NationStates Jolt Archive

As we all know in Britain, the General election is expected to take place in a few months, possibly April or May. Which party would you like to form the New Government...and why.

The Conservative Party have snsible new policies regarding immigration, education, health care and council tax.

I am particularly in support of their strict attitude towards the spiralling levels of immigration and their promise to make history compulsory to all students until Year 11. I also favour their cautious approach on Europe although I hope that they will be soon rid of that cautiousness and take the first steps fot withdraw us from that insidous Union.

Lib Dems. legalise!

much as i'd like to see Gordon Brown stay Chancellor for the rest of his natural life (doin a good job with the economy imo), i have been put off Labour in this last term of office. forget the tories.

i support the lib dems pro-european approach, plus the fact that they are not going to reduce public spending like the tories would

IMO Labour still seems the only sensible option this general election. No danger I'd want Michael Howard as PM, and whilst I'm sure Charles Kennedy is an intelligent guy... I cant really see him leading a country.

Never heard of the "Respect Coalition" and we should just burn the BNP.

http://www.ipc-ps.info/ipc_a/ipc_a-1/img1/flags_logos/EU_flag-b.jpg


Just my opinion.

Labour. Tony Blair of course is not left wing but I still have faith that we'll soon get a new Labour leader who doesn't want to be a crony of Bush, will not go off on silly wars that waste money and wants to improve education and health care.

Anything to keep the tories out, who'll just cut taxes for the rich and public services. Besides, they'd be even MORE willing to do what ever America tells them to. 'Iraq? I hear that place is full of darkies!' Of course we'll help you 'civilise' them master!'

Besides, they'd be even MORE willing to do what ever America tells them to. 'Iraq? I hear that place is full of darkes!' Of course we'll help you 'civilise' them master!'
lmao :p

Respect coalition is George Galloway's new Socialist party. Basically it's a revamp of the old Socialist Workers Party. I think they are trying to be in the same political spectrum that the old pre clause 4 Labour Party used to be.

I cannot stomach another term of knee-jerk legislation and the rubber stamp parliament that will pass any Bill no matter how stupid and anti-libertarian it is. I don't particularly like Michael Howard, William Hague should have stayed on as opposition leader IMO, but until we have proportional representation they are the best chance of being rid of the loathesome liar Bliar.

Labour seems a cool choice to me, to be honest, id sooner vote Plaid Cymru than vote Conservative

No one else seems to be able to find their arses with both hands so I'd say Labour. ( :Coservative MP: ) :sniper:

none of the poll stand in my constituency....

Labour is the only option. Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy are too weak and frankly, the Tories are still a frightening bunch of bigots. More European intergration is needed, and although Labour struggles against tabloid politics, and has been subject to ridiculous wastes of time and money at their hands (e.g. fox hunting ban). Lets remember that Labour have done much good work as well as making mistakes (cf: abolition of Section 28 with Iraq War). As for compulsory History classes? Thats news to me, but find it abhorrent. Students should have control over the studies they wish to take, since the market in careers in ever-increasingly competitive. I do find Charles Clark misguided, but hope that his current policies are a legacy left over from Blunkett. Labour is the only way to guarantee a continued climate of progression, however slow-moving it is.

Respect coalition is George Galloway's new Socialist party. Basically it's a revamp of the old Socialist Workers Party. I think they are trying to be in the same political spectrum that the old pre clause 4 Labour Party used to be.

Respect isn't a revamp of the SWP it's an entirely new party which grew out of the Stop the War Coalition that is supported by the Socialist Workers Party. The SWP hasn't run for election for many years as it is a revolutionary party not a political one.

The tories are the only realistic option for getting rid of Blair. I do find the way Gordon Brown gets the credit for old tory policies and for the actions of the independant bank of england (although to be fair making it independant was a stroke of genius on his part) quite funny. I just think it is a shame that the Tory party cant grow up about Europe and follow the lead of the like of Ken Clarke and Portillo in showing how Europe and moderate conservatism are perfectly compatable. Respect are a joke party lead by an even bigger joke (although even he can laugh down on Kilroy-Silk and Veritas), they will only help the Tories by taking votes off labour.
The Lib Dems however are really interesting, and for once actaully have credible policies, despite the 11bn hole in their budget. It would be nice to see the Lib Dems get enough seats to make an impact on the stage
I would imagine the BNP's vote has been slashed by the tories remebering that being worried about immagration is not racsist.

and the fact that the tories do not want to join the eu? we should unite, you say joining the eu would mean superstate. I say why not? why not have a superstate? joining up would be the end of war i can almost guarentee it. almost. mainly almost because i'd say that communism works too, but only in theory. If anyone suggests anything about joining the bnp though. I'm outta here.

I say disband parliament and let Her Maj rule. That would rock, Polo and Pimm's all round. Would be a bit of a problem when Charley boy gets to be King. Could skip him and move on to Will. Anything to make sure the King's Consort doesn't look more equine than Red Rum

The fact that we should do history until Year 11 is stupid, we do from 0 BC until AD 1945 from yr 7 to yr 9 anyway. Besides, GCSE history is not a "mainstream" subject like Science, Maths or English, it's much more specialised.

