I won't be voting Tory because...

Because despite the fact that I, personally would benefit from a Tory government, I'm old enough to remember the last one and I know in my heart of hearts that they just don't give a shit about those people who for whatever reason are unable to support themselves.

They seem to blindly believe that if everyone makes an effort and pulls themselves up by their boot straps they, too, could be affluent and priviledged. No concept of the horror that is poverty and how difficult if is to get out.

Because I'm Scottish, because of trident and because they are untrustworthy. Just a shame I can't vote green in my area!!!

anastaisia You make some good points about Sure Start. I found this article by the late Norman Glass The Dismantling of Sure Start very interesting. Norman Glass was part of the original team who initiated it.

Considering Sure Start is of key importance to this election it's worth a read.

I just can't. It's offends every fibre of my being to vote conservative. It's all academic anyway I have just ascertained/confirmed that my voting index see thread here is practically void anyhow. Not voting is not mere voter apathy in my case but simply pragmatism. My vote will not count.

Having three of the most powerful people in the UK (Cameron, Osborne and Johnson) who are ex-Eton, ex-Oxford and ex-Bullingdon Club doesn't seem terribly representative. And having their policy dictated by Ashcroft and Murdoch (two people who think they can decide how the country is run but don't bother to pay taxes here) also doesn't instill me with confidence. I'm also old enough to remember what happened last time they were in power - todays problems with the UK transport system, lack of social housing, banking system etc all started with Mrs T.

200Mill is 20% of the Sure Start budget.

Yes, its a significant amount, but not enough to close the entire Sure Start scheme as we know it.

I actually disagree that Sure Start was a brilliant scheme though. Good intentioned (mostly) but not brilliant.

Brilliant would have been reaching the target group through every centre and not just in some area's.

Brilliant would have been using existing community services to a far greater extent rather than setting up new schemes when there was some exisiting provision.

Brilliant would have been setting up a low cost (to users) but largely self supporting scheme, in the same way that council sports and leisure centres charge for activities but offer sliding scales/concessions etc.

It is not brilliant to have a government with no money almost entirely funding such an expensive scheme that has replaced existing provision to such a large extent while still managing not to provide services to many of the groups it was specifically set up to reach. A vote winner maybe, but not brilliant.

200 mill will close, and is, closing Surestart as we know it. They aren't allowing any new babies/children into nursereies below the age of the youngest already there. Some Surestarts may just stay open with money from their pre school budget.

Better to keep the architects of the brilliant Surestart scheme in, which is Labour, then our needy families will be cared for. Not just the tax breaks for families, married couples only!!

I'd never vote Tory again because of the wreckage they've made in the past/will make in the future to people's lives. Surestart is the main one - it keeps children safe and families more happy.

Destruction of wild animals destruction of good family life. You name it they will destroy it. I haven't even got on to jobs.....

VOTE WRECKAGE AND DESTRUCTION VOTE TORY

Back on topic, you do know that they aren't going to scrap Surestart don't you?

They plan to cut £200Mill from the SureStart budget, would you rather they cut it from one of the other Childrens Service Department areas? Which one? Social Services, support for special educational needs, support for children in care?

The country doesn't have any money, Sure Start is good but not an essential front line service.

(And I'm not even voting Tory btw)

anastaisia,
Yes tax credits only kick in at certain levels- look at the prices - triplet are multipled by 3.
It's all in the same price bracket wherever you look. But Surestart are £35-£40 p day per child - discounts in this area x 3 children x 3 days - approx £90 p day. Manageable on a small professional wage with some left to help pay the bills and maybe goodies as babies want/need.

Closing Surestart is a smack in the face to families in need.

Further to my reasons for not voting Tory is that the first policy Cameron had was to bring back the hunting of foxes hares deer etc.
What policies are these??? He'll close Surestarts, but he reckons he wants to protect families and their values. Wonky politics!!!

It's too transparent - it's what the Tories want to protect themselves and their friends that their policies are about. They'll protect private business at the expense of poor familes (close Surestart).

They'll also protect their friends and their nasty pastimes by letting them (and many of the Shadow Cabinet do this) rip animals apart for entertainment and sport. What a mean, morally bankrupt lot the Tories are.

They're the Nasty Party all right

(livenletlive has she considered hiring an Ofsted registered nanny, which she may be able to get some tax credit help towards depending on income, and just paying the salary not 3xchildcare fees?)

