The 2015 General Election Megathread

[deesidejambo]

As a responsible citizen, shouldn't you be informing the authorities of this fraud rather than condoning it?  

I dont bloody condone it.  I said I was pissed-off about it!   And given that it hasn't yet happened (unless of course Lab/SNP get in) then there is nothing to report!    Maybe you and I shoud vote Tory to stop it?  Only kidding.  Anne Begg is the one for me.

[aussieh]

No worries. I think the plan is for him and his mates to rent flats individually once the tax (which isnt actually a tax) is abolished, thereby qualifying for housing benefits with no reduction for the spare rooms. They will then sub-let the spare rooms for cash anyway, i don't know to who. I am not familiar with the ins and outs, but these guys are pretty savvy, and there are more like them. so I expect they know how the scam will work.

 

Either way, that was the reason given for voting Yes, which, as you can tell, irritates me. I have no problem with people voting Yes for legitimate reasons, but to get going on a scam is not one of them.

Great upbringing, copying father with his tax dodging zero hours work ethic.

[Boris]

I dont bloody condone it.  I said I was pissed-off about it!   And given that it hasn't yet happened (unless of course Lab/SNP get in) then there is nothing to report!    Maybe you and I shoud vote Tory to stop it?  Only kidding.  Anne Begg is the one for me.

 

Hahaha - yes, but once it happens and if you do nothing about it you are just as guilty by knowingly allowing this benefit fraud to happen!

 

Only teasing you.

 

Edited April 29, 2015 by Boris

[Gorgiewave]

59 MPs, 9% of the total with about 4.5% of votes.

 

Labour will win upwards of 40% of the seats and upwards of 30% of the votes.

 

We're in the UK because that is the sovereign will of the Scottish people.

 

If a bloc of 59 Conservative MPs from the South-East demanded to be in government, the internet generation would be greetin' into their porridge.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Gorgiewave

[deesidejambo]

Great upbringing, copying father with his tax dodging zero hours work ethic.

I blame his Mum.    And zero-hours workers pay tax too you know.  Well, if we get enough hours that is.   Shit I'm being exploited!

[deesidejambo]

Hahaha - yes, but once it happens and if you do nothing about it you are just as guilty by knowingly allowing this benefit fraud to happen!

 

Only teasing you.

 

I might try it myself.  To supplement my exploited zero-hours wage.

[aussieh]

I blame his Mum. And zero-hours workers pay tax too you know. Well, if we get enough hours that is. Shit I'm being exploited!

[Gorgiewave]

Who is demanding this?

 

If a bloc of 59 Conservative MPs from the South-East demanded to be in government

 

Second conditional.

[Boris]

59 MPs, 9% of the total with about 4.5% of votes.

 

Labour will win upwards of 40% of the seats and upwards of 30% of the votes.

 

We're in the UK because that is the sovereign will of the Scottish people.

 

If a bloc of 59 Conservative MPs from the South-East demanded to be in government, the internet generation would be greetin' into their porridge.

 

 

Who is demanding this?

 

 

If a bloc of 59 Conservative MPs from the South-East demanded to be in government

 

Second conditional.

 

Not really sure what your point is given that the SNP (because that's who you are obliquely referring to) aren't demanding to be in government.

[deesidejambo]

If a bloc of 59 Conservative MPs from the South-East demanded to be in government

 

Second conditional.

This election is going to be a hoot.  

 

Tactical voting across the whole country, leading to much bitching.    

 

A Lab/SNP coalition that will be run by Eck, resulting in the English wishing the vote had been Yes in the first place.

 

If Eck gets in, he gets his wish to write the UK budget.

 

The hollywood Movie script is being written as we speak.

[aussieh]

If a bloc of 59 Conservative MPs from the South-East demanded to be in government

 

Second conditional.

Aww poor gorgie,worgie, Scotland not voting labour, so the elections a shame, only works when England rules the rest.

[Gorgiewave]

Aww poor gorgie,worgie, Scotland not voting labour, so the elections a shame, only works when England rules the rest.

