O/T Politically will it be 1992 all over again?

[strings]

Why is private education used as a stick to beat Cameron?

I don't think private education is an issue. What I believe to be the issue (and maybe I've missed the point) is that Cameron has tried to cultivate the image of being just 'one of us' - a normal bloke.

Like I said at the start of this thread, we don't now the effect of viral campaigning as it has never really been used in a British election before. If somebody pulls their finger our and uses viral campaigning effectively there could be a real advantage.

 

[simmo]

The Tories are for wealth creation.
Labour are for public spending, handouts, free services.

However, the thing which all left-wingers seem to choose to ignore, is that to provide all of these public services, you need to generate wealth, otherwise you end up in debt, but of course New Labour would never let that happen, as they're prudent now.

I notice that no-one has disagreed nor disputed this statement, that is because it is spot on

 

[User removed 4]

Conservativism results in the uneven distribution of wealth, labour favour the equal distribution of misery.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

I don't think private education is an issue. What I believe to be the issue (and maybe I've missed the point) is that Cameron has tried to cultivate the image of being just 'one of us' - a normal bloke.

Like I said at the start of this thread, we don't now the effect of viral campaigning as it has never really been used in a British election before. If somebody pulls their finger our and uses viral campaigning effectively there could be a real advantage.

I'm not sure that any politician, especially a party leader, would be able to convince the population that they are a normal bloke.

I'm sure though what Cameron is trying to do is to soften his image to make him more "likable" than Brown. With Brown, that shouldn't be hard.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

labour favour the equal distribution of misery.

What like the Communists .....very true.

 

[Buzzer]

Yes but McLeod's proposals for cuts in public spending, published posthumously I think, are likely to be mimicked when Cameron and Osbourne sweep into clear up the current mess.

Just because Mcleod helped set up 'Crisis' doesn't been he was any less right wing. I doubt if had had run against Thatcher for leadership after Heath's demise he would have beaten our darling of the Tory Party.

Without Thatcherism people of our generation wouldn't have big houses and small or non existent mortgages.

Macleod's plans were (like Osborne's) borne of absolute immediate necessity. But I'm not gonna let you get away with describing Macleod as "any less right wing".

He was centre left even in the 60s and opposed the death penalty and supported the legalisation of homosexuality and abortion and the One-Nation Tories even under Thatcher in the 80s used to cite him as their pin-up boy. I know this for a fact as I used to be a member of the Tory Reform Group.

Sadly, there's no modern day equivalent.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

Macleod's plans were (like Osborne's) borne of absolute immediate necessity. But I'm not gonna let you get away with describing Macleod as "any less right wing".

He was centre left even in the 60s and opposed the death penalty and supported the legalisation of homosexuality and abortion and the One-Nation Tories even under Thatcher in the 80s used to cite him as their pin-up boy. I know this for a fact as I used to be a member of the Tory Reform Group.

Sadly, there's no modern day equivalent.

From having just read his wiki entry sounds like a great bloke. Are their any good biographies of him around??

Like his quote "He said of the Labour Party under Gaitskell that, when offered their choice of weapons, they invariably chose boomerangs."

 

[Buzzer]

None as far as I'm aware. Real pity and if you find anything then I'd really appreciate it if you let me know. As you can probably tell - I'm a big fan.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

This is the first time anyone on NSC has ever admitted to being a "big fan of McLeod"..

 

[vulture]

3 mps charged with fraud all LABOUR

 

[Common as Mook]

Was speaking to an economist from Barcap yesterday. No political leanings or anything, just pure economists theory. His exact words were, be VERY AFRAID of George Osbourne.

 

[Pantani]

Yes but McLeod's proposals for cuts in public spending, published posthumously I think, are likely to be mimicked when Cameron and Osbourne sweep into clear up the current mess.

Just because Mcleod helped set up 'Crisis' doesn't been he was any less right wing. I doubt if had had run against Thatcher for leadership after Heath's demise he would have beaten our darling of the Tory Party.

Without Thatcherism people of our generation wouldn't have big houses and small or non existent mortgages.

The last line sums up the problem though. People of your generation have got big houses and little or no mortgage. People of my generation cannot afford to buy a house. Anyone on average earnings now, has to spend so much of their earnings on a mortgage there is no money left for anything else. This lack of spare cash hampers the capatalist system that relies on people to keep spending. The way most people have continued to live the dream is to borrow more and more money. Leading to the financial meltdown we have just experienced (ignoring the fact the banks should not have kept lending to people who could not afford it).

Thatcher's economic policy started this problem, the fact that no government since has been sensible enough to redress it is another matter entirely.

 

[Shanker45]

What do you particularly remember not being'sweetness and light' under thatcher?

Poll tax - remember that?

Enough said.

 

[beorhthelm]

Was speaking to an economist from Barcap yesterday. No political leanings or anything, just pure economists theory. His exact words were, be VERY AFRAID of George Osbourne.

he doesnt seem to have the kahunas does he. i've never warmed to him since he backed out of flat rate income tax so quickly, seemingly killing the idea in the process. that sort of policy would be great right now to create clear difference between the parties.

Thatcher's economic policy started this problem,

what problem? the "problem" of widespread home ownership? without the Thatcher policy, the people you speak of would all be renting. where the policy went wrong, was in not allowing councils to use the money from council house sales to refurbish or create new social housing. the core principle of encouraging home ownership and a permenant stake in society (im aware of potential irony there) isnt a problem, unless you are from far left. even labour (especially MP and ministers) have wholeheartedly embrased the policy.

 

[sten_super]

Was speaking to an economist from Barcap yesterday. No political leanings or anything, just pure economists theory. His exact words were, be VERY AFRAID of George Osbourne.

The great thing with economists is that you can put 100 of them in a room, and get 100 different opinions. There's no right or wrong to economic theory, just lots of different answers. I'm an economist and I'm far more scared of Alistair Darling than George Osbourne. I find the level of national debt that him and Gordon Brown before him have led us into pretty ruddy terrifying.

Just out of interest, did he say WHY?

 

[Common as Mook]

The great thing with economists is that you can put 100 of them in a room, and get 100 different opinions. There's no right or wrong to economic theory, just lots of different answers. I'm an economist and I'm far more scared of Alistair Darling than George Osbourne. I find the level of national debt that him and Gordon Brown before him have led us into pretty ruddy terrifying.

Just out of interest, did he say WHY?

It was mainly to do with the Government debt piece and what he forsaw the problems were going to be in the coming year. To cut a long stroy short, as I am certainly no economist, he thought that George Osbourne's policies of dealing with government debt were not going work.

 

[User removed 4]

Poll tax - remember that?

Enough said.

I agreed with the poll tax .

 

[User removed 4]

he thought that George Osbourne's policies of dealing with government debt were not going work.

What, like reducing it , as opposed to increasing it a la alistair darling ?

 

[Common as Mook]

What, like reducing it , as opposed to increasing it a la alistair darling ?

Ways and means. By reducing the government debt that has been used to prop up the banks he could forsee a 'double dip' in the recession.

Before you start, this is NOT my opinion, merely rehashing what a top economist has told me.

 

[Shanker45]

I agreed with the poll tax .

Well not many others did other than the rich, please explain why?

I like a laugh.......