South East Citizen wrote:
When did Miliband rule out a coalition with the snp? Every time ive seen him being asked the question he side steps it by saying he thinks he can get a majority. Any snp gains will be off labour which won't matter when they form a coalition. Labour won't be able to form a government without them and Miliband knows that. The economy has been doing remarkably well, especially when compared to the rest of Europe. The UK has created more jobs than the rest of Europe put together, and the 0 hours thing is just something Miliband had fixated on because he got Cameron to say he couldn't exist on a 0 hours contract. I'd like to know exactly how many people actually go into work and have to turn around again, not many I expect, and the alternative under labour would be full unemployment. Miliband talks about redistribution of wealth and social justice like they're the same thing, but there's nothing fair about further taxing the people who already contribute the vast majority to the public purse. He talks like we're still living under the feudal system, but there's nothing stopping anyone with brains and a good work ethic from rising to the top of the pile these days.
one of the latest debates, he unequivocally stated he would not form a coalition with the snp. obviously there was the qualifier that he wouldn't need a coalition, but it was widely taken as a massive mistake on his part to rule it out so forcefully. i say "mistake" as that's the angle on the reports i've seen. i'm not really fucked either way, snp voters are mostly the old labour voters, which is pretty much why i wanted the scots to stay part of the country, they are a huge tranche of left leaning (at the least) votes, and if they had split the country would remain blue or purple in perpetuity. in effect? it makes it more factional, but at least it's not blue. the economy has been doing well enough, in comparison to some parts of europe, but there are real issues with the cuts that are going into public spending, benefits and all the rest that have an impact on people. food banks. read up on them and how they've grown exponentially in the past 5 years. if you're going to tell me everything is fine and dandy with the economy or wealth distribution you've never had a conversation with people that have to use them. popular reasons include switching from DLA to PIP, having one benefit start and then the other take months to kick in, sanctions (of which some may be fairly earned, but dear god they are punitive and petty in the most part), being on 0 hours contracts and not getting the hours they usually do, or just in low paid part-time jobs because they can't afford childcare to go full-time... that's the problem with 0 hour contracts, some weeks you get the hours, some you don't - it's an irregular income, not just irregular hours.
redistribution of wealth and social justice are kind of related. what should happen is that people who earn the vast majority of the profit in this country (the mythical "1%") should be taxed at the appropriate level, as should companies. note i say profit, not money generated and spent in this country. there should not be loop holes and dodges and all the rest, tax should be fucking paid where it is due. what actually happens is these loopholes, dodges and offshore companies exist, and the tax revenue shortfall is levied on every other fucker that already makes up the majority of the public purse and doesn't have access to the kind of accountants that drive ferraris. if the dodgers and snide companies paid their share then folk like you and i wouldn't get hit as much as we do. social justice via the redistribution of wealth. btw, that is not what will happen under any of these parties. as for a brain and a good work ethic... if that were all that were needed then we wouldn't have the politicians that we have.
South East Citizen wrote:
As for xenophobia- how many votes do you think the snp will be getting in England? Any gains they get will be purely down to xenophobia rather than Nicola Sturgeon winning over the hearts and minds of people elsewhere in the UK.
They don't have any MPs in england? i mean xenophobia in terms of them billing it as being ruled by the scots, by proxy/via a coalition with labour, rather than them being part of the union and therefore just another, albeit regional, party.
Bastard wrote:
gibbonicus_andronicus wrote:
how can he make the economy any worse?
Clearly you've forgotten what the previous lot did with the economy, which was absolutely nothing to do with Ed Balls whatsoever. Definitely not.
Said this today to Abbatoir Blue - I wouldn't be massively concerned about a Labour-led coalition if they didn't have Miliband and Balls in charge. They are a pair of walking disasters imo and should never get anywhere near government again.
it's also not a situation entirely their fault. maybe they would've done worse, maybe better, perhaps cameron prevented us sliding the way of greece, perhaps he kicked us into a decade of stagnation like japan had for so long. fuck knows. concur on balls and milliband though, these two are that wonderful mix of confidence killing - one as belligerent as he is thick, while the other looks like he fingers cats and has a problem eating human food.
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