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.

The Libs.......



LOL !

moneyplus suggested I paid a visit here, knowing I was a great fan of her investment prowess and hoped it would spill over to her politics. Not far out actually: I think I would give women a chance to run the show; can't do worse than the men. I don't include Maggie as a woman; she was strongly against any competition from other women and thought like a man. As to the result: propose a narrow Major-like margin for Labour. They would then be hounded from left and right and collapse in a compost-like heap. If they didn't they would have to cut out any thing extreme and we might even get some decent decision-making. So my suggestion is that you should give 50.5% of your vote to labour and 49.5 to the conservatives. Best done by a CFD, of course (you would expect me to say that)! kivver suggests the liberals but they disappeared 20 years ago!

Eric

If you watch the TV programme with Alan Sugar called The Apprentice, I can't help think most women haven't got what it takes to be high achievers. There is the odd exception of course, but generally it should be left to us men. If Churchill was born a woman we would all be speaking German. No not for me, I like people who know their place in life.

MS

My goodness!

Prepare to handbagged micky!

mickey

The obvious reply: if Chamberlain had been born a woman, we wouldn't have needed Churchill!

Eric

I am only young, and inexperienced in the general way of the world, but allow me to demonstrate my opinions on the forthcoming election.

Liberal Democrats - a party that likes to sit between two sides as much as possible in order to find its position on an issue. 'What do you think Tony? and you Michael? Right, well, I very much think it's a case of compromising.' Great, right up until you're leading. Then how do you find your position? I agree with the principle of raising taxes on the highest earners - those who disagree are entitled to their opinion, but in my view when you are earning that much you can afford to give a little to people worse off than yourselves. Nonetheless, I don't think the Lib Dems have the ability or strength for effective leadership.

Conservatives - where to begin? A party that seems to consist entirely of rich self-serving egotists. The statistics from previous Tory governments speak for themselves. As for cutting tax, this is a joke. Our public services are already underfunded, so where exactly is the spending going to be cut? At the moment, their answer to this question is 'we'll cut out all the middle managers'. Well, that's great and all, but as a long term cost-cutting exercise the flaws are fairly obvious I presume. Perhaps their plan is to continue that greatest of ideas, privatisation. After all, look how successful it was for the transport system. Hang on, it's in a ruinous state. The Conservatives have a proven track record in messing things up. A party that cannot even find itself an appealing new leader, and instead resurrects a semi-fascist Thatcherite, is hardly going to run a country very well. The party is in chaos. Expect Howard to be replaced as soon as the Tories lose in May; if he is not replaced, then the Conservatives are in an even worse state than it seems even now.

Labour - smug, spin-oriented, but look at the figures. This is an effective government. Stable economy, record employment, a successful scheme in the New Deal and the minimum wage (that the Tories opposed because of the dangers to the economy - I think we'll all admit that was yet another Conservative mistake). The downside to Labour seems to come from their forcing through of bills; however it is my opinion that this is more down to hugely ineffective opposition than as a result of any untoward leadership. I do not agree with every policy and bill that they draft, but I almost invariably find their position to be far superior to that of the ramshackle opposition parties.

The solution? Keep labour in, with a lesser majority. Luckily this is almost certainly what will happen.

Just a couple more points:
- Watching prime-ministers questions is always hilarious. It demonstrates how good Blair is at argument, and how inept Kennedy and Howard are. Watching this every week makes me more and more sure that of the three, he is the only viable option as a leader of our country. So he's stubborn? Good. I want the leader of my country to be able to stand his ground.
- Some may consider speeding fines to be a stealth tax but there's a simple solution. Don't speed. It is after all illegal. Would you complain about a fine for any other criminal offense? I doubt it. Either continue speeding and accept that you get caught, or don't speed anymore. You know the fines that can be imposed when you get in your car.
- Petrol prices had better bloody well be going up. Because there isn't that much left.

Thanks if you got to the end of this, and good luck with your investments. Personally I began investing only 1 month ago, I'm happy to report a 70% profit so far.

Adios

kshammas: after that nonsense, I suggest you retire and you can talk about your success as an investor for the rest of your life! EWR

maxk,

terrific header!


Mickey,

Bit near the mark!


Eric,

post 51, superb reposte!

It would be nice to have a government of any persuasion who put more emphasis on the quality of life than they do on 'growth'. Perhaps we should become more like the civilised Northern Europeans and less like the violent Americans?

Eric, with all due respect, what part of my nonsense did you particularly disagree with? Am happy to be enlightened by more senior people on politics, but in my 21 years of life, I can only comment on what I have seen. I have a great deal of respect for you after following many of your comments on SEO and ASC in recent weeks, so am keen to hear your in-depth opinions on the matter!

Also, 70% was not a boast, I realise I will almost certainly lose most of it!

Regards
Kevin.

On the final day the day we vote, you know whats going to put the party in power pure greed because as humans we always resort to that. The NHS, Schools, social services , crime etc it all goes through the window.

Its whos going to let you earn more dosh and keep most of it. It as to be Labour, yes we hear the ramblings of Howard and well er, well er, well er' well er, sorry dont know any of the conservatives, harping on at how they will cut back taxes in TIME, yes IN TIME, but just who for?????????????.

The top 10% of people in this country.

YOU JUST CANT TRUST THE TORYS.

