reply to post by Freedom ERP
"UK General Election - What are the issues?
We all know that there has to be a general election in 2010 so what are the issues that will vex the British voters?
Some ideas:
MPs expenses? [looked pretty cross-party and systemic to me - no sorry]
The war in Iraq? [Quite possibly given Gordo's senior role in that war cabinet and Chilcot]
The war on Terror and operations in Afghanistan [War on Terror not great for Labour IMO given their clumsy meddling with civil liberties, terror laws,
policing, secret service and human rights stories, etc...ops in Afghanistan - again, Labour oversaw terrible mishandling of defence acquisition,
safety and communications IMO]
Climate change [Demoted for many as a priority: a) Recent confusing 'climategate' stories b). Economic woes c). Tory/Labour/Lib all essentially
likely to do very similar things IMO not different enough to matter - any chance of a Green co-alition anyone? That might spice things up a bit?].
Banking crisis [And the rest - economy is No. 1 IMO. But the banks...? Any which way you cut it it's a giant mess and the horse has bolted, all
major parties will now struggle more with domicile tax/jobs/income retention more than voters grudges now IMO]
Economy climate" [no.1 but..]
I think there are other things:
The ethos and culture of the Labour legacy after such a long time in office: (Have enough people had a gutful of the negatives?) e.g. Over
legislation everywhere, intrusive legislation, basically too much being told what and how to live our lives, erosion of civil liberties, cumulative
spin disasters (lying), a repeated inability to pre-emptively route out corruption and/or other abuses of office (Nimrod, Chinook, Childrens
Protection, Financial Sector, Secret Services, etc....) a fulfilment of many cliched labour characature features such as over-spending, the evolution
of a bloated convoluted tax system, inability to prevent approaching crises in power/energy supply, immense growth of a restrictive and inflexible
management culture that over-bloats the public services sectors...[bureaucracy]
Also, although the looming crises in pensions and demographic change to our population surfaced recently with that spat over elderly care, I doubt any
party wishes to have the real meat and bones discussed more deeply or to be thought about too much by the electorate before the election, as it's too
much of a hot potato. The problems are vast and many. How do you squeeze a quart (income required for services and pensions) from a pint pot (the
dwindling percentage of young and pre-pension age workers). Now excacerbated by our debt problems. Oh, by the way, one of Gordo's key 'failings'
even pre-global financial crisis, was widely agreed as being his decimation of pension funding in the UK. I'd like more debate around that*, for
one...
[*that a growing elder percentage of voters have increasing demands, and influence, whilst a dwindling percentage of younger and working voters are
required to prop up and re-build the former sectors needs and desires (high housing prices, high quality personal care and public services, pensions)
]
[edit on 16-2-2010 by curioustype]
[edit on 16-2-2010 by curioustype]