Conferences

[KeithD]

I can remember bugger from the LibDem conference, apart from they managed to screw themselves up their own

I slept through Labours same old same old.....

But the Tories have manged to come up with a few little surprises to keep one eye open

[aromulus]

But the Tories have manged to come up with a few little surprises to keep one eye open

They couldn't really announce anything before hand, as the gov would have nicked the ideas and called them their own, as usual....

There is lots of life in the tories....

[IainBusby]

I can remember bugger from the LibDem conference, apart from they managed to screw themselves up their own

I slept through Labours same old same old.....

But the Tories have manged to come up with a few little surprises to keep one eye open

Yea and all of them bad.

[IainBusby]

They couldn't really announce anything before hand, as the gov would have nicked the ideas and called them their own, as usual....

There is lots of life in the tories....

There's lots of life in a tramps vest as well, but not the kind of life we would want for ourselves. Their all wearing their Cameron "Caring Conservatism" masks at the moment but underneath they're just the same old bunch that took from the poor and gave to the rich in the 80's and 90's and when they get into government they'll do exactly the same again.

[walesrob]

Yea and all of them bad.

So who is up to the job then:

1) The Devil (Labour)
2) The Deep Blue Sea (Tory)
3) Thin Air (Lib Dems)

Think I'll go and live in a real democracy where there is real choice, how about er, Zimbabwe

[walesrob]

There's more life in a tramps vest...

Stereophonics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcXtouIqZhY

[IainBusby]

So who is up to the job then:

1) The Devil (Labour)
2) The Deep Blue Sea (Tory)
3) Thin Air (Lib Dems)

Think I'll go and live in a real democracy where there is real choice, how about er, Zimbabwe

As the saying goes, better the devil you know. All we really know about the tories is what they did in the 80s and 90s. In those days they positively encouraged greed and de-regulated everything. Unfortunately the labour government didn't have the balls to re-instate some of those financial constraints and look where it has got us now. The only thing the tories did do that was good for the UK was to control the might of the trade unions.

I firmly believe that under the Cameron mask that they're all hiding behind, they still believe as Maggie did that there is no such thing as society, only individuals....... and now they rant about broken Britain when it was their policies in the eighties that started the breakdown of society as we had known it in the past.

Our current unemployment was caused by a worldwide recession brought about by the credit crunch which was in turn brought about by greedy bankers selling worthless fluff to each other just to make huge bonuses for themselves. The mass unemployment of the eighties was caused by conservative strict monetarist policies and was accepted by them as a price worth paying......... as long as it wasn't their people (the rich) who were paying it.

Iain.

[whiteraven]

i have to agree with everything you just said iain cameron is only telling people what they want to hear. kicking the disabled , single parents and capping public workers pay. yes we will have to pay the national debt and it will hurt all of us but no mention of silly private wages and bonuses or chasing the rich who avoid paying tax altogether by hiding their money in overseas banks. middle and working class (even though i dont like using class terms) will be the ones to pay not the public school fat cats

[walesrob]

i have to agree with everything you just said iain cameron is only telling people what they want to hear. kicking the disabled , single parents and capping public workers pay. yes we will have to pay the national debt and it will hurt all of us but no mention of silly private wages and bonuses or chasing the rich who avoid paying tax altogether by hiding their money in overseas banks. middle and working class (even though i dont like using class terms) will be the ones to pay not the public school fat cats

Seems like Cameron can't win can he? If he proposes this, he gets shot down for being all PR and no substance, if he proposes that, he gets accused of being a toff whose only concern is lining his own pockets. Your not really giving him a chance are you? Hope you enjoy 5 more years of this lying, deceitful and spinning Labour government.

[whiteraven]

if he proposes hitting the bloated rich to then maybe i will sit up and take notice

[IainBusby]

if he proposes hitting the bloated rich to then maybe i will sit up and take notice

Even though they say we must cut public spending, they're still sticking to their promise to abolish inheritance tax. I do believe that inheritance tax, because of house price inflation is affecting many people that the original tax was not aimed at and in the south east especially mr or mrs average. But this throwing the baby out with the bathwater approach is not the answer and only means that mr or mrs average will have to pay more in other ways just so that the super rich (those who the tax was originally aimed at) can pass on all of their wealth to their probably already wealthy offspring..... and the rich get richer and the poor and the average get poorer....... same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was, with a tory government.

Iain.

[whiteraven]

amen to that!!!

[Northerner]

I voted for Labour in the first two elections in the current administrations lifetime, didn't bother with the last as at the time I had just moved home and was not able to vote there.

This time I will make sure I can vote!

I cannot understand the notion of vote for the bad guy's because those other guys might be worse.. And any MP who tells me that loses my vote on the principle he or she has nothing to offer but excuses. As for the Tories, I am convinced they are as bad as the current Labour administration (if not worse). But at the same time Labour needs a good kick up the backside, Brown needs to retire to the Lords and Mandleson (finally) needs to go once and for all.

