UK Election

[Shane_Bos]

I know not everyone will know much about the subject, epecially all you from around the world and not over here on our impossibly small island. But, i wondered what everyone thought about the election coming up on the 5th of May.

Personally, im still for Labour as i think theyve done a great job in the many years theyve been in power (especially with the economy) and they dont lie (much). I mean, they havnt promised tax cuts or any bullshit like that, theyve said taxes may even go up to increase spending on other things.

I dont know if you watched Michael Howard speak but he said Labour will waste the money of the proposed increse in taxes. How the fuck does he know?! He says he will lower taxes but make the NHS and the education system better while lowering our balance of payments! How?!

I know there isnt much to pick between the two as although in the past, they were both extreme parties with conservtives striving for competition and supporting the middle class and with labour wanting everything state run and supporting the working class. But now, they seem to have kind of reached a comprimise in the middle so it is hard to decide.

Although i believe in some of what the Lib Dems have to say, i think itll be a waste of a vote as they still arent up there with the main two parties but..... Whos going to win?!

[BIGOKE]

I've been watching a bit from SA on Sky. I suppose Labour has the upper hand, but that shit with Iraq didn't do them any favours. Still lots of bitterness about that. Both Blair and Bush still red faced after not finding WMD in Iraq. But Bush won anyway so maybe not a big factor. The Torys tax cuts will come at the expense of something else. It has to work that way. Your tax rates and interest rates are so low that adding a % here or there isn't exactly going to bankrupt the masses. So long as they use the rvenue for good and not wars and shit. In SA tax is the main source of income loss to the average man. Yet we survive and our election doesn't get fought on that basis. I think track records shouldplay a bigger role rather than issues. Overall I think Labour has done a good enough job to stay in. By the way, our President is only allowed 2 terms, what about you guys?

[Spike]

.... Michael Howard speak but he said Labour will waste the money of the proposed increse in taxes. How the fuck does he know?! He says he will lower taxes but make the NHS and the education system better while lowering our balance of payments! How?!

Because Labour traditionally wastes money. The number of pen-pushers has risen by about 600,000 since 1997. The NHS is the world's largest employer after the Indian railways but most people in the NHS aren't nurses or doctors but accountants and managers. When politicians talk about increase spending on health, we think more nurses and doctors, but they end up employing more pen pushers. Same with the police and education and a 1000 other quangos. There'a far too many people getting paid to do fuck all all day long.

My first job was with a government agency and the greatest skill anybody needed was to make 10 minutes worth of work last all day.

Why Howard just doesn't say "most government employees are a lazy bunch of wankers and need sacking, therefore releasing £100bn to be spent on real working people", I don't know.

But the Tory's are still whinging about the EU and the Euro - so fuck them. The faster we get rid of the Pound, the better.

And that ginger haired Scots git isn't going to be in No 10 any day soon.

So it looks like the grinning fool is going to get another 4 years. Thank God it isn't fatty Prescott at the helm - everything he touches turns to shit.

[Matt]

:lol: ...

Sorry but I can't forgive Blair for the war. I'll be voting Conservative.

[ArTee63]

Sounds like you guys enjoy your politics as much as we do over here. :lol:

[zwmusic]

Personally, im still for Labour as i think theyve done a great job in the many years theyve been in power (especially with the economy) and they dont lie (much). I mean, they havnt promised tax cuts or any bullshit like that, theyve said taxes may even go up to increase spending on other things.

I dont know if you watched Michael Howard speak but he said Labour will waste the money of the proposed increse in taxes. How the fuck does he know?! He says he will lower taxes but make the NHS and the education system better while lowering our balance of payments! How?!

I don't vote yet but I would definitely vote Labour. Entering the war was indeed a mistake, but the whole international community vowed the war was legitimate. It's very easy to attack Blair now for failing to find out about the non-existence of weapons of mass destruction in the first place. Lack of intelligentsia? Well, in this case the whole world had a brain lapse at the time. Why Blair is the one to be blamed? Too shallow to affirm that really. He was acting in accordance to the position of the majority of all countries involved and under a tremendous preassure from the international community, not only USA. The same community which now back off just as they realized it was a shoot in the dark. I genuinely believe he wasn't expecting such incompetence from the secret service.

