to dread a Conservative govenment?

[tryingtobemarypoppins]

As a teacher and mother I feel I should dread Conservatives getting in.....

Longtalljosie - So why did they set it all up in the camen islands then?

The man that lost his business - he gets his mortgage paid - then man whos wife works is getting in arreas as they dont pay his mortgage...

It haunts me to think back to it, I slipped through the net as I could not get any help as my husband was living in a riverside penthouse and shortly after a house in Knightsbridge worth millions. I was sent packing whenever i asked for help but he kicked us out on the streets. It is hard getting financial/legal advice when on the streets. We only did 2 nights in London and then managed to get space in a mother and baby unit for 4 months. I then was moved on so we went to hostels and Bed and Breakfasts. I used to have to sleep with anything valuable in my underwear! I would sleep clinging onto dd as I was terrified of someone taking her.

I had not realised how much it still hurt until I did an assembly at school on homelessness. I am used to doing assemblies but I shook all the way through doing that one - we raised a lot of money and food for the shelter though.

I think you will be fine under a tory government if you are married, have a good job and a decent secure standard of living. Otherwise I would worry.

Ivy- no he doesn't, they only pay mortgage interst, the capital will still ahve to be repiad somewhere ( think thats right- just checked it online on the CAB site). he must be on a pittance to get that- we're a family of 6 on an income of under £10k and after WTC we don't get any form of hosuing benefit 9and don't need it, we can budget our rent fine with what we get in WTC- the massive benefit to all taxpayers of course is that with WTC we don't get evicted for claiming HB and need state housing- hurrah for that!)

I feel totally depressed about the whole thing, I don't want labour or conservatives .

My personal feeling is that generally power corrupts over time and that the type of person attracted to politics is particularly susceptible to its effects, which is what we get to see over and over again. I'm so utterly hacked off with the whole political system that I'd prefer it if the Queen dissolved parliament, appointed someone temporarily whilst political reform was thrashed out, I have no idea what would be better but am very unhappy with the current system.

However seeing as this will never happen (and would be disastrous given the current economic situation), I'm stuck with a choice to make - as much as I would like Labour out, I don't want the Conservatives back in, though in theory as a married couple I suspect DH and I would possibly be better off. I think probably the scenario I'd like to see is no party gaining overall control and some kind of alliance, though I worry that nothing would ever happen as they'd be constantly arguing.

He has an interest only mortgage! That was what I thought so actually butted in at that point and asked well they were having a convo across me... Both nice guys and both looking for work as they both want to earn proper money.

They both go to the same job center and both on job seekers atm.

OK, I have only read half of the posts but completely agree with the OP.

Conservatives want to cut the workforce of the environment agency by over 10% which is ridiculous considering how the country have been affected by flooding and other incidents like Swine flu in the past 12 months.

I also remember them scrapping the student grant which was essential for people like myself whose parents couldn't afford to send me to university, and bought in student fees.

Oh, and the EMA has been around for years but it's only just being advertised to try to encourage people to stay on in eduation - I know because coming from a poor family I got this while studying my A'levels.

I grew up in a poor single pant family under the conservatives and think that things are so much better now - there is so much more support.

And as for sure start centres - they are brilliant and enable people like my sister who is on a low income to go to work a couple of hours a day while her young children are looked after and fed. The staff are amazing and the centres are invaluable to those that need them.

You must have been poor if you only had one paor of pants for the whole family

Just read people moaning about the fact that they're children can't get the EMA and can't afford to pay their children to go to school. Well some of us used that money for books and other materials for our courses. AND worked 2 jobs to pay our parents rent and food.

Well Ivy he's still having to provide for a way to pay of fthe final amount as well then, at worst that's being left (poor man), otherwise he's having to either put money aside from JSA (eek) or rely on some income or savings that wouldn't affect cont. based JASA, but wouldn't be able to be extrapolated to the genral population- sale of assets, inheritance exopectations, etc.

All I know for absolute certain is that we're £400 a month worse of, £200 of that we can wrote off against job related expenses but that's still £200 shortage. Your man at the job centre may be good but so are we, DH is working very hard under the sun to maximise this business (there are really no jobs in his sector right now- colapsing industry) but only taking £50 a week out as he still ahs to invest in stock, set up charges etc. I don't see why people on cont- based JSA should starve given that you can ony claim if you had a job, and I don't see why people like us who are doing our best should either. It wouldn't tkae much more of a drop in income though, there is no flexibilty.