For what the Tories want, which is general history, you cannot do, as you concentrate on one thing, e.g I did the Industrial Revolution.

again???? look what happened last time we had a queen/king in charge of britain. I say join the eu and have done. one big government deciding major laws etc. that would be better for everyone! and then we have small council-type governments deciding inner state stuff. then we have proper councils making sure they have their say in the government about local affairs ie farmers being too poor to grow much, council makes sure they get subsidies etc.

The fact that we should do history until Year 11 is stupid, we do from 0 BC until AD 1945 from yr 7 to yr 9 anyway. Besides, GCSE history is not a "mainstream" subject like Science, Maths or English, it's much more specialised.

For what the Tories want, which is general history, you cannot do, as you concentrate on one thing, e.g I did the Industrial Revolution.

History is the only way people learn!! From their mistakes!! We must make people do history until school leaving age otherwise people just won't learn how to avoid the same mistakes we have already made, it's the only way we, britain (and any other country) will learn! :sniper:

I want to vote 'none of the above' none of em are relevant to me!!!

We need PR before we can have true representative parties.

:mp5: ;) pr? :sniper: :p :fluffle:

I want to vote 'none of the above' none of em are relevant to me!!!

We need PR before we can have true representative parties.

Yeah thats what I want to happen as well...but the Tories and Labour won't allow it as it will diminish their power even more :(

What do the Liberal Democrats stand for? My guess is pro-business and possibly civil liberties (which I would guess is what seperates them from the conservatives), yes?

The Conservative Party have snsible new policies regarding immigration, education, health care and council tax.

Can't think of anything more sensible than banning immigration (bad people immigrants, eg Michael Howard), stopping spending on education and health care and reducing council services to nil


I am particularly in support of their strict attitude towards the spiralling levels of immigration and their promise to make history compulsory to all students until Year 11. I also favour their cautious approach on Europe although I hope that they will be soon rid of that cautiousness and take the first steps fot withdraw us from that insidous Union.

Well I think that in about 10 years you might grow up.

What do the Liberal Democrats stand for? My guess is pro-business and possibly civil liberties (which I would guess is what seperates them from the conservatives), yes?

LibDems are pro-people

more civil liberties, higer taxes for the rich, lower taxes for the poor, more spending on education and healthcare, less spending on wars, decent pensions for all

History is the only way people learn!! From their mistakes!! We must make people do history until school leaving age otherwise people just won't learn how to avoid the same mistakes we have already made, it's the only way we, britain (and any other country) will learn! :sniper:

Yes, if only I had taken a history O level I would have learned from the mistakes of the past, and not invaded britain. or poland. What are you talking about? What did you learn in history?

This summarises one of the reasons I left the UK.
I like the conservative economic policies, but I hate their policies on Europe.
I like the Lib Dem policies on Europe but hate their policies on education for example.
I don't like anything about labour, but that is just personal.
So I abstain.
But I consider abstension in a democratic system a serious omission in your civic duty and worse than voting negatively.
This forced me to either vote on the basis of the candidate and not the party, which had been my general strategy, or to vote strategicaly, attempting to vote against the worst candidate where I was living.

In the end I decided to move out. (There were other reasons as well behind this, not just the disenchantment with the UK political scene)

What about the Monster Raving Loony Party?

Yes, if only I had taken a history O level I would have learned from the mistakes of the past, and not invaded britain. or poland. What are you talking about? What did you learn in history?

I think you are missing the point. Since the government is all knowing and all loving, it should guide us in our learning of the past.

I mean think of the damage that learning unsupervised will lead to.

OK. I think I'd better go to sleep.

But I consider abstension in a democratic system a serious omission in your civic duty and worse than voting negatively.

I agree. I think they're all bloody useless, but I won't not vote, so I end up studying the policies all available candidates and parties and voting for the one that is, in my opinion, least crap.

Of course, being in Northern Ireland, I can't vote for any of the mainstream UK parties (well, officially the Tories exist here, but of course they never do very well). That annoys me; while backbenchers have little say at Westminsiter, backbenchers from minority parties such as those in NI have even less (even if one NI party won ALL seats here, which would almost certainly never happen, they'd still only have 18 seats in Parliament). And I can't see the restoration of the Assembly any time soon, after the most recent debacles!

If I could vote for the main UK parties, I'd be torn - I hate Labour, primarily because of Blair. I like some of the Tories' policies, and some of the Lib Dems, but neither enough to really convince me that they're the way to go.

Well, I'm pro-Europe and while history is one of my favourite subjects, making it complusory seems too great an infringement of students' right to choose what they study (bit of a small issue though). So the Conservatives are out I'm afraid. Plus, I'm not sure if No. 10 would provide Mr Howard with the fresh blood that the papers keep reminding us he requires... and there are plenty of better opposition leaders within his party. As to immigration... I am unsure - I'll have to find out more about the subject.

The Liberals have been declining for the best part of a century - a trend which doesn't seem likely to change much in the next few decades.

The only person I'd rather see leading the country than Blair is Brown at this stage. Do I trust Blair? No. But 'trust' should not be part of parliamentary terminology. I respect Blair for most of what he has done but I would love to see Brown replace him. Have to wait a few years for that though...

I'm voting for the Lib Dem's, because i like there polocys on Europe, and the Polocys in General, and because the other partys are, quite simply, idiots.

I mean, if you look at it, the Torys have no idea, theyPromise more funding on everything, but Tx cuts as well. Is all this funding just going to appear?

Labour will just lead us to disaster, while there a good party, and if brown was in charge I'd vote for them, currently I don't like them.

