He's Oswald Mosley 2.0.

Of course what I'd actually like is a diverse group of people working together to find decent solutions rather than the seesaw tribal bullshit and jeering that we currently have.

So very much this. It appears to me that you rarely see someone in politics talking about what we should do to solve a problem when, instead, they could just spend loads of time slagging off their opponents idea instead; as if being negative about other shit was somehow a positive contribution. Or you get the media making a shitstorm out of stuff like whether David Cameron eats fucking sausage rolls or not. Put it all together and trying to give a shit is an uphill struggle.

(As for would-be voters having to give a presentation before casting their vote...? Meh! I don't think so; I bet half of the electorate wouldn't even be able to deliver a presentation on anything, let alone contemporary politics!)

I think you missed the entire point, there.

No, I think I understood it perfectly well.

As for would-be voters having to give a presentation before casting their vote

Trouble with that is you'd have candidates squabbling over who goes first, last, could they be arsed, could voters be arsed sitting through up to six presentations etc etc = not practical.

Just get some scientists to make a decent online poll about your opinion on certain issues, including their importance, and let it choose who you should vote for.

I did this survey thing today. It seems pretty neutral.

Just get some scientists to make a decent online poll about your opinion on certain issues, including their importance, and let it choose who you should vote for.

I did this survey thing today. It seems pretty neutral.

Here's that flyer. I reckon it's Labour

I did this survey thing today. It seems pretty neutral.

Just get some scientists to make a decent online poll about your opinion on certain issues, including their importance, and let it choose who you should vote for.

They'd just argue about what the answers mean forever, though.

instead of launching a blitz on civil liberties and going to war a lot.

Of course, these are scores based against a party actually following through and delivering on its ideals, instead of launching a blitz on civil liberties and going to war a lot.

If I die and my life flashes before my eyes, and I start screaming, its because that creepy fuck just pooped up.

never having even once returned a Budget in surplus, not even during 10 years of (Tory-induced) prosperity.

*waves*

1998: Budget surplus of 0.7bn
1999: Budget surplus of 12bn
2000: Budget surplus of 16.5bn
2001: Budget surplus of 8bn

Now you can certainly say that they were partly the beneficiaries of Ken Clarke's rather Keynesian approach to managing the economy post-Black Wednesday. And you'd be right! But the fact remains that they returned more surplus years and more total than a certain Iron Lady.

(relurks )

(sadly, I'm out laying gravel and trying to fix an air conditioner in the American South today, so I will be a little occupied )

Data is from here, btw: http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablo ... owing-data (via ONS)

It does seem to have fallen down a memory hole, probably because the financial crash was so hard, but also because it's tempting to view the Labour 97-01 Government as something completely separate from the 01-10 Government. If you look at the difference - between 97/01 you get civil liberties expansions concerning the FOIA, Human Rights Act, equalizing age of consent, the minimum wage, et al, and then in 2001 something snaps in Blair's mind and we get all that followed. It's a little too simplistic, as it belies the reliance on PFI, the desperate need of Labour to cozy up with big business, Pathfinder, and all that fun that was there since May 1997, but it is odd how most of the 'good' things of New Labour happened in their first term...

(sadly, I'm out laying gravel and trying to fix an air conditioner in the American South today, so I will be a little occupied )

I'd rather be doing that than what I'm doing.

Fascinating; got it absolutely right for me. Virtually nothing to choose between Conservative and LibDem, almost identical scores and both a "weak match". Labour a long way behind in 3rd place, then UKIP and the Greens last.

Would seem it is official. I am Cavey.

Fascinating; got it absolutely right for me. Virtually nothing to choose between Conservative and LibDem, almost identical scores and both a "weak match". Labour a long way behind in 3rd place, then UKIP and the Greens last.

Would seem it is official. I am Cavey.

Croydon is unsafe and a dump

Way to win over voters there.

I was the second person in!