Labour lead in polls,anyone able explain why ?

[Simster]

If Labour won most seats but not a majority but the Tories won most votes who would have the moral authority to try and form a government ?

Cracking question. On the face of it, you'd have to say the Tories BUT given the voting method in the country, the answer is probably Labour.

But let's face it - the only winners in that scenario would be the LibDems who would be king makers with about 7% of the vote.

In that scenario, the delicious irony of the Tories going cap in hand to the LibDems with fewer seats than Labour, having scuppered LibDem plans for voting reform will surely not be lost on them.

 

[drew]

Labour made the situation worse not better and people are still living with the bad decisions that they made. They didn't cause the global downturn, but what they didn't do was limit the number of people coming here from the Eastern Europe looking for work and they didn't control migration from outside the EU either.

What they didn't do was protect the interests of British workers and didn't plan for the possible problems increased migration would create on local services, the possible problems of integration and the money it would cost.

It's why we now have an situation where there are too many applicants going for jobs. How they can sit there now and slag of the Tory party is beyond me. The Tories are just as bad by the way. Labour are no longer the solution for me and neither at the Tories, they both do my head in.

I'm confused! That's the first I've heard that the problems all around the world were exacerbated by rampant immigration!

 

[Deleted member 22389]

I'm confused! That's the first I've heard that the problems all around the world were exacerbated by rampant immigration!

I said Labour didn't cause the global downturn but they certainly contributed to the crap that is going on in this country today.

 

[Tory Boy]

If the Scots gain independance then it will be a very long time before Labour get back in at Westminster.

So go Scots, freedom and all that.

TB

 

[El Presidente]

Because voters find them slightly less unpalatable than Call Me Dave and Co?

 

[Machiavelli]

Labour made the situation worse not better and people are still living with the bad decisions that they made. They didn't cause the global downturn, but what they didn't do was limit the number of people coming here from the Eastern Europe looking for work and they didn't control migration from outside the EU either.

What they didn't do was protect the interests of British workers and didn't plan for the possible problems increased migration would create on local services, the possible problems of integration and the money it would cost.

It's why we now have an situation where there are too many applicants going for jobs. How they can sit there now and slag of the Tory party is beyond me. The Tories are just as bad by the way. Labour are no longer the solution for me and neither at the Tories, they both do my head in.

New Labour were complicit in the global depression by their adoption of neoliberal policies -- which necessarily entails borders to be as open as possible -- but the one moment where they did the right thing was their response to the global depression. Brown is widely recognised for this worldwide, but still widely derided here.

 

[Machiavelli]

And yet the Greens got an MP with considerably less than 20% of the vote. I suspect UKIP will get a very small number of seats - probably in Essex and the South West.

I'd go for a handful too, but reckon Kent and Essex will be their most likely provenance, with the South West and (East?) Midlands next on the list.

 

[Surf's Up]

New Labour were complicit in the global depression by their adoption of neoliberal policies -- which necessarily entails borders to be as open as possible -- but the one moment where they did the right thing was their response to the global depression. Brown is widely recognised for this worldwide, but still widely derided here.

Yeah but that's because he's a miserable, scheming, bullying, controlling, vain, personality free political thug.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

If the Scots gain independance then it will be a very long time before Labour get back in at Westminster.

So go Scots, freedom and all that.

TB

You'd think so, wouldn't you? But in fact, only one of Labour's general election victories would have been overturned if Scottish votes didn't count.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

I'll certainly be voting for them again, but not in the next election.

Me too, but mainly because I live in Brighton Pavilion and Caroline Lucas has been the best constituency MP I can remember. The Green council has been a disaster, but she's done nothing to deserve being voted out.

I also agree that Ed Miliband gives no-one any confidence and that Labour's lead in the polls is despite him rather than because of him. Alan Johnson would be the best leader Labour could have, but sadly he's said he's not interested.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Yeah but that's because he's a miserable, scheming, bullying, controlling, vain, personality free political thug.

Sounds like a description of every Prime Minister I can remember except John Major, who was just hopeless.

 

[Machiavelli]

Yeah but that's because he's a miserable, scheming, bullying, controlling, vain, personality free political thug.

Couldn't dissent from any of this, but he did do something constructive on the international stage. Which is more than we can say for the current incumbent who is so insubstantial: nothing really seems to matter to him, it all seems to be about a minimal conservatism, plenty of posturing and a barrel load of substance-free style.

