Poll: Who will you vote for next General Election

[Monkey Puzzle]

Interesting how a centre right party has managed nationalisations, and the biggest government debt in history... They may have tried to pretend to be centre-right, but deep down it's the same left wing economic incompetance that Labour are famous for.

As opposed to the Tories, who also borrowed vast amounts following the 1992 recession (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7733794.stm), and had interest rates in double figures?

What is it about New Labours economic policy that you think is particularly left-wing?

 

[Dolph]

As opposed to the Tories, who also borrowed vast amounts following the 1992 recession (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7733794.stm), and had interest rates in double figures?

The tories borrowing in the 1992 recession is about the same as Labour's borrowing in the boom, the two aren't at all comparable.

What is it about New Labours economic policy that you think is particularly left-wing?

Raiding pension funds, punishing the wealthy through punative taxes, nationalisations (see railtrack et al), huge increases in the amount of red tape and government interference in businesses and the general market, a belief in wealth redistribution as being a desirable idea, etc etc.

Sure, they aren't anywhere near their previous positions in the early 80s for example (well, apart from in popularity) but their general economic policy has involved as much state interference as they thought the voters would let them get away with, especially when a good excuse has presented itself (such as the bank bailouts, especially with the government doing it's best to inject itself into Lloyds/HBOS after pretty much forcing them together).

The only time Labour were really centre right was their first term, and that was because they were following the Tories economic policies, they have lurched to the left since then.

 

[atpbx]

Those who vote the Cons really are too young to vote and do not understand the damage they did last time round.

You were still in school, what idea do you have?

 

[Doosht]

BNP

 

[dangerstat]

Labour - because if you think these are bad times, times it by 20 and that's how bad it'll be under the torries

 

[Sankari]

Hmm, let's see. Tory economic incompetence ruined the economy during the Thatcher & Major years (particularly their massive borrowing in the recession that they created). Labour economic incompetence ruined the economy during the Blair & Brown years particularly their massive borrowing in the recession that they created).

So it seems that we can't trust either of the two main parties to run the economy.

The only time Labour were really centre right was their first term, and that was because they were following the Tories economic policies

Ah, that explains why they screwed the economy.

 

[Tombstone]

Add in that the Liberals havent had to handle a national economy for nearly 90 years and you could say that none of the big 3 parties look like obvious candidates to run the economy. Trouble is that someone has to be voted for of course.

 

[Monkey Puzzle]

The tories borrowing in the 1992 recession is about the same as Labour's borrowing in the boom, the two aren't at all comparable.

2. In 1993, during the last recession, the Conservative government borrowed about £51bn. This year, Labour is expected to borrow about £64bn.

Even disregarding 16 years of inflation that looks pretty comparable to me...

Raiding pension funds,

I think you'll find this was a continuation of Tory policy (eg in the case of Royal Mail).

punishing the wealthy through punative taxes,

Punitive taxes that have stayed at about the same level as under the Tories. Capital gains tax has been low under New Labour.

nationalisations (see railtrack et al),

Railtrack was an utter disaster, both in the privatisation (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1584587.stm) and nationalisation. Both were ****-ups.

huge increases in the amount of red tape and government interference in businesses and the general market

Do you have some examples? New Labour are known to have carried out a "hands-off" approach to regulation of the financial market, an approach you would no doubt love since you feel businesses can be trusted to operate without regulation..

 

[Lightnix]

I'd like to vote Lib Dem just for the sake of not voting in the two major parties; they both seem as bad as each other...

 

[Tombstone]

Well you know what they say, better the devil you know than the devil you dont and all that

 

[greywolf]

Conservative. How anyone can STILL vote Labour is beyond me.

This.

 

[Sankari]

The problem with the Tories is that they believe the government has the right to constantly interfere with industry and business. Indeed, it was their chronic addiction to such interference that precipitated the death of traditional British industries during the Thatcher regime.

Then there's their irresponsible borrowing and their class-driven politics (raiding working class pension funds and sabotaging essential services like education). Not a good combination.

 

[Hxc]

Would vote conservative if I was old enough

 

[Lightnix]

The problem with the Tories is that they believe the government has the right to constantly interfere with industry and business.

Ah, but on that point Labour is more or less the same, except rather than industry and business, it seems to be personal privacy and rights. I suppose it just depends on what matters to you more, business or your personal life. And they seem to be rather good at spending all our money on frivolous things like the Olympics, and losing all that personal data that they seemed to try so hard to pry away from us.

 

[Sankari]

Ah, but on that point Labour is more or less the same, except rather than industry and business, it seems to be personal privacy and rights. I suppose it just depends on what matters to you more, business or your personal life. And they seem to be rather good at spending all our money on frivolous things like the Olympics, and losing all that personal data that they seemed to try so hard to pry away from us.

Oh absolutely, there's little to choose between the two. I didn't vote for either party.

 

[eddiemcgarrigle]

I'm perfectly patriotic thanks but I don't want independence and I don't consider myself a traitor to my country. What a ridiculous thing to say.

A Scot who doesn't think that his fellow countrymen are capable of running their own affairs, doesn't think we can survive without the aid of another country, doesn't see that we have been downtrodden for many generations and doesn't have the nerve to vote to free his country is a traitor to everything our ancestors fought and strived for - a free and independent country.

 

[Sankari]

 

[DSherry]

Green Party

Its strange because if they had been voted in ages ago we would now be in a better position to deal with what is coming in the near future with regards to the economy and security of fossil fuels (they would have undoubtably made maximising the potential in the UK for renewable energy resources a priority rather than invading other countries to secure the limited supply of fossil fuels).

Also I doubt we would be in the EU and we wouldn't have 40 million poles invading us.

 

[sparklebox]

It's my first time to vote at the next election, no idea if or who I will be voting for yet :/

 

[Liefrich]

A Scot who doesn't think that his fellow countrymen are capable of running their own affairs, doesn't think we can survive without the aid of another country, doesn't see that we have been downtrodden for many generations and doesn't have the nerve to vote to free his country is a traitor to everything our ancestors fought and strived for - a free and independent country.

HAHAHAH I take it your forgetting the thousands of Scots who supported the English when the two nations were at war. Any Scot who believes Scotland would be better as an independent country needs thier head examined .