David Cameron's speech - did anyone think he could just have turned the polls round?

[TheDullWitch]

That striding about without notes business was quite impressive. I did get bored though.

PSCMUM

How do you feel about Tory party policy?
And how do you defend Labour's record in government?

I might be a vile scummy scumbag, but I know how to have a discussion about politics without resorting to abuse.

Half the fun of political discussion is mudslinging - especially if you don't actually have to put yourself up for election...

About the policies? Well, the tories reverting to traditional tax cutting pledges, however remote they may seem to some people, is a least a step in the right (no pun, really, intended) direction to ensuring that there is at least some difference between the parties. Got to be a good thing.

offs - Red ken is NOT an anti-semite.
That is just so ridiculous.
He has the best record on anti-racism of any politician around.
All the stuff was just media created nonsense - the Evening Standard had employed a reporter to follow Ken around, shadowing his every move, and barking questions at him constantly. After putting up with this for a long time, Ken said 'you are just like a concentration camp guard' - is that anti-semitic? I really can't see how it is actually. i think it sounds like an exaggeration obviously, but its not in any way expressing a prejudice. He is not treating anyone differently because they are jewish.

And I really do view anti-semitism as racism. It is revolting. It is equally as bad as islamaphobia, homophobia, ageism, sexism, or any other form of discrimination you care to mention. All of which Ken has gone to great lengths to combat - he is chair of 'Unite Against Fascism' it'd be funny for that organisation to have an anti-semite at its head!

And constance reader, I think Tory policies demonstrate that they are unfailingly

"greedy selfish money grabbing society dividing (often) racist (often) homophobic two faced posh boys with no vision, no regard for immigrants, poor people, or vulnerable people"

actually!

and that makes them scummy scum.

Thanks, PSCMUM !!

You've just reminded me what a ranty, uptight lot you left-wingers are ...

don't mention it.

Nope, you've not convinced me that DC is anything other than a posh smug faced git with no conception of how the real world lives. I would have hoped that the fact that he has a severely disabled son would give him an inkling, but he extended his home so his son could live in ground floor quarters with his full time live in carer. Oh to be able to afford that. And let's face it, despite there being some very talented (though misguided) Tory MPs, why is it that his cabinet is stuffed to the gills with old Etonians?

aaaahhh. Just enjoying a breath of fresh air from slug. I was getting worried about this thread.

Ok PCSMUM, but you are still resorting to abuse! I want to know specifics! And then we could actually have a discussion.

Or are you only interested in accusations? You never know, if your arguments are good enough you might convince me......Not terribly likely, I admit, but at least it would be civilised.

I second that constance!

my DH went to Eton. on a scholarship. He HATES anyone knowing. this thread totally demonstrates why. When we first started dating it was about a year before I found out. I told a few people when I did and their attitude towards him was astonishing.
It is true, of course that going to eton helped him get into oxford uni. However, it did not get him his first class degree, nor his job, nor his subsequent career success. He did that.
Is it really fair to continue to judge people for the school they left 20 years previously?

obviously not a form of discrimination PCSmum minds admitting

yes suey2, the double standard is breathtaking.

Nauseating. Poor diddums DH who went to eton.
ffs.

i said thisL

'And I really do view anti-semitism as racism. It is revolting. It is equally as bad as islamaphobia, homophobia, ageism, sexism, or any other form of discrimination you care to mention. All of which Ken has gone to great lengths to combat - he is chair of 'Unite Against Fascism' it'd be funny for that organisation to have an anti-semite at its head!'...is that an accusation? OR an insult? Or is it a response to someone who posted that ken was an anti semite???

There are some really ing and nasty things on this thread

What the hell is wrong with going to Eton? Is an Etonian's life less valid for some reason?

No one can help the circumstances of their birth, whether it be your idea of a silver spoon, or a kid from a sink estate. Why must some mouthpieces of the left feel free to smear everyone as a racist, without ever pausing to examine their own unpleasant prejudices?

I really thought we'd moved away from this vicious sneering left-wing mentality, but obviously not.

What the hell is wrong with going to Eton? Is an Etonian's life less valid for some reason?

No one can help the circumstances of their birth, whether it be your idea of a silver spoon, or a kid from a sink estate. Why must some mouthpieces of the left feel free to smear everyone as a racist, without ever pausing to examine their own unpleasant prejudices?

I really thought we'd moved away from this vicious sneering left-wing mentality, but obviously not.

Suey2 do you think he would have got the same job and same career success without Oxford and Eton on his CV?

He went on a scholarship. That's the key word.

why's that the key word? I'm not infering anything from where he went to school - I haven't posted on this thread about whether I support DC or not - just interested in Suey2 saying that everything subsequent to Oxford was not because of Eton. I would have thought a big advantage of Eton / other public schools / Oxford / Cambridge etc was having them on your CV when you went for jobs - regardless of whether you went there on a scholarship or not.
Probably another thread though.

zubb, in fact, going to eton can be a big disadvantage when going for jobs and for getting into Oxbridge. Everyone is being encouraged to diversify their intakes (good idea IMO).
I am not saying that the old boy network does not exist, just that in my DH's career it has not been relevant. I am not aware of anyone he keeps in contact with from his school days- most of his long term mates are from university- where, again, he kept his schooling a secret until somebody outed him a year into his course.
Going to eton did not get him a first, his first training post, his subsequent job and his success. He is self-employed and is only as good as his last job! Working bloody hard then and now and in the future is what he does and the implication that a school he left 20 years ago is responsible for this is insulting.

PCSmum, in that post you said you were against all forms of discrimination. I was pointing out that you are not.

to clarify, eton helped DH get into oxford for 2 reasons. One, the quality of teaching allowed him to excel in his A levels. 2, They encourage Oxbridge applications. The dons at Oxford would, if anything, factor in this advantage and he would have had to perform better than a state school applicant with the same grades.

In the news last week there was quite a revelation that many state schools discourage Oxbridge applications in their most able pupils. This usually seemed to be because of state school teacher prejudice against Oxbridge. (not my words)