I couldn't care less mate! I should have realised that you are all dyed in the wool Trots This country is crying out for a no nonsense Tory government.
JWM: I'm an ex-teacher, my wife has been in the profession for over twenty years, many of my friends are teachers, and from a considered observation of this thread using my background and knowledge of the teaching profession, I hereby conclude that your comments about teachers are not only grossly insulting but complete ****.
I don't want to degenerate your board into a political argument, but a no-nonsense Tory Government? This is the government who claim that delaying an increase in fuel tax rises is a tax cut and that their most recent cuts to benefits will only affect benefit scroungers when 80% of those affected are in work! No nonsense? No sense more like.
KOPR, have to completely agree with your outrage, this is a subject very close to my heart. This government is saying all the right things in terms of legacy but when you look at what has happened in the run up to the Olympics in terms of funding to Sport etc they''re ripping the foundations which were pretty poor anyway. i.e with the funding to school sports and free swimming etc. We've had this great event which clearly inspired people but the foundations aren't in place to mean that really it will hardly scratch the surface of the problem. As for not loosing sleep over it, in a few years time, people will be loosing alot of sleep over decisions like this, not just made by this government but by successive one's!! I thought I normally disagreed with you JWM but this has taken it to a new level!! Have to say I'm not a Labour supporter I'm more of a anyone but Tory and there's politicians who I dislike, quite a few Torys but Michael Gove takes it to a new level!! I do not think I have disliked a politician more, he is an absolute baffoon, it's easy to criticise those in power but my god the man makes me want to be violent!! I cannot believe the disregard you give to teachers!! Michael Gove will never be PM, he's someone who traditional tories like because he's got out of touch views (or traditional tory), he's so entrenched in tradition and the conservative ideology that he fails to make the right decisions, I think most Torys would realise he would never win them an election!! As for the mess Labour left, yes they can take a blame but did David Cameron not say he would match Labour spending before the crash?? A crash which was world wide lest we forget!! The more I think about it the more I think you'd make a great editor for the Daily Mail!!! What this Country needs is a Government to make the big decisions on Education, getting people physically active and healthy, pensions and care. Unfortunately no government has had the balls to do this and I don't think they will until it's too late and we have an NHS and welfare in crisis!! We don't need Governments who keep harping back to their traditions and ideologies, we need someone to make the right (pragmatic) decisions, not a government (particularly this one) who seems to think they are above research and reccommendations in favour of their out of date ideologies!!!
IPTFC...I am enjoying this thread, but perhaps we better return to footie and kiss and make up to JWM before he throws anymore toys out of his pam!
great post ptc gove needs to be squashed like a mosquito, before he sucks any more blood. the bloke is an abomination.
It is not the Governments job to get people physically active! It is down to the individual themselves! We need LESS government interference not MORE! Its about time people in this country realise that the tax payer doesn't owe them a living and its up to the individual to take reponsibility for their own lives. We have recently set up a free school in my area and it has been the best thing that could have happened. I suggest you stop clinging onto this socialist Eutopia where the state will provide everything because the harsh reality is that this country is flat broke and will be for many years to come thanks to Labour's profligacy.
It's not the governments job to get people physically active maybe not but it's in the governments interest to, our physically inactive population is costing the NHS £1.8billion a year and the wider economy £8.3billion a year and that's conservative estimates!! Add to that what the diseases associated with being inactive does to peoples lives and families, it's a Public Health time bomb waiting to happen. The government needs to show leadership on this front, it's not about interfering with people's lives it's about educating and nudging people to make the right decisions and therefore take responsibility for themselves!! And that's exactly what I was saying about reverting to a stereotypical ideological type, you've just as per usual said the easy typical traditional Tory rethoric without thinking about what you think is right and what would work!! I swear you have an answer in your mind if someone disagrees with you and write it before actually taking in what they have actually said!! I suggest you stop reading the daily mail!!
Warky, are these the same free schools, like the one in Bradford and others, that had £200,000 of funding and a few days before the term announced to its parents that it wouldn't actually be opening because of a lack of uptake? Is it the same wonderful Education Secretary who as a cost saving measure got rid of procurement advisors resulting in Head teachers managing their own procurement and contracts and becoming the victims of millions of pounds worth of scams over virtually worthless laptops? What great management of our money. To take it back to sport, I was at school in the 80s and Thatcher's government sold off Handford Hall playing field just after i left there. Gove has been selling off playing fields at an alarming rate, ignores the advice of the independent playing fields panel and has removed the obligation for schools to have playing fields of any specified size. Kids no longer have to have 2 hours of PE per week. At the same time we have a minister for health with a business interest in Pepsi Co and other unhealthy foods brands who has allowed McDonalds, KFC, Pepsi and Mars amongst others to formulate health policy. If you think it's down the individual I would love to know how kids are supposed to get involved in sport if they have no playing fields or PE lessons? Do you expect a five year old to make a conscious decision to find a sports club out of school time?
