UK General Election 2010

[Johz]

Secondly, we do not want a stronger Pound. We want a weak Pound so that our exports will be cheap and competitive and our imports will become expensive, allowing us to fix the deficit in the Balance of Payments.

Precisely.

Nonsense. You expect our nation to compete with the likes of China and India in exports? Utter folly. We need a strong pound to back our nations ability to buy goods even more cheaply from abroad whilst investing into telecommunications and bio-research.

Weakening the pound will be catastrophic! £5 for a chicken, £2 or a litre of petrol. All these things will be a reality if the pound slips to such low levels. And what's the solution to such an instance? Print more money? I think not, rampant inflation will deal the final death knell.

Utter nonsense.

Because Britain is in direct competition with India and China? No it is not, this invalidates the first part of your repudiation. I would suggest that recent events have displayed that foreign countries view Britain's currency as a useful tool for export of goods into Europe (I'm thinking Nissan and FDI here). To compete with China or India in areas where they have the absolute advantage is folly, that I grant you, but we do not. Also, China operates a fixed exchange rate deliberately kept low anyway, if they were to allow it to float then the ability of the UK to compete would be greatly improved, if we did trade in similar goods.

As for £5 for a chicken etc, this is scaremongering and unrealistic. To create a strong pound we of course must utilise higher interest rates, and I hope you do not seriously suggest this measure at such a crucial period. With a downturn in the Housing market, and with the vast majority of British population being homeowners and thus much more sensitive to interest rate hikes than their neighbours on the continent, to increase rates would be the final nail in the coffin! Both the Tories and Labour acknowledge this, that is why the stamp duty has been cut. An increase in the value of the pound would not be a necessarily good thing, and to attempt to achieve a hike in value, dangerous measures would have to be taken.

The above is evidence of the benefits of basic Economics lessons. They should be mandatory in schools.

I agree. That, and politics. Proper politics, though, not how to win support off a majority, or the best way to string three to four words together to make a good soundbite.

And starting all of this in secondary schools, as lessons. Not as part of an extended curriculum in PSHE, or whatever they call it now. We should be forced to become better citizens. Forced I tell you! (back in my day these whipper-snappers did what they were told mumble mumble mumble...)

unedit: I'm 15, and I'm already complaining. Is this what old age is like?

[Aqueilia]

You, my friend, are a Malcontent. I am only 18, and I feel the same as you. Happily I believe that is only with young people such as ourselves, truly unhappy with the current situation, and crying out for change, that real progress can ever be made.

[Numerzor]

Ugh. A Tory government will be a nightmare. Everything about their ideologies makes me recoil in fear.

This. If the Tories get in I think I'll emigrate, rather than suffer under what is simply a thinly veiled Thatcherite government.

[SD_Film Artists]

Ugh. A Tory government will be a nightmare. Everything about their ideologies makes me recoil in fear.

This. If the Tories get in I think I'll emigrate, rather than suffer under what is simply a thinly veiled Thatcherite government.

Not a Major government?

[Johz]

You, my friend, are a Malcontent. I am only 18, and I feel the same as you. Happily I believe that is only with young people such as ourselves, truly unhappy with the current situation, and crying out for change, that real progress can ever be made.

What? Me?

They do say that one of the reasons uni students have all of those debts is that none of them ever vote, and so students' issues aren't seen to be as important when compared to the older generation (those of the retirement homes). As such, there isn't as much political pressure on politicians to do anything about students' problems. So people who do want to whinge about politics are actually the saving grace of our generation.

[Chumblywumbly]

This seems quite extraordinary! Just over a year ago the Conservatives were sure to win, now the odds are 5/4 for a hung parliament? Given the unpopularity of Brown and Labour this seems schizophrenic.

Dissatisfaction with Labour hasn't translated into an equivalent Tory boost.

Though many are fed up with Labour, many still don't want a Tory government.

If I may ask Chumblywumbly for whom you are voting?

I'm registered in what's usually regarded as a safe Labour seat, though the incumbent won't be standing again.

The SNP are the only party who could possibly win the seat off of Labour, but I'm in two minds whether or not to vote SNP or to protest vote for the Greens.

[My 3rd Floor Flat]

I am never posting on NS drunk again. *hangs head in shame*

[Yootopia]

What are folks' thoughts on what will be the closest UK election in well over a decade?

Tory landslide if they can get Osborne to shut his stupid face, hung parliament otherwise, overuse of Miliband notwithstanding.

[South Norwega]

If I may ask Chumblywumbly for whom you are voting?

I'm registered in what's usually regarded as a safe Labour seat, though the incumbent won't be standing again.

The SNP are the only party who could possibly win the seat off of Labour, but I'm in two minds whether or not to vote SNP or to protest vote for the Greens.

I suppose that's a reason to introduce Preferential Voting. Then you could do both!

[Barringtonia]

A majority for Labour of about 10-15 seats,

That would be a major shock in my books.

The Tories, the pollsters, the fourth estate and every serious political pundit would have to have been seriously mistaken for the past six months.

If I remember correctly, and god knows that's nowhere close to certainty, it was a similar situation in '92 - up until a few months before the elections, you'd never think John Major would be elected but one 'Last person to leave Britain please turn the lights out' later and there was that very slim majority.

