UK General Election Predictions

[peterinmalaga]

Think you're right Fred. Gordon seems to have lost it (the plot and the election) after leaving the mike switched on too long! Does anyone remember the song "Gordon is a moron"? I would like to see the lib dems do much better this time and overtake Labour, if only top scare the shit (complacency) out of Gordon.

[fredv3b]

To be honest I really feel sorry for Brown, regarding the 'bigot' incident. If I had a microphone taped to me, and all my private speech broadcast to the nation I am sure I would be in exile before nightfall.

In any case I think Brown lost it ages ago. The question in my mind was could Cameron manage to get an overall majority or not, I finally decided I think not.

[peterinmalaga]

I find it hard to feel sorry for Brown. He seems too dictatorial and he was the person who stopped the UK going for the euro, which benefits his cronies in the city and nobody else. I dislike Cameron even more profoundly, so that leaves Clegg. I doubt if Clegg will make more of a cockup than Brown has but I also doubt very much if he will get an overall majority.

[marshlander]

What puerile games though! We all say things in private that sometimes we would not say to someone else's face. I often wear a radio mic for work and, even though it is clamped to my head, it is easy to leave the transmitter switched on, specially if momentarily distracted. I have shocked myself a few times with the sound of my voice ... I just hope I haven't shocked too many others when I'm out of speaker range.

I'm hopeless at predictions, but I can just about predict what I hope. Given the likely failure of the Greens* to win an overall majority (they are taking part in this election too ), my hope is for a hung Parliament with the resulting muddle being forced to to push through an all-elected second chamber and serious electoral reform leading to fairer representation. The record of hung parliaments in this country though is not good.



* and yes I realise that, were they in power, the way I live would have to change dramatically.

[fredv3b]

I find it hard to feel sorry for Brown. He seems too dictatorial and he was the person who stopped the UK going for the euro, which benefits his cronies in the city and nobody else. I dislike Cameron even more profoundly, so that leaves Clegg. I doubt if Clegg will make more of a cockup than Brown has but I also doubt very much if he will get an overall majority.

I find it very easy to feel sorry for Brown. He spends his entire life climbing the greasy pole. He does the honourable thing for the party and does not stand against Blair following Smith's death, so that the more popular man with the country but not the party can will the General Election. The Tories subsequently self-destruct prior to the election, rendering his self-sacrifice unnecessary. He then has to wait years for Blair to stand aside and shortly after becoming PM, all economic hell breaks loose. He is very much the son of the Manse, with a clear moral vision of what he should do in politics, so clear that he has difficulty tolerating dissent. (Please don't confuse this with me liking Brown, I don't. I just find it very easy to feel sorry for him).

Peter, frankly a lot of people were against Britain joining the Euro, I'm not sure that Blair would have actually taken us in had Brown let him. At the moment, I glad not to be be sharing a currency with a bankrupt government.

As for cock-up. No Western government seriously saw the economic catastrophe coming, many should have but none did. Politicians of all persuasions when in government have a habit of spending money during boom years rather than saving it (its more popular with the voters). So I am not at all convinced that a different PM would prevent disastrous cock-ups.

my hope is for a hung Parliament with the resulting muddle being forced to to push through an all-elected second chamber and serious electoral reform leading to fairer representation.

I doubt the Lib Dems have would have the muscle and the determination to force that through. There would be a lot of Labour and Tory MPs determined to ensure that their safe seats remained safe.