Oh Gordon.... :mellow:

 

I thought David Cameron was going to be the one committing political suicide this general election, how wrong was I! :P

I have a hard time believing that nothing events like Gordon's slip up actually make any difference to voters.

I have a hard time believing that nothing events like Gordon's slip up actually make any difference to voters.

Same. It gives the news something to stretch out and report on for today though. Still won't be voting Labour regardless. :mellow:

Oh Gordon.... :mellow:

I am very disappoint :(

 

I just hope this won't make too big of a difference. God knows the Tory papers will be ALL over it. :rolleyes:

I find this "slip" interesting because all of the comments I have seen on FB and this board have been positive (admittedly a small and biased sample of young people). Lots of people saying things like "I'd say the same thing" and "people are allowed to get annoyed". Gordon clearly wasn't going to be winning any Tory voters over anyway, so this slur on right-wing people who dislike immigrants might play well to his party's base, and they're the people he needs to consolidate to stop this turning into a disaster for Labour.

 

I will be interested to see how the polls react to this.

 

Unfortunately for Gordon it probably means that his political career is over. Even a Lib Dem + Labour coalition is likely to insist that Gordon steps down.

Couldn't help but laugh/cry at the Daily Mail front page today, something like:

 

"Pensioner demonised by bully Brown for mentioning the 'I-Word"

 

So predictable, and pathetic.

3rd and final debate is on now on BBC 1 & BBC HD

I have to say I thought Gordon Brown did really well tonight, I sincerely hope his slip up yesterday doesn't have a major impact on the way the results pan out.

Labour just sent my dad something in the mail today...

 

I know my dad's part of the Christian Social movement, but I didn't realize that he actually gets something from the British Labour Party... :unsure: He didn't even know.

 

Anyway, I'm going to read this letter and see what it's all about.

 

EDIT: It's the Christian Socialist Movement.

 

Why the hell was it marked "Labour Party" though? It's even postmarked from London, Great Britain.

I saw The Sun newspaper today, with their fantastic use of puns and wordplay; "Lady goes out for a loaf, comes back with Brown Toast"

Cameron clearly won that debate because of the Lib-Dem position on immigration. Their position is more or less my position, but it's not a position that's popular. Most people are nationalists, no matter what the facts of the matter are. Clegg edged out early, but had a hard time defending their position on immigration.

Cameron clearly won that debate because of the Lib-Dem position on immigration. Their position is more or less my position, but it's not a position that's popular. Most people are nationalists, no matter what the facts of the matter are. Clegg edged out early, but had a hard time defending their position on immigration.

 

The Lib Dem position on immigration definitely makes the most sense, to me at least. In fact, the Lib Dems in general do. Labour were good, but they've had their time in my opinion, they've had their chance and the voters won't want them back in, even though I thought Gordon Brown gave the strongest performance last night, with Cameron and Clegg on equal footing, although I think Cameron would've appealed more to the country as a whole last night.

Gordon Brown put up a strong offensive on Cameron, attacking him consistently, but I think that was the wrong tactic. Yes, he needed to highlight the negatives of the Tory policy, and to mention the ridiculous inheritance tax cut, but, I hate agreeing with Cameron, he was... how can I put it, scaremongering a bit.

Cameron I think would destroy the UK's economy, his emergency budget, if he gets into power, will, to what I make of it, put us back into a double dip recession. Labour makes the most sense to me economically, but I simply don't trust them, as I feel that the Lib Dems couldn't be trusted with power at the moment.

But seeing as I can't vote yet, I suppose I shouldn't read into all their policies so much. But politics really interests me, and I believe that the Conservatives, would once again "destroy" England. It may be to do with my upbringing from quite a stubborn Labour/Lib Dem family, but I simply don't like their policies, or Cameron. Cameron is slimey. If I could vote, I'd go Lib Dem, despite being in a Conservative stronghold. I hate hearing people on the news saying their vote doesn't matter, but it does. Every vote matters.

Also, does anyone know which, if any, of the main parties have any plans to reduce the voting age to 16?

