I won't be voting Labour because

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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.

ABdad - the SNP MPs do not vote on England only issues by their own choice. The SNP would never enter into a formal alliance with the Tories (SNP are social democrats) but would certainly co-operate on any measures seen to be beneficial to Scotland or the Scottish people. Glad to see someone 'south of the border' with a fair understanding of the situation in Scotland. It requires a bit of self research as the London Centric media do everything in their power to sideline the SNP and indeed all of the so-called smaller parties although at the last Scottish Parliament Election and the Euro Election SNP polled higher than any of the big3.

TRIDENT - I would say that Devonport is welcome to trident but I would not wish it upon them. Does anyone really want to be the target for any (extremely unlikely) attack? or live with the possibility of an 'accident' in their back yard? Faslane is one of the most beautiful, peaceful parts of the country and will survive as that when this obscene blot on the landscape is removed. They may miss the revenue from the Peace Camp people!

However, currently the big financial issue with Trident is that the megabillions, sums so big that we cannot really grasp them, for redevelopment will not be spent here. We will be buying them from the USA with our poor ££££s and deploying them on our soil, in our waters, mainly to serve American interests. Mull that thought over and reconsider whether it is all worthwhile. Would you rather be a small, peacful, prosperous country or do you really want a seat at the top table, the opportunity to go to war for dubious reasons on behalf of the big bully boys, and the increased risk of retaliatory attacks on our country because we poke our nose in where it is not wanted.

Raspberryjam, I disagree with you on the need for nuclear weapons.

Scaryteacher - we're on the same page with regards to our nuclear deterrent, I absolutely agree with you. I think it's scandalous the way that GB and this Government have treated, and continue to treat our armed forces (both DH and I are from a long line of serving military officers).

Having been married to a nuclear submariner for almost quarter of a century - what do you think I want?

Devonport has lived with nuclear reactors in the attack boats for a long time, and no 'accident' or attack has ever happened. I think you'll find it is other nations who deploy nuclear missiles in our waters, not us.

Even if we got rid of Trident, and I hope we aren't that short-sighted, that does not guarantee our peace. That is dependant upon circumstances beyond our control and I want to be able to defend the UK against those threats. To believe otherwise is naive in the extreme.

Granny23 how refreshing. I would not wish Trident on Devonport either. £20 billion? Running costs £1.5 per year - 2006 estimate.

Not a "deterrant" I would be happy to see - nor a legacy I would want for future generations.

£1.5 billion per year, that is (2006)

Herbie I work in the NHS and all the omeny is being wasted on stupid away days at golf courses or for special courses to teach everyone how to speak to each other and allow people to work to their strengths.

I do actaully agree with Darling on one thing though - those workers in the NHS take loads of time off - in my department you would be sacked for the amount of time 4 of the nurses and senior staff take off if you worked in the private sector and one consultant never comes in on a Monday although he is paid to work 5 days for one reason or another - andhe has just been promoted - they should bring in managers from the private secotr and do a slash and burn on it like you would a company that was not suceeding.

I love the confidence of those who plan to vote Tory...Do you not remember the last time they were in power???

Yes, I was fine under the last Tory govt, thank you.

I mean this govt has done so well, hasn't it?

skihorse so you dont like the figures the fact that france and italy are even further in the shit than we are, sweet and naive is far better than being blardy patronising.

I will not bother showing you the figures for unemployment as you obviuosly can't see what figures mean and will dismiss them and then quote your own figures which you just pull out of thin air and expect people to beleive them - well any sensible person will see they are fictisious rubbish.

Vote tory by all means but then don't moan in three years time about the way they run the country

Lynette Have you ever heard of the IMF?

I Googled. I can't find any figures to support the argument that we pay more tax here than the rest of Europe.

The OECD figures I posted do include forms of taxation other than direct income tax, but clearly comparing one country's taxation system with another is extraordinarily complicated.

All I want to know is why people believe they're being taxed so highly in comparison to the rest of Europe. Where have they got this information from?

Yes, Lynette, and I remember the Labour government before that - this is like deja-vu imo.

I can't base my vote on what the Tories did last time - but on what the Labour govt has done over the last 13 years; which is to ruin the economy and screw up defence and education. Why should I vote for them? There is not one thing the Labour govt has done that has had a positive impact on my life; in fact some of their decisions have made it more difficult.

'Unemployment figures are being massaged by "disability", "carer's allowance", "education", CTC, WTC, et al'

huh skihorse? a re you saying disability / CA etc are not separate things then? Should we get off our arseds and find jobs then? And will you be in at 9am for me to drop one moderately autistic child and one with aspergers and severe aggression and eating disorders round your place?

More to the point would you be happy to have a child at your child's nursery who was likely to attack yours?

becuase if the answer is yes then there's soemthing seriously wrong with you, and if the answer is no stop im plying I have any freedom of choice and should be labelled anything other than what I am: a carer.

Italy has been a basket case for a long time, part of the PIIGS grouping; I haven't seen that France is worse than we are.

Otter, some of us live in mainland Europe - Ski and I for example; but I think in comparison with Belgium, the Brits get off quite lightly. There is VAT on food, books and children's clothes here. Car tax is calculated on the horsepower of your car and not emissions, so even if your car is 12 years old, you are still taxed at over 2k euros if it is a Range Rover for example, and then, if you use a greener fuel like LPG, you get taxed even more on the car tax.

However, I believe here that there are reductions if you have children and if your wife doesn't work etc. We pay UK tax as dh paid by HMG, so only pay car tax here.

clarissimo You are economically inactive and you can call it whatever you like.

I do live in the EU and am constantly amazed that the Brits don't think they're taxed "as much". I've read on this very site tales of people paying in excess of 200 a month council tax! OK, it doesn't come off your pay packet, but it is a tax.

I am note conomically inactive my dear, I save the government much money so please fuck off with your incorrect judgements

So you work and claim benefits?

Btw, who was it earlier who called the "it'll descend in to special needs/SAHMs/you'll never understand"?

skihorse, yes I have heard of the IMF.

Scaryteacher, you must be old . TBH, I thought the country was going to go the way it did in the 70's, but that seems to have been avoided.

DH works, I don't, I am a carer for two disabled children.. I want to work, I want to study social work- I have all the quals needed and worked right up until ds3 was born.

But nobody can take the boys.

Carers bte can work up to 18 hours a week at a low income level btw.

It is a taxable income.

A placement for ds1 or ds3 would cost the Gocvernment £500 - £600 each a week in residential: I have no idea how much that would need me to earn to cover in tax but I can assure ypou my £53.10 per week is exceptioonally good value!

Fortunately whilst I know a great many Tory voters your views are far more right wing than any of them, which is a big relief.

'Btw, who was it earlier who called the "it'll descend in to special needs/SAHMs/you'll never understand"?

Please explain why I should care one iota about that?

44 is not old, I am just leaving the first flush of youth.

If Labour stay in we will have the IMF in as Euroland will be preoccupied with Greece and it could well go the same way as in the 70s. Don't believe it has been avoided.

Ski, a serious question: I know you pride yourself in believing there is a solution to every problem. PLease solve what I should actually be doing?

becuase actually once ds4 is at school I hate the idea of being at home all day waiting for the SN taxi to do a drop off, I loathe claiming benefits.

I want to pay off my student loans.

And be able to buy the boys a treat without feeling I should feel guilty for it.

Given that a Nanny isn't a possibility and the CM / nurseries here wqould laugh us away (small town, they all know ds1) what should I do?