General Politics Thread

[Hammyton]

Just now, John Lambies Doos said:

I think it was obvious that a 2014 no vote would lead to decades of tory rule.

But too wee, too poor, too daft.  

[mjw]

Better 100 years of Tory rule than one day if independence.
Wasn't it?

[John Lambies Doos]

Better 100 years of Tory rule than one day if independence.
Wasn't it?

Yup, and salmonds wife is fat and old

[invergowrie arab]

3 hours ago, Randy Giles said:

This "you voted for this" thing in reference to the referendum stuff needs to stop. Absolutely nobody seen the Tories getting a majority in the election and so nobody voted for that when they voted no, so stop with the bitter shite.

People voted for Scotland to have their government chosen for it by another country.

[Todders]

This "you voted for this" thing in reference to the referendum stuff needs to stop. Absolutely nobody seen the Tories getting a majority in the election and so nobody voted for that when they voted no, so stop with the bitter shite.

Nobody saw the Lib Dem vite disappearing like snow off a dyke?

Nobody saw the absolute comedic incompetence of Milliband?

Righto.

[Ira Gaines]

Nobody saw the Lib Dem vite disappearing like snow off a dyke?

Nobody saw the absolute comedic incompetence of Milliband?

Righto.

The former was predicted. The latter wasn't, including on here. Although going on what some say, you'd be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

The voting for a Westminster government point is a fair one and is at least 100% accurate.

[Baxter Parp]

 

Have your papers ready and climb into the cattle trucks when ordered.

[Sooky]

A bit uninspiring for me, that conference speech. Nothing like Cameron's last year.

Certainly seems to be a pitch to the sizeable amount of labour voters who backed Brexit. Quite pro-state in parts and the way she rambled on, you'd think she'd been campaigning on the side of Leave.

I know a few, more libertarian sorts who weren't overly impressed.

[Bishop Briggs]

14 minutes ago, Sooky said:

A bit uninspiring for me, that conference speech. Nothing like Cameron's last year.

Certainly seems to be a pitch to the sizeable amount of labour voters who backed Brexit. Quite pro-state in parts and the way she rambled on, you'd think she'd been campaigning on the side of Leave.

I know a few, more libertarian sorts who weren't overly impressed.

Yet May has appointed several libertarian Tories to her cabinet - Johnson, Davis, Fox, Fallon, Javid, Truss and Leadsom.

[tintax]

The Tory Party slowly but surely morphing into UKIP.  Disgusting rhetoric at the conference. 

[Bishop Briggs]

13 minutes ago, tintax said:

The Tory Party slowly but surely morphing into UKIP.  Disgusting rhetoric at the conference. 

More like the old BNP. 

[jmothecat]

A bit uninspiring for me, that conference speech. Nothing like Cameron's last year.

Certainly seems to be a pitch to the sizeable amount of labour voters who backed Brexit. Quite pro-state in parts and the way she rambled on, you'd think she'd been campaigning on the side of Leave.

I know a few, more libertarian sorts who weren't overly impressed.

Something about the tone of the conference felt like it was a distancing from the more liberal (relatively) Cameron project. The common themes from cabinet members of nationalism, talk about 'patriotic' working class voters, rejection of the common market felt like a dismissal of the Cameron ideals and a pitch towards small c conservatism.

With something similar happening in the Labour Party over the past few years it leaves a bit of a vacuum in the area that a few years ago it felt like both parties were desperately trying to pitch their tents in.

[John Lambies Doos]

Something about the tone of the conference felt like it was a distancing from the more liberal (relatively) Cameron project. The common themes from cabinet members of nationalism, talk about 'patriotic' working class voters, rejection of the common market felt like a dismissal of the Cameron ideals and a pitch towards small c conservatism.

With something similar happening in the Labour Party over the past few years it leaves a bit of a vacuum in the area that a few years ago it felt like both parties were desperately trying to pitch their tents in.

So are you switching to SNP old chap?

[welshbairn]

Both parties are creating more space for a new centrist, possibly pro European party. If the Lib Dems hadn't screwed up so badly they'd be storming up in the polls.

[Bishop Briggs]

3 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Both parties are creating more space for a new centrist, possibly pro European party. If the Lib Dems hadn't screwed up so badly they'd be storming up in the polls.

Tim Farron is a poor Leader and must take his share of the blame. His communication skills are dreadful so the media tends to ignore him and his party. The Lib Dems are, however, performing better in the council elections and by-elections. 

[jmothecat]

So are you switching to SNP old chap?

No. There's a lot that the SNP are doing that I agree with, but too much I don't. I would rather the SNP win my seat next time round than the Tories, but I'll be voting for the Labour candidate.

I'm a bit worried about my constituency though. I'm getting the feeling that there is a sort of hidden battle between competing nationalisms (Scottish and British) which is turning it into an SNP/Tory battleground. I would like Labour to reject both types of nationalism but on a practical level I think this will harm our chances electorally. I have to admit that since returning to Scotland a few weeks ago I've been slightly taken aback by how much the whole Indy thing still dominates proceedings, from both the nationalist and unionist camps.

[jmothecat]

Both parties are creating more space for a new centrist, possibly pro European party. If the Lib Dems hadn't screwed up so badly they'd be storming up in the polls.

I would like to see them do something drastic, like announce they are changing their name to the European Liberal Party, or something, and create a dividing line between them and the coalition whilst becoming unashamedly pro-European. They should be catching disaffected Labour and Tory voters right now, but it feels like at best they are getting back a few of their lost voters and that's it. They still feel like a complete irrelevance even though this is probably their best chance in a whole to renew their identity.

[welshbairn]

They need some high power defections to fill their top ranks, as the Bishop says their leadership is deeply uninspiring.

[mjw]

Clumsy fat finger post.

[Bishop Briggs]

17 minutes ago, jmothecat said:

 

 

I would like to see them do something drastic, like announce they are changing their name to the European Liberal Party, or something, and create a dividing line between them and the coalition whilst becoming unashamedly pro-European. They should be catching disaffected Labour and Tory voters right now, but it feels like at best they are getting back a few of their lost voters and that's it. They still feel like a complete irrelevance even though this is probably their best chance in a whole to renew their identity.

 

 

That would be a disastrous strategy. Most of the seats that the Lib Dems lost in 2015 voted to Leave the EU. That's why the Lib Dems campaigned as a Eurosceptic in the South West; Nick Harvey was a classic example. The hypocrites even campaigned for a EU referendum in 2010 and then opposed Cameron's Referendum Act.