Can a leopard change its spots? - Page 2

staggeringman · 19-04-2005, 16:49

Sounds like you are a die hard Tory. Me and all my mates are happy-ish with Labour and will be voting Labour again. And if there was any doubt I don't need 10 words, just two. Michael Howard. However Hyndburn has really benefited and things have never been better in our time.

HYNDBURN REALLY BENIFITED.................(where)...............?
HAPPY-ISH................OR....NOT SURE.................................?
HEALTH................................FIND ME A DENTIST...............?
1ST LAW PASSED BY LABOUR........LOWER THE AGE LEVEL FOR YOUNG BOYS!
LETS NOT SMACK OUR KIDS!
LETS GET RID OF THE HUNTING TRADITION!
LETS HAVE MORE SINGLE PARENT FAMILYS!
LETS CARRY ON PRIVATISATION!

this countrys in bits!!!!!!

Alice · 19-04-2005, 18:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham Jones

One factory isnt an argument especially when it was run by 4 crooks fiddling the books, 4 known asset strippers.

...and who was it that has let them get away with it for so long?????

Wake up and look around you.

There's a real world out there with real people, working hard to have a decent standard of living, being screwed left right and centre with stealth taxes to pay for Tony's antics.

Pensioners watch out, you're next on his hit list! Don't be fooled into thinking that you'll get a decent pension just because you've paid your contributions all your life.

And woe betide anyone who scrimped and scraped to save carefully so they can have a few little extras. He's having that off you too!

vorlon24 · 19-04-2005, 18:21

Not many labour supporters so far then!!!

Acrylic-bob · 20-04-2005, 18:12

As a side issue, I have just, in ten years of residence at this address, recieved the first ever piece of election literature from the Labour Party . This election must obviously be more hotly contested than I previously thought.

However nice it is that I am at least recognised as an elector this year, I rather wish they had saved themselves the trouble.

One side of the glossy A4 sheet informs me, twice, that "Britain" is "moving forward" and also that "Britain is Working" and urges me not to "let the Tories wreck it".
After eight years in power and the countless billions of taxpayers hard-earned money, some of it mine, that New Labour have administered, I would be scandalised and horrified to learn that the country was doing anything other than "moving forward".
Do they have so little confidence in the results of their stewardship of the national economy that they feel the need to reassure me on this point, not once, but twice?

As for the "Tories", I am sure that if the Conservative party took it into their collective heads to wreck anything there is very little that I, as an individual, could do to prevent them. What a ridiculously redundant phrase.

There then follows a bulleted list that appears to be a minor masterpiece of hopeful ambiguity. It neither says that this is what New Labour have accomplished in their previous eight year administration, nor does it say that the list is what they hope to achieve during the term of the new parliament.

Let us examine just one of these bulleted statements, which will probably give a flavour of the rest of them.

"Your child achieving more
modern schools for all, strong discipline, and a guaranteed place in training, sixth form or an apprenticeship."

Firstly, the comma after "discipline" is ungrammatical, secondly, I do not have any children.
"Modern schools for all" Clearly whoever wrote this has never been to Hyndburn, where a some schools are still housed in premises that were constructed before World War One.
"Strong Discipline", this from a party which has legislated to ban corporal punishment in schools and presides over an education system that is seeing teachers leave the profession in droves because they cannot cope with the levels of ill-dicipline and classsroom violence, is a bit rich to say the least.
"training, sixth-form or apprenticeship" A cynic would say that raising the school leaving age in this way places an unfair burden on an already groaning system and is merely an underhanded, but socially acceptable, way of massaging the youth unemployment figures. As an employer, I will be considering taking on an apprentice in a year or so. The financial incentives the government offer, commonly known as a bribe, are certainly tempting but must be weighed against the costs in time, patience and waste of having to re-educate any prospective candidate.

On the other side of the sheet, the New Labour candidate, Greg Pope, is given the space to observe that "this election isn't just about policies, it's also about values and I wanted to share with you the values of what kind of MP I want to be".

I find this a bit odd, considering that he has been in the job for the last eight years. You would imagine that he would have already figured out the "values of what kind of MP I want to be", or am I misreading this and he is announcing something of a damascene conversion to reality?

He then goes on somewhat confusingly, in another bulleted list, to describe some of his beliefs rather than his values.

"Every MP should know that you should be true to yourself, not a Party line". While confusing tenses might be acceptable in the middle of a heated exchange on a message board, from a Bachelor of Arts with an honours degree who is seeking re-election as a Member of Parliament it must inspire some cause for concern.

And does he seriously expect us to believe that voting against the government a mere 35 times out of a total of over 800 possible occaisions in the last Parliament is a good example of someone who does not follow the "Party line"?

The rest of the drivel on Greg's side of the page could be picked apart just as easily,if I had the time but, to be honest, I can't be bothered.!

As I said above, I wish that they had not bothered sending it. Another one for filing in the white sack I think.

I can hardly wait for the Conservative Election Leaflet

PurpleLass · 20-04-2005, 20:22

The problem has got to the stage where even if the two main parties made a statement of their policy we've just stopped believing them. About three or four years ago, the Conservatives had slumped really badly and there was the opportunity for one of the other also rans to make a real attempt to become the opposition which would have put them in a good position for this election. What happened, the Tories started to make a comeback and now we're in a boxing match again.

I'm fed up with it all. Which is another problem because I think that's the case up and down the country. I predict we'll have the lowest turn out ever for a national election.