The Guardian endorses the Lib Dems, usually they support Labour. The Guardian is one of my favorite papers, tied with the Financial Times, Haaretz and Dawn:

 

Citizens have votes. Newspapers do not. However, if the Guardian had a vote in the 2010 general election it would be cast enthusiastically for the Liberal Democrats. It would be cast in the knowledge that not all the consequences are predictable, and that some in particular should be avoided. The vote would be cast with some important reservations and frustrations. Yet it would be cast for one great reason of principle above all.

 

After the campaign that the Liberal Democrats have waged over this past month, for which considerable personal credit goes to Nick Clegg, the election presents the British people with a huge opportunity: the reform of the electoral system itself. Though Labour has enjoyed a deathbed conversion to aspects of the cause of reform, it is the Liberal Democrats who have most consistently argued that cause in the round and who, after the exhaustion of the old politics, reflect and lead an overwhelming national mood for real change.

 

Proportional representation – while not a panacea – would at last give this country what it has lacked for so long: a parliament that is a true mirror of this pluralist nation, not an increasingly unrepresentative two-party distortion of it. The Guardian has supported proportional representation for more than a century. In all that time there has never been a better opportunity than now to put this subject firmly among the nation's priorities. Only the Liberal Democrats grasp this fully, and only they can be trusted to keep up the pressure to deliver, though others in all parties, large and small, do and should support the cause. That has been true in past elections too, of course. But this time is different. The conjuncture in 2010 of a Labour party that has lost so much public confidence and a Conservative party that has not yet won it has enabled Mr Clegg to take his party close to the threshold of real influence for the first time in nearly 90 years.

 

This time – with the important caveat set out below – the more people who vote Liberal Democrat on 6 May, the greater the chance that this will be Britain's last general election under a first-past-the-post electoral system which is wholly unsuited to the political needs of a grown-up 21st-century democracy.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/30/the-liberal-moment-has-come

The Guardian is the family paper in my house, none other is bought ^^ We rely on it to pass by the Saturday mornings ;) It's just sensible and makes sense.

What's the Lib Dem position on immigration?

I believe they want a regional system where people can only go to the areas where they are needed. Eg an area that needs more plumbers will have immigrant workers that can do that skill come there. I believe they said this will be regulated through having a work permit. An employer can only employ someone who is permitted to work in that area, and there would be fines ect if they employed someone who has been given a work permit for other areas.

 

Nick Clegg and David Cameron were arguing about the Liberal's policy on illegal immigrants at the last debate. So I don't entirely understand it, but I think they want to target criminal gangs getting people in and allowing illegal immigrants the chance to become legal and do penance, so to speak, for being illegal. Though community service and stuff. I'm not too sure though.

Yeah the basis of liberal is:

Labour say let skilled in, but they overcrowd palces.

Tory says cap it at set limit, but tht culd be iffy.

 

Lib Dems say immigrants will be let in to a specific region where they r needed. So if norfolk has a Doctor shortage they will let dr immigrants into norfolk.

From what I gather on the illegal thing they want to rather than going boo u came her illegally because some gangsta forced u to smuggle drugs or w/e u go to jail. They will say well yes it was illegal, but you didn't really have a choice when its do this or we kill ur family. As long as u get a job and do community service we shall let u stay

The Liberal policy makes sense. From what I have heard, the Labour immigration policy has just led to overpopulation in some areas (specifically SE England). From my perspective, it doesn't make sense to have an Open Door policy for an island anyway.

The Liberal policy makes sense. From what I have heard, the Labour immigration policy has just led to overpopulation in some areas (specifically SE England). From my perspective, it doesn't make sense to have an Open Door policy for an island anyway.

 

Well, one of the major flaws of the Tory's cap is that 80% (I think that's what Clegg said) of Britain's immigration is from the EU, and therefore we MUST accept that 80%. So Cameron's cap will not even affect 3/4 immigrants coming in to Britain, however Clegg will try to spread out the current immigrants and future immigrants via regional system, whislt also tightening border control to stop more illegals.