I'm not British, but I don't see where these left-wing parties deserve a chance to waste more taxpayers' money. The fox hunting ban is just one example. The gun ban is another. It's your country, not mine. If I were you, though, I'd vote Conservative for sure.

I'm not British, but I don't see where these left-wing parties deserve a chance to waste more taxpayers' money. The fox hunting ban is just one example. The gun ban is another. It's your country, not mine. If I were you, though, I'd vote Conservative for sure.
New Labour + left wing = excuse me?

Just out of curiosity, I thought the BNP were kinda broken up as there was a program on the BBC which showed them as being racists as a result some of them were arrested (including the leader) and many of their assets frozen.

Or was this evil lies?

Anyway, I will probably vote BNP or Respect.

I'm not British, but I don't see where these left-wing parties deserve a chance to waste more taxpayers' money. The fox hunting ban is just one example. The gun ban is another. It's your country, not mine. If I were you, though, I'd vote Conservative for sure.

The latest gun ban was brought in under a Conservative government was it not?

Just out of curiosity, I thought the BNP were kinda broken up as there was a program on the BBC which showed them as being racists as a result some of them were arrested (including the leader) and many of their assets frozen.

Or was this evil lies?

Anyway, I will probably vote BNP or Respect.

You will vote BNP why?

The latest gun ban was brought in under a Conservative government was it not?

The last I checked, the last gun ban was after the Dunblane incident (which just shows that mass hysteria makes for bad law) under Tony Blair's supposedly centrist New Labour government (the same "centrist" government that favored a "windfall tax" on newly privatized industries). That had nothing to do with John Major, the last Conservative Prime Minister. The only person with the guts to speak out against the law was a peer in the House of Lords (never thought I'd be applauding a titled aristocrat before then). Everyone else went with the mass panic.

I strongly support the Scottish Socialist Party as they are the only Scottish party which stands up for the rights of working people against the corrupt pro-business policies of Blair and his far right New "Labour" cronies who seem to be more interested in blindly following the fascist Bush administration than representing the interests of the British people. Unfortunately due to the undemocratic first past the post system the SSP has little chance of winning more than one or two working class seats in the General Election although they now have 6 seats in the Scottish Parliament and this is likely to increase in the next Scottish election in 2007. If I lived in England I would probably vote for Respect.

Well I don't want tuition fees that's for sure.

How could anyone vote for Labour after the mess they have put Britain in and the crap they plan to put us in if they are re-elected???

Anyone who wants the EURO can f**k off, the large majority of BRITISH PEOPLE want to keep the pound.

The EU constitution wastes 2 billion pounds each year on pointless bureaucracy and it also continues to remove power from the British people in westminster by sending it to Brussels on a one-way ticket!!!

Labour's politically correct, lilly livered lefty proposals to 'rehabilitate' crinimals and give them more rights than victims instead of punishing them and creating appropriate deterents is insane!

Vote TORIES, they have proposed to conduct thermselves with commonsense, if they dont do as they say then we can just boot them out in four years time...

How could anyone vote for Labour after the mess they have put Britain in and the crap they plan to put us in if they are re-elected???

Anyone who wants the EURO can f**k off, the large majority of BRITISH PEOPLE want to keep the pound.

The EU constitution wastes 2 billion pounds each year on pointless bureaucracy and it also continues to remove power from the British people in westminster by sending it to Brussels on a one-way ticket!!!

Labour's politically correct, lilly livered lefty proposals to 'rehabilitate' crinimals and give them more rights than victims instead of punishing them and creating appropriate deterents is insane!

Vote TORIES, they have proposed to conduct thermselves with commonsense, if they dont do as they say then we can just boot them out in four years time...
1)Whats the big deal with the British people, I am british and, though i like the pound, I see intergration with Europe as the way forwards.

2)What else do you do with crinimals?

3)Yep, common sence....Troies.....Howards....Tax Cuts......INCREASED spending....makes sence dosn't it.

I Don't agree with Europe, and can't see it as the way forward. All I can say is: BRING BACK OLD LABOUR!

2)What else do you do with crinimals?


What are you stupid, were you never educated properly?

You PUNISH crinimals to the extent that they NEVER want to commit another crime ever again. How do you do that? the uneducated people may then ask.

Well first we will need to change the liberal laws we currently have so that crinimals who commit horrid crimes like murder, rape and burgularly will be locked away for 50 years minimum and i mean 50 years minimum, none of this 'dont cause any trouble in prison and you'll get your sentance decreased'.

Secondly you get rid of all the pleasantries that these scumbag crinimals receive like, TV's, pocket money, computers, gyms etc.
Why should the tax payer have to pay for these things, it only makes crinimals want to go back and enjoy the luxuries they cant afford in a civilised society.

Lastly we would need to create a tangible deterent like only feeding prisoners only with bread and water. Years of this kind of treatment and you wont be seeing people rushing to commit crimes once/if they are released!

Suffice to say crime rates would drop dramatically and the hard working, intelligent people in Great Britain would live in a lot more civilised society.

Why have people voted BNP!!? I think they should give reasons.

whilst I don't really give a rat's ass what we call our currency, pound...euro... it's all the same really, I am not particularly enamoured with the EU, largely because I don't want to be part of some clique-y business club, and I don't want to be governed by people that I didn't elect.

