The Kintyre Forum

Somehow you just know when something is wrong but you can't quite put it into words either because you aren't articulate enough or you are uninformed. That is how I feel about the coalition.

I think Clegg has just killed of any credibility the Libdems had by him becoming Cameron's fag and although I have at times in the past voted for the Libdems, because I like Alan Reid, I will never again vote for the LibDems. Not that my one vote matters too much but at least I’ll know I was not in way responsible for helping them to give the country a Tory majority. It was always going to be an English election and like the old days we have to take what English voters decide goes on in Westminster.

It will be interesting to see how these Torycrats both canvas for power at the next election as individual parties. Will they revert to name calling after being such good pals?

I hope that the Scottish people kick these candidates, who just by wearing a yellow tie and who in my opinion strive to dupe the electorate into thinking they are different from the Tories, into oblivion at the next opportunity.

In 1997 there was a huge welcome from the people when Tony Blair walked up Downing Street. There was no such applaud for David Cameron when he arrived. It was in complete contrast to the dignified exit by Gordon Brown, his wife and children walking out of Downing Street. Brown's exit may or may not have been staged but Cameron and his spouse’s entry was never going to be anything else other than an anti climax.

Just as an afterthought I suppose every new generation needs a spell of the Tories being in power. It just confirms all the horror stories that they have been told by their parents.

I think its quite clear Nick Clegg the Lib Dems are not going to come out of this very well, with many lost votes, like History, at the next set of elections. However, I think he had to do a deal. Whether forming an anti Tory alliance would have worked I've no idea and maybe he didn't either so he went with the party with whom he knew he could form a two party majority.

Understandably Lib Dem voters are feeling let down as he has sacrificed many of their key pledges - but surely the alternative was to sacrifice them all by not forming a coalition? At least this way some Lib Dem policies will be implemented.

Turn the argument round and did he not owe it to his voters to al least get something for them?

It does seems though he has given away too much in his bid for true proprtional representation with only a referendum on Alternative Vote.

Maybe he feels one step at a time is the right approach and it is posisble they could win more seats next time even with a reduced share of the vote.

Above all, I think he had to do a deal. If he hadn't, the vote would polarise next time and the Lib Dems would probably be left out in the cold for another 70 years.

Can't see them doing very well next May though.

Hume wrote:I think its quite clear Nick Clegg the Lib Dems are not going to come out of this very well, with many lost votes, like History, at the next set of elections.

Posh Dave will have him for breakfast. I don't know how sincere Clegg was in the Lib/Lab talks, but the New Labour Neanderthals like John Prescott sank any hopes of a pact. As far as PR is concerned, the only fair system is the Single Transferable Vote. AV is just putting lipstick on a pig.

gizmo wrote:Just as a matter of interest how did you manage to lose your right to vote Ionns.

It goes back to 1989, when I refused to register for the Poll Tax. I calculated that I was surcharged, roughly Three Thousand Pounds, with another Three Thousand Pounds added, for refusing to pay both the tax, and the subsequent surcharges.
The Authorities ( Strathclyde Regional Council ) approached myself with the offer of an amnesty, however they could not give me a sum total of the accumulated penalties. I believed that there was an obligation on SRC, to at least inform me of the amount, that they had imposed . Call me auld fashioned if you like, I always thought that if a citizen is fined for an offence, then they should, at the very least be informed of the penalty. So I have remained off the electoral registrar since 1989, this protest continued up too and beyond the National Census, as a result I refused to comply with the Census, resulting in more sanctions ( I think )
So the reality of the matter is, I have partially disappeared off some of their radar. It's been some time since they have listened in,to my telephone conversations.