to think that there will be nothing left by the time the Tories have finished?

[lowrib]

Crown jewels' of Britain's landscape could be sold off

"England has 224 designated national nature reserves, of which the government ? via its agency Natural England ? owns or manages two thirds; Scotland and Wales have far fewer . A further 1,050 local reserves make up a national collection of beauty spots and sites of special scientific interest that is considered priceless. Covering an area the size of the west Midlands, they include windswept coast, ancient woodlands, flower rich meadows and moor, mountain and bog.

Proposals now being considered in Westminster and Cardiff include selling off the publicly-owned sites"

Oh, please, Callisto. Don't patronise. I don't hate him.

'He is anything but a clueless twonk and I very much doubt he gets his kicks from destroying anything other than the odd pheasant. '

So he wasn't in the Bullingdon club then?

There's no denying that he has had a privileged upbringing, but 'Vote Labour because the other guy's posh' sounds a bit daft.

1. I couldn't care less about this whole 'posh' BS because it's meaningless to me. Money aside, the guy was in a club paying top whack to act like a twunt. I can hear it now, though, 'Oh, that was years ago. He was just a student,' but plenty of boys that age are dying and getting messed up in Afghanistan so that whole 'Just a student' doesn't hold any water with me. 2) I didn't vote Labour.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

I didn't vote Tory, nothing to do with DC, because I think their policies are those of low lives and about screwing most over in favour of the few and expecting them to like it or put up with it. If Johnny Depp had been Tory leader, I still wouldn't have voted Tory.

And no other reason, whatever anyone wants to believe.

BNP?

LOL.

So if he had been a working class boy from a humble and disadvantaged background who had behaved like a loutish arse for a couple of years when he was young, grappled with the law a bit, been a 'lovable rogue,' but grew up, and turned his life around through education and a burning desire to be a politician for any party other than Tory or BNP, would that be ok then?

Because somehow I think the silly Bullington antics wouldn't be hammered on about quite so vociferously if that were the case, and they would probably be explained away on account of the poverty. So that's alright then.

No, Fellatio, I still would have thought he was a twonk, because I also, for about the thousandth time, don't get this class shite and don't give a rat's arse about it.

If someone's an adult and behaves like a twat, it's always in the back of my mind, because a leopard doesn't really change it's spots once it's fully grown.

And when said adult then goes and leads a party whose policies and practices I can't abide, all the more so.

Gold spoons can be given away, FWIW.

Expat - for someone who doesn't get the class shite and doesn't give a rat's arse about it you sure do mention it a lot with regard to DC. Funny how your dislike (sorry for assuming your vitriol was hatred) of him is directed at his upbringing and wealth.

Obviously you have never gone out and got shit-faced and done stupid things when you were younger, especially when youngsters were dying for your freedom.

violethill it's a ridulous convoluted minefield of warped priorities and very strangely measured criteria, isn't it? No wonder the DHSS don't have a clue what's going on anymore.

I know a family with children in private school and one at college getting the £30 per week, exactly as you describe!

I also know someone who is a divorced single parent on (at least some) benefits, who works pretty much full time for £15 per hour cash in hand (which if you tot that up over a year is quite a nice little pile of money when you don't pay any tax and you are having 'help' with all the other stuff.)

She has just been awarded a sports bursary of 60% discount off fees at private school for her son. She told me it wasn't quite enough, and was going to push for more, and ask if he could board as well.

And people tell me these things with a straight face.

Golly, Callisto, I've posted a grand total of about 10 times on this entire thread, and you right away got all personal.

Do you know him or something?

Oh, I got rat-arsed plenty as an adult. Never once harmed anyone else or anyone's property. Because that's what being responsible is about.

And well, I actually wasn't even in the UK till 2001, when I was over over-indulging.

Anything else you care to know so you can try to keep getting personal rather than stick to the topic, which is Tory policy?

Please, carry on, it's what MN is all about these days.

Callisto, your post of 16.20 was ace by the way. Just about sums it all up really.

I don't Callisto has made it particularly personal expat, but I do think she has raised a very good point! Considering you are not British, don't have any hang-ups about class, and haven't been here all that long you do seem very, um, passionate!

Sorry Expat, I didn't think I had got personal really. It's just that I'm used to your sensible posts not your rants. I picked on IvyKaty just as much...

Why thank you Fellatio (love the name btw).

And I'll second what Callisto just said as well.

castello - I was asked a question - why was I worse off under a tory goverment

You take that answer - inflation and tell me that that is the reason that I think david is worse as a PM than Gordon Brown

That wasn't what I wrote and you know that - twist away, but inflation has gone up and prices will continue to go up for everyone due to tax rises aswell.

I don't see a tory goverment taxing higher earners.

not everyone is in the same boat and when you have 10% of local govrment employees earning more than a million between them and the last 90% eanring under 16K there is something wrong - yes the 90% are all int he same boat - I agree. But I do feel the top 10% are taking the piss when they have incoems of over 200k

Well, it seems this is all about picking on this thread.

Yawn.

As you were.

Taxes are going up and so is inflation.

That spells 'fucked up' to most people.

If it carries on, it probably spells out 'even more fucked up'.

What's left at the end then? Really fucked up.

Nah you didn't pick on me - you made stuff up...but you know that your shopping basket cost you more than it did and it will continue to rise just like it did back in the early 90's

Callisto said 'how you can say this was all incidental to the labour government's tenure is beyond me'

Yes, Callisto, funny isn't it, that after thirteen years of labour so many things that went tits up were due to an unfortunate global co-incidence, and yet after barely four months with his feet under the desk, and dealing with the biggest inherited pile of shit ever, DC is being blamed for the downfall of the country....

I get your point that DC can't be blamed for the situation the Govt has inherited...but many people (me included) are very worried about the effects that the cuts this Govt are making are going to be damaging and painful.

Well yes, Jaynie, me too frankly, and I voted for him! But there is no other way and we need to face up to that.

Ivykaty - I'm not sure how I have twisted things. I asked you how you were worse off under the coalition government and you answered 'inflation'. I then explained that the coalition government couildn't possibly be responsible for inflation after such a short time in power.

Expat - I'm not sure what your problem is really. I thought that we were having a discussion. This is a discussion board after all. The constant MN bitching about having a Tory leader is really pathetic and your illogical and ranty posts needed to be challenged, as did Ivykatys. Your final dismissive 'yawn' is so playground. My 'picking on' comment was meant tongue in cheek, btw.

Anyway, I've invested far too much time on this thread