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AIBU?

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Original poster

To consider the Conservatives' manifesto pretty decent on the whole?

909 replies

Puzzledandpissedoff · 18/05/2017 15:45

Pretty decent in terms in principles, that is ... as so often with manifestos it's too thin on costings

Main points here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-39960311

Full version here: www.conservatives.com/manifesto

OP posts:
coconuttella · 21/05/2017 14:56

You are aware that after years of austerity( for the poor and middle ) the budget deficit has Inceased

Completely untrue.... the budget deficit has reduced significantly. Get your facts right!

makeourfuture · 21/05/2017 15:08

the budget deficit has reduced

Still there. Fluctuating a bit, but there and stretching as far into the future as we can see.

The debt grows and grows.

I am not a debt nut. But by their own measure, they have failed...and will continue.

Sostenueto · 21/05/2017 17:14

Agree Citroen.

HelenaDove · 21/05/2017 18:51

Sostenuto my DM is Italian so i know all about the value of the family.

Incidentally i live in a social housing flat which may become vacant years from now if i ever was to go back to live in my childhood home.

Childhood home gets sold.............i stay where i am.

Childhood Home doesnt get sold i may be able to move in there freeing up this social housing.

Can you tell me which would be the right thing to do out of the two please. Thanks ever so Hmm Oh and ive never voted Tory in my life. Neither has my 67 year old DH who im the full time carer for.

littlehandcuffs · 21/05/2017 19:03

John McDonnall on Andrew Marr show this morning couldn't say how the 250 Billion pounds worth of spending was going to be funded.

Labour would bankrupt this country, then there really will be no money for anything and it will affect our childrens generation worst.

PortiaCastis · 21/05/2017 19:06

The Tories cannot say how their proposals would be funded

Crumbs1 · 21/05/2017 19:09

The budget deficit may have reduced but the national debt has increased significantly.

littlehandcuffs · 21/05/2017 19:56

The Tories aren't spending £250 Billion

Dawndonnaagain · 21/05/2017 20:05

littlehandcuffs there are a couple of really quite august bodies that are happy with Labour's costings. You may also like to note that generally speaking Labour spend less and pay debt back more quickly than the Tories.

Bolshybookworm · 21/05/2017 20:11

How much do you think the government are going to spend on a hard Brexit, littlehands? Have the tories costed that (it's their pet project, after all), or is it conveniently absent from their manifesto?

I think if it only costs 250 billion we'll all be pretty relieved tbh, but yeah, keep treating labour like they're the only party sloppy with finances Hmm

citroenpresse · 21/05/2017 20:20

dawn absolutely right. I've been reading about that too. It's a complete myth that the tories are sound with the economy. What they are historically crap at...and even the right wing media support this - is growth.

littlehandcuffs · 21/05/2017 20:42

Yes, Boom then Bust, Labour are notorious for it.

Bolshybookworm · 21/05/2017 20:44

Er, again, which party was it that landed us with Brexit? Was it Labour? Did I miss that?

makeourfuture · 21/05/2017 21:01

What they are historically crap at...and even the right wing media support this - is growth.

Yes.

I don't think they actually like seeing general success.

citroenpresse · 21/05/2017 21:13

boom and bust...am anticipating lots of bust with the Tories...Brexit, UK property market, STM research funding, loss of key financial business to Amsterdam or Bonn or Paris, NHS destruction ... strong and stable?
Where is the boom coming from? Not a great choice but Tories never that answer.

Bolshybookworm · 21/05/2017 21:50

Yeah, that's what I want to know. They make big noises about supporting science but the best way to do that would be to stay in the single market Hmm

Immigration trumps the economy, it would appear.

JanetBrown2015 · 22/05/2017 08:16

I would not have given the people the Brexit vote. John Major was correct. He did not even want the Scottish referendum either.