This year we will get a holiday etc- becuase we paid them off before DH was told about the job loss and we don'tt spend much there so heck why not- next year, and until DH qualifies 9startuingtraining in Sept) will be rather bleak indeed; I am looking at an income but it is 100% dependant on childcare for ds1.

"I also remember them scrapping the student grant which was essential for people like myself whose parents couldn't afford to send me to university, and bought in student fees."

You don't have to be rich- or have rich parents to go to uni now.

All students get a loan- and students from poorer parents get a bigger loan! Tuition fees are re-paid when you start working.

My DCs did not qualify for the entire student loan- only 75%- but if we had not been able to top up,they would have had to use the money they earned doing holiday jobs- or get a p/t job during term time, as well. We have not paid their fees- they are theirs to pay when they can.

EMA- one of my DDs friends qualified- and at the same time, she had 2 part time jobs after school and at weekends, and with her EMA she was able to buy herself a car whilst at school- whereas my DD could not!

It's all very well parents/child being eligible for EMA, but in some instances it never goes to the parent- it is extra pocket money for the child.

;) I meant parent...

"36. Cleanest rivers, beaches, drinking water and air since the industrial revolution. Again taking credit for something that was already there under Tory government." No it wasn't.... The Environment Agency has done this since being under Labour....

I got a grant for Uni, graduated last year- they are out there, it's just they're aimed at people who might struggle to work and study or have bigger outgoings- so aprents and disabled people.

Does no-one remember hospital waiting lists under the Tories. 18 months to see a consultant ffs! Now its 12 weeks. 2 years for an op

I wonder what the true situation is?
From what I have heard, I understand that you may still wait a long time- the only difference is, that once having seen the consultant quicker than before, you are still on the waiting list, and may still have to wait just as long for the op as if you had seen the consultant after say 12 months,(rather than 12 weeks) and then had to wait another 12 months for the op.

"You don't have to be rich- or have rich parents to go to uni now."

Not but you are less likely to go if you are poor. I am not sure if I would have gone under this system as debt terrified me. I woudl like to see less people going to university but on grants. Students are also more likely to take cheaper courses as well meaning certain jobs are more likely to be taken by richer wealthier students

auntmaggie- cuts don't have to equal a poorer service-a 10% cut, if that is the case, may well be a cut that does not make the Agency less efficient, but MORE efficient!

Cuts are about saving money and reducing wastage- not always about cutting the people or services that deliver the goods.

Most improvements in efficiency are to do with having better practices and reducing layers of management.

howtotell.... In all fairness the majority of patients are seen and operated on much quicker now. I qualified as a registered nurse in 1992 and only left when dc2 was born 1.5 yrs ago. I remember in the late 90's and onwards working every Saturday morning on added on operating lists which were called "waiting list initiatives". It did and has made a huge difference to waiting lists. Of course it's not perfect but much better.

Conservative scrapped the grant and bought in tuition fees which was a double whammy. Yes you can get a student loan and work your ass off (like I did) and end up massively in debt before you even start your working life.

I graduated 5 years ago and still cannot afford to pay back what I owe from my education.

My EMA didn't go to my parents when I got it 12 years ago. It went on books and materials for my course.

Peachy - Labour bought the grant system back thank god.

The labour government has put this country in a dire position. They did nothing but spend spend in the boom years, leaving nothing in reserve. Including selling our Gold reserves when Gold prices were dire.

No Government is going to be popular with the tough policies they will have to implement - but we have to get out of debt!

To the OP - YABU, I cannot wait for the Tories to get in.

Oh and Someguy - totally agree with your posts.

howtotellmum - that was an example of one of the govt agencies that conservative plan to cut when they get into power, not because of efficiencies but just because they can.

so you'd happily see 1500 people out of work?

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2002/jun/08/hospitals.nhs

You may be seen much quicker - but if you want drugs to keep you alive, well you dont get them if nice say so? Money not being spent on drugs is spent on getting waiting lists down, this isn't much good if the drugs are then needed to keep people alive.

I know money was raised loaly to buy an MRI scanner for our local hospital - this was not funded by either goiverment but has decreased waiting lists for an MRI scan. My dd waited 3 months for an MRI scan in 2003, and had the scan at the local hospital rather than have to travel 12 miles (like her father had had to for an emergancy scan in an ambulence)

Labour have no more money to spend - so where will they get money from unless they raise taxes - and they will tax the poor more they already took the 10% tax rate away that effect more woman and part time workers than anyone else.

Under tory - they will probably also tax the poor further.

But with the mess that labour has made who can sort out the mess without ailienating the rich and not forcing taxes on the poor?