The 2015 UK General Election thread

[Tubby Isaacs]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

I was forgetting, it's even more ridiculous than this.

There used to be Strategic Health Authorities.

There was one for Greater Manchester. (edit- the North West).

[Vulgarian Visigoth]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Tubby Isaacs wrote: Greater Manchester used to have devolved health bodies- PCTs.

NHS Ashton, Leigh and Wigan
Bolton PCT
Bury PCT
Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT
Manchester PCT (Merged from Manchester North, South and Central PCTs)
NHS Oldham
Salford PCT
Stockport PCT
Tameside and Glossop PCT - This PCT reported to the North West SHA, though part it (Glossop) fell geographically within the East Midlands SHA
Trafford PCT

They were all abolished in 2012.

You seriously think Osborne's interested in anything but devolving the blame on to you? As long as the Tories maintain 1 MP in the area (which they will in Altrincham and Sale West) they can keep dropping you in the shit with planted questions. Seen it all with Wales already.

You're morons.

But we want to be all grown up like the Scots; that's all that matters!

Freeeeedooooooom!!!!

[E10 Rifle]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

We don't half need electoral reform for council elections - Manchester's all-Labour council does no one, even their own party, any favours at all.

[Patrick Thistle]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Tubby Isaacs wrote: Here's one for Jongudmund.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/eu-funding-become-straightjacket-barrier-6520491

Billions of pounds in EU structural funds have failed to help Wales and have not addressed the true issues facing the Welsh economy, according to Aberconwy Tory MP Guto Bebb.

Mr Bebb launched a full-throttle attack on the funding system at a conference organised by the Fresh Start group which is pushing for a new relationship between the UK and Europe.

He told WalesOnline: “The past 16 years have shown us that in a Welsh context the EU regional policy has failed. Wales has gone backwards not forwards.

“Much of the blame lies in Wales but it is beyond argument that the carrot of EU funding has become a straitjacket and a barrier to real economic growth in Wales.”

Well, the clue there is that he's a Tory.

I have the argument with euro-sceptics all the time and when I ask if they really, really think that a solely Westminster Government would have put half the money into Wales that the EU has they look down at their feet and mutter 'no'.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

What is it with Welsh Tory MPs?

The Lib Dems are talking all tough. They won't under any circumstances vote to reduce tuition fees.

[DCI Harry Batt]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Tubby Isaacs wrote: The Lib Dems are talking all tough. They won't under any circumstances vote to reduce tuition fees.

That has proper made me giggle.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

They have, honestly.

Lib Dem cabinet minister Ed Davey described Labour's planned fee cut as “stupid” and said he would refuse to back it in government.

“We will stand up for making sure we can get the economy right, get the deficit down, and not wasting money on stupid policies like this latest Miliband policy,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Pienaar’s politics programme on Sunday morning.

Asked whether he would refuse to execute the policy in a future coalition, Mr Davey said: “Yes I would”.

I don't know if there's a "pledge" or anything yet though.

[Patrick Thistle]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Tubby Isaacs wrote: What is it with Welsh Tory MPs?

My original response to that would probably get me lambasted as racist. So let's just say there is a tendency around these parts to chase cheap votes by hating the foreigners. And if there aren't any foreigners the folks down South / up North or in the next town over will do.

[DCI Harry Batt]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Vote Labour, get Tory

[Lucy Waterman]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

What a fuckwit.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

By her standards, that's not so silly.

... those who want to destroy liberal democracies. More terrorists and suicide bombers would step forward to become martyrs in their quest to destroy the West....

... if John Kerry beat Bush.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Jongudmund wrote:

What is it with Welsh Tory MPs?

My original response to that would probably get me lambasted as racist. So let's just say there is a tendency around these parts to chase cheap votes by hating the foreigners. And if there aren't any foreigners the folks down South / up North or in the next town over will do.

It's not the same thing, but I've noticed Plaid sometimes use the word "Cardiff" as if it's a foreign place.

Nationalists who talk like this about their own capital are a long shot, in my book.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Tories nicking Green ideas (not for the first time)

[via vicaria]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

It's refreshingly Conservative in its idea of what constitutes a 'starter home' though:

The Conservatives say homes worth £250,000 outside London - or £450,000 in London - would be eligible for the scheme and that first-time buyers would have to repay the 20% price advantage if they sold within five years.

If you can afford a £360,000 purchase price (the min. London discounted cost) then I wouldn't put you top of the 'needs assistance buying a place' list

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
It's not the same thing, but I've noticed Plaid sometimes use the word "Cardiff" as if it's a foreign place.

Nationalists who talk like this about their own capital are a long shot, in my book.

There is a tendency with Plaid to act as the party of Gwynedd, and it's this stance that is putting people off voting Plaid in North-East Wales. That and the fact that it's full of Scousers who don't get the language thing.

[Ray de Galles]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Is it too late to make Michael Sheen the leader of the Labour Party?

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Tubby Isaacs wrote:

What is it with Welsh Tory MPs?

My original response to that would probably get me lambasted as racist. So let's just say there is a tendency around these parts to chase cheap votes by hating the foreigners. And if there aren't any foreigners the folks down South / up North or in the next town over will do.

