Who will you be voting for in the General Election?

[SuperBunny]

And why?

Does being a lone parent affect who you will vote for?

I am not sure what I think atm but am wondering what other lone parents feel.

Fourthly, I like NG's comment about the tory spin on families - yes it is a nice ''facade'' hiding the reality to the 'masses'. Labour being a party for the poor...hmmm. Well, I thought it was for 'equality' was is not? A distinction often blurred by the rich? If that were really true, why have they not added another tax band at say 60%?

H.Harman tries to do alot for equality [esp.female] and time after time gets shouted down [by everyone]and then we all act suprised and fed up when we see stats relating to the pay difference between men and women!

Lastly the difference between rich and poor. Is that wider because the top end are earning a whole lot more? What measure of poverty are they using [its not been clear]?
How many more families are in the ''middle bracket'' than previously?

Yes, you guessed it...I shall be voting Labour as I do care about not just about myself but the whole of the UK and it's inhabitants!

I know my days of being a working single mum are numbered as I cannot afford my rent [not fortunate enough to own a home despite working over 45 hours per week and being a so called 'professional' since I left college], childcare, food on my wage alone and when my tax credits go I'll be getting a whole lot more from the state in benefits and housing and I won't be the only one. And then, under the tories everyone can say they despise the likes of me, the unemployed, as they did in years gone by and we will be back to how we were when Thatcher was in charge as nobody cared or did anything to help the poorer or less fortunate of this country.

I often wonder why it is in this country we seem to despise the rich? What is it? So someone has managed to earn more money than us. Why is that negative? In America its applauded.

The simple fact of the matter is that giving money to the poor simply does not work. You create a climate of dependency. We have a whole sub-class of people now whose only notion of a "wage" is the benefits they get.

We have a whole section of the population reliant upon handouts which we cannot afford.

We now pay more money out in social security than we collect in income tax. And thats before we add on those little things like defence, education, police, NHS etc. Put bluntly, we cannot afford to keep spending more than we earn.

Oh yes, lets tax the rich some more, that will work then! No, they will simply emigrate to more understanding countries. That's what happened in the 70's brain drain where the "rich" were supertaxed. Because believe it or not, those earning the most tend to be the brightest in their fields.

Instead of bribing people with money and laptops, what we need to do is set up an environment where people can help themselves.

The great Labour experiment has failed. We've gone from a country repaying its national debt to the biggest deficit we've ever seen. All in 10 years.

People should of course try to help themselves but there are times in their lives when they simply need the support for example; as a single parent with a new born and as a disabled person.
I think that the benefits system is a good idea (but open to abuse admitedly) and prevents total poverty. People on benefits at least have small amounts of cash to then put back into the system. However, I think that people should be encouraged to go back to work as soon as they are able and I don't think people should be encouraged to sit on benefits for years.
I am prob going to vote lib dems as I think it's about time someone gave them a chance. Also I would describe myself as liberal and I believe in democracy so it makes sense.
I am far too feckless to vote Tory!

I like H. Harman and I think that the reason she gets so much flack frfom the media is that they fear she might actually succeed in achieving equal opportunities for women.
I can't believe she got so much flack for what was it- wanting to make rape even more punishable than it is now or teaching kids about domestic violence? Both great things and yet strangely derrided by the media.

pmsl at Niceguy's comment:
''the answer to poverty is to give money to the poor''

Why is that such a negative thing exactly? Aleviation of poverty sounds great to me. I like the slightly Robin Hood approach of sharing the wealth of the rich with the poorest. After all - the rich have more to share!

Not everyone is a natural entrepeneur. Under the Tories professions such as teaching and nursing will be paid crap wages even though they are essential to the running of society.

I don't recall seeing any articles on Tories attempting to give paycuts to nurses and teachers. Unless you have more info.....

You may like the idea Robin Hood but just remember, it is just a legend.

What is the solution then, Niceguy? I am a professional, I work 60+ hours a week in a relatively well paid job. Yet I struggle to pay my rent, food, heating bills + childcare, despite my tax credits. I am not a sponger, I work very hard but I still rely on support from the government. That won't change any time soon.

Is being wealthy applauded in America more than it is here?

I think being successful is applauded more in America than here. There are a lot of big chips on people's shoulders in the UK.

In saying that, I think people have forgotten what it was like before Labour came along. I think they have at least tried to make people better off and better served, even if they haven't always been successful. The Tories have never tried to do that imo.

My problem though is that, despite being more sympathetic to Labour than Tory, I can't quite get over the fact that voting Labour is now voting for a party who was run by a total lunatic (Blair), even if we didn't see it at the time, and is now run by Brown, who I am increasingly giving up all hope in.

I will probably vote Lib Dem even though it will be a wasted vote where I live (Labour stronghold), but won't be too upset if our labour guy wins - he is a pretty decent MP.

Labour.....mainly because I don't want the Tories in.

There's an awful lot of chips on shoulders in the US too. At least in the places I have lived.

I live in a Tory area and that will never change. However I vote, it won't make a difference but I shall vote nonetheless.

The labour party has not taxed the rich even more since they have come in. The tax bands have stayed the same. No one is trying to take all their cash away! The labour party have brought in the minimum wage though. They have added a lower tax band for poorer earners though have they not?? I cannot see where alot of this
'Chips on peoples shoulders' comes from. If anything, in my opinion, it's the 'middle earners' who moan most about people on benefits as they seem to be jelous. They moan that they ''go and work all hours for their crust'' and see people on beneitfs as a life choice thing and larging it up the whole time. This is not true. I know someone who hasn't been able to switch on her heating all winter as she cannot afford the bills. For her it is a choice-food or heating and she cannot be alone in this. That is a very sorry state.
There is only thing I have a chip on my shoulder about and that is the people who actually think that voting conservative will save us/be better for us/improve our standards of living,yet when the last time in power, schools were appauling, hospitals were few, waiting lists tragic etc etc.
They are saying they will pay freeze nurses and teachers pay. With inflation going up, that is the same as a pay cut and nurses are poorly paid already. Just wait ...your childrens class sizes will grow-no more thirty to class, to save money they will probably make such big cuts that there will be many more to a class [my prediction], Pensions will not keep up and benefits will be the first to not meet growing living costs. All this effects spending and in turn the economy and in turn our town, street and your home. I bet they will give more relief to large inheritance sums, more relief if you are married, some perk if you send your kids to private school or if you buy private health insurance [and I do not have a chip on my shoulder about these things in themselves]. They would phrase it as -these people are working hard and so deserve the reward'' as that is how the conservatives think.

Lastly, I respect people for more than the 'size of their wage packet' and commend people on what they do not what they can earn/win/inherit.

Exactly, Newyorkshire. As a lone parent, I am worried. As a teacher, I am worried. Tis all a bit worrying.

Superbunny; snap!

I have worked and paid taxes and now I am getting some help until I can contribute again. It's good to keep money flowing through the system.
Poverty lowers the living standards of the country as a whole and the tax credit system is an important safety net.
I'd hate to see the return of slums and workhouses. Coz that's where I'd probably be!

Robin Hood might be a legend but then so is a a Tory who actually cares about the poor and disadvantaged.

Super bunny -snap. I am also a single parent teacher! It's not looking great is it?