UK General Election 2015

[Marky147]

Yeah, immigration in the US is pretty tough for sure, but on the other hand ours is too soft imo, I think a happy medium would be more sensible all round.

Here's a funny story for ya, I once got booted out of the U.S. for massively overstaying    

Actually one of the reasons we decided to live in the US was because of how difficult it was when we weren't married to get a stay here for my partner.  I got held by US immigration for a very minor, and completely accidental overstay (about 5 days and actually more their fault than mine...its a long story) for about 13 hours the next time I tried to enter.  It was about 6 weeks after my daughter had been born and I had just put all of my life savings into a house we had bought there.  I just can't describe how devastating it is to be in that position and be told you are going to get deported and hit with a long ban. Now immigration queues and in particular secondary immigration areas now literally scare the shit out of me because of the power that they have to take almost everything that is valuable away from me and that gives me a lot of sympathy for migrants that come here and elsewhere.  Obviously I understand that there are different types of migrant and the rules are there for a reason but this stuff breaks up families and it isn't always fair.

That happened to one of my mates from home, who was an operations manager for Thompson Ski, based out of Breckenridge in Colorado. He had been living there about 10 years, and even got married there.

After he got married (to another brit), they bought a house in Breck, but they ended up getting turned down for their permanent Visa, and he was told to GTFO of the US.

[Kmac84]

The folk who batter on about immigration being a problem don't tend to understand the rules around it and generally believe it's ok for brits to go elsewhere whenever they wish for however long they want. 

To then link it to benefits/employment is like taking a leaf out the UKIP handbook. 

What we actually need is a complete overhaul of the benefits system, but successive gorvernments have failed to do this, and this latest fiasco with PiP/Universal Credits isn't going to help things. 

In relation to the indigenous population who opt not to work, taking away benefits for sustained periods of time doesn't work, it doesn't encourage them to get back to work.

IMO it doesn't matter what government is in toe it will make no difference because as things stand neither prospective government is radical enough to make the reqired changes and even f they promise to do so pre election, post election the civil service will make it impossible for real change to be actioned. 

[Woodsey]

The folk who batter on about immigration being a problem don't tend to understand the rules around it and generally believe it's ok for brits to go elsewhere whenever they wish for however long they want.  

To then link it to benefits/employment is like taking a leaf out the UKIP handbook.  

What we actually need is a complete overhaul of the benefits system, but successive gorvernments have failed to do this, and this latest fiasco with PiP/Universal Credits isn't going to help things.  

In relation to the indigenous population who opt not to work, taking away benefits for sustained periods of time doesn't work, it doesn't encourage them to get back to work.

IMO it doesn't matter what government is in toe it will make no difference because as things stand neither prospective government is radical enough to make the reqired changes and even f they promise to do so pre election, post election the civil service will make it impossible for real change to be actioned.  

Yes I do understand the rules, way more than you think. I know it's hard for you to believe, but I've just formed a different opinion than you based on the information.

Taking away benefits work won't encourage people to work? It will for most if they want to eat, maybe they need a short sharp kick up the arse to focus the mind. Even if you make up some random reason why it wouldn't encourage them to work they still should not get benefits If they are not willing to work, that's why it's called job seekers allowance..

As regarding the changes not happening, you can't really say that because you don't knowt. I think the announcements Cameron made are probably a negotiating starting point with the EU, let's see what happens.

[BigAdz]

Accidentally turned on Andrew Marr this morning.

Was Spellbound by Ed Milliband. Forget the politics, he just sounds uninspiring/childish and rude*, just shouted over Marr, to an embarrassing degree.

The one bit I listened to was about how to handle industrial strikes etc. His solution, "better relations with the workforce, so they don't happen". Really David?

God help this country if he gets elected. #laughingstock



*Disclaimer. I accept they all generally act this way, but this was to a new level!

[teddybloat]

it wont matter who wins the election.

there is a consensus amongst the three main parties on most of the main issues which is why we see manufactured squabbles over ephemera or HOW to implement policy goals, not the policy or goals themselves. lets look at one example:

the recent brouhaha over the NHS was, from new labours point of view,  all about how the tories botched up a sound new-labour plan for getting private finance into the NHS. they didn't attack the principle objection many people had of "what the fuck! why are we privatising the NHS via these backdoor workarounds"  they couldn't as the scheme was dreamt up by new-labour. so they could only accuse the tories of incompetence.

non of the 3 parties has said a pip about one of the most scandalous and biggest drains on NHS funds which is the PFI debts that trusts are saddled with. these agreements are forced on NHS trusts so the government can keep the costs 'off book' and sell us the fallacy that national debt / spending is falling. the nation could borrow the money at a much lower rate, but as borrowing = bad we end up paying to bail out private companies when trusts can no longer service high-interest debts as well as provide basic A+E care.

why aren't the main parties saying anything about this? because there is a consensus on using private £££ in the running of public services. the libs have a policy manual called the orange book. they lurve all these PFI, private equity funds, pseudo-privatisationisms.

so no-one is scrutinising this centre-righ hegemony.

all the election debates will focus on competency. how competent are new-labour in implementing policy 'x'. do you still trust the tories to carry out policy 'x', the liberals have shown they cant help but fuck up policy 'x'

not one of them has any doubt that policy 'x' is the right policy in the first place.

blair won all these political battles in 97. we are all blairites now, and there is no opposition.

i, once again, will not be voting at the upcoming election.

