Bollitics: VT General Election Poll #5 - Leaders Debate Two

[blandy]

but, basically, the same thing

which is the same for about 90% of the policies and why it's somewhat surprising when people say I don't agree with a single Tory policy ..maybe we are back to policy or the person again ?

Well no, because the survey asked people to pick which they most agreed with. it is theoretically possible to agree with the 90% of policies (if that is the number) that the parties have pretty much in common, but to prefer the tweaks of either Lab or Lib to those of the Tories.

The other point is that the surveys tend to pick the ones where the various parties are different, not the ones where they are all the same.

[Demitri_C]

a) find me a Welsh person who isn't capable of speaking English, clue: They don't exist, so your point is entirely moot (the last Welsh only speaker died some long time ago), I suspect the same is true for the Gaelic speakers in Scotland

nothing Demetri said was racist, at no point did he discriminate on the grounds of race. The ability to speak English is not a racial trait

c) to be able to vote in this country means you must be a citizen, it is not racist to suggest that someone who is not a native to the country who wishes to become naturalised at least be proficient in speaking the language

thank you bicks for clearing that up, and to riss and trent for agreeing it wasnt racist

as for brown i heard his latest gaffe but to be honst i find it more funny than anything else. i wouldnt not vote for someone because of something like this. we all know browns abit of a bafoon so its not really suprising. im sure cameron and clegg have also done this during this campaign

[PauloBarnesi]

JOHN MAJOR - 'THE BASTARDS'

John Major did not realise his remarks would be broadcast

In 1993, with the Conservative Party tearing itself apart over Europe, Prime Minister John Major vented his anger with three Cabinet colleagues at the end of an interview with ITN's John Brunson. Not realising his microphone was still on, the mild-mannered Mr Major turned the air blue, calling them "bastards" that he would "crucify." He also went on to air his views about the sex scandals that had been rocking his party, saying: "Even as an ex-Whip I can't stop people sleeping with other people if they ought not." And then, turning to his own performance as PM, he pondered "how such a complete wimp like me keeps winning everything".

GEORGE BUSH - 'YO BLAIR'

There are several to choose from with former US President George Bush, but perhaps the most telling was when he greeted his old ally Tony Blair at a G8 summit with the immortal words "Yo, Blair. How are you doing?", before discussing how to put pressure on Syria to halt attacks on Israel by Lebanese militant group Hezbollah: "See the irony is that what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over." The ever media-savvy Blair put a stop to the media eavesdropping when he spotted the live microphone and switched it off.

PRINCE CHARLES - 'BLOODY PEOPLE'

Just to show that Royalty is not immune from the curse of the live microphone, who could forget Prince Charles's muttered asides about a BBC royal reporter, during a ski slopes photo-shoot in 2005 with sons William and Harry. "Bloody people, I can't bear that man. I mean, he is so awful, he really is," the heir to the throne said without realising the microphones could pick up every word.

GEORGE BUSH - 'A PLAINSPOKEN FELLOW'

The famously gaffe-prone president gets a second entry, for the time on the 2000 election campaign trail when microphones caught his whispered attack on New York Times reporter Adam Clymer. Mr Bush described the reporter as a "major-league asshole", to which Dick Cheney replied: "Yeah, big time." Mr Bush later explained the gaffe away. "I said what I said. I'm a plainspoken fellow."

RONALD REAGAN - 'BOMBING RUSSIA'

Ever the joker, US President Ronald Reagan was warming up for his weekly radio address in 1984 when he said these words: "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes." It was not the former Hollywood actor's only live microphone gaffe. He once described the Polish as "a bunch of no good, lousy bums" and said his own economy was in "a hell of a mess".

JESSE JACKSON - 'CUT HIS NUTS OFF'

In 2008, US civil rights leader the Rev Jesse Jackson apologised for "regretfully crude" remarks he made about then Democratic nominee hopeful Barack Obama. Mr Jackson was talking to a guest ahead of a live interview when he made the remarks. He was discussing the question of Mr Obama's speeches on morality made in black churches. He said he thought there were other key issues facing the black community, such as unemployment and crime. The reverend added: "See, Barack been, um, talking down to black people on this faith based... I want to cut his nuts off... Barack... he's talking down to black people."