I did watch it and my conclusion is: I don't trust Michael Howard one bit.

[Godma]

:lol: ...

Sorry but I can't forgive Blair for the war. I'll be voting Conservative.

Conservative?!

You're joking, right?

[Shane_Bos]

I dont think the war was a good thing but i repect Blair for it. All his political career hes been acting according to what people want, thats what labour stands for but for him to go against the masses means he actually believed in what he was doing which i think is hard to find in most politicians- the courage to act on your own beliefs.

As for getting rid of the pound.. Are you nuts? You want to hand economic control to a bunch of Europeans who will have to take over 20 countries economic status into consideration before deciding what to do? We have a great economy here with low inflation, low unemployment etc which the rest of Europe lacks, how can the EU governers make decisions beneficial to the UK when thinking about these other 'less well off' countries. Also, doesnt that take away the decisions of the government 'we' elected? It seems to defeat the purpose of the election to me. Not to sound snobbish but the UK is too strong for the Euro and this is the main factor.

[wern]

Sounds like you guys enjoy your politics as much as we do over here. :lol:

:lol:
What was your voter turnout btw??

[Matt]

I'm not joking and yes I will be voting Conservative.

Euro is shit... Keep the pound baby!

[wern]

You want to keep the pound so you can still make all those "I have 10 pounds in my pocket" jokes, innit

[Katsz]

Euro is shit... Keep the pound baby!
And they're both beating the hell out of the dollar. :x

[Matt]

I used to be all for the Euro, and all for the European Union. However, as time goes on I am less so.

I think as a trading block, free movement of land, labour and capital is a GREAT idea. In this sense the European Union can only be a powerful good thing. But surrendering control of our interest rates and other economic factors plus allowing European law to have precedence over ours is a step a little too far.

As the tories said it last time around, in Europe, not run by Europe. Couldn't say it better myself.

[zwmusic]

I just hope this EU won't turn into a freaking mess.

[Beefeater]

It just seems everyone is voting conservative...

In the US, Bush.

Soon to be, in Canada, Harper, damn that git.

In the UK, Matt is voting for the torries leader, Mike Howard.

Even the Pope is a bloody conservative.

[soserious]

i dont want to vote for any of them, not a damn one.
my biggest issue right now is ID cards. i hate if that came true, i dont need r want a frikkin id card.
"those who trade freedom for security deserve neither" or something as the quote goes..i had my way, id go where i felt right, build my own home/s, catch and kill my own food, protect myself and teach my kids.

we survived for hundreds of thousands of years without government, council, or police, or the "technology" we have.
sure if it were really like that everywhere then idve died at about age 5.
i dont have answers, i just hate any damn fu##er who dares try to bully or control me by way of brainwashing and intimidation.
ANARCHY 99!
lol

HOOYA!!

[ArTee63]

:lol:
What was your voter turnout btw??

Approx. 120,200,000 votes cast. That's about a 59.6% turnout.

[soserious]

is this largely voter apathy do you think?
thats a big "missing" percent huh!

[Ed]

Not being a brit I was astounded that Blair chose to support the Iraq war. It didn't seem in keeping with his "labour" politics at all. In fact, it was so out of character, I've always just assumed that he was being blackmailed by the CIA. No respect for Blair, he obviously sold out.

Of course, I come from Canada and there is not one politician I can honestly say that I respect. The system wears them down and they become useless, self-serving mouthpieces for industry.

[soserious]

yeah, f##k politics anyway.
i think voter apathy is more to do with peoples disgust with lies, lies and more damn lies!

on Blair, the feeling in uk is that hes out for more personal gain in terms of like history or something, he was always focusing on issues abroad when he was needed to get hes ass back to UK and deal with our homegrown problems and issues.