"mad swivel-eyed loons"

[Silurian]

From The Telegraph

Grassroots Conservative activists are “mad swivel-eyed loons” who are forcing Tory MPs to take extremist positions opposing gay marriage and Europe, one of David Cameron’s closest allies has said.
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The Conservative Party does not publish figures for its membership, but insiders say it has fallen sharply in the past decade. In its 2003 leadership contest, more than 300,000 Tories were eligible to vote. Today, unofficial estimates put the figure below 150,000.
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Some party insiders fear that a shrinking membership is putting MPs under increased pressure to reject some Government policies. One Conservative MP privately confirmed that he would vote against gay marriage under pressure from local members. He said: “I don’t have a problem with gay marriage because the state has no business in our private lives. But I’ll vote against it because if I don’t I’ll lose half my association.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10065307/PMs-ally-our-party-activists-are-loons.html

Will the Conservatives have enough activists left to fight the election in 2015?
Or will they move to the right to fend off UKIP and appease the “mad swivel-eyed loons” and risk the middle ground.

 

[Puck Nutty]

Under normal circumstances I wouldn't shed one tear about conservative political parties eating themselves from within.

However, something like this happened in Canada which lead to the Liberals (our centre left party) necoming arrogant, complacent and corrupt. In the mean time, the Conservatives went way to the right and now we've had to live with it for the last 5 years.

So yeah, for the betterment of democracy the moderates need to hold to their values and hope that the fringe element doesn't win the day.

 

[Azale]

Under normal circumstances I wouldn't shed one tear about conservative political parties eating themselves from within.

However, something like this happened in Canada which lead to the Liberals (our centre left party) necoming arrogant, complacent and corrupt. In the mean time, the Conservatives went way to the right and now we've had to live with it for the last 5 years.

So yeah, for the betterment of democracy the moderates need to hold to their values and hope that the fringe element doesn't win the day.

Ed Miliband doesn't seem like the type to become arrogant, complacent, and corrupt. If he does then...well...

Ed Balls.

 

[Ajidica]

For some reason I've lived Cameron and felt he was overall a pretty decent politician so I hope he can keep the Tories under control. The Brits already have their far-right nutters in the UKIP and BNP.

 

[Quackers]

UKIP aren't far right. Unless you have an agenda of trying to smear UKIP because your afraid of them. Than again, as you're an American its probably pure ignorance.

Cameron is the heir to Blair, he said it himself. There is nothing Tory about him its been all smoke and mirrors and broken promises since he became Tory leader. Its effectively still a new labour government.

 

[Arctic Daishi]

Barring an act of God, the Tories won't even come close to being able to fight the election in 2015, activists or not.

The more UKIP grows, the better the UKIP will become.

 

[Arakhor]

The more UKIP grows, the better the UKIP will become.

From where do you pluck that stunning leap of logic?

 

[Silurian]

UKIP aren't far right. Unless you have an agenda of trying to smear UKIP because your afraid of them. Than again, as you're an American its probably pure ignorance.

Cameron is the heir to Blair, he said it himself. There is nothing Tory about him its been all smoke and mirrors and broken promises since he became Tory leader. Its effectively still a new labour government.

UKIP are to the right of the Tories. Most people regard the Tories as being to the right of the centre.

The only person who may have believed that Cameron is the heir to Blair, was Cameron himself.
But as you say all smoke and mirrors and broken promises since he became Tory leader.

 

[ywhtptgtfo]

Under normal circumstances I wouldn't shed one tear about conservative political parties eating themselves from within.

However, something like this happened in Canada which lead to the Liberals (our centre left party) necoming arrogant, complacent and corrupt. In the mean time, the Conservatives went way to the right and now we've had to live with it for the last 5 years.

So yeah, for the betterment of democracy the moderates need to hold to their values and hope that the fringe element doesn't win the day.

It's sad for us Canadians really. The Conservatives are evil and crazy, the Liberals are incompetent and confused, and the NDP's are inexperienced and untried.

When I found out that Justin Trudeau became a media darling and was poised to take the Liberal leadership, I knew the Liberals are doomed.

At a time when we needed fresh blood with high credentials to stand up to the Conservatives, the Liberals crowned a princeling with unimpressive records and awful credentials. That's even worse than having Ignatieff or Dion.

 

[Quackers]

UKIP are to the right of the Tories. Most people regard the Tories as being to the right of the centre.