 

[Machiavelli]

Me too, but mainly because I live in Brighton Pavilion and Caroline Lucas has been the best constituency MP I can remember. The Green council has been a disaster, but she's done nothing to deserve being voted out.

I also agree that Ed Miliband gives no-one any confidence and that Labour's lead in the polls is despite him rather than because of him. Alan Johnson would be the best leader Labour could have, but sadly he's said he's not interested.

Think your assessment of Greens locally is right: Lucas is quite obviously a fantastic constituency MP, activist and parliamentary speaker; the local party has been too concerned with internal battles, rather than projecting outwards to residents, and then too many whinge that they're not getting their message across.
On Miliband: he's obviously a radical departure of the slick presentational skills of a Blair or Cameron but, if he adopts a radical agenda (which is still up for grabs) he might even become Prime Minister and a rather effective one -- after all, Labour's best PM was Attlee, who was far more of an operator, and it was Bevan that provided the sparks.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Think your assessment of Greens locally is right: Lucas is quite obviously a fantastic constituency MP, activist and parliamentary speaker; the local party has been too concerned with internal battles, rather than projecting outwards to residents, and then too many whinge that they're not getting their message across.
On Miliband: he's obviously a radical departure of the slick presentational skills of a Blair or Cameron but, if he adopts a radical agenda (which is still up for grabs) he might even become Prime Minister and a rather effective one -- after all, Labour's best PM was Attlee, who was far more of an operator, and it was Bevan that provided the sparks.

Milliband, Balls and Chuka all irritate me. Let's be honest have any of them done a good days work in their life? How will they ever relate to normal people, same with the Tories.
Look at the Wikipedia entries, politics is really the only things they have been involved in. Any jobs before they have done are to do with economics or law for a short period, so I really don't get how any of them have the skills to run this country.

 

[Ernest]

Milliband, Balls and Chuka all irritate me. Let's be honest have any of them done a good days work in their life? How will they ever relate to normal people, same with the Tories.
Look at the Wikipedia entries, politics is really the only things they have been involved in. Any jobs before they have done are to do with economics or law for a short period, so I really don't get how any of them have the skills to run this country.

Public School - University - MP's bag carrier - Special Adviser - MP - Junior Minister - Cabinet Minister

How can anyone of either party have a clue about ordinary peoples lives ?

 

[Machiavelli]

Fair enough, but does Farage's stockbroking constitute a radical departure, for instance?
Balls is irritating, but best when he gets under the skin of Cameron and Osborne, which he does frequently. It's interesting that you've included Umama in that list. He's the most effective member of the shadow cabinet, and probably Labour's next leader in my view. I thought he had a background in law -- and, as with my Farage point, does that constitute a radical departure from politics? Is what you're after, higher representation from those who have a background in manual labour?

 

[Machiavelli]

Public School - University - MP's bag carrier - Special Adviser - MP - Junior Minister - Cabinet Minister

How can anyone of either party have a clue about ordinary peoples lives ?

Did any of those three go to public school?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Me too, but mainly because I live in Brighton Pavilion and Caroline Lucas has been the best constituency MP I can remember. The Green council has been a disaster, but she's done nothing to deserve being voted out.

And as if by magic yet again a local Green shows why you'd need to be a bit dumb to vote for them locally - http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/1130...d_for__hired_killers__Armed_Forces_Day_tweet/

Agree with you about Lucas though.

 

[Machiavelli]

And as if by magic yet again a local Green shows why you'd need to be a bit dumb to vote for them locally - http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/1130...d_for__hired_killers__Armed_Forces_Day_tweet/

Agree with you about Lucas though.

I agree with you about Lucas. And Ben Duncan keeps on giving gifts to you, and is indefensible. I'll still vote for two and maybe three Green councillors in the locals, although Duncan is not standing in my ward. In other words, Duncan's maverick tendencies don't constitute a reason for not voting Green, as you think.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I agree with you about Lucas. And Ben Duncan keeps on giving gifts to you, and is indefensible. I'll still vote for two and maybe three Green councillors in the locals, although Duncan is not standing in my ward. In other words, Duncan's maverick tendencies don't constitute a reason for not voting Green, as you think.

Problem is, Duncan isn't the only idiot in the Green ranks - Kitcat, Hawtree, Ms Kitcat ( apparently we're inbreds ), Bowden, Davey, Deane, MacCafferty - all have made absolutely stupid comments over the lifetime of this council. Either directly via twitter / social media or during council debates. None, IMO, electable.