Look at us all arguing over who's getting the biggest scrap of poo they leave us.
Tha fact is most top MPs are millionares - the tory cabinet are ridiculously wealthy and all have vested interests.
The top 1000 earners have increased their wealth in the last 12 months by a 19bn while the economy is STILL shrinking and people are demonising people on benefits as 'lazy and scroungers,' whilst there have been tax cuts of 5% for the high-end earners.
Benefits in general. Who has the most generous? Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Luxembourg...one might take note it is their economies that are weathering the storm the best in the EU. Not Greece or Spain where benefits are cut after 1yr.
Cut paste from someone i know and i 100% agree:
And finally...its not about benefits/babies it's about housing as well. It's the flat/house which annoys people and that is because we have seen ridiculous house price inflation since 1990, again, not the fault of the poor/kids. And the Tories and their Liberal/Labour pals wouldn't touch it, tax breaks for buy to let landlords, near-unlimited rent increases, low stamp duty, money laundering by the international rich, its fucked the housing in the UK and people take it out on poor young women with babies...
Crack on
Exactly.....it's why I never bother arguing about politics....unless they start slagging my mate Bob off.
I think where TB went wrong was not replacing GB, epsecially after the 65p a week rise to pensioners debacul, DC is making the same mistake with GO, mainly because they were/are challengers for the leadership.
It's an extremely complicated issue and so far it's been a very good debate from all sides of the political spectrum...
Labour chose to do this through the continuation of PFI initiative, selling off our assests like the gold reserves, 3G, etc and borrowing shed loads while the going was good rather than raise it through tax hikes for obvious reasons i.e. they needed to get elected. In the meantime they were very happy to leave the lose regulation of the markets that the Tories had introduced as it was bringing in income and investment and Blair needed to be seen to be business friendly.
Events and hindsight has proven that this may not have been the best move of course but I'm damn sure that by the end of the last Labour government kids were not forced, as I was, to sit three or four to a textbook in a cold classroom containing several buckets because the local authority couldn't afford to repair the effing roof.
Of course they didn't get everything right and wasted a load of cash in doing so but my fear is that the investment that was needed to provide proper public services fit for the 21st century is now being quickly unwound.
Right, got that of my chest, carry on everyone...
Totally agree except for one thing... the last government did not borrow shed loads... the debt to GDP ratio hardly changed before the crash and the annual deficit fell to 2%. It is obvious that with a 5% contraction in the economy there will be a big fall in tax receipts - it was that and the cash needed for RBS (buying a dutch bank) and the HBOS fiasco that caused a one off problem... globally and in the UK the real panic should be over... so what now?
Well it is up to you, I and others to become more economically literate and then challenge the parties to come up with rational strategies at the next election... and to nail lies and xenophobia which certain politicians are using to stoke up fear and their share of the vote...
I saw Michael Hesaltine on "hard talk" last night and he made a lot of sense about "noisy" anti EU elements in his party and how leaving the EU is a joke proposition ... it's almost as if people like him and Ken Clarke should come to the fore before this political rhetoric on the poor and Johnny foreigner gets any louder
Strangely I suspect that Ed Milliband will fail miserably in 2015 and that will be the best thing for Labour. They will hold another leadership election and they will elect someone that the public can get behind in 2020. Also I don't think the job the Tories are doing now will be finished in 2015.
As I see it there seems to be a trend here. The Labour party come in and bloat the Public Sector and make significant achievements in lots of areas by throwing money at it, then when the country runs out of money the Tories come back in and clear the debts.
I know that sounds simplistic but it is the way I see it. One great example is that under the Labour Government waiting times for both consultants and surgery for Cancer patients fell to record lows. This is a very good thing, no doubt. However the cost of speeding up access to treatment for Cancer suffers now looks to be increased powers to the NICE department that are deciding which members of society will be denied necessary treatment because we can't afford/justify it. Now if your relative lives but would have died if their Cancer hadn't been dealt with quite so quickly you will be grateful for that approach. If, however, you have a terminally ill relative that could have their life extended if there was more money available for an expensive treatment, you might have a different view.
Strangely I suspect that Ed Milliband will fail miserably in 2015 and that will be the best thing for Labour. They will hold another leadership election and they will elect someone that the public can get behind in 2020. Also I don't think the job the Tories are doing now will be finished in 2015.
Haha mate but I'm just curious how you've come to that conclusion? I admit that I lean to the left on many things and yes, in 97 I did vote Labour but I have never been a paid up member nor would I ever be. Would I even vote for them again? Slim chance after that war criminal Blair shattered my illusions. So I'm more inclined to vote Green or any pro-animal splinter party.