It's not the same thing, but I've noticed Plaid sometimes use the word "Cardiff" as if it's a foreign place.

Nationalists who talk like this about their own capital are a long shot, in my book.

Everyone knows that Machynlleth is the capital of Wales.

[If Plaid are to evolve into something resembling a left-alternative to the Westminster parties they need to move beyond being perceived as simply representing rural communities in the North and West to appealing to post-Industrial Wales. That's been a problem for them in the past and it's something that they're clearly trying to address.

But equally it is true that Cardiff is as remote from most of North Wales, economically, politically, culturally and geographically, as London. Any sort of vaguely progressive national movement needs to recognise that switching from London-centric politics to Cardiff-Bay centred politics isn't really a beneficial change.]

[Patrick Thistle]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

There's geography to contend with, to be sure. It's much quicker to get from Cardiff to London than to get to Llandudno, mainly because there are no mountains in the way if you drive East.

There's also the superiority thing on both sides. "We're the true Wales" versus "those hicks..."

But mainly it's geography. The only solution is a North South rail tunnel under the Beacons and Snowdonia with bullet trains from Cardiff to er, well, not sure where really. Bangor's a bit remote from the rest of North Wales as well. Maybe angle it a bit more east and come up in Llangollen?

But this really should be part of another thread called 'How do we fix Wales'.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Jongudmund wrote: There's geography to contend with, to be sure. It's much quicker to get from Cardiff to London than to get to Llandudno, mainly because there are no mountains in the way if you drive East.

There's also the superiority thing on both sides. "We're the true Wales" versus "those hicks..."

But mainly it's geography. The only solution is a North South rail tunnel under the Beacons and Snowdonia with bullet trains from Cardiff to er, well, not sure where really. Bangor's a bit remote from the rest of North Wales as well. Maybe angle it a bit more east and come up in Llangollen?

But this really should be part of another thread called 'How do we fix Wales'.

Yeah, Llangollen, so it can connect up with the canal system. It's all about integrated transport solutions.

[Crystal Staples]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Jongudmund wrote: There's geography to contend with, to be sure. It's much quicker to get from Cardiff to London than to get to Llandudno, mainly because there are no mountains in the way if you drive East.

Just immigrants.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Bizarre Löw Triangle wrote:

Everyone knows that Machynlleth is the capital of Wales.

[If Plaid are to evolve into something resembling a left-alternative to the Westminster parties they need to move beyond being perceived as simply representing rural communities in the North and West to appealing to post-Industrial Wales. That's been a problem for them in the past and it's something that they're clearly trying to address.

But equally it is true that Cardiff is as remote from most of North Wales, economically, politically, culturally and geographically, as London. Any sort of vaguely progressive national movement needs to recognise that switching from London-centric politics to Cardiff-Bay centred politics isn't really a beneficial change.]

The SNP are getting everything they can to Holyrood. Seems to be reasonably popular, though it pains me to admit to it. Edinburgh's pretty far from Thurso, but the SNP will probably win Caithness easily enough.

Could the existing counties be the base of a meaningful Welsh-speaking unit you could devolve to?

[Tubby Isaacs]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Jongudmund wrote: There's geography to contend with, to be sure. It's much quicker to get from Cardiff to London than to get to Llandudno, mainly because there are no mountains in the way if you drive East.

There's also the superiority thing on both sides. "We're the true Wales" versus "those hicks..."

But mainly it's geography. The only solution is a North South rail tunnel under the Beacons and Snowdonia with bullet trains from Cardiff to er, well, not sure where really. Bangor's a bit remote from the rest of North Wales as well. Maybe angle it a bit more east and come up in Llangollen?

But this really should be part of another thread called 'How do we fix Wales'.

I had a great Twitter exchange with a nationalist who was telling me that Westminster was pulling a fast one by having fast trains slow down after Crewe.

I pointed out that we have slow lines even in fairly affluent parts of England.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

So, cutting tuition fees to £6k. Apparently, it's a ludicrous "gift to the richest" according to nearly everyone on the radio, TV etc. Something in that- made the point myself about Scotland, and prefer the Welsh system- but it's funny how there wasn't the same unanimity over pensioner bonds, cutting the top rate of tax and all that.

When I was a student, I wasn't a future high earning gradudate. Not just because I've never earned much, but because the future didn't exist. Once that fact is accepted, it's surely a good idea to place some reasonable limit on fees and debts.

It's amazing how Miliband has this unhappy knack. He's a far left winger who incompetently hands out freebies to the middle class via fee cuts!

[Tubby Isaacs]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/scottish-government-launches-first-time-buyer-loan-scheme-1-3706017

NICOLA Sturgeon has unveiled a £70 million scheme to help low and moderate income families in Scotland buy their first homes.

Under the plan eligible buyers will receive an interest free loan to help them get on the property ladder.

The First Minister announced the scheme, as she took her cabinet to Alloa today.

Ms Sturgeon launched the plan after David Cameron said 200,000 homes will be made available to first-time buyers in England by 2020 if he is re-elected as Prime Minister in May’s election.

More Perthshire than Clydeside.

[Vulgarian Visigoth]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Why perpetuate the British obsession with property?* I suppose the SNP is showing its middle class instincts.

*Quire ironic, since they're all about not being British.