 

Scotland is in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We were asked if we wanted to change that and we said NO.

[Craig Gordons Gloves]

If the SNP do indeed win EVERY Scottish seat I can see that being a very good thing for Labour in the long run.  One of the few areas of the country where they had solid support rejecting them in this manner would surely lead to them taking a right good look at themselves and figuring out that the way that the move to the right has alienated their core support was wrong and they need to listen to the people that vote for them as opposed to listening to those captains of finance and industry that they have been sooking the plooms of for the past few years.

 

Gorgiewave - the South East of England isn't a country as far as i'm aware, so your point is invalid in that respect.  Now, if it was 59 Welsh MP's or 59 N.Irish MP's (i'm well aware that they don't have that number) then it would be a different story. 

 

Personally hope that creepy Jim, Curran and Alexander lose their seats and lose them heavily.  It would be a lovely election night moment.  Although my own personal favorite would be Jimmy Hood losing his seat, arsehole of a man.

[aussieh]

Scotland is in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We were asked if we wanted to change that and we said NO.

whits that got to dae wae next thursday, fick all, and whos we, I didnae and you didnae.

[GBJambo]

whits that got to dae wae next thursday, fick all, and whos we, I didnae and you didnae.

You mean the majority of the scottish electorate ie the settled will of the Scottish people as Salmond put it

[Gorgiewave]

If the SNP do indeed win EVERY Scottish seat I can see that being a very good thing for Labour in the long run.  One of the few areas of the country where they had solid support rejecting them in this manner would surely lead to them taking a right good look at themselves and figuring out that the way that the move to the right has alienated their core support was wrong and they need to listen to the people that vote for them as opposed to listening to those captains of finance and industry that they have been sooking the plooms of for the past few years.

 

Gorgiewave - the South East of England isn't a country as far as i'm aware, so your point is invalid in that respect.  Now, if it was 59 Welsh MP's or 59 N.Irish MP's (i'm well aware that they don't have that number) then it would be a different story. 

 

Personally hope that creepy Jim, Curran and Alexander lose their seats and lose them heavily.  It would be a lovely election night moment.  Although my own personal favorite would be Jimmy Hood losing his seat, arsehole of a man.

 

Scotland isn't a country either. Scotland said NO.

[Craig Gordons Gloves]

Scotland is in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We were asked if we wanted to change that and we said NO.

 

Absolutely correct, however, i don't believe there is a question on the ballot paper asking if people want Scotland to be independent when they vote next week. People are voting for who they want to represent them in the government of the UK and at the moment, it appears that their choice is going to be the SNP in many of the constituencies in Scotland.

 

I do hope that if the SNP win so many seats that those not in favor accept the result as they have been asking the 'yes' camp to do so for the past 7 months...

[Gorgiewave]

Absolutely correct, however, i don't believe there is a question on the ballot paper asking if people want Scotland to be independent when they vote next week. People are voting for who they want to represent them in the government of the UK and at the moment, it appears that their choice is going to be the SNP in many of the constituencies in Scotland.

 

I do hope that if the SNP win so many seats that those not in favor accept the result as they have been asking the 'yes' camp to do so for the past 7 months...

 

It's a UK election, not a Scottish election. Every seat is equal. The SNP is standing in 9% of the seats and may win most of them but that's still 9% of seats at the most with about 4.5% of the votes. They should be demanding proportional representation in the interests of democracy. Only the SNP believe in democracy.

[Psychedelicropcircle]

whits that got to dae wae next thursday, fick all, and whos we, I didnae and you didnae.

GW forgetting he had no say in indyref then forgetting again he's Spanish...we is his imagination

[Craig Gordons Gloves]

Scotland isn't a country either. Scotland said NO.

 

I know, and as i've pointed out, next week people aren't being asked if they want indepedence.

 

I disagree with you that Scotland isn't a country, it has it's own parliament, it's own education system, legal system, history, language, football team etc etc. Now, it may not be a 'sovereign' state but it is a country. It's one of 4 countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (as you're so fond of calling it).

 

4/10 Gorgiewave, must try harder.

