Election Campaign

[Coldicote]

I’m sick of all this chauvinist electioneering - and look forward to the relief when it's all over. I know who I intend to vote for and probably most other readers do also. What matters is that minorities learn to live with majority decisions.

[Svejk]

Don't mind it. Quite enjoy it to be honest.

[naomi24]

I quite enjoy it too. I've just been listening to Nigel Farage. There's little he said that I disagree with - but I won't vote Ukip.

[Svejk]

Go on. You know you want to.

[naomi24]

Haha! As Oscar Wilde said "I can resist everything except temptation" - or something like that. :o)

[youngmafbog]

Apart from Farage and maybe the Greens non of them mean what they say. It's all so pointless.

[tonyav]

Not worth the paper there written on !.
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/generalelection2015/general-election-why-manifestos-aren%E2%80%99t-worth-the-paper-they%E2%80%99re-written-on-but-the-one-reason-why-they-matter-more-than-ever-to-politicians/ar-AAaVPsI

[anotheoldgit]

It should be made a criminal offence to promise certain things, and then fail to provided them once in power.

Politicians are the only ones who can get away 'scot free' with that sort of thing.

[tonyav]

Lots of weasel words in manifesto's !.
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/generalelection2015/6-labour-manifesto-policies-that-arent-quite-what-they-seem/ar-AAaVXcI

[ToraToraTora]

I'm loving it! Even the mad as a box of frogs greens made me laugh yesterday. Deciding a government is many things but boring ain't one of them.

[jim360]

"What matters is that minorities learn to live with majority decisions."

Who's making a majority decision though?

[ToraToraTora]

"it should be made a criminal offence to promise certain things, and then fail to provided them once in power." - think it through AOG, you want a manifesto adhered to regardless of prevailing circumstances? Personally I'd get shot of this whole specific list idea they all do. Just a general statement of direction and prehaps a few big ticket ideas. Expecting a government to define what it's going to do for 5 years in adcanced is criminally stupid.

[jim360]

"Expecting a government to define what it's going to do for 5 years in adcanced is criminally stupid."

I actually agree. Especially true for opposition parties, who may find that certain key information has been hidden from them beforehand.

[ToraToraTora]

jim I fainted.....

[Deskdiary]

"Expecting a government to define what it's going to do for 5 years in adcanced is criminally stupid."

I also agree....but with a caveat.

Taking the "...few big ticket ideas." ideas, and for ideas, read promises, in TTT's post, I am of the view there must be compelling, meaningful reasons why they are not delivered on.

If a big promise induces the nation to return the party who made the promise is not delivered, then I think there's an argument to suggest the loss of the mandate.

If you are induced into a contract, and the promise the contract made in order to induce you is not delivered, it is a breach of contract.

[ToraToraTora]

Yes DD but we elect a governement to act for us taking into account all the factors all of the time, we cannot put them in straitjacket from day 1. When I hear the phrase U turn I always cringe because whoever is doing it is merely reacting to the current circumstances which are different to those when the "promise" was made. Essentially a manifesto is really a doc that has become a necessity for the parties but only so they can campaign and the press won't go on nagging about some irrelevant BS. I look forward to the day when Labour/Tories do not bother with a manifesto and come up with say a small pamphlet discribing their general direction and the few big ticket issues that I mention above. Looking at both the Manifestos in his election all I see is both parties trying to decorate a room blind fold and that is because neiher side have a chrystal ball for the next 5 years.

[ichkeria]

The party promising least of all is actually Labour as far as I can see.
UKIP's manifesto presentation was quite funny. "The party with the money" ...

[Alex99]

UKIP threw down the gauntlet today, the best the press can do (so far) is to question why there was only one black face in their manifesto booklet !

I'm voting UKIP

[ichkeria]

I'm surprised none of the press pointed out the rather obvious hole in UKIP's plans. What if they hold an in out referendum on the EU and Britain decides to stay in? They'll no longer be able to afford much of their manifesto :-) and even were Britain to vote out it would presumably not happen overnight

[naomi24]

Has Ukip proposed holding a referendum? I don’t think so. I assume that if they were ever in a position to decide what happens to this country they would take us out of the EU – no referendum necessary. Perhaps that’s why the press hasn’t pursued your observation.

[jim360]

Actually it is part of UKIP's manifesto to hold a referendum. They even drafted the question (although I doubt their preferred version will be allowed to go through). Quite right too. It's too important a decision, one way or another, not to have a referendum on.