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Original poster

you know...i've never voted tory, and dave...well, jury's out....BUT

84 replies

Heathcliffscathy · 03/02/2008 20:27

am i the only one on here that feels as sense of jubilation that at last a political party seems to really be courting the woman's family vote?

like wake up guys, there are lots of us, and no one really pitches to us until now...and i'm GLAD!

he might even sway me, you never know...i'm so fuckingcheesedoff disillusioned with new labour.

OP posts:
Pan · 03/02/2008 21:08

no, politicos in Opposition can say anything/promise anything with no responsibility for actually doing anything about it eg tuition fees for New Labour.

Never trust a Tory, or New Labour, or most organised political parties for aforsaid reasons. >

Peachy · 03/02/2008 21:12

No what i meant was you cant change my mind, or anyone else of course- I do read the policies, and I make up my own mind, i dont base my decisions on my own eprsonal experiences and I felt rather as if this thread was slating anyone who had taken the time to choose carefully but come up with a different answer from the OP. I actually consider myself flexible of mind in terms of if I see cause to change I will 9and have several times for different reasons), but i try ahrd not to be influenced by peole who laugh at new labour // call all consservative voters thatcherite / dismiss lib Dems as non-feasible..... thats what i dont like.

FillyjonkisCALM · 03/02/2008 21:14

yep its tricky

I will NEVER vote tory. I just could not physically bring myself to do it

but atm would not vote labour either

and essentially, if you don't vote for the runner up, you've voted for the winner IYSWIM. A protest vote (mine would probably be for the greens atm ) is all very well, but realistically it WOULD help some eegit get in round here.

I actually do not know wtF to do, tbh.

FillyjonkisCALM · 03/02/2008 21:15

I also think labour ARE better

the problem is that they have done quite a lot of decent stuff, but without actually making a big deal out of it. So they have not changed the political climate at ALL.

And meanwhile they have done STUPID bloody things also.

foxinsocks · 03/02/2008 21:18

how are they going to fund it?

they are full of soundbites that lot. They know how to get a headline.

WideWebWitch · 03/02/2008 21:21

I never thought I'd hear myself even think of voting Tory either but but but, Tony just fucked it up so so so big time with Iraq and insincerity and Kelly...

And Cameron is looking more attractive by the month

Peachy · 03/02/2008 21:21

They haven't said they will do it- only that they are looking at it. So very much NOT the same thing!

Apaprently, they have costed it as: 6 hours a day for 2 mums by one nurse at a total of £1k a week.

So poor Nurse no longer eligible for days off / work time directive hours then? Poor sould! And assuming both mums don't live together, and she ahs a one hour break, that's what? A 14 hour day? feasible then

We wanted access to playschme for our 2 asd children for the week of the babies due date (as he is due at Easter in the holidys), they couldn't even mange that- how are they then going to roll this out?

Pruners · 03/02/2008 21:22

Message withdrawn

Peachy · 03/02/2008 21:22

And I do agree about tony with WMD etc- but am willing to gie Gordon Brown a chance. Not a free ride, but a chance. I will look at the next election and see what the sit. is then to decide.

ChorusLine · 03/02/2008 21:23

peachy - sorry to hijack but in your other thread regarding yellow cutlery there are a few offers to send some, apologies if you have answered off board

Bubble99 · 03/02/2008 21:24

I think a lot of people will vote for Dave - but won't admit to it.

Peachy · 03/02/2008 21:24

Thanks- have seen those, planning on spending tomorrow afternoon e-mailing LOL- and am VERY grateful indeed for all the offers! Just need to chat tomorrow with Dh about using his paypal account before I respond.

edam · 03/02/2008 21:25

Hmm. I fear Cameron might actually get in not because he's much cop but on a backlash against Labour. Labour have been in so long people are tired of them - they look stale. And all their cats are out of the bag - good and bad.

Cameron seems good at floating attractive ideas without costing them or explaining how they might actually work in practice. Which is what opposition politicians do, I suppose. But still, if he wants to convince me he'll have to do a lot more than that.

WideWebWitch · 03/02/2008 21:27

Under what circ would it be ok to vote Tory iyo? (I'm talking to lefties here!)

ditching id cards?
Get more midwives?
Better school dinners?
Better paternity/mat leave and pymt to be a sahp?
sorting out education (blimey, could take a while)?
Fixing the nhs?

edam · 03/02/2008 21:29

And I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him on the NHS. Tories, esp. old Etonian ones, tend to be intrinsically hostile. It's in their blood. They don't believe in collectivism at all, unless its protecting the interests of the wealthy.