[Gorgiewave]

GW forgetting he had no say in indyref then forgetting again he's Spanish...we is his imagination

 

I'm not Spanish, I was born and grew up in Scotland with two Scottish parents and four Scottish grandparents. I should have been included in the electorate.

[Gorgiewave]

I know, and as i've pointed out, next week people aren't being asked if they want indepedence.

 

I disagree with you that Scotland isn't a country, it has it's own parliament, it's own education system, legal system, history, language, football team etc etc. Now, it may not be a 'sovereign' state but it is a country. It's one of 4 countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (as you're so fond of calling it).

 

4/10 Gorgiewave, must try harder.

 

Your team lost, suck it up.

[Craig Gordons Gloves]

Your team lost, suck it up.

 

I have, i totally accept that 55% of those that voted said No.  Does it mean i have to agree with the choice of people - no.  That's the wonderful thing about a democracy, the freedom the think differently. If you're looking to pin the 'bitter nat' label on me, then i'm afraid you're wrong. 

 

However, my point remains the same - next week people are not being asked if they want independence. They're being asked which MPs and/or political party they would like to represent them in the UK parliament.  

 

Your team won, well done.  

[Nookie Bear]

I'm not Spanish, I was born and grew up in Scotland with two Scottish parents and four Scottish grandparents. I should have been included in the electorate.

 

No you shouldn't.

 

Voters should live with the consequences of their votes and that means living in the country. If that means Miguel Pallardo voted on Indy and you didn't then that is the way it is, just as it would be if something similar happened in Spain. Them's the breaks.

 

Point is, for a huge number of voters, the Indy ref was not an emotional decision, but a mundane financial and business decision based on their own day-to-day circumstances which don;t really affect folk living in Spain.

 

Anyway, back on topic...

[XB52]

Referendum in 2016 here we come.     

please please please can we get over this election before you start fretting about 2016. THIS ONE IS NOTHING TO DO WITH A REFERENDUM

[deesidejambo]

I agree in a sense that a pumelling in Scotland may help Labour to reinvent itself, or better still, move back to the Left where it should represent that part of the community that feels let down by them.  No wonder they all moved to SNP.

 

However there is another possibility -  If Labour decide to go in with the SNP, either as a coalition or some other agreement, the Tories will cause mayhem in opposition, jumping on every influence the SNP exert as "Labour weakness", thereby alienating Labour from its supporters in England also.   The idea put into voters heads of a "lame duck Gov't" run by a bunch of Jocks, will wear pretty thin down South, I suspect.   Labour could get hammered then in England at th efollowing election.    Careful what you ask for Ed - you might just get it.

[XB52]

No it was a larger population, but it didn't say how many were young voters.  It was criticised by some academics as being unrepresentative but the issue is that if, for example, it was "correct" then all the Pre-election polls were "wrong" as young people, for some strange reason, were telling pollsters they would vote No, whilst in reality they voted Yes.    Now that is odd.

 

I'm still up for a quid if Eck gets his landslide booted back to him though.

make it ?100 for JBK charity of choice - I'll even give you odds of 10-1 - Salmond gets in you owe ?10, if he doesn't I owe ?100

[deesidejambo]

please please please can we get over this election before you start fretting about 2016. THIS ONE IS NOTHING TO DO WITH A REFERENDUM

Wrong.  See previous posts for multiple quotes from SNP members about the way forward post the election - Independence is still very high on their agendas, and after all, Independence is the raison d'etre for their existence.   .  Agreed it is not official SNP policy and it is not in this election manifesto, but if the SNP get th epredicted landslide in Scotland, there will be a strong grass-roots push to get independence back on the Agenda, most likely in the 2016 Holyrood manifesto.

[deesidejambo]

make it ?100 for JBK charity of choice - I'll even give you odds of 10-1 - Salmond gets in you owe ?10, if he doesn't I owe ?100

Hell yeah!      Youth Development fund.   I'm away out campaiging then!

