Election

[ebaynut]

[quote user="bixy"]As the OP I wasn't really intending to start off a political discussion. Rather I thought it would be interesting to speculate on the outcome of the election based on the (mis?)information that is available to us. However, I can't resist commenting on the views of ebaynut. Surely you get into Eton, not on the basis of intelligence but on how much money your parents have got. Having been to Eton only proves that you had rich parents. Just for the record, my son went to the local comp. He has a PhD and is a world authority in his scientific field. My daughter went to the same comp. and she got a good honours degree from one of our best universities. Clearly, they would have done a lot better had we been able to afford to send them to Eton [if they take girls that is].

Patrick
[/quote]

So, what you are saying is your children would have done better if they went to Eton?

That is what I said, anyone would do better at Eton than a state school, the fact you choose to spend your money on other things than your children's education is down to you.

Brown, while enjoying a free further education, heads a party which has made the children of today get deeply in debt to pay for theirs.

[Braco]

My prediction is as follows:

The three main parties will gain less than 45% of the potential eligible votes.

The economy will continue to tank at broadly the same rate as the debt grows.

The next election will be in less than two years.

The whole country is still in denial and not ready to vote for the medicine that is required.

I will not vote for any of these third rate cretins but am free to man the barricades most weekends.

[Russethouse]

[quote user="NickP"][quote user="Russethouse"]

After all most of the countries in the western world are run by coalition governments,some good and some bad but none of them have a minority dictating matters.

And what is the influence on the fnancial markets  do these  countries have ?

[/quote]

 Explain to me the benefits of our influence on the financial markets. I think our only influence is to try and teach other countries to borrow as much money as we do

[/quote]

 Our so called position as a financial centre is about all we have left, since the manufacturing industry went. A strong pound makes it easier for business here to be investment friendly

[NickP]

Russethouse wrote, Our so called position as a financial centre is about all we have left, since the manufacturing industry went. A strong pound makes it easier for business here to be investment friendly.

If you believe that you really are deluded, and have been listening to too many bankers. For crying out loud the country  is virtually bankrupt and has been made that way by the money men. As for a strong pound ? well you had better go to spec savers. [:D]

[Will]

I don't think constant moaning and negativity is at all clever. How about proposing a solution?

Just for information, in the latest poll the Lib Dems are actually ahead of the other two main parties. Maybe this points to a coalition, or even a reform of the voting system?

[Russethouse]

[quote user="NickP"]

Russethouse wrote, Our so called position as a financial centre is about all we have left, since the manufacturing industry went. A strong pound makes it easier for business here to be investment friendly.

If you believe that you really are deluded, and have been listening to too many bankers. For crying out loud the country  is virtually bankrupt and has been made that way by the money men. As for a strong pound ? well you had better go to spec savers. [:D]

[/quote]

We want a strong pound, I didn't say we had one - 

[Quillan]

Having the flu I had to think about this so if I get it wrong I apologise For exports don't we want it the other way round. I mean for people with Euros to spend the UK looks quite attractive at the moment (my neighbours have been shopping there 3 times this year so far) and your more likely to export to and get visitors from Europe than you are say from the US etc.

[woolybanana]

Ultimately a weak currency pushes up prices and encourages higher interest rates.

 

[woolybanana]

GORDON BROWN IS SENDING A GUNBOAT TO GET THE FOLKS BACK TO BLIGHTY. WHEEEE..........

GODRON? YOU CANNOT SEND HMS OCEAN TO MADRID........ DUHHHHHHHH

[NickP]

[quote user="Will"]I don't think constant moaning and negativity is at all clever. How about proposing a solution?

Just for information, in the latest poll the Lib Dems are actually ahead of the other two main parties. Maybe this points to a coalition, or even a reform of the voting system?
[/quote]

You probably wont like my solution, it involves everybody not voting, this would create a constitutional crisis for a while but would make politicians sit up and realise that they are supposed to work on our behalf, not just get in on promises that they never keep. It's about time they looked after the public who depend on them, not just the old school pals and money men. [:D]

[Russethouse]

 I'd make voting compulsory..

[NickP]

[quote user="woolybanana"]

Ultimately a weak currency pushes up prices and encourages higher interest rates.

