fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
This is a good thread (aside from referring to social housing as a safety net rather than a sensible choice)
Do you want to discuss boring politics? (28 Viewers)
- Thread starter mrtrench
- Start date
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
“affordable housing” is the biggest scam. There’s no such thing, price is a function of supply. A one bed flat in central London will be less affordable than a three bed semi in Hull because people want to live in London. Building a few smaller homes to get them in under the wire of x% less than the average price isn’t helping. And lumping affordable in with social just hides the total lack of social housing investment.
I get Treasury thinking in a way on a lot of stuff even if I disagree, but like transport I really don’t understand their reluctance to giving council powers to raise funds through taxes or borrowing to build social housing. Even if you end up “renting” to someone on housing benefit you’re still saving money compared to paying someone’s private rental bill. How does Treasury brain not get this? Just an obsession with private ownership.
Good stuff 
www.theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com
Sizewell C power station to be built as part of UK’s £14bn nuclear investment
Ed Miliband promises to ‘get Britain off the fossil fuel rollercoaster’ with new plant expected to create 10,000 jobs
Rolls-Royce named winning bidder for UK small nuclear reactors
FTSE 100 firm beats two US-owned companies as government pushes nuclear power with Sizewell C investment
rob9872
Well-Known Member
I genuinely don't know mate. The last round of local elections was the first time in as long as I can remember that I didn't vote. I've always moaned at others for not voting and I'd rather they vote against me than not at all. Things can change, but I feel politically homeless. I've always been right of centre but the Conservative offering is pretty hopeless and I'm not voting Reform as I don't trust them to be anything other than immigration first, second and last. The whole system needs reforming (small r) and unless they change from first past the post to proportional representation where every vote counts, then I'm pretty much done with all of the mainstream who only seem in it for personal gain.Well from that chart it certainly looks to be
Long way off I know, but do you think you'll vote Tory at the next election Rob? They seem to be a total irrelevance at the moment as they jostle for third position with LDs. Badenoch is a disaster and they have managed to find themselves third place in a two horse rase.
(genuine question, not being snarky!)
I'd love to see the birth of a new party of independent thinkers not aligned to any particular ideal but have only the best interests of the electorate at heart, however even in my cloud cuckoo land of its existence, it would soon be swamped with candidates and supporters for their own agenda.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Good stuff
Sizewell C power station to be built as part of UK’s £14bn nuclear investment
Ed Miliband promises to ‘get Britain off the fossil fuel rollercoaster’ with new plant expected to create 10,000 jobs
Rolls-Royce named winning bidder for UK small nuclear reactors
FTSE 100 firm beats two US-owned companies as government pushes nuclear power with Sizewell C investment
Some good stuff there but again why not allow London to levy a visitor charge like every major city on the planet? It’s free money! You’re not even taking it from voters!
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
I don’t think Starmer has the balls to do it, but right now if you’re genuinely scared of Reform would be the time to switch to PR or something. The left have consistently got a majority of the vote but split across parties. Reform are unlikely to break 30% which under FPTP can get a government but under PR is 30% of seats.
rob9872
Well-Known Member
I'd love that, but 'm not so sure and think their existence is an enabler for him. Whilst I agree with you to push them back down, in a FPTP system, whilst Reform take a small % from across the board (incl Labour) they won't have enough other than a lot of solid second places that actually keeps a sizeable Labour majority.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
I still suspect that’s what will happen. The recent best PM polls have Farage losing to everyone even Badenoch, which suggests there’s an anti Farage majority out there. You’ll see a lot of tactical voting on both sides of the fence and Reform like any new party is spread pretty evenly with not much local organisation in places.
But Starmer seems to be shit scared of them.
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
It’s survival instinct kicking in. Reform is the largest party in polling and Farage has said he’d scrap the license fee. It’s a case of sucking up to the ‘heir to the throne’, so to speak.
Reform voters as whole do not trust the BBC at all either. There is a creeping credibility crisis mounting for the BBC.
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
Hard to take Greens seriously when you have nimbyism like this:
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
That would be suicidal. Structurally, FPTP favours Labour the most in terms of votes per seat and has done in any of our life times.
Imagine all the left wing voters who’d flock to the Greens which has happened in a few countries in Europe who have PR. Or even the possibility of a Corbynista party emerging to split the Left. The status quo suits Labour as well as the Tories until recently.
Polling experts have routinely capped Reform’s support, it started at 15%, 20% and now 30%. Reform could quite easily mop up the collapsing Tory support, particularly the 2019 Tory electoral coalition of voters. Immigration is routinely a top 2-3 issue and Reform are now the most trusted party on this issue.
My view is that majoritarian electoral systems are better than PR systems. Imagine having a government being brought down by 1-2 minor parties as happened in Germany recently? No thanks.