Haha mate but I'm just curious how you've come to that conclusion? I admit that I lean to the left on many things and yes, in 97 I did vote Labour but I have never been a paid up member nor would I ever be. Would I even vote for them again? Slim chance after that war criminal Blair shattered my illusions. So I'm more inclined to vote Green or any pro-animal splinter party.
Do hate the Tories though!
Tree hugging veggies are, more often than not, Lefties AUN though pal!
Haha mate but I'm just curious how you've come to that conclusion? I admit that I lean to the left on many things and yes, in 97 I did vote Labour but I have never been a paid up member nor would I ever be. Would I even vote for them again? Slim chance after that war criminal Blair shattered my illusions. So I'm more inclined to vote Green or any pro-animal splinter party.
Do hate the Tories though!
Tree hugging veggies are, more often than not, Lefties AUN though pal!
@BIG_ROB Flippin' heck mate, you're always lurking to pick up on me ;o) you're right, for all intents and purposes I am a 'lefty' but more in a humanist kinda way. I support none of the three main political partys because I don't believe any of them have any idea of what's best for this nation.
Haha mate but I'm just curious how you've come to that conclusion? I admit that I lean to the left on many things and yes, in 97 I did vote Labour but I have never been a paid up member nor would I ever be. Would I even vote for them again? Slim chance after that war criminal Blair shattered my illusions. So I'm more inclined to vote Green or any pro-animal splinter party.
Do hate the Tories though!
Tree hugging veggies are, more often than not, Lefties AUN though pal!
@BIG_ROB Flippin' heck mate, you're always lurking to pick up on me ;o) you're right, for all intents and purposes I am a 'lefty' but more in a humanist kinda way. I support none of the three main political partys because I don't believe any of them have any idea of what's best for this nation.
Remember, I'm a hunter AUN and I stalk my prey, could be round any corner! ; )
I agree with you there though pal, all the mainstream parties are complete Tosh thats why I'm asking you all to VOTE BIG ROB! I'd sort it out in no time!
Exactly as my Public sector friends now moan about the private sector in an almost retaliation style.
Sadly every goverment left or right all use the same tactic in times of difficulty and most people even smart sensible people fall right in to it.
They certainly do. They also throw a few social issues out there for the people to scrap and argue over whilst they pursue their own agenda and snuggle up in bed with big corporate companies and then spin and lie about it on the news. Doesn't matter which party is in. All the same .
Comments
Rob got a big knob
but
Bob is a Knob
; )
Well it is up to you, I and others to become more economically literate and then challenge the parties to come up with rational strategies at the next election... and to nail lies and xenophobia which certain politicians are using to stoke up fear and their share of the vote...
I saw Michael Hesaltine on "hard talk" last night and he made a lot of sense about "noisy" anti EU elements in his party and how leaving the EU is a joke proposition ... it's almost as if people like him and Ken Clarke should come to the fore before this political rhetoric on the poor and Johnny foreigner gets any louder
As I see it there seems to be a trend here. The Labour party come in and bloat the Public Sector and make significant achievements in lots of areas by throwing money at it, then when the country runs out of money the Tories come back in and clear the debts.
I know that sounds simplistic but it is the way I see it. One great example is that under the Labour Government waiting times for both consultants and surgery for Cancer patients fell to record lows. This is a very good thing, no doubt. However the cost of speeding up access to treatment for Cancer suffers now looks to be increased powers to the NICE department that are deciding which members of society will be denied necessary treatment because we can't afford/justify it. Now if your relative lives but would have died if their Cancer hadn't been dealt with quite so quickly you will be grateful for that approach. If, however, you have a terminally ill relative that could have their life extended if there was more money available for an expensive treatment, you might have a different view.
Do hate the Tories though!
I agree with you there though pal, all the mainstream parties are complete Tosh thats why I'm asking you all to VOTE BIG ROB! I'd sort it out in no time!
This.
It's a crying shame.
Divide and rule...been going on for years.
Exactly as my Public sector friends now moan about the private sector in an almost retaliation style.
Sadly every goverment left or right all use the same tactic in times of difficulty and most people even smart sensible people fall right in to it.
They certainly do. They also throw a few social issues out there for the people to scrap and argue over whilst they pursue their own agenda and snuggle up in bed with big corporate companies and then spin and lie about it on the news. Doesn't matter which party is in. All the same .