I have never voted Lib Dem but.....

[TDiddy]

1. Something satisfying of supporting a group who probably joined up never expecting to win and be in Govt.

2)Stick it to Uncle Rupert (Murdoch)!!

"if DC was PM we would have invaded Iraq"

Not quite sure how you worked that one out Webdude, the conservatives were shown, like everyone else, the dodgy dossier that claimed WMD were able to be used with 45 minutes, that Iraq was a threat to this country and it's people and they believed the prime minister when he said that we needed to stop this from happening and voted accordingly, the lib dems on the other hand (as with their policies on trident ) voted against defending this country and it's people and allowing a madman to have WMD.

What this shows is;

a) T-Blair is a liar

b) the conservatives would defend this country against attack

c) the lib dems are quite happy to leave us at the mercy of any nutter dictator

So god forbid that LibDems had ref on EUro; would the public vote to join? So, I don't think this is much of an issue.

You can argue over different costing headings, but they've been put out there for that reason. And the fact remains that we've not been given a clue about the Conservatives' ones - and I don't think they have a clue, either.

"Re. illegals - what about the tax they'd pay in the legal economy? "

Well lets look at the illegals status for working, most work in the food industry, or cleaning etc so are low paid, which means under the lib dems the first £10,000 they wouldn't have to pay tax on and in those sorts of jobs they probably wouldn't have much more (if any) of an income.

Then they would be allowed to bring in dependents which would mean they could then claim WTC and we would be topping them up with housing benefit etc.

So the great majority wouldn't be paying tax and would be getting etc help via top ups and benefits and using the infrastructure, schools, housing, nhs, gp's etc too boot.

"So god forbid that LibDems had ref on EUro; would the public vote to join? So, I don't think this is much of an issue. "

Of course it is. By definition their wanting to join the euro (and keeping it in their manifesto even after the recession ) shows that they want closer ties with the EU, at a time when the EU is costing us so much money and many countries are on their knees and we haven't even embraced the other countries yet that the EU wants to join.

This country never voted to be part of the EU, it voted for trade links but labour and the lib dems want us to be the 'united state of europe', governed by Brussels, at least the conservatives want us to keep our sovereignty and pull back away from the stupidity of Brussels.

Letting the country decide on the Euro is no bad thing.

And wanting closer ties with the Euro makes economic sense and is not to be confused with being part of the Euro? Infact close ties with Europe is important economically and for security.

"And wanting closer ties with the Euro makes economic sense and is not to be confused with being part of the Euro? Infact close ties with Europe is important economically and for security."

Who do you think controls the interest rates for countries in the euro? Why do you think greece and other countries are in the mess they are in? It does not now, nor would in the future make economic sense for this country to be part of the euro, look what happened to us under the ERM, black wednesday, look whats happening under the euro to other countries.

You cannot control every countries financial situation under a one band system.

Even if we were to pull out of the EU do you really believe other countries would stop trading with us?

I think that you are confusing close economic ties with joining a single currency. These are not the same thing.

"I think that you are confusing close economic ties with joining a single currency."

Err, no I think your doing the lib dem thing of back tracking and smoke and mirrors.

I am more capable of arguing against lib dems policy, it is you that doesn't answer the points put to you and tries to distract by going off tangent.

Sorry Atlantis but when I read above it does sound as though you are not separating close economic ties (which most economists agrees is good for Britain's economy) from joining the single currency.

Annoying to hear Murdoch's papers warning us about the danger that a hung parliament poses. What a load of bollocks. What is wrong with politicians having to act like grown ups and agree sensible/priority policies.

Because they won't TDiddy - they are too concerned about how they look and keeping the party line. They really don't care because they all have great jobs with fantastic pensions.

Our investment banks will be downgraded and whilst they are pissing about fighting we will see the economy slide further and further into the pan.

MadameC- I don't believe the doom's day. Clegg will be pinching himself if he gets into power and will be keen to make it count. This is a real opportunity for LibDems and they will not chuck it away (this time)

I am no LibDem but I noticed that Tory/Labour Central Office may have launched an attack on on MN as a Cleggie strong-hold. Seriously, this one was rapid fire and looks concerted

Look in this weird crazy time of personality politics, have you read their manifesto? Indeed, have you probed their policies? What are there policies. So far, I've watched Nick Clegg misusing his ability to connect with the people. All he needs to do, rather than just be liked and accepted, is to show us the policies. Give us substance. Poor guy, his heart probably is in the right place sort of but he now has to get the persecuted little boy chip of his shoulder and 'Get Real' quick or he is out of a chance of raising himself and his small party. Last month, Nick Clegg was not heard in the Commons. Next month, he will be listened too. I'm sure he's very grateful for the debates peppered with all his cute-sy devices, the most boring of which is when he fumbles pretending to get the name wrong 'Sorry is it Adina?' then after 2 minutes, he looks into the camera and continues in the most perplexing way - he wants to be liked. If that is what he wants, being in Government is not for him. Wrong script! Just turn your eyes to the nightmares in Greece right now. Look at the terror in New York. Who do you want in charge? A man who wants to be liked or a man who wants to get on with the job and continue sorting out the current problems which are GLOBAL!! I know who Britain would be lucky to get for the next 5 years. It's a terrible job ahead but someone's got to do it. Gordon is your man. Seriously.

Get voting, speak to your neighbours, go down to your local MP's office, go to a hustings. Forget the polls, the papers and the news. We are the news right now. We can swing this vote the right way. The right way for our kids. The right way for our friends, the right way for our neighbours, our schools, and our society. We don't need High Society, we don't need anything but a Good Society. So please, if you are happy in your life right now, if you take your kids to your local Sure Start CHildren's Centre, then embrace politics right now right here. It is our turn to make our choice. Ask each MP would they continue funding the current Government's initiative of Sure Start. They won't say, because guess what, they can't afford it...sorry, I don't want to scare you but any issues you have, concerns you have, voice them to your local candidates because they are listening to our every word now!

Anyway must dash, my earlybird daughter wants her porridge....

Ta-ra and bring on Thursday, voting day !!

Sarah

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Grigsy, I am thinking of voting Labour or Lib Dem. By the way I do know LibDem policies. Wherever my vote lands, I get cross with people bully/dismissing LIbDems just because the popular press is Tory/Labour dominated. Don't insult Nick Clegg by suggesting that he can't run the country just because he is a nice reasonable guy.

Initially people said the same about Obama and look at the the "in-tray" that he inherited by Bush and look at the things that he might have to sort out.

Thhis might sound odd, but whether I vote Labour or Lib-Dem, I am hoping that Nick Clegg is our next PM. I really hope he is.

By the way, I think Brown did many good things and is a good guy. He was probably the most influential figure in avoiding a depression. If we had followed the Tories non-intervention plan then we would have been in trouble.

Handing over monetary policy to the BoE got us away from the politicisation of IR: we used to see the Tories set IRs blatantly in step with election cycle regardless of inflation.

Health Service no longer has the crsis that it used to have.

Transport (trains and tubes) stabilised altho' still not that great.

Primary education

Better pay for Teachers and Heath Service

.....

Even so, Gordon will no longer be PM. If Labour gets a coalition going, then Brown will not be on the ticket as people will want to see something new.