To think that all Tory voters should become volunteers

[donkeyderby]

Give over your jobs to those who didn't vote for this bunch of monkeys, and run our libraries or feed our old people - for nothing.

Or get those on benefits to earn their keep by "volunteering" where staff are needed in return for their benefits package...

Er, coraltoes, if work is needed, maybe people should be paid to do it - I think 'job' is the concept... seems that paying people to do necessary work in society is rather an old fashioned idea

I think the idea of paying people for their work is a good one. Is this a new concept?

"a fair days work for a fair days pay"

Why do I always think tories are either selfish rich people or misguided fools?

I should point out that was a firmly tongue-in-cheek comment...but seems the sort of thing that is expected of a tory voter to say on here.

I wonder if many people on this post realise where these cuts have taken us back to in public spending terms? The impression I get is that many think we've probably shrunk way back to the levels of the 80's, in fact we are only back to 2004 levels. Now my memory isn't the best but my dim recollection is that in 2004 people were doing OK. So what on earth is happening now that is making everyone so bloody whingey! Just suck it up. We're all in the sh!t, we all benefitted from the credit boom, excess credit easy borrowing, well now we're all paying the price. And no, I'm not some rich tory voter, I'm just sick of the whining about cuts! We're all still better off than a lot of very poor impoverished countries, we are all educated, we don't live in a dictatorship, we don't watch our children die of starvation. Honestly so much moaning.

We as a country are all in serious debt. We can either all muck in and do our bit, loose some income, voluteer a bit or we can just sit round moaning about our lot and how really everyone but us should be paying the price for this catastrophe.

This is the first time ever public spending has been cut, Margaret Thatcher even didn't actually cut public spending so it is a bit of a culture shock, but where were we headed? If we just kept spending and taxing more we'd end up in a communist state. We have one of the highest percentages of families whose household income is made up either entirely or partly from the state either through work or benefits. That's not what this countrys about and personally not what I would want.

Eventually we have to knock it on the head. And what people seem to fail to realise is that if we spend more, we have to tax more, the money has to come from somewhere, we can't have tax cuts and increases in public spending.

I haven't read the whole thread but the tories would have also backed the Iraq war - and there is no mistake about that.

Perfect :) as I was saying, ^ misguided fool.

Since 2004, our economy has grown, our population has grown, the earnings of the rich have grown MASSIVELY. So to shrink state spending back to 2004 levels is certainly a regression/retardation of our society.

But I suppose you are right Vivienscott that we dont watch our die of starvation. So are you implying its ok to keep cutting until we are???

Why the political divide? Am a labor supporter and I volunteer. For at least the past 10 years. It's about being part of one's community and wanting to help. What I don't appreciate about the 'big society' campaign is that it's deeply patronizing to those who are already involved with their community. It's a normal way of life for a lot of people and nothing to do with ideology. yes, I believe that the state should be able to provide services and where I disagree with Tories is at what level the safety net should be pitched.

No I'm not saying we should cut until our children are starving, don't be so pedantic and ridiculous. I just think people should look round and appreciate how bloody lucky we are that we don't live like that and stop whining.

They've lost their benefit/had their taxes increased/lost a public service and the whole country is against them! I think people need to stop feeling sorry for themselves, appreciate that it is not the end of the world, appreciate we all benefitted from the boom and now we all need to pay for the bust and stop be so self pitying. Suck it up, deal with it!

No, I don't vote Tory, yes I've had tax rises and yes my benefits will be cut. We all make sacrifices.

I also think that we should all take a bigger role in out local community, we shouldn't rely on the state to run everything for us. I think the state needs a role in governing and ensuring its all running smoothly, but why on earth shouldn't everyone chip in a bit? It is OUR community, it's where we live, a bit more involvement from local people would get more pride in where we live which in turn improves neighbourhoods. God forbid we should actually all stop moaning for a minute about our shrunken incomes and do something positive!

I have volunteered too, in many different things throughout my life - during school, uni, and after.

Its always for a cause I believe in, to improve my community, or for the simple enjoyment of it like community groups and clubs.. etc. Its actually a lot when I think of it!

