Prime Ministers again

[RHB]

I tend to remember Prime Ministers by stuff that happens/happened on their shift. I also think that they are defined as successful if not too much bad stuff happens.

Although not everything that has occurred news-wise whilst Cameron has been captain has been his fault directly, he has certainly had some very close following 'train crashes' during the last few years. Because of that high rate of bad news he will fall into an unsuccessful PM category in my book and will find it difficult to win at the next general election.

So, do you think he is re-electable based on the performance/lack of luck so far?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

PMs are defined first and foremost by electoral success.

Win multiple terms and you are a success, be booted out and you are deemed a failure.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I tend to remember Prime Ministers by stuff that happens/happened on their shift. I also think that they are defined as successful if not too much bad stuff happens.

Although not everything that has occurred news-wise whilst Cameron has been captain has been his fault directly, he has certainly had some very close following 'train crashes' during the last few years. Because of that high rate of bad news he will fall into an unsuccessful PM category in my book and will find it difficult to win at the next general election.

So, do you think he is re-electable based on the performance/lack of luck so far?

The electoral maths would seem to indicate that Call me Dave has almost no chance of winning an outright majority,whatever people think of him.

 

[RHB]

PMs are defined first and foremost by electoral success.

Win multiple terms and you are a success, be booted out and you are deemed a failure.

True, but isn't that down to what does or doesn't happen when they are in power?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

True, but isn't that down to what does or doesn't happen when they are in power?

It probably comes down to the economy, but the effects of most of their government's reforms won't be felt for many a year.

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

Another coalition is likely - who will be holding the reigns depends on which way Nick Clegg slithers. Apparently this is called democracy.

 

[South Bank Hank]

Another coalition is likely - who will be holding the reigns depends on which way Nick Clegg slithers. Apparently this is called democracy.

In what way is it not democracy?

 

[RHB]

It probably comes down to the economy, but the effects of most of their government's reforms won't be felt for many a year.

The economy will have an effect, no doubt, but I was more interested in views based on the long list of **** ups that have happened on his watch!

 

[Jam_Man]

Another coalition is likely - who will be holding the reigns depends on which way Nick Clegg slithers. Apparently this is called democracy.

Surely if voters didnt all vote so evenly using their democtratic right there wouldnt be a coalition ?

The problem is people dont really see much difference between Labour and Conservatives now.

If its a choice between David Cameron and Ed "**** off beaker" Milliband I know which Id choose though.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

The economy will have an effect, no doubt, but I was more interested in views based on the long list of **** ups that have happened on his watch!

I haven't been following politics as closely as I use to (and should) so what **** ups are you talking about?

 

[RHB]

I haven't been following politics as closely as I use to (and should) so what **** ups are you talking about?

Recently..... EU presidential elections; phone hacking outcomes; celebrity court cases; university fees; warring tory ministers (Gove/May) local authority election results; MEP elections; Bedroom tax; Introduction of Universal Credit system; Whitehall cover-up of deleted files. I'm sure there are others but this lot for starters.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

Surely if voters didnt all vote so evenly using their democtratic right there wouldnt be a coalition ?

The problem is people dont really see much difference between Labour and Conservatives now.

If its a choice between David Cameron and Ed "**** off beaker" Milliband I know which Id choose though.

What exactly has Ed Milliband done that is so bad that you would tell him to **** off?

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

In what way is it not democracy?

In no way is it not a democracy - never said it wasn't did I ?
The LibDems lost seats at the last election and end up in government for the first time in nearly a hundred years. Apparently senior LibDems are having high level talks with the Labour party about a possible coalition. This for the good of the country or to save Cleggs skin? - you decide.
I think saying "which way Clegg slithers" is fair comment.

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

Surely if voters didnt all vote so evenly using their democtratic right there wouldnt be a coalition ?

The problem is people dont really see much difference between Labour and Conservatives now.

If its a choice between David Cameron and Ed "**** off beaker" Milliband I know which Id choose though.

Problem is not enough of us do vote​.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Recently..... EU presidential elections; phone hacking outcomes; celebrity court cases; university fees; warring tory ministers (Gove/May) local authority election results; MEP elections; Bedroom tax; Introduction of Universal Credit system; Whitehall cover-up of deleted files. I'm sure there are others but this lot for starters.

Whitehall cover-up was 30 years ago; MEP elections/local authority elections is down to us as voters; celebrity court cases - er, why was the current government at fault for that? That successful prosecutions occurred under their watch at a push might be considered a positive, but I think this had little to do with them.

Bedroom tax isn't a tax (although they've had an absolute shocker on PR), warring ministers is irrelevant (and nothing like as bad as Brown and Blair). Phone hacking - press regulation (or not) is an on-going issue, but excesses happened under other governments.

Universal Credit system - too early to tell.

