ForumGarden

for those in the uk......

anyone watch it?

were your opinions swayed?

now know who your gonna vote for??

er, yes (I watched it), no (my opinions weren`t swayed) and yes (UKIP, since Brussels has control over 70% of British law now there`s no point in voting for anybody else!) Incidentally, I thought the programme itself was naff, just a massive party political broadcast where all the speakers said exactly what I thought they would, then if returned, they will fail to fulfil these promises (as per usual).......

i thought it was quite good!! was nice to see how they each coped with the questions......

wonder what the viewing figures will be.......

Tony Blair is going to Win again:-2

pete5555

It did not sway my vote - this is my first chance to vote and I will be voting Conservative. However it would have been nice to have all 3 on stage at once for a debate, but Blair said no to that. However it was good to see the usual BBC plants in the audience, however what do you expect from a Public service broadcaster who pays to send hecklers to Conservative rallies.




Try and remember the press and TV are supposed to ask hostile questions that is their function, if you want a sychophantic press move to another country. It's a tribute to the BBC that both Labour and Tory accuse them of bias. No doubt if TB gets back in the first thing he will do is try and curb their independence.

Actually I met a tory last night, in scotland that was like a blast from the past, soon as he said itout loud conversation stopped and people turned to have a look at this exotic species, there is talk of setting up a web site for them-a kind of lonely hearts club for tory voters. The scots tories are all in favour of Proportional representation now as it's the only way they get a seat in the Scottish parliament.

Actually the whole lot of them are depressing it's like voting for which car wreck you want to watch.

i agree the BBC is biased and i would also be voting conservative if my dad hadnt fluffed up my voting card (ok it was a few years back and i should have done something about it way before now but tis too late now)!!! no voting for me..... so my mission is to turn someone whos intending to vote labour into someone who will vote conservative!!!

tis true he does have something of the night about him!! he he

however im so bored of tony and i really believe a vote for tony is a vote for gorden, we all know hes gonna replace tony and i cant stand the idea of having to watch that lip jerking thing he does for the next 4 years on a regular basis!!!

at least michael was honest, on the program he said he would have gone to war in iraq anyway - he could have swayed people by saying he wouldnt - but he was honest enough and took a chance, i thought he was good, who knows if hed be so honest when in power but theres only one way to find out......

if everyone thinks labour winning is a foregone colclusion they will either not vote or just vote labour for the sake of it.......... im begging you not to!!!! all im saying is "2 jags"..........

pete5555

I question the BBC bias. I Know they are supposed to be independent, but there have been numerous reports/investigations into the BBC recently that have proven a BBC Bias towards Labour. The most recent criticised the a BBC Radio 4 program for the amount of time given to Labour MPs and the lack of hard questioning given to them, compared to that given to all opposition MPs. The BBC is biased and it keeps saying after these reports that it will change, but it never does. The BBC should be made totally independent of government..


They are supposed to independent, that's why the carry on with alistair canbell and Andrew Gilligan was so important. Doubt you'll find many in TB's cabinet that likes the BBC.

I too remember trhe Thatcher years, Michael Howard calling Tony Blair a liar smacks too much of the kettle calling the pot black.

http://www.sundayherald.com/49525

Senior Labour election planners have privately admitted that they expect the party to lose seven Scottish seats in the wake of voters’ unease over the Iraq war.

Labour focus groups organised in the key marginals over the last three weeks confirm their fear that six sitting MPs are in danger of losing their seats, with one first-time candidate also expected to be defeated. That would reduce the Scottish intake of Labour MPs to below 40 for the first time since 1959.


Most of Scotland is labour to the core protest votes usually go to the far laft rather than the far right, Iraq, the NHS and Scottish regiments Labour has a problem.

I reckon TB will get back in because of Michael Howard, up here we had the poll tax to thank Michael Howard for, never mind apologising now he is only doing so out of desperation. Maggie Thatcher totally destroyed the Tory party I reckon it willtake another couple of elections to recover.

TB will get back in but hopefully with a much reduced majority. Watch Gordon Browns seat that could be interesting.

posted by pete 5555

Thats your opinion GMC, and i respect that. I wont argue with u, i know better than to do that


Why not? that's no fun.

You cant deny though that there have been many reports suggesting the BBC has a Labour bias. And dont forget the Goverment has sway in the BBC. Its a minister that apoints the chair of governers and its the goverment that decideds the license fee.


True just as there have been many accusing them of anti labour bias even of being unpatriotic for daring to report that TB may have told porkies at worst and completely lackd objectivity leading upo to the war in Iraq. TB is worse than a sleazeball he's a self righteous pillock. Will any politician ever be able to say "trust me" again.

dont forget everyone:



a vote for tony will be a vote for gordon.....



you are not voting for tony to be primeminister, hes already said hes going to step down.... your are voting in uncertainty and change





the state the country is in now one of the most important things is more police and sorting out crime, the conservatives are pledging to bring discipline back into our schools (see my "what is the world coming to thread" in crimes and trials) something desperately needed, and also 40,000 more police on the streets, easily double what anyone else is offering...... plus they dont want to join the EURO - YAY - everyone else is saying they will consider it



people cant seriously want to put TB back in power can they?? maggie thatcher was YEARS ago, people are still holding a grudge?? noone seemed to worried by maggie when william hague was in power for example..... or john major.......

