Guess what Nigel Farage is forcing me to do?

[Francesca R]

The tuition fees pledge/break seems to have been the most damaging thing for the Lib Dem party. More than "helping Cameron strip the NHS bare and privatise what's left" or "propping up criminal bankster friends of the tories" or anything else.

That U-turn was managed extremely badly, I think few voters even today really understand how similar a graduate tax would have been compared to fees/loans. Nor do many understand how funding fees from general tax is more income regressive.

 

[Tolls]

The tuition fees pledge/break seems to have been the most damaging thing for the Lib Dem party. More than "helping Cameron strip the NHS bare and privatise what's left" or "propping up criminal bankster friends of the tories" or anything else.

That U-turn was managed extremely badly, I think few voters even today really understand how similar a graduate tax would have been compared to fees/loans. Nor do many understand how funding fees from general tax is more income regressive.

Oh yes.
I groaned when it was announced before the last election.

 

[Craig B]

The tuition fees pledge/break seems to have been the most damaging thing for the Lib Dem party. More than "helping Cameron strip the NHS bare and privatise what's left" or "propping up criminal bankster friends of the tories" or anything else.

That U-turn was managed extremely badly, I think few voters even today really understand how similar a graduate tax would have been compared to fees/loans. Nor do many understand how funding fees from general tax is more income regressive.

The last one I don't understand at all, as you know, in spite of your attempts to instruct me in this matter.

As to the other U-turns, on stripping the NHS and propping up criminal bankers, you seem to be saying these were "handled" better than the fees one. Is the "handling" of such u-turns the issue? Or do you perceive something unprincipled about such changes of policy, even if they were "handled" to perfection?

 

[MikeG]

........on stripping the NHS and propping up criminal bankers, ......

You have made two or three unsubstantiated and emotional claims, highlighted. Got any evidence that the government has stripped the NHS? Any evidence that the government propped up bankers, let alone criminal bankers? (Note: 'bankers', not 'banks').

 

[Craig B]

You have made two or three unsubstantiated and emotional claims, highlighted. Got any evidence that the government has stripped the NHS? Any evidence that the government propped up bankers, let alone criminal bankers? (Note: 'bankers', not 'banks').

Eh? I was, as you can easily determine by following back the quotes, merely citing this post.

The tuition fees pledge/break seems to have been the most damaging thing for the Lib Dem party. More than "helping Cameron strip the NHS bare and privatise what's left" or "propping up criminal bankster friends of the tories" or anything else.

That U-turn was managed extremely badly, I think few voters even today really understand how similar a graduate tax would have been compared to fees/loans. Nor do many understand how funding fees from general tax is more income regressive.

Please address your questions to the source of the comment.

 

[Ambrosia]

I won't be voting in this election.

I live in a *very* safe Tory seat, and as it happens I'm away from home working the day of the election, I'm fairly certain that me changing the habit of a lifetime and voting conservative wouldn't effect the result all that much, and I plan on emigrating to Australia within the next 2 years anyway, so sod it. I shall abstain.

I'd very much like to see the LibDems win an outright majority, I read the manifestos before an election and every time theirs most closely lines up with how I feel about stuff. To date none of the candidates I've voted for have ever won, though one got really close last time around.

I really hope that UKIPs continued bad press means that they will get sent packing at this election, sadly I don't think that's going to happen. I suspect we're in for a hung parliament.

 

[Francesca R]

Re: "helping Cameron strip the NHS bare and privatise what's left" or "propping up criminal bankster friends of the tories"

Those are parodies. Opposition slogans of what the Tories have done, and what the Libdems have thus aided and abbetted.

I never claimed those happened and do not claim those happened.

 

[Damien Evans]

I won't be voting in this election.

I live in a *very* safe Tory seat, and as it happens I'm away from home working the day of the election, I'm fairly certain that me changing the habit of a lifetime and voting conservative wouldn't effect the result all that much, and I plan on emigrating to Australia within the next 2 years anyway, so sod it. I shall abstain.

I'd very much like to see the LibDems win an outright majority, I read the manifestos before an election and every time theirs most closely lines up with how I feel about stuff. To date none of the candidates I've voted for have ever won, though one got really close last time around.

I really hope that UKIPs continued bad press means that they will get sent packing at this election, sadly I don't think that's going to happen. I suspect we're in for a hung parliament.

If you one day get Australian citizenship you won't be allowed to do that here.

