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[Maledict]

No, it says "fuck you scotland". We were told all the way through the referendum "don't leave the UK, change the UK". Scotland elects the party it wants at Westminster democratically which have a whole lot in common with the Labour party and could deliver a progressive agenda. Him saying he'd rather have the Tories in than deal with Scotland's electoral choice is a great big fuck you to everything said during the referendum.

You are responding emotionally rather than looking at the politics of it though. Sorry for that sounding rude. You're not the person he's talking to here, to be honest - he's not getting your vote anyway. If labour are to retain any seats they need to get some of those people who have voted labour for their entire lives back, and he can't do that by legitimising the SNP.

As I said - post election, of course they will work together in some way, even if only a queens speech agreement so Ed is prime minister. But right now it's suicide to say that, both in Scotland and England for him.

Also, on a side note - NO major party will ever talk about deals and working with other parties in a minority government before the election. It absolutely will not happen, full stop, ever. Right up until the polls closing you only ever talk of winning outright - saying otherwise depresses your vote nationwide. This is one of the basic rules of politics, and isn't just labour in Westminster - you won't find a party anywhere in the west that starts talking about potential coalitions and party alliances *before* the votes have been counted.

 

[CyclopsRock]

Clegg dropping bombs.

 

[dapperbandit]

At work currently, what was the question? This thread is sort of like my livefeed lol

 

[Jezbollah]

Lots of angry men slapping Nick around....

 

[Deleted member 231381]

You are responding emotionally rather than looking at the politics of it though. Sorry for that sounding rude. You're not the person he's talking to here, to be honest - he's not getting your vote anyway. If labour are to retain any seats they need to get some of those people who have voted labour for their entire lives back, and he can't do that by legitimising the SNP.

As I said - post election, of course they will work together in some way, even if only a queens speech agreement so Ed is prime minister. But right now it's suicide to say that, both in Scotland and England for him.

Also, on a side note - NO major party will ever talk about deals and working with other parties in a minority government before the election. It absolutely will not happen, full stop, ever. Right up until the polls closing you only ever talk of winning outright - saying otherwise depresses your vote nationwide. This is one of the basic rules of politics, and isn't just labour in Westminster - you won't find a party anywhere in the west that starts talking about potential coalitions and party alliances *before* the votes have been counted.

Or, he could be honest. The SNP are already legitimised. People are already voting for them. The strategy of 'it's us or the Conservatives' is so blatantly false it has become close to a running joke in Scotland. Even if it wasn't false, long term it does enormous damage to the Labour party by stopping them being something. What do Labour stand for in Scotland? Fuck knows, they're just Not-Tories. The best move at this point would just be to say 'we'll work with the SNP, this time, because you voted for them. However, here's why you should have voted for us instead'.

Also, essentially every other parliamentary party in Europe discusses coalitions prior to elections; it's close to necessary in systems that frequently so hung parliaments. The UK is a bit of an oddity in this case.

 

[Malikov]

At work currently, what was the question? This thread is sort of like my livefeed lol

basically asked him if he had any plans for a new job next week

 

[f0rk]

At work currently, what was the question? This thread is sort of like my livefeed lol

Do you have a job lined up when you become unemployed next week

 

[dapperbandit]

basically asked him if he had any plans for a new job next week

lol fair enough

I take it Clegg isn't getting much mileage out of the "vote for us so the vote isn't split to the extremer parties like SNP/Green/UKIP" then?

 

[avaya]

Something, something getting the politicians we deserve...

Well if people are willing to vote for people who will pick their pocket to make my rather comfortable life a little bit more luxurious in Mayfair, then it's fine by me to be honest.

 

[Scousefury]

So Clegg basically just said a vote for the lib dems is a vote for tories, no one could fall for this twice right? That should get fence sitters voting Labour.

 

[Spaghetti]

They are presiding over the fastest growing western economy though. From what I can gather from this thread, the tanking of the economy wasn't the previous labour governments fault and the reasonably well performing economy at the moment isn't at all down to the current government. Hmm.

. have you heard of a little country called the united states of america?

. or the global financial crash?

. you mean the very slight crawl that's not close to pre-crash levels that looks very closely linked to the peaks and troughs of the united states' GDP growth?

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Eight countries, lads. Eight.

 

[Uzzy]

Eight countries about to leave the EU? I must have missed that.

 

[Humidex]

This audience.

 

[TeddyBoy]

This guys Eurozone question is literally the worst case scenario for the EU.

Where is he getting eight countries leaving the Eurozone from? >.>

 

[SymbiantXenos]

What ifs!!!!

 

[Uzzy]

Leave the Eurozone, not the EU ffs.. this guy's so wrong he's even wrong in how wrong he is.

