The 2005 general election is nearly upon us. Which way will you vote, and you reasons why. Here is a brief list of the potential contestants, please add your own.


More tax!
Less tax!
Dont know!
Death to all infidels!
Who gives a shit?

The great pretender.

Dynamite,

that won't be Howard, he's even more in love with Bush.


The Punch & Judy show continued yesterday

with that silly argument about whether the Tory "cut" of 35 billion actually counted as a cut.

The journalist who started it said you can't cut it before it has been spent.

What a load of dummies, not one of them actually noticed the fact that YOU DEFINITELY CAN'T CUT IT AFTER IT HAS BEEN SPENT.

BY THEN, IT'S TOO LATE, IT'S GONE!

They were all too busy with their Punch & Judy show to notice.

Bliar was floundering.

I dont like the B Liar, finding him conceited and stupid. Many of his arguments are fallacious and self-serving and based on false beliefs. I keep on expecting him to pick up his banjo and start playing Im a believer and trying to get his cohorts to do likewise. Many of those, whom he has entrenched around himself, would probably do so. His new Band could be called Teflon Tony and his Cronies,or the New Spivs managed and promoted by the Texas Twister.

From memory, didnt like the policies of Howard, but much of what he tried to instigate was promoted by the old witch, who drove the Conservative Party at that time.

But I feel many of the right winged policies implemented by this government would not have been passed by Parliament if the Tories were in power. The unfortunate thing for me is that the labour party has lost its morality and social values and now worship Mammon and hanging on to power. A large amount of it partys membership seems interested in their own self-advancement and in wishing Tonys patronage have cow downed to him and forgone their own basic morality.

The money which was wasted and continues to be wasted on the Iraq war could have been use for social issues, such as grants for students, education in general, policing, decent pensions and overseas aid. The latter would have helped prevent terrorism developing and spreading. The Iraq war has increased the threat of terrorism and finance many of the Bush elite RE-construction and oil companies.

I would like to see after the election a Socialist government lead by Gordon Brown, but with a very much-reduced majority with The Liberal Democrat Party being the largest second party. I feel the Liberals, stated the fallacies of the Iraq War and have been consistently honest with their policies. Also with their policies for the Health Service, Education, Pensions and Taxation appear reasonable. I also think compared with the other two main parties the Liberals seem to show a common decency and consideration of others.

I went to a working class university 45 years ago, the majority of those who attended could not have done so without the aid of grants. Many of us went on to have high earnings and were in the position to pay a reasonable amount of tax to aid others to do likewise. But many, who were also well educated and took jobs, which were socially responsible and beneficial to society, would never been able to pay the level of taxation, which this government is now promoting for the next generation in the form of Loans.

It is unlikely that the children of Tony and his cronies will leave university with a debt around their necks. They are more likely to have two properties in Bristol and a holiday home in Tuscany and a job made for them in the city, or, perhaps they may be found a short cut up the same greasy pole as their parents.


Here ends this mornings sermon.

Did anybody see the program about Kelly last night.


Right back to the market.

Reality Fred, reality.

Don't ignore the reality of Howard's record & rhetoric that went with it.

The Tories would have passed even more right winged laws, they are soulmates of right winged American conservatives.

I agree about Blair & I would rather have Brown BUT always remember that if they do something that you like, it isn't because they care about you, it's because it happens to coincide with WHAT THEY WANT.

As for socialism, it is illogical!

SEE Message 75.



You seem disappointed that politicians worship Mammon BUT it has always been like that, get used to it.

You said,
"Right back to the market."

Yep, back to worshipping Mammon, NONE of us can be trusted :-)

Its a pity the Tories aint going to win cos at least they have promised to rid us of the Mickey Mouse Assembley we have here in Wales.

Waste of time , waste of money and full of pratts.

Rant over.

Socialism is not illogical,but is sometimes a little impractical. Especially when forced at too quickly.


Back to the market.

By the way did you know Dil worships MAM!

Who's MAM , thats valley speak for Mum innit ?

I'll vote for the blues, as I always have.....but I do wish we had David Davis instead of MH. MH has baggage that is doing him no good at all.
Still, I might get the best that is possible. Labour elected with a greatly reduced majority and that would mean them sorting out their own dung.
And it would stop them playing silly buggers with our country.

Hola senors.


Has the general election bin cancelled?

Are there no stories of stupid government to report??


Come on, lets have em, this thread is also aimed at all the dozy arseholes who take our tax money and produce nowt...their numbers are legion.

Tories' brave new economic policy takes a kicking

Race for Downing Street colds up

by College Green

Sensational Conservative plans put forward by vibrant young leader Mike Howard to reward voters after he sweeps to power have been unveiled to general surprise as the race for Downing Street colds up. Howard has already revitalised the Tories to such an extent that previous party has-beens such as IDS are now being talked about reverentially and with his new scheme even opponents say that he has taken things to "an unbelievable new level".

The proposals announced amid rumours that even Howard himself is considering defecting to New Labour and with Tony Blair now only 227 per cent ahead in the polls would see increased spending on defence, health, social security, education, road building, public transport, overseas aid, farming, fishing, and forestry along with every taxpayer receiving a rebate of 5m plus a free family ticket to Chessington World of Adventures (not valid at weekends).

As the General Election nears and polls show Conservative voting support hovering near the psychologically significant 0 per cent mark and with name recognition level for Howard himself even amongst Tory MPs and his own family at no higher than 0.5 per cent, the need for a "radical" policy to get voters enthused had become clear.

