Can Labour actually win the next election and make a difference?

[Napper]

Whilst their principles and policies are arguably better it's the people responsible for implementing these that mean things will fail. The policies may be different but the greed is still there. Mps profit from all sorts of deals that get rubber stamped by the house of frauds. There are enough deviants in the Labour Party to not make a real difference to the average joe . Banks and corporations run the world . The mps are merely the pawns in the game . Naive to think anything else

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Can I just say that this is the most civil and well-argued thread on politics I've ever read on here. Thanks.

 

[Albion Dan]

No it will be a Tory win with a clear majority unless Labour get shot of Milliband , Balls and Harriet Harman who are all so easy for their opponents to discredit with policies that are made with no thought of cost etc.

Zero chance of a clear majority for the Tories although I would say they would still be favourites to form another coalition. Milliband as useless as I think he is as a leader, is starting to make the right noises though so will be interesting to se if he can sort himself out enough by 2015.

 

[matthew]

Hate how the economy takes centre stage at every election, there is a worldwide environmental crisis and something has to be done.

 

[The Birdman]

If we get four years of Labour how much money will they leave in the Tresuary and what will the note say!!! Sorry

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Cutting business rates (or, I believe more correctly, not increasing them as currently planned) will keep businesses open and also may attract more businesses to start. You only have to look at most high streets to see the number of shops closing. This helps save and create jobs and that means less on the dole queue and more people paying tax.

http://www.retail-week.com/in-busin...tes-increase-comes-into-force/5047788.article

As for National Debt, when Labour came in in 1997, it was about 42% of GDP. Labour brought that down to 36% of GDP upto 2008 when of course the global crisis saw it go up. In 2010 it had risen to 52% of GDP and in 2012 was up to 71% and by 2015 is expected to be almost 82% of GDP.

http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/spending_chart_1997_2015UKp_13c1li111mcn_G0t

Finally, I would be interested to know why you think letting more people in raises revenue?

I would guess if you let more people in the government get more back in taxes, but if I have got the wrong end of the stick tell me.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Zero chance of a clear majority for the Tories although I would say they would still be favourites to form another coalition. Milliband as useless as I think he is as a leader, is starting to make the right noises though so will be interesting to se if he can sort himself out enough by 2015.

I think it is unfair to judge him now. Cameron was very quiet in the years before the election year and tending to go with non-committal responses which is, to be fair, the sensible approach otherwise you become a hostage to fortune. Milliband is doing quite well without doing much at the moment........this will change in a year’s time. Judge him then.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Cutting business rates (or, I believe more correctly, not increasing them as currently planned) will keep businesses open and also may attract more businesses to start. You only have to look at most high streets to see the number of shops closing. This helps save and create jobs and that means less on the dole queue and more people paying tax.

http://www.retail-week.com/in-business/policy/retailers-costs-squeezed-as-business-rates-increase-comes-into-force/5047788.article

As for National Debt, when Labour came in in 1997, it was about 42% of GDP. Labour brought that down to 36% of GDP upto 2008 when of course the global crisis saw it go up. In 2010 it had risen to 52% of GDP and in 2012 was up to 71% and by 2015 is expected to be almost 82% of GDP.

http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/spending_chart_1997_2015UKp_13c1li111mcn_G0t

Finally, I would be interested to know why you think letting more people in raises revenue?

High Street shops closing is more to do with a lack of consumer confidence and lack of money than rates. You can have 0 rates but if there is no punters with the money and the confidence to spend it then it means nothing. And all the time we race to the bottom with 0 hours contracts, more and more people being employed by huge companies (paying 0 corporation tax) paying minimum wages then there will not be enough confidence in consumers to be able to make up the huge amount of puchases you need to gain the growth the UK is looking for.

As an aside, Osborne is banging on about the current upturn in the economy which is seemingly based on housing. Has the UK learnt nothing from the past 5 years? Seriously, how ****ing idiotic. Why not make some shit to sell. The UK economy is utterly ****ed and it will take a total mind reset not pissing about with rates.

My message is MAKE SOME STUFF.

