The Scramble: A 2015 UK General Election Game (Gameplay Thread)

[Blair]

The Scramble for No.10: A 2015 General Election Game

As cliched as the expression is, the 2015 General Election was one of the most uncertain elections for generations. Whilst previous elections have focused on the battle between the Conservatives, and Labour, several factors mean that the 2015 election could see the lowest vote share for the two main parties since the 1920s. The rapid rise of UKIP, the growth of Nationalism in Wales and Scotland, and the emerging threat on the left from the Greens mean that uncertainty will run through the entire election campaign.

After 5 years of Austerity, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government remains relatively unpopular, which many would assume would naturally make Labour firm favourites. However continued doubts of Ed Miliband's leadership, the threat of a wipe-out in Scotland and uncertainty about how far Labour should go in opposing austerity, all contribute to Labour's current woes.

The magic number for both Labour, and the Conservatives is 326- the number of seats needed for a formal majority. With neither parties on course for a majority, the focus will be on what party can get the largest number of seats, and what deals, pacts and arrangements they can reach with the smaller parties to form the next Government. Will the Lib Dems hold enough seats to keep the balance of power, will the SNP support a Labour minority Government, and will the Conservatives get enough seats to offset the natural anti-Tory bias among the smaller parties?

The Rules.

1.) You can either play as a party leader, or as one of the surrogates. Please, Please, Please only play as a party leader if you are genuinely interested in playing, and can sustain high quality posts.

2.) The format will identical to Lumine's campaign games; each turn will last a week (with the intention of having 6 turns) and players will post schedules, speeches, interviews and other campaign content. I will give higher marks for creative content. There will be two debates featuring all parties, and one-on-one interviews for the two main parties.

3.) On this topic, there is no TV advertising in UK Elections. This means that alternative ways of pushing your message and attacking your opponents are valued. Also remember that UK elections are driven by the Newspaper coverage, and the British Press can be brutal. (I will simulate this with brutality if needed)

4.) Manifesto Launches are the best chance to get press attention for your policies, and to frame your campaign. You'll each have one Manifesto launch that could either save, or sink your campaign.

5.) I'm going to steal Lumine's Command Point System taken from his previous UK game. Each party will have a set of Command Points (with the larger parties having the most) These command points can be spend on various campaign activities that will be listed below.

6.) Each party has brief guide below, these should guide your campaign at the beginning but don't take them as Gospel.

7.) This is the first game I've ran, so sorry fro the typos/poor formatting or general confusion. I want this to be fun, and a good insight into UK elections, but equally I will use the powers of the game to punish stupid behavior/decisions.

[Blair]

The Parties

The Conservatives. Leader: David Cameron.

Surrogates: George Osborne, William Hague, Michael Fallon and Boris Johnson.

Strengths.

+ Prime Minister David Cameron remains broadly popular, and is ahead of Miliband in his personal ratings.

+ Unemployment has been falling since 2012, and Labour's record during the Financial Crash offers good ammunition for the party.

Weakness.

- Cuts to public services, stagnating wages and concerns over the NHS mean the Tories will have to mount a strong defense of their record, or seek to move discussion away from the issue.

- UKIP, and the issue of Immigration pose a major threat both to the Conservatives seats in the South, and also in marginal seats where the party's vote could be hit by defections to UKIP.

Labour. Leader: Ed Miliband.

Surrogates: Harriet Harman, Ed Balls, Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper.

Strengths. 

+ The Coalition cuts to public services, and the the future of the NHS weight heavily in the mind of the public. Can Labour exploit this issue, and make the election a referendum on the NHS?

+ The collapse of the Liberal Democrats offers Labour a large group of middle class, educated and urban voters who they party could appeal to.

Weaknesses.

- Ed Miliband's personal ratings remain at dire levels, and few voters can see him as a potential PM. Will they seek to sideline Miliband or take his critics head on?

- Labour MP's in the Midlands, and North warn that concerns over Immigration and EU membership could seek a mass defection of traditional Labour voters to UKIP.

- Labour remain uncertain over what whether they'd continue the coalition cuts, or whether they'd seek a new economic approach. Likewise the legacy of New Labour continues to hang around the parties neck.

Liberal Democrats. Leader: Nick Clegg

Surrogates: Vince Cable and Danny Alexander.

Strengths.

+ Many MPs have a strong local following, and seats in Cornwall, Scotland and West London have long supported the Liberal Democrats.

+ With the rise of both UKIP and the SNP, along with both the increased ideological polarization of both parties offers the Liberal Democrats relative space in the centre of British Politics.

Weaknesses.

- Party Leader Nick Clegg is widely portrayed as betraying the party's voters, and is the most unpopular politician in the UK.

- The decision to raise tuition fees, along with support for the Conservatives has caused a vast amount of voters to defect from the Liberal Democrats. Will they seek to defend their record in Government?

UKIP. Leader: Nigel Farage

Surrogates: Suzanne Evans, Paul Nutall.

Strengths.

+Love him or loathe him, Nigel Farage commands a national profile and a unique ability to get in the news. He will be a crucial asset to the party.

+ The party's core message of opposition to mass-immigration is extremely popular with large parts of the general public.

Weaknesses.

- Gaffes by various UKIP politicians, along with controversial language around Immigration mean that UKIP still struggle to appear as a mainstream political party.

- The Parties vote is spread out across the country, meaning the party could struggle to get more than a few seats.

The SNP. Leader: Nicola Sturgeon.

Surrogates: Alex Salmond.

Strengths.

+After the Scottish Referendum support for the SNP skyrocketed, with thousands of new members joining the party. Many Scottish voters see the SNP as the only party who can stand up for Scotland.

+ The Party's opposition to Nuclear Weapons, NHS privatization and public sector cuts means the SNP can appeal to a large number of former Labour voters.

