Election - Why oh why oh why? Please enlighten me.

[Surrey Phil]

Ah, another thread that is turning into :

Labour - if you vote Labour then you're financially incompetent
Tory - if you vote Tory then you're evil
Green - if you vote Green then you're an out of touch hipster
Lib Dem - if you vote Lib Dem then you're a liar
UKIP - if you vote UKIP then you're racist
SNP - if you vote SNP then you're, well, Scottish

The best analysis of the general election I've ever seen. Oh and for the record I'm voting for pure evil!!!!

 

[drew]

It just goes to show that neither of the main parties deserve the right to form a government.

It will never happen, but the ideal would be a coalition of the two main parties.

At least then the government would have been voted in by the majority of the electorate. (Has that ever happened?)

The non stop infighting here is replicated in parliament where MPs oppose bills not because they disagree but because they are told to.

What is even more alarming is the turnout last time at 65% whereas here it was 93% in 2013. So 35% of 65% decide your future!

If that were the case then you there would be no point having parties. They come from opposite ends of the political spectrum although they are closer to the middle than both would like to admit. However, how does a party that wants to reduce the size of the state, lower taxes and basically just let people get on with it, whether that succeeds or fails with a party that is for investment in the state and providing a safety net for those that fail and, to an extent, a fairer distribution of wealth.

What I do agree with is that there should be far more free votes. The system of using whips to bully MPs to vote for policy which could be against the benefit of their constituents is perverse.

 

[jimbob5]

Lib Dems for me. I think they have been very unfairly criticised for Clegg's pre election promises on tuition fees but I believe they were influential in getting a lot of beneficial stuff through.

 

[Gwylan]

It will never happen, but the ideal would be a coalition of the two main parties.

At least then the government would have been voted in by the majority of the electorate. (Has that ever happened?)

Several times: there was Grenville's Ministry of All The Talents in the early 19th century, there were the National Governments for both the world wars and there was the National Government of 1931 when MacDonald's Labour government invited Tories and Liberals to serve in the cabinet to restore financial confidence (a move that split the Labour party)

More recently, in 2005, there was a grand coalition in Germany when Angela Merkel headed a government comprised of equal numbers of CDU and SDP members. The intention was to keep a small, but stridently left wing, party out of government. Sound familiar?

 

[BLOCK F]

Plenty of people have mentioned that the last Labour government didn't exactly screw up the economy but it's worth pointing out that Labour have got a decent record on the economy. I gave chapter and verse on this a few months ago, on another thread and I can't be bothered to go into it again but their record is no worse or better than the Tories - all governments fail to a certain extent, otherwise why would they be voted out?

' All political lives,unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and human affairs.' .......Enoch Powell.

We will just have to disagree about Labour and the economy.

 

[BLOCK F]

I take it your glasses aren't tinted in any colour?

Hi Drew, I dare say my glasses are tinted, but I do hope that if I thought 'my lot ' had made a balls-up at any time, I would actually say so and not be in almost complete denial.
I don't think I am that tribal, blinkered or political for that matter.

 

[Simster]

I think that chart would look a whole lot scarier had Gordon Brown been in number 10. Wasn't "spend our way out of recession" their economic policy?

Running a deficit in the boom years of 2000-2005 was just absurd. That is what I can't abide. It's ridiculous.

No it isn't. It is absurd not to run a deficit.

 

[Simster]

Hi Drew, I dare say my glasses are tinted, but I do hope that if I thought 'my lot ' had made a balls-up at any time, I would actually say so and not be in almost complete denial.
I don't think I am that tribal, blinkered or political for that matter.

Hahahaha. "Your lot" have made loads of economic cock up down the years. Absolutely loads.

 

[Danny-Boy]

The best analysis of the general election I've ever seen. Oh and for the record I'm voting for pure evil!!!!

I just voted for a mixture of the untruthed and the bigoted (allegedly) plus some Independents whose views are of course personal.

 

[Nibble]

I can understand peeps voting lib dem, voting UkIP , voting greens, voting for independants, voting for the tories, even SNP, but why oh why oh why would anyone in their right mind ever ever ever again vote labour . Their record of bringing this country to its knees over and over again is testament that sentiment and good hearts do not cut it when it comes to running a solid economic and socially cohesive society.
Give me strength that they even have the audacity to stand at this election after the mess they created previously and that the tories have been hamstrung by in trying to turm Britain back into Great Britain.

That's just all kinds of incorrect.

 

[Danny-Boy]

Several times: there was Grenville's Ministry of All The Talents in the early 19th century, there were the National Governments for both the world wars and there was the National Government of 1931 when MacDonald's Labour government invited Tories and Liberals to serve in the cabinet to restore financial confidence (a move that split the Labour party)

More recently, in 2005, there was a grand coalition in Germany when Angela Merkel headed a government comprised of equal numbers of CDU and SDP members. The intention was to keep a small, but stridently left wing, party out of government. Sound familiar?

The Libdems should have learned the lesson of the Free Democrats (FDP) which entered into coalitions with the SDP and then the CDU/CSU. I think they've been largely replaced by the Greens over the last 20 years.

 

[Danny-Boy]

' All political lives,unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and human affairs.' .......Enoch Powell.

We will just have to disagree about Labour and the economy.

I keep seeing Lord Failure in my local bank, he certainly looks half the man he was when he was "The Greatest PM we never had"..

 

[jimbob5]

Not LIb Dems. They've held the Tories back from making the tough decisions necessary. I wish the Tories were more right wing though.

 

[BLOCK F]

Hahahaha. "Your lot" have made loads of economic cock up down the years. Absolutely loads.

They all do, Simster...............even your lot, if they would only admit it.

Well,if Labour get in with the help of the SNP, I hope you don't regret it. Can't see many of your fellow Reigatians agreeing with you though.

 

[jimbob5]

They all do, Simster...............even your lot, if they would only admit it.

Well,if Labour get in with the help of the SNP, I hope you don't regret it. Can't see many of your fellow Reigatians agreeing with you though.

It's a shame WE can't vote SNP! I rate them. Plus the fact I really fancy their leader! She gives me the ….!

 

[Nibble]

I live in the ridiculously Tory stronghold of Cobham for the summer. So whatever I vote it's a waste locally but I'll be back in Brighton permanently come Nov so I'm voting Green. I Understand this makes no sense but I'm terribly confused.

 

[Gwylan]

The Libdems should have learned the lesson of the Free Democrats (FDP) which entered into coalitions with the SDP and then the CDU/CSU. I think they've been largely replaced by the Greens over the last 20 years.

They've been replaced because they have no MPs. The FDP moved from being a centre party to an, economically, far right one. They're liberal in the classical sense: socially liberal but also in favour of completely free markets. They've also been dogged by infighting in the last few years which hasn't helped their electoral chances, nor have they had a strong leader since Genscher retired through ill health. There are several lessons for the Lib Dems there

 

[RexCathedra]

Wasn't "spend our way out of recession" their economic policy?

No. It's Lord Keynes' economic policy, of Walter Bagehot before him, and of every other macroeconomist who isn't an utter party tool.