OK so if we vote tory then everything will be allright, hope you can afford private medical care Pete and you really think a tory government will reduce the tax on petrol.

On the subject of the BBC I suggest you listen to the Today Programme on radio 4 I just heard Humphries giving Blair an almighty kicking and having heard Kennedy and Howerd on the programme this week they got of lightly.

All politicians lie, it's that simple, I fyou want good insights into how it goes you should read the biographies of Clare Short and Alan Clark besides being a good read they actually tell you how it all works.

No Pete I dont believe any spin, my opinions are just that, no I do not know exactly what the tories plans are and neither do you unless you are in the shadow cabinet because what is published in a manifesto is rarely exactly what you get.

Incidentally I don't think I have stated any political allegiance to any party so don't assume I am a labour supporter. As an old git I have had the dubious pleasure of living under several governments of both parties.

The horrendous Winter of discontent (Tory)

James Callaghans terrible economic policies (labour)

Margaret Thatchers Poll Tax (Tory)

The awful half truths of todays government (Labour)

There are many many more examples both good and bad, what I have never found it necessary to do is to share my voting preferences in public and would not consider filling my potsts with banners supporting one party or the other. Any person has the democratic right to solicit my vote, no one has the right to demand it or insist that I vote for their party.

If you truly believe that a tory government will eliminate MRSA then fine, if you think it will cost you less to fill up your car under the tories so be it, I don't believe either in the same way that I don't believe that Labour won't increase taxes. What I can do is look at the records of the players involved and make my own decision.

When you state that we must not join the Euro you condemn this country to a huge reduction in international investment and risk marginalising us on the continent to which we are attached.

In recent times this nation has always preferred a moderate form of government and will not hesitate to reject dictatorships when they see one, that is what happened to Margaret Thatcher who for all her faults will go down in history as a Prime Minister who tried to place this insignificant Island back on the world stage, this is what will reduce Blairs vote the fact that the electorate are being ignored and the PM is taking decisions without recourse to Parliament or the cabinet.

Good letter, Bothwell, and good points, but wasn`t the infamous `Winter of Discontent` the one under LAbour, which actually brought down James Callaghan?

Incidentally, we had a Tory party worker here actually asking who we were going to vote for; what a cheek!

And, for what it`s worth, 70% of our laws are determined by unelected European bureaucrats, so in my opinion, it`s ONLY worth voting for UKIP if you want to change this!

Ted Heath had one and so did Callaghan. As I recall Ted's was caused by striking utility workers and Callaghan's was a more general affair. One of things that has really changed is the strengths of the unions, I was just thinking about this, it used to be never a week went by without one or another on strike and I remember the Union Leaders being easily recognisible figures, I dont think I would really know any of them now.

whats wrong with wanting to keep the good old british pound?

mind you weve lost most things that made us british why should this be any different.....



bothwell i dont get why you think youll have to pay for private healthcare under the tories?? they are saying if you go private they will pay 50% to save the NHS money and reduce waiting lists for those who cant afford to go private at all......



personally i would vote for anyone, just not TB!!! cant stand him, ive so had enough and i cant face the prospect of watching GB with his lip jerking thing..... vote for the green party lib dems conservative anyone but TB and GB!!!

So we can make three predictions: there are likely to be tax hikes, a pensions crisis and a fall in house prices early in the next government.


Looks like you UK'ers are facing the same bleak future as we are on this side of the pond!!

posted by john8pies

And, for what it`s worth, 70% of our laws are determined by unelected European bureaucrats, so in my opinion, it`s ONLY worth voting for UKIP if you want to change this!


You are kidding aren't you? If you really think we won't be affected by EU legislation whether we are in it or not you are living in cloud cuckoo land. The bulk of our trade is with EU countries we can't fford not to be involved, better in there working with the other smaller countries to keep the bureaucrats in check. It's not just france and gernmany you know. We paid a heavy porice to buy our way in in the 1970's all because Churchill thought we still had an empire and could ignore change.

As to keeping the pound? what difference does it make what we call it? I have little time for all thse idiots that want to go back to imperial measurements metric is much easier to work with. If you're going to keep the pound let's go back to 20 shillings to the pound rwelve pennies to the shilling, 16 pints to the gallon, that should keep the americans confused, 16 fluid ounces to the pint, who needs it.

Do you really think we would get very far negotiating individually with China or the US, if you're happy to touch forelocks and live off the scraps left over vote for UKIP. There like a bunch of kids wanting to take the ball away from the game because things aren't going their way-except it's not their ball in the first place.

Do you really think the US would be a fiar trading partner without the EEC? That's why so many americans want it to fail it's a rival economic bloc and that's the way they see it rather than a potential partner

Try asking all the people in Newcastle at Nissan what they think would happen to their jobs if we leave the eec or any other company that actually exports stuff. The London stock market would become irrelevant goodbye all the jobs in the city.

The EEC is not perfect, walking away would be far worse.