The Tories will kiss our grazed knees
Discussion
It really is very amusing reading all these threads which directly or indirectly praise the Conservatives; they have become some great blue hope, a messiah in a suit, an efficiency warrior riding into battle with a smug grin.
The funny thing is, people were saying exactly the same things about the Labour party before they came to power. They were going to remove all this bureaucracy, cut out the dead wood, rejuvenate the economy, look after the family, be tough on crime, sort out the schools, etc. "You know, when the Tories are gone and Labour is in power, then we'll see results!"
So, it's all going to be better when the Tories get in, isn't it?
Er... no.
They might tweak some things, some things will run better, other things worse.
We'll still complain about tax hikes, crime, poor schools, trains being late, the housing market and all the other baggage of this nation, and after their first term, people will be starting to say "when Labour get back in, things will be better."
There is so much complexity in the running of a country that no political party is going to make radical changes; they might just be wrong and that won't be good for votes. No political party is going to sweep away revenue streams, however unjust, because of the cost to the Treasury. They would have to think up other, similarly unpopular methods to raise cash - and what party would embark on doing that, rather than carry on as before and blame it all on the previous No 10 incumbent? Not the Tories, not Labour, not the Liberals.
Please can we tone down the Cameron worship just a tad, because after the budget in their second year (if indeed they are voted in), the same people are going to be complaining that council tax has risen, fags have gone up and the rich are being taxed less in real terms than the much more prevalent and envious 'common people'.
Myself, I have a hope that whatever party gets in (and I don't really care who) can start to turn the tide. But I don't believe any party, least of all the Conservatives, is going to shake this country up. They are all in it for petty point scoring; you only need to watch Question Time or any of the Commons debates to see schoolboy b
hing that rarely engenders any sense of directorship for the country.
The funny thing is, people were saying exactly the same things about the Labour party before they came to power. They were going to remove all this bureaucracy, cut out the dead wood, rejuvenate the economy, look after the family, be tough on crime, sort out the schools, etc. "You know, when the Tories are gone and Labour is in power, then we'll see results!"
So, it's all going to be better when the Tories get in, isn't it?
Er... no.
They might tweak some things, some things will run better, other things worse.
We'll still complain about tax hikes, crime, poor schools, trains being late, the housing market and all the other baggage of this nation, and after their first term, people will be starting to say "when Labour get back in, things will be better."
There is so much complexity in the running of a country that no political party is going to make radical changes; they might just be wrong and that won't be good for votes. No political party is going to sweep away revenue streams, however unjust, because of the cost to the Treasury. They would have to think up other, similarly unpopular methods to raise cash - and what party would embark on doing that, rather than carry on as before and blame it all on the previous No 10 incumbent? Not the Tories, not Labour, not the Liberals.
Please can we tone down the Cameron worship just a tad, because after the budget in their second year (if indeed they are voted in), the same people are going to be complaining that council tax has risen, fags have gone up and the rich are being taxed less in real terms than the much more prevalent and envious 'common people'.
Myself, I have a hope that whatever party gets in (and I don't really care who) can start to turn the tide. But I don't believe any party, least of all the Conservatives, is going to shake this country up. They are all in it for petty point scoring; you only need to watch Question Time or any of the Commons debates to see schoolboy b
hing that rarely engenders any sense of directorship for the country.Unfortunately the great British public have been conditioned to 'more schools and hospitals', ie public spending. Therefore the party that promises to spend the most money wins; but the public are too stupid to realise THEY will be paying for it with their holiday munney.
Perhaps only now, after 10 years, are they begining to think 'st, taxes are very high, I'm worse off and I can't see any extra schools or hospitals'.
Cameron has to say what will get him elected. It's unfortunate but true, and whilst this country needs another Maggie to give it a serious kick up the arse and weed out the crap, nobody would vote for her.
Perhaps only now, after 10 years, are they begining to think 's
t, taxes are very high, I'm worse off and I can't see any extra schools or hospitals'.Cameron has to say what will get him elected. It's unfortunate but true, and whilst this country needs another Maggie to give it a serious kick up the arse and weed out the crap, nobody would vote for her.
Ok, I don't care really who gets in next time, as long as its not Labour. 10 years is enough at the top, as you become lazy & inefficient.
I said the same at the end of the last Conservative government - "you've had your time, NEXT!"
What I am really not looking forward over the next year is desperate (i.e. expensive) measures from Labour to try and retain the government, when they should just accept they are finished now, and allow us all to move on and sombody else gets a stab at running the country.
I said the same at the end of the last Conservative government - "you've had your time, NEXT!"
What I am really not looking forward over the next year is desperate (i.e. expensive) measures from Labour to try and retain the government, when they should just accept they are finished now, and allow us all to move on and sombody else gets a stab at running the country.
V8S,
Not true, this government have pushed up the share of the public sector more than the previous Tory administration government. It's wasteful, inefficient and also costs a st load more money than it should. It's tried its own ways of doing things, they failed and in education and health, I st you not, they have gone back to the way they were being ran c1996.
