Yes let's see what a great impact a party whose only real policy is to pull out of the EU will have on running local councils. Have to say I've neevr been prouder of being a Londoner as we almost rejected them out of hand.
Not quite true OFH. That compares previous local elections. But the actual voting is different this time I.e. Nit the same local councils were up to vote for - no local elections for me this time. So a bit of a Apples and Oranges comparison.
Education here is in a bit of a hiatus at the moment, its reputation having slipped somewhat - but attempts are being made to regain 'past glories'. The main difference, as far as I can see, is that education is not as proscribed as it is in England - ie teachers can very much teach what they (and the kids) want/how they want/when they want as long as certain core curricular elements are catered for. The amount of testing for the sake of testing done here - normally insisted upon by politicians for their own purposes - is nowhere near the same level as in England. In primary schools, the word 'exam' almost doesn't exist - and where they do exist, they are done purely for diagnostic purposes - rarely to massage the egos of politicians. The main focus of schools is for children to manage their own learning and their own progression. Reporting to parents is somewhat different too - if the ones I've seen are indicative of 'across the board' requirements in England. If politicians here tried to insist upon similar, they would lose an extremely large percentage of teachers.
Was it 1981 that the 'gang of four' broke away from the labour party and set up the SDP?. At one stage joined together with the liberals the polls were showing them having over 50% of the vote. They not only had councillors elected they managed to control councils, St. Albans being one. It really did look as if they were capable of forming the next government, but before the decade was up they had almost totally disappeared. I see Ukip in the same light, except they do not control any councils. Posters up everywhere over here for the EU elections. Le Penn expected to do well, but most media comment regards them as a one issue party, in the same way that local Basques only have one thing to say. Turn out here tomorrow expected to be very low.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics...-party-become-frankensteins-monster?CMP=fb_gu Interesting.... very... interview with the founder of UKIP
The sad thing is they say you can't fool all the people all the time - but UKIP have fooled enough of the people for quite a time. As I said at the beginning of the discussions about UKIP - they are a dangerous party for democracy. Every interview I have seen with people who voted for them mentioned one reason alone - immigration. The party can claim all it likes about having other policies but even if it does there is only one reason anybody votes for them.
Yes, because people care about the country. People who vote Tory or Labour hate the country they live in.
I would like to think you are just being your usual WUM self but sadly I suspect you actually believe that.
Totally agree with that. Mind you, David Cameron must draw a small amount of comfort from the fact that the picture is similar across the established EU countries so that reform may now be more realistic than we first thought. I'm as concerned as you but it will be interesting to see how things play out running up to 2017 now.
If bigots get their way and we leave the EU it will be amusing to see them all cry when "our country" goes into economic meltdown. Luckily I am too old for it to affect me but I fear for my kids to live in a society full of xenophobic bigots
So wanting to leave the EU makes me a bigot - yeah thanks for that. I remember a former PM who accused an old lady of being a bigot...what happened to him?
I am sure some people who want to leave the EU have valid reasons - I carefully did not call all people who want to leave bigots - I have no idea what category you fall into and would not presume to call you a bigot. I said bigots want us to leave the EU - the bigots I am referring to are those who fall short of being outright racists but people who target others as a group because of their country of origin. Those bigots do not value the superb multi-cultural diversity that has enriched our country in so many ways. The history of Britain is the assimilation of people from all over the world tomake this one of the finest countries in the world. People who now want to shut the doors to other people because of their nationality are in my book bigots. You can if you wish enlighten us w-y as to whether you think you fit that category - it is not for me to say
I doubt that all of those who voted for UKIP were of the bigot persuasion, but in casting their votes the way they did they will probably be the catalyst for much needed reform of EU's powers. The result of that election was the boot up the arse that the main parties needed to push for reform, even if the push is no more than them trying to ensure their political future. I suspect that reform was what many wanted - and your kids may well have cause to thank those bigots.
One of the funniest things about the European Parliament is that Gibraltar is part of South West England! From a purely Jersey point of view, if Britain does leave the EU, it may mean that the countries that remain will suddenly realise that we aren't and never have been part of the EU. It would also be interesting to see if the Jersey Government tries to re-introduce the old system of 9 month work permits which had to be scrapped thanks to the EU. I don't think they will as it was a good system when the primary industry on the island was tourism, but now it's finance it wouldn't be welcomed by a lot of businesses.
.....but I fear for my kids to live in a society full of xenophobic bigots..... So we will have a country full of xenophobic bigots - you could not have been more clear. At the European elections, the Green Party stood on an agenda of wanting to leave the EU - damn tree hugging bigots