I used to vote Labour when I was younger, but then, like Alexie Sayle said, if you wern't a leftie when you were young, then you wern't young. Nowadays I tend to vote independent, as I think all the mainstream parties are a dead loss now. I usually vote for any "save the local hospital" or "save the NHS" candidates as my daughter is disabled and we have to rely on the health service quite a bit.

What are you stupid, were you never educated properly?

You PUNISH crinimals to the extent that they NEVER want to commit another crime ever again. How do you do that? the uneducated people may then ask.

Well first we will need to change the liberal laws we currently have so that crinimals who commit horrid crimes like murder, rape and burgularly will be locked away for 50 years minimum and i mean 50 years minimum, none of this 'dont cause any trouble in prison and you'll get your sentance decreased'.

Secondly you get rid of all the pleasantries that these scumbag crinimals receive like, TV's, pocket money, computers, gyms etc.
Why should the tax payer have to pay for these things, it only makes crinimals want to go back and enjoy the luxuries they cant afford in a civilised society.

Lastly we would need to create a tangible deterent like only feeding prisoners only with bread and water. Years of this kind of treatment and you wont be seeing people rushing to commit crimes once/if they are released!

Suffice to say crime rates would drop dramatically and the hard working, intelligent people in Great Britain would live in a lot more civilised society.

listen mate, Ive been inside and its bloody horrible. TVS, computers? You must be joking! Try slop buckets, locked inside a cell for 22 hours a day stinking of piss and shit and crapping yourself that the 20 stone loony in the bunk above you won't try to get near your arse. Prison certainly made a straighht man of me, and it is certainly a detterrent. Shame I couldn't have gone to Ford with Archer and gone out to lunch at a local restaurant with my friendly local screw.

as for the bloke/girl who wants to lock up shoplifters in some kind of damp dungeon away from sunlight, human contact etc... the criminals' only companions would be the silverfish... after forming deep friendships with them, they would eventually be forced to eat their soft, crunchy little friends as their supply of stale bread was eaten by rats that had formed themselves into an organised raiding party, wearing little pirate costumes....

...sorry, got a bit carried away there.

well, as for that bloke/girl... have they ever stopped to consider WHY people commit crimes?

well, as for that bloke/girl... have they ever stopped to consider WHY people commit crimes?
Who gives a f**k why?

Did these crinimals ever take a second to think how the old lady who lives by herself would feel if she was burgurled, i dont think so mate.

And as for the guy who says he's been locked up. If the conditions are so bloody horrible inside prisons then why do so many crinimals re-offend.
You may have been successfully 'rehabilitated' mate, but a large number of crinimals who have been inside certainly aren't.

the reason so many people re-offend is because in the majority of cases, PRISON DOESN'T WORK.

It treats the symptoms, not the causes. For example, say someone mugs old ladies/robs car stereos to pay for heroin. This guy doesn't need punishing, he needs help. By decriminalising heroin, you would make it a lot easier for this guy to get the help that he needs to get clean, and you would remove the pressure on him from the dealers/gangs etc... who exploit him.

There isn't much between them economically. At least the Lib Dems give half a damn about civil liberties.

What about the Monster Raving Loony Party?
w00t my dad voted for them

socialist or labour, an EU party really, none of this UKIP BNP crap :sniper:

the reason so many people re-offend is because in the majority of cases, PRISON DOESN'T WORK.

It treats the symptoms, not the causes. For example, say someone mugs old ladies/robs car stereos to pay for heroin. This guy doesn't need punishing, he needs help. By decriminalising heroin, you would make it a lot easier for this guy to get the help that he needs to get clean, and you would remove the pressure on him from the dealers/gangs etc... who exploit him.
Bullsh*t, the reason people commit crimes in the first place is because their PARENTS didn't discipline them properly and teach them respect.

and the fact that the tories do not want to join the eu? we should unite, you say joining the eu would mean superstate. I say why not? why not have a superstate? joining up would be the end of war i can almost guarentee it. almost. mainly almost because i'd say that communism works too, but only in theory. If anyone suggests anything about joining the bnp though. I'm outta here.

because the current setup is a very UNDEMOCRATIC superstate, all the power in the hands of the unelected Paris/Berlin controlled European Commission. That is wrong, that is why Britain should reject the crappy constitution that is coming up for a referendum vote.

Who gives a f**k why?

Did these crinimals ever take a second to think how the old lady who lives by herself would feel if she was burgurled, i dont think so mate.

And as for the guy who says he's been locked up. If the conditions are so bloody horrible inside prisons then why do so many crinimals re-offend.
You may have been successfully 'rehabilitated' mate, but a large number of crinimals who have been inside certainly aren't.
prevention is better than the cure

sure, punish those that do commit crimes - im all for that - but if we can address some of the reasons why people commit those crimes in the first place we can stop some happening...even if it meant one less crime a year it would be worth it

imo the conservatives are a bunch of right wing bigots, and Labour/Blair is the puppy dog of the US. I dont care if they dont win, im voting for Lib Dems

Bullsh*t, the reason people commit crimes in the first place is because their PARENTS didn't discipline them properly and teach them respect.

so what do you propose you do then? Lock them up and throw away the key? Nice one, mate, that'll sort out the ills of society...

