U.K. Politics: Boris Johnson referred to police (AGAIN) over potential Covid rule breaches

[Wayne]

There's no excuse for the rise in people relying on food banks under the coalition. It's one of their many failures.

Let's not play the semantics game - there's no reason that food banks should exist in the first place, in a country as rich as ours. And regardless of size, food banks were borne under a Labour government.

[cidermaster]

One thing is for sure it is going to be the most exciting UK General Election in decades!

[oasisbobo]

One thing is for sure it is going to be the most exciting UK General Election in decades!

I can agree with you there. For once Scotland will make a difference.

[4warduntodawn]

Can't wait for the leaders debate later..

[oasisbobo]

Can't wait for the leaders debate later..

Me too. It should be interesting but I know I will just get very frustrated at the lack of questions being answered.

[Madgefan]

Can't wait for the leaders debate later..

Me too. It should be interesting but I know I will just get very frustrated at the lack of questions being answered.

It was as lifeless as I expected but then nothing was going to sway my vote anyway. Hell would freeze over before I voted Conservative.

[Wayne]

David Cameron came across as indifferent last night - very little passion.

Ed Miliband was, as per, an annoying runt. The bit where he said "my son was born in a tier 5 hospital and it was falling down but you're right about privatization" or something - it was like a blow-for-blow with Cameron who mentioned his disabled son - no reason to mention his son whatsoever, he did it because Cameron did.

I thought Natalie Bennett came across very well and I felt as though I'd learned something hearing her speak, and annoyingly - Nigel Farage came across as leveled and very clear on UKIPs policy [well up until the health tourism piece at least].

Clegg was a waste of space, and Leanne Wood just came across as single-issue [much like the SNP leader] - and that's fine, but doesn't influence me at all.

Both Cameron and Miliband need their heads banging together.

[SholasBoy]

After watching the debate I'm very much in limbo. In my lifetime I've always voted either labour or lib Dems, but theyre the least likely two to get my vote this time.

Sturgeon actually came across the best Imo, but as I cant vote SNP I feel left with ukip or conservative.

Selfishly I wish I knew what their stance on gay issues is, but I do know that a lot has been done for the better for gay people in the current parliament

[oasisbobo]

More than 2,000 people have joined the Scottish National Party (SNP) in the wake of the leaders’ debate.

Leader Nicola Sturgeon was hailed the winner of the seven-party clash in one poll, although averages of four surveys later put her in a close fourth place two points behind joint winners Ed Miliband and David Cameron, and one behind Nigel Farage.

Her performance topped the social media battle, with Twitter analysis showing she was mentioned more than 113,000 times during the live debate and that the overwhelming majority of tweets were positive

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 54402.html

This makes great reading to me. Glad to see those figures.

[Madgefan]

After watching the debate I'm very much in limbo. In my lifetime I've always voted either labour or lib Dems, but theyre the least likely two to get my vote this time.

Sturgeon actually came across the best Imo, but as I cant vote SNP I feel left with ukip or conservative.

Selfishly I wish I knew what their stance on gay issues is, but I do know that a lot has been done for the better for gay people in the current parliament

Well, one good thing I will acknowledge David Cameron did is personally pushing for Gay marriage despite strong opposition in his own party. As for UKIP, many of their candidates, let alone members, have distinctly anti-gay opinions, remember gay marriage causing last years floods according to one in their party? I wouldn't touch them with a bargepole. They're pretty much a one issue party anyway, anti-EU, anti immigration.

[Graham76man]

The UK is not the USA. We don't vote for Leaders of Parties, the parties do. If you are put off voting for a party due to it's leaders debate on a TV show, then you don't really understand politics in the UK at all.
Since only the people in the place where the party leader stands, which for the biggest parties is a selected "safe" seat, can vote for them, you should either look at the party manifesto or see who is standing in your own area. For it is one of those that you will vote for. It will also be that person who will represent you in Parliament. You might also need their help if you get into a spot of bother with the party policy implications. I suggest you look up your local candidates for your area you vote in. See how they fair and what they stand for. Many have been around for ages. So you can see what they have done in the past. It might persuade you to vote for them or not.