Weaknesses.

- Concerns about Scotland's future still linger, especially about the currency. What stance will the SNP take on Scotland's future?

The Green Party. Leader: Natalie Bennett.

Surrogates: Caroline Lucas.

Strengths.

+ Labour's lukewarm support for Austerity, support for Trident and move rightwards on Immigration all offer the Greens a space on the left of British Politics, and a chance to appeal to Labour and Liberal voters in urban areas.

+ The Greens have a unique political identity, and message focused around environmentalism  that could appeal to various elements of the British Electorate. How much will they focus on this?

Weaknesses.

- Party Leader Natalie Bennett is seen as poor media performer, and a lack-luster campaigner. How will the Greens offset this?

- Much like UKIP, the Green vote is spread out and lacks a geographic heartland. Will the party focus on a few target seats, or try to hope for a national surge?

[Bidenworth2020]

can leader of a party be changed?

[Blair]

Turn One. March 30th-April 6th.

Parliament dissolved in anticipation of the 2015 General Election.

As MPs, staff members and hundreds of others sprawled out of the parliamentary estate very few had any idea just what circumstances they'd be returning to in 6 weeks time. Would Ed Miliband defy his critics and enter No.10? Would he need the support the SNP to get a Queens Speech through Parliament? Or would David Cameron defy both his critics (both inside and out of the Party) and see off the multiple threats to his narrow path to forming a governing majority.

Polling Average

Labour: 36%

Conservatives: 35%

UKIP: 12%

Liberal Democrat: 9%

Green: 3%

Other: 5%

Most Important issues for voters.

1.) Immigration.

2.) National Health Service.

3.) Economy.

4.) European Union.

5.) Education.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

March 30: Visit to Edinburgh. Hold press conference. Endorse Labour candidates in England, talk of potential of SNP-Labour coalition to deliver second #Indyref post-election
April 1: Visit to Aberdeen. Talk of total opposition to UK leaving EU. Endorse UK changing currency to euros.
April 2: rest in Inverness
April 3: Visit Gordon constituency, campaign with Alex Salmond
April 4: Split time between various Labour seats in Glasgow
April 5: Go to event with SNP candidate for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency, Drew Hendry
April 6: rest in Holyrood

[ASPN]

Labour Campaign Week 1

Labour ad

March 30th: Speech in Doncaster

April 1st: Interview on Media City

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April 2nd-3rd: Travel around Wales to campaign alongside Labour candidates.

April 4th: Rest

April 5th: Rally in Leeds, West Yorkshire

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April 6th: Travel to Brentford to watch Football game.

[NeverAgain]

Liberal Democratic Leader Nick Clegg Schedule (March 30th - April 6th)

March 30th: - Campaigning in Ceredigion on "Continuing Devolution to Wales and Preserving and Protecting the rights of Welsh People".
 - Campaigning in Cardiff on "Supporting Inclusivity and Respect for different customs and cultures"
May 30th (evening): - Campaigning in Brecon with Roger Williams on "The Dangers of a Consolidated Majority Tory Government"
- Campaigning in Montgomeryshire with Jane Dodds on "The future of voting and reforms like STV"

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May 1st: Rest at home with Miriam González Durántez and children.

May 2nd:Have interview with BBC Radio 4 with Chris Aldridge

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- Meet with local organizers to build up Welsh Party GOTV and Canvassing Operations targeting disillusioned Lib Dem voters.

May 3rd: Start London Campaigns:

 - Campaign in Bermondsey and Old Southwark

- Campaign in Carshalton and Wallington

May 4th: London Campaigns #2:
- Campaign in Hornsey and Wood Green

- Campaign in Kingston and Surbiton


May 5th: London Campaigns #3:
- Campaign in Sutton and Cheam

- Campaign in Twickenham

May 6th: Go to Lib Dem HQ to draft up the Manifesto for the upcoming Week.

John Cleese Schedule

May 30th - June 2nd: Film "Look Left, Look Right"

June 3rd - June 6th Campaigning in West London seats.

[Lumine]

UKIP Campaign:

March 30th - April 6th

March 30th:

Summary: On the first day of the campaign, Nigel Farage started campaiging on the constituency of South Thanet (which he is personally contesting) by addressing supporters at his local HQ and going to the streets to speak to voters about local issues. In the afternoon he travelled to meet with UKIP's two sitting MP's in Clacton (Douglas Carswell) and Rochester and Strood (Mark Reckless), holding events with each MP and brief tours of their constituencies. Farage made a point of praising both men before the press as models of courage, independence and resolve, and strongly encouraged the public to re-elect them as members of Parliament.

What I say to the people of Clacton, and Rochester and Strood, and South Thanet, and so on, is that there are high quality candidates out there worth voting for. UKIP's candidates are people like you or me, decent ordinary people who became disappointed in politics and politicians and decided to do something about, to stand up for what they believe is right. They found a home here in UKIP, and I hope the voters will seize this opportunity to vote for something different. Mark Reckless and Douglas Carswell are both excellent MP's who put principle first, and I hope the public rewards them for that.

April 1st:

Summary: Holding a series of events with candidates in the East of England during the morning (emphasizing the weakness of Ed Miliband and David Cameron on immigration), Farage then took the stage at Hartlepool alongside Suzanne Evans to launch the UKIP Manifesto and promote its key pledges, seeking to present a united front besides his party and make an early impact in the campaign for voters to see UKIP's variety of issues beyond the EU and immigration. During the night he defended this approach in an interview:

Farage: This party is 100% committed to securing a Referendum to exit the EU so the British people can make the decision on their own, just as we are committed to have a responsible discussion about immigration and promote a tough but fair agenda that will attempt to fix the enormous mistakes and sheer incompetence of Labour and the Conservatives. But it goes beyond that. There is great unease and disatisfaction today in Britain, you only need to ask the people in the streets. The UKIP manifesto is a manifesto that also addresses issues like the NHS, Housing, Defence, the reform of Politics, and how to best handle the economy at a time in which the people need a break after years of Labour tax and spend
and Conservative austerity.

