Thinking about voting Tory? Read about "Compassionate Conservatism" first. Chilling article.

[MmeLindt]

here

The Conservatives know that shutting down public services sounds cruel, while calling for volunteerism sounds kind ? but the effect is exactly the same. It's as if Marie Antoinette called in Max Clifford, and he told her to stop saying "Let them eat cake" and start saying: "Let them form a workers' co-operative to distribute cake on a voluntary basis."

This sums up perfectly why I would NEVER vote Tory - "pull the ladder up Crispin and sod the rest".

Is Crispin a window cleaner? Seems unlikely.

People who are window cleaners deserve their low pay and impoverished life because if they'd pulled themselves up by the bootstraps they could have made 'something' of themselves.

When you believe this about people it lets your conscience off the hook to treat them however poorly you wish.

That's the problem with Toryism, IMO.

I'd like to know who is going to do all these 'menial' low paid jobs though when we've all pulled ourselves up by the bootstraps. No one seems able to answer that.

I know a lot of Tories and I don't know any who thinks you can treat people badly because they are impoverished. There are a lot of poor Tories too. And lots of poor who turn to parties like the BNP due to Labour letting them down. I have relatives in Calderdale - scary.

I know plenty who help people disadvantaged in various ways - and not to make themselves feel superior but because they like to help. I guess I know decent people, some of whom are Tory.

Thatcher might have developed an 'ism' but I don't regard the Tories as having much of an ideology. This is one of their good points IMO.

'I know a lot of Tories and I don't know any who thinks you can treat people badly because they are impoverished. '

But they're never the ones in power/office.

They never question that, either.

Some of us don't believe we were put on this Earth to lick the master's boots and then be expected, cap in hand, to thank him for the privilege.

Volunteers will do the menial jobs for the sheer exhilaration of doing boring stuff for FREE! Apparently

Seriously if you haven't read this article PLEASE PLEASE DO.

Whatever your politics.

And yes, I'm sure that labour councils have made mistakes. But what's pointed to here aren't mistakes, they are systematic changes to policy to the disadvantage of the most needy. And other councils aren't being held up as a "model" for the future, a shining examples of the "compassionate" conservatives.

That's why the focus is on Hammersmith and Fulham. It's the Conservatives who have said that this borough stands for what they are trying to achieve - not anyone else.

ABat
Why the immigrants will do the menial jobs, they are lucky to be here after all.

Riven
50 yards you say? Surely we can get a couple of hundred MNetters around to give your house a good push.

That article reminded me of the 80s, and the sorts of sick stunts that Shirley Porter used to pull when she headed up Westminster City Council.

bloody hell.
biased? yes
shocking? absolutely.

"sounds about right. We have a conservative council and they are forever trying to remove services from the lederly, disabled and vunerable."

Isn't it labour who are taking away the attendence allowance and care for the elderly and the conservatives that are vowing to keep it?

Ohh, those bad, bad conservatives, looking after the pensioners and disabled like that.

Less spin more truth people please.

Very true herbietea, but to hold up a council like that as a beacon of the future?

It is spin, of course it is.

But it is also DC's spin to say that this Council is an example of what he wants Britain to be like.

His Big Society of volunteers.

Herbietea - it is often personal experience that informs us regardless of manifestos and political posturing - especially in the lead up to an election. My mum's 'care' from a Labour council make it very hard for me to consider voting for Labour ever again (I did until the last election.) When the Tories were in power the local MP was great - very helpful on a personal level. I'm sorry I didn't vote for them then to be honest but was full of ideals about Things only getting better...ha!

It comes down to individuals as usual, which is what David Cameron is always saying. In practice of course the effective individuals come across the parties. Of course a coalition would work best if we could each pick our ideal ministers... goes off into dreamland....

hi expat

I've laid in my supply of chocolate for election night and the day after, soph.

Here's some for you!

Also a supply of tissues if I wake up having to cry my eyes out and throw a pity party.

The day after I have a school governor meeting. That will be an interesting one...

Gareth Mead is the (until recently ) Head of Social Housing and Homelessness at LBHammersmith and Fulham.

I know him in a work capacity and he has brought in many of the changes the article mentions.

He was sacked about a month ago. I can't do links but if you google Gareth Mead and News of the World or The Mirror you will see why he was sacked.

Very shocking indeed and not really something for DC to be proud of!

If anyone could do a link, I'd be grateful

heavens to betsy

did have to snurk at his statement that he was well liked by black and white co-workers.

Right.

Saying that, DC can't do anything about the private life of the staff of the council, however reprehensible they are.

thanks for doing link.

Theres a scary pic of him on the Mirror website but he is a normal looking chap.

Tis true that DC isn't responsible for private lives but this guy was in charge of a massive remit - housing , homelessness, disabled adapttaions Social services OT's etc and this is the Tory flagship borough.

And some of his changes have really been disastrous for some disadvantaged groups e.g. he has outsourced OT referrals from the experienced in house OT team to a private OT service called Able 2 which I know has one OT covering LBHF and LB Ealing - they are based in Shropshire!

You can imagine how many home visits she does on her one trip to London a week.

This is the future for the rest of us!

One more sleep...