General Election called - Page 21

MargaretR · 09-06-2017, 15:09

I will start by saying - "I did not vote"

Politics is such a dirty backbiting scenario that I prefer not to ally myself with any of it.
I realise that people need to vote, in order for democracy to continue, but I prefer to observe 'from the wings' the grossly imperfect performance of the acting politicians.
By witholding my vote I withdraw my consent to be governed by persons who do not seek to improve the quality of life of the major part of our population . It may appear selfish of me (by not voting) to be able to say - 'nothing I did increased homelessness - nothing I did caused destruction of the NHS - nothing I did caused nor increased child neglect/abuse' etc etc.

I will admit to some pleasure that socialism seems to be making a comeback, since that is the political system which cares most for those incapable of caring for themselves. Any society which doesn't cannot be regarded as civilised.

Margaret Pilkington · 09-06-2017, 15:26

Margaret, firstly it is good to see you posting.
I hope you are well and settled in your new home and they are looking after you well.

Your views are very particular to you, and I respect them.
I am very careful with my vote. I am not giving it to someone who is not going to uphold their promises.

Everything we have has to be paid for. The current Labour promises were just untenable without massive tax increases. They were going to tax those they considered to be rich, plus there were many more 'hidden' taxes in the pipeline that had not been fully outlined to the electorate.

If you are giving something to someone(money for instance) it first has to be taken from someone else...and that someone has to have earned it in some way.
You cannot enrich the poor by impoverishing those you see as rich.

I do not follow party dogma's and I never have. I vote with my brain as well as my heart.
If I cannot find some common ground then I with hold my vote.

Sometimes I walk down to the polling station and I will tick all the boxes...or I will write' none of the above'..Just so that it doesn't look like I am too lazy to vote.

The current Labour Party would have had to borrow vast sums to fulfil their promises...this money has to be paid back at some point.
I firmly believe the tenet if you can't pay, then you cannot have it.

Eric · 10-06-2017, 17:37

There's too much in the world press about what a bs campaign the tories ran ... and not enough about what an excellent campaign Labour had. With a bit of luck, Sanders would have been US President, and Corbyn, Prime Minister.

hilleluk · 10-06-2017, 18:11

cashman · 10-06-2017, 18:33

Double Yawn.

Margaret Pilkington · 10-06-2017, 18:44

Sorry Eric, much as I respect your opinion(and vast knowledge of many things), distance means that you have no grasp of the real situation over here.

The malice of the Labour campaign was palpable and for Jeremy Corbyn to make political hay of the failings of Theresa May when she was Home Secretary was plainly despicable(in light of the recent terrorist activities here)...but then what do you expect of a man who lauded the IRA and voted against every single terror law since he became an MP in 1983.

The labour party in general has nothing to be proud of..and the austerity measures were largely because of the fiscal inefficiency of the last Labour government.

I am not sure when you left the UK, or if you have visited recently...but it is a very different place.
So forgive me if I have to disagree with you on this one.

anyway how are you?

Barrie Yates · 11-06-2017, 00:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric

There's too much in the world press about what a bs campaign the tories ran ... and not enough about what an excellent campaign Labour had. With a bit of luck, Sanders would have been US President, and Corbyn, Prime Minister.

Yes, but then Sanders wouldn't have been able to afford his lake front mansion.

cashman · 11-06-2017, 06:33

I notice this morning Corbyn still wants to be P.M. and is going to oppose the "Queens Speech" well him undermining the Queen is no great surprise, after all,hes always wanted to remove her. it must be great to be a "LOSER" that can win.

monkey hanger · 11-06-2017, 07:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

..........I am not sure when you left the UK, or if you have visited recently...but it is a very different place.
So forgive me if I have to disagree with you on this one.

anyway how are you?

that is the crux of the matter margaret things have changed so much over the last 20 years especially in the smaller towns of the country. all major cities have seen improvements whilst the towns are dying on their scruffy looking feet. various reasons for this are many and we each have our thoughts to why this has happened. no party has given us much hope for the future. they call it progress, i,d call it something else.

hilleluk · 11-06-2017, 09:56

If the towns are dying on their scruffy looking feet..WHAT have the local council's been doing?

Margaret Pilkington · 11-06-2017, 10:20

As Paul Daniels used to say 'Not a lot'

They just give a gallic shrug and say it is happening everywhere. As if that is some sort of justification for their ineptitude.

hilleluk · 11-06-2017, 10:33

So why do people not vote for a different Council, or are they just conditioned to the situation.

Margaret Pilkington · 11-06-2017, 11:13

I think it might be because whatever party gets in, they are all the same.
I truly believe that local politics should be divorced from political banners and that the people elected should have only one aim...and that is not to score political points at meetings, but to get their heads together and do the very best they can to serve the community.
I don't think it should be a stepping stone to Parliament...and for most local politicians it isn't...but our MP started out in local politics.
You would think give him a unique insight into the issues faced by local people.
I voted for him last time on this premise.
I haven't seen much that has fulfilled my hopes and I was disappointed so he did not get my vote this time.

hilleluk · 11-06-2017, 11:28

People are saying that towns are dying everywhere, not where I live, or my brother who lives in the North East of England. I think certain areas in the Country have been given the short straw with far to much immigration.

monkey hanger · 11-06-2017, 17:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by hilleluk

People are saying that towns are dying everywhere, not where I live, or my brother who lives in the North East of England. I think certain areas in the Country have been given the short straw with far to much immigration.

where do you live. as for your brother in the north east it can,t be stockton or my home town hartlepool. if it wasn,t for charity shops the latter would shut down. loads of money thrown at pulling down all the victorian shopping centre and building concrete souless monstosities in its place and there,s not that much immigration in the area. just watched some old footage of nelson on youtube. couldn,t believe how busy it was 50 plus years ago against what,s left now. the admirals centre and a closed bus station. the 1960,s brave new world had a lot to be thanked for.