Why the Tories have lost the Election.

Posted by: Tarquin Maynard - Portly on 29 March 2010

1. "Look at him, he's RUBBISH" is not good enough a critique. "Trust us, we'll be OK" is not exactly a powerful or convincing message.

2. Not raising NICs sounds good, until you recall that they do not have any coherant strategy to raise the monies elsewhere. "Further efficiency savings"? That means not giving the lowest paid 2/3rds of Civil Servants a payrise - which not only penalises the (already low paid) lower grades, it by implication feathers the nest of the higher earners.

3. "We'll re-negotiate cotracts": and get sued for Breach of Contract if the result reduces the profit margins of the counterparty.

4. Increase Inheritance Tax thresholds so that c.1000 can benefit is just looking after the old boy network. Most people here, I strongly suspect, have their house as their Nil Rate Band (£325k. )

5. Cameron sounds like an overexcited school boy, and is rapidly losing credibility. His constant habit of calling for the most obvious solution to any problem and either calling Labour "copycats" or "indecisive" is beneath even the 4t Form Debating Society, let alone a man who wants to lead the UK.

6. Nobody seriously believed that Cameron welcomed the recent announcement of the domicility of his most important donor. He did it to avoid the embarrasment of an FoI disclosure. Lord Paul has been an acknowledged non Dom for many years. Its always been known.

7. The state of the economy, and the Government debt, has been caused by greedy banks, not Gordon Brown. The supposed alternative implicit in the Tory polemic is that they'd have let the UK banking system collapse. This would have been economic disaster on a cliched but unprecedented scale.

The Tories are not good enough.
Posted on: 11 May 2010 by Steve2701
Why the Tories lost the election.
Hmm someone has to do the Paxman thing - Hemlock anyone?
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by Mike-B
Its gone very quiet chaps what's up ??? .... Winker

I just hope it works, we need a few years to fix the roof, & its gonna hurt one way or other.

I am not a fan of any of the old government, but I thought Gordon Brown was a model of statesmanship & dignity since Friday.
Some of the press need to seriously rethink their childish sensationalism
Brown was not a squatter, he was doing exactly what was required by our so called costitution
Clegg was not a two timing whore, he was exploring all the options.

Anyhow I am off to a politician free zone north west of Denver today to shoot some bear for 3 weeks
(with fully loaded Canon)
Big Grin Big Grin Big Grin
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by Jonathan Gorse
Part of the problem is our media who seem to delight in assasinating the character of most politicians. They're normal people with all their faults and idiosyncracies - no more or less than that.

Despite that I sincerely hope that Cameron demonstrates a rather more sensitive approach than his predecessors did in Government. Not everyone who is unemployed is a work-shy layabout, most people want to better themselves, they just need to be given the tools and support to do it.

The past 20 years has seen an increasing gap between the have's and have-not's and I sincerely hope that the Conservatives don't seek to further widen the gulf.

Jonathan
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by Stephen Bennett
Someone on Radio 4 said something that resonated with me.

We expect our politicians to have no bad habits, not have taken drugs and have a pure sexual history - preferably monogamous.

They pointed out that anyone who is around or under 60 and has not had/done any of the above would be the abnormal ones.

The media/public seek perfection in politicians - is it any wonder they don't live up to some unrealistic ideal?

Regards

Stephen
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by mongo
quote:
Originally posted by Stephen Bennett:
Someone on Radio 4 said something that resonated with me.

We expect our politicians to have no bad habits, not have taken drugs and have a pure sexual history - preferably monogamous.

They pointed out that anyone who is around or under 60 and has not had/done any of the above would be the abnormal ones.

The media/public seek perfection in politicians - is it any wonder they don't live up to some unrealistic ideal?

Regards

Stephen


I'm not sure it's the lack of moral uprightness; more digust at the absurdly transparent denials and obfuscations that leads to a sincere loathing of the whole lot.
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by BigH47
Loathed as I am to say it, the draft policy details, don't look too bad. OK cuts and such will hurtful, it looks a very do-able list.

