Will Cameron's Government Work?

[Britanno]

In 2015, a general election will take place in Britain. I know it is still a couple of years away, so I'm nit going to start an actual election thread. I want to ask NSers whether they think David Cameron's government will work, so what do you think?

I'm one of those lazy shits who cba stating his own opinion, but that sheep guy seems to have a habit of making people state their own opinion, so here we go.

I vote UKIP. I'm a strong supporter of the eurosceptic movement, and believe that the only reason why we are being denied a referendum is because the government knows we will vote to leave. However, I don't think that the EU is as relevant to this discussion as two things are more important in my opinion. The economy, and living standards.

Let's start with the economy. In the three months to June 2013, Britain's economy grew by 0.6%. Sounds small, but it looks like the economy is finally on the mend. The CBI (a group representing 240,000 British businesses) has also said that it predicts the economy will grow 1.2% in 2013 overall, up from its original figure prediction of 1%. As well as that, it has increased its predictions for growth in 2014 from 2% to 2.3%. So if it predicts correctly, we may have a good future with the economy.

But the new political battleground in Britain is living standards. The government recently made some big changes to the welfare system, in an attempt to make people who can work but don't want to, actually look for work. They were quite popular with some, but not as much with others. The Labour Party, the biggest party by far in the opposition, has opposed these things. This is one of their arguments that living standards will go down. It is known to many that in an economic recovery, it takes a while before you actually feel the benefits. Come the general election, Labour will be arguing that people still do not feel better off.

I believe that if the Conservatives get elected for another five years, with or without another party, that people will start to feel the benefits of growth in the economy. I also believe that if Labour get elected, we will go back to where we started.

But what do you think NS? Will living standards go up? Will there be more economic growth? Or would Britain be better off with Labour again?

[L Ron Cupboard]

The scenario I imagine happening is that a rift grows in the coalition prompting an election. The Liberals severely knife the Conservatives in the back. In the election UKIP split the Conservative vote (or the Conservative veer to the right in an effort to avoid that happening), Labour fail to capitalise on the opportunity under Miliband's lacklustre leadership. The election result is less than decisive and Labour and the Liberals form a new coalition.

I don't think any party has as much positive effect on the economy as they would like us to believe. They can certainly screw it up, but improvements are largely not down to them, they simply fight to grab the credit for them.

[Cadaver breadsticks]

In 2015, a general election will take place in Britain. I know it is still a couple of years away, so I'm nit going to start an actual election thread. I want to ask NSers whether they think David Cameron's government will work, so what do you think?

long story short, no.

the tories will have alienated (most of) their voters beyond comprehension, the libdems will still be their bitches and labour will fail to uphold any promises they make. in other words, we're all fucked

hung parliament again here we come!

[Radiatia]

At the moment I support David Cameron (excluding his hilarious plan to ban internet porn), but I think Labour will probably win the next election. Which I don't mind because at least UK Labour aren't as insane as New Zealand Labour.

[Souseiseki]

The track record on the economy is everyone telling them their policy is shit and will be counter-productive, even the people that would usually support such policies, going through with it anyway, acting surprised when it didn't work and then having it revealed that their main basis for these policies was actually completely wrong and based on mathematical errors. It improves in spite of their blind ideological devotion to shit that doesn't work, not because of it.

Welfare reform is an odd one as well. Things like DLA are actually massively underclaimed and fraud makes up 0.9% of spending. Yet they went on this stupid crusade, giving everything to a French IT company that can at best drive people to suicide and decide that coma patients are indeed fit for work and at worst forcing people to work for free/the equivalent of less than minimum wage in a scheme that according to the DWPs statistics has been a failure and based on their predictions for how many people would have found jobs without the program, literally worse than nothing and cancer patients on the job for 2 weeks (until they die on the job. From, y'know, cancer.) and generally just fuck everything up all in pursuit of forcing some near mythical scrounger who won't work into a job that isn't there.

Labour, by and large, have done fuck all in opposition and would have done many of the same things as the conservatives. They're practically fucking Tory light at this point. I can't tell if you've missed or are deliberately ignoring all the "Labour admit they won't reverse the cuts, would have basically done the same thing *runs away before eggs arrive*" stuff or if you're just trapped in an eternal partisan battle where LABOUR BAD CONSERVATIVE GOOD.

[The IASM]

I imagine a Conversative/UKIP alliance will be formed in order to increase the amount of votes they get.

[L Ron Cupboard]

I imagine a Conversative/UKIP alliance will be formed in order to increase the amount of votes they get.

That would be a pretty toxic combination.

[Souseiseki]

I imagine a Conversative/UKIP alliance will be formed in order to increase the amount of votes they get.

But the Conservative leadership is opposed to literally the entire reason UKIP (who are stealing their votes) exist and they kinda hate each other as far as I know?

That's why the Tories did that horrible smear campaign on UKIP. Where they found things UKIP candidates had said publicly and pointed them out. Brutal brutal stuff.