Although bloody Blair and bloody Brown have done their best to privatise the NHS by stealth anyway. All that money wasted on PFI - our children's children are mortgaged to pay for that one. And on private providers we didn't actually need - millions of pounds spent on, for instance, MRI scan facilities that were never used.

edam · 03/02/2008 21:29

the anti-ID cards thing is tempting, I must say.

foxinsocks · 03/02/2008 21:34

ooh edam, don't you start on old Etonians!

for me it's all about the funding - all these plans sounds so marvellous. He loves his marketing does Dave. But when push comes to shove, he'll be cutting benefits/tax credits, they'll privatise even more, I shudder to think what services they will close and until the day comes when he sets out EXACTLY what policies he plans to introduce and how they will be funded (so only around election time) will I cast judgement.

But yes, I think you're right edam. I think he'll get a lot of votes just because he is different.

And people forget he still has a very strong Right wing side of his party (MPs, some shadow ministers) that is being pacified at the moment but is just itching to come forward when the time is right ....

Peachy · 03/02/2008 21:34

It needs to be mroe than specific policies doesn't it? Anyone can claim they can fix the NHS (is it really fixable?- I always got the impression manageable chaos was about the best you wouod get, but its a blessing we're lucky to have) but i'd have to truast they could do it.

I also base a lot of my opinion on who is standing locally- for example when we needed help with something for ds1 (a statement) the incumbent MP told us he didnt take on personal casework, but the AM got really involved and made a big difference to the final outcome.

very much the sort of thing that influences me.

Bubble99 · 03/02/2008 21:35

I think sorting out the Civil Service would go a long way towards addressing a lot of the shortfalls in key areas.

New Labour has invented so many targets for this that and the other - that more time and money seems to be spent employing people to 'monitor' them and then yet more people to 'monitor the monitors' than to do the work to meet those targets in the first place, IYSWIM.

morningpaper · 03/02/2008 21:36

Sophable, you have lost your mind.

New Labour has brought in the following:

? parents with young children and carers can request to work flexibly
? maternity leave and pay has been increased
? paid paternity and parental leave have been introduced
? the number of registered childcare places has doubled
? free nursery education for 3 and 4 year olds has been introduced
? 3,500 children?s centres offering a range of support by 2010
? development of extended schools and after school clubs to be made compulsory in the next few years
? tax exemptions on childcare vouchers
? tax credits to boost income and help pay for childcare - a MASSIVE help to many families
? minimum wage legislation - which has particularly helped working women
? The Children Leaving Care Act placed new obligations on local authorities to take more responsibility for young people brought up in their care after the age of 16: since then the numbers leaving care at 16 to live independently have fallen and the support they receive from local authorities has increased.
? 700,000 children lifted out of relative poverty
? Free fruit for all four to six-year-olds at school
? Free school milk for many young children

Never mind the BASIC things like - FFS! - equalising the age of consent for gay men!!! And bringing in civil partnerships without a whiff of dissent!

The tories voted AGAINST many of these changes. If you think that families (particurly lower-earning families) would be better off under the tories then you are greatly deluded.

Peachy · 03/02/2008 21:36

But then again, the civil service was full of crap time wasting when i worked in it (under john major- VAT dept), so has it really got any worse?

yurt1 · 03/02/2008 21:37

I will never vote new Labour. The bit of the NHS I have repeatedly tried to use over the last 8 years (SALT) has got a lot worse in that time. My Mum- who is a district nurse - is working 1-2 hours longer each day (unpaid) than she was 2 years ago, their unit is short staffed- meanwhile in the desk next to me at work is a qualified nurse who can't get a job (and wanted a job in the community). My son's SLD/PMLD school (which has been life changing for him) is under threat- and I DO trust Dave more with SLD/PMLD issues.

And then there's Iraq.

I'm voting Tory (and I swing- have voted for all 3 main parties at various times).

sanae · 03/02/2008 21:38

Civil liberties is a big one for me. I might be persuaded to vote for a party that promised to ditch ID cards and children's database. Would have to weigh it up of course against all the other policies. I am actually not keen on this dutch idea DC is suggesting - I want whoever is in power to stop wasting our taxes on extras until they have got the basics right - excellent education for all, clean hospitals, protection from gun and knife crime ... there is a very big list of essentials that they should be concentrating on.

yurt1 · 03/02/2008 21:38

And I won't even mention the total mess of our tax credits- can I get the buggers to stop overpaying me? No I bloody can't (and of course they're going to want it all back soon). Would rather we just paid less tax in the first place.

Bubble99 · 03/02/2008 21:39

Peachy. I saw some stats recently that showed a mahoosive increase in CS staff under New Labour.

So it must be even more crap time wasting now.

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