Tuesday 17th February 2015

[AngryAsWell]

Britain Elects ‏@britainelects · 3h3 hours ago
Latest YouGov poll (16 - 17 Feb):
LAB - 34% (+2)
CON - 33% (+1)
UKIP - 15% (-1)
GRN - 7% (-1)
LDEM - 6% (-)

I've spoken before about how I really don't trust the polls
Putting my tin foil hat on...
I'd go as far as to say they are fixed.
Fixed?? Why on earth??
Because that makes it easier to "explain" an inexplainable tory win in may. How could they possibly announce a tory "win" if they have consistently trailed badly in the pre election polls?

Anyway - taking tin hat off and back to reality..
I joined YouGov ages ago (over 2 years) and declared myself as a Labour voter. I have had fewer than 4 political polls over that time, and the last one came in after (day after - ironic or what) I missed off the Guardian and added the Sun to the papers I read (on a totally none political poll.)
My Granddaughter joined YouGov as a joke to get the "points" to earn a bit of cash. She's found out that as a Tory voter she gets a political poll every couple of weeks. Her boyfriend joined - again to earn some cash - and is a "virtual" kipper, he gets a poll a week, which he delights in filling in as a flipped out mad cap kipper.
My daughter joined shortly after me and - as a "tory" - has already collected a YouGov cash points reward and is on her way to the next, where as I'm just about coming up to my first cash reward total.
Kids - eh?
I do wonder what the criteria on who to send out political polls to actually is.

[AngryAsWell]

Thick and fast - policies / and vision rolling out now

Labour pledges to tackle animal cruelty, including foxhunting
http://linkis.com/www.theguardian.com/tRvge" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[thatchersorphan]

Donnachts latest occupy democracy arrest - for an intimidating cardboard coffin http://www.theecologist.org/campaigning ... ssent.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And the police's ‘pay-to-protest’ policy https://netpol.org/2015/02/11/pay-to-protest/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[AngryAsWell]

Student Tories accused of racist jokes about Muslims, Jews and ‘retarded plebs’
http://linkis.com/tab.co.uk/2014/08/04/4FIEy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[51A]

If RedNorth's still reading I'd like to say this.

This is how I feel and what pushes me.
I voted Lib Dem in 2010. I am eternally ashamed that I allowed the Conservatives to begin their run of evil, and even more ashamed that the LibDems enabled them. I helped cause the despair and desperation we read about every day. And voting for a minority party isn't going to mend it.

Voting and supporting Labour is the best chance if we're to get those evil bastards out.

That's what it is for me. Plain and simple. Five words. Get the evil bastards out

I know just how you feel, I was a Labour voter all my life so of course in 1997 was overjoyed at the landslide, stayed up all night on the phone and friends arriving, was a student (mature) at the time and on pain of death from my Crim Law lecturer had to get to his lecture 9am next morning. I stayed a Labour Party member for long enough to vote Peter Mandelson off the NEC (could be getting this mixed up with Portillo losing his seat but one or both of those lost to Stephen Twigg, either way I voted against Mandelson on the NEC). I had to toss in my Party membership when Labour went into an illegal war, brought in tuition fees and introduced privatisation of parts of the NHS.

My constituency is getting a new Labour candidate this time, I admired the old one very much and his seat was safe with a majority of over 9000 last time round. I don't know if it will be safe in new hands and I don't know whether to vote Labour as I always do because is it real Labour at all, or to vote anti-austerity (because a very underprivileged Welsh valley with few opportunities can afford no more austerity, it's been supping it up since the 80s) and go Plaid knowing almost full well Plaid will not get in in this constituency but one vote from an unknown Labour candidate could make a difference and we need anything but the tories.

I'll go with your five words indeed though: Get the evil bastards out.

I think when you're in that position you need a bit of paper and a pencil. Put all the things Labour offer on one side. All the things Plaid offer on the other. Then go down the list ticking or crossing off as you go.

I don't know much about Welsh politics. I know Rebecca has mentioned that she thinks Plaid are for introducing fox hunting again which would put me off, but then we're talking about whats best for humans too, although cruelty to animals usually cements it for me. If you can hurt an animal and get pleasure from it, then it's a short step to doing the same to humans. The Tories seem to bear that philosophy out nicely.
Don't know what I'd do if Labour were in favour of bringing back hunting. Not vote at all probably.

It's difficult. And hard to change your vote. I agonised for weeks the last time. As it happens I made the wrong decision so I'm certainly not the best person to advise anyone else.

I'm afraid it was the Lib Dem MP for Brecon who made that suggestion (devolving foxhunting), so neither Plaid nor Labour. Just so we're clear.