 

[avaya]

They are presiding over the fastest growing western economy though. From what I can gather from this thread, the tanking of the economy wasn't the previous labour governments fault and the reasonably well performing economy at the moment isn't at all down to the current government. Hmm.

If you shut down half your economy for a while and turn it back on again, what do you think your growth rate will be? Osborne buried his original program because it wasn't working. He went austerity-lite, stepping back from the cuts. Even the IMF had to concede they'd fucked it up on the multiplier.

This is basic logic and maths and data. It's all there. In plain sight.Nothing being said is near the extreme it is all of it boringly mainstream basic economics, the problem is for most people it is counterintuitive so the household analogy takes hold quite easily.

Also FYI, this government inherited an economy that was growing based on the fiscal stimulus plan from 2009. It has never grown as fast since.

 

[Maledict]

Or, he could be honest. The SNP are already legitimised. People are already voting for them. The strategy of 'it's us or the Conservatives' is so blatantly false it has become close to a running joke in Scotland. Even if it wasn't false, long term it does enormous damage to the Labour party by stopping them being something. What do Labour stand for in Scotland? Fuck knows, they're just Not-Tories. The best move at this point would just be to say 'we'll work with the SNP, this time, because you voted for them. However, here's why you should have voted for us instead'.

Also, essentially every other parliamentary party in Europe discusses coalitions prior to elections; it's close to necessary in systems that frequently so hung parliaments. The UK is a bit of an oddity in this case.

I agree it's a bad long term policy for Scottish labour - it would probably be best for them if they lose badly here, then rebuild with proper talent and a proper vision for Scotland in the future. But right now, labour have to play the cards they have been dealt and have chosen for the last twenty years.

Re. Coalitions, even in countries like Germany no-one goes in having decided their partners beforehand, and this ridiculous focus on the SNP / Labour coalition beforehand is poisonous and undermines our system of government. I agree it's because we are unused to the prospect, and also thanks to our toxic press.

 

[Fintan]

This chap talking about the EU is ridiculous. Where is he getting this 8 countries thing from? Spain? France?

 

[Jezbollah]

Eight countries, lads. Eight.

OMG THE NATIONAL FRONT OOH LA LA

Edit: Nick has forgotten about Putin..

 

[Humidex]

This guys Eurozone question is literally the worst case scenario for the EU.

Where is he getting eight countries leaving the Eurozone from? >.>

 

[Little Old Man]

A meteor is about to hit the earth. By which I mean could. When will you consider evacuating humanity into caves Mr Clegg? Huh? Huh?!

 

[Deleted member 231381]

The meteor is about to hit the earth. By which I mean could. When will you consider evacuating the planet.

Eight meteors.

Eight.

 

[TeddyBoy]

:lol

I missed the first hour of the show sadly but I enjoyed Miliband's comments and was left uninspired by Clegg.

I might vote Labour now after voting Conservative in the last election (I was previously going to vote Green).

 

[suedester]

. have you heard of a little country called the united states of america?

. or the global financial crash?

. you mean the very slight crawl that's not close to pre-crash levels that looks very closely linked to the peaks and troughs of the united states' GDP growth?

The UK had the fastest growing economy of the G7 in 2014. Give it a Google.

 

[avaya]

The UK had the fastest growing economy of the G7 in 2014. Give it a Google.

Maths? How does it work?

 

[tomtom94]

Even as someone who despises the Tories immensely the political sniping is getting a bit much. I know why it's happening, it's because it's getting close to the election and people are getting emotional, happened in the Scottish referendum thread as well but please, the personal attacks are unnecessary.

 

[suedester]

Maths? How does it work?

Simple really, the largest growth in GDP over the year equates to the largest growing economy.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Audience questions are so embarrassing. About one in ten of them is even right, let alone interesting.

 

[avaya]

Simple really, the largest growth in GDP over the year equates to the largest growing economy.

I'll toast you at Raffles on Friday, thanks for your vote chap.

 

[JonathanEx]

I forgot Question Time* was on. This probably means something.



*It's not Question Time, let's be honest, because Cameron is scared. Using the name to make it seem important was a bit of a cheap trick.

 

[Humidex]

At times, it felt like the audience was filled with Barry Shitpeas and Philomena Cunk clones...

 

[Chanser]

They're showing ask Nicola Sturgeon, if you live in Scotland.

 

[Kotetsu534]

Wonder what that guy who was convinced 8 countries are about to leave the EU has been reading. That was some interesting fiction he was telling.

 

[Tak3n]

so no labour government then, unless he stoned faced lied, unless he goes minority with the lib dems

 

[tomtom94]

Wonder what that guy who was convinced 8 countries are about to leave the EU has been reading. That was some interesting fiction he was telling.

Would "The Daily Express" be a bit of a cheap shot?

 

[Goodlife]

so no labour government then, unless he stoned faced lied

Why?

