[Meadows]

haha

[godelsmetric]

I see Cameron is blaming the Eurozone and 'boom and bust' years (i.e. 'it's Labour's fault').

They can't really get away with that again, can they?

[ruttyboy]

The Lib Dems obviously couldn't be trusted with something so important when it really came down to it, which is why their support collapsed at the end.

Not being confrontational, but I just don't understand it when people say this. It always seems to go (insert Labour or Tory for X and Y as you prefer):

"[Party X] have no clue, they've just fucked up everything, it's unbelievable!

If only we hadn't voted for [Party X], maybe [Party Y], as incredibly shit as they are too, would have been better. /sigh

Why can't there be another choice? Of course the Lib Dems can't hold a pencil the right way round so forget them. Of course, we've never actually seen them hold a pencil and X and Y are so crap that I can't see how things could be worse but still..."

[DECK'ARD]

Not being confrontational, but I just don't understand it when people say this. It always seems to go (insert Labour or Tory for X and Y as you prefer): "[Party X] have no clue, they've just fucked up everything, it's unbelievable! If only we hadn't voted for [Party X], maybe [Party Y], as incredibly shit as they are too, would have been better. /sigh Why can't there be another choice? Of course the Lib Dems can't hold a pencil the right way round so forget them. Of course, we've never actually seen them hold a pencil and X and Y are so crap that I can't see how things could be worse but still..."

I voted Lib Dem :)

Just the collapse in their popularity when it actually came down to voting said that effect was still there, and the economy was probably firmly behind it.

[Psychotext]

Cameron was just on the radio giving a speech about the Olympics. Am I the only one who completely shuts off when he starts talking? He's like a soundbite machine.

[ruttyboy]

I voted Lib Dem :) Just the collapse in their popularity when it actually came down to voting said that effect was still there, and the economy was probably firmly behind it.

Heh, so did I (obviously). Surely the collapse could be more down to people not wanting to 'waste' their vote though, rather than questions over their competency?

Although I secretly like wasting my vote, means I get to complain to those people who say, "If you don't vote you can't complain" with no worries about actually having to put it to the test ;-)

[Salvor.Hardin]

Interesting (and depressing) stories from the Torygraph and Grauniad. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/poli...austerity.html As though the collapse of the country's economy were not enough, the constant moving of goalposts by the Tories is surely a sign that their economic policies are a failure. And a follow-up piece by the Graun: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...mur?intcmp=239 It's an interesting problem. Why hasn't there been strong public condemnation of the Tories' failed policies? Have they really just done such a good job hoodwinking people into believing that their policies are a success, or necessary?

Blame the pundits and media in general for siding with the completely ridiculous stories regarding the debt burden. Austerity has never proven useful for helping an economy out of a recession and it sure as hell won't this time. Right now, interest rates are at an all time low, and the underlying inflation rate is harmless. The markets continue to buy UK bonds as they know UK debt to GDP levels have been historically high. Austerity achieves nothing, and just takes away from future potential GDP growth.

The current policy decisions in the UK regarding the economy is the stuff of nightmares.

[DECK'ARD]

Heh, so did I (obviously). Surely the collapse could be more down to people not wanting to 'waste' their vote though, rather than questions over their competency? Although I secretly like wasting my vote, means I get to complain to those people who say, "If you don't vote you can't complain" with no worries about actually having to put it to the test ;-)

That's a tricky one, I'm sure it came into play a bit but I think their early popularity (and especially Clegg's) was because they were 'none of the above'. They hadn't been damaged like the 2 main parties, and people did sincerely want something different.

Trouble is that then works against them when it comes to voting, where people revert back to 'better the Devil you know'. All the parties played on how this was utterly crucial which way you voted, or the country would go off a cliff. If it hadn't been seen as such a crucial election I think the Lib Dems would have done better, as people would have been more willing to try the 3rd option.

[Pie and Beans]

Good thing the third option quite simply doesnt exist anymore then eh!

I made a Clegg mistake.


Actually getting kinda scared about the future of this country these days.

[DECK'ARD]

Good thing the third option quite simply doesnt exist anymore then eh! I made a Clegg mistake. Actually getting kinda scared about the future of this country these days.

Yes, the 3rd option is now very much dead for the foreseeable future.

