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The Lib Dems to overtake the Tories!

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Charles Kennedy has many times claimed to be the only effective opposition. Can he turn this claim/role into more seats at the next general election?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    *prays for it almost daily*

    My teenage years were spent under a Tory Govt, there is little I'd like to see more than their ultimate destruction.

    Especially now that they aren't needed anymore. Afterall Labour is the new Tory..
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Have to agree wholeheartedly with you there MoK. Id love to see the Lib Dems have their turn as viable alternative.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blair's war will almost undoubtably unleash an outpouring of anti-white violence and riots by Moslem minorities across Europe, especially in the UK and probably in other countries like Belgium and France. The BNP, Front National, and Vlaams Blok are going to unleash an orgy of I told you so.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Heydrich
    Blair's war will almost undoubtably unleash an outpouring of anti-white violence and riots by Moslem minorities across Europe, especially in the UK and probably in other countries like Belgium and France. The BNP, Front National, and Vlaams Blok are going to unleash an orgy of I told you so.

    "undoubtably"

    Must be something to be able to see the future, huh?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Heydrich
    The BNP, Front National, and Vlaams Blok are going to unleash an orgy of I told you so.

    These guys need to get out more. Perhaps they should venture over to the Sex boards for an idea of what an orgy should be.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The Vlaams Blok?? LOL. If these guys turn violent theyll be crushed so fast by the Belgian Police State it would be a joke. Please Heydrich, as Ive said with pnj, don't make assertions about places or groups you have zero experience with.

    For your info, the Vlaams Blok are a very small regional political group largely contained in the Antwerp area of Belgium.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think that the Lib Dems position as 3rd in the House is one of habit. People vote Tory or Labour post war... Liberal is seen as a vote that you could use, but it won't count, because no one else will.

    If everyone who is undecided and votes for one of the two out of habit actually voted Liberal, they would be credible opposition.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bring back the MRLP!!!!!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Clandestine
    Bring back the MRLP!!!!!

    Well, we could, but only you'd know what it means... :p
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    LOL. At least it would be another choice eh my boy?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: The Lib Dems to overtake the Tories!
    Originally posted by Simbelyne
    Charles Kennedy has many times claimed to be the only effective opposition. Can he turn this claim/role into more seats at the next general election?

    No. What the Tories need is to find coherent alternatives to the funding and enhancement of public services.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: Re: The Lib Dems to overtake the Tories!
    Originally posted by monocrat


    No. What the Tories need is to find coherent alternatives to the funding and enhancement of public services.

    As in dismantling them?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd be surprised to see the UK's government become more liberal at a time when the UK is such a target for Al Qaeda. Unless, liberals suggested the UK could be more safe by distancing itself from the US the UK could be less of a target and more safe.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Tory ideology has been fundamentally hi-jacked by New Labour who are in many ways more right-wing then the Tories of the 80's.....

    The Libs are the only credible left-wing party (Blair descibed himself as left of centre recently, who is he kidding?)

    But unless the anti-war types actually change their voting they will remain well behind Blair and his lackies.......
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: Re: Re: The Lib Dems to overtake the Tories!
    Originally posted by Simbelyne


    As in dismantling them?

    Who says that they will? The Conservatives have not stated any way in which they would improve public services to date.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The Lib Dems May gain support through their anti-war stance. People no longer trust labour (I certainly don't), so the Lib Dems could provide a more trustworthy alternative.

    The conservatives have a weak leader who has failed to cash in on labour's failures. The conservative party will need to push hard to make any gains at the next election. This means hard campaigning on the issues labour has failed on: Asylum, the NHS and crime.

    The big test will be the Scottish parliment elections this year. It will be a good barometer to predict the swing at the next general election.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How can the conservatives capitalise on labour failures when there policies are practically identical!?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Like some Labour MP said recently, Labour is still a great party. It's the government there is a problem with.

    Today's front covers of the papers make delicious reading. It would have been much better if the amendment would have passed, but that was never going to happen. Still, this is one of the biggest revolts on a government by its own MPs in history. It's a damn shame Anthony Blair didn't have the balls to stay for the debate proper.

    As for the Lib Dems, I'm sure they will greatly benefit from this issue. If they play their cards right they have a fair chance of overtaking the Tories. And if Blair hadn't broken his promise to change the election system to PR, who knows? We could have seen Charles Kennedy as a PM in 2 years time.

    Unless of course Labour sees sense and puts Ken Livingstone as candidate for Prime Minister at the next election. :D
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    PR! The single thing that would most improve democracy in Britain. It would stop these huge majorities that mean a Govt. can get away with anything AND give the smaller parties a chance.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Simbelyne
    PR! The single thing that would most improve democracy in Britain. It would stop these huge majorities that mean a Govt. can get away with anything AND give the smaller parties a chance.

    Which is exactly why it won't happen, at least under the current government. They're quite happy with the system as it is, as long as it works in their favour, and lets them pretty much pass whatever legislation they choose through the commons.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Do you not think a strong govt is a good thing, do we want a govt that constantly has to rely on alliances with extremists?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    That's the downside of it, but it all depends on the political situation of each country. We all know what kind of scumbags get into government in Israel thanks to coalitions. And in Italy it's not uncommon for governments to last 1 year. But the structure of the British parliament and the political weight of the different parties here would not allow that to happen. Outside the 'big three' there is not a lot of support for minority parties.

    And let's face it, if Labour was in a coalition government with, say the Lib Dems instead of having a massive majority we would not be about to go to war.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Toadborg
    Do you not think a strong govt is a good thing, do we want a govt that constantly has to rely on alliances with extremists?


    Strong governments must be preferable over PR and coalition governments.

    Do people realise that if there ever were a pure PR system the Liberal Democrats might perpetually be in government?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How so when Labour and often the Tories get more votes than the Lib Dems?

    Both systems have their pros and cons. I wish we were in a coalition government now so Blair wouldn't be so cocky and take this country to war without proper debate and against the wishes of the majority- at least as far as UN backing is concerned.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Aladdin
    How so when Labour and often the Tories get more votes than the Lib Dems?


    As a minority party in a coalition.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Monocrat is right I believe. It is very rare (Im not even sure if it has ever happened) for one party to get a commanding majority of the votes in British elections, so the Libs would be in all the time.........

    Tory/BNP ? :crazyeyes
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah I see your point Monocrat. All the other minority parties put together don't near enough votes to challenge the Lib Dems as the party that 'holds the key to power'.

    However if the main party is popular enough they can get absolute majority and govern alone. I'm sure that would have been the case in 1997 with Labour. The Tories would probably have needed coaltion in 1992 though.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I know that Labour didn't have a proper majority at the last election, but I am not sure about 1997. The results were pretty similar so possibly not..........
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Aladdin
    Yeah I see your point Monocrat. All the other minority parties put together don't near enough votes to challenge the Lib Dems as the party that 'holds the key to power'.

    However if the main party is popular enough they can get absolute majority and govern alone. I'm sure that would have been the case in 1997 with Labour. The Tories would probably have needed coaltion in 1992 though.

    43% of the electorate voted Labour in 1997.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Is that 43% of people with right to vote or 43% of actual votes cast on the day?
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