The 2017 UK General Election Thread - Voting open today from 7am - 10pm

[Moggy]

Yeah. I'm going to engage in a long drawn out discussion with multiple people on a predominantly labour/lib dem forum. No thanks. Other than a few glib remarks - all i've basically said is that the Tories are going to win.

But you could give a quick message about thing that you think the Tories have done well.

It'd be a bloody short message.

[Dinoric]

Yeah. I'm going to engage in a long drawn out discussion with multiple people on a predominantly labour/lib dem forum. No thanks. Other than a few glib remarks - all i've basically said is that the Tories are going to win.

I think people here would rather you discussed your reasons for supporting the Tories rather than chickening out because people will criticise you after all the bad stuff the Tories have already done which has been listed on here.

[Return_of_the_STAR]

Yeah. I'm going to engage in a long drawn out discussion with multiple people on a predominantly labour/lib dem forum. No thanks. Other than a few glib remarks - all i've basically said is that the Tories are going to win.

I think people here would rather you discussed your reasons for supporting the Tories rather than chickening out because people will criticise you after all the bad stuff the Tories have already done which has been listed on here.

Why is everyone picking on Denster? sounds like he's being hounded just because he supports a party that most people on here disagree with. He doesn't need to justify his political beliefs.

The same thing happened in the euro referendum and the last election.

[Moggy]

Yeah. I'm going to engage in a long drawn out discussion with multiple people on a predominantly labour/lib dem forum. No thanks. Other than a few glib remarks - all i've basically said is that the Tories are going to win.

I think people here would rather you discussed your reasons for supporting the Tories rather than chickening out because people will criticise you after all the bad stuff the Tories have already done which has been listed on here.

Why is everyone picking on Denster? sounds like he's being hounded just because he supports a party that most people on here disagree with. He doesn't need to justify his political beliefs.

The same thing happened in the euro referendum and the last election.

Asking why they support a certain party or policy is not picking on somebody.

[Return_of_the_STAR]

Yeah. I'm going to engage in a long drawn out discussion with multiple people on a predominantly labour/lib dem forum. No thanks. Other than a few glib remarks - all i've basically said is that the Tories are going to win.

I think people here would rather you discussed your reasons for supporting the Tories rather than chickening out because people will criticise you after all the bad stuff the Tories have already done which has been listed on here.

Why is everyone picking on Denster? sounds like he's being hounded just because he supports a party that most people on here disagree with. He doesn't need to justify his political beliefs.

The same thing happened in the euro referendum and the last election.

Asking why they support a certain party or policy is not picking on somebody.

It's not the question, it's the dismissive and I'm better than you attitude that seems to come with it. It happened a lot last year and the year before, and it's happening again.

No one seems to be able to hold a political discussion.

[Lotus]

It's because there's a clear view on this forum of what is 'right', and anybody who has a different view is generally looked down on/ridiculed. Doesn't exactly foster discussion and debate. Also, when most people on here (myself included) have no intention of changing their viewpoints, or some people can't have debates without the aforementioned abuse, it begs the question, what's the point? So it's understandable why people don't bother.

[Pancake]

Tbf all Tories are wankers

[Return_of_the_STAR]

It's because there's a clear view on this forum of what is 'right', and anybody who has a different view is generally looked down on/ridiculed. Doesn't exactly foster discussion and debate. Also, when most people on here (myself included) have no intention of changing their viewpoints, or some people can't have debates without the aforementioned abuse, it begs the question, what's the point? So it's understandable why people don't bother.

What he said

[DML]

Regardless of standpoint it's fair to say May is no major tactician. The odds have actually shortened on a coalition since this all started. She really doesn't need to do much but she's doing basically nothing.

[Meep]

Maybe I can understand someone supporting them as the lesser of two evils but I am still staggered by the concept anyone thinking Conservatives are actually doing a good job. After Gordon Brown rescued our financial system from collapse when the recession hit the economy began to enjoy a recovery under a new plan of consolidation, only for that recovery to be immediate strangled at birth as soon as Cameron and Osborne got their hands on the wheel. Since then, thanks to a contractionist austerity policy we have experienced the slowest economic recovery since records began with most parts of the UK outside London and the South East still not matching earning from before 2008. Thanks to the Tories must of the country is now two years away from a lost decade. Then, as if to add insult to injury, Cameron allowed a party political dispute to boil over into a referendum; the result of which has now jeopardised the UK's trading relationship with Europe and, as we were formerly positioned as part of the European market, most of the rest of the world.

I do not particularly like Corbyn because I am generally centre/left but at this point the priority is stopping the current government before further damage is done. Their incompetence borders on the point of deliberate sabotage.

[That]

Re: the brief discussion above.

If there are posts that you find rude then you need to report them so the Moderators can ask them to tone it down. Reports aren't magic - we aren't usually going to swoop in and ban people - but it takes literally one second to report a post you don't like, and it helps us build a picture over time of what people find unsavoury which we can eventually act on. It's true that the majority of people here are centre-left - when you look at our target demographic, it can't be helped - but that doesn't mean people with right-wing views should feel unwelcome. (Most reports can come to any Mod, including me. If my posts are rude, you can report to them Green Gecko, and vice versa.)

On the other hand, if you don't want to post about your views in depth simply because you don't want to discuss them that's obviously fine. It doesn't mean people can't ask you for clarification after you make a comment though: I feel "why do you think that?" is always a reasonable query on a discussion forum. You're not obliged to respond.

