough to vote for a Tory government that has Cameron and Osbourne as it's two most important players.

Now...put Hague or Clarke in charge of the Tories and I think they would win no problems. I might even vote for them if they did that.

As it stands I still don't see any way in which a party that is giving 13 times more tax relief to the richest that don't need the money as opposed to the poorest that do, is in any way at all going to fix "broken Britain" or give me more money in my pocket for the hard work I do.

 

[User removed 4]

Claire Short and Jack Straw fell on there swords over Iraq which was commendable.

In the past the Tories had the likes of Thatcher, Hesletine, Tebbitt, whose politics I did not agree with, but at least they has character and convictions.

The opposition should be giving the government a bloody nose on a daily basis, but with the exception of Ken Clarke & Vince Cable no one else is capable of doing this.

What a sorry state of affairs

Clare short, resigned a long long time after the war, Jack Straw never did, but never mind, back to people of ''substance'', Claire Short, Jack Straw and ''beast of bolsover'' Dennis Skinner is all you can come up with ?? Lamentable

 

[stevey-o]

Claire Short and Jack Straw fell on there swords over Iraq which was commendable.

Claire Short seems fairly selective in her interpretation of events to me. Cook, resigning beforehand was one of the few truly honourable people in Labour over the whole thing.

Jack Straw still voted in favour of war with Iraq if I remember rightly, despite the Chilcot inquiry showing he had massive misgivings about it.

Labour has been a horrendous government for civil liberties and bringing in the surveillance state - Straw has been part of that too. Far worse than Michael Howard was as Home Secretary for the Tories and yet somehow he has the reputation as the most draconian Home Secretary ever. Very odd.

 

[The Modfather]

Clare short, resigned a long long time after the war, Jack Straw never did, but never mind, back to people of ''substance'', Claire Short, Jack Straw and ''beast of bolsover'' Dennis Skinner is all you can come up with ?? Lamentable

Bushy. They are Lamentable.

As I said, a sorry state of affairs.

There are not really any decent politicians on either side, unless you can enlighten me as to which Tories are going to revolutionise the country.

 

[User removed 4]

Claire Short seems fairly selective in her interpretation of events to me. Cook, resigning beforehand was one of the few truly honourable people in Labour over the whole thing.

Jack Straw still voted in favour of war with Iraq if I remember rightly, despite the Chilcot inquiry showing he had massive misgivings about it.

Labour has been a horrendous government for civil liberties and bringing in the surveillance state - Straw has been part of that too. Far worse than Michael Howard was as Home Secretary for the Tories and yet somehow he has the reputation as the most draconian Home Secretary ever. Very odd.

michael howard will never shake off the ''something of the night''tag awarded him by doris karloff, plus his ducking the question about the prison service by paxman.

 

[stevey-o]

I think character and conviction are dead in politics regardless of party. Vince Cable, Menzies Campbell - two of the few left that actually fight on principle regardless of party line. I can't think of any other politicians I've seen interviewed recently who have appeared to say something "real" and unrehearsed. EVERY time Brown or Cameron or Clegg say something it's inevitably sterile to the point of being meaningless.

If you think back, like you say, Tebbitt, Hesletine, Foot (RIP), Benn, Cook, Ashdown - all people who could argue their beliefs because they believed them and didn't need spin to polish them to make them "believable" or in some way "acceptable".

edit: the best prime minister this country has ever had would never get elected now: David Lloyd George - a drinking, womanising, honours-selling Welshman who wasn't a particularly great public speaker and yet who would have stopped World War 2 if people had listened to him over the Versailles treaty in 1919 and without the House of Lords would have "solved" the "Irish Question" too so no conflict there would have happened. But so un-media friendly and scandal prone he wouldn't last 5 seconds today.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

Vince Cable is a good critic but his actual ideas are pretty poor. He came up with some scheme which would be a replacement of the council tax, but it was riddled with holes and poorly thought out.

The same, i'm afraid, is also true about Robin Cook. He was a great shadow minister but a failure as a Government Minister.

 

[beorhthelm]

The Tories are apparently, only 2% ahead in the opinion polls and need a swing of 8% to overhaul Labour. Thats why most people are predicting a Labour victory my friend.

you may have not kept up, but that 2% lead is already back to 8% and it looks like the 2% was probably a cockup / typo.

as for the swing required... its an 8% swing against Labour thats required to remove them. thats quite, quite different. account for swings to Liberals, others, low turn out in Labour areas, and nobody is predicting a Labour victory. even Labour isnt.

 

[User removed 4]

Here's an article by the excellent Jeff Randall for all you ''Gordon Brown '' saved the world advocates.

What has Gordon Brown done for Britain since his first Budget? - Telegraph

 

[vulture]

brown is a tosser with out him Labour would piss this election

 

[User removed 4]

brown is a tosser with out him Labour would piss this election

Yeah, course they would I can remember people clamouring for brown because blair will ''cost us the election'' people are pissed off with labour for a lot more than the current economic crisis and brown.

 

[Don Quixote]

Aren't they both the same party? Will anything be different with the Blair wannabe David Cameron?