April 2nd:

Summary: Nigel Farage went on the attack today on Yorkshire and the Humber by visiting a series of UKIP targets and holding joint events with local candidates, all of them serving as an opportunity to constantly attack Ed Miliband over his April 1st interview with Andrew Marr and his refusal to rule out a pact with the SNP. Emphasizing this and the Labour weakness on immigration, Farage made the point that many traditional working class voters could not longer find their home inside Labour.

Make no mistake, this is an incredibly concerning development, but one people should have seen coming. We've known for the last five years how much of a weak leader Ed Miliband has been, failing to present a proper Opposition that accounts for the grave concerns of millions of Britons. He is now only confirming that perception by refusing to rule out a deal with the SNP to enter power, a deal which would mean a second independence referendum for Scotland in less than a year and a series of radical demands which would make Mr. Miliband a puppet of Mrs. Sturgeon. Now, I know many of you have probably voted Labour since you started voting in the first place, but can you honestly say that an Ed Miliband government propped by the SNP would be a good thing for Britain? I do believe UKIP has something much better to offer than that alternative.

April 3rd:

Summary: Farage moved down to the East Midlands for this day of campaiging, once again visiting key cities and targets and taking the time to bolster UKIP candidates. Combining this schedule with mainstreeting and brief radio interviews, he emphasized the immigration issue to serve as a contrast to both Labour and the Conservatives, both of which were constantly described by Mr. Farage as "beyond incompetent and spineless" on this particular issue.

Much is said about UKIP and immigration in a very inaccurate manner, which is typical of the media and the career politicians. They themselves caused the crisis and have been unable to address it, and god forbid someone goes to the people to point out their incompetence and offer reasonable solutions. Our concern isn't based on prejudice or irrational ideas, it is based on common sense. How can we expect to be able to handle a surge of millions of new immigrants into Britain in the matter of a few years? Who answers for the strain in public services, or in border security? Cameron and Miliband will at best play lip service to this issue, we will tackle it head on through the use of a fair point based system based on the Australian experience. It is perfectly reasonable for a nation to have control of their own borders, and that is what UKIP wants to achieve.

April 4th:

Summary: Nigel Farage and his team went to campaign into the East of England, region considered as very fertile ground for UKIP on account of its Euroscepticism and immigration concerns. As a result, the events of the day (focused this time on cities and mainstreeting alongside candidates and volunteers) were focused on those two issues, and the necessity of a referendum that only UKIP can be trusted to deliver.

Went it comes to having a referendum on the EU, which is the fair and democratic thing to do, there is only one party who can deliver: UKIP. Labour won't give you a referendum, not only because Mr. Miliband doesn't want one but because they've expressed their willingness to get in bed with the SNP and the SNP has made it beyond clear they actually want to go through the insanity of backing the Euro! And when it comes to Mr. Cameron he may very well make another promise for a referendum, only to back down as soon as he can make another coalition deal with Mr. Clegg who, as you guessed it, is probably even less inclined to a referendum. If you want a referendum on the EU to settle this issue for good, you can only make it a reality by voting UKIP.

April 5th:

Summary: Farage moved into South East England for an offensive on the Tory strongholds, determined to continue to make inroads with disaffected Conservative voters who have been alienated by Cameron's more social-liberal initiatives and his failings in immigration and defence. This meant several brief appearances in small towns (as opposed to big cities) to try and appeal to local voters by portraying UKIP as a credible alternative in the area.

And when you look at all of these issues, it seems clear to me that Cameron and the Conservative Party have been taking your vote and the vote of millions of people in this country for granted. They don't seem to govern on what is right, they seem to govern much like Tony Blair did, by seeing what the spin doctors and opinion polls have to say and then mold their views accordingly. UKIP is born as a reaction of that, as a backlash from the people who are fed up and want something different. If you want to see a party promoting true family values and British culture, we're here for you. If you want to see a party which does not believe in gutting our national defence through ruthless spending cuts, we're here for you. If you want to see a party prepared to put a stop to the immigration surge Cameron can't contain, we're here for you.

April 6th:

Summary: Sensing an opportunity, UKIP Leader Nigel Farage made a surprise tour of Wales today, declaring not only his views that the region was now fertile ground for substantial growth by UKIP, but that UKIP was on the road to become the third-largest party in the region. While attemping to appeal to local conservatives on core issues such as immigration, Farage reserved his toughest blows for the Labour Party, the unreliability of Ed Miliband on crime, immigration and the economy, and above all the rising discontent among working class voters.

Having driven our economy to the ground some years ago, I don't see a Labour Party who should be entrusted with the keys of government, or a Labour Leader who is credible to deliver on economic growth and development. I don't see a party or a leader ready to tackle immigration or crime either. What I do see is a party which thinks of Wales as its own private stronghold, and which is quite happy to ignore or take working class voters, particularly social conservative ones, for granted because to them there is no alternative. UKIP is here to provide you with that, to give you a chance to vote for a party which actually cares about the working class and has policies to encourage social mobility so your children have a better life. And we're also here to provide you with a chance to send Westminster and professional politicians a message, to tell them that you are fed up."

[Lumine]

UKIP Campaign Points:

Press Release: In order to maximize media exposure in the starting days of the campaign and increase public interest in the coming election, UKIP has decided to direct its resources for this week on mass advertising across Britain, spending 60 CP on Advertising alone:

Advertising: UKIP Manifesto

Advertising: Referendum

Advertising: Miliband

Advertising: British Values

Advertising: NHS

Advertising: Cameron

[_]

Plaid Cymru Campaign Week 1:  A Real Voice for Wales



March 30th:  Leanne Wood holds Plaid Cymru's Campaign kick-off Rally at Holyhead, in the constituency of Ynys Môn.

