The General Election Thread

[Penners]

Well, folks, I reckon that, after this thread, tonight's Great Debate ( :roll: ) is going to seem pretty dull.

Actually, I'll rephrase that. I reckon that, by any yardstick you care to name, tonight's debate is going to seem pretty dull.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Well if we're playing this game......!

We were living in Auchtermuchty at the time. I stayed in Fakland the night before opposite the Palace.

We were married in a lovely Church of Scotland ceremony in the candlit 14th century barrel-vaulted chapel underneath Balgonie Castle. The Laird and family pitched up and sang flat, but we ignored him!!

Afterwards we had a very memorable meal for about 30 close friends and families at The Peat Inn near St Andrews - thankfully I wasn't paying as the bill was probably as much as the traditional hotel do for 100! It's changed hands and chefs in the 10 years since, but is still one of the best restaurants with rooms in Scotland and well recommended:

http://www.thepeatinn.co.uk/

The dress was fantastic, and the ring cost the requisite number of months of my salary (which was rather smaller in those days!). We spent the first night at the Galsgow Aiport Hilton, where I am pleased to confirm we were not one of the "40 percenters" 8) 8) 8)

Joce is right - life is for building memories. Doesn't matter if they are £30k, £10k, or £1k memories - provided they are special.

 

[philpjuk100]

Once saw a wedding party getting off a bus and crossing the road to a Mc donalds,the brides dress was probably borrowed or from a charity shop and did not fit too well,the groom had a smart jacket over his tee shirt and threadbare jeans.It may have been a cut price do but they seemed very happy.Our own do was not too costly,reg office then a family lunch(just bought a house we could not really afford!)but that was 40 years ago and we are still together(just!).whats this got to do with the election?

 

[Jill]

whats this got to do with the election?

Absolutely nothing, but this is more interesting.

As i'm happily living in sin I dream more of having a nice kitchen and getting the house finished than spending money on a wedding. As a girl I never had dreams about my wedding - just that if it did happen I wanted blossom to be on the trees.

 

[Feltwell]

My mum bought my 5 year old daughter a "wedding dress" (Bridesmaid's dress, but she doesn't know that!) for Christmas. Almost every Saturday morning since, she has to be a princess, getting married to a handsome prince. Little brother is her handsome prince, if he's unwilling then Dad will do, but only as a strictly second-best choice.

 

[Penners]

Well, did you watch the The Debate?

I did.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear......

Stilted, lifeless, tedious, uncomfortable, unedifying, predictable....... (add your own adjective).

It gave Nick Clegg an opportunity to introduce himself to the British public, which he did to some effect. But as for the rest of it - it was just a repetitious chanting of party dogma and manifesto weasel words.

 

[Gervase]

Indeed - it was probably the high point of Clegg's political career (he can't introduce himself again, after all).
Cameron was horribly slippery with his shroud-waving and patronising attitude. I'm amazed he met a black man who joined the Navy at the age of ten, though. And did he mention that his kids went to state schools?
Brown did better than I expected, although economics doesn't lend itself to sound-bites and anecdotes, and his scripted attacks on Cameron were pretty wooden.
The television presenter was the worst of the lot, however.

 

[Penners]

I absolutely agree about the presenter - Alistair Wossname. He was absolutely appalling.

 

[Moo]

For once, my crystal ball was in full working order.
I watched Country House Rescue and Have I Got News For You.


I did dip into the Debate during the first two commercial breaks, but decided that the ads were more interesting.

 

[Ian Bond]

I'm fer makin' all the scurvy dogs walk the plank, and votin' fer ...

http://www.madcapntom.co.uk/

Ahoy etc,

 

[Flyfisher]

I listened to it on R4and entirely agree with the above comments on the presenter. If he was annoying with vision he was even worse with just the audio as he seemed to repeatedly, and quite rudely to my ears, interrupted each speaker to bring in another. I suppose he had to ensure each had the same time, but I'm sure it could have been done much better. Where was David Dimbleby? :lol:

But, despite that, I didn't find it particularly enlightening. All were saying they were going to make things better but with little details about how. We've discussed before how the few details previously let out, such as NI increases or 50% tax band at £100k are a drop in the ocean compared to the fiscal position being faced but none of them were offering anything else. I can only conclude that none of them have a clue about what they're going to do or, worse, they all know what has to happen and it's going to be too scary to admit to the electorate.

I read an article somewhere recently explaining that the tax take from the financial sector is down by about £100bn per year and is unlikely to recover in the near future. Isn't that the best part of 20% of tax revenues - how on earth are they going to plug that hole?

The other thing I can't understand is how the LibDem's position on not renewing Trident (which seems reasonable in itself) is going to help our fiscal position. I can't improve my finances any better by not buying a Lear Jet in a couple of years time. :roll:

 

[Moo]

"In 2008 Labour received some £9.5m in donations, but this was dwarfed by staff costs of £9.9m and debts totalling £18.4m." **

Not our (taxpayers') money in this case, but it really isn't very confidence-inspiring, is it?





** (This week's Private Eye - p5)

 

[Penners]

Where was David Dimbleby?

I suspect watching the ITV incompetent with curled lip from his lofty throne at the Beeb.

 

[Penners]

I can't improve my finances any better by not buying a Lear Jet in a couple of years time.

In which case you might as well go ahead and buy one.

Let me know if you're popping over for coffee and I'll clear the Bungay-Halesworth road. It's nice and straight.

 

[Flyfisher]

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Will do . . . or should that be wilco?

FF out.

 

[Feltwell]

I watched it, got bored, and switched over to Have I Got News for You for a while before switching back again.

I was surprised at just how badly Cameron came across - I always find he comes across as being very insincere, but given his PR background I thought he would be very good at a televised debate. Instead he came across, to me at least, as stilted and nervous. Brown came across better than I expected - admittedly my expectations were low, that's far from his natural environment - whilst the majority seem to be acknowledging that Clegg did rather well. Is it all relevant and important? Well no, but it's generating some interest in the election which has to be a good thing.

Have I Got News For You had a lovely joke at the end - "There's a shock for one man as "Who Do You Think You Are?" reveal he's descended from Hungarian Jews." Cut to a picture of shocked-looking Nick Griffin.

Please, please vote for anyone except the BNP.

 

[Feltwell]

Will do . . . or should that be wilco?

Not today you won't!

 

[wobs]

Please, please vote for anyone except the BNP.

I was thinking of just writing "none of the above" on my voting card, but the BNP have just been added to our area, so currently rethinking that idea. It looks like I may have to vote for one of the major parties just to keep the BNP out, but with them all having policies I'm deeply opposed to, it looks to be a tricky one.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I see there is an Independent standing in North Belfast with the motto

”Tough on crime - tougher on women drivers”

Should do well. :lol:

 

[Flyfisher]

Could get 50% of the vote . . . :lol: