The Problem With Young People Today
Shocking results from the Guardian/ICM opinion poll:
Now, I know that, as a 32-year-old man, I'm old enough to start thinking of the country's younger citizens as feckless, materialistic layabouts with no more grasp of world affairs than a retarded hamster but this is ridiculous. What do they teach them in schools? When I was a lad we had proper Trotskyite teachers*, none of this pansying around and refusing to confront the issues.
However, elsewhere it seems that the Arse Doctor's 'Vote Reid Or You'll Die Screaming' pitch isn't working:
All of which leads to a boost for the Tories (40%) and Lib Dems (22%) and Labour being on 31% which is meltdown territory where they'll end up closer to the LDs than the Tories if they're not careful.
In other polling news, I don't think we reported the NO2ID poll from ICM last month which had slim majorities (51% and 56%) thinking ID cards and compulsory interviews were bad or very bad ideas. It's reaching the tipping point, ladies and gentlemen.
* This is actually true, my A-level maths teacher was an active SWP member and gave us the afternoon off double maths when Thatcher resigned because he was too happy to teach. He was also a total martinet and slave driver. I got a double A in maths.
But the kids don't
But the kids don't vote
Labour continues to retain a 13-point lead among voters aged under 24 - but according to the Guardian, this age group is generally unlikely to vote.
To be honest, this is the moment I've dreaded, if only becuase of what New Labour might do next to try and win a fourth term from this position. (See Byers on inheritance tax, Reid on national security, etc.)
Q3. Generally speaking, do
Q3. Generally speaking, do you think that government policies such as backing for action in Iraq and Afghanistan have made this country more of a target for terrorists, less of a target, or have they made no difference one way or the other?
More of a target 72%
Less of a target 1%
No difference 22%
Don't know 5%
1% think the Iraq and Afghanistan adventures have made us safer...
The margin of error being
The margin of error being the usual +-3%? Not very good either.
I'd say it's down to hatred
I'd say it's down to hatred of the Tories among the 18-24 group more than any great love of Labour. So many of us also have no choice in the constituences in which we live - we either vote Labour or Tory, the Lib Dems don't have a look-in. On those grounds, I'd always support Labour, as long as the MP isn't a Blairite robot of course.
18-24 were 9-15 when Blair
18-24 were 9-15 when Blair came to power, so really they might only have heard about the Tories' degenerate years as children or early teens. These are Blair's children, really, having matured during his regime. Mind you, the Tories weren't exactly an attractive bunch during this period, either.
Personally, I'd expect my generation (my full-time education was 1979-1997, exactly the Thatcher/Major years) to be the one with the Tory-phobia but it seems we love Dave C. Well, I don't, I think he's a dangerous wally.
The Conservatives being led
The Conservatives being led by 'a dangerous wally' certainly indicates yet another way in which the main two parties are converging, though I think St Tone and Dr Reid, at least, are well ahead of Cameron in that respect, at least. Give the boy time and I'm sure he'll get there, but for the moment, I think he's somewhat less obviously scary.
I'm in my 50s and have voted Labour in every election. Until recently, no matter how bad they seemed (and back in the early '80s they certainly seemed pretty dire) they were indisputably less dreadful than the the Tories. That's no longer the case, unfortunately.
I'm not sure how I'll vote in the next election, but it's very unlikely to be Labour, despite the fact I've got a lot of time for my MP, who's sitting on a very small majority. If, for example, Blair makes good his threat to make ID cards a major plank in campaign, and the Tories oppose them, then I'm afraid Cameron's sure of my vote (the Lib Dems are a very poor third in my constituency). Ditto, of course, should Dr Reid become leader of the Labour Party.
I've just been watching the
I've just been watching the Channel 4 News report (see video) on Labour's disastrous plummet in the polls, with interviews with Labour MPs in now very marginal seats. What struck me as incredible was Steve Pound's analysis of the problem. According to him the problem is not the numerous wars, Blair's unconditional support for Bush, draconian knee-jerk laws etc. For Steve Pound MP the reason Labour is polling so badly is that it is August.
I assume we can expect a bill to ban August in the next Queen's Speech.
No, they just don't hold
No, they just don't hold elections in August. What we think at any other time doesn't matter one bit to them. They just help themselves to this blank cheque which they call a "mandate" at the time of their choice, cash it to whatever value they see fit, and those who are suitably indoctinated as to the way our democracy works take it without a quibble. The system works perfectly.
As a 17 year old who is
As a 17 year old who is looking forward more to voting than getting a driving license, I have to say I'd sooner slit my wrists than vote Labour. They certainly don't have a majority amongst myself or my classmates (most of us were vehemently trying to convince our parents to vote Conservative or Lib Dem during the last election).
It is bemusing to read from
It is bemusing to read from the States where talk of Trotskyites would generally be met with complete uncomprehension.
Retarded hamsters? You
Retarded hamsters? You don't think this is the result of running the Hamster test too often?
Seems like many old
Seems like many old Trotskyites in the States are now neo-cons. They've certainly taken 'democratic centralism' to new levels of depravity.
Seems like many old
Seems like many old Trotskyites in the States are now neo-cons. They've certainly taken 'democratic centralism' to new levels of depravity.
Seems like many old
Seems like many old Trotskyites in the States are now neo-cons. They've certainly taken 'democratic centralism' to new levels of depravity.