Gordon to announce 6 May general election

[Mark]

Simple fact is we couldn't join the Euro at the moment even if we wanted to. Too much debt - and too much more being created.

Not that several countries in the Eurozone aren't worse off - Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland. Even Germany is breaking the rules (though not by much).

[Grandad]

Originally Posted by Will

As for the Euro, it's a stalemate for me... I honestly don't know, and until all the houses of commerce around the European nations get together with the UK and agree some key points I doubt much progress will ever get made either way..

The lack of being able to control fiscal policy to suit your own financial situation is just not a good idea, I think that is now beginning to make itself seen with recent events

[Garp]

The situation with Greece just about highlights the dangers (and strengths) of a single currency. The Euro has been good for Greece, it's strength has kept it's economy going.. but now it's really going down the crapper, the rest of the Euro using countries are being dragged down along with it. Your average tax payer in Germany (for example) is now suffering because of the actions of the Greek government.

That said I'm pro-Europe, but most definitely not in it's current ridiculously bloated bureaucratic mess. As much as I'm pro-Europe I think possibly the only way to fix the EU is to dissolve it entirely and rebuild it from scratch.

[Will]

Originally Posted by Garp

The situation with Greece just about highlights the dangers (and strengths) of a single currency. The Euro has been good for Greece, it's strength has kept it's economy going.. but now it's really going down the crapper, the rest of the Euro using countries are being dragged down along with it. Your average tax payer in Germany (for example) is now suffering because of the actions of the Greek government.

That said I'm pro-Europe, but most definitely not in it's current ridiculously bloated bureaucratic mess. As much as I'm pro-Europe I think possibly the only way to fix the EU is to dissolve it entirely and rebuild it from scratch.

Good point well made - agree with that.

[Grandad]

spot on, we need to all work together but not in the current format

[Mark]

Making one currency fit 16 economies was asking for trouble - and trouble is what they've got. While shoring countries up isn't pretty it's better than the other option - this time, there's no 'get out' clause to ponder while singing in the bath.

[Del Lardo]

Finally something worth talking about. Labour and the Lib Dems will both ban Page 3 as they think tits are the work of the devil or something therefore the only way to vote is Conservative.

THIS LINK IS NS@W


Just found out that I have to fly to Germany tonight so I won't be voting, not that it would have made any difference as Lib Dems are pretty much guaranteed to win Cambridge.

[Belmit]

My dad popped his voting paper in the ballot envelope, sealed it, put it in the postage envelope, posted it, and two days later... it dropped through the letterbox.

No idea why they make it possible to do that - their address on one side of the ballot envelope and yours on the other. Surely we're advanced enough now to misalign two pieces of text so one shows through the window in a certain orientation and the other won't when it's flipped? Then again, my dad is advanced enough that he shouldn't have made that mistake!

Luckily my brother is in South America at the moment so he nabbed his envelope instead and reposted.

[Garp]

Originally Posted by Del Lardo

Finally something worth talking about. Labour and the Lib Dems will both ban Page 3 as they think tits are the work of the devil or something therefore the only way to vote is Conservative.

THIS LINK IS NS@W

Oh dear. Poor Murdoch is getting that desperate? Historically he has used the Sun to swing votes, or put its weight behind a party once it's become clear that it's going to win. At the same time the tone of the articles change to make it appear that the Sun has always, always stood for the party that wins, and then in classic Murdoch egotism, the day after espouse: "It was The Sun what won it", as if the Sun journalists were what resulted in the win instead of the reality of being ass-licking glory hunters. What is the most stupid is the readers all lap it up, because it makes them look smart, makes them look like their choice of news paper is the one that is on the winning side, the right minded one.

Every time it's left Murdoch with number 10 in his back pocket. We've had decades of him meddling in government. This year it's the Tories that he's got influence with, and very early on he swung support of his papers most behind. With Labour waning it was a sure shot, anyone with half a brain can see that a good percentage of the population is tired of them, that people are calling out for something new (much like the election back in '97). It was for a good while all about the Tories.

Then all of a sudden, along came that first debate and the Lib Dems suddenly appeared to be David to the tory-labour Goliath. Immediately not 1, but 4 Murdoch controlled newspapers all came out with dirty accusations against a party leader they'd entirely ignored. Suddenly the safe bet Murdoch had made wasn't so safe any more, and it was all guns to the fore. Murdoch (or his cronies) can't stand the idea that they won't have as much influence in Government as they have before. After all, politicians have good memories even if the readers don't. They remember who supported their campaign and who didn't.
1 paper doing it would have looked legit. 2 would be unusual, but 4 all simultaneously? If he was that dirty he would have been picked up before.

When newspapers try to call out Murdoch on his attempts to dictate the election (e.g. The Independant: "Rupert Murdoch won't decide the election – you will"), his sons went in like little bully boys to threaten and bluster, almost Mafiosa style "The boss heard what you said and he doesn't like it".
So now we're getting to the last few days and out come the desperate cries, the last ditch attempts to persuade the Sun readers that something bad is going to happen if they dare to oppose the holy Murdoch's dictates.


Whats the best way to lead Sun readers by the nose? Threaten that most holy of The Sun institutions, page 3.

It is utterly, utterly pathetic. What is worse is it will damn well work too. There will be Sun readers who will vote Tory just because of it.

[Mark]

Originally Posted by Garp

Murdoch

'His' coverage after the 2nd debate was about as blatant as you you can get - conveniently ignoring any polls which didn't toe his line. I'm sure he'd have rigged the debate itself had he been allowed to.