Also, the economy has been ran very badly over the last 10 years. Labour could have built up a sizable reserve, it didn't. It sold our gold reserves at an all-time low price, it's ran a massive deficit, it's driven pensions into the ground and inflated the housing market. All our economic woes can be laid firmly at their door.
And don't get me started on the nanny/surveillance state, Labour are complete fascists compared to the Tories. Cameron deserves a crack just to abolish ID cards once and for all.
Cameron has a grasp that incremental change rather than revolution is required, it is not the last-chance saloon of 1979. I reckon he'll have to win two terms to make a dent on the mess that's been made and also to give Labour the space to think 'what next?'.
As for the 'poor' who do you think has represented their concerns as politician's & local councillors - Labour for 50+ years. It hasn't worked, and it is here that he is a radical.
Cameron has a unique opportunity to sort it out - give the guy a chance.
Not true, this government have pushed up the share of the public sector more than the previous Tory administration government. It's wasteful, inefficient and also costs a s
t load more money than it should. It's tried its own ways of doing things, they failed and in education and health, I st you not, they have gone back to the way they were being ran c1996.Also, the economy has been ran very badly over the last 10 years. Labour could have built up a sizable reserve, it didn't. It sold our gold reserves at an all-time low price, it's ran a massive deficit, it's driven pensions into the ground and inflated the housing market. All our economic woes can be laid firmly at their door.
And don't get me started on the nanny/surveillance state, Labour are complete fascists compared to the Tories. Cameron deserves a crack just to abolish ID cards once and for all.
Cameron has a grasp that incremental change rather than revolution is required, it is not the last-chance saloon of 1979. I reckon he'll have to win two terms to make a dent on the mess that's been made and also to give Labour the space to think 'what next?'.
As for the 'poor' who do you think has represented their concerns as politician's & local councillors - Labour for 50+ years. It hasn't worked, and it is here that he is a radical.
Cameron has a unique opportunity to sort it out - give the guy a chance.
Thing is, I'm not anti-Cameron at all.
Even though I've been rather dismissive of the Tories in most of my adulthood, having grown up during their last terms under Maggie and hearing all the same stuff about them ruining the country - Labour or the Liberals being able to save things if given a chance - it's the misplaced worship that is laughable rather the policies.
I've grown weary of this cycle of poor Government, with a messiah waiting in the wings, built out of misplaced hope that, somehow, being in opposition has turned them into intelligent statesmen.
If anything, opposition turns parties into braying children, willing to twist and turn to point out how everything, no matter if good or bad, is somehow worse than how they might handle it. The Conservatives do not impress me with their antics, but then none of the others do either.
I don't like Labour as much as the next man, but the comments at times, on here and elsewhere, show just how blinkered people have become in their desperation to see the back of Brown and Blair before him.
Even though I've been rather dismissive of the Tories in most of my adulthood, having grown up during their last terms under Maggie and hearing all the same stuff about them ruining the country - Labour or the Liberals being able to save things if given a chance - it's the misplaced worship that is laughable rather the policies.
I've grown weary of this cycle of poor Government, with a messiah waiting in the wings, built out of misplaced hope that, somehow, being in opposition has turned them into intelligent statesmen.
If anything, opposition turns parties into braying children, willing to twist and turn to point out how everything, no matter if good or bad, is somehow worse than how they might handle it. The Conservatives do not impress me with their antics, but then none of the others do either.
I don't like Labour as much as the next man, but the comments at times, on here and elsewhere, show just how blinkered people have become in their desperation to see the back of Brown and Blair before him.
Spending isn't a bad thing, it's efficiency of that spending.
Labour might have taken say 50% more tax, but maybe only 20% has hit the spot for actual benefits for the public, with 80% going to organise how it will be spent, paperwork, over-run IT projects etc etc...
I'd happily pay the current levels of taxation if the roads were all glass smooth, hospitals had no waiting lists and health issue diagnosis was swift. Public transport was clean and efficient, with active public consultation on new routes for cycle routes and things like that.
But it's not. It's just a government of waste, and I feel most of it is waste following targets and the associated beurocray of that.
Who knows what the right answer is, but Labour clearly don't know what it is. Time for someone else to try!
Dave
Labour might have taken say 50% more tax, but maybe only 20% has hit the spot for actual benefits for the public, with 80% going to organise how it will be spent, paperwork, over-run IT projects etc etc...
I'd happily pay the current levels of taxation if the roads were all glass smooth, hospitals had no waiting lists and health issue diagnosis was swift. Public transport was clean and efficient, with active public consultation on new routes for cycle routes and things like that.
But it's not. It's just a government of waste, and I feel most of it is waste following targets and the associated beurocray of that.
Who knows what the right answer is, but Labour clearly don't know what it is. Time for someone else to try!
Dave
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