UK General Election 2015

[doubleup]

absolutely com that people still believe the absolute lie that the tories have 'got us out' of recession. you can pick literally any metric and it isn't true.

if it wasn't so frightening it'd be hilarious.

@arb - if you want the best people running the country, don't vote tory.

Let's choose economic growth.  Just checked, and we are out of recession.  And that is exactly the correct metric to measure recessions.  No lie involved and no reason to sneer at those who believe it.

how about per capita GDP?  That's still lower than 2008

Comparing to 2008 isn't how you measure recessions.

The point is if you look at recovery from a recession GDP and per capita GDP are correlated.  This is the only "recovery" in modern history where per capita GDP hasn't recovered.

[The Baron]

Yep ideology cos we can't afford it. Going and borrowing money from China to sustain public spending beyond our means is a recipe for financial ruin. And that's exactly what happened. The Tories are building a sustainable economy where we live within our means. Seems sensible.

The work they have done means they can freeze taxes and normal working people will keep more of the money they earn. Not sure what's hard to grasp about why that appeals to generally self interested people. Labour will take more out of your pay packet to pursuit ideology they simply cannot afford.

I am sorry to laugh at Ed but I just imagine him coming up against Putin at the negotiating table. Cameron has demonstrated he is prepared to fight for Britain in Europe and has promised a referendum on what will be a major issue in the next parliament. Ed won't let people decide. I think the Tories offer more scope for self determination and so really more freedom.

Don't think Cameron has shown any fight at all. It's the reason why this campaign is so close. If there was one standout candidate (A Thatcher or a Blair) they'd abs piss this election.

Absolutely this - the present Tory cabinet are simply 3rd rate/borderline incompetent. 

@Mantis You do realise that our deficit is higher than France and Spain?  You do realise that the governnent has doubled the national debt?  You do realise that productivity is lower than 2006?

All day this. Some of the economic facts are being dodged quite dramatically in this election campaign.

[The Baron]

The most talented politician in the UK is a woman and it's not even close.

That's not difficult. She's up against 3rd rate politicians and doesn't have to answer any tough questions about cuts or wars. I could look good doing her job.

[RickBFA]

I want a Government that is capable of running our economy.

I don't think a party that announced they had abolished boom and bust can even be mentioned in the same sentence as capable.

What the left wing element on here are conveniently overlooking is the effects of the biggest crash since the 30's. Any idea that we could just shrug that off without significant consequences is laughable.

That is why the debt numbers etc are as they are.

If you compare us to our European friends we are seeing higher levels of growth and job creation. The coalition have done a good job in difficult circumstances for me.

[mulhuzz]

Yep ideology cos we can't afford it. Going and borrowing money from China to sustain public spending beyond our means is a recipe for financial ruin. And that's exactly what happened. The Tories are building a sustainable economy where we live within our means. Seems sensible.

The work they have done means they can freeze taxes and normal working people will keep more of the money they earn. Not sure what's hard to grasp about why that appeals to generally self interested people. Labour will take more out of your pay packet to pursuit ideology they simply cannot afford.

I am sorry to laugh at Ed but I just imagine him coming up against Putin at the negotiating table. Cameron has demonstrated he is prepared to fight for Britain in Europe and has promised a referendum on what will be a major issue in the next parliament. Ed won't let people decide. I think the Tories offer more scope for self determination and so really more freedom.

Don't think Cameron has shown any fight at all. It's the reason why this campaign is so close. If there was one standout candidate (A Thatcher or a Blair) they'd abs piss this election.

Absolutely this - the present Tory cabinet are simply 3rd rate/borderline incompetent. 

@Mantis You do realise that our deficit is higher than France and Spain?  You do realise that the governnent has doubled the national debt?  You do realise that productivity is lower than 2006?

All day this. Some of the economic facts are being dodged quite dramatically in this election campaign.

on top of that the idea that you have to run a country like you run a domestic household budget. absolute madness.

people are fucking clueless.

[Kmac84]

The most talented politician in the UK is a woman and it's not even close.

Maggie Curran?

I met Maggie today alongside Paul Martin, what an absolute mess.  We debated a few issues she ran and left Paul to pick up the mess.   He's also a tit, a bigger tit than his Father and I never thought that was possible. 

[Kmac84]

The most talented politician in the UK is a woman and it's not even close.

That's not difficult. She's up against 3rd rate politicians and doesn't have to answer any tough questions about cuts or wars. I could look good doing her job.

I bet you couldn't.

[DungBeetle]

Yep ideology cos we can't afford it. Going and borrowing money from China to sustain public spending beyond our means is a recipe for financial ruin. And that's exactly what happened. The Tories are building a sustainable economy where we live within our means. Seems sensible.

The work they have done means they can freeze taxes and normal working people will keep more of the money they earn. Not sure what's hard to grasp about why that appeals to generally self interested people. Labour will take more out of your pay packet to pursuit ideology they simply cannot afford.

I am sorry to laugh at Ed but I just imagine him coming up against Putin at the negotiating table. Cameron has demonstrated he is prepared to fight for Britain in Europe and has promised a referendum on what will be a major issue in the next parliament. Ed won't let people decide. I think the Tories offer more scope for self determination and so really more freedom.

