General Election 2010

[Craig 6682]

The usual daisy chain financial fixes/engineering won't work this time round.

 

Going by your recent track record, it's best to believe the exact inverse of whatever you say...

[Renton 21392]

The usual daisy chain financial fixes/engineering won't work this time round.

 

I'm getting a rather unpleasent image of Cameron, Clegg and co daisychaining each other in alternate Liberal/Conservative order.

[spongebob toonpants 3956]

The usual daisy chain financial fixes/engineering won't work this time round.

 

I'm getting a rather unpleasent image of Cameron, Clegg and co daisychaining each other in alternate Liberal/Conservative order.

 

Dont think of Anne Widdecombe for Gods sake

[Dr Gloom 21846]

yeah, i got that one wrong.

 

bizarre that the right are more in touch with civil liberties than the "left"

 

Not that bizzarre - Conservatives are supposedly broadly libetarian and beleive in a smalll sate - no nanny govt etc.

 

Apart from drugs of course when they can ride around on their moral high horse

 

depends on how you broadly.

 

post 9/11 and 7/7, i imagine most of the daily mail readers of middle england would be happy to see id cards

[Dr Gloom 21846]

On the subject of the economy, public spending cuts and the views of economists, i was reminded by the New Statesman about the 20 economists who wrote to The Times in Feb supporting spending cuts as essential to reducing the deficit. This was seized upon by the Tories and their supporters. What was less well publicised in the Tory press was the response by 67 economists in the FT calling them idiots and saying that the way to sort out the deficit was with expansionary policies that grow the economy. The debate boils down to whether the cuts will stifle the economic recovery.

 

The FT letter strongly advised not to cut spending since with interest rates so low and growth so poor, private investment was not going to build a recovery and that public spending cuts would throttle the economy and mean the deficit would remain an issue. Of the 20 who wrote to The Times, only Roger Bootle was of note (head of a private economics consultancy). Of the 67 who wrote to the FT in response, Joseph Stiglitz was a key signatory.

 

Importantly, the FT agreed with the Letter and supported it in their editorial. Apparently the FT have supported Labour since 1992, which might surprise a few people.

 

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-stag...s-deficit-times

 

the ft backed the tories in this election though slightly reluctantly. seemed they thought the were the best of a bad bunch

 

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bd4e693c-56df-11...144feab49a.html

[Happy Face 29]

yeah, i got that one wrong.

 

bizarre that the right are more in touch with civil liberties than the "left"

 

Not that bizzarre - Conservatives are supposedly broadly libetarian and beleive in a smalll sate - no nanny govt etc.

 

Apart from drugs of course when they can ride around on their moral high horse

 

depends on how you broadly.

 

post 9/11 and 7/7, i imagine most of the daily mail readers of middle england would be happy to see id cards

 

I don't think they do.

 

They'd prefer no ID cards and anyone darker than Dulux Mellow Mocha to be deported.

 

'The Daily Mail's investigation has blown such a huge hole in the Government's ill-fated ID card scheme that it is now sinking beneath the waves,' he said.

 

'Surely it can only be a matter of time before Home Secretary Alan Johnson recognises the folly of continuing with this expensive and misguided intrusion into our privacy.'

 

How much more proof does the Government need before it bows to the inevitable and scraps this useless and nonsensical enterprise - and saves us £5 billion into the bargain?

 

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12...false-data.html

Edited May 13, 2010 by Happy Face

[Park Life 71]

yeah, i got that one wrong.

 

bizarre that the right are more in touch with civil liberties than the "left"

 

Not that bizzarre - Conservatives are supposedly broadly libetarian and beleive in a smalll sate - no nanny govt etc.

 

Apart from drugs of course when they can ride around on their moral high horse

 

depends on how you broadly.

 

post 9/11 and 7/7, i imagine most of the daily mail readers of middle england would be happy to see id cards

 

For a seasoned analyst of the vacillations of state apparatus, the give and take of Big Brother is no mystery. Behind the scenes there is little differance between the parties. One more "terrorist" event properly stage managed would bring about a fresh outcry from more draconian measures. Right now they probably can't afford id cards, bit I certainly wouldn't rule them out forever.

