The 2015 UK General Election thread

[Duncan Gardner]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Tubby Isaacs wrote: A generation means more than 6 years though, surely?

A generation as I suggested is 25 years. A second referendum six years later is reasonable if there's evidence that opinion has changed significantly during that time.

It's what Rogin said. Unionists have to win lots of time, separatists once. And note there's never any referendum offered on the terms of independence, when there's a good case surely?

If Unionists can't make a compelling case (ie more than 55%) for the status quo, they need to either keep winning marginally as you suggest, or change the terms. Like the Irish Unionists did in the 1920s, and might do again...

[Tubby Isaacs]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Tubby's Law- a year for every percentage point margin?

Manchester's Congestion Charge- up again in 2065. About the same time as Clegg's AV.

[Come along, Min]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Tubby Isaacs wrote: I don't think the Kipper comparison in this respect is silly. This is what they (and their brethren in the Tories) will be like with the EU referendum. They'll want another as soon as possible, hang the consequences.

I wouldn't get ahead of yourself there, as someone who is undecided but leans towards national sovereignty it would be pleasant enough to have that first EU referendum first.

I wouldn't want to be lumped in with that SNP lot either. The SNP want independence from England, not the EU.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

National sovereignty in the sense of us negotiating with 27 and expecting them to what we say?

[E10 Rifle]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

I'd like to see Manchester congestion charge come up again soon - without that cunt who runs the Trafford Centre throwing money and disinformation about.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Anyway, let's concentrate on the real enemy.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/19/lib-dems-complain-bbc-reneged-deal-nick-clegg-tv-debates

The Liberal Democrats have accused the BBC of backtracking on a deal about the final round of TV interviews with party leaders, and misleading the country by reporting Nick Clegg chose to opt out of last week’s debate.

Not expecting much of their negotiating skills in government.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

E10 Rifle wrote: I'd like to see Manchester congestion charge come up again soon - without that cunt who runs the Trafford Centre throwing money and disinformation about.

Don't worry, Tubby Law's has been scrapped. The Irish vetoed it in a referendum.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

In a extract from his memoir The Purple Revolution, published in the Daily Telegraph last month, Farage said if he did not win a seat in the commons he would resign as party leader as it was “frankly just not credible for [him] to continue to lead the party without a Westminster seat of [him] own.”

Nah, stay in Brussels. MPs just "rubber stamp" what you guys decide.

[Come along, Min]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Tubby Isaacs wrote: National sovereignty in the sense of us negotiating with 27 and expecting them to what we say?

More of a case of sovereignty in the sense of us having control over choosing what we want to do.

[E10 Rifle]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Cameron, with a straight face, said this earlier:

“This would be the first time in our history that a group of nationalists from one part of our country would be involved in altering the direction of our country, and I think that is a frightening prospect.”

Fuck me, who taught him history?

[Duncan Gardner]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Vernon Bogdanor at Oxford University.

The straight face you mention is significant. He's dishonest, rather than ignorant.

[N est à?]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Don't worry, Tubby Law's has been scrapped. The Irish vetoed it in a referendum.

Just send it back next year. Instead of one year for every percentage point, it'll be 365 days for every percentage point. That'd bring forward the next Scottish referendum forward by 3 days if I'm not mistaken. A concession that will show you've listened and learned.

[Patrick Thistle]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

NickSTFU wrote: Etienne is right, historically it is 'Shrow'. As we know of course language evolves.

The joke round these parts is whether you say 'Shrow ' or 'Shrew' depends on what side of the river you live. So if you live outside the 'loop' in Porthill or Kingsland then it's 'Shrow'. It's a shit joke.

Whether the team is 'the Shrews' is a generational thing. People of a certain age never say 'the Shrews'. It's Salop or Town.

Anyhow in a recent poll on Blue and Amber the Greens came third in a poll behind the Conservatives and Labour. Got 15% of the vote.

No idea what that says about Salop supporters mind.

It's a class thing. Middle class = Shrowsbury. Working class = Shrewsbury.

