Are the conservatives really this popular?

[LabourHere]

Listening to statistician on BBC who reckons the conservatives are head in all polls and will win a majority on election day.

I know only two people voting conservative (mil and dm). Who are all the other conservative voters??

Are the conservatives really going to win the election so easily?

If so...I'm very very sad

BJ is quite popular

Not any more I would suggest - before he became PM a lot of Tories still bought into the idea that he was charismatic and a great orator and highly intelligent.

They've had a very rude awakening!

BJ is quite popular

According to Johnson's former boss at the Daily Telegraph (when Johnson was a Telegraph correspondent) he can't be trusted on anything, except to enhance his own ego gratification: ...
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Max Hasting, former Editor of the Daily Telegraph, and Boris Johnson's employer for several years:

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“Boris is a gold medal egomaniac … his chaotic public persona is not an act – he is, indeed, manically disorganised about everything except his own image management.

He is also a far more ruthless, and frankly nastier figure, than the public appreciates. I would not take Boris's word about whether it is Monday or Tuesday.

He is not a man to believe in, to trust or respect, save as a superlative exhibitionist. He is bereft of judgment, loyalty and discretion.

Only in the star-crazed frivolous Britian of the 21st century could such a man have risen so high, and he is utterly unfit to rise higher still”

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'Britain’s economy has suffered its worst three months for more than a decade after official figures revealed output failed to grow once again in October.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the economy saw zero growth month-on-month in October, following two months of declining gross domestic product (GDP). This marks the first time the economy has failed to grow for three months in a row since early 2009 amid the recession following the global financial crisis.

The Conservatives who have spent the best part of a decade selling off public assets and subjecting public services to severe cuts have no such excuse for the embarrassing performance of the UK economy.'

www.thelondoneconomic.com/business-economics/tories-under-attack-as-ons-reveal-worst-uk-economic-performance-in-over-a-decade/10/12/?fbclid=IwAR3WCSHnCaGX39cI9WlcCdjvfCX0ZHymeT147SokyjU_gYG1TmkM3WgFM9s

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ColourMagic
*Max Hastings, former Editor of the Daily Telegraph, and Boris Johnson's employer for several years^

Max Hastings also wrote this about Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party in 2015;

"The apparent ecstasy of Corbyn’s audience, many of whom rose repeatedly to offer standing ovations, suggested that every Blairite in the party had been subjected to an exclusion order for the afternoon, to pack the place with true believers in St Jeremy the Baptist."

"The massive security precautions accorded to party conferences seem redundant in Brighton this week: most of the people who threaten Britain’s established order have been inside the hall, cheering their hero."

"The whole affair has resembled a convention of kamikaze pilots, celebrating wildly before a last take-off to oblivion."

"Yet never for a moment should we forget that he and his acolytes are bent on a purge of moderates and dissenters inside their own party, which is likely to keep the guillotines busy for years."

"His parade of honesty is designed to conceal the reality that much of what he states as fact is falsehood; that if his ‘caring’ economic policies were ever implemented, they would spell ruin for thousands of businesses, doom for enterprise and profit, and cripple the nation’s taxpayers."

"It is a fantasy, of course, to pretend his vision could be funded by taxing the rich and making Google pay its dues."

"The new leader’s economic vision has been road-tested in two societies for which he has professed admiration, Cuba and Venezuela."

''Labour will be 'spending less on public services than Germany and France'

'Jeremy Corbyn has defended his multibillion pound general election spending pledge on public services, arguing it would bring the UK into line with other industrial countries, including France and Germany.

After the launch of the Conservative manifesto on Sunday it emerged that for every one pound Boris Johnson has committed to spending, Jeremy Corbyn would spend £28.

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“At the end of all of our proposals – every single one carried out – we will still be spending less on public services than France or Germany. We won’t even be at their levels. It will move us into the middle ranking of the spending of industrial countries,” the Labour leader said at a campaign event at West Nottinghamshire College in Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

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Corbyn is promising widespread investment in public services at almost £83bn a year, including £5bn each for schools and early years and £10.8bn on social-care spending in an effort to reverse some of the impact of austerity. The party is also pledging payouts for women affected by the rise in the state-pension age with a £58bn spending commitment over five years.

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“We cannot go on underfunding education and not see the price. We cannot go on not investing in housing and not see the price. We cannot go on underfunding health and social care and not see the price,” Corbyn said.

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“Yes people are being strained by the price of austerity through poverty and homelessness. The middle class, middle-aged, also pay because they are having to support their kids through university. But if we care as a society, an inclusive society, we have to be prepared to invest to achieve.”

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According to data collected by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, France, Italy, Sweden, Greece and Germany all dedicate more of their GDP to public spending on social goods than the UK at rates of between 25 and 31%. This includes investment in health, old age, incapacity-related benefits, family, work programmes, unemployment and housing.'

