Off Topic Political Debate

Good analysis and...

Fewer Libraries
Increasing any NHS related services and shrinking of provision, sub-contracting, generic medicine lists, etc etc
Less investment in renewables
Increasing isolation of UK from European markets and increasing alignment with US
Decreasing welfare expenditure ( don't worry it wont affect your family if they are not poor)
Alienation of the South from the North of the UK
Increasing privatisation of core services such as prisons, probation etc ( anybody working in these services will tell you what that means)
Pulling the drawbridge up and creating a 15 plus dynasty of One party rule with changes to electoral boundaries
Withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Agreements
Increasing Security through the controversial so called snoopers charter ( in Telegraph today)
Privatising Education
Loss of the Union by default.

I have no real problem with the first list except for the 'bloated state' comment.I am not sure what is meant there... but anyone working in health, education, social services, council services will tell you the real cost. Sure there will always be the odd 'my uncle story' but whoever is in power there are such examples.

I find it hard to accept why people would begrudge decent health, welfare, social and education services as a minimum.

 

Interesting analysis in the Telegraph this morning:
Ed M chose a leftish position to distance himself from New Labour.... and that is considered to be the starting point. The population as we have seen value a strong approach to the economy a more moderate strategy and Miliband was seeing as being too far left. Plus of course his own behaviour etc.


I always find it amazing how parties contrive to elect leaders who flawed in the eyes of the media ( Major, IDS, Kinnock, Foot, Clegg, Brown etc etc)

 

I think that you are right to point out that less than 10% MPs are from Scotland and should be treated with respect Cologne. However they should also remember that 90% of MPs are not from up there, and shouldn't try to exert undue pressure on matters that do not have a direct influence on Scottish matters.

 

I'm sure the Tories will now offer the Scots full fiscal autonomy which will enable the SNP to take total financial responsibility for themselves. This can only work if the UK in general is not the bank of last resort. They do need to take their share of the national debt. Whether they repay it or continue to pay high interest is completely up to them. We might find they feel that this is not the right moment and could we keep subsidising them a little longer.

 

They haven't, they don't and they may never - even though, having been democratically elected, it is their right to do so. Westminster is, after all, a UK parliament - not an English one. The SNP in Westminster have a policy of not voting on 'English only' matters, and have stuck to it fairly well rigidly - you can't simply assume or expect that they will drop that merely because they now have a louder voice.

The big problem is the interpretation of what constitutes 'English only' - there's not a lot that the previous administration did which didn't impact upon Scotland.

 

The bits in bold are either not true or just a byproduct of the country getting out of the recession.

 

Agreed.. and of course the economy under Brown was not shambolic.... just happened to at the end of Labour tenure co-incide with a worldwide banking disaster.

 

My 'bloated state' comment refers to unnecessary employment in the state section, such as layers of middle management in the NHS and Council bosses on £250k. Despite warnings by Labour to the contrary the last coalition government reduced the number of excess state workers by 500,000 and produced over double that in the private sector.

No wonder the IMF reckons whatever the UK is doing, it is doing it right.
Obviously there is still a long way to go but at least we now have an acclaimed financially responsible government although I'm concerned where the money is coming from to pay the election bribes!!

 

For me - this was the pivotal moment for Labour's demise. It's not their failure that I fail to understand, it's why on earth they brought it upon themselves by allowing this Balls-up.

http://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2015/03/19/ed-balls-wouldn-t-reverse-anything-from-osborne-s-budget

As for how history will view Cameron - I'd suggest looking no further than Blair.

 

The first priority after changing the electoral boundaries is to increase the limit before inheritance tax is paid to £1 million for a couple.

The next step is to increase the current entrepreneurs relief of 10% effective interest rate on the disposal of company shares to £20 million from £10 million.

This will encourage entrepreneurship and enterprise.

 

....and of course increase wealth for those who have it?

Why are so many people so concerned with amassing money? Rhetorical question, of course.

 

Perhaps most of those that have it have worked really hard, taken risks and produced lots of benefits for the wider community.

 

....and of course that has more economic value than the life saving efforts of a nurse, the dedication of a primary school teacher, and so on ... ad nauseam?

... and of course the 'trickle down' theory espoused by people with lots of dosh is a virtual non-runner having been pretty much disproven.

I have no problem people with being rewarded for their efforts.......but really there needs to be balance and fairness

 

How history will judge Cameron depends now on how he can control his own party. As well as being able to discard their coalition partners this result has also strengthened the most right wing elements in the party, and the anti europeans in it - he is much more vulnerable to rebellions than before, and may well find that keeping his party together through a EU referendum is beyond his powers. I do not need to remind you of some of the nutters contained within this party - you only have to read the alternate queens speech of 2013. Reintroduction of the death penalty: Privatisation of the BBC: Renaming of August Bank holiday as Margaret Thatcher Day: Ban on the burka. This is some of the poison coming out of the right wing of this party, and they have the nerve to use the expression 'loony left'.

 

If you don't protect and encourage the private sector there will be no money to pay the nurse and primary school teacher, or is your answer just to keep borrowing more and more?

 

Privatisation of the left leaning BBC is long overdue. Recognising the enormous service by MT would be a good idea, but it should be on Labour day. Banning the burka is also an excellent idea. The very best thing France has done.

 

How am I not surprised...

 

please tell me you were chuckling to yourself when you typed that!

 

Deadly serious Dan.

 

I never mentioned borrowing... I think we should all pay our taxes