If some-one has been dealt a shit hand by their upbringing, their socioeconomic status or whatever, then surely the best way to stop them committing crime is to help them sort their life out within the law, eg. get a proper education or a job they enjoy

people commit crime for a reason, and until you sort out what is causing people to commit crime and try to eliminate it, you will still have crime.

Nobody's mentioned the Greens! Depending on who's standing and whether I vote at home or at uni, I'll either be voting for them or the socialists ... maybe the Lib Dems in a pinch.

I'd vote greens or RESPECT

who keeps voting for the BNP?! And more to the point, why?

You will vote BNP why?

Because I'm British and a Nationalist? lol..sorry :)

I like the idea of 1-year compulsory military service.

I also feel Britain has become to concerned with what it can do for everyone else, rather than being concerned with what other countries can do for it. BNP represents to me a stronger more determined Britain, something I could believe in again, I love my country, I do not however love those who run it.

I'm not saying the BNP will make changes, hell they'll probably be even more corrupt, but thats a chance you take with parties, isn't it?

However this is my opinion and I stand by it, hence why its a democracy, BNP will never get in anyway I just don't want to vote for Labour.

Oh and no I'm not a skinhead racist.

:)

people commit crime for a reason, and until you sort out what is causing people to commit crime and try to eliminate it, you will still have crime.Mostly true, but they also know they can get away with it. Rehabilitation works in some cases, true, where there are specific cases of desperation and trauma. Some offenders have mental disorders (hate that term) and therefore obviously need help. I have sympathy with these people, and think it is better to help rather than punish them. However, some criminals just do it because they can and it suits them to do so, not because they've had a terrible life or have something wrong with them. I respect their human rights to some degree, but what the hell about everyone else's human rights to safe and happy lives? By the way, I'm doing my PhD in Criminology, and have a BSc (Hons) in the same. I'm not trying to be arrogant, but am just pointing out that I have some knowledge on these issues, rather than just opinions.

listen mate, Ive been inside and its bloody horrible. TVS, computers? You must be joking! Try slop buckets, locked inside a cell for 22 hours a day stinking of piss and shit and crapping yourself that the 20 stone loony in the bunk above you won't try to get near your arse. Prison certainly made a straighht man of me, and it is certainly a detterrent.Fair play to you - doesn't that show that for some people at least, deterrents such as a really nasty prison work? When and where were you inside? I've done a lot of research in prisons here and they really do have TVs, computers, the ability to do degrees etc. My step-father was a prison officer before he died in 1995, and they were like that then as well according to him.

Fair play to you - doesn't that show that for some people at least, deterrents such as a really nasty prison work? When and where were you inside? I've done a lot of research in prisons here and they really do have TVs, computers, the ability to do degrees etc. My step-father was a prison officer before he died in 1995, and they were like that then as well according to him.
tis true you know....

Because I'm British and a Nationalist? lol..sorry :)

I like the idea of 1-year compulsory military service.



Facism aside, that's absolutely moronic. It's not even in the interests of the majority for everyone to be involved with the military. Some people would serve better as doctors, scientists, accountants etc etc.



Oh and no I'm not a skinhead racist.



You are voting for a bunch of skinhead racists, so even if you aren't one, you are just as bad as them.

Facism aside, that's absolutely moronic. It's not even in the interests of the majority for everyone to be involved with the military. Some people would serve better as doctors, scientists, accountants etc etc.

Whats a year out of anyones life? Sorry but alot of countries which aren't evil fascist dictatorships have compulsory military service, Taiwan, Germany, Switzerland...

Oh SORRY according to you these countries are fascist...ok... :rolleyes:

You are voting for a bunch of skinhead racists, so even if you aren't one, you are just as bad as them.

lol..its funny to see someone insult one persons opinion.

Yeah you don't like BNP so...you can VOTE for someone else.

I'm not going to belittle you, call you names or whatever, people asked me why I would vote BNP, and I explained my reasons.

If you can't stand someone to differ from your opinion then you have a problem...

Anyway I didn't say I would diffenetly vote BNP, its just I agree with some of the things they put forward, in fact I will prob vote Lib Dems instead just because of the Tuition fees issue.

/me hugs SuperGroovedom, political orientation is a stupid thing to insult each other over, hell you vote for whoever and I vote for whoever I chose (may not be BNP) and you can cancel me out. :fluffle: :D

I hope to God that Tony Blair doesn't get in because I don't think Britain can take much more of him and his party.
Much of what New (ha, they are still as socialist as ever) Labour has achieved is simply the fruits from the Thatcher years. She planted the seeds but Blair takes the glory. The mistakes of Mr. Blair are so many that any honest and decent British politician would have resigned by now. But wait Blair isn’t an honest and decent politician is he? He's a cheap, manipulative, devious, over top madman! I don't think we should apply the high standards of previous British premiers to him.
What are his mistakes and faults, I hear you cry? Well...

a) The New Labour Manifesto stated in 2001 election that tuition fees would (under no circumstances) be allowed. Low and behold, 3 years later and tuition fees are being introduced. Now isn't that called lying...

b) Iraq. Iraq. Iraq. Don't get me wrong, I think we were right to go in. It has always been the role of the British to free oppressed peoples. However that wasn't the reason given by the Dear Leader. Apparently we were all under threat from WMDs within 45 minutes! That was a preposterous lie based on flawed evidence and he has only gotten away with it because those damned Law Lords used white wash. There was Lord Hutton who blamed it all on the BBC (even the Labour Party didn't expect that!) and then there was Lord Butler who blamed it on...nobody in particular. And even after most cabinet ministers have admitted it was a lie, Mr. Blair still can't get over his ego and apologise.

