And boy did those industries improve. I remember buying my first flat in the early 80s and having to wait three weeks to get the phone line connected.
To be fair, there’s a possible - if relatively unlikely - chance that they could have a point this go around. Certainly not as the party in power, but at least be able to make some demands of a weak Labour/Conservatives.
So, who’s planning on watching the debate tonight? Any predictions? Suggestions as to how the candiates might do well?
Here’s hoping. It’d be great if they gained a lot of seats.
I’ll be recording it to watch tomorrow. Not expecting much though. As far as I can tell they’re just responding to questions that they heard in advance and have prepared answers to. We get more actual back and forth at PM’s question time and that’s live on BBC parliament every week. It’s be good if something surprising happens but I doubt it.
This is not how polling goes anywhere, and to be honest, I’m not even sure that such lists of registered voters exist in Britain. The US is quite unique in this respect, most places just consider all adults as registered to vote and send them the ballot in the mail - but I’m not positive that it is like this in GB.
I do. There is no way of legitimately addressing this issue because you never know whether people are lying or not. You just have to hope that people from all sides lie equally frequently, but if they don’t you’re shit out of luck. Clearly, as I’ve said, polling has tremendous weaknesses, especially for a system like in Britain, where a marginal change in the popular votes can cause large changes in the distribution of seats. Still, even given the obvious imperfections of polling, I don’t see how bookies have a better way of assessing the outcome in advance, and if they do I’d like to know. There’s a reason why nobody in the world of the press, academia, or politics relies on bookies for their political information, though, so I’m not holding my breath.
It’s not like that in Britain. Registering to vote is theoretically compulsory but as far as I recall there are no criminal penalties. Anyway, there are electoral rolls, and if you aren’t on them you can’t vote.
You do have to register to vote in the UK. I don’t know how freely available the electoral roll is but I do know that being registered improves your credit rating and so it’s not completely confidential.
This is spot on. She didn’t get everything right but shedid a marvellous job of fixing Britain.
And persistent high unemploymnent wasn’t done to break any unions, it was an inevitable consequence of so many people employed by unproductive inefficient nationalised industries and businesses that supplied those industries.
There are two versions of the roll - the full version which is the one used for elections and credit applications, and the edited version which is available for commercial sale. You automatically appear on the full register, but can opt out of the edited version, when you register. Cite or here.
I don’t believe it improves your credit rating so much as it makes it easier to verify your identity.
Complete nonsense of course. As I think I’ve mentioned in this thread all you do is register at as many addresses you like and put your previous address as an address from a long time back. As far as I know you could probably make up fictional people as well.
Anyone see the three-way debate? I missed it, am trying to get ITV Player to work so I can watch it online. The Beeb in the meantime has an overview of the main points here:
I saw it, and while I agree with the general opinion that Clegg did well, I do think these TV debates naturally advantage his party, because it makes them look more like equals to the other two. All he has to say is “we’re not them”, which he did at every opportunity.
Brown did better than I expected, and seemed the most relaxed of the three. Cameron struggled a bit, I thought, and seemed the most obviously scripted. In the healthcare segment, for example, he kept mentioning cancer, like it’s the only health problem that matters. It seemed a bit tabloid-headliney, to me. Like some focus group has discovered that the word “cancer” presses people’s buttons.
But will these debates make any difference? I doubt it.
Best internet gag about the debate:
Clegg wins for the reason Ximenean cites: he showed that he could hit at the same level as Brown and Cameron. All he needs to do is to show that the LibDems are a valid choice, even as a protest vote, and they’ll gain seats (probably not a lot, but some).
Clegg won, with Cameron second. Brown’s idea of debate was to consistently accuse the Torys of wanting to cut spending. Is there anybody with a brain who doesn’t believe that government spending will have to be cut radically after this election? It’s only political maneuvering before the election that has prevented a massive series of cuts already. Has Brown even mentioned what he’ll be cutting? He claimed he was protecting Education, Health and Police last night. So is defence spending being cut after he embroiled us in two costly wars, or some other department? Where is Brown’s planned reduction in spending?
Another interesting website: http://voteforpolicies.org.uk/
Allows you to view party’s platforms blindly and select your prefered choice. I got 40% Conservative, 40% Lib Dem and 20% Green (?).
Health is certainly subject to cuts, regardless of what Brown says and at the front line.
Firstly my wife is a speach therapist and in her dept anyone who leaves is not replaced, this is leaving a gap in services that needs to be covered by already overburdened therapists. So much for only cutting the useless middle management.
Secondly my father in law is wheelchair bound due to a stroke, he lives at home but a few times a year spends time at a nursing home so that my mother in law (73) can have some respite. She has to pay for his place at the home so this is not charity and yet we understand that both nursing homes in their area will close as part of government cuts, leaving her unable to have a break.
The Labour party make a big deal of respite care in their election campaign, but the reality is that it is being cut and that the supposed removal of middle management deadwood is not happening.
Needless to say I will not be voting Labour or Tory this time around.
I got some surprising results from that - 44% Green, 22% Lib Dem, and 11% each for Labour, Tory and UKIP.
Interestingly, I didn’t side with the Greens on the environment (that was the one where I agreed with UKIP)
Yeah I’m surprised I got any Green, and I’m surprised I was evenly split Tory and Lib Dem, seeing as I absolutely will not vote in favour of removing the nuclear deterrent.
Again interesting! I got Tory 55%, Lib Dem 33%, 11% UKIP (like **Elvis Chimney **this was on the environment).
Not what I expected but as words on paper I suppose the Tory policies often seem to me to be the least worst of the options! I just do not have any great confidence they either mean it or would deliver it.
When I did that survey I got 56% LibDem and 56% Labour, but I would never vote for the current Labour party. I don’t necessarily disagree with their stated principles but the current lot are as worthless a collection of incompetant twits as you’re likely to find outside a Banana Republic. I could live with Brown, it’s the rest of the cabinet - people like Jack Straw (whose main skill seems to be passing the buck and avoiding having to resign) - that I have issue with along with their general authoritatian bent.
Living in a a pretty safe seat it doesn’t really make much difference what I do, but I certainly won’t vote for the sitting Labour MP. He’s voted against the party in just 0.6% of votes, and against things like the Freedom of Information Act. He also voted for the recent Digital Economy Bill which I specifically contacted him about.
Personally if I’m voting for someone to represent me I’d like them to be more than just a yes man. I hope he comes round so I can have a proper go at him 
I just checked ukpollingreport for the other candidates and amusingly this guy is running for UKIP:
(bolding mine)
Sound like just the sort of principled, trust-worthy candidate this borough needs. X-Factor for christs sake!
CNN.com’s coverage of the debate: British party leaders clash in first debate - CNN.com