2015 UK General Election

[Alistair Campbell]

Regarding chess players, I note Alan Reid increased his vote in Argyll and Bute but was still swept away by the SNP tsunami.

Alan Melville (ex Edinburgh Civil Service Player, and ex-Tory) came 6th in Edinburgh North and Leith for UKIP.

Regarding the election, the SNP tried very hard not to mention independence or the neverendum and instead campaigned on a populist, "anti-austerity" (arguably less austerity but for longer) anti-Westminster agenda that was lapped up by one half of the country)

[Clive Blackburn]

Well that might be what the SNP were campaigning for but not sure how they are going to achieve it with such a decisive tory majority in Westminster!

[Martin Benjamin]

Scots are now our Palestinians - struggling for their own two-state solution.

I try hard to avoid exaggeration, but this qualifies as the most stupid comment on the general election that I have read so far.

[Michael Farthing]

Scots are now our Palestinians - struggling for their own two-state solution.

I try hard to avoid exaggeration, but this qualifies as the most stupid comment on the general election that I have read so far.

The analogy seems reasonable to me, though perhaps lacking sensitivity to compare the aspirations of the Scots with the deep injustices committed against the Palestinians.

[Martin Benjamin]

I really should not have commented, because I don't have the inclination to become embroiled in a discussion about something as daft as this, but one "bleeding obvious" (with thanks to Basil Fawlty) point which destroys any notion of sensible comparison is that as recently as last year the Scots voted against becoming an independent nation state.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Well that might be what the SNP were campaigning for but not sure how they are going to achieve it with such a decisive tory majority in Westminster!

Well, there is that - not sure about "decisive" mind, its about half the size of Major's after 1992

The real point is, neither they nor the SNP can hide behind anybody else now. Maybe one of the silver linings of this result.......

[John McKenna]

Scots are now our Palestinians - struggling for their own two-state solution.

I try hard to avoid exaggeration, but this qualifies as the most stupid comment on the general election that I have read so far.

The analogy seems reasonable to me, though perhaps lacking sensitivity to compare the aspirations of the Scots with the deep injustices committed against the Palestinians.

I have no wish to embroil anyone in anything they do not wish to be embroiled in.

Taken literally, and alone, my statement may seem to have an air of stupidity about it and to lack a sense of proportion and thus compassion.

If, however, the Scots had voted for independence last year would the threatened financial and economic retaliation have been implemented by the comptrollers of cupidity based in Westminster?

If so, I think the Scots would have been left feeling more like the Palestinians - frozen out, cut off and hemmed in, Salmond penniless in Glasgae as Arafat was in Ramallah.

The Scots are, at present, making good progress within the UK while retaining the option of leaving it at some future date and having their own independent state.

The Palestinians are spiralling ever downwards from the Camp David Summit in 2000 when Arafat failed to agree a miserly, but one-off, deal offered by Ehud Barak.

The comparison between the Scots and Palestinians does break down and therefore it is right to draw a line - but not to say there is no comparison, or compassion, at all.

Well that might be what the SNP were campaigning for but not sure how they are going to achieve it with such a decisive tory majority in Westminster!

Well, there is that - not sure about "decisive" mind, its about half the size of Major's after 1992

The real point is, neither they nor the SNP can hide behind anybody else now. Maybe one of the silver linings of this result.......

More good points.

Edited - in order to stick to the points, and add a couple more.

Regarding chess players, I note Alan Reid increased his vote in Argyll and Bute but was still swept away by the SNP tsunami.

Alan Melville (ex Edinburgh Civil Service Player, and ex-Tory) came 6th in Edinburgh North and Leith for UKIP.

Regarding the election, the SNP tried very hard not to mention independence or the neverendum and instead campaigned on a populist, "anti-austerity" (arguably less austerity but for longer) anti-Westminster agenda that was lapped up by one half of the country)

Nice rebalancing act by Alistair re: the election.
The cut and thrust of politics also involves some chessplayers - as pointed out here and there.

[Phil Neatherway]

John McKenna said: Forgot to say how pleased I was that the good people of Bradford finally saw through St. George of Galloway - mendicant monk who became a whirligig dervish.

According to the BBC, Galloway is challenging his result.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32685844

[Mick Norris]

Rachel Reeves has kept her seat in Leeds West, Maria Eagle is also returned in Garston and Halewood and Angela Eagle in Wallasey

Possible that they may stand for leader or deputy leader of Labour

[Clive Blackburn]

Rachel Reeves has kept her seat in Leeds West, Maria Eagle is also returned in Garston and Halewood and Angela Eagle in Wallasey

Possible that they may stand for leader or deputy leader of Labour

I hope that we don't end up with too many chess players in the shadow cabinet... they would never be able to reach agreement on anything!

[David Pardoe]

My real concern is that this years elections were turned into a media circus, where sound bytes and spin came ahead of serious debate of the real issues.
For instance, Labour were accused of wrecking the economy last time, when in fact, it was the greedy bankers who bust our system big time...for which we continue to pay the price..
The Libs Dems were portrayed as the party not to be trusted..over tuition fees... no credit given to them for there very good work in helping to rebuild our broken economy this past five years....for which the real villains, those greedy bankers, got off scot free
Then, you had the spin doctors, who continually went on about opinion polls...what a complete joke that was...yet another distraction from the real issues.
And those TV debates were a contrived nonsense ...which gave the election a heavy weighting towards the leaders personalities, and who could come across best in the media beauty contest...
The Lib dems got blasted, UKIP got smashed, even though they did pick up 5m votes.. ie, about 5 times as many a the SNP vote..
So, we got the crazy situation where solid Politicians like Douglass Alexander got blitzed by a school kid...
Nobody really got stuck into the SNP nation wreckers, whose explicit aim is to break the UK into small fragments... instead, Nicola Sturgen got praised by the media spin doctors for her performance..??
We`ll see what they manage to extract from the Tories...
Real issues, like environment, sustainability, world population, and the low pay, min wage, slavery work system..and families in over stress...housing, NHS, immigration issues etc..remain as big issues...whilst the fat cats continue to enjoy those bonuses, etc..

[MartinCarpenter]

The SNP are, don't forget, a very serious political party even asides from the nationalist bit. They've been in power in Scotland for 8 years now, initially as a minority government. Seemingly doing a very effective, and self evidently well liked!, job.
(The Scots, of course, are allowed a sane voting system )

[Jon Mahony]

The SNP are, don't forget, a very serious political party even asides from the nationalist bit. They've been in power in Scotland for 8 years now, initially as a minority government. Seemingly doing a very effective, and self evidently well liked!, job.
(The Scots, of course, are allowed a sane voting system )

Problem now is, they have 54 seats in the English parliament and can't do anything with them, because they needed Labour to get in for that I think they have very much cut off the English nose to spite the Scottish face, and it will back fire once Cameron gets started undermining them - in a years’ time it will be start raising your own taxes etc.

And yes couldn't agree with you more David - If I hear the phrase "Labour's recession" one more time...

I work in the NHS and so naturally have serious (and very legitimate) concerns about the future there now. Least I might get a bit more chess study in!

[Phil Neatherway]

Er, Jon, it's not the English Parliament, it's the UK Parliament.

[Jon Mahony]

Er, Jon, it's not the English Parliament, it's the UK Parliament.

Well, imagine my embarrassment

Thanks Phil, UK parliament.