c) Mr. "Education, Education, Education" Blair has smashed up the school system. He has dismantled grammar schools, places of opportunity for all and replaced them with "city academies" focusing on 'vocational subjects': in other words a ploy to get exam marks up. And lets not forget that little gaff Mr. Blair made when his Education Secretary decided to get involved with the exam crisis that his AS level scheme started. Many deserving people were unjustly marked down on their papers because of Mr. Blair trying to get examination results lower in order to please the media.

d) His fiddling with the office of Lord Chancellor and the constitution. So now we have the faceless Department for Constitutional Affairs instead. Mr. Blair has total arrogance. He interferes with a position that is 1000 years old as if he were meddling with a child's toy. Fortunately the House of Lords saw through this naked arrogance and have put a stop to the absurd scheme.

e) Europe. Thanks to dear Mr. Blair, we will soon be the State of Britain, part of the United European States. Thanks Mr. Blair for flushing 1000 years of independence and the efforts of countless wars down the toilet.

f) Inheritance tax, another direct attack on the middle classes to satisfy his socialist backbenchers.

g) The PC brigade marches on. Under Fuhrer Blair, we can no longer call black coffee 'black' (its coffee without milk from now on children), we can no longer place images of the Virgin Mary in shop windows at Christmas (should we offend Jews or Muslims) and we have to dismantle town statues (in one town there was a statue of a pig which had to be dismantled in case it caused offence to Muslims). Soon we are going to need a new word for 'black'.

h) He's attempting to shove Gibraltar undemocratically into the hands of the Spanish despite the vast majority of its citizens wishing to remain British!. Well there's democracy at work for you...

i) At the Queen Mother's funeral, he desperately tried to black mail Black Rod into getting him a position at the funeral, despite the fact that no politician has any right to be! This is coupled with the general contempt that he and his spin-doctors show for the Royal Family.

j) His immigration polices are a laughing stock. His government has allowed in virtually anyone despite claims that only useful immigrants are allowed. Ha! This year a Romanian roofer was allowed in. What's wrong with that, I hear you clamour? Roofers are useful. Well this roofer only had one leg! There was also the electrician with only one hand. Hmmmm....

k) If his tongue goes any further up Mr. Bush's arse, he is in danger of getting lodged there.

Yes its one hell of a list and I am sure there are many more. I can assure you that I will be voting Conservative because unlike the other parties they know how to run a government. The Lib Dems? This is an outline of their policies...

1) Abolish council tax
2) Make all drugs legal
3) All citizens must buy Charles Kennedy a bottle of brandy each
4) 50 million immigrants need to be brought in
5)......
6) um
7) that's it

The Conservative Party are far, far from dead. They are still second in all the polls, they were the biggest winners in this years Council elections. They have a good leader and good policies. Its going to take more than a sun-tanned, racist TV host and his crackpot party to destroy them. Or a drunken Scot whose only achievement in life is to host Have I Got News For You once in awhile.

LibDems are pro-people

more civil liberties, higer taxes for the rich, lower taxes for the poor, more spending on education and healthcare, less spending on wars, decent pensions for all

Thanks :)

So they've taken the US view on "liberal", as opposed to the conventional one?

Does the UK have a Libertarian party, or any analog to it?

Does the UK have a Libertarian party, or any analog to it?

Nope I don't think so, all the parties opress free will to some extent I believe.. :headbang:

It worries me how many people say they vote for party X for a perceived policy that doesnt exist. ANyway, it seems to me that a majority beleive in basic tory principles and support their poilcies up untill the tory lable is attached. I also feel there is a strong need for a centre-right pro-european party like the tories should be.

There's little point in voting where I am. Anyone who's heard of Telford will know that Labour will definitely get in here.

I'm pleased. Really. I love that our family pays over £15,000 in income tax alone, when the family income is only £45,000. Then there's council tax, and VAT, and petrol tax, and car tax, etc, etc. We're in debt, and regardless of what you may think, we don't spend much money on ourselves. The last loan we took out was to pay off a tax bill that the Inland Revenue suddenly decided we owed. The loan before that was to pay off a tax bill too. Tax is killing us.

What are you stupid, were you never educated properly?

You PUNISH crinimals to the extent that they NEVER want to commit another crime ever again. How do you do that? the uneducated people may then ask.

Well first we will need to change the liberal laws we currently have so that crinimals who commit horrid crimes like murder, rape and burgularly will be locked away for 50 years minimum and i mean 50 years minimum, none of this 'dont cause any trouble in prison and you'll get your sentance decreased'.

Secondly you get rid of all the pleasantries that these scumbag crinimals receive like, TV's, pocket money, computers, gyms etc.
Why should the tax payer have to pay for these things, it only makes crinimals want to go back and enjoy the luxuries they cant afford in a civilised society.

Lastly we would need to create a tangible deterent like only feeding prisoners only with bread and water. Years of this kind of treatment and you wont be seeing people rushing to commit crimes once/if they are released!

Suffice to say crime rates would drop dramatically and the hard working, intelligent people in Great Britain would live in a lot more civilised society.


