Your prediction,the 2015 general election result.

[drew]

How is it worse than it was then? More people working? Economy on the rise is it not?

Are you for real? Firstly, the economy was on the rise at the time of the election. There are far more people in part time work now who actually want full time work than ever before. There are 2.1m men in part time work and a third of those are after full time work, that's 700k! Secondly, the austerity measures have been targeted at those that can least afford it. NHS is in turmoil with A & E at breaking point. A top down reorganisation that is replacing PCT and just moving their jobs under the control of GPs and introducing more private firms into the mix. The Tories abandon NHS Direct which was working and replaced it with computer generated questions asked by tele sales people. Fewer police officers. Fewer soldiers. Money wasted on the aircraft carrier planes by cancelling one order and then changing their mind. Michael Gove doing u-turns on almost every policy he brings out. As for the bedroom tax! I agree that a couple living in a 4 bed house should move to smaller accommodation but to penalise people for having one spare room is draconian.

This government have done exactly what you would expect them to do. They have protected the wealth of their friends and targeted those that are unlikely to be their voters.

 

[vulture]

No one old enough to remember Tony Benn, or Michael Foot, or Arthur Scargill, could possibly call Ed Milliband 'red Ed' with a straight face.

He will never ever be the pm of this country he is unelectable.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Red Ed is a buffoon, and when it comes to the election the electorate will get cold feet. I think all this talk of the total collapse of the Lib Dems is rubbish too, because there are many out there who will never vote either Labour or Tory - especially with the current leadership.

Free school meals for 5-7 year olds is a winner, as is £10,000 tax-free Personal Allowance. If the economy continues to improve the Lib Dems will be entitled to claim some of the credit.

I actually think this has been the best government we've had since Blair's first term. I'd be happy with 5 more years of this to be honest. Coalition forces debate, it means policies are well thought out. Contrast this with the "borrow your way out of trouble" Labour discredited bollocks.

Labour will stay the same, Tories up a bit, Lib Dems down a bit, turnout down, another Lib Dem Tory coalition if the Lib Dems come up with more creative ideas like school meals, or a small Tory majority if they cut taxes before the election.

 

[beorhthelm]

Money wasted on the aircraft carrier planes by cancelling one order and then changing their mind.

have to call that one... you are talking about the contract so poor it didnt deliver what the military really wanted and was more expensive to outright cancel than adjust? and who arranged such a contract? (clue, he's scottish)

 

[desprateseagull]

Labour, only because no one trusts the Cons & FibDems anymore.

 

[elbowpatches]

I reckon a load of power hungry psychopaths will be elected to parliament, when we should have a government of scientists and great thinkers.

If only. Would never happen, has never happened, even going back as far to the Roman Senate.

 

[BHAWise]

Are you for real? Firstly, the economy was on the rise at the time of the election. There are far more people in part time work now who actually want full time work than ever before. There are 2.1m men in part time work and a third of those are after full time work, that's 700k! Secondly, the austerity measures have been targeted at those that can least afford it. NHS is in turmoil with A & E at breaking point. A top down reorganisation that is replacing PCT and just moving their jobs under the control of GPs and introducing more private firms into the mix. The Tories abandon NHS Direct which was working and replaced it with computer generated questions asked by tele sales people. Fewer police officers. Fewer soldiers. Money wasted on the aircraft carrier planes by cancelling one order and then changing their mind. Michael Gove doing u-turns on almost every policy he brings out. As for the bedroom tax! I agree that a couple living in a 4 bed house should move to smaller accommodation but to penalise people for having one spare room is draconian.

This government have done exactly what you would expect them to do. They have protected the wealth of their friends and targeted those that are unlikely to be their voters.

Mr brown has a lot to answer for regarding the nhs. And how can you say the economy was already on the up? We were in turmoil. I love this myth that the torries only look after themselfs and the rich but you argument even says people with bigger homes have to pay a bedroom tax! Social houses are being built everywhere and the "working man" can actually earn enough money to get on the property ladder again which was non excistent under brown and co. Ed can't even run his own party how could he run the country?!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Keep the arguements out of it,however call the result now. Let's take out any issue (like in 83 the Falklands factor) and go with a slow upturn that appears to be the case ? Liberal MP's seem hard to unseat yet i think Cleeg will lose a few and fail to gain any (?) so Tory/Liberal coalition for me seems set to continue.

The Tory party did not get a majority last time, there is absolutely no way they have gained votes since then. UKIP will also steal some Tory votes. Labour, by default.

 

[Steve Foster]

Could any sane individual actually vote for Labour given how disastrously they managed the economy & almost bankrupt this country last time around?

anyone except Labour for me.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Could any sane individual actually vote for Labour given how disastrously they managed the economy & almost bankrupt this country last time around?

anyone except Labour for me.

Borrowing is almost double what it was when Labour left office.