Football fan = Shrewsbury, normally. Send your kid to the third most expensive private school in the country = that's Shrowsbury School.

[Patrick Thistle]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

It makes sense to me with a referendum to wait until you are optimally placed to get the result you want.

I don't think the SNP will be pushing for another referendum too quickly. At least not until they can get some assurances on currency, EU membership, and the economy doesn't seem so threatened by oil prices. Rush in again and they will probably lose again.

[David Agnew]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

100 Mental Health nurses write to the Mirror warning another Tory government will put mental health services at serious risk

Full text of the letter is here: https://theutopianfirefighter.wordpress.com/2015/04/20/guest-blog-mental-health-workers-open-letter-to-voters/

[Duncan Gardner]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Jongudmund wrote: It's a class thing. Middle class = Shrowsbury. Working class = Shrewsbury...Football fan = Shrewsbury, normally. Send your kid to the third most expensive private school in the country = that's Shrowsbury School

A mate of mine from the town who considers himself working class went there. He's Shrews.

It makes sense to me with a referendum to wait until you are optimally placed to get the result you want.

I don't think the SNP will be pushing for another referendum too quickly

Agree about the SNP, although in NI Sinn Fein clamor regularly, despite knowing they'd lose. Nationalist parties got 38% in last year's elections. Large-scale public opinion surveys suggest a preference for parking in the long grass, so a 'united Ireland now' option is backed by less than 20%.

The reasons for this are basically

a) a publicity stunt. In NI, SF isn't a potential independence movement that could form a government, but a single-issue lobby that runs a Council. And there's a significant centenary coming up next year

b) doublethink. They know the vote won't happen, so they can spin its potential result as they please

David Agnew wrote: 100 Mental Health nurses write to the Mirror warning another Tory government will put mental health services at serious risk

Full text of the letter is here: https://theutopianfirefighter.wordpress.com/2015/04/20/guest-blog-mental-health-workers-open-letter-to-voters/

Thanks DA. I expect our local Labour candidate (an ex-nurse) will make much of this.

I saw the film Sell Off recently. Recommended. although terrifying in parts.

[NickSTFU]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Jongudmund wrote:

Etienne is right, historically it is 'Shrow'. As we know of course language evolves.

The joke round these parts is whether you say 'Shrow ' or 'Shrew' depends on what side of the river you live. So if you live outside the 'loop' in Porthill or Kingsland then it's 'Shrow'. It's a shit joke.

Whether the team is 'the Shrews' is a generational thing. People of a certain age never say 'the Shrews'. It's Salop or Town.

Anyhow in a recent poll on Blue and Amber the Greens came third in a poll behind the Conservatives and Labour. Got 15% of the vote.

No idea what that says about Salop supporters mind.

It's a class thing. Middle class = Shrowsbury. Working class = Shrewsbury.

Football fan = Shrewsbury, normally. Send your kid to the third most expensive private school in the country = that's Shrowsbury School.

It has nothing to do with class which is why it is a shit joke.

[DCI Harry Batt]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

Scotland's Democratic Offensive

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

[sw2borshch]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

A refreshingly candid interview from the latest rising star of the political class?

[ad hoc]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

"Nicola Sturgeon has been called “the most dangerous woman in Britain”, by someone who hasn’t met any other Scottish women."

Frankie Boyle in here http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/20/britain-criminally-stupid-race-immigration?CMP=fb_gu

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

san2sboro wrote: A refreshingly candid interview from the latest rising star of the political class?

She's got my vote.

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

I'm sure Tubby will be along later to point out that the £148 billion SNP blackmail is a cautious estimate, the real cost being somewhat higher.

[The Red Max]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

I see The Tories have rolled out John Major in the anti-SNP offensive - and from where I'm sitting it's getting pretty f*cking offensive I can assure you.

I reckon we're about 2 percentage points in the next round of opinion polls away from Cameron having Thatchers coffin dis-interred and carried at the head of an English army to lay siege to Stirling Castle.

[Gerontophile]

The 2015 UK General Election thread

I dont care. I think Labour are going to win Hove. FUCKING YEAH.