[Blondini]

A bit shocked to see the Tories in the lead so far on here. Didn't think UKMix was a conservative site (though i wouldn't call it progressive lately, either).

I'm going Green (cause i'm angry!) after getting sick of first Labour morphing into Conservatives several years ago and then Liberals having no chance in hell and no trust with Clegg in charge. In the debate (and also the Free Speech programmes on BBC3) the women all came across the best but obviously i can't vote SNP or PC (and i'm worried about Scotland leaving us anyway if SNP got in in any way by means of coalition). Miliband has come across well too in Free Speech / ITV Debate and his Absolute Radio interview - but there are still elements of his party pandering to anti-immigrant racist views and demonising the unemployed. Labour used to represent me as a working class person - now they're saying they don't represent the unemployed like me - just because i'm unemployed doesn't mean i'm suddenly not working class. These unfair sanctions on people are literally killing us - that pregnant woman on Dispatches who developed an actual stress-related illness because her benefits were cut unfairly. Her child could have been born disabled because of the government. The government has become Big Brother by demonising the poor, the disabled, the disadvantaged, the immigrants who actually benefit our economy way more than they take from it.

When food bank "heroine" Jack Monroe jumped from Labour to Greens that sealed it for me. It's not that the environment is a major issue for me but they offer all that the Liberals used to offer so it was only natural i jumped myself cause as much as i feel for him i can't trust in Clegg and his falling "empire".

Farage's HIV comment should have sunk him for good. Idiot. And now he's daring to use Monty Python in his pooh-sh*t-ical broadcast.

[Blondini]

The Greens were on a roll, but I think Natalie Portman's fluff up will have really damaged them. I've always prefered Caroline Lucas. My problem with the Greens is I like most of their policies except their policies on the environment which is pretty ironic

Just saw this!

Ha!

Also running:
Al Murray and FKUP (baiting Farage with a parody). Bez from Happy Mondays and his We Are The Reality Party. http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=2684 (check the date)

[Wayne]

The UK is not the USA. We don't vote for Leaders of Parties, the parties do. If you are put off voting for a party due to it's leaders debate on a TV show, then you don't really understand politics in the UK at all.

Politics is a cosmetic battle, as much as it is a battle of views - and that's been the case in the UK since Thatcher took office.

I have to say that I am still very much voting for The Conservatives; however, having watched the debate, I am very much intrigued by The Greens.

[SholasBoy]

The UK is not the USA. We don't vote for Leaders of Parties, the parties do. If you are put off voting for a party due to it's leaders debate on a TV show, then you don't really understand politics in the UK at all.

I completely understand that we are voting for our local MP's, but I still think it's important to bear in mind who will be running the country.

[MadeOfBricks]

That leaders debate was the first thing I've truly paid attention to with regards to politics. I feel with this election that it's the first time I've been compelled to vote but after that broadcast I don't know who far. In terms of what was said, I know my vote isn't going conservative or labour, neither of their policies speak to me as a 24 year old, not particularly well off, graduate. I think Clegg actually came across quite well but they had my vote last time as I was a student however for obvious reasons the lib dems no longer hold my trust. Farage, I think, did the best job of putting across his party policy however fundamentally, working as a recruitment consultant and as a homosexual male, some of the UKIP policies are so far away from what I agree with, his performance doesn't matter. That leaves me with the Green Party - I wasn't impressed with what I saw and I feel that a vote for them would be a) wasted and b) just a vote for the lesser of all the evils. Is this actually what politics is about?!

[Wayne]

For this election, I think it's important to understand that...