The Liberal policy makes sense. From what I have heard, the Labour immigration policy has just led to overpopulation in some areas (specifically SE England). From my perspective, it doesn't make sense to have an Open Door policy for an island anyway.

 

Well, one of the major flaws of the Tory's cap is that 80% (I think that's what Clegg said) of Britain's immigration is from the EU, and therefore we MUST accept that 80%. So Cameron's cap will not even affect 3/4 immigrants coming in to Britain, however Clegg will try to spread out the current immigrants and future immigrants via regional system, whislt also tightening border control to stop more illegals.

 

Well, couldn't you guys just pull out of the EU? I honestly don't see what the benefit of the European Union is to the United Kingdom anyway. They just want to mix every culture together into one 'European' identity. It's better for you guys to pull out why you can and maintain your sovereignty... and your dignity.

The Liberal policy makes sense. From what I have heard, the Labour immigration policy has just led to overpopulation in some areas (specifically SE England). From my perspective, it doesn't make sense to have an Open Door policy for an island anyway.

 

Well, one of the major flaws of the Tory's cap is that 80% (I think that's what Clegg said) of Britain's immigration is from the EU, and therefore we MUST accept that 80%. So Cameron's cap will not even affect 3/4 immigrants coming in to Britain, however Clegg will try to spread out the current immigrants and future immigrants via regional system, whislt also tightening border control to stop more illegals.

 

Well, couldn't you guys just pull out of the EU? I honestly don't see what the benefit of the European Union is to the United Kingdom anyway. They just want to mix every culture together into one 'European' identity. It's better for you guys to pull out why you can and maintain your sovereignty... and your dignity.

 

I think alot of Brits would like to pull out of the EU, but it does have its benefits (not th i can recall ne)

 

But wasn't the EU our idea to begin with?

The same way we came up with the Euro then said nah were gonna stick the with pound

The Liberal policy makes sense. From what I have heard, the Labour immigration policy has just led to overpopulation in some areas (specifically SE England). From my perspective, it doesn't make sense to have an Open Door policy for an island anyway.

 

Well, one of the major flaws of the Tory's cap is that 80% (I think that's what Clegg said) of Britain's immigration is from the EU, and therefore we MUST accept that 80%. So Cameron's cap will not even affect 3/4 immigrants coming in to Britain, however Clegg will try to spread out the current immigrants and future immigrants via regional system, whislt also tightening border control to stop more illegals.

 

Well, couldn't you guys just pull out of the EU? I honestly don't see what the benefit of the European Union is to the United Kingdom anyway. They just want to mix every culture together into one 'European' identity. It's better for you guys to pull out why you can and maintain your sovereignty... and your dignity.

 

http://library.thinkquest.org/19110/english/advantag/advantag.html

A brief, fairly good outline of the advantages and disadvantages of being a member of the EU. I personally think it's worth it, and is in the government's best interests. Anyway, none of the main 3 parties are for withdrawing, the Tories are probably the most critical of the EU, following truely in Thatcher's footsteps. But the problem with complete anti-EU parties, such as UKIP is that they have unreasonable policies in other areas and would most likely destroy the country, through lack of experience and bad policies. We are pretty much staying in the EU as far as I can see, and I agree with that, as do most people I know. Then again, the people I know hardly represent Britain very well. ;)

Pulling out of the European Union would be foolish. Getting rid of the euro currency, however, could be a good idea. That's one problem with Clegg's eurocentrism: he wants the UK to adopt the euro. Most of Spain's problems right now are because of the lack of control over currency.

Pulling out of the European Union would be foolish. Getting rid of the euro currency, however, could be a good idea. That's one problem with Clegg's eurocentrism: he wants the UK to adopt the euro. Most of Spain's problems right now are because of the lack of control over currency.

 

He actually said he wants to hold a referendum on it when it would benefit our economy to change to it, and I think he might have withdrawn that now. I'm not sure...

Well, I think some aspects of the EEC/EU are great, such as the fact that it makes another great European war unlikely, but I believe that it should remain more of a loose association in which nations cooperate rather than a political and economic union. (I know the EU isn't a political union yet, but it certainly seems to be heading in that direction...)