General Election 2017

[GT49er]

That's what I thought when I said that the nationalised industries were running at huge losses....so by off loading them these losses were eliminated freeing up money to spend...where? If our taxes paid to subsides national industry loss - why didn't we get a big tax reduction when they were sold off? Like I said I know nothing about economics but it just doesn't add up to me?!?

Take no notice, he's an unrestructured Thatcherite trying to defend the indefensible. The money went into paying private companies enough money to run erstwhile loss making services, with enough left over to make said private companies vast amounts of profit.
All those council houses too were of course absolute carp, and not worth keeping in the nation's housing stock (according to Thatcher). That's why thousands - if not millions - jumped at the chance of buying them for half price. The process is known as 'buying votes' - which is easy when it isn't your money.

 

[studio150]

There is no Conservative manifesto, this election it is the May manifesto.

Vote for me, me or me

 

[Diablo]

There is no Conservative manifesto, this election it is the May manifesto.

Vote for me, me or me

May manifesto...June election...

 

[beorhthelm]

Er...you get a stipend paid to you from funding for your PhD. Not sure what your point is there.

thought the point was quite simple, Masters and PhDs with up front fees dont get covered in the "free education" apparently. just a question that seems to go unnoticed.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Abbott & Corbello the alternative dream team. Go lefty libs

 

[Dorset Seagull]

It is morally wrong to charge for education. Plus, society needs people with degrees to function properly so to put a financial bar there as well as an academic one is utterly wrong. Do you not want the best medical doctors and engineers and scientists, for example, keeping you healthy and pushing society and technology forward? Or do you just want the best ones of a bunch that happened to also be rich to begin with?
The latter will end up with worse society as people are unable to attain the heights they are able to due to financial barriers.

All good points, however, the problem is that the current system is not just about getting the best doctors etc. It's also about letting people go and party for a few years and come out of it with a worthless degree in some nondescript made up subject.

We need a system that gives free access to those that have the ability to reach the level of skill required for the top professions, regardless of background, but doesn't allow a free for all for any student wanting a charmed life for a few years.

 

[Ernest]

Abbott & Corbello the alternative dream team. Go lefty libs

May and Hunt = Rhyming Slang

 

[BensGrandad]

Why do they need a manifesto as they have no opposition to compete with them so the only question is the size of their majority.

 

[Ernest]

Why do they need a manifesto as they have no opposition to compete with them so the only question is the size of their majority.

All OAPs to lose their pension increases and have their benefits means tested will be ok for you then

 

[BensGrandad]

All OAPs to lose their pension increases and have their benefits means tested will be ok for you then

If you dont need the pension or heating allowance why should you get it and I agree all benefits and hand outs should be means tested.

What is more of concern is that I was told this week that all councils now credit check people on the housing list.

 

[Grombleton]

They'll continue to be a shower of ***** hellbent on destroying everyone and everything.

But hey, at least we'll be strong and stable! Unlike our economy, our belief in them doing the right thing...hell, even the comprehensible thing.

 

[GT49er]

All OAPs to lose their pension increases and have their benefits means tested will be ok for you then

They already are. If you qualify for a full state pension through your contributions, you don't need pension credits to get you up to that basic pension income level - and no pension credit means you don't qualify for all the freebies (Council tax, dentistry, etc.)

 

[Dorset Seagull]

For the vast majority that is not the case and is a crass generalisation. But either way, charging fees is the policy of the weak and stupid. It makes people feel better and treats a symptom and not the illness in the system.
We need free education and if there are issues with the education system we need to treat those issues properly.

Sounds like you are agreeing with me then. Free education for those that will make best use of it, regardless of background, whilst not wasting money on those that won't make best use of it...regardless of background

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Remember, in 79 Thatcher had no manifesto (that bore any relation to what she did). When the opposition are weak and/or covered by the bile of Fleet Street (Guardian and Mirror does not count) then the best plan is to say little, promise nothing, other than 'change' (if you are the oppostition) or 'strong and stable' (if you are the incumbent). The less said about the others, too, the better. Criticism can be contested if it has detail. All May needs to do is keep her peculiarly grimacing gob shut and job's a good 'un. Frankly I'm surprised she's antagonized the metropolitan liberal tories by declaring war on foxes, but it can be fun to create debate about irrelevance, especially when you're already strong and stable.

 

[jakarta]

I would guess it will be photos of Corbyn, McDonnell and Abbott and the phrase 'Do you want this lot running the country?'

Sorted.

 

[Ernest]

I would guess it will be photos of Corbyn, McDonnell and Abbott and the phrase 'Do you want this lot running the country?'

Sorted.

Pictures of Hunt at his PC saying you can trust me to run the NHS

 

[Blue3]

Who actually reads a manifesto from front to back, and even if done, who actually digests it? Whoever you vote for they will say you voted for their manifesto, even if that involves fox hunting, etc., etc. They will say that you have given them the green light. You may only agree with 60% of their policies, but you have voted for the other 40% too, like it or not.

I alway read the Labour and Tories manifestos and on one or two occasions have read the LibDems and once read the SDP

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

May has a unique opportunity, now, of fulfilling true tory dreams. Which are (if I were a Proper Tory):

Destroying the NHS because if you want to use a service you should pay for it.
Rolling back the state in general terms; let there be grammar schools if, locally, that's what you want.
Destroying state pensions. If you want a pension, buy one!
Protecting inheritable wealth. Why should your money be given to the poor rather than your kids?
Destroying high grade state education. If you want your kids to go to college and do elite degrees in archeology etc, pay for their schooling.
For the rest, a basic education that leads to a trade. The state needs plumbers and builders, right?
More gated communities, bobbies on the beat. We don't want the scum coming round to burgle us, do we?

The trick is to pull all this off without upsetting enough of the oiks left behind that they turn to Labour next time. It has never happened in a sustained way before, so have courage, May.

The best way to achieve the latter is to create bogie men and imaginary threats. Foreigners are the easiest targets. It has worked many time in the past. "If you want a ****** for a neighbour, vote labour". That can be updated and modernised.

And finally, change the rules of enfranchisement. Why should everyone get a vote? Votes should be earned. So, any criminal convictions, you don't get go vote (that one could be tricky, so let's keep it to shoplifing, mugging, 'sedition', etc, rather than failing to look after the health and safety of your workforce, etc). Perhaps if you earn 2, 3, 4, 100 times the national average income you deserve 2, 3, 4, 100 times the number of vote weight of the average person. Come on - why should Lord Vesty's vote count exactly the same as BG's? Vesty pays so much more tax (ahem).

Gosh, if I were a tory I could be a right *******. The question is: does May have the brains and balls to truly pursue the true conservative agenda, or is she just another wet one nation time server with no vision (as Farrage would doubtless argue) whose government will eventually fail and fall, to be replaced by a more-voter friendly version of the labour party, led by the new Mr Tony, who will certainly emerge, eventually (although Momentum seem to have a strangle hold on change in the labour party for the time being).

We live in interesting times.

 

[catfish]

As I'm heavily dependent on the NHS and in receipt of disability benefits I absolutely dread the forthcoming years under this lot.

 

[Big G]

They'll continue to be a shower of ***** hellbent on destroying everyone and everything.

But hey, at least we'll be strong and stable! Unlike our economy, our belief in them doing the right thing...hell, even the comprehensible thing.

As opposed to a government run by an IRA sympathising coward and his ex bit on the side, who genuinely cannot add up simple maths and clearly has no fvcking clue what's she is supposed to doing!!
Don't make me laugh!