Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Milliband "I don't believe in God personally but I have great respect for those people who do and different people have different religious views in this country" - As per the above...

Why he couldn't have just said "I don't believe in God personally" and leave it at that just answering the question without having to state what we all know that "different people have different religious views in this country" is beyond me. Just a typical example of him banging on for no apparent reason... My 6 year old does this to be centre of attention, you'd have thought Milly and Davy would have grown out of it by now....

Couldn't resist, just to brighten up the thread a little... hubber, hubber!!

EM's speech etc
as i was driving, i tuned into "the world at one" on radio 4, on which there was an excellent discussion about labour's budgetary plans
i trust i have this right .....

Labour
1) will not change any of the cuts proposed by GO

2) will impose a mansion tax and raise top marginal to 50p, which together will yield £27bn (did i hear that right?) for an improved NHS (would that it was only money that was needed, but no matter)

3) will impose further cuts to bring the deficit to zero, i assume by end of the next parliament ...... source and depth of these cuts was not defined

4) will borrow money to fund infrastructure projects, but that is deemed a separate item from "bringing the deficit to zero" (oh really?)



Tories
1) expecting to have an overall budget surplus of £23bn (what for?) by end next parliament if not sooner


i think that's about the nub of it, so decide for yourselves if there is really any fundamental difference other than a bit of extra tax here and there ......
but do not forget that there is a difference between the two budgetary figures of £50bn (for labour to play with)

and of course, should labour get into power, it is inevitable (as was the reverse) that it will all be whoops and oh dear, and we really didn't realise that was the true situation, so we'll have to think and start again

Simplified even further the emphasis between Labour and the Con part is that Labour will attempt to help and enable the majority of society (the poorer and less able included in that group, while the Cons will continue to reward the better off (often due to inherited wealth and privileges) and their mates who purchase them. Leading to a more inequal society and increasing discontent of society which may be difficult to deal with.

EM also said he'd sell off unwanted government assets, scrap police commissioners, scrap the winter fuel allowance for the wealthy and cap child benefit at 1%....

Translated that means, good bye Royal Mail, NHS etc... reduced police force with no one at the top to take responsibility and provide direction and a token fuel bill saving. Other than that cuts would be made in government, I'll believe it when I see it.

strange .... that didn't seem to come into the discussion at any point; perhaps you were listening to your own programme

oh yes; forgot about that valuable winter fuel allowance

For some it is very valuable.

Cynic, read the below..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30417955

If only those two Ed bangers had managed to call something correctly in the last 4 years or so, then maybe whatever proposals they make would carry some credence, but they have a near 100% record of wrong calls, which doesn't instill much confidence
2517

http://order-order.com/2014/12/11/socialist-paradise-update-venezuela-has-93-chance-of-default/

Owen Jones, Diane Abbott et al don’t tend to talk about Venezuela so much these days…

UP yours Up Yours Up yours Up yours Up yours......... HAYS

2517,

Perhaps, you should read back over Cameron and Osborne's incompetences, U-turns and policy announcements publicised by themselves which within weeks were retracted.

Start with pronouncements on immigration, the Lansley's reorganisation of health service and privatising by stealth, before their pronouncement on reducing debt and then the lying and distortion of employment figures. That is before looking at Welfare cuts by IDS.

Mind you are allowed to borrow glasses off Haze or Cynic to read with, but they will probably charge you for doing so!

Socialists, running out of other people’s money once again.

GEORGE.........Have you lost sight of the amount of debt Camoron and Osbourne have run up over the last 4 years ????????????????????????????????.

For gods sake man, take the blinds down.

Haze,

No. They will concentrate taxation rises on you.

Hays other peoples money?, wheres all the debt coming from that OZ and fat Dave have built up. ?????????????????

Well youve got to hand it to Giddeon, he certainly as got stamina..........LOOK hes still at it on the CRACK.......

Look what a state the socialists have made of France.

http://order-order.com/2014/12/10/what-would-prime-minister-miliband-be-like/

Today the French press and social media are convulsed with a hat-related collective “Why is our president an embarrassing jerk?” spasm.

Guido would like to point out that “Hollande” is the French word for “Miliband”…