 

[/quote]

Bank Rates from 7/2/08-  19/4/10

2008 7 Feb 5.2500

10 April 5.0000

8 Oct 4.5000

6 Nov 3.0000

4 Dec 2.0000

2009 8 Jan 1.5000

5 Feb 1.0000

5 Mar 0.5000  Last change

 

Fact is we have a weak currency. Yet all the shops are having constant sales and BOGOF prices, and surprise surprise, the interest rates 'ain't going up my old mate [:P]

[Braco]

Russethouse

 

In a true democracy we the people would vote on every important issue. The option in not taking part is just as important as saying yes or no.

 

Selecting from a list of imbeciles, and sycophants to represent us is neither democratic nor required.

 

 

I could agree with you if  'none of the above' was an option and if it obtained the largest vote the seat remained unoccupied and voted by proxy as a nay against any government vote.

 

[Russethouse]

 You'd retain the option to effectively not vote by spoiling your paper

A weak pound increases the price of petrol etc which effects pretty much everything.

[Braco]

Not much of an option as I want to totally and clearly state that I do not support any of parties and that they are not acting in my name.

 

 

[bixy]

Clearly, ebaynut, you do not understand irony - or much else, from what I can see.

Patrick

[Quillan]

[quote user="bixy"]Clearly, ebaynut, you do not understand irony - or much else, from what I can see.

Patrick
[/quote]

I thought it was only Americans who didn't understand irony [;-)]

[NormanH]

[quote user="Quillan"]

[quote user="bixy"]Clearly, ebaynut, you do not understand irony - or much else, from what I can see.

Patrick

[/quote]

I thought it was only Americans who didn't understand irony [;-)]

[/quote]

And the French (sorry to bring them up on this Forum [:D])

[bixy]

Yes, it's usually the Americans who don't understand irony, but ebaynut is a special case, probably as a result of an (expensive) private education.

Patrick

[Howie]

Hi.

If you're one of those people who are in favour of electoral reform as a

result of these debates, there are a couple of links which might be

worth looking at:

If you are on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=115125898521539

..and here's the 'vote for change' website. It's very useful:

http://www.voteforachange.co.uk/pages/hang-parliament

[Thibault]

Interestingly the latest polls report a reduction in support for the Lib Dems.........they are now back in third place behind Labour.

[Iceni]

Surprised that DavCam has not trotted out an updated version of Harold's "13 years of Tory misrule". Or perhaps he has and I have been lucky enough to miss it.

John

[ausibattler]

Russethouse has a valid point for consideration.

Compulsory enrolment for federal elections in Australia was introduced in 1911.

Arguments used in favour of compulsory voting

• Voting is a civic duty comparable to other duties citizens perform eg taxation, compulsory education, jury duty

• Teaches the benefits of political participation

• Parliament reflects more accurately the "will of the electorate"

• Governments must consider the total electorate in policy formulation and management

• Candidates can concentrate their campaigning energies on issues rather than encouraging voters to attend the poll

• The voter isn’t actually compelled to vote for anyone because voting is by secret ballot.

Arguments used against compulsory voting:

• It is undemocratic to force people to vote - an infringement of liberty

• The ill informed and those with little interest in politics are forced to the polls

• It may increase the number of "donkey votes"

• It may increase the number of informal votes

• It increases the number of safe, single-member electorates - political parties then concentrate on the more marginal electorates

In the 2005 UK Election statistics show the majority of Constituancies " north of the Wash" managed a turnout of less than 50% of the national (61%) turnout.

Governing the "will of the people" in the South it would appear ???

[Evianers]

[quote user="bixy"]So who's going to win the election and will it make any difference to those of us living in France? To answer my own question, unless the result affects the pound, then probably not. I thought this election might be more interesting than previous ones, with talk of a hung parliament and a Liberal resurgence. That is, until I looked at the odds the bookies are offering. They are quoting only 1 to 6 for the Tories being the largest party and evens for them having an overall majority. This would seem to contradict all the opinion polls. However the bookies are not daft and they ususally get these things right - after all it's their money at risk. I may have a punt at evens - I think that's not a bad bet. My own prediction is Tories with an overall majority of about 20, Liberals improved but only to about 75 seats. Anyone else care to make a prediction?

Patrick

[/quote]

Having lived outside the UK since 1975, each and every time there is a General Election there we are heartily happy that we are long since disenfranchised!

[bixy]

Have you noticed that the opinion polls are now moving towards my prediction made in the original post? All that talk of a Lib Dem landslide was just so much hot air.

Patrick