Question for the British Citizens here mainly...Britain leaving the EU?

[steve wilson]

I'm not sure that the Conservatives would go into a coalition with UKIP (if UKIP get a significant amount of MPs), the last thing the Tories want is for UKIP to be seen as a legitimate parliamentary party.

Its hilarious how bad Labour is at taking any advantage of the Tories plight at the moment. They should be on course to slaughter them but they seem totally lost. It doesn't help that they have been stripping the party of any talent or personality for years. They are just an anodyne, media friendly soundbite machine right now.

I saw a quote from Nigel Farage in the paper a while back that he would keep the Tories in, if it came to a hung parliament. I suppose it's not the most reliable source, but I think UKIP have a lot more in common with the Tories than they do Labour.

I think Labour could easily win the election if they had the right leaders. Ed Miliband and Ed Balls just don't seem to connect with their voters. Ed Miliband sounds more like a Tory and Ed Balls gets beaten down by George Osbourne too easily. It's probably too late for them to switch leaders now. I'm not bothered though, as I don't think Labour would do a good job anyway.

Edit: Sorry I misread your comment. What happens if the Tories decide to not go into a coalition with UKIP and no one can form a majority government? Do they do the election again?

 

[WelshBloke]

I saw a quote from Nigel Farage in the paper a while back that he would keep the Tories in, if it came to a hung parliament. I suppose it's not the most reliable source, but I think UKIP have a lot more in common with the Tories than they do Labour.

My point was more about the Tories not wanting to legitimise UKIP. I think that the Tories would think it better to go into opposition rather than share power with UKIP at the moment. Once UKIP are seen to be a "real" parliamentary party I suspect that Conservative head office fear that there would be a mass and permanent exodus of MPs and voters to UKIP.

I think Labour could easily win the election if they had the right leaders. Ed Miliband and Ed Balls just don't seem to connect with their voters. Ed Miliband sounds more like a Tory and Ed Balls gets beaten down by George Osbourne too easily. It's probably too late for them to switch leaders now. I'm not bothered though, as I don't think Labour would do a good job anyway.

I agree. Labour should have this easily in the bag. Ed Miliband is just a terrible, terrible politician. He totally lacks in charisma plus he doesnt have any gravitas, you can do well with one or the other but to lack both is a non starter.
I think Ed Balls would do a much better job TBH (but thats really not much praise).

Edit: Sorry I misread your comment. What happens if the Tories decide to not go into a coalition with UKIP and no one can form a majority government? Do they do the election again?

We end up with a hung parliament and then all sorts of deals happen to try and get a coalition (thats how we ended up with this government).
The party with the biggest share can try to form a minority government and hope to get by (this relies on politicians acting like responsible adults and voting on the merits of issues not just following the party line so it doesnt really work.)

If they cant form a coalition or feel that they can form a workable minority government then they can resign the leadership and get another election called.

Heres a link that probably explains it better than I did. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/role/parliament-government/hung-parliament/

 

[mikeymikec]

IMO UK politicians have little interest in leaving the EU. Politicians typically want more power, and the EU IMO is seen as a career advancement for politicians. However, the UK public is mostly luke-warm or worse to the idea of being in the EU especially when we hear the cost of it and little about the benefits. Politicians are trying to balance those two forces.

Nigel Farage worries me more than most because he seems like a snake oil salesman who aspires to their 15 minutes without thinking about the consequences.

 

[WelshBloke]

IMO UK politicians have little interest in leaving the EU. Politicians typically want more power, and the EU IMO is seen as a career advancement for politicians. However, the UK public is mostly luke-warm or worse to the idea of being in the EU especially when we hear the cost of it and little about the benefits. Politicians are trying to balance those two forces.

I think some UK politicians are against the EU precisely because they want more power and see the slow transfer of power away from Parliament and into the EU institutions as a "stealing" of power that is rightfully theirs.

Nigel Farage worries me more than most because he seems like a snake oil salesman who aspires to their 15 minutes without thinking about the consequences.

Farage worries me more because hes a wise and beautiful woman and that his rampant xenophobia is probably one of his least worrying ideas for government.

 

[Auric]

It's quite ironic that in the year of all these WWI commemorations, some UK politicians are riling up the British to abandon Europe, handily forgetting all of the EU's achievements.

Looking at it the other way.

It's quite ironic that in the year of all these WWI commemorations, some UK politicians are riling up the British to abandon sovereignty, handily forgetting all of the UK's achievements.

The UK has consistently warred to prevent anything like the EU. It was France and Germany which finally realized the folly of being played against one another.

 

[WelshBloke]

The UK has consistently warred to prevent anything like the EU.

If by warred you mean stopping the forcible unification of Europe under, say Hitler or Napoleon, then yes and I'm not seeing anything wrong with that.

It was France and Germany which finally realized the folly of being played against one another.

See above. It was also France and Germany that both tried to conquer all of Europe by force.


This post brought to you in the spirit of the proceeding one.

 

[Auric]

Destabilising the continent has been policy for much longer than that. It has always been something of a rogue state.

 

[WelshBloke]

Destabilising the continent has been policy for much longer than that. It has always been something of a rogue state.

Ah yes. Britain has been totally alone in trying to leverage power in Europe. No other countrys have done that. It was an sweetness and daisies until Britain was formed by the invading Franks, Angles, Saxons, Vikings,....

 

[Dari]

If there's ever an in/out referendum (as has been promised) then there's a very good chance that we'd leave the EU.
We are pretty much only half way in anyway.



But it's one that needs to be addressed, if only to stop it poisoning any further debate.

I wished England would leave. Then Germany could complete what they started 100 years ago. The English aren't worth much anyway with their small economy. It'd be interesting to see all the financial firms dependent on the Euro move to Frankfurt.

 

[Auric]

Ah yes. Britain has been totally alone in trying to leverage power in Europe. No other countrys have done that. It was an sweetness and daisies until Britain was formed by the invading Franks, Angles, Saxons, Vikings,....

If not before losing their homeland, the Normans did go native and rather subversive if not radical on that li'l island. Despite their Viking ancestry they may be better understood as global buccaneers. Respect for ravaging the world and getting away with it. Cheeky!

 

[steve wilson]

I wished England would leave. Then Germany could complete what they started 100 years ago. The English aren't worth much anyway with their small economy. It'd be interesting to see all the financial firms dependent on the Euro move to Frankfurt.

Are you trolling or are you stupid?

 

[rommelrommel]

Are you trolling or are you stupid?

You must not know Dari. The answer to your question is yes.

 

[WelshBloke]

Are you trolling or are you stupid?

He has to pick one of those options? That might be difficult.

He obviously has no idea how important the UK contributions to the EU budget are.

 

[steve wilson]

No I don't know Dari ... don't think I want to either.

Rumours are that Ed Milliband might have a leadership battle on his hands soon. I'm not surprised.