Genuinely curious about the Conservative Party

[Lorelielee]

Hi,

Im sat waiting to set off for work and started pondering about this. I’ve thought about it quite a lot and I really would appreciate anyone’s thoughts.

Can anyone just off the top of your head think of one tangible achievement or policy , or scheme or initiative that the Conservatives since David Cameron was elected have done. Any infrastructure to show for it? Anything really, either good or bad, that you can pin point on the Conservative Party. I don’t want to include Brexit because I feel like that happened as a bit of side hustle, led by bad actors. I mean the Conservative Party as a serious political party. With beliefs, and an ideology. That a layman can describe. Like we can talk about Thatcherism and agree or disagree with it, it was their ideology, it was transparent and Thatcher talked about her economic beliefs and vision for the country.

Labour under Blair and Brown

I can easily reel off

Sure Start
Tax Credits
Family Investment child trust funds
a plan to cut hospital waiting lists and increase patient choices.
expansion of PFI
Introduced tuition loans for University
Supporting People Scheme
Prescott had his regional assemblies thing.

We don’t even seem to be trying to keep the ‘special relationship’ with the US that was so important prestigious and a priority for previous governments in my lifetime.

It’s just a nothingness…am I missing something? I’ve watched prime minister’s question time a lot and it’s just nothing. From both parties to be honest. If you stopped me in the street and asked me what the Conservatives stand for today I wouldn’t be able to answer it. To be honest I would struggle with Labour too.

Are they really just winging it? Do they care? I guess my last thought I would like to add is I have always thought that legacy was important to Prime Minister’s. What the history books will say about them. They don’t seem to care about that. Do they even care that there is great possibility that next year they will lose the election so badly that they will never be able to recover as a serious opposition party. They are bringing their destroying their own party.

Im sorry I hope that makes sense, I am normally a bit more articulate than that. I just wanted to write it down really.

Gay Marriage

Obviously there's HS2 and the new London underground line, but they've been very long term and planning started pre Cameron.

We now have universal credit instead of tax credits which is a pretty big change.

Also the massive increase in the thresholds for starting to pay both income tax and NIC which helps the lowest paid.

I don't think many of those things of your "labour achievement" lists were successes. Prescott's regional assembles were a foul up. Introducing Uni tuition fees wasn't a good thing. Expansion of PFI has crippled the NHS and will cost our children for decades to come. Hospital waiting lists and targets etc were fudged.

I'm no Tory supporter, but I disagreed with a lot of what Blair/Brown did too. I think we're stuck with two pretty useless and self serving parties and not confident that things will get better WHEN Rishi loses the next GE (which he will unless he jumps ship before then). I think that Clegg's libdems and Farage showed how people want something different that neither the Tories nor Labour can deliver.

Ds was watching the bbc programme that was on last night about the tories. One of them, I can't remember who it was as was only half watching, said that Theresa May was a good PM. Ds commented that it's like saying 'he was a great postman, apart from the fact he didn't deliver any letters or parcels'

user1497207191

oh gosh yes I agree that those things I listed about Labour aren’t all achievements at all. I should have said that. I was just thinking of things I could list that are linked to the Labour Government. I definitely don’t think PFI was wonderful or getting rid of Tuition fees. And yes Prescott’s regional assembly idea was a bit of personal project for him I think that was useless. I think I’m try to say I can easily list things that Labour actually DID. I can’t for this lot.

I just can’t understand what is motivating them. I mean Rishi and most of them are rich are will walk away unscathed financially. But they are wrecking their own party. And their own personal legacy. Don’t they care on a personal level for their colleagues or party members? Where is their sense of decency and integrity. If not for any thing else but their own legacy and party. They don’t have any values. Or even pretend to have them.

But that's just it- it's all been Brexit. Whether or not it is a good thing in itself is one thing...but what about all the hours of debate and civil service time and political will and energy used up by it, that could have been used to solve so many other issues. What a waste of years

SEND reforms in 2014 meaning g my son will.now have an EHCP.untill.he is 25 and and be able to.go to.college untill.he is 25 I realise there's alot wrong with schools and SEN but at least I know my son will.have somewhere to.go.untill.he's 25 rather than 19

Introduced tuition loans for University

Errrr Blair introduced the policy of students paying fees - nothing to be proud about there.

Conservatives introduced Masters loans.

Brexit was a massive shot in the foot for ordinary Tories but not vested interests., In terms of "achievement" they've protected the interests of the wealthy, increased the power and influence of corporations at the expense of workers and of course massively subsidised many businesses by topping up via UC the pitiful wages they pay their staff.

What else were they likely to have done?

In not even sure HS2 is much of a success. Half of its been abandoned and since most people can now work and meet online did we need it anyway? For the cost? We do need a better line from Leeds to Manchester and beyond however....

I watched that doc last night and it's all just been a self serving (for them), chaotic shit show from what I can make out

@titchy sorry I worded that poorly. Yes they did. I was just listing things they had implemented either good or bad while i power. No I agree you there. It’s been a bad one for me, it’s meant I haven’t been able to complete the last year of a degree I started in started in the 90’s, because I can’t afford to take out the loan.

They brought Self ID to the table and pushed the TRA agenda.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/18/theresa-may-plans-to-let-people-change-gender-without-medical-checks

Gordon Brown encouraged people to buy diesel cars and slashed tax on it, now those same people are paying ULEZ, you forgot that achievement, OP

There must be some genuine decent Conservative politicians who are angry at seeing how their Party is being destroyed.

They have damaged the country in so many expensive ways.

The two that immediately spring to mind are the legalisation of gay marriage and the introduction of 30 hours free childcare.

I also think that Labour aren’t much better. I can’t work out what their policies are. They should be on fire. It’s like they are missing own goals. Just seem so apathetic.

Vote breakdown.

In favour 127 Cons, 217 Labs, 44 L/Ds

Opposed 136 Cons, 22 Labs, 4 L/Ds & 8DUP.

They got kicked out when Boris culled the centre ground Tories to get Brexit through.

Good point. Although I think you can still give Cameron credit for bringing the bill, even though he knew how contentious it would be within his own party.

Gay Marriage was the Lib Dem bit of the coalition government.

Same sex marriage is the only one that comes to mind. Would have been several years later had David Cameron not supported and led on it.

I’ve just read that Angela Rayner is promising a return to union controlled government. Most working people were not around in the 70s when the unions brought the country to its knees.
As an NHS employee labour government instigated the rot and the Tories have not done anything to control it. Empowering the Unions again may bring the country to its knees again.
I will be voting for Lib Dem’s.
We need stability, not a government who are going to systematically unstitch the whole system.
Uncontrolled strike action will impact every part of our lives as it did during the fall of Wilson’s government.
History is not one of Angela’s strong points.

I think it’s more about what we’ve lost under the Conservatives, hope for our children’s future.

Brexit aside, Austerity, its the Tories main "achievement" that and increasing Council Tax way above inflation, whilst at the same time, slashing council services...

.... remarkable!