JACQUES CHIRAC - 'MAD COW DISEASE'

"The only thing they have ever done for European agriculture is mad cow disease," said then French President Jacques Chirac. He was speaking at a meeting with the German and Russian leaders in 2005. "After Finland, it is the country with the worst food," he said, adding: "One cannot trust people whose cuisine is so bad." A UK spokesman said: "There are some things that it is better not to comment on."

KEITH VAZ - 'LIKE THE OLD CABINET'

Normally ultra-loyal Labour minister Keith Vaz gave an inadvertent insight into life under former prime minister Tony Blair as he chatted on stage with Hazel Blears at the 2007 Labour Party conference. The microphones picked up everything. Just before she rose to give her conference address, Ms Blears asked: "How will you know that I know the answer?" Mr Vaz replied: "Just sort of wink at me. Don't start immediately because the mic has to go up. Don't speak before I call your name." Ms Blears, the then MP for Salford, joked: "Don't speak until you're spoken to." And Mr Vaz added: "Pretend it was like the old Cabinet."

Just to show it happens to the ‘best’ of them...

[JulieB]

The most bigotted person I know is woman from New Zealand who moans constantly about foreigners being over here.

Why does nobody moan about the number of Aussies etc. over here?

Oops there was me thinking NZ was a good illustration to use to make my point...

Serves me right for daring to dip my toe into a political thread!

[Risso]

If you think the religious threads get a bit tetchy and personal Julie, you ain't seen nothing!

[Clarry]

The most bigotted person I know is woman from New Zealand who moans constantly about foreigners being over here.

Why does nobody moan about the number of Aussies etc. over here?

Oops there was me thinking NZ was a good illustration to use to make my point...

Serves me right for daring to dip my toe into a political thread!

You made fair points, and I'm only talking about one person. Doesn't NZ's geography restrict a lot of habitable areas? Or have i watched too much Lord of the Rings?

[bickster]

As regards immigration - It has nothing to do with who they are - I couldn't care less whether someone is black, brown, white, pink, green whatever - they are all the same to me.

However the EU opened the floodgates and TBH the UK will sink with the heaving population we have on our shores if we're not careful. What is it now? 60 Million and rising!!

If you've ever been to NZ, which is about the same size as UK if you take 2 Islands together they have a population of about 4M in total. One has about 3M, the other about 1M......Yes that's 4M in total!............ as opposed to 60M here in the UK....The difference is startling!

And the population of a very small island state called Singapore is 5mil, which they want to grow to 6mil and never a more diverse range of peoples will you find anywhere. I'm not entirely sure of the point you are making?

[Clarry]

Back to real politics.

I was at a meeting today to discuss the resctructuring of the council education department. Despite breaking even each year we are looking at a 20% reduction in expenditure before any spending cuts are made by the next government. So there may be even more on the way. And apparently most councils are looking at this too. I say fair enough if it's in efficiencies such as job duplication.

I'd also be up for a pay-freeze for earners over a certain level. I think I get an extra £40 a year for inflation payrise. Sod that - take it back.

However, nobody ever seems to mention the knock-on effect to private business when public money is cut heavily too. Like local printers etc.

[Risso]

Being slightly removed from it this year, I'm enjoying this election campaign a lot. The only election over here at the moment is "celebrity" chef (and arsehole) Kevin Woodford trying to get himself elected in the Douglas by election.

[Richard]

I actually feel sorry for Brown and the pictures of him in the radio studio responding to questions about this on Radio two actually are the iconic ones. They show a man obviously under immense pressure and going through some sort of emotional turmoil. Whether he is fit to be a PM under those circumstances is another question

Simple fact is he couldn't deal with a few simple questions from an old lady, questions on immigration yes but he said the problem was he didn't have time to answer them, he was the one that moved on from immigration back to pensions again.

In addition when you are under that type of pressure you normally revert to type which is one of the main issues. He immediately sought to blame other people, firstly it was this Sue woman (no doubt adding to the unemployed lists by now) and then the media for miking him up when it was the Labour Party who requested it.

Ignore the fact that in one breath he said "you're a good woman, a good family" and the next "she was a bigot" , how duplicitous is that by the way, the comments of the lady in question are concerns mirrored by a vast majority of the public, it seems that they are now bigots as well. So talk about your immigration concerns and you are a bigot. Disagree with Gordon and you are a bigot.

