Off Topic The Politics Thread

I expected that response!

 

Ha. I don't like coming across as a labour fan, so not quite. Whilst they are incompetent and naive morons, the tories are not very nice people.

It's a shame Royston can't reply as to why my post was so laughable.

 

Unfortunately I am old enough to remember 1979, when during Jim Callaghan's Winter of Discontent the dead went unburied, rubbish piled up in the streets, and hospital operations were cancelled. We had spiralling unemployment at that time, and inflation rates in excess of 20%. Hence union wage demands for 20% plus increases. Crisis, what crisis ? It took a Conservative Government to come in and tame the trades unions, smashing Marxists like Scargill and the miners along the way, and begin through privatisation the reform of state monoliths like British Steel, British Coal and British Leyland. And British Gas and British Telecom. Under Labour the State decided when you could have a telephone installed, and how many spoilers your Austin Allegro would have. So forgive me Don for suggesting that the Conservatives cleared up a little bit of an economic crisis there.

Regarding Osborne and your 1/10 - PMSL

Not the best, but by no means the worst either. Unemployment and inflation remained historically very low, and lots of good work was done on supply side measures like apprenticeships. Labour from 1997 until the banking crisis ran an historically high deficit because they were wedded to spending on pet projects. One example - Gordon Brown's barmy Working Tax Credits - basically a bribe to make working people vote Labour. This budget increased by more than tenfold. Why is the State paying a working man a top up ??.

As for private equity - PMSL again.

Remind me who introduced the truly disastrous PFI into the NHS. Remind me again who introduced University Tuition Fees, having promised in their manifesto not to do so.

Labour makes the mess, Conservatives clear it up

 

Is PMSL a HOC term?

 

I sometimes think it would be good for the young idealistic Left to live under a REAL Labour Government. Not the Tory-lite version we had under Blair and Brown, but a real one which you would get under Corbyn. Then you would have Len McCluskey and the ASLEF leader in No.10 every day for beer and sandwiches, you would have nuclear surrender, a population of 80m because of unfettered immigration, and a collapse of living standards, stagflation and depression as the economically illiterate Corbyn crashed the UK economy. Then the IMF would have to step in, just like they did for Labour in the 70s.

Young idealistic Lefties (and @ForestHillBilly ) - be careful what you wish for. These people really are dangerous.

 

Here endeth today's sermon.

 

I first got interested in politics at the 1964 election. I went to hear Royston's hero Enoch POwell speak in Kilmarnock, in a whistle-stop tour. He gave an impassioned speech, lasting 25 minutes without notes, about why he was a conservative, how the trickle-down effect worked for the benefit of everyone. It was really impressive, and I was quite convinced for a while. Looking back, I'd say he really did believe it. Maybe it did work up to a point at that time. But at a time when the richest 8 people in the world have more wealth than the poorest 50%, the trickle is now defying gravity.

 

What's on the menu?

 

I'm not a labour fan, nor was I alive in 1979 so that's irrelevant to my post.

Unemployment is indeed low - recovery of the global economy is always going to lead to more jobs. Whilst low unemployment is always a good thing, how many are on zero hour minimum wage contracts?

As for inflation, again low and stable -Benefits and negatives to that.

My post was mainly regarding Osbourne, as he and Cameron continually spoke about the mess they inherited, But Osbournes austerity has lead to a huge increase in national debt and lower living standards for the average Brit. Those are two things that cannot be refuted.

Living standards have collapsed under the Tory government, though?

I agree Corbyn would be a disaster, but nuclear disarmament is his only sensible policy.

 

According to reams, he is now a 'pot scrubber'.

 

I can't keep up.

 

They must be drastically overmanned in the Westminster kitchens, unless Royston can make sarnies and tweet/post at the same time. Privatise the Westminster kitchens, I say.

 

He'll be replaced by a vending and washing machine soon enough. Wonder if he'll contact his union rep?

 

He'd be like A2C, who would rather be burned to death

than be rescued by a Sheffield fireman

 

Those pesky Sheffield firemen!

That had to be one of the funniest threads at the time.

 

We want British machinery.

 

I might truly follow a2c's example - and become a beachcomber.

 

All ex-presidents have the sense to stay completely out of politics once they retire. David Cameron seems to be following their example, now that he has gone back to grouse-shooting. But ex-premiers like Heath, Thatcher, Major, and especially Blair have been unable to resist poking their noses in long after their time has gone. Heath's incredible sulk was awesome, but Blair takes the cake for sheer brass neck, becoming a middle-east peace envoy.

 

The VIPs have taken their seats on the stage for the swearing-in.

The cameras honed in on Hillary Clinton - fixed grin and all. Politics is a cruel game

 

Wheres mike pences jaw?