David Cameron fires the starting gun for unofficial election campaigning

[frogstamper]

Originally Posted by Flyboy

Hmm...what was the Tories' stance on minimum wage?

I remember...Micheal Howard said it would cost one million jobs.

[Ignitionnet]

I honestly couldn't care less about what the Tories did when last in power, I care about what their plans are now.

Labour have shown a lack of respect or care for responsibility, both individually and collectively, and have shown a desire to inefficiently centralise everything. The constant politicisation of public services and obsession with targets is also a nightmare.

The attitude of almost encouraging people to not take responsibility for themselves on the grounds that the taxpayer, or perhaps more appropriately the debt markets when there's not enough taxes coming in, will deal with things is just wrong.


NHS hospitals having temporary wards to put A+E patients in so that they can claim to be hitting their targets.

Police wasting their time on paperwork to prove they are hitting their targets.

Schools having to educate purely for exams rather than giving any kind of broader education to ensure they hit their targets.

Of course these targets need people to draw them up, people to administrate the schemes, people to tinker with them, people to assess. Yay more jobs for more pointless civil servants to waste tax payer's money on.

Given the mess that Labour have left the country in financially and socially, as usual, I think though that the best we can hope for is that whoever is in power will be good enough to give the tax payer a reach-around as they take us firmly from behind.

Fact is no one could be worse then labour and you have twelve years of evidence to go on unless of course your completely blind or a die hard labourite of which i know there are quite a few on here. As for the direct question of do the tories look after the rich yes of course they do and so have labour since they got into power so your point is what exactly ??. Bear in mind that a country with no rich people has few workers either so what do you want no rich people or workers ??. In fact it could be argued that labour have done far more for the rich in the last twelve years then the tories could have ever hoped to do but i doubt that will be agreed on by some.

Originally Posted by frogstamper

I remember...Micheal Howard said it would cost one million jobs.

Labour 1997 Manifesto
- There will be no increase in the basic or top rates of income tax
- We will provide stable economic growth with low inflation, and promote dynamic and competitive business and industry at home and abroad
- We will clean up politics, decentralise political power throughout the United Kingdom and put the funding of political parties on a proper and accountable basis

Labour 2001 Manifesto
Ten goals for 2010
- Long-term economic stability
- Rising living standards for all
-Expanded higher education as we raise standards in secondary schools
- A healthier nation with fast treatment, free at the point of use
- Full employment in every region
- Opportunity for all children, security for all pensioners
- A modern criminal justice system
- Strong and accountable local government
- British ideas leading a reformed and enlarged Europe
- Global poverty and climate change tackled

We could carry on, but how about looking forward, not back.....

Also given how labour have manipulated the unemployment figures can we be so sure minimum wage didn't cost a lot of jobs i highly doubt a million but it did cost some i would wager.

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

Also given how labour have manipulated the unemployment figures can we be so sure minimum wage didn't cost a lot of jobs i highly doubt a million but it did cost some i would wager.

Speaking of unemployment, Gordon Brown stated in 1997 that the Youth unemployment figures of 665,000 he had inherited from the Tories were

a “human tragedy”, “sickening” and “an economic disaster”.

It's now nearly a million.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Broadbandings

I honestly couldn't care less about what the Tories did when last in power, I care about what their plans are now.

Labour have shown a lack of respect or care for responsibility, both individually and collectively, and have shown a desire to inefficiently centralise everything. The constant politicisation of public services and obsession with targets is also a nightmare.

The attitude of almost encouraging people to not take responsibility for themselves on the grounds that the taxpayer, or perhaps more appropriately the debt markets when there's not enough taxes coming in, will deal with things is just wrong.


NHS hospitals having temporary wards to put A+E patients in so that they can claim to be hitting their targets.

Police wasting their time on paperwork to prove they are hitting their targets.

Schools having to educate purely for exams rather than giving any kind of broader education to ensure they hit their targets.

Of course these targets need people to draw them up, people to administrate the schemes, people to tinker with them, people to assess. Yay more jobs for more pointless civil servants to waste tax payer's money on.

Given the mess that Labour have left the country in financially and socially, as usual, I think though that the best we can hope for is that whoever is in power will be good enough to give the tax payer a reach-around as they take us firmly from behind.

Excellent post

[Arthurgray50@blu]

IF anyomre has watched the news of the first ' election battle speeches' Labour wanted to know where he was going to save these billions of pounds from, And Cameron, slipped up when he was saying there will be cutbacks as well, plus the NHS.

I don't trust any top party, they both talk a load of crap during the election and we end up the loser, no one can cut the services more then what has happened over the years, and both parties are guilty of this.

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

IF anyomre has watched the news of the first ' election battle speeches' Labour wanted to know where he was going to save these billions of pounds from, And Cameron, slipped up when he was saying there will be cutbacks as well, plus the NHS.

I don't trust any top party, they both talk a load of crap during the election and we end up the loser, no one can cut the services more then what has happened over the years, and both parties are guilty of this.

Strange, that, when he said

his party was being "honest and upfront" about their intentions and what the country could afford given the "vast" size of the UK's budget deficit and the need for spending cuts.
He said his commitment to protect NHS spending was "bolted down" and also reaffirmed the party's pledge to cut inheritance tax.

Or would you prefer he ignored the fact that the country is trillions in deficit?

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Hi Foreverwar, You must be a Tory fan, l get involved in rows with my neighbour over this tory idiot.
He does not have the bottle to run this country, he will be another Thatcher puppet, like that grey aired old bugger.

I will vote Lib Dem. wouldn't it be great if THEY woin the election.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Hi Foreverwar, You must be a Tory fan, l get involved in rows with my neighbour over this tory idiot.
He does not have the bottle to run this country, he will be another Thatcher puppet, like that grey aired old bugger.

I will vote Lib Dem. wouldn't it be great if THEY woin the election.

grr thatcher

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Hi Foreverwar, You must be a Tory fan, l get involved in rows with my neighbour over this tory idiot.
He does not have the bottle to run this country, he will be another Thatcher puppet, like that grey aired old bugger.

I will vote Lib Dem. wouldn't it be great if THEY woin the election.

"Fan" isn't the right word, Arthur - in this country, we call them "supporters" or "voters".

Don't you need to give up on the "Thatcher" diatribes, buddy - she was kicked out (by the man you called her puppet") 18 years ago; should we call Gordon Brown Neil Kinnock's puppet.

Pleased to hear you will be voting Lib Dem - good for you. I am sure Ann Keen will miss your vote.

[Flyboy]

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

Also given how labour have manipulated the unemployment figures can we be so sure minimum wage didn't cost a lot of jobs i highly doubt a million but it did cost some i would wager.

And the Tories hadn't done that for the eighteen years they were in? Didn't they change how they calculate it like thirty times during their tenure?

Originally Posted by Flyboy

And the Tories hadn't done that for the eighteen years they were in? Didn't they change how they calculate it like thirty times during their tenure?

i hope that figure has been "adjusted down" because it's monday

[Flyboy]