The Interminable UK General Election 2015 Thread.

[mistermack]

I can't see why the politicians get all the blame.
It's the fucking British public who are the real liability. They keep voting the wrong people in.

If we'd voted in a budget-cutting government when the economy was doing well, and a spending government when it got shakey, we would be all right now. It's us dumb fuckers who got it the wrong way round.

[MrJonno]

Really could go either way. One thing that unfortuantely will be irrelevant will be policies.

How well UKIP who will win no seats kill Tory hopes will be a big issue, how the Lib Dem vote splits (who will also win very few seats) is going to be major factor.

The biggie will be how good the party can blame each other for the state of the economy.

Biggest winner is going to be First Past the Post

[Rum]

I can't see why the politicians get all the blame.
It's the fucking British public who are the real liability. They keep voting the wrong people in.

If we'd voted in a budget-cutting government when the economy was doing well, and a spending government when it got shakey, we would be all right now. It's us dumb fuckers who got it the wrong way round.

I'm amazed at how short people's memory about these things can be.

The last government spent a lot on the public sector, but the point was it was 'affordable'. Revenue more than covered their plans.

It was the banking crisis, sparked by greed, rapaciousness and totally irresponsible lending which finally came home to roost which saw the whole house of cards collapsing.

[Clinton Huxley]

I can't see why the politicians get all the blame.
It's the fucking British public who are the real liability. They keep voting the wrong people in.

If we'd voted in a budget-cutting government when the economy was doing well, and a spending government when it got shakey, we would be all right now. It's us dumb fuckers who got it the wrong way round.

I'm amazed at how short people's memory about these things can be.

The last government spent a lot on the public sector, but the point was it was 'affordable'. Revenue more than covered their plans.

It was the banking crisis, sparked by greed, rapaciousness and totally irresponsible lending which finally came home to roost which saw the whole house of cards collapsing.

Aye and the only way to pay to clean up the mess is to grind the poor into oblivion.

[Audley Strange]

Well they are a liability.

[Pappa]

What we need is a good war.

[Svartalf]

What we need is a good war.

Will cammy do a maggie and escalate the Malouines situation with the argies?

[Rum]

I can't see why the politicians get all the blame.
It's the fucking British public who are the real liability. They keep voting the wrong people in.

If we'd voted in a budget-cutting government when the economy was doing well, and a spending government when it got shakey, we would be all right now. It's us dumb fuckers who got it the wrong way round.

I'm amazed at how short people's memory about these things can be.

The last government spent a lot on the public sector, but the point was it was 'affordable'. Revenue more than covered their plans.

It was the banking crisis, sparked by greed, rapaciousness and totally irresponsible lending which finally came home to roost which saw the whole house of cards collapsing.

Aye and the only way to pay to clean up the mess is to grind the poor into oblivion.

Well yes. And that is why it matters who wins the election!

[mistermack]

I can't see why the politicians get all the blame.
It's the fucking British public who are the real liability. They keep voting the wrong people in.

If we'd voted in a budget-cutting government when the economy was doing well, and a spending government when it got shakey, we would be all right now. It's us dumb fuckers who got it the wrong way round.

I'm amazed at how short people's memory about these things can be.

The last government spent a lot on the public sector, but the point was it was 'affordable'. Revenue more than covered their plans.

It was the banking crisis, sparked by greed, rapaciousness and totally irresponsible lending which finally came home to roost which saw the whole house of cards collapsing.

I can''t agree with that. Firstly, Gordon Brown, as I recall, sold off huge amounts of gold. How come you need to sell gold, when your spending is "affordable" ?
Secondly, to save some money, when the economy is doing well, means that you have it in the bank, when it dips.
Having to cut spending now is a consequence of spending too much before.
If the books were in a better state, and we still had that gold, the government wouldn't have needed anywhere near the austerity that they do.
So the all important consumer confidence would not have been hit like it has.

Blaming the bankers is like blaming dogs for peeing in the street. Give them the chance, and thats what they do.

[Guy_Montag]

The bankers need their fair share of blame, but they only operate within the constraints imposed on them. Keep them under close & aggressive scrutiny & there's not much damage they can do; get all light touch on them & they'll piss your economy into the wind. Brown has to take responsibility for not keeping them under control, to my mind that was the biggest failing of the Labour government.

Of course the Tory twats are no better, I can't say they're worse, it's hard to judge - in the end it's KPMG, Deloitte & PWC running the treasury anyway.

[Strontium Dog]

The last government spent a lot on the public sector, but the point was it was 'affordable'. Revenue more than covered their plans.