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www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/25/labour-will-bring-uk-into-line-with-france-and-germany-says-corbyn
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Boris Johnson does appeal that why he is leading the party so they win the next election

I can not think of one PM (or MP) who has his track record that would still be holding on to his job from his personal life (the treatment of his partners, lovers and children - voters will accept an affair but this is a whole different level), his track record as a minister and as mayor and his mishaps (though some are contrived) no one else would still have a minister role never mind being elected by his party as PM. He may split the party and public opinion and he certainly isn’t universally liked within the Tory party but they know he wins over voters.

And this is after Tory rule for nearly 10 years. He absolutely shouldn’t be popular (regardless of who the opposition is)

According to data collected by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, France, Italy, Sweden, Greece and Germany

Greece had to be rescued from bankruptcy, Italy is on the verge of bankruptcy now, France has recently been ordered to rein in its spending by the EU (not to mention all the rioting and striking going in France), personal income tax in Sweden and Denmark is 56/57% (not what the Labour Party are peddling to us) and Germany is in danger of recession with "1.65 million people using food banks within the last year" - not worked there either.

I’m a small business owner and Labours manifesto would cripple me. Corporation tax will rise from 19% to 26%. Dividend tax rise from 7% to 20%. Minimum wage rise to £10 an hour. I’m not in the higher tax bracket but these policies would cost me personally about 10-15k a year. It’s laughable when they say only the rich will be taxed more at around an extra tenner a week. Labour have never given a shit about small business owners.

I can see how some of the key services are down to the bare bones and am happy to pay a bit more tax as long as everyone mucks in together. Do it in a fair way. Put income tax and either/or dividends/corporation tax up 3-5% across the board and receive a proper amount of revenue to pay for the spending required. A simple, clean policy like that I can get on board with and could happily support.

Public sector workers in particular seem to be brilliant about highlighting how things are going to shit in their area of work and making a case for the amount of extra money required. But when it comes to the crunch, they don’t actually want to be putting their own money towards it. Corbyn gets in and the whole public sector gets an instant 5% pay rise. My partner is a teacher and bloody works hard. But he’s a higher rate tax payer and gets the excellent holidays, pension e.t.c that comes with it. He would be in line for an extra couple of grand a year straight off the bat. I on the other hand would suffer massively. I already pay a large amount of tax when you take into account the 20k a year business rates I have to pay.

It’s easy to be on your high horse when you’re in line for a nice pay rise while you expect other people to pay for all the extra money required. I wasn’t going to vote because I’m not a fan of the Tories either but unfortunately, Corbyn’s barmy policies have left me with no option other than voting Conservative to protect my own interests. I don’t mind paying a bit more into the pot but not at the ridiculous level I will be affected whilst my husband and the rest of the public sector receive a nice rise.

"France's has slipped further into the red, the national statistics bureau said on Friday, only days after the country's public auditor warned of "worrying" debt levels."

"Public debt rose to 99.6 percent of gross domestic product in the first quarter of the year, the Insee bureau said, widening the gulf between the eurozone's 60 percent of GDP debt limit and the French reality."

"France is now 43.6 billion euros ($49.6 billion) deeper in hock than at the end of 2018, when the debt to GDP ratio stood at 98.4 percent."

"The International Monetary Fund also warned last month that France's debt was "too high for comfort" and called on the government to cut spending."

"Neighbour Italy is in the crosshairs of the EU Commission which has put Rome on notice about its snowballing debt, as well as its deteriorating deficit position, reopening a political battle with Rome."

"Italy's debt ratio is, at 132 percent of GDP, much higher than that of France and the second-biggest in the eurozone after Greece."

www.france24.com/en/20190628-france-sinks-deeper-debt

itsmorethan, and tehre are many many people - small business owners like you including me. In fact more people in teh Uk are employed by businesses employing fewer than 10 people than big employers. It would be very hard under Labour. I suppose Labour hopes to drive all businesses into state hands ultimately which must be any socialist's aim.

And one of the tax amendments Labour propose to remove is 'entrepreneur's relief', so those of us who lose the energy to carry on can't just close up early, without it having a massive impact on retirement finance.

Many in the public sector haven't had a pay increase for 10 years, which has coincided with a considerable increase in the cost of living.

That's why there are nurses using food banks.

So rather than a pay rise, think of it as payment that they are owed.

And what do you think the minimum wage should be itsmorethanthat? £10 ph isn't much to live on. Or do you think that the scarce protections that there are for low paid workers should be removed altogether?

Will be interesting as don't think the polls ask overseas voters. From the outside in, it can be interesting to see the hilarious (but frightening) mess that is the british media. Overseas voters may vote more aligned to where they live, or not, who knows.

Just thought I'd chuck that one in anyway.