[Kmac84]

Agree with much of what you say Teddy. 

One of the suggestions put forward by various people on the left in the recent Scotish referendum was to restructure the PFI deals or rip up the contracts and start again.  New Labour did indeed create most of this mess on the back of the Tories creating a previous mess and so on and so forth.  The problem for me is nobody provides a solution to the problems.   

[ripple11]

Accidentally turned on Andrew Marr this morning.

Was Spellbound by Ed Milliband. Forget the politics, he just sounds uninspiring/childish and rude*, just shouted over Marr, to an embarrassing degree.

The one bit I listened to was about how to handle industrial strikes etc. His solution, "better relations with the workforce, so they don't happen". Really David?

God help this country if he gets elected. #laughingstock



*Disclaimer. I accept they all generally act this way, but this was to a new level!

and if no majority...... Mr. Salmond as deputy PM.

What more do you want in life.
 

[Kmac84]

Accidentally turned on Andrew Marr this morning.

Was Spellbound by Ed Milliband. Forget the politics, he just sounds uninspiring/childish and rude*, just shouted over Marr, to an embarrassing degree.

The one bit I listened to was about how to handle industrial strikes etc. His solution, "better relations with the workforce, so they don't happen". Really David?

God help this country if he gets elected. #laughingstock



*Disclaimer. I accept they all generally act this way, but this was to a new level!

and if no majority...... Mr. Salmond as deputy PM.

What more do you want in life.
 

Although that's bollocks, Salmond would do a much better job imo than the current and previous shower. 

[ripple11]

Accidentally turned on Andrew Marr this morning.

Was Spellbound by Ed Milliband. Forget the politics, he just sounds uninspiring/childish and rude*, just shouted over Marr, to an embarrassing degree.

The one bit I listened to was about how to handle industrial strikes etc. His solution, "better relations with the workforce, so they don't happen". Really David?

God help this country if he gets elected. #laughingstock



*Disclaimer. I accept they all generally act this way, but this was to a new level!

and if no majority...... Mr. Salmond as deputy PM.

What more do you want in life.
 

Although that's bollocks, Salmond would do a much better job imo than the current and previous shower.  

Alex Salmond's likely return to Westminster may be well-judged. There are several zones where the SNP would be an essential part of any two-party coalition, and their total probability is 33% as at December 2014. That means that there is a good chance, at odds of only two-to-one against, that Alex Salmond will be a kingmaker or deputy prime minister of the next UK government.


Why do you think Marr pressed him so hard on it today?

[Kmac84]

I didn't watch Marr so can't say. 

Given that the SNP have already stated they won't prop up a Tory minority that leaves only labour and it would be on a a supply and confidence basis. 

Also Salmond is not the SNP leader at Westminister.  Currently Robertson holds the role, I would think though after the next election Hosie will take on that responsibility.   So I don't see Salmond being Kingmaker.   He has the ego for it mind. 

Personally I can't ever have Milliband as a prime minister, I just can't take the guy seriously.  He's as poor  leader as I have seen. 

Labour are in freefall in Scotland and with moves likes bringing in Murphy and him then bringing in Balirites like McDougall/McTernan he is only going to isolate the core Labour vote further and they are very unlikely to pick up Tory votes.  The Tories in Scotland are suprisingly effective on the whole. 

[Kmac84]

Any thoughts on Cameron now trying to duck out of the TV debates? 

His arguement that it's in support of The Greens is insulting.  He ducked out of facing Salmond in the run up to the Independence Referendum and now this. 

Not fit for purpose, but sadly I think I'd welcome a him over that gobshite Milliband.  #ThingsYouNeverThoughtPossible

[arbboy]

Any thoughts on Cameron now trying to duck out of the TV debates? 

His arguement that it's in support of The Greens is insulting.  He ducked out of facing Salmond in the run up to the Independence Referendum and now this. 

Not fit for purpose, but sadly I think I'd welcome a him over that gobshite Milliband.  #ThingsYouNeverThoughtPossible

I find the whole thing odd.  He is never not going to appear in these debates whether the Green's turn up or not.  I don't really understand all the fuss and why he is making this stance.

[Woodsey]

Wtf is Al Murray up to? Publicity or just taking the piss?

[Kmac84]

Wtf is Al Murray up to? Publicity or just taking the piss?

Bit of both. 

But given his background of background of private education, right wing artocracy and his routine of ripping the pish out the working class I'd expected him to a UKIP supporter.

[Woodsey]

Any thoughts on Cameron now trying to duck out of the TV debates? 

His arguement that it's in support of The Greens is insulting.  He ducked out of facing Salmond in the run up to the Independence Referendum and now this. 

Not fit for purpose, but sadly I think I'd welcome a him over that gobshite Milliband.  #ThingsYouNeverThoughtPossible

I think he's probably trying to water down the prominence of UKIP, it's them that are nicking Tory votes. I guess ideally he would rather they weren't there, but if they are then maybe better to add another party to water down their presence?

Can't imagine he's even remotely scared of taking on Miliband.