How much time have we got about not to vote Tory. Apart from the 'back to basic' that Cameron's talking about and his 'family values' he's talking about change for the future. Yes that change is for looking after yourself and your family and pulling the ladder up. As for Surestart my friend has now triplets in her family, no IVF, just natural. The mother has to go back to work because they can't afford for her not to. The grandmother has to help look after the babies, because all the Surestarts in the area are closing down under Tory County Council and the Tories will close the lot down if they get control. You know why?? Because they say that Surestart is unfair to private nurseries!!!!!!!!!!!! This poor woman with triplets would have to pay £1800-£2000 every 4 weeks to BE ABLE TO WORK 3 DAYS A WEEK ONLY!!! That's some nursery fee. Or maybe those that think it's ok for Surestart to close down will make the mother think and she will stay at home, SO THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL HAVE TO GO ON BENEFITS!!!The husband won't earn anywhere near enough to pay mortgages (they only got married 18 months ago and only wanted one baby!)They were late 30's getting married. What sort of economic policy is that??

Don't tell me about Tories and caring they can't even pronounce the word. They're what you see -a load of rich/recently made it/wannabee make its.

Vote to keep the Tories out. TACTICAL VOTING.

Because I have a brain.

Because I have a soul.

Because I have a conscience.

There are so many reasons not to vote Tory, but here's my main one. I care about cruelty, I care about the vulnerable being viciously attacked for fun, and I despise the Tories for their position on bloodsports. They love them.

Specifically hunting with hounds, where they've promised to repeal the long overdue, highly popular and hard-fought for Hunting Act 2004.

Cameron is a former fox hunter [and loves shooting deer] . His first firm policy pledge when he became leader was to repeal the Hunting Act. He's huge friends with the Heythrop hunt in his constituency, several of whom not only gave large amounts to his leadership campaign but have made huge donations to the Tory Party. His friend and shadow Environment Secretary, Nick Herbert, is a former avid hare hunter and high up in the Countryside [i.e. bloodsports] Alliance. Almost all Tory sitting MPs and candidates in winnable seats are pro-hunting.

Thousands of hunters are bussing in to campaign in marginals occupied by anti-hunt MPs or candidates, but they've been told not to bring up hunting on the doorstep because it's so unpopular.

A few months ago the hunters got upset when Cameron hinted repeal might be via a private members Bill and the Tories rapidly caved in and said it would be a government Bill.

They want to return to the legalised barbarity of allowing gangs of their friends with large packs of trained killer dogs to roam round the countryside chasing terrified animals for as long as possible [this gives good 'sport] - hares & foxes up to 90 minutes, deer up to 7 hours. For fun.
It's nothing to do with 'pest control', however much they like to pretend it is.

Do you really want to vote for people who enjoy and support such atrocities? Who like hearing a hare scream pitifully when it is eventually caught by the pack, seeing one literally torn apart by greyhounds in coursing, a deer calf whipped away from its mother so they can chase and slaughter the adult for fun, young foxes coralled in a wood while the hounds are set upon them in 'cubbing'. 'People' who relish chasing and tearing apart pregnant or nursing vixens in late winter, perhaps leaving the infant cubs to starve to death?

Do you want that sort of person running the country and having power over poor and vulnerable people as well as animals? If not, then DON'T VOTE FOR CAMERON AND CRUEL TORIES

'Compassionate' Conservatism?? Pull the other one, Mr. Cameron, it's got hunting horns on.

www.league.org.uk www.powa.org.uk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=60wi3W0HnUE www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIBLu6fmN-U

oh, it was riveting stuff, joni!

Sorry to hasve done that to you vesal. Didn't realise quite how long it was.

oh dear...

and when you plough through it, it emerges that the reason for the kerfuffle was that she was pregnant...

The most important thing to do is to VOTE. If you don't vote you have no say and have no right to moan. If there is nobody that you can vote for then stand for election yourself.

Has anyone heard of the Jolly Party?

Mostly this

Just not my bag I'm afraid.

sorry meant past month.

Grayling has no doubt raked in a few UKIP-type voters with those comments, though.

Pink News do regular polls of their readers and the Tories were running on 40% of the gay vote about a year ago - since then they've managed to half it to 20%, with a 5% swing to the Lib Dems this past week alone after Cameron's Gay Times interview and the Chris Grayling B&B comments here.

Because they are wolves in sheep's clothing. They have allied themselves with Nazi scum in Europe, and I do not believe they are any different deep down.

I also remember the 1980s. I will dance on the day Thatcher dies, and that is no lie.

...because I can still remember the 1980s. Never will they have a chance with me.

because I can't forgive them for section 28, and the failure to censure Chris Grayling for his homophobic comments about the gay couple and the B&B shows they haven't changed their colours.