World Politics

yeah that was a pretty idiotic thing to do - i think more politicians need to learn how to use microphones, or rather how not to. it seems to be a remarkably common error!

i'm not sure if i'll be watching the debate tonight, i had an exam last night so i was hoping for a relaxing evening of silly tv, not a stressful evening of silly people on tv. hmm.... i am going to be watching the c4 results coverage though - i <3 <3 david mitchell, and charlie brooker (although not in quite the same way!). jimmy carr i can take or leave, but it does look like being more fun than the usual ones.
 
I'm looking forward to catching the last debate tonight. I missed it last week :( I'm still really torn about who to vote for, I thought I had it all worked out until the first debate and now I'm all up in the air!
 
Well I've watched the debate, and I finally know who I'm voting for.
I have to say it was very evenly matched this week. They all did well so I'll be surprised if there was a clear winner coming out of it.

What happens next Thursday, I'll be glad it's all over :lol:. The news channels really annoy me with their coverage of this election sometimes.
 
Just wondering, is basing your vote on debates between politicians a typical British thing? I would find it weird to base my opinion on who comes out best out of one (or even several) debate(s). I tend to look at the opinions of the party itself, how they worked during the last legislation, statements for or against a certain matter.
(For instance, I will not vote for a party that doesn't demand the immediate splitting of Brussels Halle Vilvoorde. But most of what those parties stand for don't stroke with my own beliefs, so I'm in a bit of a pickle. )

I'm asking this because it seems like most of the british in this thread follow the debates so closely, so it kept me wondering if this was a general thing. :)

Btw, the parliament just approved the ban on burqas. But because the Senate still wants to adjust some of the official text, the actual ban will be applied during the next legislation (which could take a while :lol:).
 
_Hush_ said:
Just wondering, is basing your vote on debates between politicians a typical British thing?
I'm asking this because it seems like most of the british in this thread follow the debates so closely, so it kept me wondering if this was a general thing. :)
Click to expand...

the strange thing is i think there's really only one reason we are following them; which is that they've never been done here before - this is the first time we've ever had tv debates between the leaders of the main parties. basically it's indicative of our massive shift towards american style politics, these debates are pretty much based on the american presidency debates.

so yeah, i think most people have been watching them because they're kind of intrigued about seeing the leaders actually debating in a public setting. and in that sense i can see a good argument for the debates really - i'm not a huge fan but i think it's important that voters are able to see each candidate laying out their policy and arguing it in a public forum.

i didn't watch it tonight, i just couldn't be arsed.... which as a former politics student makes me feel somewhat ashamed but hey, it's the truth.:lol:

hmm is the ban going to cause problems do you think? maybe it won't even go through if the legislative is in such chaos!?
 
_Hush_ said:
Just wondering, is basing your vote on debates between politicians a typical British thing? I would find it weird to base my opinion on who comes out best out of one (or even several) debate(s). I tend to look at the opinions of the party itself, how they worked during the last legislation, statements for or against a certain matter.

I'm asking this because it seems like most of the british in this thread follow the debates so closely, so it kept me wondering if this was a general thing. :)
Click to expand...
Well, it's because like *lisasimpson* said they've never been done here before, but no I'm not basing it my vote completely on this, the debates suppose to outline differences in policy, so it is interesting to see which parties focus on policy throughout the debate. The thing is people don't like these debates cause they have that reality tv x factor feel to them...but I see why they are needed to reengage voters in to politics and reach a much wider audience. Particularly the younger voters who are least likely to vote...because they don't see how politics affects them and the fact that politicians these days are so out of touch with the general public...these debates give them a platform to do so. Also we've fought a long time to actually get all sides to participate in these debates because politicians have never agreed or even considered doing this in the past.

Also *lisasimpson* I mentioned after last weeks debate that immigration within the EU to the UK was higher than outside the EU....turns out I was right, well atleast according to Nick Clegg who claimed that 80% of immigration was from the EU and that David Cameron's cap on immigration wouldn't actually solve the issue.

ETA:

Did anyone else watch the 15 mins or so of BS Nick Griffin was chatting on The Campaign Show on the BBC, I tell you that man is nuts, he's not fit to run a country. He can't even justify his own policies, nothing he says makes any sense. urgh.
 
Last edited:
In the weird news of politics catergory.......

The RCMP have ordered up to 600 porta potties for the G8 summit to be held in Huntsville, Ontario June 25-26. The toilets aren't for the summit itself but for the workers that will working at the Deerhurst Resort while they get the place ready for the 2 day summit. The toilets will most likely be equipped with 2ply tissue and disposable seatcovers.

For the protesters that are expected to be there the RCMP have ordered 10 porta potties.

The lucky supplier of these porta-potties could also be supplying the G20 Summit to be held in Toronto with 200 of these toilets. No word on how many potties the protesters for the G20 Summit will get.

Feds order 600 outhouse for G8 Summit

now back to the really important political issues of the day :)
 
Never voted Tory before? Well now you have a reason to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FnmnuDiVno
Vote Cameron you get Blair word for word.

I dug this out of the old youtube archives. It amused me so I thought'd I share.

I was assumed reading an article in a newspaper the other day (can't remember which one) that compared Cameron to Bush...Now I didn't see that coming....:lol:.
 