[SteveWD40]

The Lib Dems were dammed either way but as much as the Murdoch press would have savaged a Lib/Lab coalition at least they would have been able to look their voters in the eye.

Cable had to go on record defending Osborne yesterday when a Lib Dem Lord said he should take the job (and that Gideon was on "work experience"), I couldn't agree more but Vince must have had to squeeze even scant praise for Osborne through gritted teeth.

[Mecha_Infantry]

Cameron was just on the radio giving a speech about the Olympics. Am I the only one who completely shuts off when he starts talking? He's like a soundbite machine.

Especially when he does that weird hand grip/thrust thing that all middle aged posh people do

[DECK'ARD]

Cameron has always been very much Proto-Blair.

Just missing the stage-magician qualities.

[SteveWD40]

Cameron has always been very much Proto-Blair. Just missing the stage-magician qualities.

He is a failed TV PR man and will always come across to me as a Snake Oil salesman who is far too posh for his own good. Blair at least had some redeeming quality's, he was middle class at least rather than a dyed in the wool "born to lead" posh Hunt.

[DECK'ARD]

He is a failed TV PR man and will always come across to me as a Snake Oil salesman who is far too posh for his own good. Blair at least had some redeeming quality's, he was middle class at least rather than a dyed in the wool "born to lead" posh Hunt.

I dunno, politicians are politicians.

Blair was your ultimate Snake Oil salesman, he would have had you buying a year's supply. And he'd go home and actually believe he'd cured your illness as well.

The born to rule mentality is annoying, but the other is just as dangerous.

[Pie and Beans]

I'm okay with liars. I can't expect anyone to go through politics and not make promises they can't keep, play the game, and use peoples expectations. Thats the world we live in, where whats on the front page of The Sun is what millions of people in this country believe as the only version of the truth available, and how do you fight that? When youre vying for the trust of people, many of them bewilderingly and depressingly stupid, its an arms race of honeyed words.

What makes a person like Cameron contemptible is just how disconnected from the rest of us he is but to what end? He doesn't seemingly have any personal goals, he just wants to rule just as he was bred to do so. Blair fed people some real shit, but no matter how delusional he may have been, I think he believed everything he was doing was in the best interests of those he governed. I respect that in an odd way. The demonisation of Brown however will always be a low point of this country's history I've experienced. It was absolutely rabid. For all those that hated teflon Tony and then transplanted that hatred to glum old Gordon, he was the only person at the head of a party it turns out that was just there getting on with a job the best he could.

Which of course leads us to the worst; Clegg. To go back on absolutely everything he pledged to do, all just to wear the big boy trousers, all just to look like the big men... its truly unbelievable. His belief may have been that this country could benefit from a genuine 3 party system may be a good thing, but he just smashed that dream to shit when entire generations will remember during the televised political debates, a real big thing for our country, he reeled off a checklist of shit he would personally go back on, from tuition fees to not touching the NHS.

Not of course that he's got anywhere near the nuclear heat of going back on his entire party's raison d'être than the uproar the general public vomited from their mouths over the expenses scandal. I would say politics is at its absolute worst right now, ripe for a new age of people with actual fight behind their convictions. Tom Watson proved himself to be my favourite politician with not just how he doggedly chased the Murdoch empire down but also his understanding of issues like the digital economy which is close to my heart and livelyhood. But sadly I guess he isn't anywhere near to being in a leadership position, probably because he actually does shit he believes in which no doubt ruffles plenty of feathers.

[SteveWD40]

