The government have completely trashed the nation's wellbeing.

[flashbac]

People are struggling, prices of everyday items climbing every week (more so than in other developed countries). Everyone's spirit appears to be low. The jubilee weekend raised spirits a little but only temporarily.
Yes, post pandemic fatigue is probably a factor but I can't think of a single thing this government has done that has improved the lives of ordinary working people. In fact, quite the opposite.

(Come at me Tory troll farms)

that's it? You'd vote for this shower of shite on the basis of this? Fucking hell, we are absolutely doomed.

Above all else I like freedom to make my own choices. I get that in the UK. Sure government systems are inadequate, corrupt, harmful even, but I have the freedom to opt out of them, which I have. I enjoy my life immensely. My child is happy. My husband and I hate ample opportunities for work, and we are free to leave.

Very happy to be here. I've never voted Tory. I don't think there's much difference between Labour and Tory, they both serve corporate interests and are made up of people from the ruling class, career politicians. I won't be voting again.

*have, not hate

There's a worldwide inflation going on currently and not just in the UK. It doesn't matter who you vote for when the whole world is in this which won't make a difference. Not sure of the ulterior motive with all of this and what is trying to be achieved but the estimated financial crash will be this winter.

What all parties have done over the last few decades is set up the idea that political debate is less about saying "I believe x, y or z" and more "You're an idiot".

It's saddening and you can see the knock on in threads like these. I suspect I am alone in wishing that we had better debating manners across the all political spectrums so that people felt arguing what they personally believe and prefer had as much strength as just insulting 'the other side'.

It makes the conversation much more divisive, creates the idea that you must be in Camp A or Camp B and undermines the potential for people to be swayed somewhat or be albe to come to an agreement on any subject matter.

Why not? What's the difference really? I've lived under a Tory government and was on benefits for a while, was a single mum. It was alright. I had enough money. I got housed.

I think in London things could be very different. Amazing how different parts of the country are to one another.

I can't see much to complain about. Predicting most will cite the NHS crisis, in my view that's down to corruption and pharmaceutical control and misappropriation of funds but I can't see how any of this is down to the Tories specifically.

That's easily cleared up given it's a WEForum endeavour with a website all about it.

That will never evolve on its own. Have you not heard "power corrupts"?

The point of government is to administer our will. So services we require as a population we tell the government we want and they organise it on a large scale.

Yes, I realise that. That is what they are so lamentably failing to provide. If the system were working we wouldn't see people in full time work such as nurses and teachers having to visit foodbanks. We wouldn't have a government that had to be forced by the likes of Marcus Rashford to provide adequate food for poor children, while frittering away £22 bn on failed test and trace systems. We wouldn't have so acute a crisis in the NHS because of a failure to fund training places for health professionals properly.

While they are the only party that can define a woman, I'll be voting Tory.
I shudder to think where we'd be under Labour.
Probably a lot poorer too.

I didn't say they worked. Well, they work, just not to do the things they say.
Schools don't educate. Hospitals don't make you better, etc.
But like I said upthread, the freedom to opt out of them is the most valuable thing, for me.

I don't blame Brexit, lockdowns, the war or anything like that.

I think it's extremely unlikely that the top financial advisers and psychologists in the world wouldn't be aware of the consequences of all the various actions that have been taken.

These are deliberate, planned events. The question is why?

But how do you opt out of healthcare and education needs, unless you're really rich? Most people don't have that freedom.

It’s this I’m afraid. 👆

They aren't. PM Johnson will say whatever if he thinks it will get him power. www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1501654/Boris-Johnson-GB-News-latest-Conservative-Party-speech-woke-cancel-culture-woman-cervix-vn/amp

The trans shitshow happened on Tory watch. Male bodied folk in single sex female spaces and trans presenting teens all massively increased in number under the Conservative government. Our first Trans MP is another dodgy as fuck Conservative. Oh and Penny Mordaunt is looking like a serious contender for the top job when PM Johnson goes.🤯

And all that on top of not making misogyny a crime, not enshrining the right of UK women to abortion and all their usual policies that make life more difficult for women.🙄

The Tory party is no friend to women.

