Crewe and Nantwich

[Ed]

On electoral disaster, a swing of 17% and a Tory majority of nearly 8,000, friend Brown says on the BBC News website:

'Labour leader Gordon Brown said the result showed his task was to tackle people's concerns about rising prices.

Asked if he thought he would lead Labour into the next election, Mr Brown said voters had shown they wanted him to steer the UK through "difficult economic times". '

My that man is ever the optimist. How can he interpret a hammering as a ringing endorsement?:smt017:confused: If the man can't see what's blindingly obvious in Crewe, how can he see what's blindingly obvious in the country?

Taxi for Mr Brown:smt081

[G]

Some of the stuff he comes out with has been hilarious.

He has been argueing in the lime light (for his own benefit) with opec recently, trying to get them to increase oil production so that price of fuel at the pumps comes down :confused: how about he reduces vat and duty on the damn stuff, what planet is this guy on.

Part of me hopes that this is the beginning of a turn around in the country but I'm probably being naive.

[stewie]

Problem Browns got is that whatever you thought of Blair he was a good speaker and pretty charsmatic, Brown isnt, he,s also an unelected PM.

[Warthog]

It was terrible negative campaigning of Labour in that by-election! Even resorted to graffiting posted of Timpson, and sending round leaflets showing what a big house he had! Disgraceful negative campaigning, I am glad Timpson didn't stoop that low in retaliation and Labour fully deserve to have lost.

[neio79]

the winds of change eh!! about bloody time. not that the torries will fair much better .

[stewie]

By elections are notorously unreliable in forecasting general election results, but this has got to have a shot across labours bows, I think they will win one last election and then its back to the tories.

[G]

I honestly think there is absolutely no way Labour are going to win a general election, I would put several thousand pounds on it.....hell even I'm tempted to get of my **** and vote this time.

[stewie]

I honestly think there is absolutely no way Labour are going to win a general election, I would put several thousand pounds on it.....hell even I'm tempted to get of my **** and vote this time.

Yeah I know what you mean but I think with the economy the way it is at the present I wouldnt vote for an inexperienced party to take over the reins just yet, thats just my opinion

[G]

Yeah I know what you mean but I think with the economy the way it is at the present I wouldnt vote for an inexperienced party to take over the reins just yet, thats just my opinion

Its the current party that has created the poor economy, why would you want/let them continue running as they clearly arnt improving anything.

Besides, political trends in the past show it very clearly. Labour get voted in and spend all the countries money and get the country in massive debt. People get sick of this and then vote in the conservatives, who tighten up on spending, save loads of money, cut back on benefits and helping the scroungers, get the economy on track and build up a large amount of money.

The poor and scroungers then get sick of their parts of town falling apart, they get sick of the hard working having better lifes than them and get sick of not getting free money for sitting on their bums and therefore vote labour back in, who start spending all the money the conservatives have built and slowly they mess the country up again............repeat the previous over and over again.

[stewie]

Its at times like this we need the monster raving looney party back as a serious political force ;)

[arenalife]

Anyone listen to Radio 2 at lunchtime? They were talking about the reason for high oil prices, very interesting. Apparently, poor Gordon is not to blame, fuel tax hasn't even kept pace with inflation. It's basically because the opec countries are at full capacity with light crude needed for petrol, saudi isn't but their oil isn't very good for making light fuels anyway, the oil producing countries just can't get any more out so supply and demand has pushed it up. They also blamed poor refineries as a bottle neck in production.

[stewie]

Anyone listen to Radio 2 at lunchtime? They were talking about the reason for high oil prices, very interesting. Apparently, poor Gordon is not to blame, fuel tax hasn't even kept pace with inflation. It's basically because the opec countries are at full capacity with light crude needed for petrol, saudi isn't but their oil isn't very good for making light fuels anyway, the oil producing countries just can't get any more out so supply and demand has pushed it up. They also blamed poor refineries as a bottle neck in production.
And you could probably add to that soaring demand for oil, steel etc from China and India

[DanDare]

This is a day of firsts as I completely agree with graemepaterson.

[Jools'SV Now]

Its the current party that has created the poor economy,

Is it? - I thought there was a global downturn in the global economy that has affected other developed nations far worse than our own.
Did Labour create the credit crunch? - nope that was the US banking system , not much we can do about that.
Does Labour (or any uk gov't ever) control the price of oil? nope, gas? nope, electricity? nope
Would the tories be less taxing on petrol?, nope, they're trying to set their stall out as greener, so expect high 'green taxes'
As a final question I would simply ask you to outline 1 tory specific policy:smt017
oh well they must be better then:rolleyes:

I am of no particular political party persuation -
I like some labour policies, but I think it's time for a change
I think the natural party to be that change is the tories, but they have no policies.
I like alot of what the liberal dems say, but they can say anything, they'll never get the power to implement it, unless p.r comes about. and don't like too much tree hugging either.

In the local elections the turnout was 'very high' - actually it was about 45%.
Bare in mind that the tories won by a 'landslide' and polled approx 40% of the vote.
This means that only 22.5% of the electorate voted for them - and that's a landslide.
Actually it would appear that the majority (55%) don't want any of them at all.
Yet they're still here

democracy at it's finest:rolleyes:

[mister c]

This place has NEVER been Conservative since I can remember. Does that mean I've turned into an upper class snob now? :)
Tbh I didn't vote, never do for the by elections, but it does put a stainer on it for Labour.
Gwynneth Dunwoody was a fantastic politician for us, she sorted out a lot of Crewe's problems, but now she's gone - RIP, there is no one to really fill her boots. Her Daughter was a pain in the ****, they were at your door EVERY day "Vote for Tamsin", in the end I got fed up of all the Labour junk mail coming through my door, the Labour people delivering it, got a mouthful.
Polling day, they missed my house out :smt038:smt038.
Must admit, they are all the same when they are in power anyway.

[mister c]

Anyone listen to Radio 2 at lunchtime? They were talking about the reason for high oil prices, very interesting. Apparently, poor Gordon is not to blame, fuel tax hasn't even kept pace with inflation. It's basically because the opec countries are at full capacity with light crude needed for petrol, saudi isn't but their oil isn't very good for making light fuels anyway, the oil producing countries just can't get any more out so supply and demand has pushed it up. They also blamed poor refineries as a bottle neck in production.
Saw it on the news at lunchtime. Oil has risen from $63 a barrel this time last year to $130 this year, so it's not the governments fault entirely, if they dropped the 65% tax a little bit, then that would help things for the consumer, but the government have got to be looking at doing something for the environment, so that wont happen :(

[Biker Biggles]

To me it seems the present government has passed its sell by date,has few new ideas,and is only left with the hectoring authoritarianism that goes with a lack of real direction.Couple that to an economic downturn not vastly of their making and Im surprised they poll any votes at all.
The real crisis will come when the tories take over in two years time,and are shown to be equally intellectually bankrupt.Id like something to vote FOR rather than two prties to vote against.