Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Bye bye IDS?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #76
    He hasn't taken away the leader, and he hasn't organised a one-horse race. I think it's remarkable that a party that everyone insisted was riven with splits and completely unleadable has united so quickly behind Michael Howard, and it is rather telling that the best the Conservatives' political opponents can do is make cheap jibes (re: front page of the Mirror yesterday) or resort to the rather tatty arguments about "lack of democracy" that you have put forward.

    The Conservative Party is now the most united in mainstream British politics. Labour is riven with fundamental disagreements over key policies, and the Liberal Democrats cannot agree with each other over anything (witness the grassroots reaction to Kennedy's reshuffle last month). Meanwhile, the Conservatives have drawn a watershed under the petty leadership squabbling and can move forward with a radical, coherent set of policies towards the next general election.

    Bring on 2005.
    Visit the Vote UK Discussion Forum!

    Comment


    • #77
      hmmmmm......something just struck me, maybe its all a cunning plan(hatched by baldrik from Black Adder), Tony fearing a rather closer than expected re-election after the recent few bad momments of his premiership, pulled some strings to make sure this happened as planned.

      Now the only possible threat(small maybe but growing) he faces is from the Liberals. So lets see if anything untoward happens to them in the run up(like maybe David Steel coming back?).

      Its all a really cunning plan! Black Adder has alot to answer for.
      'The very basis of the liberal idea – the belief of individual freedom is what causes the chaos' - William Kristol, son of the founder of neo-conservitivism, talking about neo-con ideology and its agenda for you.info here. prove me wrong.

      Bush's Republican=Neo-con for all intent and purpose. be afraid.

      Comment


      • #78
        The Liberal Democrats are about as threatening as a nine-year-old Eminem fan with a waterpistol.
        Visit the Vote UK Discussion Forum!

        Comment


        • #79
          I think it's remarkable that a party that everyone insisted was riven with splits and completely unleadable has united so quickly behind Michael Howard


          Remarkable? How about unbelievable. The reason everyone has fallen into line is fear of the howard power block. How can you believe he was not the one behind all of this, or at least the figurehead? Anyone sticking their head up now had better be prepared to commit political suicide if they fail. Thats not the way it should be.

          If they are so united then why only 75-90? Doesnt seem very united to me. Was this vote anonymous?

          Cheap jibes are a way of political life, as is putting down solid arguments as being 'tatty'

          Its difficult to please a broad base of members. When a party shifts to the right, they undoubtedly annoy their left. The lib dems need to draw away dissatisfied tory voters, and they have done it in a way so as to prevent a mass exodus from the left.

          Claiming that the torys are the most united based on two days is absurd. The leadership contest isnt even over, let alone the disquiet soon the be felt in the constituencies.
          Safer worlds through superior firepower

          Comment


          • #80
            from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3228669.stm

            At the last election Mr Howard's majority fell from 6,332 to 5,907.

            Mr Davis - who is shadow deputy prime minister - had his majority reduced from 7,514 to 1,903 at the 2001 general election.

            In order to win his Haltemprice and Howden constituency the Lib Dems need a 2.2% swing.

            Also in 2001, Mrs May saw her majority in Maidenhead slashed from 11,981 to 3,284.

            Lib Dems need a swing of 3.8% to unseat her.

            Shadow cabinet colleague Tim Collins is also vulnerable to a Lib Dem challenge, as is ex-health secretary Virginia Bottomley.



            Not threatening?
            Safer worlds through superior firepower

            Comment


            • #81
              Michael Howard will not lose Folkestone & Hythe. That's a Liberal Democrat pipedream (it's also the only way they've been able to get into the news at all over the past week). No-one is denying that there are a number of key Con/LibDem marginals but let's be honest... if they cannot take seats like Dorset West in 1997 and 2001 with the Conservative Party at it's lowest ebb, when will they take them?

              The interesting thing is to look at the Tory/LibDem marginals in 2001... places like Wells where the yellows poured everything at the Tory majority of just 528 was strengthened into one of over 2700... the same thing happened in Totnes, Tiverton, Bridgwater, Christchuch (maj now 13000), Southend (maj now nearly 8000)... I'm not sure I need to go on... amongst a handful of Liberal Democrat gains were a swathe of marginals turning away from their lies and deceit.
              Visit the Vote UK Discussion Forum!

              Comment


              • #82
                The leadership contest isnt even over, let alone the disquiet soon the be felt in the constituencies.
                It's pretty clear that you haven't got the slightest clue about the Conservative Party or it's membership... what disquiet? I'm going to the Selby constituency SGM and selection meeting tomorrow... the mood there will be as upbeat as the rest of the party is. Even Nick Assinder on BBC Online is praising us. Roll on 2005.
                Visit the Vote UK Discussion Forum!