Gordon is a man on edge IMO, not a good quality in someone hoping to be elected as PM

[Reality]

Remember the stories about him apparently going mad in private, and stabbing his pen into the back of the car chair?

You can quite clearly hear something being hit..sounds like the old chair being stabbed. Watch it again if you haven't noticed.

[Jon]

TORIES WILL SCRAP FREE TV LICENCE FOR BIGOTED OLD HAGS, SAYS BROWN

28-04-10

GORDON Brown today accused the Tories of planning to scrap benefits for spiteful, racist old bitches who can freeze to death for all he cares.

'It's okay, you can shake my hand, I'm not a Pakistani'The prime minister told a group of manky, hate-filled sows in some stinking residential home that David Cameron would take away their free TV licence so they wouldn't be able complain about 'darkies' when they're watching the news.

He said: "The Tories will also abolish the winter fuel payment so you'll end up in the hospital with pneumonia giving funny looks to the Indian doctor who's just saved your life you rancid, ungrateful old shits.

"And he'll make you pay for the bus. Imagine that - having to pay 50p so you can go into town and meet your decrepit Nazi friends and then sit there drinking tea and comparing notes about which ethnic minority you'd like to string up first.

"And he'll abolish free eye tests. What will you do then? Without your ugly little glasses you'll have no idea who you're supposed to hate. Let's just hope your hearing doesn't go as well, so you can at least still judge people by their mumbo-jumbo accents."

The prime minister added: "Anyway, I hope I can count on your vote next Thursday and who knows, maybe you'll die shortly afterwards and do us all a favour. **** you."

Senior Labour figures have expressed unease at Mr Brown's new tactic but there are suggestions the unbridled verbal assaults on elderly widows could strengthen the party's position with the thousands of educated, middle class voters who are embarrassed by their own parents.

One Labour source said: "We'll have to wait for the overnight numbers, but if it's working then from now until polling day we'll be targeting defenceless old ladies, preferably wheelchair-bound after a violent robbery.

"Perhaps he could hit one of them in the face with a spanner."

Link

[JulieB]

And the population of a very small island state called Singapore is 5mil, which they want to grow to 6mil and never a more diverse range of peoples will you find anywhere. I'm not entirely sure of the point you are making?

I used NZ simply because it has the square footage of the UK approximately and yet they have 4M people - UK has 60M.

Doesn't NZ's geography restrict a lot of habitable areas? Or have i watched too much Lord of the Rings?

There's loads of land that is habitable, but hardly any people..... and there's also loads that is simply unconquered wilderness.

We have areas like that too - like NW of Scotland - however our Cities and areas like the South East are in the main heaving with people.

[tonyh29]

been out on my bike all afternoon (puff puff pant) get back and the thread had gone mad ..

not seen it on Sky news ©Murdoch not evil 1997 -2009 Corporation but it does seem as though he has dropped a bollock there

Couple of things though

Why does Brown drop a bollock and the thread somehow turn into a anti David Cameron fest ..

and

On the TV debates all 3 leaders kinda fell over themselves to prove they were the party of being tough on immigration , and yet suddenly anyone that agrees with this women is a BNP ,UKIP bigot ?

You never know though , some voters might like browns gaff and it could turn out to be a vote winner

[Richard]

Why does Brown drop a bollock and the thread somehow turn into a anti David Cameron fest

Don't think it has really save a couple of posters who are a little biased

[JulieB]

If you think the religious threads get a bit tetchy and personal Julie, you ain't seen nothing!

So I've heard!!

I had no idea why everyone was obsessing on the word bigot until I switched on the news to see the encampment outside Mrs Duffy's front door!

[Jon]

You never know though , some voters might like browns gaff and it could turn out to be a vote winner

he's got 1 nailed on in here Tone. Having said that, short of beating the old girl up, i think that vote was safe anyway :winkold:

[Richard]

You never know though , some voters might like browns gaff and it could turn out to be a vote winner

he's got 1 nailed on in here Tone. Having said that, short of beating the old girl up, i think that vote was safe anyway :winkold:

Even if he had beaten her up it would have been her fault for hitting his fist with her head

[Clarry]

I hate all this beauty show rubbish. Whoever wins has to be a statesmen on a European and global level.

[Richard]

Sky news ©Murdoch not evil 1997 -2009 Corporation