Poll: General election voting intentions poll

[Christmas themed thank]

If you think that Labour are "close to communism" you so far divorced from reality; I don't know what to say. Labour are, at most, centre-left and, frankly, probably more centre-right (as Political Compass classes them). They're not even promising widely popular left wing policies such as a programme of renationalising the railways yet alone any kind of post-war socialist capture of the means of production by the state. Ed Miliband's Labour sits well to the right of the Tories through most of the last century.

Well they're going more left but I take the point as arguably Tony Blair was a Conservative. Brown less so which started it's movement to the left but yes, it's definitely not communism.

Look at me, defending the Labour party! Who called me biased again?

 

[V F]

If you think that Labour are "close to communism" you so far divorced from reality; I don't know what to say. Labour are, at most, centre-left and, frankly, probably more centre-right (as Political Compass classes them). They're not even promising widely popular left wing policies such as a programme of renationalising the railways yet alone any kind of post-war socialist capture of the means of production by the state. Ed Miliband's Labour sits well to the right of the Tories through most of the last century.

I'm not talking about the past. If Labour get in, they can do a lot of damage for the next 5 years.

 

[scorza]

I'm not talking about the past. If Labour get in, they can do a lot of damage for the next 5 years.

I have no doubts that the Conservatives have tried to implement a "scorched earth" policy on our public services like police, defence, education, health so that never again can pure, anarchic, free-market forces be interfered with. The LibDems have managed to mitigate this policy a little bit, but the prospect of a Conservative majority government for the next 5 years fills me with horror.

 

[Mr Jack]

I'm not talking about the past. If Labour get in, they can do a lot of damage for the next 5 years.

You said that under their rule the "country comes close to communism", this is complete and utter nonsense. Ed's Labour are not proposing a single policy that "comes close to communism".

As for damage, after the destruction wrought by the coalition, it's hard to imagine they can do worse.

 

[joeyjojo]

Which is why incomes need to be balanced greater & wealth needs to be taxed at a higher rate.

This is the simplest way to redistribute, but also probably the least popular.

Speaking of which, Osborne is likely to announce tomorrow a "giveaway" budget with less inheritance tax and a rise in the top rate tax bracket

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-31917096

 

[Freakbro]

Hold on..

2 Days ago it was reported....http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31892518

Chancellor George Osborne has promised "no giveaways, no gimmicks" in this week's Budget - but said he would further relax pension rules.

Now it's....http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-31917096

Osborne plans £6 Bn election giveaway

 

[Destination]

Yes, expect more and more sensationalist reporting in the coming fifty days.
They are talking about nothing but coalitions for the past two weeks, now they need something new.

 

[bloodiedathame]

I'd consider looking at Labour if Milliband wasn't the party leader. No idea if I agree with anything they are proposing, but he'd have to change first.

 

[scorza]

Hold on..

2 Days ago it was reported....http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31892518



Now it's....http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-31917096

No chancellor is going to say "Yes, my budget is full of gimmicks and giveaways" to be fair

I really thought the days of irresponsible pre-election giveaways were a thing of the past, of the dark days of the '80s and early '90s. Seems I was wrong, let's hope the British people can see through this, though I fear they won't especially with the right-wing Tory press on full cheerleader alert.

 

[Tunney]

I'm glad the chancellor is giving more to those who own expensive homes. They're just the people in society who need a little extra help. /s

 

[Mr Jack]

I really thought the days of irresponsible pre-election giveaways were a thing of the past, of the dark days of the '80s and early '90s. Seems I was wrong, let's hope the British people can see through this, though I fear they won't especially with the right-wing Tory press on full cheerleader alert.

I don't see how Osborne can engineer a give-away and still remain credible, his promises of tax cuts are already scuppering his own message. How can he simultaneously claim that the deficit is such a problem that it demands his wild austerity and yet, simultaneously, claim he has money for giveaways and tax cuts?

 

[scorza]

I don't see how Osborne can engineer a give-away and still remain credible, his promises of tax cuts are already scuppering his own message. How can he simultaneously claim that the deficit is such a problem that it demands his wild austerity and yet, simultaneously, claim he has money for giveaways and tax cuts?