The difference is that this Tory government are cutting essential services, and expecting unpaid volunteers to step in and do the work unpaid. This is absolutely disgusting, its anathema to me.

The people who are losing income as a result of this are those who have the least in society, e.g. they are forcing the unemployed to volunteer (when they should be doing these things as a job, or jobhunting). While the bankers and other rich, powerful tory supporters use the money to fund their tax breaks.

We did not all benefit from the boom. In fact, low earners benefited the least, while the highest earners benefited the most.

Anyone who is a higher rate tax payer is loosing their child benefit regardless of how many people that income supports and higher rate isn't that high is you've got 3 or 4 mouths to feed, we are all paying more VAT and inflation also affects us all if we are not getting payrises to compensate for it. I fail to see how it is only the poor loosing income.

I can't be arsed to read all of this thread, sorry. Most of the comments are making me feel a bit nauseous so close to dinner time, but OP:

YANBU

Tories. Dear oh dear oh dear. Have you ever been to The Abroad dears? It's a bit different over here. Where I live there are cuts too (Surprise! The Labour Party might have mismanaged the UK economy it's true, but haven't you noticed the recession in Ireland/Spain/Portugal/Iceland/Italy/The USofA? Come on ladies, read the papers. It's even in the Telegraph you know!). But, here's the clincher, the cuts to public services don't have to be so severe (and aren't always in other EU countries hit by the recession), because taxes can be higher. Result: better standard of living for everyone. Better schools, better healthcare, better housing, less crime.

Big society? Yes. But paid for. By the members of that society. Cameron's idea of a Big Society is pure codswallop and you know it. If you LIKE the idea of a volunteer wiping your arse when you're old and incontinent then fine, good for you. Personally, I'd prefer a professional.

VivienScott - for the Nth time, public spending is not being cut. The rate of increase is being cut.

Public spending in 2015 will still be higher than it is now.

OP YANBU.
Yes cuts needed to be made. However making cuts to the vulnerable of society who CANNOT earn for themselves is not the way to do it.

As it is my children have suffered through cuts to cardiac care and education. We may now lose actual family income and the roof over our heads.

We already have respite via the voluntary sector, but guess what that's going as they've lost funding.

The voluntary sector is a wonderful thing, but using it to run essential services is lunacy.

The problem with palming off social services to volunteers is that it's only the "worthy poor" who get help. Attractive poor and needy people get help and unattractive ones don't. Think donkey sanctuaries versus women's shelters and you get the idea.

I spent some time in Texas a few years back with some die hard republicans who despised socialism. Their "charity" was spending a day a week giving vouchers out by hand to "the poor". These people had to line up while the wives of the wealthy handed them vouchers for out of date supermarket food. It was not my idea of society.

specialknickers

If you LIKE the idea of a volunteer wiping your arse when you're old and incontinent then fine, good for you. Personally, I'd prefer a professional.

Is it really true specialknickers that the labour party were about to introduce a HND in arse wiping? Surely it would have been cheaper to give everyone specialknickers aka nappies?

AReplete - you do sound like a nice volunteering type of tory, as you said above.

So, when do you start wiping arses for free volunteering?

And when you change their nappies, you still have to wipe!

Im sure there's plenty of mums who wouldnt mind letting you gain experience with baby nappies.

I have no idea at all as to what you are on about.
And I am certainly not a Tory. I am a libertarian.
Torys are socialists in disguise.
ps I have masses of experience in nappies

Did you not see where I put using it to run essential services is a BAD thing? Ie specialist roles such as caring. The voluntary sector IS a good thing, DH has worked for a local car scheme as a volunteer which is not for profit to get the elderly and disabled to hospital appointments at as low a cost as possible. Those who cannot use public transport. Frees up a heck of a lot of hospital cars and saves the NHS £££s.

I can see a lot of wealthy young ladies putting on their bonnets and going out to visit the grateful paupers of the parish with a basket of goodies, whilst holding a silk handkerchief to their dainty noses. Big Society = Victorian Society.

Wook-as long as the "poor" are getting benefits food what difference does it make?