We had a problem with a particular member posting very incendiary views and then refusing to discuss them properly, which would ultimately derail threads. I don't foresee this becoming an issue with anyone else, so you can do what you like.

I think it would be interesting to hear Denster's response to my question but I'm not particularly surprised he doesn't want to talk about it. For what it's worth I do occasionally update my views based on arguments I read on here (and elsewhere). I think exposing my views to debates with other people is interesting, and it helps me learn more about politics.

[Denster]

If it helps - I don't feel people have been rude or are picking on me. I just don't want a long series of debates with all the usual suspects in these sorts of threads. I've stated before why I vote conservative and I believe I also stated why I voted remain but also accepted and wanted to move on with Brexit. A quick perusal of my post history would probably be far more instructive (once you comb through the spam, trolling and knob gags) and far less distracting. Also - no offence but it'd be like offering myself up as some sort of right wing sacrificial lamb for all you morally outraged lefties to vent at. No thanks.

[Denster]

Yeah. I'm going to engage in a long drawn out discussion with multiple people on a predominantly labour/lib dem forum. No thanks. Other than a few glib remarks - all i've basically said is that the Tories are going to win.

Taking the cue from your leader quite nicely there.

Cutty knows!

[Lex-Man]

Regardless of standpoint it's fair to say May is no major tactician. The odds have actually shortened on a coalition since this all started. She really doesn't need to do much but she's doing basically nothing.

I sort of in two minds about how good a tactician she is. On the one hand getting rid of popular promises will allow her to raise taxes without people being able to criticise her for not living up to the Tory manifesto from 2015. I kind of think raising taxes will be necessary at some point, especially if we carry on with Brexit. So this is a worth while place to take a hit.

The tactic I don't understand is refusing to go to the debates. By not turning up she's going to damage her tough image and look like a wimp. Seven million people watched the last debates, not attending is just shooting yourself in the foot.

[Denster]

I'd say calling an election when you're over 20% up in the polls is tactically astute.

[Moggy]

It seems pretty obvious why intelligent right wingers don't like to state the policies they agree with or think were necessary. It's hard to state without looking nasty your support for cutting benefits for the disabled or tax breaks for the rich or any of the other unpleasant policies that have been brought in. Such vocal support cannot help but come across as selfishness, a sort of "I'm doing great, shame about the lower classes!".

Left wingers have it easier, it's an easy thing to say that you want everyone to be equal, that wages should be fairer and that the super rich should pay their fair share. Sure there is a problem of how to pay for everything, but the left only has to support the ideas, the politicians can sort out the sums.

This post looks like a dig at the right wing, but it's actually not. I do understand that that real life is tough and that we can't give literally everyone everything they want and need and that things have to be paid for somehow. Intelligent right wingers that aren't cold hearted bastards are always going to struggle to get that across without looking like cold hearted bastards. It's the entire reason the "shy Tory" effect exists, you might want lower tax and fiscal responsibility, but you don't want your friends to know you support cutting disability benefits! And it's bloody hard to defend it without looking horrible.

[Tafdolphin]

Omelettes and eggs.

The new panem et circenses eh?* Also, would genuinely like to know your answer to this:

They've broken a lot of eggs, though, so I'm interested to hear what you think the huge omelette is in your eyes? Is it just Brexit?

Because I'm pretty sure you were a remainer. What's the end goal here?

*Also, you know it was strawberry floating Stalin who coined that phrase right?

He was my kind of socialist.

Mate, you're going down the path of Cal at this point. Are you actually going to answer Karl's question? Can you?

EDIT:

Yeah. I'm going to engage in a long drawn out discussion with multiple people on a predominantly labour/lib dem forum. No thanks. Other than a few glib remarks - all i've basically said is that the Tories are going to win.

Catching up as I go along. I...well. I don't have any response that wouldn't get me thread banned, so just imagine I've said something along those lines.

[Rocsteady]

Regardless of standpoint it's fair to say May is no major tactician. The odds have actually shortened on a coalition since this all started. She really doesn't need to do much but she's doing basically nothing.

May will walk this election with a majority of over 50 MPs. Willing to put money down on that.

[Denster]

Omelettes and eggs.

The new panem et circenses eh?* Also, would genuinely like to know your answer to this:

They've broken a lot of eggs, though, so I'm interested to hear what you think the huge omelette is in your eyes? Is it just Brexit?

Because I'm pretty sure you were a remainer. What's the end goal here?

*Also, you know it was strawberry floating Stalin who coined that phrase right?

He was my kind of socialist.

Mate, you're going down the path of Cal at this point. Are you actually going to answer Karl's question? Can you?

EDIT:

Yeah. I'm going to engage in a long drawn out discussion with multiple people on a predominantly labour/lib dem forum. No thanks. Other than a few glib remarks - all i've basically said is that the Tories are going to win.

Catching up as I go along. I...well. I don't have any response that wouldn't get me thread banned, so just imagine I've said something along those lines.

I always do.

[Lex-Man]

I'd say calling an election when you're over 20% up in the polls is tactically astute.

Yeah, but damaging that margin by refusing to debate isn't. You're giving the opposition a chance to pick the talking points for the next days papers, or just have a load of pictures of empty chairs and the word coward, bounded about.

I doubt it will lose her the election but it may lose her quite a few seats in parliament.