General Election 2010

[Guest alex]

Must get myself over to Norway. I went once as a bairn and it was beautiful. Ridiculous when you consider how close it is.

 

Finland is really nice as well, been 3 times.

 

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/country...pe/fitravel.htm

 

Would love to see the Northern Lights but I'd like to go over in the summer as well.

[Renton 22001]

Must get myself over to Norway. I went once as a bairn and it was beautiful. Ridiculous when you consider how close it is.

 

Finland is really nice as well, been 3 times.

 

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/country...pe/fitravel.htm

 

 

Colleague of mine had to drive back from Helsinki last week because of the ash cloud. Not recommended.

[Park Life 71]

Must get myself over to Norway. I went once as a bairn and it was beautiful. Ridiculous when you consider how close it is.

 

Finland is really nice as well, been 3 times.

 

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/country...pe/fitravel.htm

 

Would love to see the Northern Lights but I'd like to go over in the summer as well.

 

Love it there. Mrs P gets a bit rattled alone with me in the woods after a week or so...

[Christmas Tree 4827]

Yes you can sir, yes you can!

 

Why aren't they swamped with immigrants then? Is it because it is too cold or the beer is too expensive?

 

 

http://www.mynorway.co.uk/

 

That link wasn't useful. Doing a quick search it appears you need to have worked continuously in Norway for 5 years before you can apply for residency. Not exactly the same free movement as for the EU then.

 

I put it there so you could find out about the weather and the beer

[Renton 22001]

Must get myself over to Norway. I went once as a bairn and it was beautiful. Ridiculous when you consider how close it is.

 

I fancy it but it's quite expensive to get to I think despite its proximity. Plus it'll be one of those dodgy SAS airline fokkers no doubt.

 

Didn't Slartibartfast design the Fjords as well?

[Gemmill 46030]

Cameron's evasive answer about inheritance tax followed by an off-camera admission that "its only a small amount of money". Biased source obviously but aren't they all.

 

http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/04/cam...mount-of-money/

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3973]

Must get myself over to Norway. I went once as a bairn and it was beautiful. Ridiculous when you consider how close it is.

 

I fancy it but it's quite expensive to get to I think despite its proximity. Plus it'll be one of those dodgy SAS airline fokkers no doubt.

 

Didn't Slartibartfast design the Fjords as well?

 

It is also ridiculously expensive while over there as well. My uncle has family in Norway and when his family go he pavcks everyobodies suitcases with food and drink. My cousin said she was complaining the whole holiday because her clothes smelled of lamb.

[Park Life 71]

Must get myself over to Norway. I went once as a bairn and it was beautiful. Ridiculous when you consider how close it is.

 

I fancy it but it's quite expensive to get to I think despite its proximity. Plus it'll be one of those dodgy SAS airline fokkers no doubt.

 

Didn't Slartibartfast design the Fjords as well?

 

It is also ridiculously expensive while over there as well. My uncle has family in Norway and when his family go he pavcks everyobodies suitcases with food and drink. My cousin said she was complaining the whole holiday because her clothes smelled of lamb.

 

Ah bt if you do the Finland lake district holiday you can get up in the morn and catch your own fish.

 

and there is this...

 

 

Edited April 30, 2010 by Park Life

[ChezGiven 0]

[Happy Face 29]

There have been various versions of the “Britain is the next Greece!” story out there; a good rundown at FT Alphaville. As they note there, however, the CDS and bond markets don’t seem to agree:

 

 

So is Britain different, and why?

 

Some of the raw budget numbers are daunting: according to Eurostat, Britain ran a primary deficit — that is, a deficit not counting interest payments — of 9.5 percent of GDP last year. That’s larger than Greece’s 8.5 percent.

 

Against that, Britain had debt of “only” 68 percent of GDP, compared with Greece’s 115 percent.