[Nookie Bear]

please please please can we get over this election before you start fretting about 2016. THIS ONE IS NOTHING TO DO WITH A REFERENDUM

 

The SNP has re-grouped after Sep 2014 to focus on their next move, and that was maintaining their popularity and utitlising the resentlent of the result (whether that resentment is justified or not is up for debate). I doff my C U Jimmy hat to Sturgeon for that.

 

This election marks the first step on their road map to another Indy referendum and you simply cannot look at the GE in isolation when the party that we all know wants Indy at all costs looks like winning 90%+ of the seats up here.

[XB52]

59 MPs, 9% of the total with about 4.5% of votes.

 

Labour will win upwards of 40% of the seats and upwards of 30% of the votes.

 

We're in the UK because that is the sovereign will of the Scottish people.

 

If a bloc of 59 Conservative MPs from the South-East demanded to be in government, the internet generation would be greetin' into their porridge.

yet another post having a dig at the Scots from an expat with no idea of how democracy works.  How many seats did the liberals get in the last election????  Think they ended up in government, whereas the SNP have no wish at all to be in Government in the UK

[Unknown user]

No you shouldn't.

 

Voters should live with the consequences of their votes and that means living in the country. If that means Miguel Pallardo voted on Indy and you didn't then that is the way it is, just as it would be if something similar happened in Spain. Them's the breaks.

 

Point is, for a huge number of voters, the Indy ref was not an emotional decision, but a mundane financial and business decision based on their own day-to-day circumstances which don;t really affect folk living in Spain.

 

Anyway, back on topic...

I disagree, one can come from a country, be living abroad but still have substantial interests and intend to come back in the near future.

 

I have the right to vote but I haven't exercised it since I left, simply because I don't intend to come back and I don't feel comfortable with doing it. But that's my personal choice, I don't have a problem with others exercising their democratic rights

[IMac]

yet another post having a dig at the Scots from an expat with no idea of how democracy works. How many seats did the liberals get in the last election???? Think they ended up in government, whereas the SNP have no wish at all to be in Government in the UK

LDs did get 20% of the voat however.

[XB52]

Scotland is in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We were asked if we wanted to change that and we said NO.

Oh God, yet another one. THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE REFERENDUM. The NOs won the referendum, end of story. 

Now for the UK GE, we are being told that if we vote in a lot of SNP MPs that is not fair and the Scots are trying to take over. 

If the Tories and Labour didn't like it maybe they shouldn't have spent so many months telling us how much they loved us 

[XB52]

Wrong.  See previous posts for multiple quotes from SNP members about the way forward post the election - Independence is still very high on their agendas, and after all, Independence is the raison d'etre for their existence.   .  Agreed it is not official SNP policy and it is not in this election manifesto, but if the SNP get th epredicted landslide in Scotland, there will be a strong grass-roots push to get independence back on the Agenda, most likely in the 2016 Holyrood manifesto.

well come back next year and talk about the Scottish elections - this thread is about the UK GE 

[XB52]

LDs did get 20% of the voat however.

with how well Nicola Sturgeon has gone down with the English voters maybe next time the SNP will stand down South too to boost their percentage of the UK votes 

[AndrewB]

If the SNP do indeed win EVERY Scottish seat I can see that being a very good thing for Labour in the long run.  One of the few areas of the country where they had solid support rejecting them in this manner would surely lead to them taking a right good look at themselves and figuring out that the way that the move to the right has alienated their core support was wrong and they need to listen to the people that vote for them as opposed to listening to those captains of finance and industry that they have been sooking the plooms of for the past few years.

 

Gorgiewave - the South East of England isn't a country as far as i'm aware, so your point is invalid in that respect.  Now, if it was 59 Welsh MP's or 59 N.Irish MP's (i'm well aware that they don't have that number) then it would be a different story. 

 

Personally hope that creepy Jim, Curran and Alexander lose their seats and lose them heavily.  It would be a lovely election night moment.  Although my own personal favorite would be Jimmy Hood losing his seat, arsehole of a man.

 

Must admit, I didn't know much about Jimmy Hood.  Wikipedia biography is a hoot.