Edited May 13, 2010 by Park Life

[Park Life 71]

The usual daisy chain financial fixes/engineering won't work this time round.

 

Going by your recent track record, it's best to believe the exact inverse of whatever you say...

 

You will find my prediction of the financial failure of capitalism in various threads on this site.

[Renton 21392]

I used to be massively against them but now I'm not arsed, apart from the cost. I was actually thinking that ID cards with limited biometric data but some type of 'Oyster Card' facility to eliminate small change might be canny.

[Renton 21392]

The usual daisy chain financial fixes/engineering won't work this time round.

 

Going by your recent track record, it's best to believe the exact inverse of whatever you say...

 

You will find my prediction of the financial failure of capitalism in various threads on this site.

 

And?

[Park Life 71]

I used to be massively against them but now I'm not arsed, apart from the cost. I was actually thinking that ID cards with limited biometric data but some type of 'Oyster Card' facility to eliminate small change might be canny.

 

...and you'd been doing so well in this thread for so long...

[NJS 4375]

I hate to go all LM regarding the source but I find the several articles in the Guardian which presume that all the civil liberty laws will be repealed to be asbolutely fucking hilarious.

 

No governement of any hue ever repeal laws which control people.

[Renton 21392]

I used to be massively against them but now I'm not arsed, apart from the cost. I was actually thinking that ID cards with limited biometric data but some type of 'Oyster Card' facility to eliminate small change might be canny.

 

...and you'd been doing so well in this thread for so long...

 

 

I wouldn't make them cumpulsory like.

[NJS 4375]

Without going all Sci-Fi geek and obviously ignoring the fuck-off big brother aspects, I've always thought one card that does everything would be incredibly useful.

[Park Life 71]

Without going all Sci-Fi geek and obviously ignoring the fuck-off big brother aspects, I've always thought one card that does everything would be incredibly useful.

 

...and also open to massive abuse from all angles (criminals, data theft, id theft, snoops, Govt infringement, insurance scams, blackmail)...As it is hundreds of thousands of cases of id fraud/credit fraud goes on every year. Less id markers in the system the better IMO, never mind IN ONE PLACE/ OR CARD.

Edited May 13, 2010 by Park Life

[Renton 21392]

Without going all Sci-Fi geek and obviously ignoring the fuck-off big brother aspects, I've always thought one card that does everything would be incredibly useful.

 

...and also open to massive abuse from all angles (criminals, data theft, id theft, snoops, Govt infringement, insurance scams, blackmail)...As it is hundreds of thousands of cases of id fraud/credit fraud goes on every year. Less id markers in the system the better IMO.

 

Aye, well, surely it must be possible to make it failsafe? Remember, a few years ago cars were twocked right, left, and centre. Now that is virtually impossible because the immobilisers are so good (they just jack you instead). Probably a subject for a different thread, trying to buy a 4.50 quid metro ticket with change ain't fun though.

[Happy Face 29]

Without going all Sci-Fi geek and obviously ignoring the fuck-off big brother aspects, I've always thought one card that does everything would be incredibly useful.

 

How many cards are people hauling about with them like?

 

I've got 2 in my wallet. One for cash, one to get access to the building at work. It's hardly a lot of extra effort.

[Renton 21392]

Without going all Sci-Fi geek and obviously ignoring the fuck-off big brother aspects, I've always thought one card that does everything would be incredibly useful.

 

How many cards are people hauling about with them like?

 

I've got 2 in my wallet. One for cash, one to get access to the building at work. It's hardly a lot of extra effort.

 

I've got about 6 on me at the mo but really I could do with carrying more if my wallet could hold them. And I don't even have a works card.

[Park Life 71]

Without going all Sci-Fi geek and obviously ignoring the fuck-off big brother aspects, I've always thought one card that does everything would be incredibly useful.

 

How many cards are people hauling about with them like?

 

I've got 2 in my wallet. One for cash, one to get access to the building at work. It's hardly a lot of extra effort.

 

I've got about 6 on me at the mo but really I could do with carrying more if my wallet could hold them. And I don't even have a works card.

