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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to really dislike the Tories right now?

174 replies

Purpleflamingos · 15/02/2015 09:06

They're benefit bashing for votes.
They are MP's who for the main part have had a privileged upbringing. Why can't they talk about their plans for the UK's defence in light of ISIS and the Ukraine? Why don't they talk about foreign policy and/or their plans for the EU? Why don't they speak up on green issues? Why don't they discuss immigration levels or London house prices? Or even patiently explaining that benefits aren't that large a portion of expense.

Why, dear god, with their education do they lack empathy towards people already living on the lowest levels of income and have no innovative suggestions to make? Clearly original thought and critical thinking wasn't on their curriculum.

OP posts:
DeliciousMonster · 15/02/2015 09:10

Yes, you should have disliked them for much longer, as they are all a bunch of self satisfied self seeking.. oh hang on, you are one of them arent you?

Have you really only just noticed?

chantico · 15/02/2015 09:13

I think there's a bit of confirmation bias here.

If you look at what they are saying, all those things are covered (though agree major focus this week was on CBI, but then again the economy is important).

You clearly dislike many of their policies, but that's not the same as being silent.

Saddling the nation with debt during the boom years was to me a striking example of a party which showed no "empathy" to the electorate. Sometimes it's not about crowd pleasing, but cleaning up the mess.

Roobix04 · 15/02/2015 09:15

YWBU to have liked them in the first place. The benefits thing is just the tip of a very poisonous iceberg. They've done a good job of making the vulnerable worse off and the rich even more rich.

ihatethecold · 15/02/2015 09:18

Any party that crucifies the people who need the most help in our society I cannot align myself too b
I really despise 0 hours contracts and the bedroom tax.
Just nasty and puts enter able people in a sure situation.

ihatethecold · 15/02/2015 09:19

Just nasty and puts vulnerable people in a dire situation.

BitOutOfPractice · 15/02/2015 09:19

Yabu to hate the Tories for benefit bashing.

You should also be hating them for their destruction of the nhs, the utter mess they are making of education, the cuts that have been made to front line local services and their refusal to pursue corporate and wealthy tax dodgers

Farahilda · 15/02/2015 09:20

Genuine question: if 'bedroom tax' should be ended, should people who use their HB to pay a private landlord be entitled to claim for a property larger then the number of occupants requires? Or is unequal treatment depending on type of landlord OK?

Figmentofmyimagination · 15/02/2015 09:21

I cannot understand how anybody earning less than say £40,000, or anyone at all under the age of 26, or anyone who is in the rental sector, or anyone whose children are paying £9,000 a year of tuition fees, or anyone whose children have graduated and are under-employed, or anyone suffering say, pregnancy discrimination who now has to pay £1,200 to bring an employment tribunal claim, could even think of voting Tory.

UncleT · 15/02/2015 09:22

There are a thousand reasons to dislike them. One is that their defence reaction to the global insecurity you mention is to continue butchering our armed forces and putting us at risk with an absurdly depleted capability. That's just one reason though.

isitsnowingyet · 15/02/2015 09:23

Farahilda - your post doesn't make sense to me. Sorry

ArgyMargy · 15/02/2015 09:23

So you will be voting for..?

Samcro · 15/02/2015 09:23

i hate them
I also hate the way people think they are clearing up the mess!!
they target the most vulnerable, they do not care about the NHS or people who are not rich.
I really don't get why they need to discuss London house prices though.

meditrina · 15/02/2015 09:27

They lost the Commons vote about action in Syria. So the other parties are also responsible for what has been done about that crisis, and by extension the rise of ISIS it spawned.

I think they've had to cut everything, and defence took its share.

UncleT How much more spending should have gone to maintain/increase the Armed Forces? And assuming from continued borrowing there isn't really enough to go round, what would/could be de-prioritised to release some resources? (not meant to sound arsey, I am interested in what different spending priorities could look like. And is ep anyine suggesting increased defence budget in their manifesto?)

isitsnowingyet · 15/02/2015 09:28

YANBU

I wondered why there hasn't been a thread on here about Cameron wanting to cut benefits for the morbidly obese/drug addicts and alcoholics who 'refuse treatment' - that is assuming there enough services out there to offer them treatment in the first place.

How can it not be acknowledged by the same token that these problems and addictions people have go hand in hand with mental health issues. Cut psychiatric and social services and then cut off all benefits. Yeah, great idea. It will add to the number of homeless people though and then add to the pressures on A and E services as a cascade effect.

And er no, I won't be voting Tory and never would. I really think Cameron has shot himself in the foot this time though.

Figmentofmyimagination · 15/02/2015 09:30

It's not enough to dislike them - people have to actually come out in May and vote them out. And they need to get their young adult children to vote too. It is striking how much voting apathy there is, even among first time voters.

Tinkerball · 15/02/2015 09:33

It's an old joke but we have more pandas in Scotland than Tory MPs. I grew up with Maggie a Thatcher. Enough said.

Farahilda · 15/02/2015 09:34

I clearly need more coffee! Sorry for poor drafting.

'bedroom tax' affects only those in social housing, or have a I got it totally wrong? Those who receive HB and are not in social housing already receive a rate based on requirement (essentially number of occupants) and then rent in line with that. The change brought social housing in line with the rest.

The current policy 'levels down' to the system for non-social housing. It could be left as treating the two groups differently (the situation at the start of this administration)l. Or it could be 'levelled up' so all tenants received the more generous terms then applied to social housing tenants. I can't see any particular justification for treating them differently, and doubt that 'levelling up' can be afforded. Has anyone ever attempted to cost that? (expect not, as I don't think equal treatment has ever really been contemplated in that way).

Thumbwitch · 15/02/2015 09:34

Why just now?

Thumbwitch · 15/02/2015 09:35

Sorry, too brief and therefore unclear - I mean why only just now? YANBU but I'm surprised it's taken this long to reach that decision...

AuntieStella · 15/02/2015 09:35

"I wondered why there hasn't been a thread on here about Cameron wanting to cut benefits for the morbidly obese/drug addicts and alcoholics who 'refuse treatment' - that is assuming there enough services out there to offer them treatment in the first place."

There's been at least one, if not two. I'll see if I can find and link.

Original poster
Purpleflamingos · 15/02/2015 09:38

I never said I liked them in the first place. Just that I really dislike them right now.

OP posts:
Original poster
Purpleflamingos · 15/02/2015 09:49

ArgyMargy, if I had an inkling who I would vote for I wouldn't share. But as it stands, I'm going to go to each parties website and scrutinise carefully.

OP posts:
Studyingmummy · 15/02/2015 10:47

Farahilda , the problem with the bedroom tax is that many SH tenants have lived in their home for many years, circs have changed (kids left home etc) but there are no alternative SH properties to move into. This would mean many having to move into private rentals which would cost more as the rent is more expensive, hence the HB bill would rise! Does not make financial sense unless many more SH properties are built!

In my area at least, new SH tenants only get to rent houses suited to their needs, whether they are in receipt of HB or not. Just the same as it is for HB recipients in the private market. This situation is not the fault of tenants but successive governments failing to address housing shortages because it suits their rich landlord mates

Dawndonnaagain · 15/02/2015 10:53

Fara. The problem with bedroom tax is that taxing people in three/four bedroomed properties that are under occupied is a problem when a) a support network is being removed in forcing a person to leave their home. b) People with disabilities are being made homeless and c) their are no smaller properties available. Perhaps if it were to be ensured that the elderly could downsize within the same area and that the disabled were left alone that would be a better proposition.
With regard to private rental it is assumed (wrongly, we know) that those privately renting have more options available to them than those in social housing, so no, nothing will change.

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