 

In February 2014, Hood outlined his opposition to Scottish independence in a commons debate, stating "Even if the SNP was right and there was a grand, great thing at the end of the rainbow for the SNP and its debate for independence, I would still be against it. If the Scottish people are going to be better off economically and so on, I would still be against breaking away from the Union."^[5]

In October 2014, Hood caused controversy when he invoked parliamentary privilege to link former Home Secretary Leon Brittan to accusations of improper conduct with children. He added that 'I am just repeating what I read in the papers'.^[6][7]

Expenses[edit]

During the MPs expenses scandal it was reported that Hood had claimed ?1000 per month in second home expenses without claiming receipts, which was up to the permissible limits in place at the time.^[8] Hood said his second London home was necessary because of the distance of Westminster from Lanarkshire, and he accepted it would not be possible to make claims of that size in future without receipts and he "fully supported" putting details of expenses online.

[aussieh]

I'm not Spanish, I was born and grew up in Scotland with two Scottish parents and four Scottish grandparents. I should have been included in the electorate.

Every Scot should have been eligible to vote.

[Stuart Lyon]

Aussieeh - why?

[aussieh]

LDs did get 20% of the voat however.

Not this time, your parties trustometer is fecked.

Lds need to punt NC.

[Nookie Bear]

Every Scot should have been eligible to vote.

 

No sense in that whatsoever.

 

What about non-Scots living in Scotland?

[XB52]

Hell yeah!      Youth Development fund.   I'm away out campaiging then!

Ok it's a deal, Salmond doesn't get in I will donate ?100 to the YDF

[IMac]

Not this time, your parties trustometer is fecked.

Lds need to punt NC.

perhaps. I still like the guy but if he is un electable then he will be gone.

[Dusk_Till_Dawn]

Every Scot should have been eligible to vote.

 

How would you have defined Scot?

[aussieh]

How would you have defined Scot?

Born here or Scottish Maw or Da.

[Boris]

Born here or Scottish Maw or Da.

 

Which by extension could go to great grandparents.

 

Grandparent still alive and one of their parents (GGParent) was Scotch.

 

So Parent can say they are Scotch by virtue of their Parent, even although born and bred elsewhere.

 

Child of parent can also vote as Scotch as their parent is by virtue of their parent by virtue of their parent etc etc etc 

[Cade]

The independence referendum was NOT a racial vote......it was about the people that live, work, pay taxes and otherwise contribute to Scotland having a say on how the nation is run.

 

Expats demanding a vote is simply ludicrous. They tried to make it a racial thing.

[Gorgiewave]

Why does socialist-nationalist-humanitarian Boris keep using the offensive term "Scotch"?

[ToadKiller Dog]

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/politics/ge2015/north-east-fife-activist-quits-liberal-democrats-for-the-snp-1.870195

[Boab]

I think you might be right, I'd love to see Curran go. During the night of the Referendum she was on TV and said that constituents of hers had come to her concerned that the one poll showing a Yes lead had affected the Stock Market and were worried about this - Really, in the East End of Glasgow, in one of the most deprived areas of the country they were worried about the Stock market!!!

 

She is a fool.

 

Murphy sounded pretty desperate on the Radio this morning too. He was talking about the number of SNP candidates that weren't suitable due to things they have written/said etc. and then pointed out these people are still ahead in the Polls. Well that just shows even more how crap Labour are doing Jim.

 

It will be interesting to see a result of one of the Big Names early on in the night, I could be a signal for how it is going to go. If Murphy went early then I would expect all of them to follow him, but if he holds on with a decent margin then the Polls might have been wrong.

Curran wouldn't be a great loss, Brian...you're right, she is a fool.

As for the other two, I just can't see East Ren voting in an SNP candidate regardless of Murphy's flaws.

Alexander is my MP and, again, the polls say different but from what I'm hearing, a lot of people will not take a risk with a young lassie over the shadow defence secretary. 

No offence to her personally but instinct tells me it would be a big mistake.

 

Now, guys, instead of harping on about Indy and 2016, why don't you share your MP's pros and cons ?