Tell me why you are voting conservative this time

GB is Scottish because his parents raised him there. DC is OE because his parents sent him there. Common denominator?

and crucially, the difficulties experienced by those at the middle. We should all remember that, all those of us who are two mortgage payments away from disaster.

TDiddy: I equate attacking Cameron for being and Etonian with comments anbout Brown being Scottish- don't like either.

I don't agree - slating GB for being Scottish is racist and therefore derbrained.

Slating DC for being an Etonian taps into some quite reasonable and demonstrably accurate assumptions about how that group have historically behaved, in terms of protecting their own class interests and being blithely unaware of the daily difficulties experienced by those at the bottom.

Hm, don't know whether I should dignify lincstash with a response but anyway...

I don't recall that the Conservatives have any plans to reverse Devolution? Which I would agree has thrown up many unfair policies such as free prescriptions, access to newer drugs on NHS etc. And I don't think Brown or Darling actually made these policies?

On the subsidy thing, it's actually the huge wealth that London/South East generates that subsidises the rest of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. So perhaps you should start being offensive to everyone outside the capital and not just the Scots? And I'm sure that the Scottish Nationalists (one of which I am not) would reply to you that they would like their independence, and they'll take all the revenues from the North Sea oil with them too.

Anyway you can't spell and are obviously a complete moron. I can't believe I have even bothered to reply...think that will be it from me on this thread!

I equate attacking Cameron for being and Etonian with comments anbout Brown being Scottish- don't like either.

Sorry, this is from way back in the thread, in response to something that Fayrazzled said - though I've heard similar sentiments from lots of others:

Fay said that she was ideologically a Labour voter, but didn't believe that New Labour was the same thing at all. But she then implied that, for that reason, she was at least considering voting Conservative, though she had some reservations.

WHAT?

If New Labour has let you down, what on earth makes you think that the Conservatives could possibly be closer to your ideological convictions?

lincstash doesn't believe in mincing her words

Are we talking about the same Scotland, Lilovoter? Because as far as I recall, the conservatives only won 1 seat in Scotland in the last election, and that was one more than they'd managed in the 2. However, whether there are many Conservatives in Scotland or not is irrelevant. Criticism of Brown/Darling is absolutely fine, I'm not suggesting for a minute that they are perfect! But at least make it about their policies and performance and not about their nationality. The Conservative Party has worked so hard over the last few years to convince us all that they are 'of the people' but for me, AlouiseQ's remark just embodies the elitism and arrogance that I remember so well from their last stint in power....

Well its to do with the fact the scots swan about talking of Independence, when at the same time each and every scotsman gets a £1000 subsidy from the english taxpayer. The fact is if the scots went independent, and we took our subsidy back, the scots would be living in poverty forevermore.Then to top it all ,they vote in westminster blindly propping up the labour government, which is basically sticking two fingers up at any english taxpayer that opposes labour.

The scots want to make up there minds. Either become independant, stop taking our tax money and stop voting in our parliament, or get back in line, drop the scottish assembly crap and start acting like a proper party in westminster, and refrain from sucking labours cock every time they need your votes.

I started to read this thread with interest -I am pretty impartial and hadn't completely decided how to vote yet. But on the first page what do I find but a really, really offensive comment from - well, who else, a Tory.

"Personally I would rather have an ex Etonion than a pair of Scots feathering Scotlands nest with Englands profits.

Can somebody explain to me why it's acceptable to make these xenophobic comments about Scottish people? I have lived in England for many years, pay top rate tax etc and have to listen to tripe like this all the time. Think I shall be voting for Brown et al on principle now...

I'm not - can't say they have many policies that appeal.

Cameron looks like a plastic Blair - 'diet Blair' or 'Blair-lite - and their whole front bench seem to be very rich and very priveleged.

I don't believe them on tax. I think the Married Couples Tax plan is unfair and ludicrous.

I think Michael Gove would damage my childrens education.

I think the inheritance tax issue shows they are still the party of the mega-rich.

Also, seems to me like Rupert Murdoch (and therefore The Sun and The Times) is supporting the Tories on the basis that they will break up the BBC for him and prevent Ofcom from limiting Sky TV.

TDiddy, I think the fact that David Davis came from a single parent family brought up on a tough council estate, means that he wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth and understands that life can be tough. He empathises with single mothers, as you will see if you read his article. So I think, once again, that it has a modicum of relevance.

TDiddy, forgive me I thought a few people had mentioned the Eton factor, and it is one of Gordon Brown and his gang's favourite attacks on Cameron

Alouiseg said
"Lots of people have reservations about an ex Etonion........
Personally I would rather have an ex Etonion than a pair of Scots feathering Scotlands nest with Englands profits."

and you yourself thought it was relevant enough to rebuke her with
"Clearly remarks about Etonians and Scots are light hearted as neither has anything to do with ability to govern etc.?"

So in my view Eton and Fettes do have a modicum of relevance

claig- David Davis' background only proves that anyone can be right wing. Completely irrlevant. Prefer to argue about policy, issues, values etc.

Jollypirate - you would be one of the people I would think it ok to pay extra benefits too - I do think people need to realise that wheeling out the 'disability benefits' arguement everytime people moan about how much benefit actually gets paid out is a little tired now.

I actually think a tax break would be better for most low earners - would cost far less to administrate than the shite WFTC & CTC system in place now and you would get a greater portion of what you earnt.

My main bloody moan is though people having more kids whilst on benefits or being in coucil accomodation and having more kids and then moaning about overcrowding - our house would be overcrowded if I had 4 more kids but I don't because I actually have half a brain and wouldn't put us in that situation - especially if I wasn't earning the money to get us out of it.

In America you get paid the amount of benefits that you first get when you go on benefits regardless of the fact that you may have 5 more kids after first claiming - would make a lot of people be slightly more responsible when it comes to birth control (the way most of us who don'[t get benefits are) knowing that they are going to actually have to make a change in their life to fund that extra child rather than their benefits just going up.

JollyPirate, the Tories promote marriage but that doesn't mean that they don't care about single mothers. Davis Davis, who nearly became Tory leader, was the child of a single mother.

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/24/marriage-tories-tax-breaks

PS MmeB, that's very interesting (and reassuring). Our DS's aim is to get a full scholarship to Eton!

I am on under 49k - last time I checked my bank account there were not vast sums "being chucked" at me. "Better myself" - I have a degree and a child with a disability - not sure how I can improve things tbh.

And this is why the idea of a Conservative govt makes me nervous - people making judgements about me just because I happen to be on a low income. It's not about a "need to succeed" - as far as I am concerned I have bloody well succeeded in managing to hold down a part time job while supporting a child with a special need all by myself. If the gov't need to top up my income for me to manage this then so be it.

I agree that sitting on your bum doing nothing if you ARE capable of working is not on though.

I am voting Conservative this time because I would sooner cut off both hands than vote anything else. Ever.

claig- the Eton and Fettes references are not relevant in my view. I don't think anyone on this thread is making these little points?

And yes, the Labour party will have to renew itself in opposition.