Politics UK

I'm completely unsurprised that UKIP won the by election in Rochester as most of the UK probably is.
Also I'm getting very antsy with Labour. I'm a lifelong Labour voter but what the hell? It seems to be run by corporate lawyers and career politicians now. They're so out of touch - take last nights idiotic tweet.....

The political system has truly gone to the dogs when the fruitcake protest party is actually getting seats. We'll see what happens in a proper election with fresh candidates but the three established English parties have only themselves to blame. The nightmare scenario is if the madmen actually hold the balance of power. Con-Lab pact anyone?

It's almost as hopeless as over here...

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

I dislike Conservatives, but don't particularly like Labour that much now either, it doesn't help that Ed Miliband is a bubling idiot who comes across as unbelievably awkward in every situation possible, sometimes I feel sorry for the guy but he really doesn't help himself and seems to struggle keeping his composure in even simple tasks, I don't know how anyone could be confident with him leading the country.

I am a fan of the Green Party, which seems to be getting a little bit more press recently with the TV elections argument after UKIP were invited on. I think too many people dismiss them for being 'hippy' and overly concerned with the environment, but my reasons for supporting them are more for their other policies. I would consider myself largely anti-UKIP and I am getting quite worried about just how many people seem to be supporting them, at least their not as bad as disgusting hate pages like 'Britain First' that seem to dominate social networks these days.

I'm just going to assume this whole thread is about soccer regulations.

UK Politics:
Every party is lying and does the exact opposite from what they promise... every politician is a thief and a hypocrite who has lived with a silver spoon up their arse since the day they were born.


They know nothing of the people or the plight of the average person, and won't think twice about crapping on them if they can line their own pocket.


UK politics and government is all about stealing from the public, lying about their ideals and making hypocritical decisions.


I've give up voting. After the debacle of the last elections and we had a hung parliament I've vowed to never vote again. We either end up in the **** state of affairs we're in now, or we get a bunch of liars and thieves in charge. Or both.

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The Labour Party, or the "New Labour Party" are sellouts.. Right-wing social democrats. Probably started when Wilson supported the Vietnam war, and both parties aren't that far from each other.

Green Party...

Not as bad as the US, but same direction, "Turn right, turn right"

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https://www.youtube.com/c/LoyalOpposition

I'm always stunned when I hear lifelong Labour voters claim their losing faith in Labour. Did the last 20 years show you nothing? Was Blair rewriting Clause 4 not warning enough? I mean, Smith was pushing through reforms and changing the party, but I doubt it would've been anything compared to what Blair did. Oh, then there was the 13 years in power. That should've been a clue, too.

Surely no one can be surprised by the UKIP victory? It was a certainty from the moment Reckless decamped. It's not as if he was going to do one to another party in order to get himself unelected, was it? Out of interest, when was the last time someone defected to another party and did themselves out of a seat?

Little time for the Greens, as that's where most of the lefties went from the late 80's and 90's, but they do have my favourite councillor - Jason Kitcat. That's even better than Mark Reckless, though not quite as good as Lady Garden.

The General Election should be interesting, though. There could be 3, 4 or even 5 parties jostling to make the difference. Does anyone think there'll be an outright winner?

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

I think this is increasingly what people think, but it's a bit unfair. There are people out there in politics that aren't from privileged backgrounds but the problem is that a lot of them are. It doesn't mean they can't rule the country well tho. Having people from more of a mixture of social backgrounds and more people who've actually had a proper job would be a help.

Don't give up voting Rodent, it's a right that was hard fought for for people like us we'll end up a worse place if all ordinary people give up.

In case you're not from the UK and wonder why a Labour shadow minister resigned over a photo of a house with patriotic flags, here's an article which attempts to explain

http://http://www.theguardian.com/po...utside-britain

Don't get me wrong... I love my Country...