• It is highly unlikely that we will get a majority government - therefore, a minority government or most likely a coalition [as a result of a hung parliament] will govern.[/*:m:3lgf5c2w]
• Due to the above, it is widely expected that a vote for Miliband [Labour] is a vote for the SNP - as Labour will almost certainly enter into a coalition. If the SNP get into power, then the term agenda [in my view, for my personal circumstances] takes an ugly turn, and we are dogged down by the Scottish agenda. If the SNP do get into power, I sincerely hope that we see a further devolution of powers.[/*:m:3lgf5c2w]
• A vote for the Greens is a smart vote in my view - this is the most uninteresting election I can recall, the most positive outcome of which is the least likely outcome [a majority, single part rule - Conservative would be best, for me]. Therefore, the smaller parties will probably do quite well, if only due to the British public's alienation with the three main parties. Any progress for the Greens will be positive and mean that the next 5 years can be used to build a more comprehensive party plan [and possibly gain a more charismatic leader!][/*:m:3lgf5c2w]
• This is the only hurrah UKIP will get in my view - and I do think they'll underperform.[/*:m:3lgf5c2w]

The idea of a Miliband-led government is absolutely cringe-inducing.

[Plym]

"dogged down by the scottish agenda"...

[SholasBoy]

Ps I hate when people get all pompous about whether they know more about politics than another person or not, its no wonder so many people lose interest and refuse to vote.

[Wayne]

"dogged down by the scottish agenda"...

I knew that would piss you off.

Ps I hate when people get all pompous about whether they know more about politics than another person or not, its no wonder so many people lose interest and refuse to vote.

I appreciate that that's how it might've come across, but that wasn't how I meant it to.

[Madgefan]

Wayne, you do realise that the Green Party will support Labour just as much as the SNP and Plaid Cymru. All those parties are very much on the left of British politics therefore they have much in common despite the obvious differences such as the SNP fighting for Scottish independence. Nicola Sturgeon gave a great performance and as an English voter the idea of a Labour government aided by a coalition of the smaller parties now seems the best option to me. The alternative, the possibility of a Conservative government propped up by some deal with UKIP, terrifies me. The most vulnerable in society have been shamelessly targetted by the current government and I could only see this worsening if this country shifts any further to the right.

[Wayne]

Wayne, you do realise that the Green Party will support Labour just as much as the SNP and Plaid Cymru. All those parties are very much on the left of British politics therefore they have much in common despite the obvious differences such as the SNP fighting for Scottish independence. Nicola Sturgeon gave a great performance and as an English voter the idea of a Labour government aided by a coalition of the smaller parties now seems the best option to me. The alternative, the possibility of a Conservative government propped up by some deal with UKIP, terrifies me. The most vulnerable in society have been shamelessly targetted by the current government and I could only see this worsening if this country shifts any further to the right.

I don't think a Conservative-UKIP coalition is on the cards - the Conservatives currently won't gain enough seats to form a coalition with UKIP. Unless we get a majority, it is a near certainty in my view that the SNP will be in power, they hold the balance needed to creep over the magic 326 mark.

[Plym]

"dogged down by the scottish agenda"...

I knew that would piss you off.

[SholasBoy]

I appreciate that that's how it might've come across, but that wasn't how I meant it to.

I wasn't talkng about you dear ;)

I found your post quite helpful actually

[Graham76man]

I liked and agree about what Tony said about the poor and benefits.

If the Tories get in they will take about 12 Billion out of the welfare budget and give it to the rich presumably :evil:
I was watching that Channel Four drama about the collation being formed 5 years ago. The hope from that was that we would get rid of the election system that can give massive majorities from a party with less than 50% of the total vote. The Lib-dems at the time wanted that more than anything. But it was a wiped off the agenda and you don't hear about it much now.
I dread that one of the major parties will get a working majority when they will get about 40% of the vote. For they can push forward extreme plans that can have impact on those who are marginalised in our society. Often these plans are done in such a way that don't alienate powerful groups of voters. For example when the bedroom tax was introduced they removed all pensioners from it. That's how these Governments get away with cutting benefits. They avoid measures which would see huge protests about. They often fudge issues like this.
Like elections of the past few years it will be decided by pensioners votes. One thing is for certain they won't be cutting winter fuel payments to the pensioners to save 12 billion. Even if some of the pensioners that get them have the odd million or so in the bank.