No it didn't. They were running a deficit long before the economic downturn, in the good times when Keynesianism says you should be building up a nest egg. They also flogged off our gold at rock bottom prices too, just for good measure.

Like the old joke about the half-bulimic who gets increasingly obese as he forgets to throw up afterwards, you could term the last Labour government half-Keynesian.

It was the banking crisis, sparked by greed, rapaciousness and totally irresponsible lending which finally came home to roost which saw the whole house of cards collapsing.

Well thank goodness governments don't set the conditions in which banks and speculators operate, and therefore can't be blamed in any way for failure to properly regulate.

Oh wait.

[Rum]

The last government spent a lot on the public sector, but the point was it was 'affordable'. Revenue more than covered their plans.

No it didn't. They were running a deficit long before the economic downturn, in the good times when Keynesianism says you should be building up a nest egg. They also flogged off our gold at rock bottom prices too, just for good measure.

Like the old joke about the half-bulimic who gets increasingly obese as he forgets to throw up afterwards, you could term the last Labour government half-Keynesian.

It was the banking crisis, sparked by greed, rapaciousness and totally irresponsible lending which finally came home to roost which saw the whole house of cards collapsing.

Well thank goodness governments don't set the conditions in which banks and speculators operate, and therefore can't be blamed in any way for failure to properly regulate.

Oh wait.

Well never let it be said that I stuck to my guns when ignorant on a subject. I went away and read the issue up in more detail - and I will read more. You are quite right it seems. I was under the impression the deficit was affordable as long as there was strong growth. I am puzzled why the markets (who fund the deficit) allow this to go on. It seems that except for brief periods governments of the days here have allowed/spent larger and larger deficits since 1946. More reading to be done!

[surreptitious57]

It would be a crying shame if Labour won and started borrowing and got the country into even more debt like it did in the last three years when it was in office. Now the cuts may very well be misdirected but they are necessary unfortunately. One must never make predictions - for obvious reasons - but what would be fine now would be a Conservative government with a small working majority. No more power for the Liberal Democrats because there are only four of them in a twenty three member coalition Cabinet anyway, so not needed now. I know they are necessary for a parliamentary majority, but that is a different matter entirely. Labour can wait for another ten or so years until the deficit is completely reduced and then maybe they could form a government but not until then however. Absolutely not [ for the reason given ]

A referendum on Europe would have to take place as the Prime Minister promised earlier this year. A massive campaign to get everyone to keep us in and nothing less will suffice now. We just cannot afford to be out of it no matter what the Daily Mail says. Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom as indeed apparently the majority of Scots want to. Value Added Tax to be raised by two per cent to reduce the deficit and Trident to be scrapped as it is nothing more than a white elephant - correction - a very expensive white elephant well past its sell by date. Not that it actually had one but even so

Anyway, rambled on a bit towards the end there, but that should be what should happen after the next General Election now so get out and vote when the time comes - unless you are too young in which case you do not have to but your time will come one day, so no shirking when it does. Voting is a responsibility not to be disregarded - seriously. In my time I have voted Labour - Liberal Democrat - Respect and next time I may vote Conservative, which will be a first for me. I am of the left but not absolutely so - if you get my drift - so retain the freedom to put my x wherever I wish - which is nice. So well done the Greeks for introducng the world to democracy. Not perfect but a lot better than the alternatives

[Audley Strange]

The last government spent a lot on the public sector, but the point was it was 'affordable'. Revenue more than covered their plans.

No it didn't. They were running a deficit long before the economic downturn, in the good times when Keynesianism says you should be building up a nest egg. They also flogged off our gold at rock bottom prices too, just for good measure.

Like the old joke about the half-bulimic who gets increasingly obese as he forgets to throw up afterwards, you could term the last Labour government half-Keynesian.

It was the banking crisis, sparked by greed, rapaciousness and totally irresponsible lending which finally came home to roost which saw the whole house of cards collapsing.

Well thank goodness governments don't set the conditions in which banks and speculators operate, and therefore can't be blamed in any way for failure to properly regulate.

Oh wait.

Well never let it be said that I stuck to my guns when ignorant on a subject. I went away and read the issue up in more detail - and I will read more. You are quite right it seems. I was under the impression the deficit was affordable as long as there was strong growth. I am puzzled why the markets (who fund the deficit) allow this to go on. It seems that except for brief periods governments of the days here have allowed/spent larger and larger deficits since 1946. More reading to be done!

Hey how about that SD, You make a point and someone didn't claim you raped Hitler or something. Was that refreshing?

[pErvinalia]

SD knows that he's never wrong, so it's not surprise to him that someone found him to be right. But the Ratskep moderator-Labour nexus is still out to permaban him.