So what if it's not the tax payer's responsibility to encourage people to be healthy? It's not the taxpayer's responsibility to keep people away from crime either.
Hampy and ptc, I applaud your depth of feeling and the depth of your knowledge! JWM, you are making all the noises of someone who has been hoodwinked into believing crass propaganda!
I will always defend your right to hold those views JWM, but I fear they are based on misinformation!
Dave I am a true blue no nonsense Tory who believes in small government, low taxes and cherishes the freedoms, rights and responsibilities of the individual. These values have guided me very well during my life and before you ask, I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, far from it! I grew up on a rough tough council estate in Ipswich with a single mother who struggled on benefits.
I don't disregard your views here JWM as actually I also agree with much of what you believe in. But the problem is as I see it you've boxed yourself into a way of thinking by saying I am a no nonsense Tory, so what ever the evidence suggests you're going to go along with a certain ideology rather than what is right and what the evidence suggests, a bit like some of the current government!! It seems like many of your views including those on ITFC if someone mentions something which sounds like it's slightly against what you believe in you completely disregard it. On this argument for example because many of us are saying that the government should do more for Sport and more for getting people fit and healthy you think we're all socialist and want big government where I can't see anyone calling for that!!! As I keep saying please read between the lines things aren't as black and white as you think!!! Both good papers btw!!
PTC I have met Michael Gove and I found him to be an utterly honourable and decent man who is doing a sterling job under very difficult circumstances. I find it deplorable that some on here are calling him all the names under the sun and even wanting him exterminated. Like it or not he is trying to reform the education system in this country for the better and we should just let him get on and do it. If we don't like what he's done come the next election then we can kick him out. I agree that organised sport is very important but it doesn't always boil down to funding. There have been many times when i have organised fund raising events for my lad's local football club to help keep them going and I think that parents should be playing more of a role in educating their kids in the importance of exercise and healthier living. Government can only do so much but it was the last Tory Government that introduced National Lottery funding into areas such as sport that has proved to be hugely successful over the years. Perhaps if we all took some individual responsibility rather than just blame other people it would all help to make things a great deal better.
I'm sorry, but he is indefensible. You can vote Tory on the basis that you're looking after your own interests and there are undoubtedly a lot of people who take advantage of handouts. Where your 'belief system' falls flat is failing to consider that at some point or other the majority of us will have bad luck, fall on hard times and need some help to pick ourselves back up. You are in a great position and good for you, but not everybody can be in a privileged position. Think about a struggling family where dad is at work until late in the evening and mum is working all day and then looking after the kids in the evening. They have just enough to get by and what you're saying is that given it's dark by 4 in the winter they must pay for their kids to participate in team sports and somehow get them to the leisure centre. Going over to the rec on a weekend is one thing but do you think you can get kids a breadth of sport without having PE in schools? And that's for kids where mum and dad give a ****. You're ridiculous man and you're not thinking realistically about everyday people. What you're talking about might be fine for the middle classes (and at the moment they can find themselves in the **** with one out of the blue redundancy) but it has to work for everyone.
I'm sure there isn't anyone in the cabinet who feel isn't trying to improve things in the way they see best fit. But to me his ideas are so out of date and disregard so much evidence, he's going on as I've said an ideology over what the reccommendations and what evidence suggests. From what I've seen of him also, I tend to dislike how he comes accross, as many in the cabinet do, aloof to criticism and others concerns because they no best, we all think we know best but there are many in the cabinet who seem to have a closed mind and often make decisions before they've got the evidence!! There's alot of policy by governments that I dislike but I can see why they are doing it, most of his policies I believe are completely wrong, from what I've found there are very few people outside of traditional Torys who like him infact people really do loathe the guy and it's not just because he's a politician whos in power (most people dislike politicians) but it is actually because of some of the decisions he has taken, which just seem archaic!! I agree that I dislike people calling people names etc but this coming from you JWM, pot kettle and all??? I also completely agree that funding isn't everything, it is very very important however especially when used correctly. Elite sport funding has increased in the past few years and continues to rise however money into Sports Science has decreased, this makes no sense as those who are members of an athletes backroom will come from this background!!! You're also right parents should take more responsibility in educating their kids to be physically active but often most of these aren't themselves. It's a mixture of government leadership and personal responsibility, the 2 should go hand in hand unfortunately currently it seems both are extremely low!!!