April 1st:  Leanne Wood holds a rally with Plaid Candidate Mike Parker at Aberystwyth in the constituency of Ceredigion, saying the LibDems and Mark Williams betrayed the families of Ceredigion and Wales by going along with Tory Austerity and privatising the NHS with the Health and Social Care Act.

April 2nd:  Leanne Wood gives a speech with Vaughan Williams at Llanelli in the consituency of Llanelli, attacking Labour as a "Tory Lite" party that will continue Austerity, and says Plaid will fight against any more cuts to Services and for an end to Austerity.

April 3rd:  Leanne Wood campaigns in the constituencies of Neath and Rhondda with Daniel Thomas (Neath Candidate) and Shelley Rees-Owen (Rhondda Candidate), calling for the same devolution deal the Scots are getting and for a living wage to help Welsh workers.

April 4th:  Leanne Wood holds rallies in the constituencies of Caerphilly and Pontypridd with Beci Newton (Caerphilly Candidate) and Osian Lewis (Pontypridd).  At the Caerphilly rally she calls for the EU to be reformed to focus on helping it's population rather than Corporations.  At the Pontypridd rally she attacks Labour and Owen Smith as Blairites who have no real ideology and are just after power.

April 5th:  Leanne Wood campaigns with Cerith Griffiths in the constituency of Cynon Valley, calling for Wales to get the same "funding per head" deal that Scotland has, in order to boost Wales' social services and economic investment.

April 6th:  Leanne Wood holds rallies in the constituencies of Aberconwy and Clywd West with Dafydd Meurig (Aberconwy Candidate) and Marc Jones (Clywd West Candidate).  At both Rallies, Leanne Wood attacks UKIP as "Xenophobic Radicals" who wish only to move the UK backwards, abandon the EU and it's benefits completely rather than attempting reform, and promote useless spending on the military rather than on the Welsh economy.


Campaign Point Spending:  Canvassing in the constituencies of Ynys Mon, Ceredigion, Neath, Rhondda, and Cynon Valley.  (5 Points)

Canvassing in the constituencies of Carmarthen East & Dinefwr, Aberconwy, Caerphilly, Clywd West, and Llanelli (5 Points)

Internal poll for Wales or Ynys Mon (Depending on if it's Regional or Constituency based polling:  5 points)

(OOC Note:  I'm having Leanne campaign with Plaid candidates in each individual constituency.  In addition, any italicized event will be in a separate post)

[_]

Plaid Cymru Campaign Kick-Off Rally, Holyhead, Ynys Môn Constituency



Hello people of Ynys Môn!  Today I'm here to announce the kickoff of Plaid Cymru's campaign for the 2015 General Election!  Now, for the past 5 years Wales has endured cut after cut in social spending from the Tories and their LibDem allies, and have watched as Scotland is promised new powers while Wales receives nothing at all.  In addition to this, Labour, the supposed "Progressive" option has said time and again that they'll continue Tory cuts and offer nothing to the people of Wales but what the Tories offer, more cuts and pain.  Finally, we have a new party, UKIP, or as I like to call them "BNP-Lite."  They offer the same racist, xenophobic, and reactionary policies that the BNP do, except in a more photogenic package.

I'm here today to announce that Wales has another option.  A truly progressive option that will fight to end Austerity and social cuts, for a fairer tax system, for a living wage for Welsh workers, for a Public and unprivatized NHS, for reforming the European Union so it benefits it's people and Wales rather than corporations, and for the same funding system and powers that Scotland is receiving, so Wales has the ability to govern and benefit itself and it's people effectively. 

In the end, Wales has had enough of the past 5 years of destructive policies, and it's time for change.  Plaid Cymru is that change, and offers A Real Voice for Wales this election.  Thank you all for your time and I will see you all on the campaign trail, goodnight!

[Lumine]

Farage fires back at Plaid Cymru in interview:

Describes Leanne Wood's criticisms as immature and out of touch:

Farage: "Well, there's always someone prepared to repeat the elitist, out of touch view that paints Britons who support UKIP as being prejudiced, although I did not expect Mrs. Wood to be the first to do so. This is the only party fighting for our sovereignity as a nation against the EU, on immigration, political reform and countless other issues, and the best weapon she has is to immaturely insult thousands of Welshmen and women as prejudiced radicals for the crime of actually wanting something different than what the political establishment is promoting.

And that is without mentioning two interesting points: first, how confortable Mrs. Wood seems to be with the constant gutting of defence spending under the Conservatives, which leads me to wonder whether she actually supports Cameron's disastrous record on this issue; and second, that she would portray a fair referendum in which the people will make a decision as a certain departure of the EU. Is she then so pessimistic about the EU she seemingly supports that she assumes people - across Britain and in Wales as well - will immediately vote to leave and should therefore not be allowed to even vote on it?

I certainly would like to hear the answer."

[wxtransit]

Greens 2015: Change for the better

Natalie Bennett's schedule:



Holborn-St Pancras, March 30th

March 30th
Kick off campaign with a rally in home constituency of Holborn-St Pancras, knocking on doors and meeting local voters in an effort to win over votes. Ms. Bennett set the theme of her general election campaign here: change for the better, in reference to a necessary change for the environment and the preservation of the left after Labour has done the opposite with austerity, Trident, and immigration.

Brighton Pavilion, April 1st

April 1st
Shoring up votes for Ms. Bennett's colleague and first Green MP Caroline Lucas in Brighton Pavilion. Ms. Bennett held a rally in central Brighton early in the day with Ms. Lucas, before the two had lunch at a local coffee shop. Afterwards, the two went knocking door-to-door, listening to the concerns of local Brighton voters and building support for Ms. Lucas.