 

But the really big difference is in economic prospects. Britain’s recovery hasn’t been as strong as one would like — but the economy is growing, and since deflation looks unlikely thanks to the floating exchange rate, Britain can expect to see growth of several percent a year in nominal GDP. Greece, on the other hand, is in the euro straitjacket, and is probably condemned to years of depressed activity and deflation; S&P says it won’t regain 2008 nominal GDP until 2017, and that sounds optimistic to me.

 

To see the implications, imagine for a moment that both Greece and Britain were paying 5 percent on their debt, but that Britain was expecting 3 percent nominal GDP growth, Greece zero. Then Britain would need to run a primary surplus of 1.5 percent of GDP to stabilize the debt/GDP ratio; Greece would have to run a surplus of 5.75.

 

Wait: there’s more. Britain can expect some “automatic” decline in its primary deficit as the economy recovers; Greece can’t.

 

And one more thing: Britain can offset the depressing effects of fiscal austerity with loose monetary policy; Greece can’t.

 

What all this suggests is that while Britain faces a nasty adjustment, it’s within the realm of possibility; Greece, even if it had retained market confidence, would face an adjustment at least two or three times as severe. Naturally, then, Greece has lost market confidence, turning the situation into a death spiral.

 

So Britain isn’t Greece – largely because it still has its own currency.

 

Really, that should be Gordon Brown’s slogan: “He kept us out of the euro.” And that’s the saving grace of the situation.

 

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/3...=NytimesKrugman

[Park Life 71]

Yeah but we actually make money as a country.

[Christmas Tree 4827]

A contract between the Conservative Party and you

 

Name: David Cameron

Address: Conservatives, 30 Millbank, London SW1P 4DP

 

We go into the general election on 6 May with trust in politics and politicians at an all-time low. And I can understand why: the years of broken promises, the expenses scandal, the feeling that politicians have become too remote from the people – they’ve all taken their toll.

 

That’s why I’m making this contract with you.

 

For too long, you’ve been lied to by politicians saying they can sort out all your problems. But it doesn’t work like that. Real change is not just about what the government does. Real change only comes when we understand that we are all in this together; that we all have a responsibility to help make our country better. This contract sets out my side of the bargain: the things I want to do to change Britain. But it also makes clear that I cannot do it on my own. We will only get our economy moving, mend our broken society and reform our rotten political system if we all get involved, take responsibility, and work together.

 

So this is our contract with you. I want you to read it and – if we win the election – use it to hold us to account. If we don’t deliver our side of the bargain, vote us out in five years’ time.

 

We will change politics

 

Our political system needs to change. Politicians must be made more accountable, and we must take power away from Westminster and put it in the hands of people – individuals, families and neighbourhoods.

 

If you elect a Conservative government on 6 May, we will:

 

Give you the right to sack your MP, so you don’t have to wait for an election to get rid of politicians who are guilty of misconduct.

Cut the number of MPs by ten per cent, and cut the subsidies and perks for politicians.

Cut ministers’ pay by five per cent, and freeze it for five years.

Give local communities the power to take charge of the local planning system and vote on excessive council tax rises.

Make government transparent, publishing every item of government spending over £25,000, all government contracts, and all local council spending over £500.

 

We will change the economy

 

Gordon Brown’s economic incompetence has doubled the national debt, given us record youth unemployment, and widened the gap between rich and poor.

Unemployment is still rising, and this year we will spend more on debt interest than on schools. We need to get our economy moving.

 

If you elect a Conservative government on 6 May, we will:

 

Cut wasteful government spending so we can stop Labour’s jobs tax, which would kill the recovery.

Act now on the national debt, so we can keep mortgage rates lower for longer.

Reduce emissions and build a greener economy, with thousands of new jobs in green industries and advanced manufacturing.

Get Britain working by giving unemployed people support to get work, creating 400,000 new apprenticeships and training places over two years, and cutting benefits for those who refuse work.

Control immigration, reducing it to the levels of the 1990s – meaning tens of thousands a year, instead of the hundreds of thousands a year under Labour.

 

We will change society

 

We face big social problems in this country: family breakdown, educational failure, crime and deep poverty. Labour's big government has failed; we will help build a Big Society where everyone plays their part in mending our broken society.