EU Presidential election - I think he was just posturing. Too early to tell whether it will result in concessions being offered or Britain being sidelined.

University fees - was Labour

They may or may not **** up things like Education reform, NHS reform (probably too early to tell) but the stuff you mention is pretty low-grade to be honest. If your list is the worst they've done, they'll have done a pretty good job.

The West Coast franchise was a definite ****-up.

 

[RHB]

Whitehall cover-up was 30 years ago; MEP elections/local authority elections is down to us as voters; celebrity court cases - er, why was the current government at fault for that? That successful prosecutions occurred under their watch at a push might be considered a positive, but I think this had little to do with them.

Bedroom tax isn't a tax (although they've had an absolute shocker on PR), warring ministers is irrelevant (and nothing like as bad as Brown and Blair). Phone hacking - press regulation (or not) is an on-going issue, but excesses happened under other governments.

Universal Credit system - too early to tell.

EU Presidential election - I think he was just posturing. Too early to tell whether it will result in concessions being offered or Britain being sidelined.

University fees - was Labour

They may or may not **** up things like Education reform, NHS reform (probably too early to tell) but the stuff you mention is pretty low-grade to be honest. If your list is the worst they've done, they'll have done a pretty good job.

The West Coast franchise was a definite ****-up.

The point of the post was whether you think Cameron is re-electable based on performance/and things that have occurred during his watch. My list may be 'low grade' but it is not exhaustive and it may also effect the voting populace even if the PM is not at fault.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

University fees was £3,000 Labour and £9,000 Conservatives.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

I am recycling this but:

The economy is on the up we are told but only compared to what it has been for the rest of this parliament. And what is it based on and if the economy is faring so well why aren't the Tories surging ahead in the polls? Because it is not up in the way that it effects most people's lives.


Travel costs - massive increases, gas and electric costs - massive increases, food costs - massive increases that have just started slowing down, housing prices - massive increases.


Unemployment - has come down compared to the highs in this parliament but most of the reduction is people taking on part time work even though they need a full time wage. Youth unemployment at an all time high.
Debt reduction has not hit the government's own targets. They havent touched the debt just tinkered with its increase - we were told cuts would reduce the debt not just reduce its increase a little. Personal borrowing is up.


They get things done though. Except for airport capacity - been haggling over that the whole time and no closer to a decision in the 4 years. Even 'Boris Island' was dropped from the posibilities so we were a bit closer to a decision until he insisted those employed to narrow the options were wrong and started spending more money researching that again. Who wrote the contracts on the Boris Bikes? Barclays walked away from that having paid half. And where are we with the high speed rail - nowhere other than in debt. And the East Coast contract they messed up and had to compensate everyone involved for how many millions? We did get that cable car thing though that loses money every day.


Immigation - they were banging on about quotas before the election so....gone up. Surely hiring a van with a 'should you be here warning on it' will make sure they hit the quota? Well after the border control staff shortages they had to try something. May was in charge of those massive queues and she was in charge of the latest passport fiasco and somehow thought it'd be a good idea to go to the police conference and slag them all off and get into a slanging match with Gove - how is she still in a job? The only people she has manages to keep out of the country is the high spending Chinese and she managed to dent the reputation of UK as a venue for high spending foreign students by closing colleges a few weeks before courses were due to finish.




NHS - shambles over trying to get GPs to run NHS trusts when most didn't want to. Making staff redundant to fit the new structure then reemploying them when the new structure was cancelled. Threatening to close numerous A&E units and hospitals - some being blocked by high court judges.


Education - tripling university fees. Free schools scheme when you don't need to have qualified teachers, don't need to have any experience in education to set one up, don't need to prove local need, don't even need to have a building to house the school to be granted a licence. Lack of funds for this experiment has led to funds being diverted from the budget to improve existing school buildings. Forced academies - numerous cases of schools being forced to become academies against the wishes of parents. The school my youngest attends was forced to become an a academy and the parents were asked to express an opinion on who should run it - 92% wanted it to be run by the management of another local school. It is now run by Tory donor Lord Harris so Gove only valued the opinion of 8% of parents. Democracy in action.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

The point of the post was whether you think Cameron is re-electable based on performance/and things that have occurred during his watch. My list may be 'low grade' but it is not exhaustive and it may also effect the voting populace even if the PM is not at fault.

Re-electable?
Possible, he has ( in a school report term) done just enough to get by; however the biggest asset in any further election is the almost total lack of a viable alternative from within the Tories or Labour/Libdems.
Osbourne would get a similar report; nothing of note.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

Surely if voters didnt all vote so evenly using their democtratic right there wouldnt be a coalition ?

The problem is people dont really see much difference between Labour and Conservatives now.

If its a choice between David Cameron and Ed "**** off beaker" Milliband I know which Id choose though.

What exactly has Ed Milliband done that is so bad that you would tell him to **** off?