General election 2015

Well its started.
Here's a survey monkey poll If you wish to tell us who you'll vote for.

I like some of the Greens policies especially their idea that economic growth is bad
and that VAT to be replaced by a tax on the harm something does.

Also they probably are into cycling
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/green-party/11356354/Drugs-brothels-al-Qaeda-and-the-Beyonce-tax-the-Green-Party-plan-for-Britain.html

Cycling will clearly be on the agenda for this years election:

Debate today:
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/mps-go-head-to-head-on-cycling-in-pre-election-debate/017539

It's interesting that my workplace is getting quite engaged with the election. They are doing a series of health related interviews with representatives from the major parties (I think UKIP is up next, that should be interesting), and apparently we even have a manifesto.

UKIP's health policy should be a laugh - kick out all the non-Aryan medical professionals, privatise the NHS and watch it all burn. Just because Nige is still bitter about his bollock.

They're saying no free healthcare to migrants for 5 years, give it to 'em both barrels from me!

Well, I'm an immigrant too, so obviously incredibly suspicious of Nige and crew.

Quite a few people at my current workplace are migrants, and there were even more when I was still in academia. I think the majority of the lab in which I did my post-doc (a group of over 12 scientists) were not British (and 2 of the 4 brits were from Hong Kong). British kids don't seem to be interested in science (no wonder, given that it's incredibly low-paid for the amount of effort and expertise you have to put into it).

You might find this editorial, on why charging migrants for healthcare doesn't make sense, of interest.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2813%2962275-8/fulltext

Thanks. And as the article points out, it's hard enough to get people with potentially serious condition to see a GP when it's free, I don't think a migrant on below living-wage is going to pay for it. And what happens when that immigrant is knocked over by a car and requires life-saving surgery and aftercare, are they going to be billed? Insane

US-style health care >>>

Anyone know how to set up a poll to guage the forums political leanings?

(I know utfs, don't lean... etc)

I'd like to think somewhere between far and centre-left, and I'm happy to hound anyone off here who isn't ;)

SNP.. obvs... as a view from further North.

Then this will be popular 'on here'
https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/833635750084497/?notif_t=plan_user_invited

Lists, do it with lists. Nothing could possibly go wrong with lists.

This is the most baffling election ever. Conservative voters are going to UKIP, Lib Dem voters are going to Labour, Labour voters are going to the SNP, and it's almost certain that no-one will be able to form a majority.

A Labour minority government with vote by vote support from the SNP will result in two things:

• Scottish Independence sooner rather than later.
  
• The political wilderness for the Labour party when that unstable coalition inevitably leads to another general election sooner or later.
  
  

It seems inevitable Scotland will go independent. Labour need to figure out how they can win a majority in the rump UK. They are better off doing that out of government than in government.

This is good: http://may2015.com/

... and they're off

Since i don't know how to do a poll so put a survey monkey Poll on the OP

Vote Paedo-Lizard Coalescence

(Don't worry, you fucking will be anyway.)

With the General Election coming up we’ve organised our very own hustings, and it's happening tomorrow. We have a number of political candidates speaking, each will have five minutes to pitch their views on cycling and wider transport matters and then there will be an open question & answer session.

Jon Ball, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Ealing Central and Acton
Peter Florence, UKIP parliamentary candidate for Ealing Central and Acton
Meena Hans, Green Party parliamentary candidate for Ealing North
Dr Rupa Huq, Labour parliamentary candidate for Ealing Central and Acton
James Symes, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Ealing Southall

Come and hear what they have to say: 7.30 pm. Wednesday 1st April, Café Grove, The Grove W5 5LL.

Registered for a postal vote today... Controlling your futures from the Promised Land...

Cameron claims just 2% of jobs created in the last 5 years are on zero hours contract.

The ONS figures show this to be 28%.

I don't think there has been a more mendacious Government than this current one. They routinely lie when presenting data, yet no-one calls them out on this. Take the deficit, they claim they've reduced it yet the amount they've borrowed in this parliament is more than the last Labour government.

Do you listen to 'more or less' on radio 4? It goes through stats used by all the parties but also news programmes and papers etc. It's pretty scandalous how much everyone bends or makes up stats for their own agenda. It's a shame it's tucked away on radio 4 as if there was more calling out of blatant lies targeted at a wider audience we might actually be able to debate like adults.

Interesting to see Cameron has adopted the negative campaign tactic - fear mongering, throwing poo at the opposition etc.

Obama's ex campaign adviser seems to have convinced Ed to not go down that route.