 

[Soulman]

If Labour get in then people have very short memories.
If they were still in then even more borrowing, Gib and the Falklands given away, the EU taking over, and NO gold to prop us up.
The Scottish Raj, ie Brown PM (Kilcaddy and Cowdenbeath) Darling Chancellor (Edinburgh West) Gorbals Mick (Speaker of the house) John Reid etc.
England were being shafted, oilfield borders being moved north of the border, even financial help/bail out for Browns local building society, the Clydesdale.
Scotland, Wales, NI, have their own parliaments/assemblies, which ONLY their MP's are allowed to vote on their own issues, sadly England does not have it's own Parliament, which is why about 110 MP's from the other UK countries can vote on OUR issues. In short the PM and Chancellor with Scottish constituencies and others were running our country, which shows when England are bottom of the league when the money is doled out per person.
By the way, i'm not a fan of the Tories either, not keen on any of the snouts in trough parties.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

As an aside the UK needs to stay in the EU so I hope Labour get in. I'd rather the UK be alongside and learn some lessons from the Germans on how to run a balanced economy as opposed to losing to them from outside the eurozone.

 

[dragonred]

High Street shops closing is more to do with a lack of consumer confidence and lack of money than rates. You can have 0 rates but if there is no punters with the money and the confidence to spend it then it means nothing. And all the time we race to the bottom with 0 hours contracts, more and more people being employed by huge companies (paying 0 corporation tax) paying minimum wages then there will not be enough confidence in consumers to be able to make up the huge amount of puchases you need to gain the growth the UK is looking for.

As an aside, Osborne is banging on about the current upturn in the economy which is seemingly based on housing. Has the UK learnt nothing from the past 5 years? Seriously, how ****ing idiotic. Why not make some shit to sell. The UK economy is utterly ****ed and it will take a total mind reset not pissing about with rates.

Guess I'm naturally a Tory, not for power and money but because I just don't like the nanny state of labour and the appeasement all of the liberals. But the present lot do nothing for me at all,
there's no conviction among any of the parties and these days it's all about sound bite policies rather than genuinely held principles. I'm guessing Tory coalition again with the libs unless Cameron in next few years finds a massive level up that makes him a leader worth voting for. As for labour, to be honest as long as Scotland stays and as long as they bribe the voters on benefits with a promise of no change to them, they remain capable of blocking a majority. Deal with those 2 issues and labour will need to find relevance to remain a force.

 

[Leighgull]

If Scotland vote for independence, losing 41 MPs would kill Labour's chance of a majority in Westminster for decades to come. Two birds with one stone?

Is correct.

This year will decide the issue completely.

 

[Ernest]

The only sure thing is that the Conservatives won't win a majority, if they can't win a majority with the deck stacked in their favour like in 2010 they have no chance of doing so in 2015. Whether Labour get a majority however small is for them to lose and when both parties start to firm up their policies we will have a better idea.

 

[Leighgull]

Can I just say that this is the most civil and well-argued thread on politics I've ever read on here. Thanks.

Wait until the usual suspects show up. It'll go downhill fast.

 

[Ernest]

Is correct.

This year will decide the issue completely.

It won't happen before the next election and if the Jocks vote to stay in the GB then the SNP will be a busted flush so Labour could grab even more seats north of the border

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It's interesting how the UK is still (after god knows how many years) grappling with the idea of Europe, it's special (or strange) relationship with the US and the devolution of Scotland whilst Germany seems quite clear what it wants, made it's mind up some time ago, and is now moving forwards with Merkel getting more and more popular and the country and the economy getting stronger. The UK just seems totally confused as to what it wants, what it should do and where it should be going.....and now just seems the totally wrong time to be like this.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

There's only one thing for it UKIP

Agreed........

 

[Albumen]

UKIP hehe.

A more left leaning government would be most welcome, of course. And soon, please.

 

[Grombleton]

It's interesting how the UK is still (after god knows how many years) grappling with the idea of Europe, it's special (or strange) relationship with the US and the devolution of Scotland whilst Germany seems quite clear what it wants, made it's mind up some time ago, and is now moving forwards with Merkel getting more and more popular and the country and the economy getting stronger. The UK just seems totally confused as to what it wants, what it should do and where it should be going.....and now just seems the totally wrong time to be like this.

I agree.

It reminds me of a little kitten: It needs to take a dump but it isn't sure whether to stay indoors and go in the litter tray, or go outside and bury it.

I'll admit i don't have a leaning towards any of the parties (i'm well known for my fence-sitting), so they've a year or so to convince me that their policies will benefit me, my family, my friends and all whom i know (except those i hate, they can piss off) for the duration of their tenure.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

It won't happen before the next election and if the Jocks vote to stay in the GB then the SNP will be a busted flush so Labour could grab even more seats north of the border

A "No" vote for independence will put the SNP raison d'être under the spotlight. Will we see a switch from SNP to UKIP north of the border ?