I'm okay with liars. I can't expect anyone to go through politics and not make promises they can't keep, play the game, and use peoples expectations. Thats the world we live in, where whats on the front page of The Sun is what millions of people in this country believe as the only version of the truth available, and how do you fight that? When youre vying for the trust of people, many of them bewilderingly and depressingly stupid, its an arms race of honeyed words. What makes a person like Cameron contemptible is just how disconnected from the rest of us he is but to what end? He doesn't seemingly have any personal goals, he just wants to rule just as he was bred to do so. Blair fed people some real shit, but no matter how delusional he may have been, I think he believed everything he was doing was in the best interests of those he governed. I respect that in an odd way. The demonisation of Brown however will always be a low point of this country's history I've experienced. It was absolutely rabid. For all those that hated teflon Tony and then transplanted that hatred to glum old Gordon, he was the only person at the head of a party it turns out that was just there getting on with a job the best he could. Which of course leads us to the worst; Clegg. To go back on absolutely everything he pledged to do, all just to wear the big boy trousers, all just to look like the big men... its truly unbelievable. His belief may have been that this country could benefit from a genuine 3 party system may be a good thing, but he just smashed that dream to shit when entire generations will remember during the televised political debates, a real big thing for our country, he reeled off a checklist of shit he would personally go back on, from tuition fees to not touching the NHS. Not of course that he's got anywhere near the nuclear heat of going back on his entire party's raison d'être than the uproar the general public vomited from their mouths over the expenses scandal. I would say politics is at its absolute worst right now, ripe for a new age of people with actual fight behind their convictions. Tom Watson proved himself to be my favourite politician with not just how he doggedly chased the Murdoch empire down but also his understanding of issues like the digital economy which is close to my heart and livelyhood. But sadly I guess he isn't anywhere near to being in a leadership position, probably because he actually does shit he believes in which no doubt ruffles plenty of feathers.

I think I agree with every word of that.

/doffs cap

[Speedymanic]

I see Cameron is blaming the Eurozone and 'boom and bust' years (i.e. 'it's Labour's fault'). They can't really get away with that again, can they?

They can and will. Most news outlets are too busy with the Olympics to dedicate enough time to this based on my RSS feeds, maybe the news channels are covering it more?

[JonathanEx]

GAF's favourite, Louise Mensch, is stepping down.

http://www.politicshome.com/uk/artic...ptonshire.html

[Jackpot]

GAF's favourite, Louise Mensch, is stepping down. http://www.politicshome.com/uk/artic...ptonshire.html

Thank God. Someone as amoral as her should have no part in deciding how the country is run. I fear she'll be back in some other role though.

[Dambrosi]

GAF's favourite, Louise Mensch, is stepping down. http://www.politicshome.com/uk/artic...ptonshire.html

...

I'd like to think I had something to do with that, but probably not.

...

mwuuuuhuahahahaha

Oh, and it appears that Cameron has confirmed to Clegg that Lords reform is officially dead (not that it wasn't stillborn from the beginning, but whatev). What now for the coalition?

[Meadows]

I want this government to end. For the first time I think that Clegg should pull out from the coalition.

[Delusibeta]

I want this government to end. For the first time I think that Clegg should pull out from the coalition.

I think that's the most likely way this government's going to end, the LibDem's are going to pull the rug under the Tories and then the Lories will sweep the election. I can't see this government reaching 2015.

That said, it won't happen during the Olympics.

[Meadows]

I think that's the most likely way this government's going to end, the LibDem's are going to pull the rug under the Tories and then the Lories will sweep the election. I can't see this government reaching 2015. That said, it won't happen during the Olympics.

yeah, obviously, the whole lords things isn't even getting any media attention really because the government doesn't want to air it's laundry in front of the world.

Plus the LDs will want to use the media for leaks and whatnot and they wouldn't even appear on the first 4 pages with Olympic golds all over the place.

[Psychotext]

Thank God. Someone as amoral as her should have no part in deciding how the country is run. I fear she'll be back in some other role though.

What's disturbing is that it's clear Cameron had her primed for greater things. What a horrible, horrible thought.

[godelsmetric]

GAF's favourite, Louise Mensch, is stepping down. http://www.politicshome.com/uk/artic...ptonshire.html

Not only stepping down, but leaving the country.

[Delusibeta]

Not only stepping down, but leaving the country.

To New York, so I wouldn't be too surprised if it's another person US PoliGAF will moan about within two years.

[Meadows]

To New York, so I wouldn't be too surprised if it's another person US PoliGAF will moan about within two years.

Fox News correspondent?

I guess she isn't right wing enough.

[Chinner]

GAF's favourite, Louise Mensch, is stepping down. http://www.politicshome.com/uk/artic...ptonshire.html

she will be missed like a fart in the wind

[Dan27]

Clegg giving a speech re Lords reform. Looks like it's kicked off..

[Dambrosi]

"Part of the coalition contract has been broken", eh?

He's talking up the coalition right now, but them be splittin' words. :p

Also, as a result, looks like the Tories' attempt to gerrymander their next General Election victory through boundary changes will fail now, too. Hopefully.