GF.

goldfinger - from your comments I assume that you've never tried running a business under labour lol!

Have done for the last two governments and no problems at all. Dont know what the fuss is about. Youd only blame the torys the same way.

GF.

Great stuff! Keep it up chaps-pity more female input isn't forthcoming but like your comments Eric. Where are you girls???

kshammas.
Could have saved yourself a lot of time.....you should have just said 'vote for duplicitous Tony'.

All great G'mnts have been led by great leaders. Some have been perceived to be a great leader and been proven wrong. The trick is, knowing who would achieve greatness. That of course is an impossibility. Only history is the judge of greatness. Tony of course will fail the test.
But the problem as seen by many who would vote Conservative,is, Michael Howard.
Sadly, I don't think Michael will achieve greatness. A good technocrat is about all one can say. He doesn't inspire though. Tony did. And blew it.
So who instead of Michael? Hague? Fantastic orator who was force reared far,far too soon. Nobody likes a lippy youngster. His time might come again when memory has faded a bit.
No. My choice would be David Davies. A hard working self made man from the lowest rungs of the social scale. He knows what life is all about.
Not mouthy.Quiet and with well constructed arguments. A hint of hardness there that is shown when he has the chance at the Despatch Box. He doesn't shout but lets the other man hang himself.
Look him up. You'll find him with Google. Great? Only time will tell.

what a great thread!

very entertaining and certainly strong views expressed on both sides.

The problem with Blair is that he is a Liar. I simply do not trust the man. I am a conservative at heart and acknowledge that their leadership right now is up the swanny but the labour leadership is a lapdog to the US and is a master of (barely) stealth taxation.

The reality is that these days, as with the US, most parties are just left or right of centre. i just want a leader that i, as a citizen, can trust and have faith in. I do not with the current leadership.

when it comes to the iraq war i agree saddam should have been deposed but look at the way that plan was executed....all based on lies. at least go through the official channels for more time and then declare war. idiots.
we all know its about oil and we all know its about control in the middle east so bloody well acknowledge that fact. I don't see 100billion being spent trying to avoid the next genocide in Africa! they are all such hypocrites.

Anyway, i have seen the other side...Singapore. It is a nanny/police state following a supply side economic policy. heres the other part - 22% income tax, no CGT/IHT and VAT of 4%. Massive govenment surplus and 30 degrees all year round. lived there for 5 years so i can see how good it can be. if i have any wise cracks about "go back and live there then" all i will say is Blighty is home and always will be because that is where my family is.

So, a few views from me - for the record i would like no CGT, abolish the ridiculous IHT and make up the money by raising cigarettes to 20 per pack. Oh, and as for the PM...my vote goes to Mickey Skint's Mother in Law! Legend.

pop.
some good points..........don't know about mickys m-in-law. Is she tall and curvacious? Photo micky?

Taxation. It has been proven over and over again: Reduce taxation and more tax is gathered.
Over-tax the high earners and we will have a repeat of what happened the last time Labour tried it......brain drain.
IHT. A bearly acceptable tax that has been taken to it's limits.
CGT. Ditto. Why do they screw the people with ingenuity SO much?
State Pension.The New Zealand way is very attractive. After ten or more years in NZ, everybody gets the same pension. Worked or not. (The mothers who have reared the children 'haven't worked', but rightly get the same.)
The massive gain? 95% of the people who used to run the greatly overstaffed
pension dept are found USEFUL work.

Must go. Just had a call to do some bloody work! Sod.

Standber, you seem to have gone from a Capitalist to a Communist...........

"State Pension.The New Zealand way is very attractive. After ten or more years in NZ, everybody gets the same pension. Worked or not."ENDS

If thats the way of your thinking one as to question why you dont see workers and non workers all getting the same income. A very strange remark from a torry.

Anyway back to pensions here, you can bet your bottom dollar good old Gordon as given the pensioners a tenner extra in the budget today to secure their votes come election day. NICE.

Vote Labour, YOU CANT TRUST THE TORYS AND DRACULA.

GF.

EWRobson,

in message 53 you said that kshammas message 52 was nonsense.

In fact, it was a quite balanced view compared to some of the posts on this thread which are totally 1 sided & refuse to see the faults in the party that they support.


mickeyskint in message 42

You said

"What a sad state of affairs it's all come to. Not one politician or party we can trust..."

IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THAT!

We need a written constitution that specifies constant monitoring of the politicians. This is the only way to keep them in line.

We have a right to know what they are doing.

Any voter without a criminal record should be able to find out anything so that politicians can be forced to abide by very tight constitutional anticorruption laws.

It should be illegal for a politician to benefit from anything unless specifically permitted to do so by legislation.

Politicians love secrets.
Secrets should not be permitted, the only thing that should be allowed is a delay of public release of information because it would compromise a current operation but they should have to prove that in a closed court if a voter requests the information.
As soon as the operation is over, further delay should be illegal as specified by a written constitution.

i am also an advocate of paying politicians significantly more than they earn now. that way the best and brightest would be attracted. pay an MP 250/- a year and some industry stars may be attracted. contravertial but i have seen this work around the world. stops corruption and brings in the brains. that wage bill in nothing versus treasury income.

just an idea and then we wouldn't have to put up with the current bunch of "leaders"