I too am voting Tory. Although it was the banks fault our economy faltered, Labour let them do it. Sadly we also need the banks to prop up the massive chunk of the whole economy the financial industry brings to the country. Without them we'd be on a financial par with Italy. Labour slapping a whole load of regulations will force them to leave, taking with them their bonus' and the 50% tax they pay on those bonus'. Also reducing the competition in the NHS will leave us with the same stagnant cesspool we had before with no change and money just flowing down the drain as we cling on to the beloved NHS which is not sustainable. Wildly unacceptable and will force us back into massive debt with no way out but saying well isn't it fair on everybody. Only thing worse is to vote UKIP, who’s policies seem to have the basis of lets blame everybody else at the heart.

It isn't sustainable. We can't afford to pay for the latest treatments, everything new is blocked by regulators as it is too expensive, even though it's cheaper here than in most other European countries. Our rates for treating disease lag behind Europe. Special drug funds have to be set up. Hospitals are wildly inefficient. Nobody takes any personal responsibility for their own health and expects the NHS to pay for it, and the lack of social care means that GPs waiting rooms are 30-50% full of people who shouldn't be there.

You have a point about the threats to leave not materialising in 97 and 2002. But now more than ever, we can't risk the economy going back to where it was

I'll be voting for one the candidates in the Hartlepool constituency.

Another insightful piece of Ken's Exeter programme notes put on the website again. I wish they'd realise I won't be voting Conservative or UKIP no matter how many times they put it on. They keep saying they've both been to the ground but miss out the fact Iain Wright is a season ticket holder.

When H'Angus stood for mayor they said it was fine but they didn't want the club involving in politics; how times have changed.

H'Angus standing for MP would be great. That'd be a clean sweep again like the mayorals. WOuld IOR pay the £500 for him to stand though? Unlikely

As much as I dislike Wright, Labour are getting my vote. I'm a bit surprised that the kippers are nearly getting as much support on here :/ I'd expect in on itb but not here

Yeah so they say now i bet they dont do half the things they say they are going to do, they are all a pack of lying twats and want to keep the working man down and why are UKIP racists (not that you said they where but others have ) they have made some good points and came across well when i watched a debate the other week

Conservative for me, seem to remember Chip stating he wouldn`t vote for Ian Wright as long as he had a hole in his arse, how did the Op go?

We have a Socialist standing.....he gets my vote for just being a Socialist, it gives one hope!

Labour now hold a slight lead. Cant believe so many support the BNP....sorry UKIP.

And so many tories as well.

Our ancestors will be turning in their graves.

Even in England the SNP gets more votes than the LibDems.

Like I said on another thread. Hodcroft is a disgrace. Utter disgrace.

TBH I'd vote for the Green Party/SNP if there was PR and the vote would count .. Unfortunately I'll have to vote for Wright to make sure the BNP ( sorry UKIP) candidate doesn't get elected!

This is the worst thing I've ever read.

Two UKIP postal votes already in from our household. Not sure what our lad's doing.

Nigel Farage is by far the best leader and I'll happily debate with anyone the areas of the UKIP manifesto they disagree with. The only costed and measurable manifesto.

Some of their candidates are not ideal but as soon as more people realise that UKIP voters are normal people who want what's best for Britain then the quality of candidates will vastly improve in future elections.

I suspect the various polls do not reflect the full weight of UKIP support because people are wary of saying UKIP in fear of being smeared or worse by the fascist left.

I haven't looked forward to a GE this much for years.

Well unless there are some late voters it looks sadly like the bunker minority winner will be UK I.


I sincerely hope this tragic event isn't repeated tomorrow. Hartlepool doesn't need more embarrassment.

Maybe ken will get his way. It seems his words will be acted upon by the more gullible amongst us.

The problem with the town is that they've bought the " man of the people" guff from Farage...

You need to call the Samaritans. You make me seem positive and upbeat.

Have a day off.

You are missing the comedy in my posts. You maybe should lighten up.

More than a little patronising.

I suspect there are a quite a few people, way more learned than yourself, who have given careful consideration towards who to vote for and have chosen UKIP.

Studied politics all my life.. Unlike many in the town I'm actually interested. I wouldn't vote for this mob of crackpots and quasi fascists if they where the only name on the ballot paper.. If they get in it will be due to Hartlepools "little town" mentality not due to anything in their manifesto.

Sadly a lot of folk are convinced by man of the people Nigel, see him with a pint in his hand and saying he wants rid of immigrants will sway many people. Funny how a man of the people is a privately educated ex Tory city banker.

I bet most still vote for them because of their immigration policy alone but.


Or because ken told them to.

Can't believe they would that on the o/site - pathetic, Footy + Politics does not mix. Shows how desperate IOR are to get their hands on the land though - maybe there is oil under there after all.

He was a commodities trader not a banker.

Never voted, never planned to, but i'll be fucked if I want UKIP running the place, so Labour it is.

Not counting immigration, what are the policies of UKIP

No UKIP will make the Kids wear uniforms and nice little red arm bands
And go for camping holidays in the woods...

The most traditionally left wing party there is who support the working people is the Green Party. The stuff with UKIP has dragged politics in this country even further to the Right and Labour even further away from its traditional supporters. Personally I would vote for the Greens but as is the real threat of UKIP in the town I will be voting Labour!

I'm not sure why anyone would trust Farage with our economy when he was one of the big time bankers at the time of the economic crash, he clearly isn't one of the people and he's Mr anti-Europe yet his grandparents were European immigrants and his wife is German. If he wants rid of her that badly I'm sure it'd be much cheaper just to get a divorce!