Bristol West, April 2nd

April 2nd
Ms. Bennett canvassed with local Green candidate Darren Hall after making a short speech to reporters, emphasizing that the Green campaign acknowledged that these next few weeks will be an uphill climb, but that the Green Party would be targeting seats that there was an opportunity to win, and if the Greens succeeded in this effort, then the Greens could "break British politics wide open".

Sheffield Central, April 3rd

April 3rd
On April 3rd, Ms. Bennett campaigned for Green candidate Jillian Creasy, where she stated in a speech nearby Sheffield's City Hall:

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Norwich South, April 4th

April 4th
Ms. Bennett canvassed with Greens candidate Lesley Grahame, after which she made a short speech with reporters. In this speech, she outlined the Greens' goals for a better Britain. Particularly of note were the Greens' goals to cut austerity, end the Trident nuclear program, and increase legal immigration. Ms. Bennett additionally was not afraid to take a jab at UKIP leader Nigel Farage, of whom she said: "we can't have an openly xenophobic and anti-immigration candidate take the helm of our country," and then she denounced the rhetoric of both UKIP and the BNP.

Lewisham Deptford, April 5th

April 5th
Ms. Bennett visited Lewisham Deptford, the home of Green Party candidate John Coughlin. She canvassed the constituency, meeting with many local voters and drumming up support for Mr. Coughlin. Additionally, in a short speech with reporters, she made the promise that the Green Party would pursue electoral reform as a key part of their agenda, including scrapping the first-past-the-post system.



April 6th
On April 6th, Ms. Bennett returned to London, where she helped to build a central command for Green Party operations and volunteer efforts, and to add structure to the campaign.



Command Points:
10 points for canvassing Holborn-St Pancras, Brighton Pavillion, Bristol West, Sheffield Central, Norwich South, and Lewisham Deptford
10 points for an advertisement buy attacking Labour in the above constituencies
5 points for an internal poll in Bristol West (or England, depending whether internal polls are national or local)

35 total CPs used

[Jaguar4life]

Campaign Recap of Vince Cable

April 4th and 5:Cable went to a rally in Leeds to campaign on a reforming the milltary and his ways of fighting ISIS and radical terrorism in general.

[wxtransit]

Holborn-St Pancras
March 30th

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[wxtransit]

Lewisham Deptford
April 5th

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[Bidenworth2020]

March 30-
Rally in Leigh

Hello Leigh!

We have all now seen what a Torie government looks like. The NHS has been hurt severely. Their long-term economic plan has failed on every account. We can not let this keep happening. Labour will stand for your healthcare and will bring prosperity to the economy!

April 1-

Visits in Warrington South, Weaver Vale, and Crewe and Nantwich, Bury North, and Bolton West, for Various labour Candidates.

April 2-

VIsits in Croydon Central, Enfield Southgate

resting for rest of day

April 3-
rest day

April 4-

Visits in Colne Valley, Calder Valley, Keighley, and Stockton South

April 5-

Visits in Alyn and Deeside, Ynys Mon, Clwyd South, Wrexham, and Vale of Clwyd

April 6-

Visits in Hove and Brighton Pavilion

[_]

Leanne Wood responds to Farage in Interview:
Says Farage's responses to criticisms are absolutely false:



Wood:  "Well, I guess I should address the big purple Elephant in the room.  Mr. Farage decided to respond to my criticisms of UKIP with an attempt at slandering myself and Plaid, saying I called UKIP supporters "prejudiced radicals."  I believe he should listen to what I said again, as I called UKIP the party "Xenophobic Radicals", not it's supporters.  UKIP supporters are most of the time hardworking and just barely getting by, but the candidates and officials of UKIP have repeatedly been outed as racists, bigots, and xenophobes, such as in the cases of Andre Lampitt*, David Silvester**, William Henwood***, and even UKIP MEP Gerard Batten****.  It's clear to Plaid and myself that the candidates and officials of UKIP have repeatedly shown their true colors and are not fit to govern a broom closet, let alone be members of parliament representing Wales. 

Now, First in response to Mr. Farage's question on Plaid's position on Defense, Plaid is opposed to the current defense cuts that PM Cameron has enacted, but we do not believe we should increase defense spending from it's current point either.  Plaid believes that we should spend the money cut from defense by Cameron should be spent on aftercare for Veterans rather than increasing spending on the Military.  Spending we wouldn't need if we were to stay out of foreign conflicts as UKIP suggests. 

Secondly, on the EU, again Mr. Farage misinterpreted what I said.  I said that UKIP wishes to abandon the EU completely without attempting reform.  I never made any mention of a vote on EU Membership, only on UKIP's support for leaving the EU if such a referendum were to occur.  Plaid believes that the EU should be reformed in a way that will benefit the people of the EU rather than corporations, and that Wales and the UK as a whole have far more benefits in staying and reforming the EU, rather than leaving.  Also, for the record I believe that in a hypothetical EU referendum the UK would vote to stay within the EU rather than leave."




(Sources for UKIP Members/Candidates Scandals
*https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/24/ukip-member-broadcast-suspended-racist-tweets
**https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/19/ukip-councillor-gay-people-spiritual-disease-pray-healed-david-silvester
***https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/27/ukip-comments-lenny-henry-jeremy-hunt
****https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/feb/04/ukip-mep-gerard-batten-muslims-sign-charter-rejecting-violence )

[Blair]

Turn One Recap.

The Purple Revolution?