[Souseiseki]

But the new political battleground in Britain is living standards. The government recently made some big changes to the welfare system, in an attempt to make people who can work but don't want to, actually look for work. They were quite popular with some, but not as much with others. The Labour Party, the biggest party by far in the opposition, has opposed these things. This is one of their arguments that living standards will go down. It is known to many that in an economic recovery, it takes a while before you actually feel the benefits. Come the general election, Labour will be arguing that people still do not feel better off.

WOMEN are turning to prostitution to feed their children as welfare reforms hit the poorest and most vulnerable families in Hull.

Staff at the Lighthouse Project, a charity supporting street workers in Hull, have seen a increase in women turning to prostitution as unemployment rates soar and benefit cuts take hold.

Humberside Police is about to launch a new campaign to help the women after recognising the problem, Anne Dannerolle, chair of trustees at the charity, revealed they are now giving out food parcels to the women selling their bodies for sex.

She said: "We have started to see women who are literally starving and they are out there to feed themselves.

"Often, that is because of benefit cuts or sanctions, when their benefit cuts are taken away from them for a couple of weeks. I have a real concern about that.

"If they have no one to turn to in an emergency, they have to find a way to get money – and that often means crime or going out on the streets.

"I suppose it is seen as a crime that hurts nobody – it just hurts themselves."

Now, Humberside Police is launching an operation with its officers and PCSOs to help the women and target the men paying for sex.

PC Lorraine Summerfield, who covers the Hessle Road area, said: "Some of these girls are desperate to feed and clothe their children and they are going out to do that, which is really sad.

"The number of girls working had reduced but, recently, it has flared up again and it is because new girls are going out, who have never done it before.

"There have been a lot more who have come to it recently later in life because they are so desperate for cash. They don't want to commit crime so they are selling themselves because it is an easy way to make money and feed their family."

The rise has led to an increase in complaints from residents, who say they regularly see people having sex in public places and come across litter, including used condoms.

Complaints have been made about Hessle Road, the Boulevard, English Street, Witty Street and Constable Street.

Street workers have also been seen in Porter Street, Midland Street and Pease Street. PC Summerfield said: "We have had more complaints from residents, which is why we are launching another project.

"It is a residential area and we want to make it clear we are not going to accept it. It is also about helping the girls, finding out what their issues are and seeing what we can do."

The Lighthouse Project has also been giving more food parcels to women who have been found working on the streets.

Mrs Dannerolle said she recently saw a woman working on the streets for the first time to raise money for food.

"After that, she carried on coming out and got involved in drugs through being on the streets," she said.

"Many of the women hate what they are doing so much that they take drugs or consume a high level of alcohol to numb it."

On the same night, she spoke to a woman who had not worked as a prostitute for years but had returned to the streets to buy food.

During the first stage of the police operation, which launches later this month, officers and PCSOs will be going out on the streets with charity and social workers to meet the women.

They will be offered support and advice to tackle the reasons they are working as prostitutes.

In the second stage, undercover officers will patrol the areas to challenge and target kerb-crawlers. First-time offenders will be sent on a course entitled Change, while persistent kerb-crawlers could be given antisocial behaviour orders banning them from certain areas. Posters will also be displayed in the affected areas warning people of a zero-tolerance approach.

PC Summerfield said: "When we have done similar operations, it has worked brilliantly so, hopefully, this will too. We want to help the women who are doing it, educate them and reduce the demand by targeting the kerb-crawlers."

[Glasgia]

Milband cannnot lose the election. He might not win it, but he won't lose it. Why?

Labour are currently the only party who can command a majority. With the right-wing vote split betweeen the Conservatives and UKIP, Cameron has no chance of winning a majority. Meanwhile, the right shift in the Conservatives while they struggle with the very party that's destroyed their chances means that a lot of more moderate Conservative voters will vote Lib Dem. The same will likely happen with a shift to Labour as Lib Dem voters who did't want their party entangled with the Conservatives move left.

However, the worst bit for Cameron is that the Lib Dems will never enter into a coalition with him again. This one has been so fragile and harmful to both parties, that even if the Lib Dems can sway the majority either way they will definitely choose Labour.

I predict that UKIP will lose a lot of power before the next election, but unless the economy picks up they will still hurt the Conservatives. We'll likely end up with a Labour/Lib Dem coalition, if not a Labour majority.

[Britanno]

Could there be a changeof leadership in the Conservatuves though? Nigel Farage said that he would consider a coalition with the Tories if they removed David Cameron and considering he's not very popular within his own party, that could happen.

As for Milliband, I hope Labour will do the sensible thing and remove him. Actually I don't, because it would make them stronger if they removed him.

