Politics at Westminster | BREAKING: UKIP

For a long time, I used to watch every debate on TV... then I became very disillusioned and now I just can't be bothered.
 
The biggest pet peeve at the moment about parliament is seeing debates on big topics where about 12 people show up, and 5 of them are on their phones throughout and raise their heads to pipe up with a 'YUHHHH' when their guy has stopped talking. Either they're lazy and they should face some sort of punishment for being a shit representative or the task of being an MP is too difficult and they should find a way to reduce workload so they can actually attend debates on the bills they vote on (not that it would make a difference because of the whips, I suppose being told how to vote makes you less likely to attend a debate)

Perhaps they were conducting essential research into the points being raised? :smirk:
 
Looks like Osbourne's latest plans to ensure permanent budget surpluses have come under a lot of attack from economists. No doubt though that Osbourne will continue with it anyway, and his party will use buzzwords like "hard-working families" a lot as a justification.
 
Looks like Osbourne's latest plans to ensure permanent budget surpluses have come under a lot of attack from economists. No doubt though that Osbourne will continue with it anyway, and his party will use buzzwords like "hard-working families" a lot as a justification.

"All in this together", " living within our means". Loathsome creature.
 
"All in this together", " living within our means". Loathsome creature.

It's particularly annoying because his plan is getting ripped apart by economists, but that's not going to matter because his party will just try to frame it in a positive manner due to the connotations of "surplus", and won't get pulled up on it at all. Osbourne's not an economic chancellor working for the best interests of the country; he's a spin doctor, using the economy to try and best benefit his party.
 
It's particularly annoying because his plan is getting ripped apart by economists, but that's not going to matter because his party will just try to frame it in a positive manner due to the connotations of "surplus", and won't get pulled up on it at all. Osbourne's not an economic chancellor working for the best interests of the country; he's a spin doctor, using the economy to try and best benefit his party.
Yup, politics before economics. Trouble is, he's very good at it.
 
Yup, politics before economics. Trouble is, he's very good at it.

Aye, he is, which is why he's in such a high-up position. Labour should jump at this, and oppose it strongly, but the problem is they're not really sure what they actually believe at the moment, nor are they any good at defending their own political positions.
 
David Cameron wants to base our new human rights on the Magna Carta, at least it's kind of honest, they're not pretending they care about the last few hundred years of human development.
 
Aye, he is, which is why he's in such a high-up position. Labour should jump at this, and oppose it strongly, but the problem is they're not really sure what they actually believe at the moment, nor are they any good at defending their own political positions.

I think that'd be suicide from a Labour perspective. The Tories will easily spin it as "the party who bankrupted the country blocking fiscal responsibility". Making party political pledges into statute is completely pointless anyway. If you want to do something, do it. You don't need a statute saying we must spend less money to spend less and any future Government can simply repeal the legislation and spend more.
 
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What's the deal with the SNP now lying about how Labour vote?
 
Aye, he is, which is why he's in such a high-up position. Labour should jump at this, and oppose it strongly, but the problem is they're not really sure what they actually believe at the moment, nor are they any good at defending their own political positions.


I think Liz Kendall co-wrote it!
 
UKIP's Suzanne Evans facing the sack after Farage comments


UKIP's most senior woman is facing the sack after she told the BBC's Daily Politics party leader Nigel Farage was perceived as "very divisive".

Deputy chairwoman Suzanne Evans has been dropped as a party spokesman and officials in the party have been told to have no further contact with her.

The instructions are contained in an internal party email seen by the BBC.

Ms Evans had been speaking about what role Mr Farage might play in the EU referendum campaign.

"I think Nigel is a very divisive character in terms of the way he is perceived," she said.

"He is not divisive as a person but the way he is perceived in having strong views that divide people."

She went on to say that she thought "somebody else" would front the out campaign in the in/out referendum, promised by 2017, but that Mr Farage should play a "significant part".

Mr Farage was "very angry" after he heard the comments, the BBC understands.

And in the internal UKIP email, press officers have been ordered to sever contact with Ms Evans.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33190940
 
^ I don't think there's a great deal wrong with those comments. If Farage is honest with himself, and puts the cause before his own vanity, he'll recognise that he can best serve the referendum campaign in a supportive or complementary role.

Although the UKIP vote was creditable, Farage's image was damaged by the process (in no small part due to the style of campaigning). A few years ago the perception was a kinder one.
 
Given all the northern power house bullshit the conservatives spouted throughout the elections and then the decision one month after the election to scrap modernisation on the TPR and East Midlands railways because of overruns in the London to Bristol line which is given priority and will continue through to completion.

Would it be fair to say,

1, What a set of lying feckers the conservatives are.
2, The HS2 will never be built.
3, Shame on anyone who lives north of Birmingham who ever votes conservative again.

Meanwhile cross rail the most expensive railway mile for mile Britain has ever built continues to completion without question.

Looking at the cost of repairs to Westminster laid out this month, can the rest of England afford to be governed from London for very much longer.
 
You say that like it was ever in question.

I know and you know it was always going to happen. I just wonder if anyone wants to defend the position given the election pledges. Why do people vote labour in the North they say, it must be political tribalism.

Yeah right, feck off and die you lying cnuts.
 
