____twoism

Less than 6 weeks to go now...

Did anyone see the (not really a) debate with Cameron & Milliband last night?

I thought Ed came across really well - as he is doing increasingly I think. What really struck me was the horrendous bias of both presenters: Paxman's personal and outright bizarre questions for Ed - stuff about his brother, could he wins fight with Putin? Calling him a "North London Geek" (served with a side order of implied racism), the "how many people should live in the UK?" Question. Kay Burley's interruptions and shoving her own opinions in was shocking compared with the simpering towards Cameron.

Ed was constantly made to apologise for the previous government's mistakes while Cameron was able to gloss over the fuck-ups of his current government.

Kay Burley is the living embodiment of everything that's wrong with this country and humanity as a whole. A truly awful person.

It was truly awful with an obvious hand picked Tory audience, who only came alive when questioning Ed. I think though the whole bullying Ed for his looks. mannerisms and persona is in someway doing him a favor, the undecided are getting fed-up with the constant Tory bullying gutter style political campaign, I for one am. No wonder Cameron is trying to get out of doing these debates, he was awful.

Cameron shoe-horning in a reference to his son any time the NHS is mentioned makes my blood run absolutely cold. Notice when asked about private provision in the NHS he mentioned 2 external providers: Marie Curie & MacMillan Cancer care. 2 charities. No mention of the more sinister likes of Serco. The prick.

If that lot get in again, we're fucked.

Ed has my vote; no doubt about it.

Agreed. Can't stand the Tory elite, time for a change. Us Celts will fuck it up for them hopefully.

Did anyone notice in the programme's end credits that Paxo's mic was left on long enough for us to hear him say 'Are you OK Ed?', like he needed comforting....deliberate? Probably not on Paxo's part, but as a final wee reminder of Miliband's 'weakness'? Worth remembering that it was partly a Sky broadcast.

I don't think either of them come off well, ever. And that is regardless of the relentless milliband character assassination.

I am tempted to vote Green but it isn't the most tactical vote ever really. Will probably end up going for Labour, only slightly better than the tories these days.

:'D

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... in-parties

Apparently after the 7 way debate there was a spike in Google searches for "can I vote SNP if I live in England?"

It's great that the rise in political engagement in Scotland has kept going after the independence vote.
I suspect that a lot of folk who maybe wouldn't have gone as far as vote for independence still yearn for an alternative to the neoliberal status quo and will vote SNP. Unfortunately the rest of the UK doesn't have a similar credible option.

I always voted labour they seemed to be the only ones able to oust the Tories.

From now on I will only vote SNP I have no time for Milliband after he sided with Cameron and corporal clegg and told the Scottish people to vote No.
The Vote has changed up here, there will be a marked difference and Milliband is the One who will suffer for it.
And the same goes for David Bowie "don't leave us Scotland" whimper! - Only joking... ...Or am I ?

MrMessiah wrote:Apparently after the 7 way debate there was a spike in Google searches for "can I vote SNP if I live in England?"

hah, NOW they get it...

noisy wrote:I always voted labour they seemed to be the only ones able to oust the Tories.

From now on I will only vote SNP I have no time for Milliband after he sided with Cameron and corporal clegg and told the Scottish people to vote No.
The Vote has changed up here, there will be a marked difference and Milliband is the One who will suffer for it.
And the same goes for David Bowie "don't leave us Scotland" whimper! - Only joking... ...Or am I ?

much the same, and you're not alone there. it isn't even as simple as a retaliation for the better together thing though, its a whole series of realisations... as people became more engaged with politics up here and started actually *listening* to scottish labour, looking at their voting record, scrutinising their time in government as part of research for their referendum vote... i think it became more and more apparently that they have not been acting in scotland's interests for quite some time.

The thing that is *really* bothering me is the disconnect between Scottish Labour and the Westminster Labour Party. I'm a Labour supporter, will be voting for them on May & genuinely think Ed M is a decent ban who will make a good PM. The Labour Party of today feels very different to the new Labour years, with - I think - enough MPs looking further to the left. Ed M being one of them.

And then you look at Scottish Labour and you see an absolute basket case of an organisation. If there was a Holyrood election tomorrow I would vote SNP.

But for me the main goal of anyone of a left/progessive* mindset should be to dump the current govt. So that means a vote for Labour for me.

(* - note: a few years ago I would have used the phrase "left/liberal". No more.)

I would be quite happy with a Labour/SNP coalition. Ideally we'd swap Nicola for Alex though - I've got a lot of time for her. Salmond, less so.

Scottish Labour are going about peddling this lie that the biggest party will form the government, and that a vote for the SNP will jeopardise the ability of Labour to form a government, but it's such a stupidly obvious lie that it's so fucking annoying that none of the media have actually seriously challenged them on it.

The best way I've heard it explained is that, since the SNP will only vote for a Labour government, voters changing from Labour to SNP does not affect the balance of power at all -- simplified example:

England, Wales, NI sends back 50 Labour MPs. Scotland sends back 5 Labour MPs. 55 votes for Labour to form a government.
England, Wales, NI send back 50 Labour MPs. Scotland sends back 1 Labour MP and 4 SNP MPs. 55 votes for Labour to form a government.

As long as Labour don't lose any seats to people who will vote AGAINST a Labour government (lib dem, conservative) then voting SNP is the only option that will get you an MP in Westminster who will vote for the only sane Prime Minister choice (and I happen to think Miliband is at least competent and intelligent even if he is a goof), but NOT tie you to MPs who have to vote in line with the increasingly right-wing, neo-liberal Labour Party whip.

tl;dr The more MPs sent to Westminster who will vote for the interests of the people they represent and not the government in power, the better.

Ha ha Boris what a dick

That's an insult to dicks everywhere

Today's the day, folks.

Vote. Vote like your life depends on it. Because for some people it will.

Done. Get it sorted folks.

Got my vote in for Caroline Lucas, briefly saw her today on the Green's bus scooting around Brighton. I hope she maintains her seat, I think she is fantastic. Hopefully Greens make gains in Bristol too, and ideally, everywhere. Left unity!