David Cameron

[MrPinkPanther]

I wouldn't even call them populist, nothing they have done or proposed matches any of the (right-wing) opinions I hear everywhere. I think nearly everyone I have spoken to is right-wing, even Labour supporters are right-wing in this country.

Ha ha, that first comment did make me laugh. Its true that no one liked Iraq etc.

The United Kingdom is right wing and always will be, this is why the politicians need to stop moving to the left and centre and start addressing what we want and not what they think would be best for us. This is exactly why I support UKIP;- they are right-wing, but also have the populist element where they would hold referendums on issues such as the European Union and the death penalty. Democracy needs to be revived and that is the only way it will be.

I'd argue quite the opposite in fact. If you compare Britain to America and most of the western world Britain is very left wing and can appear socialist at times. By Italy's standards UKIP is liberal.

I agree with referendums to a certain extent. In principal they are an excellent idea however I fear with an electorate that struggles to vote in General elections, very few will vote in referendums. For example say the Death Penalty, it's not going to be fair to hold one because your average citizen won't vote in it, only the people that care passionately (for or against) either way which gives a warped sense of society. It will give way to extremism.

Although on the Hung Parliament issue, I am sort of hoping for it also;- it would deprive Labour to make a government, would wake the Tories up over Europe and finally if the Liberal Democrats do end up with the playing hand, they would drive through voting reform.

Indeed. I do however think it will be difficult for the Tories to do anything with Europe because whoever the Liberals are allied with, they are a principled bunch and won't vote against Europe.

GO STV

Our education systems are not the best in the world at all and has seriously declined in recent years. My former Geography teacher for instance told me that the work GCSE students are doing today is the work that Year 7's were doing 10 years ago.

A slight exaggeration but in principle I agree. Exams ARE too easy now and it does annoy me. Sorry, I should have made "Education" clearer, i was talking about "Higher education" in Universities because I was thinking about the proposed budget cuts there.

On the taxation issue; it is not up a government to take away earned money so it can spend it itself. This is the problem we had in the 1970s, government can not spend properly and never will be able to. If you believe in bigger government then you are asking for another winter of discontent.

It's up to the government to provide good services for its citizens and if they are inadequate then yes, they will have to raise tax. I personally believe that the parties can't keep promising lower income tax, I am aware they gather some back via stealth taxes but not as much as they would from higher incomes tax.

As for the Winter of Discontent. It wasn't caused by Government spending but rather a blunder on "Jim's" part. After the 3 day week Trade Unions agreed a pay freeze and in '78 they demanded a pay rise. The problem however was the government only offered them a 5% pay increase which they to be way too low and so they began to start asking for extortinate amounts. Basically Ford managed to negotiate a 17% pay increase for workers and this set the precedent for other companies pay rises. This resulted in Strikes...blah blah blah...Trade Union power...Crisis, what crisis?....Jim singing to the TUC. I'd go into more depth but sadly I feel this is off the point

Government cannot create wealth, jobs or working services;- only private sector can and ever will be able to.

Depends on the sector. I'm not saying we should re-nationalise everything. All I am saying is that we need to invest more in certain government services in particular: Higher education and State pensions.

[-:Undertaker:-]

I'd argue quite the opposite in fact. If you compare Britain to America and most of the western world Britain is very left wing and can appear socialist at times. By Italy's standards UKIP is liberal.

Britain by the country perhaps, its people are not.

I agree with referendums to a certain extent. In principal they are an excellent idea however I fear with an electorate that struggles to vote in General elections, very few will vote in referendums. For example say the Death Penalty, it's not going to be fair to hold one because your average citizen won't vote in it, only the people that care passionately (for or against) either way which gives a warped sense of society. It will give way to extremism.

I'm afraid thats exactly what is wrong with politics, people just don't bother voting because things they want (EU withdrawal, death penalty) are just not implemented when the majority want. I can assure you, hold a referendum on the death penalty and you would get a turnout far higher than any seen in any recent election.

Indeed. I do however think it will be difficult for the Tories to do anything with Europe because whoever the Liberals are allied with, they are a principled bunch and won't vote against Europe.

The Tories will learn (hopefully) not to ignore Europe and other issues such as that at the next election, of course this all depends on whether or not UKIP/BNP can make any impact (thus losing the Conservaties seats as they have done in the past) and whether or not it comes to a small majority/hung parliament.

A slight exaggeration but in principle I agree. Exams ARE too easy now and it does annoy me. Sorry, I should have made "Education" clearer, i was talking about "Higher education" in Universities because I was thinking about the proposed budget cuts there.

On higher education, it needs cutting back;- there are a lot of courses being offered which give students little hope of having any success in life and is costing us money, both while they are at university and while they are unemployed on the welfare because they cannot get a job.

It's up to the government to provide good services for its citizens and if they are inadequate then yes, they will have to raise tax. I personally believe that the parties can't keep promising lower income tax, I am aware they gather some back via stealth taxes but not as much as they would from higher incomes tax.

The services the government provides could be good if they cut back on the amount of services they provide;- for example I would not allow any state funding for things such as gay groups, muslim groups - aka minority groups. Ontop of that government needs downsizing and needs to stop telling everybody what to do, because I don't know whether they have noticed or not but nobody pays a blind bit of attention to any government advice groups, adverts and so on which cost an absolute astounding amount to the taxpayer.

As for the Winter of Discontent. It wasn't caused by Government spending but rather a blunder on "Jim's" part. After the 3 day week Trade Unions agreed a pay freeze and in '78 they demanded a pay rise. The problem however was the government only offered them a 5% pay increase which they to be way too low and so they began to start asking for extortinate amounts. Basically Ford managed to negotiate a 17% pay increase for workers and this set the precedent for other companies pay rises. This resulted in Strikes...blah blah blah...Trade Union power...Crisis, what crisis?....Jim singing to the TUC. I'd go into more depth but sadly I feel this is off the point

The factors influenced government spending, thats why it was so serious. The government kept putting up taxes, which ment business would not set up here and that basically ment we did not have any jobs or wealth coming into the country, but yeah as you said thats only a part of it.

Depends on the sector. I'm not saying we should re-nationalise everything. All I am saying is that we need to invest more in certain government services in particular: Higher education and State pensions.

State pensions should be downsized in importance and private pensions encouraged. On pensions anyway, they must not be too generous because those who worked all their life should not be treated the same as those who didn't work all their life and contribute to the system.

[MrPinkPanther]

Sorry, I'm not going to have time to keep replying, coursework to do. Our posts seem to be getting bigger and bigger and although there is some consensus I think we both know we are never going to agree!

For example I would not allow any state funding for things such as gay groups, muslim groups - aka minority groups.

One thing though, what do you mean by the above? Pressure groups or what?

[Mickword]

I woke up in the middle of the night about him, I know it sounds weird.

I was dreaming that Gordon Brown got killed :S, and he came into power. I could of cried for some reason. Now I know im losing the plot.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Sorry, I'm not going to have time to keep replying, coursework to do. Our posts seem to be getting bigger and bigger and although there is some consensus I think we both know we are never going to agree!


One thing though, what do you mean by the above? Pressure groups or what?

Pressure groups, social groups. Things with names such as the Black Police Officers Association, Gay Youth and so on. None of these should recieve a penny of government money and if they didn't, we'd have money to spend on our crumbling residential roads and bridges - things which benefit the majority and not the minority simply for the exercise of being politically correct.