General Election 2015

[yxee]

Ok I meant the average man on the street, the majority are living week to week I know this because 90% of my customers that come into the shop want the cheapest options available.

I don't think that qualifies as a negative economic indicator: wanting the cheapest options available is rational behaviour for a consumer. It is certainly a healthier practice than buying things you can't afford on credit.


You just want to sell more stuff!

 

[Brovion]

Because the parliament of the UK is traditionally and inherently one of "Confrontational Democracy" and is designed and run in that way. The role of the Opposition is to oppose the government (there are rare occasions when the whole house agree, but generally the point of the other side is to argue the government is always wrong).

Most other parliaments are inherently cooperational - if the government come up with a genuinely good idea, then some/all of the the "opposition" will back it - rarely do the Whips allow that to happen in England. It will take a significant change in attitude (which I think we may have started on the journey but have a long way to go) to move from where we are to where we need to be for coalitions (espcially large ones) to function well.

The Tories and LDems have held the coalition for the duration, but it has taken its toll (especially on the LDems - being forced to backstab students big style!). I am merely predicting that a 3-party coalition will fail if we have one now.

You are correct in your analysis. People often moan that the Opposition oppose "for the sake of it", but that's their job. I do believe Ed Miliband's official parliamentary title is "Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition" (might be wrong, can't be arsed to google). If the Government came up with a way to give us all a million quid a year without increasing prices the job of the Opposition would be to say that it's a bad idea as it would make us all lazy.

Anyway, with Westminster needing rebuilding perhaps it's time we did switch to one of those chambers where the delegates sit in a semi-circle as opposed to two sets of opposing benches? I too was never a fan of coalitions, but the fact is people just don't vote for one of two main parties any more. (Again you can google how much support 'other parties', including the Liberals/Lib-Dems, have gained since the 1950s). Also personally I think I now prefer horse trading to 'strong government', but I'll get back to you on that after this election ...

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

Day Two in South Thanet, all three parties who are in with a shout of wining here are campaigning hard. UKIP will walk Ramsgate, but not so sure about Broadstairs and Sandwich.
This was outside the station:

 

[Flex Your Head]

https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourki...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Good piece here.

 

[Justice]

I don't think that qualifies as a negative economic indicator: wanting the cheapest options available is rational behaviour for a consumer. It is certainly a healthier practice than buying things you can't afford on credit.


You just want to sell more stuff!

Of course I do I'm a business man but that really wasn't my point.

 

[Brovion]

"We’ll end non-dom tax status" - Miliband

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/07/ed-miliband-non-dom-tax-status-labour

Apart from beorthelm, surely no one will disagree with this?

It's the best policy that Labour have announced so far. Which admittedly isn't saying much, but credit where credit's due, it's a step in the right direction.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

wanting the cheapest options available is rational behaviour for a consumer. It is certainly a healthier practice than buying things you can't afford on credit.

Buy cheap, buy twice.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Also personally I think I now prefer horse trading to 'strong government'..

Same here.

 

[yxee]

Labour's scattergun policy finally hits something reasonable. Enjoy it while you can, tomorrow he'll pledge a cap on the number of slices of toast you can eat in the morning.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

"Ahead of election, Labour takes 2 percent point lead - YouGov poll"

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/04/07/uk-britain-election-poll-idUKKBN0MY28X20150407

(Herr Tubthumper is currently running around making an ear cupping gesture in the direction of Titanic.)

 

[The Maharajah of Sydney]

Cheat sheet put out by Barclays the other day.
Lists a number of implications to numerous possible election outcomes ;

 

[yxee]

I can't believe Labour+SNP is even an option, as if they aren't already subsidised enough by English taxpayers.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Fix your mortgage now before Labour get in....

Good move, once Labour get in and get the economy back on track there will be no need for the current emergency low bank rates.

(Or move to Germany....Ive just been offered a 10 year fix at 1.74%)

 

[Hampster Gull]

"Ahead of election, Labour takes 2 percent point lead - YouGov poll"

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/04/07/uk-britain-election-poll-idUKKBN0MY28X20150407

(Herr Tubthumper is currently running around making an ear cupping gesture in the direction of Titanic.)

As long as he is not doing it in one of those mankinis

 

[Hampster Gull]

Good move, once Labour get in and get the economy back on track there will be no need for the current emergency low bank rates.

(Or move to Germany....Ive just been offered a 10 year fix at 1.74%)

That's impressive. I got offered 2.99% here. It's another good reminder of having a productive economy that pays its way, generating surpluses not deficits. We have much to learn from our German cousins. Including tax rates that are often lower then ours

 

[aolstudios]

Day Two in South Thanet, all three parties who are in with a shout of wining here are campaigning hard. UKIP will walk Ramsgate, but not so sure about Broadstairs and Sandwich.
This was outside the station: View attachment 64431

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8580/16440970490_55510665fc_b.jpg

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8580/16440970490_55510665fc_b.jpg

No More Strangers and Babs on equality

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

Video of Ed Balls - three months ago ruling out abolishing non-dom status sutfaces.
Suggests it 'would cost us money.' Whoops

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Popped on the TV and Ed Balls is on the BBC Breakfast programme.

What a frightful man he is. It immediately becomes obvious why Labour seem to have kept him out of the limelight in the campaigning to date. I'd do the same if I was trying to win but had the misfortune to have him on my side.

He worries me far more than Milliband.

This is a bloke who got it so wrong on the economy, (predicting 3 million unemployed and a triple dip recession if the coalition followed their spending plans) yet he'd become Chancellor if Labour get in (probably with Nicola peering over his shoulder)

 

[Simster]

Popped on the TV and Ed Balls is on the BBC Breakfast programme.

What a frightful man he is. It immediately becomes obvious why Labour seem to have kept him out of the limelight in the campaigning to date. I'd do the same if I was trying to win but had the misfortune to have him on my side.

He worries me far more than Milliband.

This is a bloke who got it so wrong on the economy, (predicting 3 million unemployed and a triple dip recession if the coalition followed their spending plans) yet he'd become Chancellor if Labour get in (probably with Nicola peering over his shoulder)

What worries me more is that seemingly rational people can even consider identifying with someone like George Osborne whilst describing Balls like this. I'm no fan of Balls as I find him horrendously hypocritical (although not as bad as Labour colleagues Harriet Harman and Dianne Abbott), but have a hard time believing he would be more disastrous than an unchecked Osborne in in a pure Tory government. That snake is hell bent on looking after big business and his Bullingdon chums over everybody else. He is truly odious.