 

[MikeG]

If you one day get Australian citizenship you won't be allowed to do that here.

Indeed, and poor old Ambrosia's choice will between two far less edifying candidates than she has now.

 

[Ambrosia]

There are 2 things I really like about the Australian electoral system

i) compulsory voting
ii) it's not a FPTP system

I want to move there as some of my best friends live there, the weather is great, and there is lots of space, the politics not so much.

I've voted in every single general election since I turned 18, this is the first time I don't think it's worth going through the rigmarole of sorting out a postal vote, (and the first time I've lived in a constituency that's a very safe seat.)

Oh I'm also a guy, not a girl FWIW.

 

[MikeG]

..........I want to move there as some of my best friends live there, the weather is great, and there is lots of space.......

Yebbut, the place is absolutely crawling with Auusies

Oh I'm also a guy, not a girl FWIW.

Oops, sorry.

 

[skeptichaggis]

I'm Scottish(so you can guess how I feel about the torys-i have childhood memories of Maggie milk snatcher)but I forgive you-anything is better than garage or even milliband, people is Scotland see labour as being the torys by another name, besides the man screwed over his own brother. I'm don't get on great with my brother but I woundnt do anything crappy to him. I confess though I do have a underhand motive in wanting Cameron to win, see I'm a SNP member and if labour gets in it could backfire on the SNP movement by taking away some of its wind-but another five years of the torys the SNP would just get stronger and we could blame the torys for all the crappy stuff. Cynical you bet but let's face it what's the alternative-adanoid ed who I wouldn't trust to send to the shops for a loaf of bread, or perpetual Tory rule. No give us Scots a few more years of Cameron and co and even the no voters will clamour for another referendum

 

[Craig B]

I'm Scottish(so you can guess how I feel about the torys-i have childhood memories of Maggie milk snatcher)but I forgive you-anything is better than garage or even milliband, people is Scotland see labour as being the torys by another name, besides the man screwed over his own brother. I'm don't get on great with my brother but I woundnt do anything crappy to him. I confess though I do have a underhand motive in wanting Cameron to win, see I'm a SNP member and if labour gets in it could backfire on the SNP movement by taking away some of its wind-but another five years of the torys the SNP would just get stronger and we could blame the torys for all the crappy stuff. Cynical you bet but let's face it what's the alternative-adanoid ed who I wouldn't trust to send to the shops for a loaf of bread, or perpetual Tory rule. No give us Scots a few more years of Cameron and co and even the no voters will clamour for another referendum

Maybe, but the SNP can get some sort of deal going with Labour to force them in the direction of greater powers for a Scottish Parliament; and there's some evidence that the few left wingers remaining in the LP have now realised that the SNP is a left social Democratic Party like Labour a few decades ago.

Also if there's a LP / SNP understanding the Tories might destroy the Union out of pure spite. That would be good.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

Pah that's almost a communist heartland - this is a safe seat!

That was my last constituency, now I live in Chinnor, which is part of the Henley constituency which returned Boris Johnson and Michael Hesltine amount others. IIRC the last time it returned a non-Tory was about 1910. I vote as a matter of principal, but it does feel rather meaningless.

 

[nvidiot]

There are 2 things I really like about the Australian electoral system

i) compulsory voting

A small point, we do not have compulsory voting in our system, attendance at a polling booth is the only requirement. What you write on your paper is entirely secret.

 

[Damien Evans]

Indeed, and poor old Ambrosia's choice will between two far less edifying candidates than she has now.

I'd take Shorten over Cameron at least. Don't know much about Milliband. I'd take a dead rotting skunk over Tony Abbott though.

 

[Information Analyst]

I'm Scottish(so you can guess how I feel about the torys-i have childhood memories of Maggie milk snatcher)but I forgive you-anything is better than garage or even milliband, people is Scotland see labour as being the torys by another name, besides the man screwed over his own brother.

So would David Milliband have screwed over Ed, had David won the leadership election?

 

[skeptichaggis]

I'm not 100% sure but I think David threw his hat into the ring first the ed got the unions to back him and won. My point is they are brothers and if one brother could not get the other to support him what does that say about the pair of them. Besides as I said the difference between the torys and labour is not what it used to be, my grandad was a life long labour man, he's rotting in his grave right now and is dead and therefore cannot care.

 

[skeptichaggis]

Um the last bit doesn't make any sense-although it is true. I couldn't write turning in his grave cos he's dead and won't be doing anything(except rotting). You know what I mean.