Current Affairs 2017 General Election

[rascal]

I think minimum wage should mean minimum. No tax, and lower NIC.

I remember reading a recent poll that suggested taxpayers support a 1p rise to help fund the NHS.

To be honest, I'd rather this idea, as at least I'd get some benefit from it, than the idea of the hard-up workers seeing their taxes go up to support the demographic with more disposable income than anyone else, as proposed by the Tories.

I'm also pleased to see a party trying to do something about NHS funding, rather than the empty rhetoric we've seen from the Tories and Labour.

 

[The Cowboy]

Which is an indictment on the stupidity of young voters or anyone else who votes for somebody based on their image. There's plenty of reasons to not like or not want to vote for Corbyn but to even think about his image as a valid reason is a bit shallow and smacks of X-Factor nonsense again. Your probably right though and that's incredibly sad that we have so many people who chose to vote or not based on something like that.

Politics is image though. It's posturing on a grand scale. A good image breeds confidence, in all areas of life.

To suggest people are stupid for using image as a guide is rather rude, if you ask me.

 

[Deleted member 28206]

So you're going to keep the Tories out by voting for a party that has no chance of keeping the Tories out?

I think you have missed my point.

 

[Gwladysstreetlad]

Politics is image though. It's posturing on a grand scale. A good image breeds confidence, in all areas of life.

To suggest people are stupid for using image as a guide is rather rude, if you ask me.

Image is a large part of it I agree but if that's a person's overriding guide when voting for somebody then im afraid i consider that person to be stupid. If that makes me rude then so be it but to make your vote purely based on image is nonsense.

 

[WycombeToffee]

I do agree that its extremely unlikely but its not impossible. Turnouts for local votes are nearly always poor. Your far more likely to convince the undecided and the uninterested to participate in a general election.

Local elections do tend to favour left wing parties though, as it is fought on local issues about things like services. That is emphasised by the low turnouts which mean that only the most politically active people actually vote, and this tends to favour Lib/Lab as well, with their large memberships, and generally more left wing grassroots support. For example the local elections in 1983 were won by 3 points by the Tories, but the GE margin was 16 points that year.

In the GE, I would expect the vote share to be even more heavily Tory favoured, as the elections are fought on national and leadership issues. This is particularly the case in this election, where the local councillors and devolved parties were trying to distance themselves from Corbyn as much as possible in the locals. That won't be possible in the GE. I would expect a margin much greater than 11 points.

 

[The Cowboy]

Image is a large part of it I agree but if that's a person's overriding guide when voting for somebody then im afraid i consider that person to be stupid. If that makes me rude then so be it but to make your vote purely based on image is nonsense.

I never said 'purely'. Of course there's plenty to take into account, but how you perceive the potential leader of our country is undoubtedly very important. The very idea of Corbyn taking his seat at the UN Security Council table, for example. Makes me wince.

 

[Mrk]

I think you have missed my point.

That's possible. What was your point, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Deleted member 28206]

So you're going to keep the Tories out by voting for a party that has no chance of keeping the Tories out?

Also, this type of snobbery regarding politics and " my vote and Party is better than yours ", defeats the entire concept around voting.

 

[Tree13]

I'd be willing to pay.

Do you think you are representative of millions of tax-payers in this country when you say that?

I don't have a conceptual issue with taxation, but the bigger problem for me is the fiscal attitudes and responsibility of those elected to spend it. From my perspective, Labour proved in the Blair/Brown years that they will splurge cash on utter bobbins in order to prop up the demographic they feel are most likely to vote for them en masse. That is not the attitude I want to see from my government.

 

[Deleted member 28206]

That's possible. What was your point, if you don't mind me asking?

Is that exercising a vote is important.

 

[Gwladysstreetlad]

The very idea of Corbyn taking his seat at the UN Security Council table, for example. Makes me wince.

I can't really argue with that. That would make me cringe.

 

[Gwladysstreetlad]

I never said 'purely'. Of course there's plenty to take into account, but how you perceive the potential leader of our country is undoubtedly very important. The very idea of Corbyn taking his seat at the UN Security Council table, for example. Makes me wince.

I will say however that he would make me cringe a great deal less then that worm Farron.

 

[The Cowboy]

I will say however that he would make me cringe a great deal less then that worm Farron.

Oh yes. He's just weird.

 

[rascal]

Do you think you are representative of millions of tax-payers in this country when you say that?

I don't have a conceptual issue with taxation, but the bigger problem for me is the fiscal attitudes and responsibility of those elected to spend it. From my perspective, Labour proved in the Blair/Brown years that they will splurge cash on utter bobbins in order to prop up the demographic they feel are most likely to vote for them en masse. That is not the attitude I want to see from my government.

I'm just one voice of course, but what a great voice.

 

[rascal]

Local elections do tend to favour left wing parties though, as it is fought on local issues about things like services. That is emphasised by the low turnouts which mean that only the most politically active people actually vote, and this tends to favour Lib/Lab as well, with their large memberships, and generally more left wing grassroots support. For example the local elections in 1983 were won by 3 points by the Tories, but the GE margin was 16 points that year.

In the GE, I would expect the vote share to be even more heavily Tory favoured, as the elections are fought on national and leadership issues. This is particularly the case in this election, where the local councillors and devolved parties were trying to distance themselves from Corbyn as much as possible in the locals. That won't be possible in the GE. I would expect a margin much greater than 11 points.

Indeed, I would treat the Labour vote as the ceiling and the Tory vote as the floor.