 

[kitch9]

Or, he could be honest. The SNP are already legitimised. People are already voting for them. The strategy of 'it's us or the Conservatives' is so blatantly false it has become close to a running joke in Scotland. Even if it wasn't false, long term it does enormous damage to the Labour party by stopping them being something. What do Labour stand for in Scotland? Fuck knows, they're just Not-Tories. The best move at this point would just be to say 'we'll work with the SNP, this time, because you voted for them. However, here's why you should have voted for us instead'.

Also, essentially every other parliamentary party in Europe discusses coalitions prior to elections; it's close to necessary in systems that frequently so hung parliaments. The UK is a bit of an oddity in this case.

Labour have lost all their votes to the SNP why would they want to give the impression that if you vote SNP you get a labour government anyway?

 

[King_Moc]

so no labour government then, unless he stoned faced lied, unless he goes minority with the lib dems

He flat out said that they'd ask the house of commons, meaning he'd see if the SNP vote for them to form a government, not a coalition.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Labour have lost all their votes to the SNP why would they want to give the impression that if you vote SNP you get a labour government anyway?

That horse bolted months ago. Labour needs to adapt to the new reality. Scotland isn't about Labour against the Conservatives any more, it's about Labour against the SNP and Labour need to actively do something to show they're better.

 

[Tak3n]

He flat out said that they'd ask the house of commons, meaning he'd see if the SNP vote for them to form a government, not a coalition.

did he not say I would rather not see a labour government than do any deal at all with the snp

 

[Goodlife]

did he not say I would rather not see a labour government than do any deal at all with the snp

If SNP vote for them in a Queens speech that's not a deal

 

[Tak3n]

If SNP vote for them in a Queens speech that's not a deal

so he is playing on the basis then that the SNP will never vote with the tories, and as such run a minority?

that seems risky

 

[pulsemyne]

He flat out said that they'd ask the house of commons, meaning he'd see if the SNP vote for them to form a government, not a coalition.

And that would mean the snp would have to vote down a labour queens speech which would let the tories in. It's quite clever really. If the snp did that then it would destroy them.

 

[Ding-Ding]

If you shut down half your economy for a while and turn it back on again, what do you think your growth rate will be? Osborne buried his original program because it wasn't working. He went austerity-lite, stepping back from the cuts. Even the IMF had to concede they'd fucked it up on the multiplier.

This is basic logic and maths and data. It's all there. In plain sight.Nothing being said is near the extreme it is all of it boringly mainstream basic economics, the problem is for most people it is counterintuitive so the household analogy takes hold quite easily.

Also FYI, this government inherited an economy that was growing based on the fiscal stimulus plan from 2009. It has never grown as fast since.

The economy did not grow because of the stimulus plan, all it did was secure assets as it was done when the yield was wrong. As the rich hold the most assets, they were the main beneficiaries of that manoeuvre (which is a tad ironic).

Also, QE is form of printing money and you dont go printing hundreds of billions without others noticing and it affecting your currency, therefore imports/exports. Alot of economists now believe that all the QE did was cause stagnation and start a cost of living problem.

Trying to make out labour were good for the ecomomy back then is just laughable. Even more so when you look at the FSA and who labour put in to regulate the banks.

Spoiler

Hint, it was the same people that were breaking the regulations whilst also working at the banks

 

[kmag]

so he is playing on the basis then that the SNP will never vote with the tories, and as such run a minority?

that seems risky

Not really. 20% of Scotland might vote Tory, the other 80% will lynch anyone who even looks close to making eyes at them. You just have to look at the Lib Dems 11 Scottish seats in 2010, they'll be lucky to get 2 this time around.

 

[Goodlife]

so he is playing on the basis then that the SNP will never vote with the tories, and as such run a minority?

that seems risky

Yes.

It's not too risky,
SNP and Labour aren't too far apart on most things.

Labour and Tories agree on Trident

 

[Saiyar]

The economy did not grow because of the stimulus plan, all it did was secure assets as it was done when the yield was wrong. As the rich hold the most assets, they were the main beneficiaries of that manoeuvre (which is a tad ironic).

Also, QE is form of printing money and you dont go printing hundreds of billions without others noticing and it affecting your currency, therefore imports/exports. Alot of economists now believe that all the QE did was cause stagnation and start a cost of living problem.

Trying to make out labour were good for the ecomomy back then is just laughable. Even more so when you look at the FSA and who labour put in to regulate the banks.

Spoiler

Hint, it was the same people that were breaking the regulations whilst also working at the banks

That is complete nonsense. The article linked earlier shows exactly why the economy didn't grow.

 

[Huw_Dawson]

There is no chance a minority Labour or Tory government lasts a year. The SNP might well consider working with Labour but unless it is a formal coalition then you'd have some form of rebellion in a year.

This election is the preview for the next one, nothing more.