                Comment


                • #83
                  And the only way the torys got into the news was to backstab their leader.

                  So people are fickle? You may get some of your voters back, but we have kept others from you. In the recent climate of large sudden swings, the smaller gains go unnoticed. And it is not merely a matter of beating the tories down.

                  I would still like to know how you could be happy under a leader who has risen to where he is due to his schemeing and plotting skills. Shouldnt he gain the position based on his policies and his ability to lead?

                  Im certain some torys have escaped the brainwashing and feel the same way I do about howard. If they choose not to publicly show it now, then fair enough. Best make sure you toe the party line or else they might drag you back in for another session.
                  Safer worlds through superior firepower

                  Comment


                  • #84
                    Its good when your party feels upbeat, isnt it? That feelings been gone a while, hasnt it?
                    Safer worlds through superior firepower

                    Comment


                    • #85
                      Michael Howard has support from all wings of the party (look at his list of declared supporters - everyone from Portillo to David Davis), is a heavyweight, respected politician, and is someone the broad church of the Conservative Party can unite behind as we take the sound policy base we have already developed forward towards the next general election.

                      Michael Howard has got both the policies and the leadership credentials necessary for the position. The Conservative Party is now the most united party in British mainstream politics - be that on policy or on leadership. Blair is in trouble, the Liberal Democrats are unprincipled flounderers, and the Tories are now placed to capitalise.
                      Visit the Vote UK Discussion Forum!

                      Comment


                      • #86
                        Roll on 2005


                        Yes, do.

                        Another 5 years of Tony

                        If the tories suddenly think they are electable, then its even less of a challenge than I thought.

                        As for the mood of the party, and the word "Upbeat" in the same sentance .. thats simply amazing that you combined them and kept a straight face (or did you ??)

                        The Tories I know are totally distraught with what has happened, far from being upbeat, they simply are resigned to losing the next election, and hope that by 2010, they may be ready.

                        Had you said "Roll on 2010" .. then I may have accepted that. Its the Lib Dems who should be saying Roll on 2005 .. not the Tories.
                        "Wherever wood floats, you will find the British" . Napoleon

                        Comment


                        • #87
                          Most united for two days. Give the ingrained backbiting tory instinct some time to kick in.

                          Blairs and Kennedys leaderships are in trouble? First I heard of it. As for their policies being less united, well thats a price you pay
                          for being left wing. Its not so easy for us to condemn all immigrants to an island.

                          And we are unprincipled because of our 'lies and deceit'? Show me a party that doesnt lie or deceive.
                          Safer worlds through superior firepower

                          Comment


                          • #88
                            "Left-wing"? I thought the Liberal Democrats were pretending to be centre-right at the moment? Make your mind up! It's exactly this sort of thing that makes you guys such a joke...
                            Visit the Vote UK Discussion Forum!

                            Comment


                            • #89
                              Left, right, whatever. Being a centre party means we are going to have policies from the left and the right. Sometimes we are going to be slated because people cant grasp the concept. The cabinet is always going to have a slant to it, and its a very smart move to highlight our right like this.

                              Howard plans on cutting tax. Which hospitals and schools is he planning on closing? I find policies like this morally repugnant, punishing the least fortunate as they do.

                              On a different note, it has been very kind of the postal workers to strike and drive the torys from the news. I think tony owes them one.
                              Safer worlds through superior firepower

                              Comment


                              • #90
                                Originally posted by *End Is Forever*
                                The interesting thing is to look at the Tory/LibDem marginals in 2001... places like Wells where the yellows poured everything at the Tory majority of just 528 was strengthened into one of over 2700... the same thing happened in Totnes, Tiverton, Bridgwater, Christchuch (maj now 13000), Southend (maj now nearly 8000)... I'm not sure I need to go on... amongst a handful of Liberal Democrat gains were a swathe of marginals turning away from their lies and deceit.
                                While I can only speak for the West Country seats you mention, I think you're being highly selective. Rural Somerset/Dorset is, and always has been, Tory heartland. The fact that majorities are down to 2700 (even if that is a minor reversal) is nothing short of staggering. In the 80's it would have been 15000.

                                Take Wans****. North Somerset true blue Tory through and through. In 1987 their majority under Jack Aspinwall was 17,000+. It's not a Tory costituency any more. That's a staggering, staggering reversal and indicative of a very sick party.
                                The genesis of the "evil Finn" concept- Evil, evil Finland

                                Comment

                                Working...