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Do we need a GE2015 thread?

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  1. gembo
    Member

    @morningsider, you are accurate as ever, I was only reporting Ms Cameron who seemed to host a clanjamfrie of contradictory viewpoints.

    Also, following on from our discussion today, if labour managed a few more seats than forecast and was able to operate as a minority government then I would hope that SNP would not follow Tories through the No lobby.

    Labour would need to hold some seats in scotland for or UKIP take some seats? They look to be collecting percentage of the vote but will not be able to turn this into seats?

    My feeling is that at a local level in Scotland the Ian Murray scenario is being replicated in various places. This is where a decent hard working labour MP is in danger of losing to someone who never thought he / she had a chance, doesn't know what he / she is doing, has an unfortunate tweeting history etc. this happened at holyrood when some reasonable SNP candidates who were hoping to be second ended up having to come to holyrood and wanted to go home. This will be even worse at Westminster as many of the SNP candidates will not have thought they were going to be elected and will not be of the highest quality. Do not get me wrong, this is the same as the Labour Party candidates of old in the west of Scotland. A donkey with a labour rosette could get elected. Nothing has changed except the colour of the rosette. I cannot figure why people have convinced themselves that the SNP are any different from any of the other parties? Mark lazarowicz in leith is another decent MP that does not deserve the chop but there you go, happened to the Tories now it is happening to labour. Popular opinion is a funny old thing.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  2. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @gembo

    Colin Fox bang on the money as ever. There is a revolution in people's hearts and the SNP are the beneficiaries, not the cause;

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=W0KNlpxysOs

    Posted 8 years ago #
  3. chdot
    Admin

    "

    I have no idea how I’m going to vote on May 7. I suspect I won’t make up my mind until the final days. Heart and head will compete as in every election but this time history is calling too. How many more times can we be let down? If Labour is the answer, why is its standing in England so low that we in Scotland are obliged to carry it over the line? But can we trust the SNP, whose record on progressive politics is iffy to say the least? Do we really want to be the generation that casts off social democracy in favour of nationalism?

    "

    http://news.stv.tv/scotland-decides/analysis/318150-stephen-daisley-on-grandfathers-fathers-sons-and-labour-politics/

    Posted 8 years ago #
  4. Baldcyclist
    Member

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05t3flh/panorama-who-will-win-the-election

    Interesting programme on BBC1 last night 'Who will win the Election', American fella who does well at predicting US elections having a go over here.

    Some of his thoughts:
    The 'Tory' voter is the silent voter who doesn't come out in the polls (shades of referendum...).
    When you ask people Labour, Tory, or Lib Dem the will say who they want in Govt.
    When you push and ask about local candidates, they often say the like the person who is not their 'party' of choice and will vote for them.
    Lib Dem will do better than predicted.
    UKIP will do worse than expected and may get 1 seat.
    49 seats for SNP.

    He predicts:

    Tories will have most seats.
    Labour + SNP not enough for majority.

    He can't predict who will be in Govt.....

    Posted 8 years ago #
  5. chdot
    Admin

    "He can't predict who will be in Govt....."

    True!

    Seems unlikely that that will be 'obvious' even after all the votes are counted!!

    Posted 8 years ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

  7. slowcoach
    Member

    "When you push and ask about local candidates..."
    A few elections ago the boundary of our constituency was changed to include a neighbouring council. At the polling station in the neighbouring council there was a mix-up and they started using the wrong ballot papers ie those for the different constituency that covered the rest of their council area. The first 30-40 people had voted before any of them noticed that none of the local candidates for their area were on the ballot paper. (followed by much rushing around by police and returning officer staff to trace the 30-40 and get them to cast new votes before polls closed)

    Posted 8 years ago #
  8. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Last night a Labour spokesman said: ‘Justine believes it is very important that everyone obeys the Highway Code and she will be more careful on her bike in future.’

    "

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3056670/Justine-Miliband-veers-right-breaks-countless-cycling-laws-process.html

    Posted 8 years ago #
  9. kaputnik
    Moderator

    What with Williegate and now this, that'll be the last politician or politician's spouse allowed by their capaigs to be seen in public on a bike until after the GE. Probably even Boris will be banned by CCHQ just in case.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  10. Stickman
    Member

    Nicola Sturgeon played it safe and didn't actually go anywhere on her bike.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  11. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Nicola Sturgeon played it safe and didn't actually go anywhere on her bike.

    I believe she did an interview from bicycle-back, cycling around Kelvingrove Park on the day before PoP. They tweeted a picture of her in an SNP cycling jacket to that effect anyway.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  12. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) tweeted at 11:40am - 24 Apr 15:

    .@theSNP campaign team never misses a trick...I'm off for a campaign cycle & they got me a new jacket. #GE15 #voteSNP pic.twitter.com/S9IctFfUeU (https://twitter.com/NicolaSturgeon/status/591552300914728960?s=17)

    "

    Posted 8 years ago #
  13. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Ms Sturgeon and her party look on course for a dramatic success next week. It will give them unprecedented numbers at Westminster. But it is far from clear just how much power and influence that will ultimately amount to.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/ian-swanson-what-could-snp-do-with-election-success-1-3757607

    Posted 8 years ago #
  14. LaidBack
    Member

    Jim Murphy was held up in traffic on way to Radio Scotland interview this morning. I was going to phone in and suggest he should try cycling..... ;-)

    At least he's confirmed that he will stay on in Westminster for full term if elected. Hasn't he?

    Posted 8 years ago #
  15. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I thought he previously also confirmed he would be [trying to] entering Holyrood at the first available opportunity?