The current crop of Labour MPs we have are weak, corrupt apologists who would rather try and take a few more civil liberties away than do any real work to solve some of the problems of this country! The Tories are a bunch of Euro skeptic crazies who would sell their own mothers if it got them elected (But at least they have David Davies). And The Liberals couldn't wait to stab their greatest asset in the back when they found out he had a drink problem... Hmmmm...

Think this year I will stick my vote with the person I want as my MP!

[walesrob]

same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was

Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime How ironic.

[walesrob]

Brown needs to retire to the Lords

Why? Whats he done apart from "Save The World?"

[KeithD]

.... kicking the disabled ...

All 2.6 million of them a 'Incapaticated'?

Some days I am bed ridden and still do my work.

Incapacity should be the sameas a War Pension, you get it in %'s.

[Northerner]

Why? Whats he done apart from "Save The World?"

He bought his seat there just like Mandleson did..

[walesrob]

He bought his seat there just like Mandleson did..

Oh yeah I forgot we had a corrupt and morally bankrupt government in power

[IainBusby]

All 2.6 million of them a 'Incapaticated'?

Some days I am bed ridden and still do my work.

Incapacity should be the sameas a War Pension, you get it in %'s.

Who was it that encouraged able bodied but somehwat feckless people to move on to incapacity benefit to make the unemployment figures look better, the tories of course.

[KeithD]

.... the tories of course.

I don't remember Labour doing anything about it apart from putting more on it like smackheads, people with a sore back, broken fingernails.... mind you, they've only had 23 years

[KeithD]

...and Labour are the worst fiddlers of stats than any previous government, the true number of adults not in a job is over 25%

[aromulus]

There's lots of life in a tramps vest as well, but not the kind of life we would want for ourselves. Their all wearing their Cameron "Caring Conservatism" masks at the moment but underneath they're just the same old bunch that took from the poor and gave to the rich in the 80's and 90's and when they get into government they'll do exactly the same again.

As the saying goes, better the devil you know. All we really know about the tories is what they did in the 80s and 90s. In those days they positively encouraged greed and de-regulated everything. Unfortunately the labour government didn't have the balls to re-instate some of those financial constraints and look where it has got us now. The only thing the tories did do that was good for the UK was to control the might of the trade unions.

I firmly believe that under the Cameron mask that they're all hiding behind, they still believe as Maggie did that there is no such thing as society, only individuals....... and now they rant about broken Britain when it was their policies in the eighties that started the breakdown of society as we had known it in the past.

Our current unemployment was caused by a worldwide recession brought about by the credit crunch which was in turn brought about by greedy bankers selling worthless fluff to each other just to make huge bonuses for themselves. The mass unemployment of the eighties was caused by conservative strict monetarist policies and was accepted by them as a price worth paying......... as long as it wasn't their people (the rich) who were paying it.

Iain.

Even though they say we must cut public spending, they're still sticking to their promise to abolish inheritance tax. I do believe that inheritance tax, because of house price inflation is affecting many people that the original tax was not aimed at and in the south east especially mr or mrs average. But this throwing the baby out with the bathwater approach is not the answer and only means that mr or mrs average will have to pay more in other ways just so that the super rich (those who the tax was originally aimed at) can pass on all of their wealth to their probably already wealthy offspring..... and the rich get richer and the poor and the average get poorer....... same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was, with a tory government.

Iain.

Who was it that encouraged able bodied but somehwat feckless people to move on to incapacity benefit to make the unemployment figures look better, the tories of course.

By gum lad.....

Sound like "Red Robbo" and Scargill, all rolled into one.....

The country and its people have been stitched up by Labour and the unions from day one, and although you can see it, you will not admit it.

[bornatbirth]

...and Labour are the worst fiddlers of stats than any previous government, the true number of adults not in a job is over 25%

have do you know this?

25% of me doesnt want to work...

[Scouse]

By gum lad.....

Sound like "Red Robbo" and Scargill, all rolled into one.....

The country and its people have been stitched up by Labour and the unions from day one, and although you can see it, you will not admit it.

Stitched up by the unions? When did they start passing legislation? They have never been over powerful and are organised from the top down by careerists who want to get pally with Labour in the hope of being given a cushy well paid part time job or a seat in the lords.

I don't support any party but as a former union activist (and full time official) if I had a penny for every time I heard 'we can't control the membership' I would be a rich man.

As for the Tories, any working person earning less than about £70,000 pa is a fool if they think the tories are their friends. They propose public spending cuts but not getting the money back from the finance industry who got us in to this mess and then wanted us to bail them out. I wonder why that is, perhaps because there are many tories on the banks boards and they don't want toupset ther friends. This is where most of the national debt is from.

Before you say Labour just look after the unions, if that was the case why did they not repeal all the anti trade union law introduced by the tories.

[IainBusby]

I don't remember Labour doing anything about it apart from putting more on it like smackheads, people with a sore back, broken fingernails.... mind you, they've only had 23 years

I agree, labour also found it convenient to have people on invalidity benifit rather than swelling the headline unemployment figures, but was initially a tory idea. I think your maths is a bit suspect though Keith, labour have only been in power since 1997, although to some, those who can't stand the labour party whoever is their leader, it might feel like much longer than 12 years.