Saying "Suffice to say" doesn't prove anything. Who says crime rates would drop? You wouldn't see people rushing to reoffend after they'd been in prison 50 years because they wouldn't be rushing anywhere, being 70 years old. What makes you think that a doley in the UK can't afford a tv and a computer? Particularly a doley criminal?

Does the UK have a Libertarian party, or any analog to it?

There's a libertarian wing of the Tory party, but on the whole tories are socially conservative.

There's little point in voting where I am. Anyone who's heard of Telford will know that Labour will definitely get in here.

I'm pleased. Really. I love that our family pays over £15,000 in income tax alone, when the family income is only £45,000. Then there's council tax, and VAT, and petrol tax, and car tax, etc, etc. We're in debt, and regardless of what you may think, we don't spend much money on ourselves. The last loan we took out was to pay off a tax bill that the Inland Revenue suddenly decided we owed. The loan before that was to pay off a tax bill too. Tax is killing us.

You are only taxed on what you earn. If you spend all your earnings instead of paying tax on them so that you have to take out a loan to pay your taxes, tough shit. Get yourself together and pay your taxes. Everybody in the country pays taxes, and everybody with a household income of 45k pays about the same tax as you, and I don't suppose many people take out a *loan* to pay their taxes.

I have a similar household income to you, and I *love* paying taxes. Every time I get a payslip I look at how much tax I've paid and wonder whether I've covered public spending on my family this month, and whether I'm contributing financially to society. I hope I am.

Compulsary history is a good idea, as long as it involves much study of the 80's and early 90's in Britain, that would make sure people know not to vote Tory.

You are only taxed on what you earn. If you spend all your earnings instead of paying tax on them so that you have to take out a loan to pay your taxes, tough shit. Get yourself together and pay your taxes. Everybody in the country pays taxes, and everybody with a household income of 45k pays about the same tax as you, and I don't suppose many people take out a *loan* to pay their taxes.

I have a similar household income to you, and I *love* paying taxes. Every time I get a payslip I look at how much tax I've paid and wonder whether I've covered public spending on my family this month, and whether I'm contributing financially to society. I hope I am.

You obviously don't have the Inland Revenue handing you an extra £5,000 bill every so often because of some guy who screwed you over ten years ago then.

What are you stupid, were you never educated properly?

You PUNISH crinimals to the extent that they NEVER want to commit another crime ever again. How do you do that? the uneducated people may then ask.

Well first we will need to change the liberal laws we currently have so that crinimals who commit horrid crimes like murder, rape and burgularly will be locked away for 50 years minimum and i mean 50 years minimum, none of this 'dont cause any trouble in prison and you'll get your sentance decreased'.

Secondly you get rid of all the pleasantries that these scumbag crinimals receive like, TV's, pocket money, computers, gyms etc.
Why should the tax payer have to pay for these things, it only makes crinimals want to go back and enjoy the luxuries they cant afford in a civilised society.

Lastly we would need to create a tangible deterent like only feeding prisoners only with bread and water. Years of this kind of treatment and you wont be seeing people rushing to commit crimes once/if they are released!

Suffice to say crime rates would drop dramatically and the hard working, intelligent people in Great Britain would live in a lot more civilised society.

Yes ofcourse, lock everyone away for 50 years minimum. Again, torie sums dont add up, Its all well and good to say the answer to crime is to throw everyone in jail for lenghty periods of time, but where is the money going to come from? where is the prison capacity going to come from? Locking people up costs money, money this country has not got! Civilised society? how can a society be civilised if we treat criminals like dogs? Theres also a little piece of legislation called the human rights act. On a legal point, referring to a person as being stupid is an offence under the law of tort, slander and in this case libel

We're pretty much screwed to a greater or lesser extent whoever gets in -- I doubt there are many people who will declare that their chosen party is perfect in every way. Here's what I propose as a solution.

We create a new party. To decide policy, we randomly -- and I /do/ mean randomly -- select 10,000 people from across the UK and ask them what they want to happen. If we get a clear majority on any point, we do it. Who's with me?

No one? Ah, well. Next time, perhaps.

(However, failing that, I'll vote Lib Dem, primarily based on the fact that a) They're not Labour, b) They're not Conservative, and c) They deserve a chance to get back in power, having not been there since the Liberal party lost back in... 1920-something, wasn't it? -- horrible reasons, I know, but I like them)

Conservatives, because I like their policies on Immigration and Crime (40,000 more PC's, yes please!).

As an aside, I like the Lib Dems idea on replacing Council Tax, but the Conservatives have similar plans, so I'm still going to vote Conservative.

b) Iraq. Iraq. Iraq. Don't get me wrong, I think we were right to go in. It has always been the role of the British to free oppressed peoples. However that wasn't the reason given by the Dear Leader. Apparently we were all under threat from WMDs within 45 minutes! That was a preposterous lie based on flawed evidence and he has only gotten away with it because those damned Law Lords used white wash. There was Lord Hutton who blamed it all on the BBC (even the Labour Party didn't expect that!) and then there was Lord Butler who blamed it on...nobody in particular. And even after most cabinet ministers have admitted it was a lie, Mr. Blair still can't get over his ego and apologise.

Agree with you there.


e) Europe. Thanks to dear Mr. Blair, we will soon be the State of Britain, part of the United European States. Thanks Mr. Blair for flushing 1000 years of independence and the efforts of countless wars down the toilet.