 

Your still carrying that flashy snooker club card innit?

[NJS 4375]

How many cards are people hauling about with them like?

 

I've got 2 in my wallet. One for cash, one to get access to the building at work. It's hardly a lot of extra effort.

 

Cash, credit, works access and rail ST - though I'd add driving licence which isn't strictly necessary.

 

A universal works access card would be hard like.

[Renton 21392]

Without going all Sci-Fi geek and obviously ignoring the fuck-off big brother aspects, I've always thought one card that does everything would be incredibly useful.

 

How many cards are people hauling about with them like?

 

I've got 2 in my wallet. One for cash, one to get access to the building at work. It's hardly a lot of extra effort.

 

No credit card, driving license, or HMV store card?

[Happy Face 29]

Without going all Sci-Fi geek and obviously ignoring the fuck-off big brother aspects, I've always thought one card that does everything would be incredibly useful.

 

How many cards are people hauling about with them like?

 

I've got 2 in my wallet. One for cash, one to get access to the building at work. It's hardly a lot of extra effort.

 

No credit card, driving license, or HMV store card?

 

I don't use credit cards for day to day purchases so tend not to keep one on me, nor my driving license.

 

Store cards are the biggest scam since knee-cap finance got shut down.

[Meenzer 15429]

I don't have any problem with ID cards or all-purpose payment cards or similar, really. It's more the idea that state-employed buffoons could leave my data wedged down the back of a train seat that's the issue.

[Happy Face 29]

I wouldn't worry about your data being on an ID card, worry about photocopiers/printers....

 

[Renton 21392]

Apologies if this has been mentioned previously (been away) but I haven't seen it posted here (from Beeb). Wtf??? Centuries of democracy thrown out the window on the first day? How can this be allowed to happen?

 

MPs will not be able to throw out the government unless at least 55% of them vote to do so, under plans agreed by the Conservatives and Lib Dems.

 

The move would protect David Cameron from losing power even if the coalition partners decided to split up.

 

A simple majority in the Commons is currently enough to win a "confidence vote", which could mean Parliament is dissolved if the government loses.

 

The plans were drawn up during long meetings between Lib Dems and Tories.

 

The resulting document promises to create a "strong and stable" government, with elections held on fixed dates every five years.

 

Empty seat

 

At a press conference, the prime minister said he wanted the coalition to last until the end of the parliament, in May 2015.

 

The Conservatives currently have 306 out of 649 MPs - a 47% share.

 

 

It looks as if you are priming the pitch, doctoring it a bit

 

Peter Hennessy, constitutional expert

One seat, Thirsk and Malton, is empty, pending a by-election on 27 May, while Sinn Fein's five MPs have not taken the oath of allegiance allowing them to sit in Parliament.

 

All this means it would be impossible for opponents, even if fully united, to muster the 55% needed to oust the government, unless at least 16 Tories rebel.

 

Constitutional expert Peter Hennessy, of Queen Mary University of London University, told BBC News: "Fifty-five per cent of MPs needed for a government to lose a confidence vote - I am not sure that's a very sensible change.

 

"The tradition is that one [vote] is enough and I wouldn't tinker with that. I would leave that well alone. It looks as if you are priming the pitch, doctoring it a bit. Not good. It's meant to be a different politics, new politics."

 

Under the deal with the Conservatives, Lib Dem MPs would be expected to vote with the government.

 

'Power of recall'

 

There is, however, a compromise aimed at overcoming the parties' differences over nuclear power.

 

The statement reads: "We have agreed a process that will allow Liberal Democrats to maintain their opposition to nuclear power while permitting the government to bring forward the national planning statement for ratification by Parliament so that new nuclear construction becomes possible."

 

But there will be "clarity that this will not be regarded as an issue of confidence", it adds. Renewing nuclear power is also backed by Labour, which has 258 MPs.

 

Among other plans, the coalition government will bring forward legislation for a "power of recall", allowing voters to force a by-election where an MP is "found to have engaged in serious wrongdoing".

 

This would follow a petition being signed by 10% or more of their constituents.

 

The parties have also agreed to set up a committee to look at establishing an elected House of Lords.