2010 General Election megathread

[Tony]

It's not an excuse. It's the main reason we're in such a bad state right now. If you state otherwise you are wrong.

 

Remember, not many people were complaining too much under labour - they got re-elected twice. People were happy with rising house prices, rising income and rising consumption. As for the FSA do you think the Tories would have done any different? In fact if you look back there weren't any serious objections - in some cases if anything they accused Labour of putting far too many restrictions in place.

 

Were you aware of the growing gulf between income and expenditure when you last voted? Almost nobody was.

[HeadingNorth]

It's not an excuse. It's the main reason we're in such a bad state right now. If you state otherwise you are wrong.

 

 

The cost of the banking crisis has been estimated at about £30 billion. The national debt stands at getting on for thirty times that much.

 

How is the banking crisis "the main reason" for our finances being in such a mess?

[mattleonard]

My ideal was a tory libdem coalition however I did not think it would ever happen.

 

I agree with this.

[alchresearch]

Me either. Lets just hope they put the country before their careers and any noses put out of joint.

 

Has Vince Cable been offered anything yet? He should have been chancellor.

[I1L2T3]

The cost of the banking crisis has been estimated at about £30 billion. The national debt stands at getting on for thirty times that much.

 

How is the banking crisis "the main reason" for our finances being in such a mess?

 

Check your £30bn figure. It's completely wrong. You're almost £1 trillion out :hihi::hihi:

[Berberis]

One outcome that I think both sides of the political divide will welcome is the end of the unelected Alastair Campbell's and Peter Mandelson's influence on British Politics.

[Anna B]

Well well well, a real Lib Con coalition seems to actually have happened. Who'd have thought it. Well done to all those negotiators.

 

I'm full of optimism at the moment. It's a pity that they have such hard and unpopular tasks to perform in the near future. The honeymoon period won't last long I'm afraid.

 

PS. I've been appalled at the coverage in the popular press, not just biased but downright lies - thank God for the internet to get some sort of balanced view.

[taxman]

I'd have preferred the Tories to have formed a minority government with the Lib dems and Labour being in opposition. Every bill put before Parliament would then need a broad consensus to get through. This would of course require the opposition to be sensible in their approach, letting the MPs have free votes rather than whipping them into opposing every bill just for the sake of it.

 

The outcome would be that the Tories would not be able to force through unpopular policies but would have to win the debate in Parliament.

[plekhanov]

I'd have preferred the Tories to have formed a minority government with the Lib dems and Labour being in opposition. Every bill put before Parliament would then need a broad consensus to get through. This would of course require the opposition to be sensible in their approach, letting the MPs have free votes rather than whipping them into opposing every bill just for the sake of it.

 

The outcome would be that the Tories would not be able to force through unpopular policies but would have to win the debate in Parliament.

That would be nice but when was the last time you saw a serious debate in Parliament in which any votes were seriously swayed?

 

"Debate" in Parliament all too often means two opposed ranks of braying, booing buffoons shouting down anyone trying to make a point.

[miaowwoof]

Reading the proposals and things being discussed, like slashing tax credits etc....Realistically how long do you think it will be before we see it actually happen? and for it to effect the general public?