to feel furious about Tories canvassing outside dc's school

[tittybangbang]

..... we live in a VERY deprived area. Today the Tories sent in a bunch of grammar school boys, no doubt from their homes in the posh bit of the borough, to hand out leaflets outside the dc's school.

How do they have the gall to send middle-class kids into the 'hood' to encourage the poorest people in society to vote in a government who won't represent their interests?

I wanted to shout - 'when was the last time areas like this benefited under a Tory government?'

But I came over all shy and just marched into school with my head down.

But I feel and

And they'd obviously told them to dress down because they were going into a rough neighbourhood - never seen such a scruffy bunch in my life. Someone should have told them - round here people wear CLEAN trainers and IRONED jeans, not stained plimsolls and jumpers that are unravelling round the hems.

eh? how does the link thing work?

OP - genuine question - you live in a very deprived, rough area. What do you think that another labour administration will do to turn around your rough, deprived area ?

well - we had a labour canvaser actually in our school playground! unfortunately by the time the ht saw him and was on his way out to send him on his merry way he scurried off down the street.

Was he handing out lollipops?

Shame that your neighbourhood is still deprived - but not suprising after 13 years of this useless government - may be under a different one you would not be so resigned to it and would aspire to better things?

Well one of my (rich,posh) friends told me her (rich, privately educated) DS (18) has been canvassing for Labour in our "highly socially mixed" area. I think it's great when young people get involved with the political process, whatever their political stripe.

"He said he lived in Hampshire. And was an Army Officer"

then puzzle is solved. It must be these guys

'may be under a different one you would not be so resigned to it and would aspire to better things?'

I don't think any political party should be campaigning outside a school tbh. I told a campaigner off for offering my kids a sticker last week, I just don't think it's appropriate for a child to be wearing a sticker championing political ideals they know nothing about.

"What do you think that another labour administration will do to turn around your rough, deprived area?"

Continuing with what they're doing now: investing in Children's Centres (we've got several in the area which offer high quality child-care and brilliant support for parents); building good quality social housing and investing in schools. My dc's school is Ofsted rated 'Outstanding' despite having a very disadvantaged intake. It's not just because the school is well managed, it's because the teachers are on a reasonable salary and are well-motivated, and the school is very well resourced.

And of course the minimum wage has made a huge difference in areas like this, where so many of the workers are at the very bottom of the pile as far as income goes.

So, those of you who are here defending the Tories - what do they have to offer for areas like this, where loads of people are in temporary, poorly paid work, aren't married and aren't owner occupiers? Oh, and probably don't have the wherewithal to set up their own schools or get their kids into selective or church secondaries?

Anyone? Any Tory policies which specifically set out to improve quality of life in inner city areas?

I'm genuinely interested. Honest!

The gap between the rich and poor though is still widening- if the Labour government do so much to help the poor why is this happening?

Well, you had the chance to ask them , but instead you scuttled inside -why not ask them that question?

The pupil premium in schools; really reforming welfare getting the incentives right to work; getting rid of 90% effective marginal tax rates for the poorest; making it easier and cheaper for businesses to start up and employ people, thereby providing more jobs; more drug rehabilitation programmes instead of methadone-for-life; getting police onto the street by getting rid of the inane computer forms they have to fill in every 5 seconds; paying prisons by reoffending rate, encouraging real rehabilitation?

All those Conservative policies (and those are off the top of my head) will make a specific difference in the poorest and most deprived areas.

Titty bang bang - these are their family policies nicked from their manifesto. If you're genuinely interested you can look it up yourself...

A Conservative government will:
Work to improve Sure Start and increase the services provided in Children?s Centres across the country;
Provide 4,200 extra Sure Start health visitors so parents can get the expert help they need;
Introduce a new system of flexible parental leave so parents can share maternity leave between them or both take time off simultaneously;
Extend the right to request flexible working to every parent with a child under the age of eighteen; and ensure that the government leads from the front by extending the right to request flexible working to all those in the public sector, recognising that this may need to be done in stages;
Recognise marriage and civil partnerships in the tax system, bringing us into line with other major European countries and making 4 million couples up to £150 per year better off;
Open a new generation of good, small schools with smaller classes and top-quality teachers;
Support pensioners by re-linking the basic state pension to earnings, and protecting things like the winter fuel payment, free bus passes and free TV licences;
Work with local councils to freeze Council Tax for two years;
Reform the administration of tax credits to reduce fraud and overpayments, which hit the poorest families hardest;
Help make childcare more affordable by supporting the provision of free nursery care for pre-school children and reviewing the way the childcare industry is regulated and funded;
Provide more information and advice for parents and put funding for relationship counselling on a more stable long-term footing;
Review family law in order to look at how best to provide greater access rights to non-resident parents and grandparents; and
Help reverse the commercialisation of childhood, by clamping down on inappropriate advertising to children and letting teachers ban advertising and vending machines in schools.

"The gap between the rich and poor though is still widening- if the Labour government do so much to help the poor why is this happening?"

Because the rich have got even richer under labour! Something which the Tories are hardly likely to tackle......

"The pupil premium in schools; really reforming welfare getting the incentives right to work; getting rid of 90% effective marginal tax rates for the poorest; making it easier and cheaper for businesses to start up and employ people, thereby providing more jobs; more drug rehabilitation programmes instead of methadone-for-life; getting police onto the street by getting rid of the inane computer forms they have to fill in every 5 seconds; paying prisons by reoffending rate, encouraging real rehabilitation? "

And be able to cut taxes for everyone at the same time! (and slash public spending).

So under labour people have got richer? Isnt that why people object to the tories in the first place?

YABU op.

I went to a grammar school but I was a free school meals child and the stuff I wore was all I had. How dare you criticise them. I can't help finding your post incredibly snobbish.

You are a complete prat - Grammar Schools are some of the best schools for allowing upward mobility in education of the poor.

And with an attitude like yours I can see why the poor need to be educated more!

In this part of Scotland, we never have to worry about being harrassed by Tories .

Poor you Expat. Do you occasionally get roughed up by posh army officers at least?

No, we don't have to worry about them, either.

There's a stunning lack of poshness here that's incredibly freshing.

Plenty of sheep, though.

But baby lambs are much much cuter to look at and hear.

All i think of when i think Labour is spend, spend, spend. That's all they seem to do, throw money they haven't got at everything which has led to an over-indulged, expect everything for doing nothing nation.