As campaigning kicked off across Britain the stand-out star was Nigel Farage, and UKIP. The innovative decision to launch their manifesto in the first week, the populist stances on immigration and the NHS, along with the low-key Tory Campaign has lead to an early surge for UKIP. Indeed UKIP's success seems largely borne out of it's ability to broaden the parties policies, and no longer appear to be solely obsessed about Europe.

The one surprising, but effective tactic from Farage was his choice to turn his fire on Ed Miliband, who many in the press agree is extremely weak to attacks over issues such as Immigration. One Labour backbencher warned of a 'a flood of purple on election night', but will this turn out to the true?

UKIP continued to be limited to the thin spread of its vote; even with its increased performance in the polls, the party would still struggle to win more than a handful of seats on a good night. Likewise the attacks by Leanne Wood has unveiled UKIP's soft underbelly- the wiff of extremism, racism and just general kookiness that still exists in the party. 

The New Left?

Another surprise from the first week of campaigning was the strong performance put in by two of the minor parties- Plaid Cymru, and the Green Party. A senior Labour advisor even joked that the most googled question after this weeks TV debates would be 'Who is Leanne Wood?'.  Whilst both parties are severely limited by the electoral map (with Plaid only be competitive in a handful of seats, and the Greens being widely perceived as a wasted vote) the two parties also show the wide gap that remains open on the left in British Politics. Whilst Labour has certainly moved leftwards since Miliband's election in 2010, the party still retains it's pragmatic support of Tuition Fees, Trident and spending cuts. Whilst Labour Strategists know that the two parties could only snatch a small number of seats, the biggest danger is that defections to both parties could see a much higher number of marginal seats slip from Labour's grasp. Finally, rumours of a pact between Plaid and the Greens has lead some to question whether a new alliance is set to emerge on the left.

From Europe with Love?

Two rather bizarre events that emerged both centered around the European Union. The First was Nicola Sturgeons shocking support for British Membership of the Euro, which lead to a frenzy of attacks in the Tabloid Press, with the Daily Mail telling her to 'Keep your Tartan Stained Fingers off our Pound', whilst the Sun described as the 'Wicked Witch of Brussels'. Figures in all the major parties admitted that Sturgeons comments had cut threw, and had harmed the party in a selection of more traditional seats in Aberdeen, Inverness, and Edinburgh where a relatively strong local economy relied on the Pound Sterling.

Laying a Cable?

The second bizarre, and even more shocking campaign revelation came from Vince Cable, who whilst campaigning in York told reporters that he supported holding a referendum on Britain's EU membership. Cable's intervention was rightly seen as a widespread rebuke not just to Clegg, but indeed the entire Party, who pride themselves on their strong Europhile views. Cable's intervention sunk the party's initially successful week, and overshadowed Clegg's attempt to re-brand himself.

With the Party's messaging around Europe now in disarray, many activists across the Party rebuked Cable, with Paddy Ashdown calling it a 'uncharacteristically unwise comment'. Indeed some in the party such as Simon Hughes and Tim Farron have publicly called for Cable to be sacked from the front-bench, and denied a position in any potential coalition. The big decision now for Clegg is whether he will simply rebuff Cable, or take a much firmer stance against Cable's defiance.

[Blair]

Turn Two. April 7th-April 14th.

The first week of campaigning seemed to confirm that the 2015 Election truly would see the death of the two main parties. Although Labour's campaign had seen a steady stance, with interventions by Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham very valuable, both main parties had failed to dominate the news agenda in the first campaigning.

The real star of the first week was Nigel Farage. Filling the political vacuum by jumping on populist issues surrounding immigration and the NHS, Farage and UKIP put themselves at the centre of the campaign. One UKIP Staffer even joked that the party 'might have wasted all our ammo at once, but we've given Goliath a great big wack'. Indeed reports of private polling from both Labour's and Tory marginals have shown a small but significant shift- the major problem is that both parties remain convinced that they seek to benefit from UKIPs rise. The central question is will the Labour and Tories seek to mirror UKIP's populist (if inflammatory) rhetoric, or will they try and confront UKIP head on?

Whilst the Liberal Democrats would consider themselves as the natural 'progressive' opposition to UKIP (as seen in the 2014 EU Election Debate) Vince Cable's support for a EU referendum has thrown a spanner in the Lib Dems campaign. Indeed, the saga mirrors the Lib-Dems wider problem- should they cast themselves as a pragmatic party of Government (with a record to defend) or should they present themselves as a progressive party?

What's clear is that all the parties will be hoping that the first round of TV debates can either serve as continued fuel, or a much needed spark for their election campaign. With uncertainty about whether David Cameron will even attend, many pundits are unsure about what impact the debates will have. What is clear is that it will offer a chance for the minor parties to continue to chip away at the major parties.

Poll of Polls

Labour- 34% (-2)

Conservatives-33%. (-2)

UKIP- 17% (+5)

Liberal Democrats-8% (-1)

Green Party- 4% (+1)

Other-4%.

[Blair]

2015 General Election Debates hosted by ITV.

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Question for David Cameron?

1.) In 2010 you pledged to reduce Net Migration down to the 'tens of thousands'. You've failed to meet this pledge, and net migration has increased since you came into Government. Why should voters trust you, when you again claim that you'll reduce immigration?

Question for Ed Miliband

1.) A major concern for many voters, and indeed many MPs, is that you're simply not up to the job of being Prime Minister Mr Miliband.  How can you convince voters that you'll be a strong enough figure to represent Britain on the world stage?

Question for Nigel Farage.

1.) Leanne Wood, and many others have pointed out the history of UKIP candidates making homophobic, sexist and generally bigoted remarks. Indeed one UKIP candidate even blamed gay people for turning his Donkey gay. Can the British public really trust UKIP to represent them in Parliament?

Question for Nick Clegg

1.) Despite your party's drop in the opinion polls, there's a chance that you could remain kingmaker in the next parliament. You've been in coalition with the Conservatives for the last 5 years- will you continue to support them if there's a hung parliament?

