[Archived] The General Election 2015

[Baz]

Equality under labour = Bring the workshy and feckless upto the level of those that took notice in class by topping wages up and giving 5 bedroom detached houses to scrotey women on the career ladder of babies and benefits.

Thats just lazy rhetoric churned out by the likes of the daily mail though. Theres a story at the top of this page about the tories cutting respite care, theres massive cuts to social care budgets, is that acceptable in one of the worlds top economies?

Yes we should tighten up on benefit fraud, but lets not forget that is a tiny proportion of the welfare budget.

[thenodrog]

I have met Ed Balls on a number of occasions (and incidently his buddy Gordon Brown) and rarely have I come across such a rude and ignorant politician - and I have met many from all parties. The idea of Ed Balls being in charge of the economy frightens me.

He might be rude but that wouldn't prevent him being a good chancellor. I have every confidence he will be.

Would I vote for Labour this time.....NO! I do not know what they stand for anymore, I could not stand on a doorstep and promote a party devoid of policies and more importantly costed policies.

Labour stands for community, fairness, equality and social cohesion. NHS, Europe, tax, house building among many issues in which Labour have made clear statements.

I spent the weekend in Leeds with friends, all of whom are lifelong Labour voters. They are not voting Labour this time. Indeed outside of my employment I am not aware of a single aqaintance who is voting Labour after the economic shambles of last time they were in power.

Standard Tory lies and rhteoric and easily proven to be nonsense with 5 minutes research of studies written by people who know what they are talking about.

Do I care about the NHS, homeless and those unable to get a decent job.....YES damm right I do but I cannot see a single party promoting policies that puts fairness at the core of their values.

Labour (see above).

And before anyone mentions mentions the Greens please get a grip of yourselves before the lights go out and we have windmills in every backyard.

Agreed

Dinosaurs are not extinct it seems.

[jim mk2]

Brilliant news emerging tonight: Labour plans to end non-dom status, meaning rich foreigners will no longer be to use this country as a tax haven and ordinary folk won't have to subside them.

[scotchrover]

Brilliant news emerging tonight: Labour plans to end non-dom status, meaning rich foreigners will no longer be to use this country as a tax haven and ordinary folk won't have to subside them.

Good news to an extent. Labour needs to calm down this hammering of this rich though. No doubt, they should chase down those who avoid paying tax. If they keep going though, they'll start looking like the party under Michael Foot.

In other news, Tony Blair turned up today talking about Europe, and has pretty much ended up on every front page tomorrow. I have to say he came across as a breath of fresh air, all because he appeared very passionate about Europe/ Labour in general.

Compaing him to people like Cameron & Miliband made me think how dull the current party leaders are. It's no wonder there's so many undecided voters; there's no real passionate leader to tempt.

To be honest the way Prescott 'dealt' with that chap a few years back i'd rather have Miliband!

At least he showed some passion and connected with the electorate, quite literally!

[blueboy3333]

Good news to an extent. Labour needs to calm down this hammering of this rich though. No doubt, they should chase down those who avoid paying tax. If they keep going though, they'll start looking like the party under Michael Foot.

Getting non-doms to pay their fair share isn't hammering the rich, or even close to it. If you work here & earn all your money here then you should pay into the system like everyone else has to. Those cheeky feckers want to the world on a stick - tax-free.

Regardless it's small beer compared to the absolute fortunes in tax avoided by the likes of Amazon and Starbucks. Those are the loopholes that really want closing. If they don't like it then they can feck off elsewhere. The hole will be filled by lots of small and medium sized businesses that actually contribute something to communities. Free-market Capitalism and all that.

[thenodrog]

Good news to an extent. Labour needs to calm down this hammering of this rich though. No doubt, they should chase down those who avoid paying tax. If they keep going though, they'll start looking like the party under Michael Foot.

In other news, Tony Blair turned up today talking about Europe, and has pretty much ended up on every front page tomorrow. I have to say he came across as a breath of fresh air, all because he appeared very passionate about Europe/ Labour in general.

Compaing him to people like Cameron & Miliband made me think how dull the current party leaders are. It's no wonder there's so many undecided voters; there's no real passionate leader to tempt.