 

If you elect a Conservative government on 6 May, we will:

 

Increase spending on health every year, while cutting waste in the NHS, so that more goes to nurses and doctors on the frontline, and make sure you get access to the cancer drugs you need.

Support families, by giving married couples and civil partners a tax break, giving more people the right to request flexible working and helping young families with extra Sure Start health visitors.

Raise standards in schools, by giving teachers the power to restore discipline and by giving parents, charities and voluntary groups the power to start new smaller schools.

Increase the basic state pension, by relinking it to earnings, and protect the winter fuel allowance, free TV licences, free bus travel and other key benefits for older people.

Fight back against crime, cut paperwork to get police officers on the street, and make sure criminals serve the sentence given to them in court.

Create National Citizen Service for every 16 year old, to help bring the country together.

 

[ewerk 31202]

If you want competition than the place to start would be to ditch the 12.780 new EU regulations that strangle business

 

Which of these regulations strangle business exactly?

[Park Life 71]

If you want competition than the place to start would be to ditch the 12.780 new EU regulations that strangle business

 

Which of these regulations strangle business exactly?

 

I dunno but I thought using a large number would avoid futher inspection.

[Craig 6700]

 

And would you believe it, it's not Bridget!

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/ele...010/8650411.stm

 

Bridget late for the poster campaign launch?

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/ele...010/8653677.stm

[Renton 22001]

Do fuck off Christmas Tree your tory propaganda. It's making me feel ill.

[Christmas Tree 4827]

Do fuck off Christmas Tree your tory propaganda. It's making me feel ill.

 

 

Which of those policies do you not agree with?

[Guest alex]

Cameron's the biggest cunt out of the main 3. Lets not lose sight of that, people

[Christmas Tree 4827]

Apparently the BNP have launched a t. shirt which says.....

 

 

Dont Unpack, your going straight back!

 

Naughty but, :D

[PaddockLad 17654]

A contract between the Conservative Party and you

 

Name: David Cameron

Address: Conservatives, 30 Millbank, London SW1P 4DP

 

We go into the general election on 6 May with trust in politics and politicians at an all-time low. And I can understand why: the years of broken promises, the expenses scandal, the feeling that politicians have become too remote from the people – they’ve all taken their toll.

 

That’s why I’m making this contract with you.

 

For too long, you’ve been lied to by politicians saying they can sort out all your problems. But it doesn’t work like that. Real change is not just about what the government does. Real change only comes when we understand that we are all in this together; that we all have a responsibility to help make our country better. This contract sets out my side of the bargain: the things I want to do to change Britain. But it also makes clear that I cannot do it on my own. We will only get our economy moving, mend our broken society and reform our rotten political system if we all get involved, take responsibility, and work together.

 

So this is our contract with you. I want you to read it and – if we win the election – use it to hold us to account. If we don’t deliver our side of the bargain, vote us out in five years’ time.

 

We will change politics

 

 

 

Our political system needs to change. Politicians must be made more accountable, and we must take power away from Westminster and put it in the hands of people – individuals, families and neighbourhoods.

 

If you elect a Conservative government on 6 May, we will:

 

Give you the right to sack your MP, so you don’t have to wait for an election to get rid of politicians who are guilty of misconduct.

Cut the number of MPs by ten per cent, and cut the subsidies and perks for politicians.

Cut ministers’ pay by five per cent, and freeze it for five years.

Give local communities the power to take charge of the local planning system and vote on excessive council tax rises.

Make government transparent, publishing every item of government spending over £25,000, all government contracts, and all local council spending over £500.

 

We will change the economy

 

Gordon Brown’s economic incompetence has doubled the national debt, given us record youth unemployment, and widened the gap between rich and poor.

Unemployment is still rising, and this year we will spend more on debt interest than on schools. We need to get our economy moving.

 

If you elect a Conservative government on 6 May, we will:

 

Cut wasteful government spending so we can stop Labour’s jobs tax, which would kill the recovery.