Early indications are that Howard has been extremely bold but Conservative strategists have rejected the idea that the plan should in any way be seen as a sign of "desperation". Reaction to the scheme has been mixed with some reporters preferring to write about cats stuck up trees and others dismissing the entire plan as "utter and unmitigated cobblers".

Any cogent press comment has tended towards the time-honoured "figures don't add up" line of attack. However, one expert at Tory HQ we spoke to explained that the "fully costed" part of the programme could be explained by the fact that "since there's not a cat in hell's chance of Michael being elected, it won't be costing anything and we reckon that's affordable, don't you?"

Brown tells brussels to get stuffed,could pick up a few votes there...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,1443032,00.html

So the old dogs gonna be queen. What ever next.

MS

I thought that no divorced peep could have the title. Isnt there a precident with the duke of windsor?

I don't know what the rules are but I'm sure she won't accept the title anyway.

MS

Amities / As a true decadent libertine and something of a libeterian the very thought of either Blair, or Count Dracula, is quite daunting. Four more years of Blair taxing us all into bankruptcy or the Count frightening us with his very countanance is far from ideal as a choice. What an utter and complete farce.And expensive. lt is difficult not to perceive who is as more of a traditional Tory ? Both men -Blair as PM and the Count as the Home Secatary- have made great inroads to diluting personal freedoms and civil liberties and rendered or rather, reinforced the Europeon notion that the British state is a virtual Police state .Both these power crazed zealots are stuck up the bottom of the caped wonder himself .No !! Not Batman . l mean Bush !; and as such are greatly deserving of a poke in the eye with a shitty stick .,,,,Anyway democracy is a complete misnomer- undefinable & bankrupt of reason .A mere plattitude.An invention. A meaningless hypothesis.Allowing the lowest common denominator to predominate .The stupid leading the even more stupid ,,oh give me a break . The silly idea never worked in Ancient Athens whom posterity rememebers as its home; and it certainly doesnt work now. ,,,,,lts juste as Orwell said ,,,All men are equal ; but some men are more equal than others ,,,,, Actually the sex on the NHS sounds a votewinner to me . Who proposes that ?? They got my vote. ..As for suggestions ,,,,,,,A modern day Enoch Powell for a start . ....a'bientot @+ J.,,,,

Looks like its me for PM then. Oh by the way I forgot to say that sex on the NHS would be compulsory.

PS. Please excuse the shaky typing, its just the thought of it. And sod the gypsies.

MS

Vile dangerous nonesense, or common sense?

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/comment/0,15803,1443633,00.html

gotta love the guardian. had to stop reading it when i was 8 because is was so damn left wing.

love the FT

MS for PM and make his MIL Queen.

loving this Blog, i mean thread.....

Council tax rises of up to 100% to be capped

Peter Hetherington, regional affairs editor
Thursday March 24, 2005
The Guardian

Ministers tried to present Conservative councils as high spenders yesterday by moving to cap the budgets of nine authorities which have posted inflation-busting council tax rises for the new financial year beginning next week.
The increases range from 9% in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, to 100% in South Cambridgeshire and have prompted the local government minister, Nick Raynsford, to claim that the councils had posted high increases in the hope of being bailed out by a Conservative government.



But the leader of the Local Government Association accused the government of "political posturing" and said it had failed to address a deeper funding crisis which will hit households next year.
Overall, however, figures released by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister showed that increases for the average Band D household would be 4.1%, the lowest for 11 years but still twice the rate of inflation.

Mr Raynsford accused the Tories of hypocrisy. He said they were blaming the government for tax rises while preparing to cut a Whitehall grant to town halls in a multi-billion pound economy drive.

But the shadow local gov ernment secretary, Caroline Spelman, said council tax bills had soared by 76% since Labour came to power, despite claims eight years ago from Tony Blair that he planned no tax no increases.

Coming close to accusing the government of setting up Tory councils for capping, she said the council tax had become Labour's favoured stealth tax, "with local councillors taking the blame when bills hit the doormat". In the event of a third term for Labour, she claimed bills would soar further, thanks to "fiddled funding" and the first revaluation of properties on which the tax is based since it was introduced 12 years ago.

The LGA condemned the government's decision. All of the selected authorities are district councils. But the selected districts have small budgets, with county councils responsible for more expensive services such as education and social care.

Spending in South Cambridgeshire - a low spending authority - represents only 11% of the overall council tax bill for householders. The remainder is levied by Cambridgeshire county council.

Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, the LGA chairman, said if the government were really concerned about council tax payers it would have addressed a 1.5bn "black hole" in council budgets for 2006 which will force up taxes next year. This year the chancellor, Gordon Brown, gave councils an extra 1bn to keep increases to a minimum in the run up to a general election.

"Local government does all it can to keep council taxes down, but with dozens of new spending pressures as a result of central government policy, councils are facing a huge hole in their budgets, with no idea how this spending gap is likely to be plugged," Sir Sandy said.

The offenders

Percentage council tax rises:

South Cambridgeshire 100%

Aylesbury 9%

Daventry 11.9%

Hambleton 17.6%

Huntingdon 12.7%

Mid Bedfordshire 13.3%

North Dorset 23.3%

Runnymeade 17.5%

Sedgemoor 11.8%
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1444332,00.html

See the latest polls from YouGov on the header.


Are things going pear shaped for the new tories?

Vote early....vote often.....



http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/story/0,15803,1446853,00.html

Rise in postal votes fuels fear of fraud

Alert in marginals as Guardian survey reveals threefold increase in applications

Sandra Laville and Steve Dinneen
Monday March 28, 2005
The Guardian