The next general election.

[Hells Granny]

So Do I, Papa, also I would like to see the American idea of no Leader having more than two terms in office.

Cheers, HG

[Hugh]

New labour was very different from the old labour party so how different will the new tory party be against the old, we just don't know. To keep quoting M Thatcher she's long since gone along with the problems she had with the unions. Time have changed, and we have all got to make up our minds who is going to serve us best. Labour Tories or Libs the choice is ours to make

[Papaumau]

Ahhhhhhh Hugh..... That IS the fifty-thousand-Dollar question isn't it ?

Being a bit biased against the Tories because I have a very long memory I have to admit that I am suspicious of ANYTHING that goes about calling itself a Tory and purporting to represent me as an ordinary bloke.

Cameron is NOT an "ordinary" bloke, he is a production of the elitist factory that turns out Tories - which is called Eton.

Even IF he was a fair-minded and inclusive kind of a chap, ( which I don't think he is ), I am sure that once ensconsed as Prime Minister the Tory grandees that are working his strings will take over his control completely.

It is THEY that are the Thatcherites who will drag this country right back to the bad old divisive Tory days if they are given the slightest chance.

Cameron is a puppet if not actually a muppet and shortly after he is enthroned as Prime Minister we will all be able to see his inadequacies and his inexperience in a post of such a high order.

[Hugh]

I also have bad memories about the labour party who while I was in the RN bragging they had kept pay rises down to 6%. At the same time certain industries got pay rises of 12%. We got zero. When the tories got back in we had a 40% pay rise just to catch up. In those days before M.Thatcher the unions had far to much power and brought down the labour party and bragged they would do the same with the tories. Well they didn't.
All thats now history and the only way I would gives labs a thought if they got rid of G Brown and our local MP A Meale

[Ivanhoe]

Papaumau, Well done, excellent posting.  I could not have put it better myself.

Perhaps our friend Hugh being an x Royal Navy man, would like to read the policies of Margaret Thatcher which effected "other" people ?

ivanhoe

[Hugh]

Labour party have had 13 years to change M Thatcher policies and they haven't done so. The only thing you and every one else should think about who do you think will do the best job for UK. If you think G. Browns done a good job vote labour, but keep in mind it was him that taxed the pension funds. And he hasn't done sod all to help pensioners. Will the Tories or Libs we don't know.

[Ivanhoe]

///// And he hasn't done sod all to help pensioners////.     WRONG.

New Labour haver brought in Pensions Credits and Winter Fuel payments.  The Tories under Thatcher broke the state pensions link with earnings in 1980.

[Hugh]

Just why do you keep bringing up M. Thatcher? she now history. The 2 Bs have had plenty of time to undo all M Thatchers wrong doings so they must agree with her policies. We have now a choice to make and I hope its their own choice and not their mums and dads.

[Ivanhoe]

How can Thatcher be history when New Labour are continuing her right wing policies ?, unless you were a supporter

[Hugh]

Well lets vote and get rid of New Labour and it's right wing policies. My vote will go to the libs because its the only chance of getting rid of our MP A. Meale. Cons would have been my first choice but they have no chance in the Mansfield area. I will admit now I did do very well under M Thatcher so I for one cannot complain about her.

[Ivanhoe]

//// I will admit now I did do very well under M Thatcher so I for one cannot complain about her.///

I rest my case.

[Papaumau]

That's a particular argument that will rattle on and on and on ad-infinitum.

I must admit that NEW-LABOUR have staggered far too far to the right in order to try to steal the Tory clothes and it was Blair and his minions that successfully attracted a lot of right-wing votes in his past two land-slide elections.

The fact that Brown continued with the New-labour philosophy instead of trying to draw the Labour party back closer to it's roots means that he and New-Labour have done so many things that are anathema to the people that they are now facing defeat at the next election.

All that said and admitting that I am a Socialist I have to agree with Hugh that in the bad old days of excess union power and strife in the workplace created by militant - often Communist - shop stewards a lot of damage was done to Britain.

That admitted I have to say that EVEN MORE damage was done to Britain when Thatcher - who will and should never be forgotten - destroyed the manufacturing base in Britain just so that she could crush the unions.

Now, I would like to think that the British electorate are so sick to the back teeth of hard right and hard left politics that they are now preparing to vote for some REAL centre-ground, hoping that maybe the Liberal Democrats - in England - might hold the balance of power so that extreme political indulgences become a thing of the past.

I hope so too, don't you folks ?

[Ivanhoe]

/////I hope so too, don't you folks ?/////

Yes, some good has to come from all this.

But in any case, mindless Tory voters make me puke, and I dont think New Labour will lose the next general election.

Also I dont support this view re- the winter of discontent.  The real problem in British is our class system.  And why should'nt the working man fight for his rights to decent wages and conditions that began in our industrial past ?.

[Hugh]

But in any case, mindless Tory voters make me puke,

Now you are being very rude if this is the way this forum going I'm off

[Hugh]

How can Thatcher be history when New Labour are continuing her right wing policies ?, unless you were a supporter

Ivanhoe why are you voting new labour, when they are following as you say M. Thatchers the right wing policies. They are more cons than the cons, Any one with just a little thought woud vote for the Libs, and keep our fingers crossed they do a good job.