General Election 2015 Match Day Thread (Merged)

[Aussie]

When were you last there? 1955?

I was born in 1981....

I was there in summer just gone. Thought was quite nice. Had lunch in that pub overlooking the sea.

[Red-Robbo]

I was born in 1981....

I was there in summer just gone. Thought was quite nice. Had lunch in that pub overlooking the sea.

 

Each to their own I suppose. I lived in Thanet for many years and I always found it "the seaside town that they forgot to close down....".

 

One of the most economically deprived seats in the south east.

[Guest]

Harriet Harman going as well

[Aussie]

In my view why on earth would we vote to throw away the strides made and to jeopardise the recovery with the same bunch of tools that spent all the money and mismanaged our immigration which saw us flooded by eastern EU migrants.

No thanks.

I've not been better off and I think we need to recognise that the country recovery is due to austerity and sensible spending measures.

Con majority and we'll do well out of it you see.

[chipdawg]

In my view why on earth would we vote to throw away the strides made and to jeopardise the recovery with the same bunch of tools that spent all the money and mismanaged our immigration which saw us flooded by eastern EU migrants.

No thanks.

I've not been better off and I think we need to recognise that the country recovery is due to austerity and sensible spending measures.

Con majority and we'll do well out of it you see.

Well immigration went up under the coalition and many economists have been saying for years that our progress would have been far greater without austerity. And they only spent all the money to prop up the banks that Mrs Thatcher deregulated in the 1980s (and to be fair Mr Brown encouraged to make hay in the 00s)

Anyway, the name calling can stop now because the results are in and we all have to live under the same government whether we voted for them or not. I think we'll either get the more compassionate Tory party that Dave has promised and the scaremongering over the NHS and benefits will be just that or we'll see mass protests over healthcare and poll tax-like riots. Time will tell

[Red-Robbo]

Well immigration went up under the coalition and many economists have been saying for years that our progress would have been far greater without austerity. And they only spent all the money to prop up the banks that Mrs Thatcher deregulated in the 1980s (and to be fair Mr Brown encouraged to make hay in the 00s)

Anyway, the name calling can stop now because the results are in and we all have to live under the same government whether we voted for them or not. I think we'll either get the more compassionate Tory party that Dave has promised and the scaremongering over the NHS and benefits will be just that or we'll see mass protests over healthcare and poll tax-like riots. Time will tell

 

 

Yep.A reasonable summary, Chip.

 

I'm getting a free lunch - who says there's no such thing as a free lunch in Cameron's Britain - then I'm heading for Paddington and thence home.

[Aussie]

I said we had a bit of sense around these parts didnt I?

 

 

HENLEY

 

CON John Howell 32,292 (58.5%)

LAB Sam Juthani 6,917 (12.2%)

LDM Sue Cooper 6,205 (11.2%)

UKIP Chris Jones 6,007 (10.9%)

GRN Mark Stevenson 3,815 (6.9%)

 

CON Majority 25,375

 

 

[Aussie]

Actually my father speaks quite highly of Mrs Thatcher and what she did for the country.

Before my time and other side of the world to where I grew up but he was here for the desolate 1970s days which she took over.

 

All a part of perspective I guess.

[Guest]

So can anyone see the LD returning to the days of 30-40 seats again? The party is practically 6 foot under..

[Super]

Actually my father speaks quite highly of Mrs Thatcher and what she did for the country.

Before my time and other side of the world to where I grew up but he was here for the desolate 1970s days which she took over.

 

All a part of perspective I guess.

Yes sure the miners were entirely grateful.....

[Red-Robbo]

I said we had a bit of sense around these parts didnt I?

 

 

HENLEY

 

CON John Howell 32,292 (58.5%)

LAB Sam Juthani 6,917 (12.2%)

LDM Sue Cooper 6,205 (11.2%)

UKIP Chris Jones 6,007 (10.9%)

GRN Mark Stevenson 3,815 (6.9%)

 

CON Majority 25,375

 

A bit of money, more like.

[Monkeh]

Well immigration went up under the coalition and many economists have been saying for years that our progress would have been far greater without austerity. And they only spent all the money to prop up the banks that Mrs Thatcher deregulated in the 1980s (and to be fair Mr Brown encouraged to make hay in the 00s)

Anyway, the name calling can stop now because the results are in and we all have to live under the same government whether we voted for them or not. I think we'll either get the more compassionate Tory party that Dave has promised and the scaremongering over the NHS and benefits will be just that or we'll see mass protests over healthcare and poll tax-like riots. Time will tell

i think thats a pretty fair summery

[Aussie]

A bit of money, more like.