Yes but that doesn't make one "far right". Plus, as far right basically connotates you're a fascist in British political terms (i believe it has a different meaning in american terminology) it makes that accusation false. UKIP are too the right of the tories.

The only person who may have believed that Cameron is the heir to Blair, was Cameron himself.
But as you say all smoke and mirrors and broken promises since he became Tory leader.

Agreed plus plenty of his own modernising tories. Still, fortunately there is an old guard in the tory party who might come to the fore a David Davies...?

 

[Peck of Arabia]

I have no idea why the Tories are so desperate to claw the middle ground, it really isn't fruitful ground for them; there's already two parties fortified there and the voters who occupy it are, by and large, naturally hostile to the Tory Party, no matter how "detoxified" it is.

UKIP are interesting, far more interesting than a "like the BNP in smart suits" type throwaway comment, and on many issues, labelling them on a left-right scale seems pretty awkward. (Europe, immigration, grammar schools, wind turbines... OK Flat Tax, is right wing- I think. I dunno, it seems more classical liberal than anything)

 

[Lord of Elves]

From what little I know the UKIP strike me as some kind of British Tea Party, running around putting on republican, "mouth of the people" airs and railing against governmental Eurotyranny and some-such, while really they're just a smarter, slimier and younger version of the 1900's populists/BNP.

 

[Quackers]

Of all the characteristics you can tag UKIP with, youth definitely isn't one. Farage is only 49 but comes across as if he is 15 years older, he is older than Cameron, Miliband & Clegg.

I agree with Arabia, this whole "BNP in suits" sthick which i hear quite often is for morons only. People like that want to be ignorant of politics, for them being ignorant is empowering and allows them to criticise UKIP and dismiss it without actually understanding it. It's not a fascist party its DNA is in Euroscepticism (which isn't a stranger to either main parties in the UK) and has built further policies based on the lessons taught by Thatcher and an impulse to go even furter down the classically liberal model but with an appreciation for a type of civic patrotism. That type of politics is still alive and well in the Tory party.

 

[Puck Nutty]

It's sad for us Canadians really. The Conservatives are evil and crazy, the Liberals are incompetent and confused, and the NDP's are inexperienced and untried.

When I found out that Justin Trudeau became a media darling and was poised to take the Liberal leadership, I knew the Liberals are doomed.

At a time when we needed fresh blood with high credentials to stand up to the Conservatives, the Liberals crowned a princeling with unimpressive records and awful credentials. That's even worse than having Ignatieff or Dion.

Jack Layton's death was the worst thing to happen in Canadian politics maybe ever.

 

[ywhtptgtfo]

Jack Layton's death was the worst thing to happen in Canadian politics maybe ever.

Jack Layton is more famous when dead than when he was alive. His NDP won not because he was particularly attractive but that both Liberals and Bloc Quebecois messed up so badly that large portions of anti-Conservatives flocked to his party.

But with that said, he'd probably stand a small chance winning the Federal Election in 2015 whereas his rather unimpressive successor (Thomas Mulcair) is poised to lose much of his gains.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Ed Miliband doesn't seem like the type to become arrogant, complacent, and corrupt. If he does then...well...

Ed Balls.

I've never been particularly impressed with Miliband. I mean, I'll take him over Clegg or Cameron, but still.

 

[Arctic Daishi]

From where do you pluck that stunning leap of logic?

UKIP will restore the people's faith in government and their policies will bring about a Golden Age for Britain.

 

[Puck Nutty]

Jack Layton is more famous when dead than when he was alive. His NDP won not because he was particularly attractive but that both Liberals and Bloc Quebecois messed up so badly that large portions of anti-Conservatives flocked to his party.

But with that said, he'd probably stand a small chance winning the Federal Election in 2015 whereas his rather unimpressive successor (Thomas Mulcair) is poised to lose much of his gains.

He did recognize the necessity to come back to the middle if the NDP were to maintain their advantage, though.

I really believe the NDP could have been the new centre-left party for Canadians to get behind because of Jack's integrity and honesty. Oh, well.

 

[aelf]

There is nothing Tory about him its been all smoke and mirrors and broken promises since he became Tory leader. Its effectively still a new labour government.

Austerity, cutting down immigration, blaming poor folk, sabotaging Britain's position in the EU... I'm not sure what's not Tory about this government. Maybe it's the gay marriage thing you're complaining about?

 

[Dachs]

Ed Miliband doesn't seem like the type to become arrogant, complacent, and corrupt. If he does then...well...

Ed Balls.

Why not go with Dan Miller the competent Miliband brother?