I have just watched 'Question Time' on BBC1 when the three leaders of the major political parties answered questions from the public via an invited audience.
To put my comments in perspective I will say that I tend to support the Conservative party.
I thought Charles Kennedy gave his best performance of the campaign.
I thought Michael Howard was in complete control and articulated his policies very well.
I thought 'Tony Blair was in disarray. He was sweating profusely (memories of Richard (I'm not a crook) Nixon) and his only answer seemed to be, "You'll have to make up your own mind about that".
I accept any accusations of bias but I have tried to be objective about this.
This could be the turning point in the election campaign.
What do you think?
Originally posted by collemanI think the declassified document yesterday should be the turning point in the election.
I have just watched 'Question Time' on BBC1 when the three leaders of the major political parties answered questions from the public via an invited audience.
To put my comments in perspective I will say that I tend to support the Conservative party.
I thought Charles Kennedy gave his best performance of the campaign.
I thought Michael Howard was in com ...[text shortened]... ive about this.
This could be the turning point in the election campaign.
What do you think?
It'll be a disgrace if Labour get into power with such a blatant, proven liar in charge.
D
Originally posted by RagnorakDoubtful, British PM Tony Blair's Labour party seems on course for a comfortable victory May 5th. I guess even in your own country liar-cryers are in the minority.
I think the declassified document yesterday should be the turning point in the election.
It'll be a disgrace if Labour get into power with such a blatant, proven liar in charge.
D
Originally posted by Officer DibbleI've read your comments in the other thread. I think you might be leaning towards a green vote officer dibble.
In the Debates forum there's a good long thread on the UK general election. "Election 5 May" I think it's called. Full of words of wisdom from me and insane rants by extremists of all stripes (at least that's how I read it)...
I would like to know how Top Cat and his friends intend voting.
Living in Northern Ireland, we don't get to vote for the 3 main UK parties, and the next prime minister and government of Northern Ireland. I have to vote for local parties like the Ulster Unionists led by Trimble in the Westminster elections.
Needless to say I haven't as much interest as I should as I can't vote for the party of my choice. I at least get to vote against sinn fein.
Even if it was true - and it is not - a show with an audience of 200,000 anoraks is not going to sway any election. This has always been the mistake of the Opposition: they think they're winning debates when Blair is simply away campaigning in arenas that actually matter. Carry on underestimating, though, by all means, the look on your faces on May 6th will be all the more memorable.
Originally posted by BowmannNo, someone who shouts "liar".
Presumably someone who shouts lies.
Daft term all the same.
I'm not sure they are in the minority - most people seem to accept that Blair lied on Iraq. However, most of them seem to feel there are more important election issues than that - and in some ways I suppose there are, but for me it's a dealbreaker. I can't vote for a prime minister who is prepared to lie to parliament and country on the biggest issue of the day, despite his better qualities and the various achievements of his government.
Originally posted by invigorateHave enjoyed your thread in the other forum, and appreciated your sanity in the face of the more excitable posters...
I've read your comments in the other thread. I think you might be leaning towards a green vote officer dibble.
I would like to know how Top Cat and his friends intend voting.
Actually I'm voting LibDem, despite not agreeing with their tax policy. Very sympathetic to the Greens' environmental policies, but don't go for much else of theirs.
TC is a dyed-in-the-wool Tory. I've tried to shift him but it really can't be done. He has a particular disdain for Gordon Brown, for some reason.
Brain will try to vote but do it all wrong and end up spoiling his ballot paper.
Benny is uncomfortable with the whole thing and won't be voting.
Choo-choo is campaigning for the Socialist Workers' Party, who are hoping to retain their deposit for the first time.
Fancy-Fancy is expecting the papparazzi to be camped outside the polling station to photograph his arrival. He's publicly endorsed new Labour.
Haven't seen Spook all campaign, not sure what he's up to.
