I won't be voting Labour because

Yeah well, always good to be politically informed..

I think a massive fight is gonna break out on the catholic threads...words like "nazi" are being used abit too much..

....I'll stay here..

Good, I am glad you have made an informed decision.

I probably won't vote for them either in fact but I have found aspects of their policy 9and little things like the fact parts are costed- what a plus!) inspire some of my own ideas.

Clarissimo;

Just read up on the Greens...

Interesting, as I didn't really know much about them before...(other than they were "green")

..However, now that I know abit more, I would never vote for them.

You know PM whilst In wouldn obviously like more I know the country can't afford it so am happy with what we get, in fact we choose not to claim some we are entitled to aqs we can get by atm. And I am trying to swet up a sibling support group for asd affected famillies which I hope will give something back.

But if I could get the £50 for that rather than as a handout I would feel better.

And I can sasure you I am as grrrrr at those who choose not towrk because of laziness as anyone- probably kore so becuase I hate the way their activity reflects on me. We don't pay shedloads ion tax atm (DH's business still in startup phase really, as was a hobby before redundancy) but we take pride in contributing what we can.

This is the trouble - people know that there are people out there like you mentioned panicmode BUT they tend to lump everyone in the same category which is wrong.

This govt should have encouraged the long term jobless into the labour market rather than allowing unfettered immigration. If they'd done it when we were in 'boom' tather than 'bust' it would have worked.

Maybe then there'd be more money in the pot for the people who really NEED it.

Of course I judge. But that doesn't mean I like to be judged- who does? Esp. for things they cannot change.

And yes we have spoken many times. But sometimes on personal things which I will not link to here.

I'm sorry, I don't recall having spoken to you before (either name).

Of course it's a fact/judgement and of course people make judgements. You yourself have just judged me to have made a judgement - do you not see the delicious irony of making such a statement?

We all judge and anyone who says they doesn't is a bloody liar or simply totally fucking deluded.

No, I probably bit becuase of other conversations we have had and I apologise for that (I am Peachy, I think you probably know that but maybe not).

But economically inactive sounded like a judgement to me. Whereas it's not the only thing that matters, or the only way to be of value to society.

It's not "having a go at you" to state that you are "economically inactive". It's a fact. [confuse]

Arctic she's had a go at me before but I apologise for biting I should know better. Sorry.

I don't vote Labour because I'm not a socialist (and Labour are socialist through and through, I disagree with Little Silver on this one. Control freaks for whom the end always justifies the means, and a lot of the time they don't appear to think very hard about whether the means are going to work, either).

I don't vote Tory because I'm not a conservative, and can't identify with Tory finger-pointing at scroungers etc.. It doesn't take a conservative party to implement sensible policies - just a party that isn't imbued with a socialist mindset.

I vote Lib Dem because I'm a liberal and I like the people.

could waffle on more, but that's what it comes down to...

Re unemployment figures being massaged by disability, carer's etc. I dont think skihorse was implying anyone is not a carer.

What she is saying that the stats are not comparing like with like, because, if in (eg) 1995 you would have been given unemployment benefit but now you would be given disability, then looking at a graph comparing unemployment recipients over time is misleading. You either have to go back and restate the prior numbers or adjust the current ones.

......but then things would look a lot worse.

I read Needles post about social housing with interest...until I realised her household income was (it seems) well in excess of £150k a year, and that really what she was saying was '...let them eat cake..'.

Easy to judge people and 'decide' we should do away with social housing, when you never expect to be in need yourself.

I just read the LibDems education policy which is everything I could hope for. I love the sponsored school idea.

I'm with scaryteacher, Needle and 101damnations; your earlier posts (page 2, I think) were wonderful.

This current govmt seems to be spending money in education, doing statistical studies about the results of their policies, which in turn are used to justify continuing said policies. They claim they are succeeding . . . but isn't social mobility lower today, while truancy rates at an all time high?

This govmt contemptuously ignored the Cambridge Review, which offered some ways forward to fix the issues in the current educational system. They didn't even bother to read it, I'm sure, as they responded to the huge thing the same day it was released.

I'm following what they are doing in education because these issues affect me now with needing to make decisions about my dc's schooling. This govmt doesn't appear to pay attention to reality or research in any of their policy making in this area, and I have to extrapolate this behaviour to other areas as well.

It seems that Labour policies are designed to homogenise everyone, and eradicate innovation, individuality and responsibility. It's an agenda. And they spend a lot of money to accomplish this.

despite being a tree hugging leftie from forever I saw for NULabour for what they were from near the start
in 97 and since then I have voted lib dem not for ideology but exasperation

Ski, a serious question: I know you pride yourself in believing there is a solution to every problem. PLease solve what I should actually be doing?

becuase actually once ds4 is at school I hate the idea of being at home all day waiting for the SN taxi to do a drop off, I loathe claiming benefits.

I want to pay off my student loans.

And be able to buy the boys a treat without feeling I should feel guilty for it.

Given that a Nanny isn't a possibility and the CM / nurseries here wqould laugh us away (small town, they all know ds1) what should I do?

44 is not old, I am just leaving the first flush of youth.

If Labour stay in we will have the IMF in as Euroland will be preoccupied with Greece and it could well go the same way as in the 70s. Don't believe it has been avoided.

'Btw, who was it earlier who called the "it'll descend in to special needs/SAHMs/you'll never understand"?

Please explain why I should care one iota about that?

DH works, I don't, I am a carer for two disabled children.. I want to work, I want to study social work- I have all the quals needed and worked right up until ds3 was born.

But nobody can take the boys.

Carers bte can work up to 18 hours a week at a low income level btw.

It is a taxable income.

A placement for ds1 or ds3 would cost the Gocvernment £500 - £600 each a week in residential: I have no idea how much that would need me to earn to cover in tax but I can assure ypou my £53.10 per week is exceptioonally good value!

Fortunately whilst I know a great many Tory voters your views are far more right wing than any of them, which is a big relief.

skihorse, yes I have heard of the IMF.

Scaryteacher, you must be old . TBH, I thought the country was going to go the way it did in the 70's, but that seems to have been avoided.

Btw, who was it earlier who called the "it'll descend in to special needs/SAHMs/you'll never understand"?

So you work and claim benefits?