 

[drew]

have to call that one... you are talking about the contract so poor it didnt deliver what the military really wanted and was more expensive to outright cancel than adjust? and who arranged such a contract? (clue, he's scottish)

The tories cancelled the order for the F35B and switched to the carrier version F35C but then switched back!

Mr brown has a lot to answer for regarding the nhs. And how can you say the economy was already on the up? We were in turmoil. I love this myth that the torries only look after themselfs and the rich but you argument even says people with bigger homes have to pay a bedroom tax! Social houses are being built everywhere and the "working man" can actually earn enough money to get on the property ladder again which was non excistent under brown and co. Ed can't even run his own party how could he run the country?!

So please explain exactly what GB has to answer for. The stats will show that when the tories came to power, the economy was growing. Not sure how you arrive at that conclusion about bedroom 'tax'. Social housing was being built duriing the 13 years the labour party were in power. What did for Brown, apart from his personality, was a world wide recession that started because US banks were issuing mortgages like confetti to anyone that submitted an application and was exacerbated because banks everywhere bought toxic debt without appreciating the risks. Finally, which working man on £26k can afford to buy.

 

[abc]

Borrowing is almost double what it was when Labour left office.

That's what happens when you borrow more than you can afford! It becomes a virtual impossibility to control and reduce. At least the Tories are trying and they inherited the debt rather than created it. But Labour have the answer........ Borrow MORE!!

 

[abc]

Bedroom tax: not an expert so please explain what I have got wrong here.

This new additional rent only applies to state owned housing.This housing is only available to those who cannot afford to buy their own house or rent one on the open market and the rents are subsidised by the taxpayer. So the principal is another but essential form of benefit to support those who most need it.

A major problem is the shortage of such housing. We need to build more but this is going to take many years. In the meantime there is a bowing waiting list. A large part of this waiting list is made up of families that by definition need a certain size of house in excess of one or two bedrooms. There are more one or two bedroom properties available than larger ones. Many social housing tenants are living in larger say (3 bedroom) houses but their children have grown up and left home.

If they moved to the smaller homes then their larger one would be available to the family in need.

Obviously the couple or individual who has to move will not want to (or they would have done already) but at the end of the day their house is not their own but exists to help those in need. Their needs have changed and the state will still support them by offering them a smaller house but the state also has to consider the families that need housing too.

So the tenant in the larger house has a choice of paying a higher rent or moving house. The offered house has to be suitable including geographically.

I can of course see why this is not ideal but it is realistic and if you believe in helping those most in need then it makes sense.

So what have I misunderstood?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

That's what happens when you borrow more than you can afford! It becomes a virtual impossibility to control and reduce.

But George Osborne said he would reduce it within the term of this parliament. This was a self-imposed target based on knowledge of what he was inheriting.

 

[Brovion]

I've been interested (and active when I was younger) in politics since my early 'teens, and in some ways I can't believe I'm saying this - but currently I don't know who'll win and what's more I don't give a shit. That's partly because it's three bland managers of three bland parties and partly because none of the main parties are interested in the concerns of ordinary working people - even if they say they are. They're all too interested in delivering the policies they've agreed with their large backers. I shall vote for the most traditional left-wing candidate and I shall hope that UKIP actually win the election as at least that will be funny.

Ok, having typed all that I realise I've still got enough residual loyalty to Labour to hope that they win outright, but it is a bit like following the fortunes of English clubs in the Champions' League: ultimately I don't give a shit if they win or not.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

At least the Tories are trying

I do not doubt this. But it is not working is it? Osborne gave himself a set of targets and he has missed every single one. This is not me judging the Tories. This is the Tories failing by their very own metrics.

 

[withdeanwombat]

They all fail to win.

No party admits to it.

Scramble in the " corridors of power " to put a coalition together.

Second election rapidly follows.

 

[Badger]

...or maybe the BNP will ROMP home.

 

[sten_super]

Bedroom tax: not an expert so please explain what I have got wrong here.

There are more one or two bedroom properties available than larger ones.

As I understand it, this is the bit you have got wrong - there is (in general) a shortage of social housing, due in part to funds raised by the Right To Buy scheme not being re-invested in social housing and also due to a general laissez-faire attitude from success governments when it comes to social housing provision (and in fact housing more generally). Ergo many people cannot in fact move from larger houses to smaller ones (as there are no smaller ones available) and their only option is to pay the 'tax'.

In terms of the initial question - I think it will be a Tory majority, sadly. What a shower of shite they all are though - no idea who I will vote for, not that it matters as I live in a safe Tory seat.

 

[beorhthelm]

The tories cancelled the order for the F35B and switched to the carrier version F35C but then switched back!

because a carrier was specified that couldn't be (cheaply) retro fitted for catapults and arrestors. so back to the VTOL (though that doesnt look like it will happen iirc the US forces cut back their orders). sure the tories made some cockups there, but it all stems from very poor political decisions made in the original carrier contracts.