Don't think Cameron has shown any fight at all. It's the reason why this campaign is so close. If there was one standout candidate (A Thatcher or a Blair) they'd abs piss this election.

Absolutely this - the present Tory cabinet are simply 3rd rate/borderline incompetent.  

@Mantis You do realise that our deficit is higher than France and Spain?  You do realise that the governnent has doubled the national debt?  You do realise that productivity is lower than 2006?

All day this. Some of the economic facts are being dodged quite dramatically in this election campaign.

on top of that the idea that you have to run a country like you run a domestic household budget. absolute madness.

people are fucking clueless.

Of course most of the electorate are clueless.  I reckon about 20 percent would know what a deficit is?  Same as people on this thread blaming Tories for doubling debt when it was a certainty that debt would balloon whoever was in charge given the deficit in 2010.

[mulhuzz]

Yep ideology cos we can't afford it. Going and borrowing money from China to sustain public spending beyond our means is a recipe for financial ruin. And that's exactly what happened. The Tories are building a sustainable economy where we live within our means. Seems sensible.

The work they have done means they can freeze taxes and normal working people will keep more of the money they earn. Not sure what's hard to grasp about why that appeals to generally self interested people. Labour will take more out of your pay packet to pursuit ideology they simply cannot afford.

I am sorry to laugh at Ed but I just imagine him coming up against Putin at the negotiating table. Cameron has demonstrated he is prepared to fight for Britain in Europe and has promised a referendum on what will be a major issue in the next parliament. Ed won't let people decide. I think the Tories offer more scope for self determination and so really more freedom.

Don't think Cameron has shown any fight at all. It's the reason why this campaign is so close. If there was one standout candidate (A Thatcher or a Blair) they'd abs piss this election.

Absolutely this - the present Tory cabinet are simply 3rd rate/borderline incompetent.  

@Mantis You do realise that our deficit is higher than France and Spain?  You do realise that the governnent has doubled the national debt?  You do realise that productivity is lower than 2006?

All day this. Some of the economic facts are being dodged quite dramatically in this election campaign.

on top of that the idea that you have to run a country like you run a domestic household budget. absolute madness.

people are fucking clueless.

Of course most of the electorate are clueless.  I reckon about 20 percent would know what a deficit is?  Same as people on this thread blaming Tories for doubling debt when it was a certainty that debt would balloon whoever was in charge given the deficit in 2010.

It annoys me though because I think the parties should be educating, not pandering. So obviously austerity measures aren't a good idea, but yet we still persist because that's what the man on the street would do if it was his household budget.

Actually only the SNP get this point right, which is both bold and necessary of them but they are hamstrung by the idea that 'of course they think that's a good idea but they also want to rip apart the country'

[david3103]

Educate me please Mulhuzz; explain why austerity measures obviously aren't a good idea.

in particular, can you explain why the specific austerity measures taken by the current administration were so obviously a bad idea.

Maybe you could propose an alternative plan.

[TightEnd]

Voting preference and viable government preference are far apart

in the times red box

Click to see full-size image.

[TightEnd]

great line in this in bold

"The home stretch at last but one littered with unknowns. Is there a late rally to the Conservatives? Possibly, but like so much else in this campaign, it seems far from clear. Will Labour out-perform the national polls by performing more strongly in key marginal seats? There is some supporting evidence for this but it is hardly overwhelming.

How to reconcile the Lib Dems holding many of their seats when support for them in the national polls has collapsed? Will UKIP's support dissolve on 7 May and produce a hidden army that delivers victory to the Conservatives? Will the polls overstate Labour's support this time, unlike 2010 when they understated it? Will Scotland return any other than SNP MPs?

We would not be in our present confusion about the outcome of the general election if the three main Westminster parties were popular. All our problems in trying to predict the outcome of 7 May stem from the fact that they are manifestly unpopular. This general election is the mother of all ugly baby contests between the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems. "

http://ht.ly/Mrzgc

[DMorgan]

Educate me please Mulhuzz; explain why austerity measures obviously aren't a good idea.

in particular, can you explain why the specific austerity measures taken by the current administration were so obviously a bad idea.

Maybe you could propose an alternative plan.

A long read but a worthwhile one imo

http://www.theguardian.com/business/ng-interactive/2015/apr/29/the-austerity-delusion

[TightEnd]

Educate me please Mulhuzz; explain why austerity measures obviously aren't a good idea.

in particular, can you explain why the specific austerity measures taken by the current administration were so obviously a bad idea.

Maybe you could propose an alternative plan.

A long read but a worthwhile one imo

http://www.theguardian.com/business/ng-interactive/2015/apr/29/the-austerity-delusion

if you read that, please read this:

http://www.capx.co/paul-krugmans-austerity-delusion/

and this

http://www.capx.co/paul-krugman-is-wrong-about-the-uk-and-borrowing/

cliffnotes. krugman comes from a perspective that is flawed (but has been seized upon as a holy grail by anyone for whom his argument suits their perspective)

[DungBeetle]

I like reading krugman stuff but he comes over as bombastic and won't look at other points of view.