This is as well news over here in the good old USA, and was in our morning paper~

BRITISH ELECTION SEEN AS 3-WAY DEAD HEAT

London..Divided over the country's ballooning debt, the economy and the contentious issue of immigration, the 3 front runners in Britain's general election can still agree on one thing:This race is anyone's to win. Conservative challenger David Cameron, fresh off what observers said was his best live televised debate performance to date, told BBC radio that next week's national election was "still far from won". Nick Clegg, riding higher in the polls than most political observers had ever expected, said the campaign was "wide open". An ICM/Populus poll, published Friday by The Guardian, showed the gap between each party within the margin of error. Statistically, the three-way contest involving Cameron, Clegg and Brown has become a dead heat~

NEWS SERVICES~
 
Desertwind said:
This is as well news over here in the good old USA, and was in our morning paper~

BRITISH ELECTION SEEN AS 3-WAY DEAD HEAT

London..Divided over the country's ballooning debt, the economy and the contentious issue of immigration, the 3 front runners in Britain's general election can still agree on one thing:This race is anyone's to win. Conservative challenger David Cameron, fresh off what observers said was his best live televised debate performance to date, told BBC radio that next week's national election was "still far from won". Nick Clegg, riding higher in the polls than most political observers had ever expected, said the campaign was "wide open". An ICM/Populus poll, published Friday by The Guardian, showed the gap between each party within the margin of error. Statistically, the three-way contest involving Cameron, Clegg and Brown has become a dead heat~

NEWS SERVICES~
Click to expand...

The thing here is you can't rule Gordon Brown or the Labour Party out yet. They're second in most of the polls I've seen today and there are still many undecided voters. I like the fact that the Labour candidate for my constituency actually turned up at my door early today...that's the kind of politics we need..I haven't even heard from any other candidates I'd really appreciate the Conservative candidate coming (I don't even know who the Liberal Democrat candidate is).
 
On our big disturbing news, the Illegal Immigration issue, here's a few more letters & opinions from people on this new "law":confused:

Mexico fails it's citizens
I'm in full support of Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's action to halt the overwhelming influx of illegals in that state. Mexican President Felipe Calderon indicated that the new law could cause a conflct between the U.S. and Mexico, so why doesn't he provide better living conditions for his people? Where is Mexico's oil money going? Calderon should be the one to build tall walls to keep his people inside Mexico, but he would rather see his own people come into our country. it saves him from providing his citizens with health care and decent jobs~
Name witheld~
Riverside, CA.

Target the cartels
Arizona has taken the first step to stop border drug violence from spilling over into that state. That the federal government would challenge this move is reprehensible. That church and political leaders in California and elswhere would advocate boycotts and incite civil disobedience is irresponsible. Why don't these same leaders, including Cardinal Roger Mahoney, Rev. Al Sharpton and Jimmy Carter, go to the border and negotiate with the drug cartels to stop the violence and give amnesty to Mexicans citizens they are terrorzing and murdering? That would be far more constructive!
Name witheld
Canyon Lake, CA.

Scorn Arizona's bias
Illegal immgrants living in Arizona who hail from Canada, Britain, Italy, Belgium, Russia, Lativia and other more "light skinned" countries better watch out! Sun exposure will lead to darker pigmentation, which may lead to suspicion, apprehension and interrogation. However, I dare say that interrogation will most likely not lead to an arrest. It would appear that the only illegal immigrants of interest to Arizona speak Spanish, not German, Russian or Italian. Not only is there a caste system for those deemed worthy to live in Arizona by birthright, but there is a caste system of what constitutes an illegal immigrant. One look at archive news videos clearly demostrates this. Not once do you see a roundup up of illegal Danes!
Name witheld
Moreno Valley, CA.

Reverse boycott? YES
Shame on those who advocate a boycott of Arizona based on the recent passage of the new illegal immigration bill. That bill is meant to protect Arizona citizens, Caucasian and Hispanics alike. The federal government has refused to secure borders of Arizona, so it is paramount that the state take matters into it's own hands. As for us, we're will be planning our visit to Arzona for the Angels practice in 2011 spring training~
Name witheld
Murrieta,CA.
 
Last edited:
big day in the uk tomorrow - i hope all those eligible to vote have got their poll cards ready! no doubt by friday it'll be a case of "plus ça change" but we can but try!
 
^I don't know why but right now I feel all...well weird. Yes I agree! If your eligible to vote have got their poll cards ready! I hope we can keep parties like UKIP/BNP/NFs out of Parliament because the last thing Britain needs is some narrow-minded/racist/islamophobic so-called 'politicans' to get big-headed because the won a few seats. Lets remind ourselves what happened in the EU elections I don't want that again. Funny thing is I found out that Nick Griffin was the P.P.C. for the BNP in my constituency in 2005...:lol: (He finished in fourth place). This years BNP candidate in Keighley is one of 2 of the MEPs the BNP has...why on earth would you stand as an MEP if your actually completely against the EU it just doesn't make sense?

Decided who your voting for yet *lisasimpson*? (you don't have to say if you'd rather not). I'll be honest I still don't know..I'll probably be that way till tommorow.
 
shazza_018 said:
why on earth would you stand as an MEP if your actually completely against the EU it just doesn't make sense?
Click to expand...


I've often wondered that! It's such a contradiction but then that is the BNP all over. They put a leaflet through our door last week and one of their points was that climate change a global warming is all a huge lie yet they used recycled and sustainable paper! I know that's the least of their contradictions but still!


I'm still not 100% sure who I'm voting for :( I thought it would be so easy!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top