Brought this over from the FA Proposals thread as it seems more sensible to have its own thread - see net post
Overclaiming expenses seems almost endemic in our system - it is a legacy of underpaying our MPs and giving them a tacit green light to make up for it on expenses - all parties are equally guilty Not a fan of UKIP - me ? - however did you guess Actually I consider them a threat to democracy
Elaborating on UKIP: They are a one issue party and almost a one man party. Nigel Farrage - like Alex Salmond is a very clever politician. However with no MPs and no prospect of any sort of power all they can do is take voters away from their normal choice in order to pretend they can deliver an exit from the EU. They cannot unless they win the next general election which of course they will not. Labour and Liberal Democrats will not hold a referendum if they form the next government - at least that is what they have said. The only ones who will are the Tories. But does anyone think that the Tories will benefit from the existence of UKIP - far from it as it is their voters who UKIP appeal to most - the more racist element of the Conservative party. Oddly therefore I suspect that UKIP will be more likely to deliver a Labour (perhaps coalition with LIb Dem) Government. That will not only NOT take us out of Europe but will be a disaster economically for this country. There are good arguments for and against the EU - I used to be strongly pro EU but now believe that it has got into an almighty muddle and needs to sort itself out - goodness knows if that can or will happen. I think that if the UK were to leave the EU it would be terrible economically for us but perhaps the regaining of many other freedoms balances that. I personally favour a more federal future for the EU - where certain matters are above individual states - like defence for example - but that many others do not need EU wide uniformity. As in the USA states have very different laws on lots of things and yet it is left for the Federal Government to apply policies that need uniformity. How we treat our criminals and what benefits we give to people can be determined at National not EU level. OK - either this sparks comments or it does not so I am done for now
We have not joined and happily most of our politicians do not wish to join either, this I think will be enough to stop the ESB trying to join us to them by stealth. The worry point is over 60% want a referendum and I hope this is to agree to stop joining.
It is pretty obvious here that people want change to the way that the EU is run. I suspect that a lot of the calls are coming from people who are feeling the effects of the economic downturn. Ever since Hollande came into power he has chosen to take a different path to other countries and a fat lot of good it has done him. He has finally come up with a prime minister who has some economic sense about him and wants to carry out policies more in line with the country's neighbours, including the UK. While the mayhem has been taking place people have been looking around for an alternative and it is expected that Marine le Penn and her far right party will do well in the coming election. Many of her policies are very similar to UKIP and she is using peoples desire for better times to peddle her views that the problems all lie with immigrants and the EU. Watching her on TV she comes over as a good sales person, but like UKIP she is a one person party. Ask around for other leading members of these parties and people would not have a clue.
I'm not sure if your intention in saying that is to praise Farage or insult Salmond. They're certainly not at the same level when it comes to political nous/intelligence - Salmond is way above Farage. Come to think about it, and Cameron, and Clegg and Milliband.....
A number of these politicians remind me of a song from the 70s. Hey mr dreamseller, where have you been, tell me have you dreams i can see? I came along, just to bring you this song, Can you spare one dream for me? You won't have met me, and you'll soon forget me, so don't mind me tugging at your sleeve. I'm asking you, if i can fix a rendezvous. For your dreams are all I believe.
However much the politicians 'manage' our lives. I have never voted and never will. The way countries are run, the corruption, the favours to parties (or companies) who donate to election funds, the lies and deceit, it is as real as Narnia to me. The 'democracy' we live under is hypocrisy - we are run, unfortunately. Fact - "freedom is close enough to taste it but never enough to fully embrace it"
Just done it Yorkie, which took a while, also because I had to think up a British postcode. Green party on all themes for me.
It's very interesting that whilst dismissing UKIP as they have no chance in a GE, so many pepole have to deride them with tales of being racists, expense fiddlers, employing Germans - if they can be dismissed so easily, why do you care? On one breath they are accused do expense fiddling and the next breath it's "yeah well loads of them have been at it". I see people who vote UKIP in the forthcoming European Elections are mainly doing do as a protest vote, they are fed up with the political elite not listening to their concerns, they are fed up with being accused of being racists because they are concerned about what is happening in our towns and cities, they are fed up with having no voice. Personally, I would leave the EU at the earliest opportunity, what was intended as a collection of trading partners has become a state, run and controlled by a group of unelected political elite that continue to create "laws" to maintain their power - people like the Kinnocks have made a career from the EU, yet what have they achieved? Nice big fat pension for them and their families. For me the EU represents yet another level of government that is just not needed - I have a Parsh Council, Regional Council, County Council, UK Government and then the EU on top - why do I need so many people controlling what I do? Exiting the EU would create a huge immediate saving in contributions and would allow this country to trade across the world - this country was built on trading with the rest of the world and we can again. Does anyone really think that Audi, BMW, Bosch, French wine growers will suddenly give up the UK if we exit the EU? Just remember that a few years ago Labour and the Lib Dems were pushing for us to join the Euro - do you ever hear that they were wrong?
I am never sure whether to respond to you STH as I suspect most of your comments are just wumming. However - for once I will - what is your definition of a Major party? Mine does not include a party without a single MP in Westminster. Also it is easy to be popular when you know you will not form a government - ask the Lib Dems about their popularity in 2010 and now. Democracy includes the right to abstain - you exercise that right - under many forms of government you would not enjoy that freedom. Also anybody who does not vote is effectively saying they will abide by the votes of others - whoever is elected - even say the BNP - in so doing you forfeit your right to complain about any government as you did nothing to vote against them.
