General Election 2010

I voted in the 1987 election.

Pretty poor choices in that one! though "the two Davids" were quite funny on spitting image.

I can see a trend in that changes in Government seem to occur at least one or two elections too late.

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When Clegg got elected as the new leader of the Dems he came to my school to talk to us (future voters) with sidekick Brian Eno (to get down wit' da kidz init) whose words fell on deaf ears until he mentioned that he was recording a new album with Coldplay (the first of many mentions) which suddenly got all of about 2 out of the 20 or so people interested in who the strange bald chap wearing a carpet coat was....
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Pretty poor choices in that one! though "the two Davids" were quite funny on spitting image.

I can see a trend in that changes in Government seem to occur at least one or two elections too late.

I was living in a constituency, North West Hampshire, where the Tories could put a stuffed shirt up for election and it'd win. I was full of voting zeal though, so I definitely voted but can't recall who for, I think I might have voted tactically.

I voted in the 1987 election.

83 for me, just after the Falklands, 18 and in a constituency where an un-stuffed shirt could have won for Labour. If you'd told me I'd have to wait till I was 32 for a Labour government....

I've definitely spoiled a ballot, and maybe abstained. But I've never met a nice south african.

sorry, I meant to say I've never managed to vote for the winning team.

My step-dad, getting on a bit and worn down by Thatcher, used to say "I'll never live to see another Labour government". He was still around in 97 but, sadly, in many ways, he was right.

Aye...appen.

spits into coal fire and gazes into middle distance until the sound of slate falling from the sparse and neglected roof to the cobbled street outside breaks the silence

We did actually have a coal fire. We also lived in a street that was named after our family; which made us land owning gentry scum I suppose.

Yes, I'd heard of the famous Lord Coronation and his dubious legacy

As I recall we collected ground rent. And, as I also recall, that ground rent was about £12 a year and wasn't always paid. We were pretty useless gentry.

We grew new potatoes in the garden. Our neighbors across the road were known as Mrs Mirror and Mrs Nosey-Parker. We never had a telephone and used to go round to Mrs Green's if it was important or the phone box if it was not. Or if it was too late; my eldest brother sprinted up to that phone box in the middle of the night when my dad had a heart attack. He was dead when the ambulance arrived.

As I recall we collected ground rent. And, as I also recall, that ground rent was about £12 a year and wasn't always paid. We were **pretty **useless gentry.

Atleast you still have your looks.

I'm at a bit of a loss this time around.

I've always voted Labour, and will probably do so again out of some sort of genetic conditioning.

However- they're truly fucking horrifying at running the country.

The Lib Dems would be a catastrophe if they managed to enact (almost) any of their tax/city policies, so they are out.

Which leaves either the Evil Party, or the Swivel Eyed Lunatics.

Meh.

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/west-news/New-commissioner-takes-on-Peel.6259361.jp[URL="http://www.iomtoday.co.im/west-news/Candidates-compete-for-Peel-byelection.6239575.jp"][/URL]

I was one of the ten. I told both of them as I left the hall.

Lib dems would be very very bad for the IoM.

The Lib Dems would be a catastrophe if they managed to enact (almost) any of their tax/city policies, so they are out.

How so? They basically said they'd cap all bonuses at 2.5K so that all earnings are from salary only, raise income tax threshold and increase highest rate of tax (i think).

Sounds good to me

Bonuses will then be paid in stock, or in derivatives thereof. The big earners in the City would be sure to find a way around such a gratuitously crowd pleasing (and illiberal) measure.

The idea is that there wouldn't be retrospective rewards for short term gains. That way there isn't there isn't the incentive, the get paid a fixed salary. I dunno.

As long as we have a finantial based economy we are in the bankers pockets

.

It's funny that people say it doesn't matter who is in power; apparently the rich and powerful think it does.

No way!

breaking Labour fail news Kerry McCarthy has tweeted results of postal vote and could now face charges under section 66a http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1983/cukpga_19830002_en_16#pt1-pb12-l1g94

breaking Labour fail news Kerry McCarthy has tweeted results of postal vote and could now face charges under section 66a http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1983/cukpga_19830002_en_16#pt1-pb12-l1g94

link to tweet or news?

how'd she get postal results?

Bonuses will then be paid in stock, or in derivatives thereof. The big earners in the City would be sure to find a way around such a gratuitously crowd pleasing (and illiberal) measure.

wage caps or bonus caps never work.
The particularly jealous and parochial car culture we have in this country today is a direct result of the 'company car', which really took off as a way to get round the imposition of a pay freeze. Similarly I guess the bonus culture took off because it was cheaper for either employer or employee than just upping the salary?

Nevertheless I have this theory that Lib Dems had no idea they might actually get in power and so didn't bother to think up sensible economic policies. Who knows, maybe the sums add up, but should they win outright I'd expect a new set of spending plans pretty sharpish.

We're all saying that all the parties are the same. So would a PR parliament be any different? The only real advantage of PR is that you get less legislation, and god knows we could have done with fewer stupid laws being passed by the last lot.

I have decided now upon a beer induced whim that my favourite government so far has been John Major's minority govt because apart from a small recession, abolishing the Poll Tax and making TV guides publish rival channel listings, I can't think of a single thing his government actually did :-)

Anyone noticed that bigots are the last minority it's OK to pick on?

link to tweet or news?

how'd she get postal results?

she has deleted the tweet now www.twitter.com/Kerry4MP but you can see her attempt to backtrack

how does an MP get postal results before they're actually announced? Is this something that's normal?

THe lib dems never said that capping bonuses would stop excessive pay. They are capping bonuses so that investors are paid through their salary.

The lib dems agree that they are still likely to receive as much pay, but what they get will not derive from high risk short term strategies, that bonus culture encourages.

Ah right, wasn't paying attention.
Does this mean there will be a greater tax take on them as well?