Is there a Lawyer 'in the house' ?

5 Dec 2010

I know, I know can't believe that I've just asked if there's a legal eagle about either, but hey ho
lol

Whilst the Student Protest thread http://www.swingingheaven.co.uk/swingers-forum/viewtopicpage/342514/80.html has it's merits it's sort of strayed a little, or god forbid been 'hijacked' (a bit like the protests themselves to some extent). However this is on a related but different matter.
As Phil Woolas was brought before an Election Court by the Liberal Democrats about lies in his General Election materials in Oldham East & Saddleworth, and has been dis-barred from being an MP this (for me) raises an interesting question.
The specially convened election court ruled that comments in campaign material suggesting Lib Dem candidate Elwyn Watkins had tried to "woo" the votes of Muslim extremists, clearly amounted to an attack on his personal character and conduct.
The court ruled he was guilty of breaching the Representation of the People Act 1983 and barred him from standing for elected office for three years, as well as fining him £5,000.
If some one lies to get elected they get dis-barred.
Therefore if Nick Clegg and the rest of the Liberal Democrat MP's who strongly and vocally opposed tuition fees in their General Election materials now vote for increases whilst now junior partners in a Coalition Government, could they be similarly be brought before an Election Court for lying ?
The Liberal Democrats campaigned on a pledge to phase out tuition fees over six years. All the Lib Dem MPs - including Business Secretary Vince Cable and the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg - signed pre-election promises to oppose any increase in fees.
And if so and be found guilty, could/should they similarly be dis-barred from office and local By-Elections called, as per the one likley to be moved soon for Oldham East & Saddleworth ?
An interesting question, especially given that it was the Lib Dems that challenged the Phil Woolas result via an Election Court.

6 Dec 2010

Existing law does not preclude misleading the electorate in the manner described.
There was a Misrepresentation of The People Bill which might have covered it a few years ago which was supported by only handful of MPs and therefore did not become law. (Brought up as a private members bill by a Plaid Cymru MP)

6 Dec 2010

Shame really
So that can 'illegally' lie about each other, but not to the people who actually elect them
:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

6 Dec 2010

I think its a shame. The cleaning up of politics is as important as cleaning up the print media.

6 Dec 2010

Listening to Nick Clegg on the radio the other day his words were roughly this
We campaigned on policy's that we would have introduced had we become the elected government. We are not the elected government we are part of a coalition and therefore we can not implement all of the policy's we campaigned on.

6 Dec 2010

The lib-dems are not in power, it is a coalition

6 Dec 2010

Quote by tweeky
Listening to Nick Clegg on the radio the other day his words were roughly this
We campaigned on policy's that we would have introduced had we become the elected government. We are not the elected government we are part of a coalition and therefore we can not implement all of the policy's we campaigned on.

So if any Party in the future, no matter if they have a large majority, invites say, the sole elected representitive of the Green Party (for instance), to join them in a coalition, then they can tear up all the promises they made before the Election?
Nice "get out of jail free card" there.
John

6 Dec 2010

Quote by Ben_welshminx
I think its a shame. The cleaning up of politics is as important as cleaning up the print media.

Isn't that a bit like asking turkeys to vote for Christmas Ben?
A quick note for clarification and disclaimer: turkeys referred to here are the fowl type usually found cooked on the dinner table at Christmas for eating, not the peoples of the State of Turkey and Christmas is referred to as a religious festival in the Christian calendar mentioned without wishing in any way to offend against non-Christian faiths.

6 Dec 2010

Quote by Geordiecpl2001
Listening to Nick Clegg on the radio the other day his words were roughly this
We campaigned on policy's that we would have introduced had we become the elected government. We are not the elected government we are part of a coalition and therefore we can not implement all of the policy's we campaigned on.

So if any Party in the future, no matter if they have a large majority, invites say, the sole elected representitive of the Green Party (for instance), to join them in a coalition, then they can tear up all the promises they made before the Election?
Nice "get out of jail free card" there.
John
That's not really a valid comparison is it, neither the Lib Dems nor the Conservatives have a majority, hence the need for compromise. Besides, political parties have been reneging on manifesto promises for as long as I can remember.......a certain referendum that the last government promised springs readily to mind.

6 Dec 2010

Quote by Max777
Listening to Nick Clegg on the radio the other day his words were roughly this
We campaigned on policy's that we would have introduced had we become the elected government. We are not the elected government we are part of a coalition and therefore we can not implement all of the policy's we campaigned on.

So if any Party in the future, no matter if they have a large majority, invites say, the sole elected representitive of the Green Party (for instance), to join them in a coalition, then they can tear up all the promises they made before the Election?
Nice "get out of jail free card" there.
John
That's not really a valid comparison is it, neither the Lib Dems nor the Conservatives have a majority, hence the need for compromise. Besides, political parties have been reneging on manifesto promises for as long as I can remember.......a certain referendum that the last government promised springs readily to mind.
But why does it mean that everything that the Cons wanted they got and everything the Libs wanted and the Cons didn't - didn't happen. Where's the compromise?
Clegg should stand up for HIS voters and tell Cameron to stick his coalition unless Clegg gets his way. He's got power ffs - the first power Libs have had for generations - why isn't he using it?

6 Dec 2010

Quote by foxylady2209
Listening to Nick Clegg on the radio the other day his words were roughly this
We campaigned on policy's that we would have introduced had we become the elected government. We are not the elected government we are part of a coalition and therefore we can not implement all of the policy's we campaigned on.

So if any Party in the future, no matter if they have a large majority, invites say, the sole elected representitive of the Green Party (for instance), to join them in a coalition, then they can tear up all the promises they made before the Election?
Nice "get out of jail free card" there.
John
That's not really a valid comparison is it, neither the Lib Dems nor the Conservatives have a majority, hence the need for compromise. Besides, political parties have been reneging on manifesto promises for as long as I can remember.......a certain referendum that the last government promised springs readily to mind.
But why does it mean that everything that the Cons wanted they got and everything the Libs wanted and the Cons didn't - didn't happen. Where's the compromise?
Clegg should stand up for HIS voters and tell Cameron to stick his coalition unless Clegg gets his way. He's got power ffs - the first power Libs have had for generations - why isn't he using it?
I don't think it's the case that the Conservatives did get everything they wanted and the Lib Dems nothing. Maybe, just maybe, Clegg believes the coalition is acting in the best interests of the UK and is therefore putting it above party politics? dunno

6 Dec 2010

Quote by Max777
I don't think it's the case that the Conservatives did get everything they wanted and the Lib Dems nothing. Maybe, just maybe, Clegg believes the coalition is acting in the best interests of the UK and is therefore putting it above party politics?

Regardless of any of that I think one thing is certain, the losers of the last election were the Lib dems. From how I see things and from the people I talk too they seem to be to blame for everything. There own voters are not happy, labor voters who voted for them are :-x :-x :-x :-x Besides that Clegg looks like Camerons glove puppet and I struggle to think of more than one policy that the Lib dems campaigned on that I see being passed. Rightly or wrongly as it matters not that is how the Lib dems are coming across. If the Condem alliance dont get the country back on its feet and show that they had some input into it not just that the world economy picked up at the right time then the Lib dems could poll their worst results ever at the next elections.
Maybe the old saying "Be careful what you wish for" is apt.

7 Dec 2010

You may well be right about the LibDems being the losers........it's easy to make promises when you don't expect to hold power.
The irony over the tuition fees is that Labour would be quite happy to see them rise( after all, they first implemented them) if they were still in government. The coalition are only implementing the recommendations in the Browne report, which was first commissioned by Gordon Brown.