The UK economy has actually shrunk GDP/capita over the last 5 years. And the deficit is still around 90bn.

I think the biggest con of the last 40 years is that the conservatives are good at running the economy. They're not, whatever money they save with "austerity" measures they generally pump into crap like their numerous help to keep the housing bubble inflated schemes.

The irony is, that both Labour and Conservatives love big government. They love high rates of taxation, preferably on consumption (as that is more regressive). The only people they think shouldn't be taxed are the very rich who bankroll their parties and offer them "jobs" for when they retire from government.

I want Keynesianism back. The welfare state is what enriched the middle classes and gave the working classes dignity. I have no understanding why anyone would want to vote for Neoliberalism who isn't rich and a massive rentiers.

/rant

You have to hand it to DiegoArmando, he comes here always acting like he knows what he is talking about, yet is wrong on EVERYTHING!

I am surprised he came back after he said he was sure that Scotland was going to vote for independence (lol). Wait, I believe he did comeback saying it was all a rigged vote or something (lol again).

He's remarkably animated about UK politics for someone who has elected to live overseas.

Well, I happen to have a much deeper understanding of the world than you do. That's fine, we can't all be like me.

I mean I'm open to having it all explained to me, and if you do spell out why I'm wrong on everything, I will kneel before you.

On the referendum: I think you'll find I was never confident of a win, which is documented in the thread.

I also immediately dismissed all notions of a rigged vote. For me the rigging happened in the 3 or so years leading up to the poll - on election day itself? Not a chance imo.

So, London Jimmy. Put up or shut the **** up.

Aye, well, for the 36578493rd time, I live in Scotland.

You are another poster who is extremely hard of thinking.

Me neither, to be honest. But you never know; the fact that Glasgow has awoken to the atrocities of Labour in Scotland is a huge deal. Anyone who believes Jim Murphy is completely ****ed. The guy has 4 tax payer bought houses and an expenses scandal that should see him locked up. He's a ****ing cockroach. Went to Glasgow Uni for 9 years I think it was - did he graduate? Nah, he got on the union gravy train and rubbed that lovely free money all over his disgusting little titties.

NOTABLE SILENCE FROM THE ECONOMIST

Agree mostly, except for the notion that the government actually runs the economy. The IMF do.

Oh and the more I inquire, the more I'm convinced it's not possible for the system to actually be neoliberal. Not when it's controlled by a few players. That looks like some kind of fascism to me.

I see all that independence has gone to Diego's head.

None of you have anything substantive to say. You're all ****ed.

My apologies, I genuinely thought you were an expat.

He was.

Diego, I'm not getting into a Google war of economics when my side has economists and you have random fringe loonies.

You're not getting into a google war of economics? You think I await your reply then go and google everything you say to find out what it means?

Your 'side' has economists and mine 'random fringe loonies'?

HAHAHA you never fail to have no idea.

I asked you a few direct questions which should be no problem to answer. I told you briefly what I think. But...

what you're really saying there is that you have no idea what I'm talking about and no way to refute anything I've said.

You actually are the janitor at that uni you go to arent you?

DiegoArmando is obviously a troll. Can't believe you guys give him so many responses. He deliberately posts everything that turns out to be wrong or false and you guys keep feeding him lol.

**** off jimmy. You're a non-entity in any politics thread I've seen. You've got nothing to say whatsoever. You come and claim I am 'wrong about everything' yet offer nothing to back up your claims. You're just another establishment casualty.

Just get on with your servile life.

I got distracted following other threads, hence the late reply.

I'd like to ask why you think I'd fault an immigrant, unskilled or otherwise, for wanting to live and work in this country. Also, what you mean by the words 'ilk' and 'hue'. I mean, I kind of get the hint. You're saying I might have earmarked a certain group of people by dint of their colour, deliberately or otherwise, for special protection from other people of a different colour...am I correct? The implication being that I am a racist..? I would really like you to clarify.

To avoid confusion, I was formerly Liss.

So what's the feeling on the ground with the upcoming election. It seems to me that Labour would probably be winning substantially but Milliband doesn't seem up to the job.

UKIP and the Lib Dems are praying for the ability to bargain a better deal.

Def correct about Milliband, I think he looks particularly bad because he wants to offer radical policies, but can't. The only policies that are important are those that appeal to undecided voters in marginal constituencies.

UKIP and Libdems will not be first choice kingmakers, that will be the SNP.

It will either be a coalition composed more or less identical to the current one or some freaky coalition of misfit MPs with labour being the tallest dwarf that will fall apart in about six months. Conservatives are all but a lock to have the most seats.

Ukip won't have anything to offer, they might have a couple of MPs (and likely won't win more) but they have no position of power to negotiate from.

SNP is supposedly going to pick up 30-40 seats which will put them approx as big as the lib dems but its not close to clear where labour and the cons will finish and that will be key.

A second election is a realistic proposition if conservatives win too many seats but cannot form a coalition. That probably equals them winning more seats to keep power.

I think the irony is if labour does well enough to form a government I'd bet milliband will be ousted as part of that deal.

Milliband is an utter disaster for the Labour party. The question is though, if or when he goes who do they replace him with? There doesn't seem to be any outstanding candidate.

The bookies seem fairly convinced that the SNP are going to get more than 40 seats and LDs less than 40 seats.

I think if Labour won't dance in a tartan skirt, Alex Salmond will agree to a Tory minority govt just to troll the English for four years.

Probably Andy Burnham

Borris - gg

Hoping that I can somehow avoid the next however many weeks of superaids and just get straight to the popcorn.gif of election day. Probably watch whichever debate Cameron turns up to assuming it's the 7-way rustle northern ireland cluster****