Question for Nicola Sturgeon?

1.) You've come under a lot of fire for calling for the UK to adopt the EU. We've seen what's happened with the Euro in Greece, Ireland and Portugal- as someone who's never been elected outside of Scotland, why should you dictate what currency the country uses?

Question for Natalie Bennett?

1.) It's widely assumed that in a hung parliament the Greens would support a Labour-led Government to stop the Conservatives, what concessions would you demand from Ed Miliband for the support of Green MPs?

Question for Leanne Wood?

1.) One of your parties central policies is an increase in devolved powers for Wales. Many people fear that if you were given these powers, you would, much like the SNP, later push for an Independence Referendum. Will you rule out supporting an Independence Referendum?

[Lumine]

UKIP Debate Replies:

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I'm rather glad you asked this question, because it allows us to have a more serious discussion about the deficit than the old game of Labour and the Conservatives blaming each other when both have fundamentally increased our level of deficit and debt and placed an enormous burden on the backs of our children and grandchildren. UKIP as a party is not fond of the idea of riddling the future generations with unsustainable levels of debt and deficit spending, and our proposals both reflect the idea of cutting excessive waste in government and in pointless vanity projects, and the necessity of increasing spending on areas which are vital to Britons.

UKIP is the only party here that will target areas for substantial cuts that, unlike many of the Coalition cuts, won't actively harm the people of Britain or make their lives harder. We will axe the ridiculous and intrusive waste of HS2 and save dozens of billions in the process. We we will axe the Culture, Media and Sport and the International Development departments and save billions again in substantial wasteful spending. We will axe the foreign aid budget not only for the purpose of saving money which goes to be wasted on random dictatorships across the world, but for the goal of reinvesting that money in Britain and on the British people on policies such as our planned annual increase of 3bn into our National Health Service, which is more than what Ed Balls or George Osborne would pledge to.

It would be irresponsible of me to state that UKIP would absolutely get rid of the deficit by 2020, but under our economic plan this is certainly an attainable goal. The reduction of wasteful spending on so many areas, the economic stimulus that our low tax revolution plans to achieve, and our refusal to indulge in vanity projects the big parties endorse represent a road towards deficit reduction and economic responsibility without making your life and that of your family harder than what it already is after years of Conservative and Labour governance.

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Obviously yes, and you will not find a party more passionate about giving the British people an open, fair and democratic choice on our future regarding the EU. Not only will this be a non-negotiable demand in the event that our support is necessary for another party to form a government, we will insist this referendum must take place as early as possible so we finally reverse the trend of selling off the nation and its sovereignty to Brussels. And we will go out in full force to campaign, inviting Britons of all backgrounds, parties and beliefs to say enough is enough, we want our country back from the unelected bureaucrats that are now writing British laws.

And I want the people in the audience and at home to take a good look at the other parties. The Conservative Party has spent decades being hopelessly divided on Europe and unable to deliver on anything that means taking back control of our nation, and I can tell you that the first thing they'll negotiate away if they attempt to continue the Coalition with the Lib Dems will be abandoning that referendum to stay in power. The Labour Party clearly has no idea of what it wants when it comes to Europe, and since Ed Miliband has made it perfectly clear he has no qualms with governing with the SNP that now wants to drag us into the Euro against our will. And when it comes to the Liberal Democrats, not only is a senior member of their party being crucified for daring to support a referendum, Nick Clegg himself endorsed one back in 2008 only to u-turn as he so often and spinelessly does.

If you want to secure a referendum in which the whole of Britain is able to make a choice, your only option is to vote UKIP.

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Well, I for one resent the fact that the media and the career politicians such as Mrs. Wood continue to smear the good people of this party and the Britons who support it by selling a false narrative of us being something we're not. Any given party has its issues and candidates who at times may be too vocal on their beliefs, or that may even say something which is inappropriate. I'm not proud of some of the candidates we've fielded in the past, yes, but they on the whole do not represent what I stand for, what the vast majority of UKIP candidates and volunteers stand for, and what millions of Britons stand for.

And so the answer to that question is yes, the British public can trust UKIP to give them proper representation in Parliament and give a voice to millions who are just fed up and tired of the status quo. I for one am quite proud of having decent, principled representatives of our party such as Mark Reckless and Douglas Carswell, both of them currently MP's for this party and excellent representatives of their constituents in Westminster, so much that when voluntarily going into a by-election to seek the opinion of their voters they chose to send them back into office to continue their good work.

This is election is about ensuring a more prosperous future for Britain, about sending a message to the establishment, about unshackling us from the tyranny of the EU, about giving real solutions to the crisis in the NHS, the housing issue, the surge of illegal immigration, and these types of questions only distract us from what really is important.

[Lumine]

UKIP Campaign:

April 7th - April 14th

Summary: Nigel Farage and his team moved from London into the North West today, considering it fertile ground for UKIP given the ongoing weaknesses of the Labour Party. Spending most of the day on the top target of Heywood and Middleton and organizing visits to Makerfield and Bolton South East alongside local UKIP candidates, Farage continued to draw fire against the legacy of the Labour Party and the weaknesses of Ed Miliband to try and convince former Labour supporters to back UKIP on the upcoming election.

There was a time, I imagine, in which many of you probably felt represented by the Labour Party and its leaders. There was a time, I imagine, in which they seemed to you as principled leaders ready to stand for the working class and give leadership and voice to the issues which felt crucial to you. But can you say that the same continues to be the case? Would you trust Ed Miliband to be Prime Minister? Ed Balls as Chancellor? For years the Labour Party has taken your vote and those of your friends and family for granted, and they've wasted that goodwill by entering into the Iraq quagmire, by leaving the door open to uncontrolled inmmigration, by screwing up the economy. I say you deserve better, you deserve MP's who are actually willing to stand up for your beliefs, who like you come from the working class and are not bred as Blairite spin doctors or Conservative peers. Vote for real people, vote for UKIP.