Personally, I think the decries of Labour crippling the country are astounding, but living somewhere where a lot is state owned though so most of Labour's policies seem almost centrist rather than left wing.

Nice to vote for what's best for all though, instead of for what's ok for you and yours only. Sadly the Tories have pushed the country to a point where people are pulling up their own drawbridge and leaving others to suffer.

Oh, and those who are voting because of a leader....well, those things can change pretty quickly as you've seen recently in the UK and all around that happens in democracies. Vote for the party! Am fed up with members of the public voxpoppig about how they love 'Boris' so will vote for him. If the Tories get in, I strongly suspect he will be gone within the first 6mths as he'll have served his purpose.

Which nurses haven't had a pay rise for 10 years? That just isn't true.

It's not only the public sector who have suffered - my salary has halved - I work for myself.

I hope Sajid Jarvis is a good Chancellor. On top of years of austerity the Gov coffers must also have been topped up by millions due to the rise in the pension age.

I said 'public sector' workers as you well know.

The fact that the cost of living has risen at a rate much faster than pay rises across all the public sector has caused some already low paid workers eg nurses to need to use food banks etc.

Quite aandjjmum Tory austerity measures have crippled the economy.

Nonews I agree re Johnson. He'll push through his hard Brexit, cause as much havoc as he wants and then resign when he's bored of it.

Or get pushed out by those being kept tightly whipped during the election campaign.

Thehorseandhisboy

10 years really? And the old nurses and food banks chestnut.

So like I suspected, publicity sector think they are OWED a pay rise. Morale high ground in how all the services need millions more but not actually prepared to take a tax increase yourself, rather just take a payrise.

My husband who earns a nice wage as a teacher and more than me gets a payrise while I will take a large pay decrease.

I repeat, I would be more than happy to pay a bit more tax to improve services as long we are all in it together. You need to put your money where your mouth is.

As for minimum wage, I always try to pay a bit more but it has to be relevant for the role compared to other positions. If I was a genuine high earner then I would honestly pay a better rate. But I’m not earning a massive profit for a lot of hard work that I put into it. If you want to increase minimum wage to £10 then ok but introducing this at the same time as corporation and dividend tax rises is crippling for small businesses.

Ultimately, it will result in job losses across the board and many small businesses closing which in turn increases costs on the government.

A 5% payrise, 4 day week, free internet, cheap rail fayres, no tuition feees all sounds brilliant. But let’s not forget this money has to come from somewhere. It’s fantasy stuff, honestly.

Let’s get realistic. Be straight with people, tell them that for the good of our infrastructure and services, we all need to pay a bit more tax and take it on the chin for a few years. Once the pressure has eased a bit after a few years of receiving the extra revenue, maybe we can then look at some pay rises for key workers who need it most.

There’s not really a party out there that represents me. But Labour as they stand would put my business at risk and on that basis I am going to vote Conservative. If that makes me a selfish bitch then so be it. But I find it a bit hypocritical when some of the ones shouting the loudest aren’t prepared to take a hit themselves.

I said 'public sector' workers as you well know.
Yes, and followed it up with 'that's why there are nurses using food banks'. It's simple untrue to intimate that nurses haven't had a pay rise since 2009. Alongside cost of living rises (which haven't happened every year), NHS staff have been getting annual increments. We also have a good pension scheme and more annual leave than many other workers.

I'd be fascinated to know which public sector staff haven't had a pay rise since 2009.

My salary has halved, due to the downturn in business. I still think that the Tories had no option to reduce the State spending significantly - due to the global downturn, not helped by Labour over-spending during their time in Govt. The old, old story.

Economy in a dire state www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50725715

Labour didn't 'overspend' in the way that the Tories have despite, as you say, the global economic crisis.

The deficit has more than doubled since 2010.

Ask local council workers Aunt Spiker especially those in Labour boroughs where many have lost their jobs as a result of central government cuts. Those who are left have enjoyed a decade of pay freezes, restructuring where they're doing more work than previously for the same pay and redesigning of jobs with the same outcome.

TAs (those who still have jobs), care staff (ditto), librarians (ditto), street cleaners (ditto), hospital auxillary staff (ditto).

Nurses towards the bottom end of the pay scale are using food banks and living in desperate financial conditions. Many now work as agency staff as it pays better and is more flexible, so don't have the annual leave or pension scheme that you do.

It's lovely that 10 years of Tory austerity haven't affected you, but your experience isn't representative of NHS staff.

Which is why there were junior doctors begging people on the Tube last week not to vote Tory.

The deficit has increased largely because of the interest piling up on the money borrowed by Labour. Labour did overspend - and sold assets such as our gold reserves for a fraction of their value.

Austerity has affected me - but I understand that we can't keep borrowing when we don't have the money - and leave our kids to clear up our debts.