Anybody who only now realises the illigality of the war on Iraq and the lies used to sell it to the world, has obviously been hiding in the paper bag I really need at this moment in time.
But...look at the options....
Michael Howard and the tories...Surely there's NOBODY in the world who would seriously want these right-wing antagonists in power again? Remember the 80's....
Charles Kennedy is a very sympathetic person, however his party is capitalistic in nature (hence the term...liberal party...). Once he's in power he'll only do what Blair or the Tories would do. There won't be any real change.
Labour has taken a few minor steps on the social agenda, but they're also continued Thatcher's policies of privatisation.
What Britain (and Europe) needs is real change. However, that's very difficult to achieve with the voting system they have in Britain (first past the post). All votes for smaller parties are basically lost (obviously first past the post does have good sides to it as well, for instance there is an actually person accountable to a constituancy).
Now, take a look at the larger picture.
The European constitution is basically going to shift more power to the multi-nationals (like GATT). If that gets passed then it won't even make difference who you vote in, privatisation will become a must, because companies can sue governments who "support" various industries for compensation.
This is actually highly amusing in Britain, because the tory party (who's basically supposed to be the party for the rich and big business) are actually opposed to the EU constitution. This means that big business is going to support Labour. I find it amusing anyway.
I really hope the tories win in Britian. I hate them. But it just might wake the Scots up to the fact that independance is a better way forward for people living in Scotland than voting Labour, just because they hope it will keep the tories out.
Originally posted by collemanHmm, I watched the same programme but had a very different view on it.
I have just watched 'Question Time' on BBC1 when the three leaders of the major political parties answered questions from the public via an invited audience.
To put my comments in perspective I will say that I tend to support the Conservative party.
I thought Charles Kennedy gave his best performance of the campaign.
I thought Michael Howard was in com ...[text shortened]... ive about this.
This could be the turning point in the election campaign.
What do you think?
I thought Charles Kennedy did fine, but compared to the other leaders he was given a very easy time by the audience.
I thought Michael Howard did OK, but there were areas where he didn't sound so convincing, such as on the war.
I thought Tony Blair did quite well under the circumstances: half the time he wasn't asked questions, he was aggressively heckled. You could tell he was feeling the pressure, but he did give some firm responses, particularly to the student who heckled him on so-called 'top-up fees' (which is turning into Labour's 'poll tax', it seems: a perfectly reasonable idea, but one where all rational debate over the issue has been drowned out by endless ranting and fury by activists and the media). On the other hand, his answers to do with the Attorney General's advice weren't convincing at all.
As for what I actually think of the parties:
Michael Howard is a scary man, and some of his reactionary policies are very much in tune with the tabloid press, rather than the needs of the country. I find his contempt for the Human Rights Act and the Geneva Convention horrifying. The Tories' campaign has been overwhelmingly bitter and negative, and they seem to have little to offer that will actually make the country better. My opinion of the Tories has not changed significantly over the campaign, though it has made it clearer to me what they stand for.
Until a few weeks ago I might well have voted Lib Dem, but the party's manifesto shows them giving in to supposedly 'left-wing' policies which are really aimed at siphoning money to the moderately well-off, such as removing means testing on pensions. They have 'Middle England swing voter' written all across their faces, but I don't think they'd be good for the country as a whole. I can't even support them over Iraq, now that Kennedy has said he'd withdraw troops even if the Iraqi government wanted them to stay, and even if I did, I find it outrageous that they think the election should be seen as purely a referendum on Iraq.
The Labour government has some policies I disagree with, and has made big mistakes over foreign policy (in Iraq, but also in Europe, where they've completely lost control of the debate). Nevertheless, they have many good ideas, and have pursued a much-needed programme of reform domestically while being pressured by both Old Labour types and the Tories to preserve the status quo. Labour are far from perfect, but at the moment I have far more trust in their ability to run the country than the reactionary, populist opposition parties who seem to be living either in the Major era (the Tories) or the SDP years (the Lib Dems).