Act now on the national debt, so we can keep mortgage rates lower for longer.

Reduce emissions and build a greener economy, with thousands of new jobs in green industries and advanced manufacturing.

Get Britain working by giving unemployed people support to get work, creating 400,000 new apprenticeships and training places over two years, and cutting benefits for those who refuse work.

Control immigration, reducing it to the levels of the 1990s – meaning tens of thousands a year, instead of the hundreds of thousands a year under Labour.

 

We will change society

 

We face big social problems in this country: family breakdown, educational failure, crime and deep poverty. Labour's big government has failed; we will help build a Big Society where everyone plays their part in mending our broken society.

 

If you elect a Conservative government on 6 May, we will:

 

Increase spending on health every year, while cutting waste in the NHS, so that more goes to nurses and doctors on the frontline, and make sure you get access to the cancer drugs you need.

Support families, by giving married couples and civil partners a tax break, giving more people the right to request flexible working and helping young families with extra Sure Start health visitors.

Raise standards in schools, by giving teachers the power to restore discipline and by giving parents, charities and voluntary groups the power to start new smaller schools.

Increase the basic state pension, by relinking it to earnings, and protect the winter fuel allowance, free TV licences, free bus travel and other key benefits for older people.

Fight back against crime, cut paperwork to get police officers on the street, and make sure criminals serve the sentence given to them in court.

Create National Citizen Service for every 16 year old, to help bring the country together.

 

 

FUCKIN LIAR

 

 

hope that helps makes folks minds up

[Guest alex]

Apparently the BNP have launched a t. shirt which says.....

 

 

Dont Unpack, your going straight back!

 

Naughty but, :D :D

Did they include the grammatical error or is that your doing?

[Renton 22001]

Do fuck off Christmas Tree your tory propaganda. It's making me feel ill.

 

 

Which of those policies do you not agree with?

 

There's very few specific policies in that, it's pure propaganda, gimmicks and rhetoric. Like the last 3 weeks when he has been going on and on about cutting public sector waste - it's a load of bollocks man.

 

On his point about changing politics, why won't he agree to real change and a move towards PR, and an end to hereditary peerage? Because its the same old tories, that's why - a 5% cut in pay for a tory with another 6 or 7 figure income is irrelevant to them. And no, I don't want less MPs, I'd actually prefer more so they can do more for their constituents. The expense of National govenment in this country is something like 0.008% of GDP so savings at Westminster are irrelevant in any case, but hangs well with the deluded voters I guess.

 

Also, why hasn't Dave made more of his inheritance tax cuts to the super rich, including himself and his mate George? For a man so short on actual policies you'd think he could advertise that one a bit more.

[Guest alex]

Agree like, 'improving standards in schools' etc. hardly count as policies, do they?

[Renton 22001]

Increase spending on health every year, while cutting waste in the NHS, so that more goes to nurses and doctors on the frontline, and make sure you get access to the cancer drugs you need.

 

From a professional viewpoint I'd absolutely love to chat with him about this pledge.

[Christmas Tree 4827]

Agree like, 'improving standards in schools' etc. hardly count as policies, do they?

 

 

These are just the Policy headlines behind detail such as

 

Restore discipline and order to the classroom . We will give teachers the tools and powers they need to keep order in the classroom. We will abolish the legal requirement of 24 hours’ notice for detentions; reform the exclusion process; and give headteachers the power to ban, search for, and confiscate any items they think may cause violence or disruption.

 

Raise the status of the teaching profession. Move to a high quality system of teacher recruitment and training by raising entry requirements, expanding Teach First and incentivising top maths and science graduates.

 

Raise standards. We will take urgent action to reverse the decline in standards. We will reform the National Curriculum, remove political interference from GCSEs and A-levels, and allow state schools to do the same high quality exams as private schools. We will replace Key Stage 1 Sats with a simple reading test, reform Key Stage 2 Sats, and make Ofsted report on schools’ setting policies and reading schemes.

Edited April 30, 2010 by Christmas Tree