Margaret Pilkington · 20-04-2005, 20:31

The government blame apathy for the low turn out at elections........postal voting was supposed to sort out that little problem......instead it caused more problems.......electoral fraud.
Can't the major parties see that people don't vote because they don't feel that they are listened to, and that whether they vote or not it won't change anything.

Tony Blair went on one of his walkabouts today and was taken to task by a student......he left looking a bit sheepish.

British politics are a joke......all froth and bubble with no real substance......and they expect us to swallow it!

Acrylic-bob · 20-04-2005, 20:39

One of the things that I find truly worrying is that no one seems to be using the War in Iraq and the Prime Minister's lies to the country and to parliament as a stick with which to beat New Labour.

PurpleLass · 20-04-2005, 20:41

Another problem with politics in the UK is that we have so many parties that the elected one is not actually the one that necessarily got the most votes. Say for example Labour won, they had 45% of the vote, Conservatives 40%, Liberal 10% and others the remaining 5%. That means that 55% of the people who voted were voting against the elected party. Add to that the fact that only about 35% of the population vote anyway and that means that a miniscule number of people are actually voting for the party that won.

Got to say that the one thing I really like about Liberals is their call for proportional representation. Not sure it could work in practice but it does seem unfair that a party could win one seat with x no. of votes and then lose another seat with the same number of votes or more.

Acrylic-bob · 20-04-2005, 20:54

I think that I too would be in favour of proportional representation. It would certainly bring an end to the present schoolyard squabbling. I also like the idea of replacing the council tax with a local income tax.

O. M. G.

I think... I'm becoming... a....a...

Liberal Democrat!

Margaret Pilkington · 20-04-2005, 21:00

Well A-B there is no cure for that.

Acrylic-bob · 20-04-2005, 21:06

Hmmm. I think I will have a few stiff gins and an early night, everything will look different in the cold light of day.

cashman · 20-04-2005, 23:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob

I think that I too would be in favour of proportional representation. It would certainly bring an end to the present schoolyard squabbling. I also like the idea of replacing the council tax with a local income tax.

O. M. G.

I think... I'm becoming... a....a...

Liberal Democrat!

no no a-b nobody becomes one of them.lol

Graham Jones · 22-04-2005, 15:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by staggeringman

HYNDBURN REALLY BENIFITED.................(where)...............?
HAPPY-ISH................OR....NOT SURE.................................?
HEALTH................................FIND ME A DENTIST...............?
1ST LAW PASSED BY LABOUR........LOWER THE AGE LEVEL FOR YOUNG BOYS!
LETS NOT SMACK OUR KIDS!
LETS GET RID OF THE HUNTING TRADITION!
LETS HAVE MORE SINGLE PARENT FAMILYS!
LETS CARRY ON PRIVATISATION!

this countrys in bits!!!!!!

That's just plain silly. If you think the countries in biits then you are obviously a die hard Tory to whom political dogma and doctrine is more important than reality. You cant be taken seriously.

cashman · 22-04-2005, 16:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham Jones

That's just plain silly. If you think the countries in biits then you are obviously a die hard Tory to whom political dogma and doctrine is more important than reality. You cant be taken seriously.

i too think the country has gone to the dogs,and you can't call me a die hard tory graham, i have always voted labour since long before you were old enough to vote.if you think people cannot be taken seriously who do not think everything in the gardens rosy,then you are doing sociaism a disservice and its hard for me to take you seriosly,sorry if that offends you its just the way i see it.

Tealeaf · 22-04-2005, 16:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham Jones

That's just plain silly. If you think the countries in biits then you are obviously a die hard Tory to whom political dogma and doctrine is more important than reality. You cant be taken seriously.

The only people that can't be taken seriously, Graham, is this shambles of a so-called government.

Just suppose, for a moment, that messrs Blair, Prescott, Straw, et all were given the job of running a pub in Accy. What would be the result? To begin with, they would have a nice little advertising campaign saying how wonderful things were going to be. "Come to the Labour Britannia", they would say, "where you're sure of a warm welcome and the beer is free"

Every scumbag and scrounger from far and near is attracted to this delightful establishment, and despite getting well out of order, no effort is made to remove them..."Stay on," says Landlord Blair "there's more to come."

Meanwhile, chief barman Brown shouts "Come lads....how many of you have got cousins in Africa who can't be here today.....well don't worry...I've just nicked 3 billion quid from the till, and thats going their way, pronto!!!"

"Call the cops" yells one of the old locals "I've just been thumped in the bogs"

"Who was it ?" answers Tony

"Your potboy, Prezza"

"That's OK then," replies Tone, "in any case,the cops are all busy filling in their minority awareness questionaires....but the wardens will be along next year. If you're hurt, don't worry...go to the hospital. There's lots of new bureaucrats up there to help you"

"Hey Up..." cries another of the locals "Whats happened t'dartboard"

"Dartboards now banned" cries Tone.."No more traditional sports..."

"Help" yells another, in obvious distress, " that blokes just nicked my wallet"

"Who"

"The Afgan over there"

"Don't worry" says Tone, "I'll get Cherie. He'll obviously need a good lawyer. The locals will pay for her"

"Yo" comes a collective cry from the taproom "Beers flat and watered down"

"No its not" says Tone "but don't worry, the prices will double if I'm still around by May 6th"

Yes, welcome to the new Britannia.

Personally, though, I prefer a good traditional pub - the Stag,the best in Hyndburn - as run by by good friend and fine Host, Staggeringman. So Graham, instead of wasting your time on the hustings, why don't you pop along there , saturday night, 30th April, and meet him and some of the the gang from on here?

We're not that, bad,really.