I won't be voting Labour because

[PanicMode]

next year they will be spending more on debt repayments than education, and that's just one example.

From a £6bn deficit in 1997 to £167 bn now....

Oh, and the only new idea (reduction of stamp duty) came from the Tories in the first place.

All those thinking of voting Labour, please read Squandered or The Rotten State of Britain before letting these financially illiterate numpties back in.

How many reasons do you need?

What are the Tory education policies?

Has anyone considered UKIP? Financially they have some downright sensible econimic policies. I am so sick of seeing my husband working himself inside out, only to give away half of what he earns to pay for Gordon Brown's mistakes.

your husband pays half his pay in taxes?

I'm not voting for labour because of the illegal war in Iraq and their constant chiopping away at civil liberties e.g. now you can be arrested for taking a picture of the houses of parliament. Also don't like the attitude that people can only be trusted if they're on a database saying they're safe.

Will see who looks more likely to win in my constituency between tories and lib dems (expect LD) and vote accordingly.

Tories polices are all spin. I thought the marriage allowence would help us but it only helps those whoc can afford to have one person staying at home all day.

Working classes lose out under tories again

Labour's policies of "Let's make everyone exactly the same" threated to destroy some of the best human qualities like philanthropy and aspiration. and punish the people who work the hardest to pay for their own failings to create enough jobs.

DuelingFanjo- when the 50p take rate comes in in April, yes, he will do. He's an author.

needle how come your DH gives so much of his money to Gordon Brown?

tax fanjo

the war in iraq would have happened whoever was in power.

But this government has all but bankrupted this country.

Tbh I thin it's a bit of a weak argument to say "I won't be voting conservative because of Maggie Thatcher." It may have escaped peoples' notice, but she hasn't been in power for some time now and won't be coming back to power should the conservatives win.

Because we're already being hit in the pocket from this month by the income tax changes, we'll be at least £8k per annum worse off.

Because I think tax credits should only be for single parents, and aimed at getting them back to work.

However the cons don't look that much more attractive. This may be the first election since I was 18 that I won't bother to vote in.

DuelingFanjo - Anyone who pays 40% income tax and then National Insurance on top, and then 17.5% on VAT and £200 a month on council tax, and 80% petrol duty, I'd say that easily adds up to 50% of earnings.

No point in voting UKIP though, that'll just create a hung parliament, which is a deadend for everyone. We'll be paying for 650 MPs to achieve nothing.

Why would they pay 40% income tax?

DF - The same reason I do, because I don't have any choice.

LadyGoGoGo - and Labour has been such a model of unspun politics for the past 13 years. I think they invented the term 'spin doctor' didn't they?!

DuellingFanjo - I have always voted Tory, DH is a card carrying member of the party, but I will confess that this time I am not sure who to vote for because I am not sure that I believe enough in DC and George Osborne.....

However, I think voting for the marginal parties (UKIP, Green etc) will actually contribute to a hung parliament, which will be extremely damaging to this country's AAA rating and economic recovery, so am still thinking.

I completely agree with Needle about the damage Labour has done to this country with its determination to make everyone average, rather than leading people to aspire to be better and make something of yourself....

But tax credits help the low earners who were by the abolishment of the 10p tax rate.

I'm sick of single parents getting so much money. If the tories cut their benfits and stop penalising couples I would be encouaraged to vote for them.

I know so many people tht live seperatly from thier partners in order to claim single parent benefits. I worked out how much I would get if dh moved out and I claimed wtc, ctc, cb and my face was like this

panicmode I thought so. you were basically quoting from Camerons post budget speech in the OP, I just wanted to check if that was why.

Kathyjelly You would only pay 40% tax on a higher than average income and that whole income would not be taxed at 40%. We all pay council tax and fuel tax.

I wondered if perhaps needle had a husbant who earns so much he will have to pay the 50% tax on part of his income.

"I'm sick of single parents getting so much money"

the money is for their kids. That's what a good society should be providing for families, even those who are not 2.4 chilren married families.

I won't be voting labour because... there is no way that they will get in in my constituency. The last time they did was 1966-1974. Which, to be fair, is more recently that the Tories, whose last MP here was between 1816-1854.

So not really a "swing seat" for either party in 2010!

DF- yes, my husband will have to pay the 50p tax rate, but I don't think it's ever justified to use punitive tax rates on high earners to attempt to recue a failing government from its own mistakes.

Quite simply there is always the same bone of contention in these arguments; a left wing system will always favour low income voters, while a right wing system tends to favour higher earners. However, under Labour we have a system which ecourages apathy and mundaneity, and propogates a terrifying dependence on the state- frankly, it's a system which traps voters.
A right wing system, on the other hand, while being initially beneficial to wealthier families, also encourages competion and aspiration.

There is another reason why I wont be voting Labour- Harriet Harman. The idiot woman who wants to make it illegal for girls to wear skirts in state schools and force dogs to wear shoes in Muslim houses and calls it equality. She must be stpped before she forces mandatory hermaphroditism on the entire country. it's only a matter of time I tell you!

oooh... can you link me to these labour policies RE school skirts and shoes for dogs?

VicarInaTuTu - I happen to know an elderly couple voted Labour all ther life except on one occasison - when Thatcher said she would let them buy their council house on the cheap. Like plenty of Labour voters did at the time.

Because I am a socialist -I like that answer