UK General Discussion

[London Man]

BTW, what's with the Falkland enthusiasm in the UK media? Any specific reason the temperature over those barren cliffs a hemisphere away is rising again? (Well, outside of the presence of a prince of the realm.)

Oil in the general area, so rhetoric from Argentina is stronger than it has been for ages, and so on.

I don't understand what the Argentines actually have they can invade the islands with.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I wish that Clegg and Cameron would create a new Liberal-Conservative party, and the super-right-wing-crazies would leave the Tories, and the clearly-socialist-left-wingers would leave the LibDems, and thus create a new right of centre party.

The progressive activist base that used to be a major part of the LibDems left long ago...

[YL]

I wish that Clegg and Cameron would create a new Liberal-Conservative party, and the super-right-wing-crazies would leave the Tories, and the clearly-socialist-left-wingers would leave the LibDems, and thus create a new right of centre party.

What socialist left wingers?

And David Cameron is fairly moderate compared to his party? What is this, 2007?

I think he is, actually.  That says more about the rest of his party than it does about him, mind.

And there are certainly left wingers in the Lib Dems.  There aren't as many as there used to be, of course, but you're always going to get some people who stick with their party in a situation like that.

[You kip if you want to...]

I'd say the LDs are actually the most divided party and have been for some time now. The pro-coalitionista-Orange Book-Cleggites and the lefty-SDP-Kennedy-Mingites. Bound to fall to peices once the coalition ceases to be and the LDs have about 20ish seats.

[Insula Dei]

Would public support be behind UK military actions in the unlikely case of Argentinian aggression?

I find it somewhat amusing that either the British or the Argentinian populace should care about the islands, but in the Argentinian case I can at least see where the irridentist emotion would come from, in the UK case I honestly wonder why anyone would care about those islands at all. (Beyond some vague notion of patriotism).

[dialectical fetishist]

There was a sense that it was an attack on Britain. The people of the Falklands are British in origin and were occupied by a fascist dictatorship. The Argentines only want it back because of the oil, they could give a toss about the people of the Falklands or self determination.

[dialectical fetishist]

I wish that Clegg and Cameron would create a new Liberal-Conservative party, and the super-right-wing-crazies would leave the Tories, and the clearly-socialist-left-wingers would leave the LibDems, and thus create a new right of centre party.

What socialist left wingers?

And David Cameron is fairly moderate compared to his party? What is this, 2007?

I think he is, actually.  That says more about the rest of his party than it does about him, mind.

Well, he's in the same party as Dan Hannan, Iain Duncan Smith, Liam Fox, Peter Bone and other far-rightist loons, so I suppose you could say he's moderate in that sense.

[YL]

I'd say the LDs are actually the most divided party and have been for some time now. The pro-coalitionista-Orange Book-Cleggites and the lefty-SDP-Kennedy-Mingites. Bound to fall to peices once the coalition ceases to be and the LDs have about 20ish seats.

A couple of Lib Dem blogs from today:

http://miss-s-b.dreamwidth.org/1204935.html
http://stevepitt.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/betrayal-and-loathing-in-the-lib-dems/

[Teddy (IDS Legislator)]

I dont understand how anyone can support the argentine position.

[dialectical fetishist]

I dont understand how anyone can support the argentine position.

This. It would be like supporting Japan annexing Manchuria.

[Teddy (IDS Legislator)]

Am I the only one who is more than just a little pissed that Clegg did not use the Huhne situation to bring Laws back into cabinet?

[You kip if you want to...]

Am I the only one who is more than just a little pissed that Clegg did not use the Huhne situation to bring Laws back into cabinet?

Yes, you are. We don't need more Orange Bookers.

[Sibboleth]

That would have been quite the PR disaster, so it's not a surprise.

[You kip if you want to...]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2097329/Labour-MP-forced-apologise-aide-tweets-Queen-benefit-scrounger.html#ixzz1ldzB2dTV

lol

[You kip if you want to...]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2095549/Right-wingers-intelligent-left-wingers-says-controversial-study--conservative-politics-lead-people-racist.html

Read this. Then the comments section.

[freefair]

Read this. Then the comments section.

That clearly Implies social conservatism, which exists also in left wing parties. I agree with that but then I am a Libertarian.

[You kip if you want to...]

Dorries saying it's Gideon who wants Lansley "taken out and shot", apparently. Pinch of salt and all that, considering the source.

[You kip if you want to...]

And Moody's puts our AAA on a negative outlook. Great...

[You kip if you want to...]

http://politicalscrapbook.net/2012/02/drop-the-bill-petition/

[You kip if you want to...]

[You kip if you want to...]

After the NHS on Tuesday and the 50p rate yesterday, some reasonably nice supplementaries for Ed.

http://cdn.yougov.com/cumulus_uploads/document/yp5s1ymci9/YG-Archives-Pol-Sun-results-220312.pdf

[You kip if you want to...]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az66ADlJxD0

Noor clappin' in't cham'bur

[Leftbehind]

Apparently prominent Conservative donor Lord Ashcroft's released some polling, testing the effect of NHS candidates:

Lab 41% (+11%)
Con 36% (-1%)
Lib  9% (-14%)
changes are from the 2010 general election

Con 33% (-3%)
Lab 30% (-11%)
NHS 19% (+19%)
Lib 7% (-2%)
changes are from the above VI figures.

[You kip if you want to...]

Apparently prominent Conservative donor Lord Ashcroft's released some polling, testing the effect of NHS candidates:

Lab 41% (+11%)
Con 36% (-1%)
Lib  9% (-14%)
changes are from the 2010 general election

Con 33% (-3%)
Lab 30% (-11%)
NHS 19% (+19%)
Lib 7% (-2%)
changes are from the above VI figures.

Let's take into account that they wouldn't field candidates across the country, and they'd fall drastically before the general election anyway (think SDP), they'd only be a potential coalition partner for Labour, surely. There's also so many problems with asking poll respondents if they'd choose "an NHS candidate", it's unbelievable. If there was a Tory majority under those numbers, i'd hope it'd finally break FPTP once and for all.

It'd be interesting to see if they'd actually gain seats anywhere. They've said they're standing against "high profile coalition members", which could cause massive embarrassement on Election Night. I could imagine Labour standing aside in seats like South Cambridgeshire and other safe cabinet member's seats, like Tatton 97 or Wyre Forest.

[Pilchard]

I could imagine Labour standing aside in seats like South Cambridgeshire

It finally looks like there might be an interesting election in S Cambs and they're moving me out into a different constituency...oh well I don't see much chance of a major upset here anyway, even if Labour do stand aside (a 2nd place finish could happen though if they do).