Dead right scotchrover. I remember him being 'very passionate' about invading Iraq to destroy those weapons of mass destruction too! He conned us all with that one didn't he? Pity old Winston or the Iron Lady can't return otherwise the multi millionaire Tony B Liar wouldn't have dared stick his head above the parapat and would likely be running for cover. recent events simply illustrate that TB was never as interested in benefitting Britain as much as benefitting himself! There was always a greater plan behind his projected public image.

btw Rather ironic that Labour come up with another tax the rich scheme just as Teflon Tony turns up to enter the fray. Coincidence? Or embarrassing gaff by the Labour party? Surely he cannot help their cause no matter how passionate he sounds. tbh I'd be very interested to see how his vast 75m fortune made in just the last 7 years is managed. Wouldn't you? At a rough guess and if he'd paid UK taxes he must have been grossing at least 25m per annum since he retired to reach that figure. By a similar comparison Tony's nett worth after just 7 years is approx 10x that of Margaret Thatcher's when she died after fully 24 years out of office. God only knows where Ton'y's 75 million will finish after the same time! "Dodgy fecker " is surely the most appropriate comment on him.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/355000/Tony-Blair-ex-Prime-Minister-in-Uk-s-top-earners

[thenodrog]

Brilliant news emerging tonight: Labour plans to end non-dom status, meaning rich foreigners will no longer be to use this country as a tax haven and ordinary folk won't have to subside them.

So they won't come and unfortunately for us all if they don't they wont spend their fortunes here.

Jim.....Let me remind you again in particular (1.10-1.15). The rest is very funny and she was bang on about the single currency. Thank goodness that Dennis Skinner was only in a position to make jokes rather than make important decisions. But for Hilda's foresight and resolve we'd have been dragged down with the rest of the eu.

http://www.brfcc.com/mb/index.php/topic/30413-the-general-election-2015/page-14#entry1522846

[K-Hod]

Dead right scotchrover. I remember him being 'very passionate' about invading Iraq to destroy those weapons of mass destruction too! Pity old Winston or the Iron Lady can't return otherwise the multi millionaire Tony B Liar would be running for cover.

btw Rather ironic that Labour come up with another tax the rich scheme just as he turns up to enter the fray. Coincidence? Or embarrassing gaff by the Labour party? Surely he cannot help their cause no matter how passionate he sounds. tbh I'd be very interested to see how his vast 75m fortune made in just the last 7 years is managed. Wouldn't you? At a rough guess and if he'd paid UK taxes he must have been grossing at least 25m per annum since he retired to reach that figure.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/355000/Tony-Blair-ex-Prime-Minister-in-Uk-s-top-earners

1 out of 2 ain't bad.

The North South divide is bad enough as it is, we don't need it getting worse. The government and media are far too London-centric and really don't have any interest in anything happening north of the M25.

[Gav]

Give me Dennis Skinner any day of the week over that silly cow.

She may have got the single currency right, but she got most other things completely wrong. Ruined lives, destroyed famalies and it'll be no surprise to learn it was mainly in the north....

[thenodrog]

1 out of 2 ain't bad.

The North South divide is bad enough as it is, we don't need it getting worse. The government and media are far too London-centric and really don't have any interest in anything happening north of the M25.

If you really believe that then for the sake of you and your family (if you have any K-Hod) then don't moan simply move to the SE. Or as Tebbitt suggested "get on your bike" You don't need a passport, a visa or a language course just a 3 hour train journey. Rem this life is not a rehearsal.

[jim mk2]

So they won't come and unfortunately for us all if they don't they wont spend their fortunes here.

Jim.....Let me remind you again in particular (1.10-1.15). The rest is very funny and she was bang on about the single currency. Thank goodness that Dennis Skinner was only in a position to make jokes rather than make important decisions. But for Hilda's foresight and resolve we'd have been dragged down with the rest of the eu.

http://www.brfcc.com/mb/index.php/topic/30413-the-general-election-2015/page-14#entry1522846

They certainly don't spend it in Blackburn so unless you have a flat in Kensington why are you bothered ?

As for Hilda lovers there's only one response I'm afraid

[thenodrog]

Give me Dennis Skinner any day of the week over that silly cow.

She may have got the single currency right, but she got most other things completely wrong. Ruined lives, destroyed famalies and it'll be no surprise to learn it was mainly in the north....

C'mon Gav. Even Simon Hughes acknowledged her good work right at the start of that clip.

Not only that 1. but Margaret Thatcher WAS a northener.

Not only the 2. but the wealth of the North was solely down to capitalist policies evolved during the Industrial revolution. History reveals that as soon as the workers turned toward socialism the wealth diminished. Only saying.

[jim mk2]

Give me Dennis Skinner any day of the week over that silly cow.

She may have got the single currency right, but she got most other things completely wrong. Ruined lives, destroyed famalies and it'll be no surprise to learn it was mainly in the north....

Good lad.

[thenodrog]

They certainly don't spend it in Blackburn so unless you have a flat in Kensington why are you bothered ?

As for Hilda lovers there's only one response I'm afraid

tbh that image is far more pertinent to old socialists whose opinions oddly enough were formed at the height of the Cold War.

btw re: my question 'have you ever worked in the public sector'? Given your reticence to reply I guess I'll just have to take that as a 'NO'. So Jim in that case why were you so happy to spend your whole working life in the Private sector lining the pockets of capitalist owners? Don't you have any principles?

