UK General Election thread

[Dauphin]

I think the analysis has at least three overlapping flaws or biases.

1. Wooly statements are rewarded. Who doesn't want a growing and vibrant economy ( except the Greens?). No-one wants more taxes and less benefits for themselves as set out in the detailed policies.
2. Only the stated policies are rewarded. If you don't mention an unpopular idea that you want to pursue, no problem, no one will know.
3. Parochial policies are being compared to broad ones. A policy that is not important to most will be more accepted than a policy that does affect most - maybe just me but I was selecting policies by process of elimination, rather than - "ooh I like that idea".

[Provost Harrison]

Wow, I am surprised that the Lib Dems are the most popular on EU...makes me quite happy because I am vehemently opposed to withdrawal. It's a suicide move...

[kentonio]

Yeah, I think most young people now understand how awesome being part of Europe is, and that gap can only get bigger. All they need to do is put it in terms of 'would you like it to be harder to go on that stag do to Prague you have planned for August?' and our membership is safe for all time.

[Provost Harrison]

It's a shame we think in that manner. It's the amount and business and trade that is done between the countries, and for me, that ability to take my skills anywhere in Europe, especially as they are quite niche, has been essential to me. And the same not just for individuals but products made in the UK or services from the UK for which withdrawal would be a nightmare. I don't think people realise how much.

And the freedom of movement is great. More people should check how many British people live around the EU...they'd be surprised!

[kentonio]

Well yeah, I'm one of them. I'd be ****ed if we pulled out. Well actually I wouldn't, but it'd be a pain in the ass having to fill out yet another giant pile of French bureaucratic paperwork..

[C0ckney]

it will be very interesting to see if a referendum is actually held. my guess is that it will go the way of other promised referenda and not happen for the same reason that the political across europe do their utmost to avoid asking the people, namely the fear that the great unwashed might vote the 'wrong' way.

more broadly, the unwillingness of the european elite, resulting partly from their inability and partly from their contempt for the common man, to obtain democratic consent is putting the very project itself at risk. many people warned about this (geroge bethu's l'europe sans les peuples contains a very interesting discussion of this subject) with the launch of the euro and european constitution, but were ignored. now, with the crisis, whose effects are still being played out, we see the rise of serious euro-spectic forces in several european countries. the european and national elites, paralysed by the path they have chosen and their own incompetence, have found themselves unable to proscribe anything beyond more of the same. and thus the EU and eurozone drift through the seemingly never ending crisis, while people see plainly that this elite will always choose the interests of big business and banks over theirs. i wonder how they will react when a marine le pen or a beppe grillo wins a national election.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

The whole thing will disintegrate, sooner it happens, less violent it will be - given that the elite has no interest or capacity to do anything else, but be the servants of the big business, thus it would be better to scale the whole thing down sooner rather than later.

Instead of waiting for Beppe or Marie, it would be nice, if our Greek friends moved first, they have been raped for 5 years for German and French banks already, how much more can they take?

[C0ckney]

yes i agree, and would prefer the initiative to come from the left. there are some encouraging signs, syriza winning in greece and the rise of podemos in spain. but greece is a side show and for anything serious to happen it will probably have to come from one of the major countries.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Is this some sort of record?

George Osborne fails to answer question 18 times in excruciating interview.
.
How the Conservatives were planning to fund a proposed increase in NHS spending should they come into power?

12 min of dodging the question.

[Bereta_Eder]

On a side note Podemos remains the first power in Spain

[I AM MOBIUS]

Is this some sort of record?

George Osborne fails to answer question 18 times in excruciating interview.
.
How the Conservatives were planning to fund a proposed increase in NHS spending should they come into power?

12 min of dodging the question.

Could well be - here's a previous nasty party example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwlsd8RAoqI

Any potential voter would have to be an absolute moron not to realise by now that the Tories are only on the side of the rich and big business. Which I suppose is fine if you're one of those and don't have a conscience...

[I AM MOBIUS]

Well yeah, I'm one of them. I'd be ****ed if we pulled out. Well actually I wouldn't, but it'd be a pain in the ass having to fill out yet another giant pile of French bureaucratic paperwork..

Hey Kent, I meant to reply to your reply to me giving your reasons why you're not feeling your tory boner any more - you know, the post where you reeled off a whole load of stuff that the tories never stood for in the first place and always made me wonder why you were ever a nasty party voter in the first place...?

But I don't know where it is, and can't be arsed to look for it...

[kentonio]

Hey Kent, I meant to reply to your reply to me giving your reasons why you're not feeling your tory boner any more - you know, the post where you reeled off a whole load of stuff that the tories never stood for in the first place and always made me wonder why you were ever a nasty party voter in the first place...?

But I don't know where it is, and can't be arsed to look for it...

Tory. I don't think that word means what you think it means.

[I AM MOBIUS]

I know exactly what it means: an abusive term for the conservatives...

[kentonio]

Even that's not true, Conservatives are generally quite happy to refer to the Tory party.