Anyway where we are. If people had voted to stay in the UK as I and many Tories wanted things would certainly be easier but we just have to make the best of it which may be a walk away with no deal and reverting to the basic legal position.

citroenpresse · 22/05/2017 08:24

reverting to the 'basic legal position' - what does that mean Janet? Our rights are EU rights....that seems to be the great repeal bill - to give us those EU rights back! I don't get this no 'deal' thing. the eu have set out draft guidelines including responsibility for paying for disengagement. It is absolutely explicit that as a third country, our 'deal' (they don't use that word) will be worse than it is now. there may be 'transitional arrangements' but the trading stuff...decades and decades.

citroenpresse · 22/05/2017 08:26

Let's just remember that it was the Tories who are responsible for Brexit.

Charmageddon · 22/05/2017 08:31

Let's just remember that it was the Tories who are responsible for Brexit.

The Tories are responsible for giving us the choice.

For that, I am glad.

I was enabled by the Tories to make my voice on membership of the EU heard, as were we all.

JanetBrown2015 · 22/05/2017 08:36

cit, there is a 50% chance we will crash out of the EU without a deal. So we have a back up position which is what if no agreements are reached. That goes across various areas and I have not studied them all. Eg if there is no agreement on exports and imports then goods are exported and imported with WTO tariffs - customs duties - they are not too high.

The Great Repeal (not repeal) bill is likely to give provisional validity of various UK statutes. It may be in areas like data protection there is time for a new UK Act but I doubt it.

The EU h as said what the UK will have to pay if there is a deal. If there is no deal the courts will have to establish our liabilities to pay in and the things we get back out like our capital in the Bank and the responsibilties around the pension fund. Eg on the fund the rules seem to say whilst you are a member you guarantee the obligations. It does not say you do when you leave. The EU disagrees with the UK interpretation but in my view the EU is wrong.

(I suppose one this is very clear - people like I am, the lawyers, will probably have a bit of work to do. Perhaps the slogan should have been "Vote Brexit and give a lot of extra money to lawyers" (rather than the NHS))

Bolshybookworm · 22/05/2017 09:14

Well this is just it. Before I would put my vote behind a party that has "no deal" as part of its manifesto, I would want to know exactly what the impacts of this are going to be. How much will it cost our economy? What do they propose for industries dependent on trade with the EU, either through exports or imports of parts? What will happen to ports and customs? Northern Ireland?! The tories made this mess and the least they could do is tell us how they're going to fix, especially as they have so far looked utterly incompetent when it comes to negotiating with the EU.

I think this is my problem with both main parties ATM. They're full of also-rans that are not remotely smart enough to get us through what is likely to be a very difficult period. I have no faith in either May or Corbyn tbh.

Two4One2017 · 22/05/2017 09:20

This is a sobering analysis from the Policy Exchange about the funding challenges the Labour Party would face to implement its manifesto at this time in the economic cycle

policyexchange.org.uk/warwick-lightfoot-responds-to-the-labour-party-manifesto/

Add Brexit turbulence into the mix (especially as JC has said he'd pay €100 bn divorce bill) and you do wonder where the money will come from.

Two4One2017 · 22/05/2017 09:33

Interesting perspective on the Tories social care policy

www.independent.co.uk/voices/theresa-may-tory-manifesto-pensioners-a7747196.html

littlequestion · 22/05/2017 09:50

I don't think this has been covered (I've whizzed through the thread) but there are some really big unanswered questions about the £100,000 care figure.

I imagine a fairly common scenario will be a couple living together and one accumulates large care bills, then dies, leaving ta partner/spouse. Surviving spouse decides to downsize/ move nearer the kids etc so sells up. Will the care bill become payable at that point? if so, how can the surviving partner move - because if they are retired they are unlikely to get a mortgage.

Will the surviving spouse also be entitled to keep back £100,000 of their own to give to THEIR children - especially relevant if they had children from different relationships. So is it £100,000 each or £100,000 per couple?

What happens when siblings etc buy a house together and one accumulates care costs? Will the surviving sibling lose everything they have put into the house?

Will it be better to own a house as tenants in common (where you separately own a portion of the house) rather than joint tenants (where you jointly own the whole thing?)

Will there be any difference between married and unmarried couples?

Lots of questions (see my username) but I am not convinced this has been thought through (for a change).

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