Poll: Which party will get your vote in the General Election?

[bigredshark]

There were a lot of warning signs and people shouting about impending problems years before it happened.

Had they acted, clamped down on irresponsible lending it may not have bit so hard.

Quite possibly. I don't disagree labour made major mistakes in their economic management, I just think a few things are forgotten in the rush to blame someone -

- Nobody specifically saw this financial crisis coming. Some people warned of a financial crisis but this one was a little out of left field, to some extent those warning are a little like saying you'll die tomorrow - keep saying it and you'll be right one day.

- There's no evidence a conservative government would have done better, given a reasonable cross section of conservative policy and the actions of other centre right parties around the world and it seems we'd be in roughly the same mess.

- The need to clamp down on irresponsible lending isn't clear cut ideologically. Conservative (or right wing in general) theory says it should an individual's responsibility not to do stupid things (hence, there should be as few laws as possible to govern a country.

Basically it's a mess where nobody really comes out smelling of roses...

 

[Dolph]

Its not helped has it? When recession bites.

And when you look to the US (the trigger), you could easily argue it is because of escessive lending and defaulting.

I thought this was generally the accepted cause?

It was the cause of the problem in the US (where the rules around defaulting are much more in favour of the public).

that is well beyond the control of the UK voter, which was the matter at hand.

 

[Biohazard]

I also meant to add irresponsible government spending in there too as that obviously has an impact.

 

[bigredshark]

"cough" yeah ok.

No, actually he's right, it doesn't help at all and it will be a problem going forwards but it didn't cause the crisis directly...

 

[p4radox]

Predictible poll is predictible.

 

[dante6491]

Despite their growing authoritarian streak I will be voting Labour.

I believe in a fair, inclusive and equitable society which is willing to assist its most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, irrespective of gender, ethnicity or sexuality.

Two words, Harriet Harman.

 

[mollymoo]

We haven't had anything approaching the default levels of the USA, where the problem originated. The collapse of the global mortgage backed securities market started in the USA and hit everywhere.

Our indebtedness is a problem, but is it not the cause of the current problems...

Quite possibly. I don't disagree labour made major mistakes in their economic management, I just think a few things are forgotten in the rush to blame someone -

- Nobody specifically saw this financial crisis coming. Some people warned of a financial crisis but this one was a little out of left field, to some extent those warning are a little like saying you'll die tomorrow - keep saying it and you'll be right one day.

- There's no evidence a conservative government would have done better, given a reasonable cross section of conservative policy and the actions of other centre right parties around the world and it seems we'd be in roughly the same mess.

- The need to clamp down on irresponsible lending isn't clear cut ideologically. Conservative (or right wing in general) theory says it should an individual's responsibility not to do stupid things (hence, there should be as few laws as possible to govern a country.

Basically it's a mess where nobody really comes out smelling of roses...

What did you expect to happen? Any fool could see the problems occuring, it needed sorting a while ago. Is what I would like to say, it's all hindsight though. Best to vote for someone with policies that affect your immediate concerns.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I'm 51 and I've never voted.
They are all as bad as one another and you never hear me complain.
If my vote could actually knock one off the BNP then I would do that.

 

[Biohazard]

I say that the UK should have actually prevented banks from investing so heavily in the subprime when it was so widely negatively talked about and predicted (someone should have locked RBS away for a while). Unfortunately I don't suppose our American cousins would have appreciated that favour.

 

[Dolph]

What did you expect to happen? Any fool could see the problems occuring, it needed sorting a while ago. Is what I would like to say, it's all hindsight though. Best to vote for someone with policies that affect your immediate concerns.

Just remember, one of the significant causes was unintended consequences of well intended government regulation/interference in the economy, here, in the US and in international banking regulations.

The determination to eliminate risk from the system meant only that the risk ended up hidden by those who relied on government licencing and control for their job...

 

[Dolph]

I say that the UK should have actually prevented banks from investing so heavily in the subprime when it was so widely negatively talked about and predicted (someone should have locked RBS away for a while). Unfortunately I don't suppose our American cousins would have appreciated that favour.

The thing was, the debt was being rated, by the approved rating agencies that the banks had to use, incorrectly, because of market failure due to inappropriate regulation.

They were not allowed to invest heavily in risky debts, but the government controlled credit rating agencies were saying these debts weren't risky...

These regulations were in place, but broken due to other regulations. Instead of improving things, they made the situation worse.

 

[cheets64]

There were a lot of warning signs and people shouting about impending problems years before it happened.

Had they acted, clamped down on irresponsible lending it may not have bit so hard.

And people would have blamed Labour of being 1984 and controlling our freedom, you cant win.

 

[mollymoo]

Just remember, one of the significant causes was unintended consequences of well intended government regulation/interference in the economy, here, in the US and in international banking regulations.

The determination to eliminate risk from the system meant only that the risk ended up hidden by those who relied on government licencing and control for their job...

Then vote BNP whats the worst that can happen, the country goes even further down the pan, or the party that wins realizes that faith is being lost and actually sorts their collective **** out.

 

[big_white_dog84]

I don't know yet. I'd rather have Gordon Brown as Prime Minister than 'Dave', but I don't particularly like the rest of the labour party. Having said that I'd rather have them as the party of government than the Tories.

The Tories have a 0% chace of winning my seat, so I think I might vote tactically and go for the SNP. That way if there's a hung parliament the SNP might have a stronger voice and be able to influence things more in Scotland's fabour.

 

[Dolph]

Then vote BNP whats the worst that can happen, the country goes even further down the pan, or the party that wins realizes that faith is being lost and actually sorts their collective **** out.

Why would I possibly vote BNP, even if I got ignore the fundamental idiocy that is their skin colour discrimination and racial hatred, they have an obsession with state controlled economies and social authoritarianism...

That is exactly the last thing that this country needs, and indeed the cause of the real problems that started to come to play 50 years ago...

 

[JJKrista1]

Couldn't vote BNP. Bunch of wtats.

 

[mollymoo]

Why would I possibly vote BNP, even if I got ignore the fundamental idiocy that is their skin colour discrimination and racial hatred, they have an obsession with state controlled economies and social authoritarianism...

That is exactly the last thing that this country needs, and indeed the cause of the real problems that started to come to play 50 years ago...

You can't honestly agree with any of the major parties though, if a good percentage of the country actually voted for radical parties then the major parties would have to take note of this and adjust their policies accordingly and then maybe you would find that one of them would create an all encompassing set of policies. Which would be nice.

 

[mollymoo]

Couldn't vote BNP. Bunch of wtats.

But apparently they know how to spell or know where the star button is.

 

[Rich_L]

Great efforts chaps at trying to explain the cause of the credit crisis, but bear in mind you are trying to explain it to a BNP supporter...something along the lines of:

Americans. Stupid. Borrowed Too Much. Couldn't Pay.

UK banks relied on US money. America money bad. UK money bad too.

Is about the right level you're aiming for.

 

[manic111]

Lib dems for me; I disagree with a few of their welfare policies, but aside from that they actually have some sound ideas, such as cutting down on the nanny state, and Nick Clegg actually seems like a person I may like to see running the country.