ilweran on 12/5/2010 at 09:51
Quote Posted by Scots Taffer
Yeah, well I prefer a government that looks after the people who pay the bills and taxes first instead of the leeches and welfare abusers - an unsustainable economic outlook is something you clearly have no qualms with.
There are people in between the scroungers and the rich you know. The rich can take care of themselves, those on low incomes are less able to and lets not forget the Tories were against the introduction of the minimum wage.
Thirith on 12/5/2010 at 10:13
Question to those who are happy(ish) with the outcomes: are you primarily happy that the Tories are in power (tempered by LibDem) or that Labour isn't?
Fingernail on 12/5/2010 at 10:25
It's actually not that much to do with the Tories, for me, at least. I'm still not their biggest fan, but I respect the extent to which they've reached out to the Lib Dems despite some glaring differences of opinion, and I can hope that their manifesto will be slightly checked by the coalition. The idea, naive as it may be, of these two parties actually co-operating is in itself quite exciting.
Thirith on 12/5/2010 at 10:30
Trust me, if the two parties actually co-operate, I'll be more than happy. My main problem with the UK political system is that it fosters a childish, "we're not perfect, but the others are crap, and it's all their fault, so we never have to take any responsibility!"-style political discourse and practice. I don't trust the Tories further than I can throw them, and in theory I'd definitely be a Labour man (pinko commie bleeding-heart liberal, that's me), but in practice it's not as if Labour did a very good job of being good pinko commie bleeding-heart liberals. I definitely prefer political systems that force parties to work together in a constructive way, and this coalition may just have a chance of doing this.
Fingernail on 12/5/2010 at 10:35
Yes, I think New Labour needs to go away for a bit and come back as New New Labour, and actually be a party of the left instead of the authoritarian nightmare it had become in many areas.
Also, depending on how well this works out, a greater Lib Dem vote is definitely up for grabs (or theirs to lose).
faetal on 12/5/2010 at 11:21
Quote Posted by Scots Taffer
Yeah, well I prefer a government that looks after the people who pay the bills and taxes first instead of the leeches and welfare abusers - an unsustainable economic outlook is something you clearly have no qualms with.
You're kidding right? The amount the UK is owed in evaded tax both personal and corporate dwarfs the mount spent on welfare by a good 6:1.
Brian The Dog on 12/5/2010 at 11:33
Quote Posted by Thirith
Question to those who are happy(ish) with the outcomes: are you primarily happy that the Tories are in power (tempered by LibDem) or that Labour isn't?
For me, I think there's going to be really tough economic times ahead and so given their historical record over the past hundred years or so I'd rather have a Conservative than Labour government when the economy is the main thing.
Normally I'm not too fussed who is in power, or even how they get there, so long as they're fair and have new ideas. So I usually just vote for change after 2 parliament terms, either for Labour or Tory.
I did notice that some bits of Labour were incredibly (even rabidly) tribal during this election - I heard wotsisname Khan of Labour the night after the election and he was literally shouting in a radio debate about how the Tories had lost completely, Cameron had failed miserably, and so on. I'm sure the Tories would have done the same if they'd lost, but I really dislike Tribal politics - I vote for someone to run the country and my constituency, not so that "we" (whoever we is) stuff another party :(
Edit -
Quote Posted by faetal
You're kidding right? The amount the UK is owed in evaded tax both personal and corporate dwarfs the mount spent on welfare by a good 6:1.
Woah, is this right? Welfare is around £150b/yr (depends what you include, this is pensions, benefits and credits), and so you're saying we're missing out on £900b/yr - this is the more than our total tax income!
AR Master on 12/5/2010 at 12:36
Quote Posted by Scots Taffer
Yeah, well I prefer a government that looks after the people who pay the bills and taxes first instead of the leeches and welfare abusers - an unsustainable economic outlook is something you clearly have no qualms with.
You have spoken against the leftist british social policy.
You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
dvrabel on 12/5/2010 at 12:38
Faetal probably means the money lost through tax avoidance/evasion is six times more than that lost through benefit fraud.
SD on 12/5/2010 at 12:39
Quote Posted by ilweran
There are people in between the scroungers and the rich you know. The rich can take care of themselves, those on low incomes are less able to and lets not forget the Tories were against the introduction of the minimum wage.
This is why the new coalition has adopted the Lib Dem policy of the first £10,000 earned being tax free.
And even the Tories support the minimum wage these days. They admitted they were wrong, and I can respect that.
The new government does have a hell of a job ahead of it though, Labour administrations typically leave a mess of biblical proportions behind, and this one has been no exception.
I am so optimistic about the future that I can even overrlook the fact that Theresa May (the Tory politician, not the porn star of almost the same name) is my new ultimate boss.