[disco]

Nooo! I love Louise Mensch! She's so stylish. :3

[SquiddyCracker]

Smh at the americans not knowing what a sikh is.

[Saiyar]

So the Lib Dems are going to vote against the boundary changes. It would be a farce to even attempt to continue the coalition at this point, time for a general election.

[Dambrosi]

So the Lib Dems are going to vote against the boundary changes. It would be a farce to even attempt to continue the coalition at this point, time for a general election.

A farce? Sounds like a job for Dave and Nick, the Chuckle Brothers!

[CHEEZMO™]

If this government collapsed and an election was held I'd actually go out and vote. Gotta do my all to keep those Tory fucks out of office.

[Sir_Crocodile]

So the Lib Dems are going to vote against the boundary changes. It would be a farce to even attempt to continue the coalition at this point, time for a general election.

So the lib dems respond to the tories blocking a move towards further democracy...by blocking a move towards further democracy.

What a joke, as much as they attest to being different from the mainstream parties, they're every bit as rabidly tribal(moreso really).

If this government collapsed and an election was held I'd actually go out and vote. Gotta do my all to keep those Tory fucks out of office.

The opposition seem even worse though. :(

[DeFiBkIlLeR]

To New York, so I wouldn't be too surprised if it's another person US PoliGAF will moan about within two years.

I give it 6 weeks after hitting New York before she's slagging off the UK for everything she's worth.

She's a closet Republican American, the US is her natural environment, I doubt she will ever return to the UK.

[Sir_Crocodile]

it would be nice if she could take priti patel & jeremy hunt with her

[godelsmetric]

Democratic boundary changes that just happen to give the Tories more seats? Lol.

[Jackpot]

If this government collapsed and an election was held I'd actually go out and vote. Gotta do my all to keep those Tory fucks out of office.

And replace them with what though :(. Ed Milliband and the dregs of the previous Labour cabinet. Better than the tories but hardly something that'll inspire people.

Democratic boundary changes that just happen to give the Tories more seats? Lol.

Well, it's more about reducing the bias to Labour. In some cases Labour could get 25% of the vote and still have more MPs than the other parties combined.

[CHEEZMO™]

And replace them with what though :(. Ed Milliband and the dregs of the previous Labour cabinet. Better than the tories but hardly something that'll inspire people.

It's good enough for me.

[8bit]

And replace them with what though :(.

Team GB need something to do post Olympics!

[Sir_Crocodile]

Democratic boundary changes that just happen to give the Tories more seats? Lol.

Oh, don't get me wrong - they're doing it for purely self serving reasons, but it doesn't change the fact that it's how things should be and that the libdems are basically blocking something that enhances democracy in this country for their own selfish purposes(which all parties do, but clegg was espousing to one and all how different the libdems were before the last election).

It's good enough for me.

Until Ed Balls is gone I think the tories are [marginally] the better option to be honest

[Psychotext]

Until Ed Balls is gone I think the tories are [marginally] the better option to be honest

Not entirely sure the Labour party realise that... and even if they do I'm quite sure they have no clue what the country wants instead.

[Meadows]

Liberal Democrats need to call for a general election here.

[Dambrosi]

What's so wrong with Ed Balls that he makes the whole Labour Party unelectable? Apart from being a slimy twonk, that is (and there's a thousand worse than him in the Tories). Honestly, I think you two are overstating it.

Honestly again, I would've thought Harriet Harman was more of a liability.

[Psychotext]

What's so wrong with Ed Balls that he makes the whole Labour Party unelectable? Apart from being a slimy twonk, that is (and there's a thousand worse than him in the Tories). Honestly, I think you two are overstating it.

All I know is that everyone I've spoken to personally wont vote Labour with him in charge (and these are virtually all ex Labour voters). They'd rather not vote at all.

[vcassano1]

Ed Balls is a strange one, he comes across terribly and maybe he isn't that great. But at least he possesses the intellectual credibility and qualifications to perform the job he has been assigned. The same cannot be said of many other politicians.

[Empty]

i'm a little surprised the threat of ruining the boundary changes didn't at least lead to some albeit watered down lords reform, it's going to be hard for the tories to win a majority without it.