The Election is ON

[John]

After speeches today from the two main parties, ready for the Sunday Newspapers.

The race to gain your vote has officially started.

If you are fed up with politics - then get ready for great depression

I would imagine that there will be more written and spoken via the media then ever before.

More then many previous General Elections put together...

[cheddar-caveman]

So lets look at Labours "FIVE" key policies:

1/. "Secure the economic recovery and halve the budget deficit" - so here they are going to save the £167 billion it's taken them twelve years to borrow?

2/. "Raise family living standards": - again the main reason so many people are in dire straits is becaus of the last twelve years of Labour bleeding them dry!

3/. "Build a high tech economy": - No idea what that's supposed to mean?

4/. "Protect frontline investment in policing, schools, childcare and the NHS":- protect from what one has to ask?

5/. "Strengthen fairness in communities": - again, what the heck does this mean? No queue jumping at the local butchers?

Well all I can say is that anybody who is prepared to vote based on these five great policies must be as dim as the bunch that put them together! They should also bear in mind that back in 1997 this same party made similar policies, and a lot more, and they haven't kept them after twelve years!

[avalonmpk]

It's on and what do we have? the usual politics of envy from the left - Tax the west country rural communities to subsidize (Yes we spell it with the Z down here) the overweight, overpaid and over privileged metropolitan areas. Our Council tax 'grant' for local government is less per head down here. This governments answer to this is to increase the tax on Scrumpy - Easy to why though apart from a couple of half-witted lobby fodder in Bristol there are no Labour MPs in the west country.

On a lighter note just seen the mother of all car stickers on a battered old land rover:
A PINT OF SCRUMPY IMPROVES RUMPY-PUMPY!!!!! .

[John]

Not to mention rural broadband speeds...

[Papaumau]

I don't think we should put too much credence into Brown's keynote speech as that is just his way of saying a lot without actually saying anything.

Cameron does exactly the same and in fact I think that so far the Tories have chronically avoided saying anything that might split their support. ( They do have a few very dangerous policies that could do them harm which they want to keep tightly under wraps, like Europe and cuts and the repealing of the Hunting with Dogs Act etc' etc' ).

At this point before a general election all political parties just attempt to highlight a pleasant taste of what may come afterwards and none of us will actually know what any of them are REALLY going to do until they publish their manifestos.

It is only after this day that parties and their leaders and their chancellors can be nailed down to details and can have those details examined fully.

With this in mind I would not put much importance on speeches made to the faithful at such conferences.

[John]

I am not as interested in future promises as some may be.

As the only ones that take money out of your pocket are likely to be put
into action with gusto.

Labour have had their opportunity to govern and they have failed spectacularly.

[Papaumau]

I am not as interested in future promises as some may be.

As the only ones that take money out of your pocket are likely to be put
into action with gusto.

Labour have had their opportunity to govern and they have failed spectacularly.

As long as you remember that The Tories did too, then you are not liable to repeat that mistake either !

[John]

We would never vote for anyone if historical value was used.

Matters have moved on somewhat in the last 13 years.

Only the leopards that have had the opportunity to show their true spots are able to.

Unfortunately whoever the other leopards are, they have to be given their opportunity
in a society that has degenerated in so many areas since 1997.

[Hugh]

What we should remember is we know all about G. Brown, and his buddies We know nothing about the other parties. We have a choice stick with what we have, or vote for a change. The on going quoting history on this forum getting right up my nose.

[cheddar-caveman]

Quite agree Hugh, and any way, this post should be under "politics" not "general".

As you say Hugh, simple choice. More of the disaster we've seen over the past twelve years or change. I know where I'm going regardless as this country can't survive much more of the same even though I don't like my local MP.

[Hugh]

No matter who I vote for Conservatives have got no chance I am surrounded by MY MOTHER MY FATHER MY GRAND FATHER MY GRAND MOTHER VOTED LABOUR type of people with out a brain of their own. So it will be up to the rest of the country to get a change.

[cheddar-caveman]

I really can't believe that there are too many people out there who have lived the last twelve years, seen what Labour have done to the economy and are still prepared to vote them back in! Jeeez, even my DOG knows better!

[Hugh]

It goes on through out the country, the main reason theres so many safe seats for all parties.

[Papaumau]

It goes on through out the country, the main reason theres so many safe seats for all parties.

Hugh.......

Seats are only as safe as we let them be !

I think that railling on about Labour and what it has done wrong over the last twelve years says nothing about what we have to do to make things any better.

Do any of you people who spend such an inordinate amount of time castigating Brown and the Labourites actually think that anything will get any better under Cameron and his bunch of elitist and lightweight chancers.

Every time I see or hear anyone slagging off the incumbent government I am forced to think.....What are we going to put in their place ?

THE TORIES ?......Aye that'll be right as I for one have a memory that goes back longer than twelve years.

[John]

As for quoting history. It depends on various factors.

We need to be in the here and now and concentrate on the governance
that we have experienced.

It does not say much about the education system when an individual is
unable to evaluate their own political view.

This should underpin a proper democracy. But for many a tin of red paint would suffice.