British parties square off on eve of election call

AP ^

[UKrepublican]

British parties square off on eve of election call

By JILL LAWLESS (AP) – 57 minutes ago

LONDON — Britain's two main political parties squared off on the economy Monday, a day before Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to call an election likely to be dominated by the country's fragile economy.

In a podcast on the 10 Downing St. Web site, Brown said only his Labour Party can be trusted to nurture the nascent recovery, claiming Conservative plans to cut public spending risk tipping the economy back into recession.

Brown defended a planned hike to national insurance, a tax paid by employees and employers. The opposition Conservatives have said they will scrap the tax increase and implement immediate public spending cuts if they win the election.

On Monday the Conservatives unveiled an election poster showing a single green shoot emerging from a bleak landscape — with a boot bearing the words "Job Tax" preparing to stamp on it.

[UKrepublican]

It's finally here...can't wait to throw the Labour party out...only I couldn't be any less excited by the prospect of that fraud Cameron being PM.

[sunmars]

Frankly, i would vote for a singing duck before i voted for Gordon Brown.

[Tribune7]

Good luck over there. Keep us posted.

[ync1994]

What do you think of the UKIP and Nigel Farage and Lord Pearson? I suppose they don’t have a chance, right?

[UKrepublican]

No they don’t, but this is going to be a very interesting election, who knows what could happen. If they got 1 seat it would still be a succesful election for them!

I’m thinking of giving them my vote, I definately won’t be voting Tory.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Keep us posted! Labour has to GO!!!! Boot ‘em out! ;-)

[PapaBear3625]

No they don’t, but this is going to be a very interesting election, who knows what could happen. If they got 1 seat it would still be a succesful election for them!

How does voting work for the House of Commons? Within a district, the party that gets the biggest plurality gets the seat?

[UKrepublican]

Yes that’s pretty much it...each seat is representing a constituency.

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

My sympathies are with UKIP, but I’d vote *spit* Liberal Democrat I was in a marginal seat and it was the best way of ensuring a defeat for the Labour candidate...

[Vanders9]

I suspect that the minor political parties in Britain will do very well in this election. I dont think that will transpose into much in the way of political power, but if it gives the current, corrupt, complacent political class something to think about, that will be a start.

Personally, I will be voting UKIP (if they stand in my constituency, which I believe they will).

[Vanders9]

Tactical voting...yes...well as I live in a constituency that is going to be very marginal, I must admit to a temptation to voting Conservative. The only problem is that the local Tory candidate is a bland nonentity and Cameron, although a very good speaker and a skilled politician, will do just about anything to win, including jettisoning every policy that makes the Conservative party palatable.

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

It may sound ingloriously pragmatic, but if too many people vote with their conscience, the Labour bastards might just make it back in. As wishy-washy as the present Tories may be, it is better that they should win than to have to endure another 5 years of Zanu-Labour misrule. If you live in a Tory stronghold, I would say send a message to an incumbent there by voting for a rival party and slashing his majority, rather than in a key marginal were every vote counts and he might not win against a Labour challenger....

[Oceander]

For your sake, and ours, I hope you do throw the SOBs out.