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Conservative government
Comments
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It's nothing to do with spite. It's an adversarial political system - if Labour had won the last election then the Conservatives would be doing exactly the same. First past the post get to be in charge. Second place in UK politics is nowhere.
The opposition don't need any ideas until the election comes around. Then, as an interested voter, I can see what Labour say they'd do instead. Rather than worrying just yet about Labour's ideas I'm becoming increasingly concerned that the government are struggling to explain their own ideas in a clear way.
The whole point of our Parliament should be to work for the country. If the Opposition thinks it's clever to leave people with no clear idea of what they would do if in power then they are relying purely on future negative voting. In other words, they don't know what to offer to get positive votes.
That may suit the people who only vote one way because they never bother thinking about whether policies will work but for anyone who wants to vote based on policies it makes it impossible.
Why waste years not knowing what the other side would do?
When you choose a product you buy it based on cost, reviews, reputation, recommendations etc. You don't buy something from a salesman who won't tell you how much it costs, if it works, how long it may last.
It appears to take a war to get our politicians doing anything en masse.
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Itismehonest wrote: »If the Opposition thinks it's clever to leave people with no clear idea of what they would do if in power then they are relying purely on future negative voting. In other words, they don't know what to offer to get positive votes
Presumably the opposition will release an election manifesto explaining what they'll do in power before the election. Why do they need to do it now so far ahead of an election?
Electioneering should be left for elections. The country is best served by a strong opposition that holds the government to account rather than having to worry about releasing policy documents that they have no power to implement.0 -
Presumably the opposition will release an election manifesto explaining what they'll do in power before the election. Why do they need to do it now so far ahead of an election?
Electioneering should be left for elections. The country is best served by a strong opposition that holds the government to account rather than having to worry about releasing policy documents that they have no power to implement.
Telling people what you think is the best course of action is not electioneering.
In order to hold someone to account one normally has to provide some idea of what the correct move should be.
Just to sit around opposing everything is neither use nor ornament to anyone but themselves &, ultimately, makes it look like they have no real ideas of their own even if they do.0 -
It's nothing to do with spite. It's an adversarial political system - if Labour had won the last election then the Conservatives would be doing exactly the same. First past the post get to be in charge. Second place in UK politics is nowhere.
The opposition don't need any ideas until the election comes around. Then, as an interested voter, I can see what Labour say they'd do instead. Rather than worrying just yet about Labour's ideas I'm becoming increasingly concerned that the government are struggling to explain their own ideas in a clear way.
When labour were in power, we didn't get the same comments and attacks over and over regarding EVERY policy. The only policies and areas labour won't attack on is any to do with strikes (due to their link to trade unions) and anything of a highly sensitive nature.
To be fair though, I believe it's much more about the personalties doing the attacking. The tories don't have the same kind of people.
Ed Balls, Yvette Cooper and that new Shadow Business Secretary. It's just constant attack after attack from these people. Everything they say it's personal attacks on politicians directly.
Maybe it's unfair to suggest labour themselves do more attacking, but having these people on the cabinet, and giving them air time is not only doing the party an injustice in some respects, but doing the nation an injustice. Put any of these people on question time and listen to the groans when they speak.
It's OK attacking, but you need to have a basis of what YOU would do. I'm sick of the vague "five point plan" as a quick response inbetween every attack. Newsnight laid into it once when I was watching and even though the business secretary was singing the praises of the five point plan, he couldn't actually answer what the points were....because in his words "thats not the issue....the issue is Osbourne is wrong....wrong wrong wrong".0 -
The problem with Labours opposition to EVERYTHING is that everyone (with half a brain cell) knows they would be doing mostly the same things if they were in power anyway, its not that the Tories enjoy making cuts and being unpopular with the electorate.
By opposing everything they are simply trying to win votes in what is a blatant mis-representation of what they would be doing in office. You only have to watch them squirm when an interviewer asks them "So if you oppose this does it mean you will reverse this policy if you win the next election" to which the answer is always "....errrrrmmmm....well we have to see what the situation is at the time..." which means "no, we are just opposing it to win votes and dont have the balls to actually say what we would actually be doing"Faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.0 -
Graham_Devon wrote: »When labour were in power, we didn't get the same comments and attacks over and over regarding EVERY policy. The only policies and areas labour won't attack on is any to do with strikes (due to their link to trade unions) and anything of a highly sensitive nature.
...and when Labour were in power what sort of job did the Conservatives do in holding them to account?
I'll tell you - a crap one. They spent too much time in-fighting and not doing a decent job of opposition. Weak opposition is every bit as dangerous as weak government.
The Conservatives can't even put £0.50 on the price of a Cornish Pasty without being made to look like pantomime villains.0 -
and add Child Benefit to that list which is another shambles by the current government. Also add all the dinner parties that Mr Cameron is having with influential businessmen and the horses he decides to ride...Is it just me or is this country unwilling to be governed by a Conservative led coalition?
The Tories have it tough with the economic issues but aren't doing themselves any favours at all with their policies and decisions.
The opposition are doing what any opposition would do but what is more embarrassing is that the Tories and Lib Dems blame everything on the previous government and 13 years in power. That excuse won't last for ever and is running very thin already.0 -
Constituents interests are best served by an opposition that forces the government to justify every single policy decision they make.
The last thing we need is some sort of cosy-up after each election. Can you imagine the mess we'd be in if all politicians 'worked together' for the common good of the voters? Who would act on the voters behalf to ensure that the resulting groupthink could be justified?
too right. the last three times that there has been a cross party consensus on any issue we got ourselves involved in three wars...0 -
...and when Labour were in power what sort of job did the Conservatives do in holding them to account?
I'll tell you - a crap one. They spent too much time in-fighting and not doing a decent job of opposition. Weak opposition is every bit as dangerous as weak government.
The Conservatives can't even put £0.50 on the price of a Cornish Pasty without being made to look like pantomime villains.
In what way is simply opposing everything, holding to account?
Holding to account and opposition to every new policy are two different things, unless you are suggesting two out of the three major parties are unfit to govern?0 -
Graham_Devon wrote: »Holding to account and opposition to every new policy are two different things, unless you are suggesting two out of the three major parties are unfit to govern?
Not sure what the difficulty is here. The political system in the UK is adversarial i.e. the opposition oppose government policy even if they would have the same, or similar policies, if they were in power.
It's a bit cynical but that's the system we have. By acknowledging this system doesn't mean I'm suggesting that any of the three political parties are unfit to govern. I have an opinion obviously but it's unrelated to how our political system functions.0
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