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.

Has anyone heard much more about the lack of information on the tax-free allowance?

DH mentioned it at lunchtime as it looks like it hasn't been increased in line with the 'forecasted' inflation and Darling has said that he could of in theoriy reduced the threshold as we were in negative growth last year.

It seems madness as it is yet another stealth tax which will affect all members of society, whether wealthy or poor.

Gggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

No I'm with you PanicMode - it's just anybody who voices the 'personal responsibilty' attitudes usually gets shot down for being uncaring. Then the thread kicks off about 'accidental pregnancies' and not agreeing with abortion, contraception being infallible etc............

Figures are very easy to massage and it's very hard to know what's what unless you want to go into the detail, which most people dont have the time or inclination to do.

Another example is WTC- are they a government expense or a reduction to tax income? Well it depends whether you want government spending to look higher or lower? Want it lower? Treat WTC as a reduction of taxable income. Want it higher? Add them onto expenses and show taxable income gross.

This election is depressing the pants off me. No party will tell me what they plan to do (budget great example- cuts are still secret squirrel). For the first time I actually cannot be bothered to vote.

I agree with you as well, Panic Mode and Madam Castafiore.

Double whammy there - the tax free allowances have not risen afaik; nor have the thresholds at which you change rate bands. The net effect of the latter is more people will pay 40% tax than before.

You also have yet another NI hike to add to this.

...both labour and the tories are supporting a renewal of the uk trident nuclear weapons at a bargain price of £20billion - At least the Lib Dems and the Scottish Nationalists are clear about not supporting this absolute waste of money. Do we really want nuclear weapons on our soil - we are deluding ourselves if we think having them is worth it.

Bring on a hung parliament!!!

Raspberryjam - having Trident gives us a seat on the UN security council - perhaps that's why the Tories and the current govt want to keep them? Plus, with the rise in instability in foreign powers, being a nuclear power is an advantage. And, imagine the impact on Faslane and the surrounding areas - most of the current government are Scottish.......

I dislike Labour for their 'nanny state' stances and for their shocking attitude to SAHMs. Made me really hate them. There are other reasons but they are the main ones.

I think Panicmode there are really no advantages to nuclear weaponry. We should of course have a well equipped defense for our country - I'd prefer to give the troops the equipment they desperately need.

The UN security council has come under a lot of criticism of late and as such it has been suggested that the number of permanent members could be increased to include countries without nuclear weapons - all is not as it seems!

I wont be voting labour because if I do it will be a vote for the conservative party in this area. We arent even having an active campaign. Lib Dems get my vote.

It's a choice between labour and libdem where I live and I will vote for the latter.

I will not be voting labour beause quite frankly I would rather stick hot pins in my eyes and have hot wax poured in my eyes rather put up with ANOTHER 4 years of Mr brown and his "party" I might vote green party.... I would quite like more trees in my street ;)

Why the hell would the lib dems or greens be expected at this stage to say who they would form a coalition with in the event of a hung parliament, when faced with such a woeful choice!

PM;

You wont get any grief on this thread... the Labour lovers have their own thread..(deluded of the world unite)

I wasn't on MN last election...I wonder if people stay posting all through the night..?

Exogenesis;

If you vote green they'll make you eat all your household waste...

They're not just about tress...

Or trees even..

Dp they do dtay up yes

Green isnt about making people eat their ownwaste (thats what macdonalds is for), it also is about scrapping rident, having a simplified welfare state and similar

A good read of all websites can be most illuminating, esp. if followed by a few succinct emails and questions

Clarissimo;

I must admit I have never really looked into the Green party, and being the political bore that I am, I read up on most parties...

..I will check them out..

Thank you DP [smile}

I do like an informed person, it's a very good aim in itself

Anhd remember the leader of the greenies is here for a webchat so you can ask any q's you have

Really..?

I'll have to go and think of something intelligent to say.

...I may be gone some time.....

PM - the South west would be happy to have the Trident submarines in Devonport, as that's where they are refitted, so we know we have deep enough water for them. Falmouth also can take them. We need the money and the knock on benefits, so would happy to relieve the Scots of the burden.

We do need to retain Trident; people tend to forget that it was the threat of MAD that kept the balance of peace during the Cold War. Russia is rearming, especially on the submarine front, and we need to be able to combat that credibly. Moreover, even if we got rid of Trident, do you think that nuclear weapons would go away? We know how to make them now, and that genie won't go back in the bottle. Nuclear weapons are part of the country being well equipped defence wise. The other part of that is that we don't know the shape of future conflicts - there is no guarantee that the conflicts 20 years down the line will look like Afghanistan and that is what we need to be preparing for, and procuring for, now.

And guys people have to think about voting SNP and heading to devolution being something that does actually happen because if they were in power and Scotland was independant during the banking crisis the government wouldn;t have been able to afford to bail out Royal Bank of Scotland or Halifax Bank of Scotland and it was the BoS bit of the last one that actually messed up not the Halifax bit.

And England would get all of the revenue or 90% of it from north sea oil as sea boundaries follow land boundaries so most of that would be owned by the English - add to it that Scotland gets more per head than England and Wales in term son money spent by the government and they should be shitting themselves and voting for anyone that can keep them in the union.

And Alex Salmon -0 well he is a cock - going on about education being cut and health etc - it is going to happen everywhere so whinging about it happening to the scots gets feck all sympathy from me - whjy should they be any different?

And Ninjacat - no if you cannot afford to bring up the kids you have then you are being irresponsible - it is not societies job to pay for you to have kids - be responsible for them yourself.

Because fewer and fewer of us are paying to support more and more.

Because punitive taxation on those who are better off is very short sighted. Spending money creates jobs. It stifles entrepreneurship and creativity.

Because they keep interfering with running of universities.

Because public sector spending is completely out of control - the NHS has recruited massively last quarter but mainly managers.