[Socialist EU]

In 2015, a general election will take place in Britain. I know it is still a couple of years away, so I'm nit going to start an actual election thread. I want to ask NSers whether they think David Cameron's government will work, so what do you think?

long story short, no.

the tories will have alienated (most of) their voters beyond comprehension, the libdems will still be their bitches and labour will fail to uphold any promises they make. in other words, we're all fucked

hung parliament again here we come!

I agree that is likely...

'David Cameron plans for second coalition with Lib Dems'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... crats.html

[Socialist EU]

Could there be a changeof leadership in the Conservatuves though? Nigel Farage said that he would consider a coalition with the Tories if they removed David Cameron and considering he's not very popular within his own party, that could happen.

As for Milliband, I hope Labour will do the sensible thing and remove him. Actually I don't, because it would make them stronger if they removed him.

Neither of those situations are likely.

[Ostroeuropa]

The economy has grown.
The problem is, the population has grown faster than the economy.
In addition, the wealth gap has widened.
As such, you can say that the country has more cash.
But a vast, vast majority of it's people are worse off because of this government.

[Frisivisia]

Now, I'm just American, so I have a rather poor perception of UK Politics, but aren't UKIP racist, rightist bastards?

[Ostroeuropa]

Now, I'm just American, so I have a rather poor perception of UK Politics, but aren't UKIP racist, rightist bastards?

They are homeopaths too. And climate change deniers.

[Socialist EU]

At the moment I support David Cameron (excluding his hilarious plan to ban internet porn), but I think Labour will probably win the next election. Which I don't mind because at least UK Labour aren't as insane as New Zealand Labour.

So you favour a Labour government that manages capitalism and administers cuts? No thanks.

[Mollary]

Labour will win but I don't imagine the difference will be too great; both parties support following an austerity plan, Labour's is just slightly more scaled back. All in all, I expect similar results either way.

[Ostroeuropa]

I'm calling the results of the election as slim Labour majority, potentially Labour-Leaning hung parliament.
Turnout will be extremely low.
The Liberals will collapse.
UKIP will collapse prior to the election when it becomes apparent to it's voters that they will let Labour win.
SNP and Plaid will make gains.

The conservative party will lurch to the right and remain out of office for another decade.
Miliband will be quietly removed from power after one or two terms.

[Forsakia]

then having it revealed that their main basis for these policies was actually completely wrong and based on mathematical errors. .

If you're referring to what I think you are, then you're wrong. (I.e. that economics paper there were mathematical errors in, which was published after the Tories had committed to cuts. Meaning it wasn't the main basis for these policies unless they had a time machine).

[Frisivisia]

Now, I'm just American, so I have a rather poor perception of UK Politics, but aren't UKIP racist, rightist bastards?

They are homeopaths too. And climate change deniers.

So it's like the Republican Party with all the bad aspects of the Green Party?

Ick.

[Forsakia]

Now, I'm just American, so I have a rather poor perception of UK Politics, but aren't UKIP racist, rightist bastards?

UKIP are a lot of things. There's quite a range within the party, partly because they were originally a single-issue party so there was a lot of variation on other things, more recently they've had a big influx in membership and that's brought with it a chunk of those people.

[Timna]

In 2015, a general election will take place in Britain. I know it is still a couple of years away, so I'm nit going to start an actual election thread. I want to ask NSers whether they think David Cameron's government will work, so what do you think?

Work in what sense?

The economy has gone absolutely nowhere in the last couple of years. The government has been extremely lucky there hasn't been a spike in crime (instead it's kept falling fairly inexplicably, given the fact there are less police, and the prisons have been borderline overcrowded for years). Socially, it's a very mixed bag.

Regarding "oh it takes ages for people to feel the recovery" - given that real wages haven't been increasing very much, if at all, and that inflation remains stubbornly high, and will for a very long time if interest rates stay at <1% (which Carney says they're going to), I'm not sure there is a recovery for your average Briton. There's the thing. People know it's there when they have it in their pocket.

I dunno. Feels a bit like the 1970s, where everyone's just sort of waiting for a bomb to go off and things to go crazy. Which may or may not happen.

Or does to me, anyway.

(Oh also: The CBI is almost always wrong on the numbers, as well as being the kind of scum who want to see the end of the minimum wage, and Labour is gubbed unless they ditch Miliband and stop echoing Tory policy, while the Lib Dems are like a dying, sore-ridden horse whose owner should put down)

[Britanno]

Now, I'm just American, so I have a rather poor perception of UK Politics, but aren't UKIP racist, rightist bastards?

They are homophobic, but because gay marriage has already been legalised and UKIP will not have the power to repeal it, I vote them.

As for racism, no, just no. They have nothing against foreigners, but they feel that with unemployment so high, we should not be allowing people who cannot help the country in. By calling this common sense policy racist, you call a very large amount of British people racist.

[Timna]

Now, I'm just American, so I have a rather poor perception of UK Politics, but aren't UKIP racist, rightist bastards?

The answer is 'yes', anyone who dries to dress it up any other way is an idiot.