Here's the current situation:

Labour 345 seats
Conservative 193 seats
Liberal Democrat 63 seats

Has anyone done a real analysis of where Labour are going to lose those 50 seats?

I might drop to under 10 seat majority but, frankly, I think you're going to see Labour improving over the next 2-3 months and the Conservatives dropping and, honestly, when you put pen to paper, I just don't see the Conservatives offering enough 'change' to suffice,

[Yootopia]

If I may ask Chumblywumbly for whom you are voting?

I'm registered in what's usually regarded as a safe Labour seat, though the incumbent won't be standing again.

The SNP are the only party who could possibly win the seat off of Labour, but I'm in two minds whether or not to vote SNP or to protest vote for the Greens.

I suppose that's a reason to introduce Preferential Voting. Then you could do both!

Eugh no. Being formerly high-ish up in the NUS I can tell you now that preferential voting is too complicated for most voters and especially vote-counters to actually do properly.

[Yootopia]

Has anyone done a real analysis of where Labour are going to lose those 50 seats?

Scotland, Wales, Middle England and some in the North of England are going to go. At the last election the nationalist (in the real sense of the term) parties were a lot weaker.

[Barringtonia]

Has anyone done a real analysis of where Labour are going to lose those 50 seats?

Scotland, Wales, Middle England and some in the North of England are going to go. At the last election the nationalist (in the real sense of the term) parties were a lot weaker.

Well, possibly, how much is Iraq Labour's Poll Tax I guess,

[Dehn]

I'm registered in what's usually regarded as a safe Labour seat, though the incumbent won't be standing again.

The SNP are the only party who could possibly win the seat off of Labour, but I'm in two minds whether or not to vote SNP or to protest vote for the Greens.

Which seat?

Also more Nats means less cuts

[Yootopia]

Has anyone done a real analysis of where Labour are going to lose those 50 seats?

Scotland, Wales, Middle England and some in the North of England are going to go. At the last election the nationalist (in the real sense of the term) parties were a lot weaker.

Well, possibly, how much is Iraq Labour's Poll Tax I guess,

Not really a concern any more since we haven't got troops stationed in Iraq and most people have been beyond caring about the military's pointless gallivanting for about the last five years.

[North Suran]

If I may ask Chumblywumbly for whom you are voting?

I'm registered in what's usually regarded as a safe Labour seat, though the incumbent won't be standing again.

The SNP are the only party who could possibly win the seat off of Labour, but I'm in two minds whether or not to vote SNP or to protest vote for the Greens.

I suppose that's a reason to introduce Preferential Voting. Then you could do both!

Eugh no. Being formerly high-ish up in the NUS I can tell you now that preferential voting is too complicated for most voters and especially vote-counters to actually do properly.

What about Single Transferable Vote?

It is used in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections, and it is pretty damn simple.

[Jedi 999]

I want some party like norsefire to win

[North Suran]

I want some party like norsefire to win

Aren't you the one constantly complaining about the British Empire being racist and fascistic?

[Jedi 999]

I want some party like norsefire to win

Aren't you the one constantly complaining about the British Empire being racist and fascistic?

yes give them a taste of their own medicine but thats my opnion

[Chumblywumbly]

Hmmm.

After some research, looks like the seat I'm registered in isn't as safe as I thought it was, and it's the Lib Dems, not the Nats, who've most chance at unseating Labour. Clegg's chaps need about an 8% swing to take it off of Labour's hands, and with an outgoing MP who isn't exactly loved by constituents, it looks like I might have to vote more tactically than I originally thought.

*ponders*

---

I want some party like norsefire to win

You'd want a fascist party which has no qualms with ethnic cleansing to win a UK election?

[Jedi 999]

Hmmm.

After some research, looks like the seat I'm registered in isn't as safe as I thought it was, and it's the Lib Dems, not the Nats, who've most chance at unseating Labour. Clegg's chaps need about an 8% swing to take it off of Labour's hands, and with an outgoing MP who isn't exactly loved by constituents, it looks like I might have to vote more tactically than I originally thought.

*ponders*

---

I want some party like norsefire to win

You'd want a fascist party which has no qualms with ethnic cleansing to win a UK election?

no just whats worst for the british people

[North Suran]

I want some party like norsefire to win

You'd want a fascist party which has no qualms with ethnic cleansing to win a UK election?

no just whats worst for the british people

Considering it would the immigrants, not the native white British population, who would suffer the most...

[My 3rd Floor Flat]

You'd want a fascist party which has no qualms with ethnic cleansing to win a UK election?

no just whats worst for the british people

*Adds To Colonial Revolutionary Purging List*

Isn't the internet great for social control planning

[Jedi 999]

I want some party like norsefire to win

You'd want a fascist party which has no qualms with ethnic cleansing to win a UK election?

no just whats worst for the british people

Considering it would the immigrants, not the native white British population, who would suffer the most...

well anything which doesnt harm the immigrants and is worse for britain

[Chumblywumbly]

no just whats worst for the british people

You've already been temporarily banned for hijacking threads with your anti-British silliness.

Kindly refrain from hijacking this one.