 

Money isnt the only thing in life mate.

[Aussie]

So can anyone see the LD returning to the days of 30-40 seats again? The party is practically 6 foot under..

 

You'd be surprised.

In the election 4 years ago in the state of Queensland, the Labor Party were reduced from Government to about 6 MPs.

This year they won enough seats to form a Government.

 

Now they were helped by a shockingly bad state Government but nonetheless, I think a period out of Government, returning to their core beliefs, with a new leader, win some council seats in the next 3 years and they'll come back.

[Stoke_Gifford_Red]

Well immigration went up under the coalition and many economists have been saying for years that our progress would have been far greater without austerity. And they only spent all the money to prop up the banks that Mrs Thatcher deregulated in the 1980s (and to be fair Mr Brown encouraged to make hay in the 00s)

Anyway, the name calling can stop now because the results are in and we all have to live under the same government whether we voted for them or not. I think we'll either get the more compassionate Tory party that Dave has promised and the scaremongering over the NHS and benefits will be just that or we'll see mass protests over healthcare and poll tax-like riots. Time will tell

Agree with that summary and think riots are a possibility. In England at least, the swing from the Conservatives was greatest in the cities and towns of Merseyside, Lancashire, Yorkshire, NE England, South Wales etc which correspond to those which saw issues when Thatcher was in control (miners strikes etc). Also a fairly big swing in London - certainly enough to suggest the favourite for the next mayor of London will be the Labour candidate.

[Kid in the Riot]

[Red-Robbo]

Money isnt the only thing in life mate.

 

Says the bloke whose main concern is his tax bill.

[Aussie]

Says the bloke whose main concern is his tax bill.

 

Fair enough. It was a main concern, it wasn't the ONLY concern.

[Northamptonshire Red]

Can somebody please explain to me why many people think the NHS is any more 'doomed' after this election, than it was before? I believe the NHS needs a massive shake up, and a more privatised system akin to the French style would be a good way to go. Despite the US system being largely a mess, the quality of their healthcare facilities are excellent. How difficult would it be to have privatised healthcare, publicly funded?

[Stoke_Gifford_Red]

So can anyone see the LD returning to the days of 30-40 seats again? The party is practically 6 foot under..

Definitely - it may take a couple of elections but I can see them getting back to that level.

[Aussie]

Can somebody please explain to me why many people think the NHS is any more 'doomed' after this election, than it was before? I believe the NHS needs a massive shake up, and a more privatised system akin to the French style would be a good way to go. Despite the US system being largely a mess, the quality of their healthcare facilities are excellent. How difficult would it be to have privatised healthcare, publicly funded?

 

I would agree. I would actually a promote a similar system to Australia.

 

In my view a one size fits all NHS funded by the tax payer is becoming very costly and we end up with people who hardly use it funding it through taxes and people who dont work a day in their life, kicking back and using all funded things - and not contributing a bloody thing. Not to mention foreigners (the amount on HIV treatment who come from sub-saharan Africa is shocking).

 

In Australia if you earn over a certain amount and you get private healthcare cover, then you receive a 30% rebate.

 

What it recognizes is that you are not burdening the public system, you are using private, so the tax system rewards you to help fund that.

 

I have private healthcare cover, so do all my dependents, so it would make sense that we give people back taxes to recognize that they arent using the public sector.

We need to streamline the public system and prevent overcrowding in it - no question.

[Stoke_Gifford_Red]

Can somebody please explain to me why many people think the NHS is any more 'doomed' after this election, than it was before? I believe the NHS needs a massive shake up, and a more privatised system akin to the French style would be a good way to go. Despite the US system being largely a mess, the quality of their healthcare facilities are excellent. How difficult would it be to have privatised healthcare, publicly funded?

I suppose the problem is the only hospital to be taken over by a private company was handed back earlier this year.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/hinchingbrooke-hospital-britains-only-privately-run-nhs-hospital-appeals-for-10m-taxpayerfunded-bailout-10037083.html

It may have been down to a poor contract but it doesn't bode well for the future.

[Guest]

Tom Watson saying he might stand for Labour Deputy. Christ that'll cause more infighting..

[JamboBCFC]

Can somebody please explain to me why many people think the NHS is any more 'doomed' after this election, than it was before? I believe the NHS needs a massive shake up, and a more privatised system akin to the French style would be a good way to go. Despite the US system being largely a mess, the quality of their healthcare facilities are excellent. How difficult would it be to have privatised healthcare, publicly funded?