Unfortunately we're now a nation of compassionless narcissists, the inevitable result of "no such thing as society".

"I deserve everything I have because I worked hard and for anyone less fortunate than myself, the solution is to work harder or go hang."

 

[Destination]

Unfortunately we're now a nation of compassionless narcissists, the inevitable result of "no such thing as society".

"I deserve everything I have because I worked hard and for anyone less fortunate than myself, the solution is to work harder or go hang."

Do you accept there is a type of person who rejects the free education thrown at them by caring not about it, and doing their damnest not to attend, pay attention or attempt to achieve?
Who rejects the free healthcare they are offered, and insists on doing nothing preventative of their own volition?
Should I care for these people? Do they matter to me or are they purely a burden?

 

[Castiel]

I'm a bit peeved at what I've read today about the sell off of certain NHS services. The money should be invested in the NHS, not given to private profit seeking firms to shore up services where the money should have gone to begin with. The NHS should be publicly run in its entirety and any money spent on health care should be done through the non-profit mechanism of the NHS.

 

[BunnyKillBot]

Do you accept there is a type of person who rejects the free education thrown at them by caring not about it, and doing their damnest not to attend, pay attention or attempt to achieve?
Who rejects the free healthcare they are offered, and insists on doing nothing preventative of their own volition?
Should I care for these people? Do they matter to me or are they purely a burden?

Switch and bait, strawman, insert other trolling-synonym here, but what the **** does that have to do with what he said?

 

[Destination]

Switch and bait, strawman, insert other trolling-synonym here, but what the **** does that have to do with what he said?

he said

"I deserve everything I have because I worked hard and for anyone less fortunate than myself, the solution is to work harder or go hang."

I said, some are not deserving of anything, do nothing to get it, and still get it. How is that so hard to see that some take and extrapolate one viewpoint into the one he is suggesting?
Hardly a strawman. It is factual reality, people get annoyed when those who do nothing, and try to do nothing, and never better themselves, get as much as those who are trying their hardest to climb out of poverty, and try to educate themselves, and try to give their offspring a better start in life.

 

[Tunney]

I'm a bit peeved at what I've read today about the sell off of certain NHS services. The money should be invested in the NHS, not given to private profit seeking firms to shore up services where the money should have gone to begin with. The NHS should be publicly run in its entirety and any money spent on health care should be done through the non-profit mechanism of the NHS.

That's the problem with all of these sell offs - the attractive, profitable bits are sold off, leaving the tax payer with an even bigger burden.

I think it's even more remarkable that private health care companies can simply hand back contracts that they find unprofitable. Surely the whole point of giving these contracts to the private sector is that the private sector takes on the risk.

 

[Uther]

I'm a bit peeved at what I've read today about the sell off of certain NHS services. The money should be invested in the NHS, not given to private profit seeking firms to shore up services where the money should have gone to begin with. The NHS should be publicly run in its entirety and any money spent on health care should be done through the non-profit mechanism of the NHS.

I can see a time in the not too distant future where you will pay to see a GP, as well as paying NI.

 

[scorza]

Do you accept there is a type of person who rejects the free education thrown at them by caring not about it, and doing their damnest not to attend, pay attention or attempt to achieve?
Who rejects the free healthcare they are offered, and insists on doing nothing preventative of their own volition?
Should I care for these people? Do they matter to me or are they purely a burden?

My view is that because these people live in the same society as you and I, then yes we should care about them because the consequences of their actions can affect the quality of life for lots of other people. These troubled and troublesome people are the way they are for a reason, they often need help and support to break the cycle of depravation. Who should deliver this support? A combination of the state, charities and individuals or as I like to think of it - society.

 

[wordy]

Unfortunately we're now a nation of compassionless narcissists, the inevitable result of "no such thing as society".

"I deserve everything I have because I worked hard and for anyone less fortunate than myself, the solution is to work harder or go hang."

I'm a bit peeved at what I've read today about the sell off of certain NHS services. The money should be invested in the NHS, not given to private profit seeking firms to shore up services where the money should have gone to begin with. The NHS should be publicly run in its entirety and any money spent on health care should be done through the non-profit mechanism of the NHS.

Tories gonna tory.