[K-Hod]

If you really believe that then for the sake of you and your family (if you have any K-Hod) then don't moan simply move to the SE. Or as Tebbitt suggested "get on your bike" You don't need a passport, a visa or a language course just a 3 hour train journey. Rem this life is not a rehearsal.

I don't want to move to the SE, Baxenden is my home, and besides, you don't get much bang for your buck in terms of property 'daan saaf'. I'm happy and settled up here in terms of my job, and life in general, why would I move to a place I have no affinity or links with for no reason?

At any rate, that just contributes to the problem, doesn't address it.

[thenodrog]

I don't want to move to the SE, Baxenden is my home, and besides, you don't get much bang for your buck in terms of property 'daan saaf'.

Besides, that just contributes to the problem, doesn't address it.

Baxenden may be your home but c'mon K-Hod it's hardly Bath or York or Keswick is it?

I can't argue with that BUT how nice to sell a property in London for 750k and replace it with one at 250k in Bash (or anywhere north of the Watford Gap) at 60 years old or so. A tax free lump of 500k! Not a bad pension eh?

[Biddy]

Give me Dennis Skinner any day of the week over that silly cow.

Said it before, he is my MP and I have no idea what he does these days apart from sound bytes in parliament. Last election he didn't even canvas. Guess that's not needed when you have been in power for as long as he has and people blindly vote for you because of who you are. By my reckoning he's 83 this year so guess he won't be getting out there to canvas again.

[K-Hod]

Baxenden may be your home but c'mon K-Hod it's hardly Bath or York or Keswick is it?

I can't argue with that BUT how nice to sell a property in London for 750k and replace it with one at 250k in Bash (or anywhere north of the Watford Gap) at 60 years old or so. A tax free lump of 500k! Not a bad pension eh?

Course not, but in terms of actually moving, the only way that would happen would be if I got a job nearer to Manchester or another City (which is quite feasible in the next 5 years) and the commute was proving to be too much of an issue. It would be grand to be able to buy any sort of property for £750k, but for now that's a pipe dream!!

[Biddy]

I can't argue with that BUT how nice to sell a property in London for 750k and replace it with one at 250k in Bash (or anywhere north of the Watford Gap) at 60 years old or so. A tax free lump of 500k! Not a bad pension eh?

That would be good, but right now you'd have to be able to buy a house for nearly that price. The dream doesn't quite work if you can't afford to get on that ladder in the first place.

[thenodrog]

Thank you Biddy.

Gav is now in a tailspin of his own making and his co-pilot jim is going down with him.

[Biddy]

Thank you Biddy.

Gav is now in a tailspin of his own making and his co-pilot jim is going down with him.

No, Jim will just say I'm talking right wing nonsense with no argument to back it up.

[thenodrog]

That would be good, but right now you'd have to be able to buy a house for nearly that price. The dream doesn't quite work if you can't afford to get on that ladder in the first place.

Throw a stone in a pond and watch the ripples. Same effect. Wherever you go (except maybe Stoke) the property will be cheaper in Bash.

Course not, but in terms of actually moving, the only way that would happen would be if I got a job nearer to Manchester or another City (which is quite feasible in the next 5 years) and the commute was proving to be too much of an issue. It would be grand to be able to buy any sort of property for £750k, but for now that's a pipe dream!!

You don't get my drift K-Hod. I'm suggesting that if you had done that 20 years ago you'd have 500k now. Buy a property for 750k in London now and at the present rate of inflation it will be worth much more when you retire.

As far as I am concerned I can't understand why many businesses do not relocate North now. Must be many that are 'on wheels' and able to and the North represents an all round lower cost base. Lower property, lower wages etc.

[Al]

C'mon Gav. Even Simon Hughes acknowledged her good work right at the start of that clip.

Not only that 1. but Margaret Thatcher WAS a northener.

Not only the 2. but the wealth of the North was solely down to capitalist policies evolved during the Industrial revolution. History reveals that as soon as the workers turned toward socialism the wealth diminished. Only saying.

I'm with you on most things Gordon but my company was one of the victims of the Thatcher bitch. She ruined industry in the North West by moving all the Government work to the North East. That closed many companies, including my own, at a stroke. Evil woman.

[thenodrog]

I'm with you on most things Gordon but my company was one of the victims of the Thatcher bitch. She ruined industry in the North West by moving all the Government work to the North East. That closed many companies, including my own, at a stroke. Evil woman.

Regrettable of course but hardly the actions of a southerner though Al which she is frequently perceived to be.

[K-Hod]

Regrettable of course but hardly the actions of a southerner though Al which she is frequently perceived to be.

No, but at the risk of splitting hairs, Grantham is the East Mids isn't it?