[somebody]

Why? Whats he done apart from "Save The World?"

You mean put the end of the world on HP for now, whoever has to find the payments and hope we dont have a rainy day for the next 30- 40 years at least.

Still baills outs predicted to be needed for surprises and shocks on Bank balance sheets and elsewhere.

Quantive easing cant go on for ever surely and then what happens to everything

The stock market has almost recovered but many who follow it are just waiting for it to plumment and many will gain from that apart from the everyday punter with basic investments

Someone is bound to soon think hyperinflation is a good idea soon from whoever gets in, great if you owe lots of money not so great if you actually have some savings or just want to get along in the world

Tories and Labout both mucked up and I wish neither on my worse enemy in the future, and the credit crunch was bigger than the UK of course.

But one of the countries which they keep saying will be the worst off in the long term is the UK by a long way. We had good times and didn't prepare for the bad times. Said it before why in london do we have so many huge offices which are the soverigen funds of various countries many of them far smaller than us. Singapore was badly hit by the crunch but had the reserves and then some to shelter from the storm and still keep investing...

The UK Goverment could have invested for the future in the boom years, but people didn't it was all about today. Whose gonna pay all of our state pensions? Before you stay it i be long gone by then (not you Rob) even the older of you at sixty plus may well live 30-40 years and not make the newspapers..

Lastly Labour, Tories or Lib dems whoever changes in the little building by the Thames makes no difference the suits of whitehall and the over staffed buildings in Victoria will keep on implementing and interperting the MP's mutterings they wont change and still be there.

[KeithD]

I agree, labour also found it convenient to have people on invalidity benifit rather than swelling the headline unemployment figures, but was initially a tory idea. I think your maths is a bit suspect though Keith, labour have only been in power since 1997, although to some, those who can't stand the labour party whoever is their leader, it might feel like much longer than 12 years.

Not my maths, a number of independents such as universities have come up with similar figures http://firstrung.co.uk/articles.asp?...155&cat=44-0-0

Incapacity is an excellent benefit, but it has been allowed to abused and get out of hand. It needs to be renamed "I can't be doing any work benefit"

[IainBusby]

By gum lad.....

Sound like "Red Robbo" and Scargill, all rolled into one.....

The country and its people have been stitched up by Labour and the unions from day one, and although you can see it, you will not admit it.

With respect Dom, I'm definately no Red Robbo or a Scargill, in fact I actually voted for Margaret Thatcher in 1979 because I was concerned about the trade unions holding the country to ransom. I am at heart neither a tory or a labour supporter because as I see it, the overall policies of both parties have flaws. But from past experience I don't believe the tories are capable of governing in the interests of all of the people and they and will, if elected, pander to the extreme right wingers in their midst and structure the tax and benefits system in the UK to please only those they see as their natural true blue tory supporters.

The only reason I would choose the labour party over the conservatives is because their leanings are not as extreme as the conservative party. If the labour party had been the opposite extreme of the tory party, then during the past 12 years they would have sqeezed the rich until the pips squeaked as one 60's or 70's labour politician once famously said he would like to do.

I think you ought to look at the tories very closely and decide whether your just a natural tory supporter who could never find flaws in anything they propose or if you're a free thinker and are prepared to question their policies and look at both sides of every issue before you make up your mind.

Iain.

[somebody]

With respect Dom, I'm definately no Red Robbo or a Scargill, in fact I actually voted for Margaret Thatcher in 1979 because I was concerned about the trade unions holding the country to ransom. I am at heart neither a tory or a labour supporter because as I see it, the overall policies of both parties have flaws. But from past experience I don't believe the tories are capable of governing in the interests of all of the people and they and will, if elected, pander to the extreme right wingers in their midst and structure the tax and benefits system in the UK to please only those they see as their natural true blue tory supporters.

The only reason I would choose the labour party over the conservatives is because their leanings are not as extreme as the conservative party. If the labour party had been the opposite extreme of the tory party, then during the past 12 years they would have sqeezed the rich until the pips squeaked as one 60's or 70's labour politician once famously said he would like to do.

I think you ought to look at the tories very closely and decide whether your just a natural tory supporter who could never find flaws in anything they propose or if you're a free thinker and are prepared to question their policies and look at both sides of every issue before you make up your mind.

Iain.

Im seeing shadows of blair with cameron already shadowy figures are said to be at play. In fact its like de ja vu of 96-97 to me.
Labour or Tory both need to be vanila to get in nowdays. Look at radical obama not much has really changed or be allowed to.

Of course right wingers with the tories may break out, but like the left wingers found they may get beaten down for the career poltical types who choose blue or red depending on who will get them furthest in their career.

Once in power they will like Labour want to stay there and stop any personalities (right or left wing) from having a point of view. Just like your Dennis Skinners were muffled and then shuffled off along with any others who did not toe the party line.

[Northerner]

My biggest problem with all political parties is how they like to further the nanny state!

If an MP stood up and declared free speech and human rights were the most important things on their agenda. I could forgive a tax policy or whatever...