We're not rich but do home educate.
It's true we were all fortunate to be born healthy but you can totally keep it that way if you eat well and avoid drugs including pharmaceuticals.

We keep within the law and our area remains safe. I'm part of my community. I know my neighbours.

Most people are born healthy. We all have the right to educate our children outwith school. I'm self-employed and we actually have a good deal around that too.

Yes I feel depressed and unwell as fuck
Yet I am most probably going to have to push that aside and make myself worse in order to work a second job to make ends meet

The NHS doesn't provide health care. They provide sick care. What does the NHS do to keep us healthy? All the information we could ever need is now online, we can find it ourselves and gain a rounded view of as many issues as we dedicate the time to.

I said upthread school doesn't educate, it's producing borderline illiterate children with huge mental health problems.

I grew up on a council estate and have never been wealthy. The highest I've ever earned is 25K. You say most people don't have the opportunities you attribute to wealth but we all know on MN people always earn at least double my highest ever salary.

I'm not special or blessed, just taking charge of my own life. So I don't agree most people don't have the opportunities I do. In fact they are available to everyone. It's about whether you want to take charge of your life or be dictated to.

Nope.

Both have cost around £250bn so far.

We're recovering from the pandemic. Brexit is predicted to cost at least another £30bn per year into the foreseeable future.

But hey. Blue passports.

What do I expect? I expect to be able to live relatively comfortably whilst working full time. I'm talking 52 inch tvs brand new cars and cruises
I'm talking a fiver a week pocket money for the kids (the same as I got 30 years ago!) . Being able to get the car I need to take me to the work repaired and serviced as needed. Being able to feed my children nutritious and filling meals. Being able to buy them a pair of shoes to replace the ones with the flapping souls. Being able to attend their mates birthday party with a present for them. A twice yearly haircut not being seen as a bloody luxury .
That's what I want and that's currently impossible due to this shit show of a government not increasing workers wages in line with the ridiculous amounts of inflation

You are not entitled to anything in this life!
The entitlement is the issue here.
You either get a better job that is well paid, or you reduce other areas to compensate.
What you can’t do is demand more for no effort and blame everyone else. Get a new job or a second income stream whilst inflation is an issue

bloody hell. So much entitlement on this thread and petulant demands

What do I expect? I expect to be able to live relatively comfortably whilst working full time. I'm talking 52 inch tvs brand new cars and cruises

I’ve lived relatively comfortably for years. Cruises and brand new cars have never been in reach. On a joint income of 80k

Take your point about home-edding - in fact I had to do it myself for a while when my son was badly bullied. It was expensive though - we had to pay for tutors and to pay hundreds for him to sit GCSEs as a private candidate. I accept not everyone would bother with exams, though, which is fair enough.
Don't really agree re NHS. Yes, we could all live a healthier lifestyle, but that doesn't protect you from everything. People end up needing help through no fault of their own every minute of the day. We've seen that with the thousands and thousands of people who had to be hospitalised with Covid, many of whom are still disabled as a consequence.

@Provenceinthesummer are you Pru Leith or something??? You talk about your lovely cosy village in Oxfordshire etc and I'm going to bet my bottom dollar, either you or H are high earning or retired and get by very nicely. I do agree on one thing, no one is 'entitled' to anything such as cruises and new cars etc. on everything else you seem to have little understanding that whilst it's still pretty ok in the nicer areas and towns of the UK- in other areas where those pesky poor people live there is a massive ton of feral shitheads out there smashing into cars, dumping waste, fighting and arguing in the streets, robbing sheds- the list is endless. We have no road police anymore or so it seems and I've seen several instances of drugs and driving. Go and have a weekend in Stoke on Trent or Rotherham etc - you might gain some empathy