April 12th:

Summary: Nigel Farage and the top UKIP team started today a two-day tour of South East England and focused on targeting vulnerable Conservative held seats. As a result, Farage and company toured seats like the Isle of Wight, Folkestone and Hythe and Sittingbourne and Sheppey, emphasizing the concerns of rural communties, the lack of traditional values in the current Conservative Party, and even the inactivity of the Prime Minister in the campaign trail.

Where is Cameron? Osbone? Boris? I haven't seen any of them around since the campaign started, even though they should be out there at least pretending they have a record to defend. It seems to be that it is typical of out-of-touch career politicians such as themselves to continue to take the voters for granted, and the same happens in communities such as here. Unlike Cameron and his band of would-be modernizers, we in UKIP still believe in traditional British and family values. Unlike a Prime Minister unable to put a stop to uncontrolled immigration, we believe in putting a stop to a problem which is causing many issues around here on matters such as local services. Unlike a party that's taking you for granted again and again, we're here, speaking to you. And I ask you to vote for the party which is actually closer to how you feel and think, and to vote for UKIP.

April 13th:

Summary: Nigel Farage continued his tour of South East England today on his bid to target potential wins in the area, this time focusing on constituencies such as North Thanet, Buckingham (where Farage continued to rally against the lack of representation in the Speaker's constituency), Aylesbury and Ashford, emphazising the lack of Conservative answers to the immigration issue and mounting doubts about their committment to a referendum on the EU.

Not long ago David Cameron promised you that he would drive immigration into the tens of thousands, and he failed miserably at it. Even now he sits on the issue unable to give a proper response to the serious, realistic and important of concern of thousands of Britons such as yourselfs, who only want to see some proper control over our borders in what is only a common sense belief. And yet they belittle you, and dismiss your concerns as out of touch, as bigoted, as unnecessary. And the same applies to the EU, a body this Prime Minister should be opposing day and night instead of wasting him time and trying to avoid a referendum by any means possible. Ladies and gentlemen, Cameron and his gang have most certainly let you down on the issues that matter. Isn't it time to try something new?

April 14th:

Summary: Nigel Farage closed off his campaiging efforts for this week with a tour of the East of England on his bid to strenghten the UKIP campaign at key targets and potential pick-up opportunities, and in that effort he toured seats such as Castle Point, North West Cambridgeshire, South Basildon and East Thurrock, South West Norfolk and so on. The focal point of the campaign this day was crime and the lack of a positive Conservative or Labour legacy on the issue, advocating for UKIP as the true "strong on crime" party.

Ultimately every Briton has a right to live in safety and not in fear, knowing justice works for him and for the victims and not in favor of the rights of criminals or even murderers. We know what Labour did, they tied up our brave police officers in red tape and made a mess of handling crime. We also know what the Conservatives did, cut funding from the police and deprive them of the means to fight crime while setting idly by as the EU continues to take more and more judicial powers out of the UK. We say enough of that, and enough of doing nothing to fight crime. We believe in the rule of law on this party, and UKIP has pledged to repealing the Human Rights Act, end the intromission of the EU in our justice system, toughening up sentencing, and of course, deploying more resources to build more prisons and have more police officers in the streets. This is the best way to move forward, and it is UKIP who can secure it.

[ASPN]

Labour Week 2

April 7th



Ed Miliband hosted a town hall for the various constituents in Doncaster North, speaking on a number of issues, including the economy and Immigration.

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April 8th:



Miliband traveled to the Gower constituency to campaign with Liz Evans.

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April 9th:



Miliband hosted a rally in Birmingham, talking about the Labour Manifesto.

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April 10th



Miliband traveled around Northern England on a sort of 'personality tour' focusing on small communities and participating in/sitting in on, local events.

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April 11th:

Milibrand participated through phone on Nick Ferrari's Morning show on LBC

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April 12th:

A rest day for Ed.

April 13-14th:



Miliband spent the two days traveling around Wales, speaking on topics such as strengthening the NHS, and supporting young people.

[ASPN]

Labour Debate Answers

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I believe with the right changes, we can indeed get rid of the deficit, or at least reduce it greatly. For one, our manifesto will be fully funded, requiring no additional borrowing. Too long now we have overspent, finding any excuses to borrow as many funds as possible, driving our nations future into doubt. This will not happen under a Labour Government. I plan on starting a new trend of financial responsibility in Parliament.

Furthermore, I will bring back the 50p top income tax rate for those earning over £150,000, and put an end the non-dom rule that has allowed some wealthy UK residents to limit the tax they pay on earnings outside the country.

Finally, I plan on freezing energy bills till 2017, protect tax credit for working class families, and introduce a British Investment Bank. Through this and more, Labour can and will take on the deficit challenge and turn the tide on one of the biggest struggles facing Brittan today.

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I have expressed this in the past, but I feel that Brittan is better off with the E.U, than without it. To promise a referendum, I feel would betray the millions of Britons who benefit from global cooperation. This is not to say there is no value in examining our relationship with Brussels. It is important to make sure that we benefit from our involvement, but I feel reform in the E.U is the much better option. We should be trying to fix things from the inside before blowing it all up. 

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Personally I've yet to hear a compelling argument as to why I wouldn't be. I've stood up for the British people as an MP, as leader of Labour, and as Leader of the Opposition. I have stood my ground, spoken up when I felt the choices being made were not the best for our nation. All things that I can and will continue to do should I become Prime Minister. I think that as I continue my tour around the nation, speaking to people, they will find that I am in fact more than strong enough of a figur to represent Britain and her people.