Except for the need for Trident, I'm still not sure why we need that, hasn't the US/Russia got enough for the world anyway?

Maybe the DIY schools seems a bit of a nonsense too, what if you don't like your police force or hospital? Start your own?


BBC information
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by MilesSmiles
quote:
Originally posted by BigH47:


Maybe the DIY schools seems a bit of a nonsense too, what if you don't like your police force or hospital? Start your own?




No neighbourhood watch in your hood? Winker
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by MilesSmiles
quote:
Originally posted by BigH47:
Except for the need for Trident, I'm still not sure why we need that, hasn't the US/Russia got enough for the world anyway?


Some might call me a hawk but I don't see the need for Trident either, might be more of a relict from the old empire days thinking.
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by BigH47
quote:
No neighbourhood watch in your hood?



As a matter of fact we haven't.
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by David Scott
quote:
Maybe the DIY schools seems a bit of a nonsense too, what if you don't like your police force or hospital? Start your own?
Quite.
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by JamieWednesday
quote:
Its gone very quiet chaps what's up ??? .... Winker


We're probably all just astonished at what has happened, not least with the pace with which a joint manifesto has been agreed.

After all, when does anything ever, I mean ever, get agreed that quickly in British politics?

Which suggests to me that in anticipation of the potential split of seats and not making 51%, the Tories did some pretty shrewd pre-election planning, had their proposals up their sleeve already and presented them to Nick Clegg pretty much as a fait accompli, if they hadn't already slipped him the nudge before polling day...
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by mongo
quote:
Originally posted by MilesSmiles:
quote:
Originally posted by BigH47:
Except for the need for Trident, I'm still not sure why we need that, hasn't the US/Russia got enough for the world anyway?


Some might call me a hawk but I don't see the need for Trident either, might be more of a relict from the old empire days thinking.


No nukes means no seat on the security council, which effectively means no vioce in serious world defence/agression politics.

Which PM or Cabinet is going to denude Britain's own politicians like that?
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by BigH47
Comment in the Gurniad "like self assembly furniture with a couple of screws missing, a wobbly edifice". I paraphrase.

I agree that this election result looked pre ordered, so a bit of forward thinking could have brought about this seemingly quick deal.

Still at least we are back to a typical Conservative cabinet of old school and Oxbridge types, and even fewer woman than the last Labour cabinet, kind white too.
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Still at least we are back to a typical Conservative cabinet of old school and Oxbridge types
I agree it is indeed just what we need - those were the days.
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by BigH47
ROTF,

Missing smilie?
Posted on: 12 May 2010 by JonR
quote:
Originally posted by BigH47:
I agree that this election result looked pre ordered, so a bit of forward thinking could have brought about this seemingly quick deal.


A lot of work was done by the civil servant Gus O'Donnell who foresaw the possibility of a hung parliament and ensure the transition from Brown to Cameron/Clegg was as smooth as possible.
Posted on: 13 May 2010 by tonym
A newly wed couple were sitting up in bed after a wild session of passionate lovemaking.

"Wow! Dave, that was absolutely wonderful! How was it for you?"

"Yes, wonderful, but I'm still not cancelling Trident!"
Posted on: 13 May 2010 by JWM
LOL Big Grin
Posted on: 13 May 2010 by Bob McC
Caroline Spelman is in the cabinet I see.
So much for 'a new dawn', clearing out the crooks and fraudsters, etc..
At least she'll now be able to pay a nanny herself from her £137K a year salary instead of expecting the tax payer to stump up via expenses.
Posted on: 13 May 2010 by BigH47
All falling into place for the Condem alliance party?

They have taken a 5% pay cut that £3M over the life of this parliament, if it makes 5 years, will really make a dent in the deficit?

I didn't realise we payed these "people" that sort of salary, I know if you don't pay the wages you won't get the right people etc etc.