But if I vote, this is what I vote for:


Labour: Hypocrites and thieves
Conservative: Liars, hypocrites and thieves
Lib Dem: Liars and hypocrites
UKIP: Liars, thieves and racists
BNP: Hypocrites and racists




So, because I love my country so much, I won't be held responsible for any of them coming into power.

Left is best.

There are good grass roots politicians of all shades everywhere in the country. Will they ever get top jobs?

My old European Lit lecturer ran for Westminster when I was at Uni, and I did a lot of campaigning for him. I became firm friends with Colin over the years he was an MP, even though I wasn't living anywhere near his constituency. He was a proper Old Labour man and found himself marginalised under Blair despite being a hugely capable MP.

We don't do more than exchange Christmas cards these days but Colin's kind of a hero of mine.

There's very little of that kind of politician left in Westminster. Personally, I'd ban anyone from becoming an MP until they're at least 50 - Career politicians are a big part of the problem.

Alan Johnson is a good man. Trouble is like you say there's hardly any of them left

Matt - I think Labour sold out under Tony Blair not Wilson. Trouble is we Labour supporters were so swept up in the euphoria of getting rid of the Tories after so long that it wasn't till around the Iraq War crisis and Blair's support of George W. we realised we'd lost our socialist roots

At least, not like they are. The closer you get to the top of the greasy pole, the stickier your fingers have to be.

The main trouble is, I think, a combination of professional politicians (often from a background (regardless of the party) of private school, Oxbridge, Law or PPE) then into a Westminster/PR job and then a safe seat. Or as safe as possible, depending on the candidate.

That, combined with politicains who don't represent their grassroots (beacause we're a centre right country and vote that way) means that anyone who gets towards the front benches can't say or do what they've promised/think/etc and keep their political progress in either of the two main parties. It was possible as a Liberal because power was never on the agenda. Of course, first time it happens, they all get found out. Not because they didn't want to do it, but because they couldn't. The only other option would be to not be in Government and, well, that's the whole point. So they were out of options. They've gotten four years of abuse for doing what anyone else in that position would've done. They were an easy scapegoat and, IMO, a good example of how poorly politics is played in this country.

I think it's one of the reasons why ex politicians or those who've had their time in the spotlight/made their money, often talk the most sense on the tv and in debates, IMO, rather than those who still have their eyes on the prize.

I have a lot of time for Alan Johnson and I'm certainly not a Labour man.

I think this is, pretty much, the case. Though, as I said in my previous post, it'd been signposted before they were elected, let alone before they started to govern.

I felt the first election win was inevitable. The Tories were in a terrible state and, though the economy was back on track, Europe had done for Major (who, taste in women aside, I always had a lot of time and respect for) and they had to go, much like the Labour government of 2010. It'd just been too long. However, I feel that if people were tuned in politically, then the Labour win in 2001 was, possibly, a mistake. From a left POV, they'd made it obvious exactly what they were. Maybe a weak Opposition was to blame, but winning with an increased majority seemed like madness to me. I expected another big win for them, but not to increase their seats. 2005? Really, people? Really? I washed my hands of the British public at this time.

Makes me laugh how that bloke with the flags outside his house is now having loads of photos with flags with 'The Sun' on them for their paper.

That whole thing is bloody ridiculous. She's had to resign? For what? I think it says more about the people who kicked up a fuss than it did her. I've seen her on QT and a couple of other interviews and she's not great, but this is just stupid.

I know nothing about British Politics so I will just say God Save the Queen.

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That's alright, GS. It appears many of those who vote don't either.

Well, at least we now know that Rochester has 16,867 complete and utter idiots living there.

I saw the tweet and to a Canadian's eyes the photo looked really benign. I had to go to an American news site to learn why it was so offensive. In the US and Canada we don't have white vans we have pickup trucks. White vans? Why are they symbolic of the English working class?

Mod, a white Ford Transit van is the workhorse of vans, the most popular amongst self employed builders, plasterers, roofers . It's become shorthand for your working class man.