Not too long ago I was listening to Farage on BBC TEES talking about the steel works and he didn't even know it'd reopened. When it was put to him that NISSAN had said they would leave the country if we left the EU he just played down its significance to the north east. I've read him it costs £52million in a day to be in Europe which is rubbish as no one actually knows but what is known is that it would cost us hundreds of billions of pounds to re-establish trade links with our European neighbours at full rates and we would still be bound by European Law because we trade with them. There are certain things he talks about as reasons for leaving the EU but most of what comes from Europe doesn't come from the EU itself. the final part of my rant is pretty simple; he openly states they want to get rid of human rights laws. I wouldn't trust him to run be a bath never mind run our country.

Well that changed my mind

I hope you're right Chip .. I know for sure there's no real socialists anymore ( unless you count the Greens..

I have to say reading he manifestos of the candidates in this town it is also Green that feels closest to my ideals. I don't for one second want them running the country but from a local point of view he can't be worse than Wright surely. I know it's probably a waste but I cannot vote for Wright no matter what the consequences may be, UKIP for me are massively a one policy party, everything links back to immigration and foreigners and I will certainly not be voting for the conservatives.


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regardless of where your vote goes on a national basis, surely to fuck people can see that voting labour in hartlepool is tantamount to giving your support to nepotism, corruption and a bunch of lying twats basically giving each other massive amounts of hartlepool taxpayers money to start up businesses that employ people on zero hours contracts (seems to be a pet hate of the labour voters on here but strangely doesn't put them off voting labour).

personally, i'm of the opinion that there is no room for party politics on a local level. in our unfortunate town, power is divvied up amongst a clique that will literally do ANYTHING to retain their power and influence, and i'm including both the ruling labour mob AND the pathetic tory opposition. i honestly don't know if PHF will be any better, but on a local level i can't for the life of me understand why anyone could continue to vote for the major parties.

i see alot of rhetoric on here abount people bemoaning the fate of the working man under the coalition, but then most of those saying they will continue to vote Labour, who have lost the town it's hospital and basically taken the piss out of the 'working man' on an hourly basis. would love someone to justify a vote for wright on the basis of what the fat fucking crank has actually, really done for the town. i won't hold my breath. i take it none of these staunch labour voters have seen a second of the recordings of our beloved ruling party in a council meeting. the labour party in hartlepool is NOTHING like the labour party that your fathers and grandfathers voted for. it's literally jam packed with career politicians who lie, cheat, bully and intimidate their way to staying in authority. a vote for them is basically a lazy, dogmatic helping hand to more years of hartlepool being fucking shit on.

hey, but anyone but the tories eh ?

Is it not a Tory government that has lost us a hospital?


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er, no it fucking isn't.

Not sure why the clever reply like, was a genuine question.


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@ Local level the Tories and labour are in a coalition... I'd vote for neither at a local level.. PHF and Paul Thompson for me get rid of the corrupt council but Nationally it has to be Labour unfortunately

I'm also voting PHF for my ward


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yeah, you're probably right chrissy. i apologise.

however, it was definitely, double definitely, not the Tory government that allowed our hospital to be virtually closed. nor was it the Tory government that promised that it wouldn't lose any of its services. Nor is it a Tory council that is looking at selling it off for profitable housing.

See a decent answer! Fair play. I've not really been into politics previously , this will be the first time I have voted since I turned 18 and I'm now 30. I'm trying to make my mind up who to vote for, it's not easy as i can't really relate to any of them, I think that's why I've not bothered all this time.


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Aido ...The Council is a Labour/Tory coalition .. Take the blue glasses off they're both up each others arses as far as i can see when it comes down to a vote

that's fine, it's thankfully still your choice.

hey offshore, you're absolutely spot on. i completely agree with you on the pathetic so-called 'opposition' to the labour group on the council. utterly as bad as each other in the corruption stakes (wells is an odious creep who basically cheated his way out of deselection and george morris is on wires to keep him upright.)

The above post is at best ignorant and at worst deliberately misleading/untruthful.

Farage was a commodities trader at the time of the crash? Which crash was this?

Once again, UKIP (and myself) are not against immigration. They want controlled immigration.

I can't comment on what he said on BBC Tees but based on the other things you've typed, I'm sceptical.

The net cost to the UK being in the EU is about £33m a day. I've no idea why you're doubting it's a cost. It's easily verifiable.

The cost of re-establishing trade rates links at full cost? What does that even mean? Cost for what?

The UK has a huge trade deficit with the EU. Why on earth do you think the EU wouldn't want to have trade agreements with the UK?

But most of what comes from the EU doesn't come from Europe? What does this mean and what's your point?

He wants to change the legislature of Human Rights so that it's not the EU and make some changes, not get rid of it. Not always being able to deport criminals is one area of madness.

If I might chip in....

I can't vote Labour. They screwed up the country last time and the time before and the time before that. They just do, its their way.
I don't like Cameron one little bit so I won't be voting for him.
The Green part.... whats the point?
Liberal. Well as I don't live in the South West theres no point in that either.
That leaves UKIP. I don't go in for the BNP nonsense. They want a cap on immigration. I agree - we're full. They want a sensible look at the NHS, private healthcare relieves pressure from the NHS. What the problem? They want out of the EU because of their red tape and the ridiculous amount of money we pay into it. I agree. They want to look seriously at our overseas development budget as do I. India for example can pay for a space program yet still trouser £1bn a year from us.

Nigel Farage will get my vote.

Thats rich from someone who grassed us up to kick it out..

uh-oh

I'd suggest the overarching reason for wanting our EU exit is because it has ultimate governance of UK law. It's gone way beyond it's original remit. The latest proposal that all EU countries will take on immigrants travelling from Libya is another example of the UK not being in control of what affects our country.

I thought it was you! I heard from the Facebook group so it must be true.