SNP MPs using the Syria debate in the Commons to further their agenda on Trident, bad form if you ask me.

British air strikes in Syria will have a greater impact in political and diplomatic terms, than military. We could play a more decisive role in aiding our partners in North Africa IMO.
 
I wish we'd just stop fecking bombing people to be honest.
 
Given all the northern power house bullshit the conservatives spouted throughout the elections and then the decision one month after the election to scrap modernisation on the TPR and East Midlands railways because of overruns in the London to Bristol line which is given priority and will continue through to completion.

Would it be fair to say,

1, What a set of lying feckers the conservatives are.
2, The HS2 will never be built.
3, Shame on anyone who lives north of Birmingham who ever votes conservative again.

Meanwhile cross rail the most expensive railway mile for mile Britain has ever built continues to completion without question.

Looking at the cost of repairs to Westminster laid out this month, can the rest of England afford to be governed from London for very much longer.

To be fair, stopping CrossRail now would be incredibly mental.
 
Would any of the Caf's resident Tories like to try justifying the inheritance tax rise?

And to think the right wing media suggested Ed Miliband was engaged in class warfare
 
Would any of the Caf's resident Tories like to try justifying the inheritance tax rise?

And to think the right wing media suggested Ed Miliband was engaged in class warfare

Cos living within our means, balancing the books, all in this together, cleaning up Labour's mess, hard working families, Greece, there's no money left.
 
Given all the northern power house bullshit the conservatives spouted throughout the elections and then the decision one month after the election to scrap modernisation on the TPR and East Midlands railways because of overruns in the London to Bristol line which is given priority and will continue through to completion.

Would it be fair to say,

1, What a set of lying feckers the conservatives are. - They are politicians.
2, The HS2 will never be built. - I suspect we'll start it eventually, although the cost overruns and delays will worsen the case for the project.
3, Shame on anyone who lives north of Birmingham who ever votes conservative again. - What did the other ruling alternative introduce in terms of transport provision?

Meanwhile cross rail the most expensive railway mile for mile Britain has ever built continues to completion without question.

Had the opportunity presented itself i suspect here are those at the DfT who would also have 'paused' the Great Western electrification. According to this article at least, the choice was taken away from them by circumstance.

http://www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/news/electrification-schemes-paused-as-rail-spending-crisis-bites

Now if someone could but turn Network Rail into an effective organisation, the whole country would be in their debt.
 
I don't see anything wrong with asking for market rent, except that the extra revenue should be spent on building more houses. A few more things like taxing second homes, unoccupied homes, and buy-to-lets then houses would be cheaper in the first place.
 
I don't see anything wrong with asking for market rent, except that the extra revenue should be spent on building more houses. A few more things like taxing second homes, unoccupied homes, and buy-to-lets then houses would be cheaper in the first place.

Suspect most of those houses will be purchased under right to buy, more social housing lost forever
 
Right to buy could be a scheme to add to the housing stock to everyone's benefit, if the revenue was used to build more social housing, but that's not the way tories think, is it?
 
Right to buy could be a scheme to add to the housing stock to everyone's benefit, if the revenue was used to build more social housing, but that's not the way tories think, is it?
If you organised it so that you could only sell a house once you'd built, for instance two, you'd have both a safeguard against the social housing stock being depleted and an incentive to build more. As it is, the Tory thought process seems to be to sell off the stock and raise the number of people on housing benefit, which you cut at the same time. Lovely.
 
Aye, like it. The state would have to borrow to build the two houses, but that would be offset by the proceeds from the sale one and the rent from two. I would vote for you as Housing Minister Ubik.
 
If you organised it so that you could only sell a house once you'd built, for instance two, you'd have both a safeguard against the social housing stock being depleted and an incentive to build more. As it is, the Tory thought process seems to be to sell off the stock and raise the number of people on housing benefit, which you cut at the same time. Lovely.
Create the problem to win you an election.
 
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Labour will not vote against welfare bill and limiting child tax credits

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...ild-tax-credits/ar-AAcSskO?ocid=mailsignoutmd

Honestly.What is the point of Labour.

Very predictable. They just aren't able or willing to change the narrative. They'll now just accept any tory economic policy for fear of appearing 'irresponsible'.

They have a golden opportunity to challenge the unfair distribution of the cuts and win votes but they'll squander it.

Who are they actually trying to appeal to?
 
Very predictable. They just aren't able or willing to change the narrative. They'll now just accept any tory economic policy for fear of appearing 'irresponsible'.

They have a golden opportunity to challenge the unfair distribution of the cuts and win votes but they'll squander it.

Who are they actually trying to appeal to?

They just want power and they don't care how. Are they trying to appeal to people who like to think of themselves as compassionate people who are, when push comes to shove, firmly in the "I'm alright, Jack" boat? In other words people who feel ever so slighlty guilty about voting Tory, but not guilty enough that they'd sacrifice an extra couip!e hundred quid a year.

Did they really lose the election because they were too left wing, as they seem to think? Or did it have more to do with a gimpy leader and an awful campaign in which they didn't even oppose the bizarre narrative that they caused the financial crash, because they didn't wanna defend Blair/Brown spending and be seen as irresponsible, as you said.