Mcbean
Well-Known Member
This was about the only good thing that Milliband has spaffed out ! RR got the contract for the smaller ones - sadly this should have happened years ago - the danger is that the Sizewell one becomes a HS2 version 2 - the RR ones could be built quite quickly - i'm afraid he's still a moronGood stuff
Sizewell C power station to be built as part of UK’s £14bn nuclear investment
Ed Miliband promises to ‘get Britain off the fossil fuel rollercoaster’ with new plant expected to create 10,000 jobs
Rolls-Royce named winning bidder for UK small nuclear reactors
FTSE 100 firm beats two US-owned companies as government pushes nuclear power with Sizewell C investment
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
The other stupid thing about the Green statement is that it pits nuclear against other types of green energy, rather than acknowledging that nuclear is part of what should be a mixed economy on of non fossil fuel energy sources. It's idiotic politics to continually set out polarised positions imo.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
If you’ve not switched from Reform to Tory by now you aren’t going to really. I’m not a polling expert but I’ve always put the fringes at about 30% support.
FPTP works for a party until it doesn’t. If you’re seriously concerned about the rise of Reform (I’m not) the way to neuter them is PR. Look at how the mentals on the continent have to compromise (or in Wilders case sulk off entirely).
Captain Dart
Well-Known Member
Good headlines but last time I looked the UK wasn't even replacing it's nuclear capacity as old stations are being decommisioned faster than they are being replaced.Good stuff
Sizewell C power station to be built as part of UK’s £14bn nuclear investment
Ed Miliband promises to ‘get Britain off the fossil fuel rollercoaster’ with new plant expected to create 10,000 jobs
Rolls-Royce named winning bidder for UK small nuclear reactors
FTSE 100 firm beats two US-owned companies as government pushes nuclear power with Sizewell C investment
I do hope the SNR program yields fruit.
Brighton Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
The left was already split courtesy of the Lib Dems. The interesting thing now seems that the right which was largely united behind the Tories has now been split by Farage UK
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
The Lib Dems is a strange one, they don’t neatly fit in the ‘left’ category per se. Traditionally, the Lib Dems tended to do well against the incumbent party of government.
Right now, what do they even stand for? They’re an effective local party machine that’s good at campaigning on local issues but lacks a national strategy. If I’m being facetious, they’re now an alternative for disaffected socially liberal Tories who don’t want Labour or Reform. That’s their niche right now.
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tisza
Well-Known Member
Does ignore the fact green energy already being subsidised to the tune of around 28b per year through customers' invoices.
Brighton Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
That appears to be what happened/is happening in Stratford. They would need more serious leadership than Ed Davey to convince me in any case
rob9872
Well-Known Member
I see their demographic as being for the remainder of the trans community and weirdos that don't vote Green.
*edit - possibly the non vegan ones.
Captain Dart
Well-Known Member
They don't do serious more like disgraceful, remember Jeremy Thorpe & the Norman Scott murder plot (Hugh Grant, politics and a murdered dog in Jeremy Thorpe drama ) or alcoholic Charles Kennedy or David Steele who knew Cyril Smith was a child abuser and kept quiet.
rob9872
Well-Known Member
don't forget the idiot policeman and the fella who was with one of the Cheeky girls too
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
It happened in Maidenhead and Windsor this last election too. Two seats I got an insight in because a judo mate of mine (Lib Dem) campaigned in Maidenhead and my old uni mate (Tory) was involved in the campaign for the Windsor seat. In both seats, there was a lot of tactical voting to oust the Tories - which was fully deserved.
Aside from tactical voting, I can’t think of a good reason to vote Lib Dem on the national level. However, people of my age are likely bitter towards them because of the broken promises on tuition fees, definitely speaking for myself here.
rob9872
Well-Known Member
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
The biggest surprise take from this post is that you went to Uni
I know right, some of the most stupid people you’ll ever meet have BAs, MAs or PhDs…
Brighton Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
I don’t put Charles Kennedy in the disgraceful category, alcoholism being more of a disease than a personal failing. Paddy Ashdown seemed like a decent egg also.
Nationally though I can’t take them seriously.
rob9872
Well-Known Member
I know right, some of the most stupid people you’ll ever meet have BAs, MAs or PhDs…
Wot you sayin fool?
Clegg was the major flaw for them destroyed all those years hard work.
rob9872
Well-Known Member
He was, but I'm not sure anyone at the time realised just how much a coalition would hurt their core vote. I think they believed that having a small amount of power and influence was better than none, but the electorate punished them for getting into bed with the Conservatives.
In fairness he was very likeable and seen as more progressive and centre to most LibDems to pick up the swaying voters and if he'd not been in coalition I think they could have performed even better the next time around. Remember all the 'I'm with Nick' etc
Captain Dart
Well-Known Member
Great plan, appoint a drunkard as leader.
Or Paddy Pantsdown who cheated on his wife with his secretary.
His mistress behaved like a real trouper... but he threw her to the dogs: Paddy Ashdown's right-hand man on the scandal that came to define the Lib Dem leaderGreat judgement there.
Brighton Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
Did you vote for Boris Johnson out of interest?Great plan, appoint a drunkard as leader.
Or Paddy Pantsdown who cheated on his wife with his secretary.
Great judgement there.
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
Great plan, appoint a drunkard as leader.
Great judgement there.
That's a bit low isn't it, tbf to Kennedy he was a relatively principled politician and has been proven right on quite a few things
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
Captain Dart
Well-Known Member
Why would you want to know?