For me the single biggest issue in the election is the war in Afghanistan, where UK armed forces are being used for political purposes to prop up one of the most corrupt regimes in the world, which is based on vote rigging, drugs trade, human rights abuses and internal corruption. Any efforts for winning hearts and minds by the UK forces (however well intentioned) are undermined, by the fact they are seen as the security forces of a corrupt unpopular regime. Hence Karzai's own security forces, who we are supposed to be training up to a point where they can maintain security and allow us to leave, according to the official strategy, are also seen in Afghanistan as traitors and the security forces of a corrupt unpopular regime.

I am not anti-war for the sake of it by any means, I would have supported the Falklands War, but UK forces should never be fighting under Hamid Karzai's banner, its an outrage.

Clegg opposed the war in Iraq but he generally supports the idea of being in Afghanistan so thats him off my list as well. Also he seems to be giving mixed messages over Trident, we won't renew Trident but we will look at a cheapo nuclear missile system, that's halfway house. I see no justification for the UK having a WMD programme now, and its not affordable in the current financial situation.

My constituency has 4 candidates, the main three and the Greens, I will be voting for the Greens.

I voted Greens in the Euros time before last. I will be voting Labour this time though in case you hadn't realised.

Great - 5 more years.

Ok are we ready for predictions? Cons win with small majority of six. Lib dems pick up 30 seats at the expense of Labour ( apologies if my maths are out). Helen Jones takes Warrington North on severly reduced majority. David Mowat wins Warrington South by 1,000 votes

Hung Parliament. Bad news with decisions taking forever.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKFTtYx2OHc

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKFTtYx2OHc

In all honesty the bickering and back stabbing of politics bores me.
Actually with that being on TV I get to do a lot more because I'm not in front of the tele.

All parties will have to put taxes up and whenever they 'give away' some money they'll have to claw that back too.

I can't say I agree completely or even 70% with any parties manifesto so if I voted I'b be voting for at least 30% of what i don't want!

rlTories rattled or what!rl




They are supposed to be fighting for every vote on the basis of their manifesto and ability to lead the country, not basing their campaign on hypothetical situations.

Excellent.

Ta for that. Having wiped the tea of my screen I would suggest that you keep very quite on fighting on a manifesto bit ............ "Back me, I'm the only one who can lead the country out of the mess of the last 13 years created by er, er ........"*

[size* copyright G Brown[/size

Also, see P Mandelson (Lord) doing his bit on behalf of the Lib-Dems .............. brilliant.

Manifesto is about the future. Then again as the Tory manifesto has nothing in it, you'd struggle to base a campaign on that.

You also mentioned "ability to lead the country" which is the only thing that Gordon is crapping on about, you know, about getting the BIG decisions right............ I can tick them off the list if you like.

WMD
War in Iraq
The Election that never was
Flogging Gold at a knockdown price
Tax on dividend payments of pension funds
Banking Regulation
Peter Mandelson (twice)

Don't forget 10% tax rate though that one you probably liked.

WMD/Iraq - isn't 20/20 hindsight wonderful? And anyway, Saddam's gone. That was last election. Read "Saturday" by Ian McEwan.

Election that never was? Eh, not sure what that's about?

Flogging gold and tax on pensions - gotta get money from somewhere.

Banking regulation - what? you wanted more, did you? Hypocrite.

Peter Mandelson. I'll see him and raise you a Lord Ashcroft.

Sure Start, Minimum Wage, School building programme, Winter Fuel Allowance, Child Trust Fund, Tax Credits, Free Nursery Care.

Next? Economic recovery without throwing a million or so on the scrapheap. And without dumping the weak. Tories are Tories even if they are called Dave.

.

Immigration
Afghanistan - Poorly equipped
Lisbon treaty referrendum promise broken
record youth unemployment
gap between rich and poor widening


Labour have well and truly stuffed up since Tony Blair left. I do feel a lot of the decisions they have made around the recession have mainly been driven by the Bank of England rather than Brown and Darling being economic saviours. Labour got elected because of Blair in 97. He was the guy people trusted and he attracted voters - especially Tories - to back him. Brown has no chance and will only be saved from a humilating landslide defeat bythanks to general political apathy

Decisions decisions!!!! On one hand i think GB and the labour party have screwed some stuff up recently I cant help but think that things will be a whole lot worse under Cameron. He's spent the last 3 years spouting the tory policy on everything from the economy to the wars as being "this lot are crap" (what would you do Mr Cameron?.... "(I dont know but) we wouldnt do what labour did". He's likely to spend the next 3 years spouting on about "well look what labout did before we took over".

Personally i would love a hung parliament (noooo not in that sense but the thought is a good one). Maybe for once decision will be made by negotiation and reason rather than the usual confrontational two party politics weve put up with for the last god knows how long!

I think your view of a hung parliament is more romantic than realistic. History shows us they don't work in the UK. Decisions will be made by horsetrading and ensuring they don't get defeated and end up with a second general election.