    Posted 8 years ago #
  16. chdot
    Admin

    "

    SCOTLAND’S only elected UKIP politician has been banned from Wikipedia after he tried to rewrite his public biography.

    David Coburn MEP was blocked by page administrators last month after he tried to edit his page 69 times over six days.

    "David’s not an IT expert" - UKIP spokesman

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/scottish-ukip-mep-david-coburn-banned-from-wikipedia-1-3758429

    Posted 8 years ago #
  17. LaidBack
    Member

    K- I thought he (Jimurphy) previously also confirmed he would be [trying to] enter Holyrood at the first available opportunity?

    Bernard Ponsonby on STV confirmed that Jim's first priority is for his constituency. His second first priority is getting into Holyrood.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  18. LaidBack
    Member

    I thought this 'smear' had been worn out. Surely?

    "The former Prime Minister even referenced the Scottish Office memo that claimed Nicola Sturgeon had told the French Ambassador that she wanted Cameron as Prime Minister. The memo was widely discredited, with both the First Minister and the French Ambassador claiming it was false and the Cabinet Secretary ordering an investigation into the affair."
    Gordon Brown speaks at University of Glasgow

    His other comments are as expected!

    Posted 8 years ago #
  19. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Joyce McMillan: Tone-deaf Labour stopped listening

    Regardless of whether it's 20,30,40,50 or more SNP seats, expect a lot more of these "why has it gone wrong for Labour in Scotland" articles in the papers, about 10 years too late.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  20. chdot
    Admin

    "

    What happens after the election if there is a hung parliament? Which parties might agree to work together and who may hold the balance of power? Who could build a majority of 326 votes in the house? Play our game to find out.

    "

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32336071

    Posted 8 years ago #
  21. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @kaputnik

    The sad retrospectives for the Labour party in Scotland are coming thick and fast.

    It's like that bit in vampire films where the hero has to kill the undead shell of his own wife and collapses in grief after opening the curtains to let the blistering light in.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  22. gembo
    Member

    Don't worry, they are just being replaced by another monolithic structure. I am opening a book on the first SNP MP disgrace there will be an award Called The Frank McAvetee prize. SNP has a number of MSPs who were not particularly wanting to be elected and now they are going to have a fair few MPs in the same boat. These men, usually men, often have something they forgot to mention at vetting. Same as the old labour dinosaurs.

    Hopefully Holyrood will see a flourishing of minority parties next year but I am not so sure. As Hugh Mcdiarmid said Scotland is 'whaur extremes meet' . We seem to like a dominant party, last century conservative unionist, then labour. This century SNP.

    Has Joyce Macmillan not been writing versions of that article for ten years?

    Posted 8 years ago #
  23. wee folding bike
    Member

    Too late, there was that wife beating MSP so the first disgrace has been and gone already.

    There was a photo of Nicola riding a bike in Pollok park on her Facebook last week. Right colour, wheels too big.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  24. gembo
    Member

    Eric Joyce also about to go down for hitting wee boys in London who annoyed himkn a shop

    Posted 8 years ago #
  25. slowcoach
    Member

    "... and I still ride a bike, although my last one was stolen from the House of Commons.”
    Dennis Skinner standing for MP again at age 83. Today's Guardian

    Posted 8 years ago #
  26. wee folding bike
    Member

    If he got a Brompton he could take it with him so it wouldn't get stolen.

    Mr Skinner supported the 40% rule in '79.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  27. HankChief
    Member

    Is it just me, but does it feel slightly off that the local SNP had a large cavalcade of cars today driving from one side of our constituency to the other?

    This included driving down St John's Road which is the 2nd most polluted road in the country and with the Government having just losing a case in the Supreme Court for it not doing enough to tackle air pollution.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  28. gembo
    Member

    No, not just you hankchief, I find that to be slightly off. I am biased tho.

    We had a man in a van pulling a big sign saying vote Joanna cherry QC and a recording of a vibrant woman supposed to be Joanna cherry QC. Nicky sturgeon described her as vibrant n a leaflet through my door. Now Joanna cherry QC will never win the Frank McAvateeMcAvetee award for being a disgraceful MP as she is well behaved and I think very sincere but she is really stiff with the public and vibrant she ain't.

    Van man gave me big thumbs up which was funny, maybe he missed the numerous posters for my preferred candidate?nmaybe he has a sense of humour. I hope that is it.

    Van man drove round the constituency all day with his recording. Not sure where the successful candidate was? Not sure why she is odds on to win being more average than Iain gray. Other MSPs/MPs to represent this constituency - Malcolm riffers, Al darling. Both big hitters and Gordon McDonald also elected on the rising tide of SNP popularity. I would not call him dull though. Nor indeed was taxi for mcletchie, now dead.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  29. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    Final Scottish Leaders debate in the Mansfield Traquair tonight (3rd).

    Also had the nationalist cavalcade treatment today with much deliberate tooting of car horns by the participants. Woke our sleeping baby. Hubristic poltroons, a pox on them...

    Posted 8 years ago #
  30. gembo
    Member

    @murun, sorry they woke your baby. The other parties don't quite stretch to the cavalcade approach but the SNP are justifiably pleased with themselves they have convinced 45% of voters that they are the only party to vote for. Consistent in this election, the last indyref and the previous Holyrood election according to John Curtice at Strathclyde Uni, many of this 45per cent of voters are doing so with their hearts and some of these voters also seem to think the SNP will win the general election? I am parodying the situation slightly but I imagine the SNP bloc at Westminster will be up to all sorts of tomfoolery.

    Posted 8 years ago #

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