 

I don't disagree, the approach of throwing more money into it it frankly not going to work. Barely any doctors in training want to be a GP so claims of 8000 or however many extra GPs seems optimistic to me if I'm honest. As someone who qualifies as a pharmacist later this year I am entirely biased but more pharmacist/nurse prescribing of long term conditions like blood pressure, diabetes and asthma in doctors would free up actual GPs to spend more time diagnosing etc as well as being more cost effective. As for what to do with hospitals... More community based triage and minor injury centers would help but frankly that's not an area I know an awful lot about.

[Red-Robbo]

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/08/election-2015-stuart-heritage-nine-reasons-to-be-cheerful

[Super]

Tom Watson saying he might stand for Labour Deputy. Christ that'll cause more infighting..

Thought he would be in the Green party.

[chipdawg]

Can somebody please explain to me why many people think the NHS is any more 'doomed' after this election, than it was before? I believe the NHS needs a massive shake up, and a more privatised system akin to the French style would be a good way to go. Despite the US system being largely a mess, the quality of their healthcare facilities are excellent. How difficult would it be to have privatised healthcare, publicly funded?

I can give you my take, though it is not the only one. The coalition (derived from the Tory manifesto) introduced the idea that private healthcare firms could bid to provide NHS services, with the basic idea being that the market always provides better value. In the last 18 months there has been a 500% increase in the number of service provision contracts given to these firms (there is a graph on this increase kicking about, no idea how to post it from an iPhone) including some occasions where it has been alleged that ministers have pressurised trusts into accepting uncompetitive bids from private firms over the competing bid from the local NHS trust. Now my first issue is that history has proven that when public services are opened up to the market, value is rarely what the public gets. Sometimes the treasury gets better value, but that presumes that you place monetary value over the value of the service itself. This brings in my second objection, which is that I'm exceptionally uncomfortable with the idea that if were to go for an operation which was being provided by a private provider with whom I did not have a direct contract, i.e. private health insurance, then the profitability of the operation becomes more important than my health. Obviously the doctors and nurses treating me won't see it like that, but the administrators running the show will

I have great issue with the commoditisation of our public services. We've come to regard the success of public transport and utilities as measurable in terms of profit and loss, rather than their value to the public they serve. The same thing is happening with the NHS

[Leveller]

Can somebody please explain to me why many people think the NHS is any more 'doomed' after this election, than it was before? I believe the NHS needs a massive shake up, and a more privatised system akin to the French style would be a good way to go. Despite the US system being largely a mess, the quality of their healthcare facilities are excellent. How difficult would it be to have privatised healthcare, publicly funded?

Surely their facilities are just excellent for those who can afford cover?

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Thought he would be in the Green party.

 

I got it.

[reddoc]

I can give you my take, though it is not the only one. The coalition (derived from the Tory manifesto) introduced the idea that private healthcare firms could bid to provide NHS services, with the basic idea being that the market always provides better value. In the last 18 months there has been a 500% increase in the number of service provision contracts given to these firms (there is a graph on this increase kicking about, no idea how to post it from an iPhone) including some occasions where it has been alleged that ministers have pressurised trusts into accepting uncompetitive bids from private firms over the competing bid from the local NHS trust. Now my first issue is that history has proven that when public services are opened up to the market, value is rarely what the public gets. Sometimes the treasury gets better value, but that presumes that you place monetary value over the value of the service itself. This brings in my second objection, which is that I'm exceptionally uncomfortable with the idea that if were to go for an operation which was being provided by a private provider with whom I did not have a direct contract, i.e. private health insurance, then the profitability of the operation becomes more important than my health. Obviously the doctors and nurses treating me won't see it like that, but the administrators running the show will

I have great issue with the commoditisation of our public services. We've come to regard the success of public transport and utilities as measurable in terms of profit and loss, rather than their value to the public they serve. The same thing is happening with the NHS

I think you'll find that the service received from Private providers is from a patient perspective extremely good and from our perspective competitively priced. They will rarely be the sole provider of hospital based services , as of course we are obliged to offer patients a choice.

The bigger problem is the ability of the Private providers to refuse to treat patients with more complex medical conditions as inevitably the recovery period of the young, fit patient is  more predictable and allows them to put in a suitably competitive bid.

Therefore the obese, diabetics, asthmatics etc will be seen in the District General only, at likely greater expense. However this will be weighted accordingly in the Commissioning process. Actually works fairly well and the biggest problem is preventing both NHS and Private from over providing services.