Yep, and a certain Thatcher got us INTO europe didn't she....


g) The PC brigade marches on. Under Fuhrer Blair, we can no longer call black coffee 'black' (its coffee without milk from now on children), we can no longer place images of the Virgin Mary in shop windows at Christmas (should we offend Jews or Muslims) and we have to dismantle town statues (in one town there was a statue of a pig which had to be dismantled in case it caused offence to Muslims). Soon we are going to need a new word for 'black'.

Admittedly PC is over the top, and i don't agree with it.


h) He's attempting to shove Gibraltar undemocratically into the hands of the Spanish despite the vast majority of its citizens wishing to remain British!. Well there's democracy at work for you...

Evedence?


i) At the Queen Mother's funeral, he desperately tried to black mail Black Rod into getting him a position at the funeral, despite the fact that no politician has any right to be! This is coupled with the general contempt that he and his spin-doctors show for the Royal Family.

I don't reacon theres any point in the monercy at all, they just nick our money and keep the tabloids in buisness.


j) His immigration polices are a laughing stock. His government has allowed in virtually anyone despite claims that only useful immigrants are allowed. Ha! This year a Romanian roofer was allowed in. What's wrong with that, I hear you clamour? Roofers are useful. Well this roofer only had one leg! There was also the electrician with only one hand. Hmmmm....

Who else is going to do the dirty work, besides in a few years Britian will be facing a serious labour crisis. We NEED more immigrants.

k) If his tongue goes any further up Mr. Bush's arse, he is in danger of getting lodged there.

True.

The Lib Dems? This is an outline of their policies...

1) Abolish council tax
2) Make all drugs legal
3) All citizens must buy Charles Kennedy a bottle of brandy each
4) 50 million immigrants need to be brought in
5)......
6) um
7) that's it

Yeah sure..... Have you actiually looked at there mainfesto or are you making this all up?

/

Yeah sure..... Have you actiually looked at there mainfesto or are you making this all up?

Neither, my guess is that he reads Private Eye.

(40,000 more PC's, yes please!).

The thing is, that policy looks good on paper, but it is next to impossible to fulfil.

Policemen aren't just summoned into existence, they have to be recruited. Which is a problem if there aren't 40,000+ people that want to be a policemen.

Just thought of something. How about we recruit all immigrants into the police force. Probably wouldn't work, but it is just as likely as a government being able to put 40,000 more policemen on our streets (NB: This isn't a dig at the Tories, I doubt any party that promises such a large number of public employees (this includes doctors, nurses, firemen etc etc))

(However, failing that, I'll vote Lib Dem, primarily based on the fact [...] They deserve a chance to get back in power,

The Lib Dems have never been in power, hence it is impossible for them to get back into power

Does the UK have a Libertarian party, or any analog to it?There's a libertarian wing of the Tory party, but on the whole tories are socially conservative.
There is also a libertarian faction within the Lib-Dems.

Factt remains though.

We have no serious libertarian alternative.

<snip highly amusing rant>

The Conservative Party are far, far from dead. They are still second in all the polls, they were the biggest winners in this years Council elections. They have a good leader and good policies. Its going to take more than a sun-tanned, racist TV host and his crackpot party to destroy them. Or a drunken Scot whose only achievement in life is to host Have I Got News For You once in awhile.

I wish people would say what they really mean on these forums.

I have a similar household income to you, and I *love* paying taxes. Every time I get a payslip I look at how much tax I've paid and wonder whether I've covered public spending on my family this month, and whether I'm contributing financially to society. I hope I am.

Well done, without people cheerfully paying their taxes the way you do the Government wouldn't be able to pay the 6.9 million public sector workers there are now. I'm really looking forward to hearing how low unemployment figures are now that a full quarter of the British workforce is employed in aimless, bureaucratic, Governmental departments, all with nice index-linked pensions.

If only the tories had thought of that in the Thatcher years! Solve unemployment by giving everyone a cushy Government job and letting the taxpayers foot the bill!

I wonder how big a percentage your entire life's contributions have made to vital frontline services like.... the Millennium Dome?

british politics is intensely depressing, whatever the 'radical lefties' demand will be normal in 100 years time (apart from communism in pretty much any form as we have all kinds of brain dead, brainwashing american propaganda from the 50s and fucking stalin to blame for that), been doing electoral reform at school and looking at those tory cunts in 1832 who thought corruption made for better governments etc. the stuff they say now will look just as stupid looking back. people need to get over themselves about europe, immigration or whatever, it's life.

i will vote lib dem (well won't probably this time, as my 18th is not til june, balls) as i live in a tory safe seat and lib dems are the only other party who could possibly win (apart from kilroy. i have nightmares about this, imagine the shame!).

we'll probably never have a segregated state. people can be religious if they want, but let's keep the pissing church out of political decision making. no sense of humour (blair evidently does over iraq, wanker.).

There is also a libertarian faction within the Lib-Dems.

Factt remains though.

We have no serious libertarian alternative.

If not for their stance on drugs, the Lib Dems would be reasonably attractive to me. We do need a real force to protect our liberties, this is even clearer after Charles Clarke's behaviour this week. We also need a Bill of Rights and proportional representation.

Also, a shame Charles Kennedy couldn't be bothered to show up for the vote on House Arrest when it came down to a tiny majority of 14 votes.

Well, according to my poll, it seems the leberal democrats will become the largest single party after the election. How likely is that?