This week in politics

[davek]

....we've seen from the Tories and their Lib Dem 'equal partners':

• a Bill to gerrymander constituencies to favour the Tories and Lib Dems
• the announcement that the NHS will be demolished
• the scrapping of the Education Maintenance Grant, taking £30 pw off kids from less well off families wanting to go to college
• an increase in unemployment to 2.5 million
• the largest increase in inflation for years (3.7%) and heading north fast very soon thanks to the VAT hike
• Manchester City Council forced to sack 2,000 workers and Hampshire and Norfolk Couny Councils laying off the same number to fall in line with central government demands for 'efficiency' savings

That's pretty impressive.

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

The thing about that E.M.G. is that it would only just cover the cost of getting to college, if you get on a bus round here to leigh or wigan it's £3, so over a week it only helps with getting there soi not as if it's funding a student union binge.

 

[Ezekiel]

the ema being scrapped is fine with me. the rest is just awful and the nhs changes scare the feck out of me. the 'i'm alright jack' society is being constructed.

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

so is scrapping the emg not also part of the 'I'm alright jack' society, taking away the ability for some to be able to even get to college ?

£30 a week to a family that has a low income is a lot.

 

[davek]

The thing about that E.M.G. is that it would only just cover the cost of getting to college, if you get on a bus round here to leigh or wigan it's £3, so over a week it only helps with getting there soi not as if it's funding a student union binge.

The thing that gets to me about this cut is this: the Tories are doing it and justifying it on the basis that they've 'carried out a survey' amongst students as to whether the grant is crucial to their taking up a college place or not. Now - and regardless of the witch doctors they got to do the poll and give them the result they wanted - what kid faced with a later bill to look forward to of upwards of £9,000 after university is going to say this is going to be deal breaker?

A survey of 16 year olds to underpin their education policy. That's the cut of this "coalition" for you right there. Complete immoral chancers.

 

[The-Golden-Vision]

....we've seen from the Tories and their Lib Dem 'equal partners':

• a Bill to gerrymander constituencies to favour the Tories and Lib Dems
• the announcement that the NHS will be demolished
• the scrapping of the Education Maintenance Grant, taking £30 pw off kids from less well off families wanting to go to college
• an increase in unemployment to 2.5 million
• the largest increase in inflation for years (3.7%) and heading north fast very soon thanks to the VAT hike
• Manchester City Council forced to sack 2,000 workers and Hampshire and Norfolk Couny Councils laying off the same number to fall in line with central government demands for 'efficiency' savings

That's pretty impressive.

This past 13 years under New Labour
..........we've seen Tony, Gordon & co
* raise council tax by 70%
* give us the biggest budget deficit since WW2 (currently around 170 Billion)
* left us with a national debt of 900 billion
* with millions unemployed importing 6m immigrants
* leave millions of low income families worse off by the abolition of the 10p tax rate
* took us into two wars we had no business in
* the mass closure of final salary pension schemes thanks to Browns 5billion a year tax grab

That is pretty impressive

 

[Cena]

This past 13 years under New Labour
..........we've seen Tony, Gordon & co
* raise council tax by 70%
* give us the biggest budget deficit since WW2 (currently around 170 Billion)
* left us with a national debt of 900 billion
* with millions unemployed importing 6m immigrants
* leave millions of low income families worse off by the abolition of the 10p tax rate
* took us into two wars we had no business in
* the mass closure of final salary pension schemes thanks to Browns 5billion a year tax grab

That is pretty impressive

Yet we seemed to be better off and i don't remember any serious riots?

 

[Ezekiel]

so is scrapping the emg not also part of the 'I'm alright jack' society, taking away the ability for some to be able to even get to college ?

£30 a week to a family that has a low income is a lot.

my lad got ema, did he spend it on bus fares, equipment, etc. no the little get spent it in william hills and bargain booze as did most of his mates. it took away his initiative to find a weekend/part time job that would have been a lot more of a beneficial experience to him in the long run.

before ema thousands of kids still found their bus fare. when i was in college/university i supported myself - i never got feck all help in 6th form.

just my experience of it, thats why this is fine with me.

edit: student travel passes at a heavily discounted rate would be better. having said that my lad walked to college - he didn't really need any financial help from the state, the £30 of tax payers money just got wasted.

 

[RFUS]

The EMA being scrapped pisses me off. No offence Reidy, but you're talking out of your arse by implying it only just covers transport.

I go to college, and the EMA I get is really handy. After transport, I'm managing to use it to buy some essentials, and I'm saving a bit up for the future. I know a lot of people who get it, and need it, and none of them are spending it all on transport. In fact there are other systems in play for people in low-income households to save on transport.

Some kids don't need EMA, and some do. No one should generalize.

 

[RFUS]

Actually scrap that, Reidy. I misread your intent, mate.



Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is some kids misuse EMA and don't need it. Others -- like myself -- actually do need it, and will miss it sorely when it's gone.

 

[davek]

This past 13 years under New Labour
..........we've seen Tony, Gordon & co
* raise council tax by 70%
* give us the biggest budget deficit since WW2 (currently around 170 Billion)
* left us with a national debt of 900 billion
* with millions unemployed importing 6m immigrants
* leave millions of low income families worse off by the abolition of the 10p tax rate
* took us into two wars we had no business in
* the mass closure of final salary pension schemes thanks to Browns 5billion a year tax grab

That is pretty impressive

You wont let go of that national debt security blanket will you mate? That's largely due to the bail out, as you well know.

I'm not in the business of defending New Labour, but they got into bed with the free market because they thought they could milk the revenue and carry out a progressive social policy. You and others might say it failed; others will point to record health spending, Sure Start and the minimum wage to balance you out. The ends that this bunch of Tory and Tory wannabe gangsters are pursuing however are not progressive but regressive: they want to crack the state wide open and leave everyone fending for themselves in the dog eat dog world that will ensue.

They'll get what they really deserve one day. I for one will be celebrating.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I seem to remember during the election that you said you'd be very happy if Labour lost because whoever won would have to make tough decisions to clean up the mess and as a result they'd be out for a generation. At least you're true to your word and are doing your daily gloat. Sure you're a nice guy really, revelling in the hardship as you are.

 

[Nordecke]

....we've seen from the Tories and their Lib Dem 'equal partners':

• a Bill to gerrymander constituencies to favour the Tories and Lib Dems
• the announcement that the NHS will be demolished
• the scrapping of the Education Maintenance Grant, taking £30 pw off kids from less well off families wanting to go to college
• an increase in unemployment to 2.5 million
• the largest increase in inflation for years (3.7%) and heading north fast very soon thanks to the VAT hike
• Manchester City Council forced to sack 2,000 workers and Hampshire and Norfolk Couny Councils laying off the same number to fall in line with central government demands for 'efficiency' savings

That's pretty impressive.

I seem to remember during the election that you said you'd be very happy if Labour lost because whoever won would have to make tough decisions to clean up the mess and as a result they'd be out for a generation. At least you're true to your word and are doing your daily gloat. Sure you're a nice guy really, revelling in the hardship as you are.

 

[davek]

I seem to remember during the election that you said you'd be very happy if Labour lost because whoever won would have to make tough decisions to clean up the mess and as a result they'd be out for a generation. At least you're true to your word and are doing your daily gloat. Sure you're a nice guy really, revelling in the hardship as you are.

Let me get this right: you voted for this and support the policies - and I'm the bad guy?

Ok.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Pull the other one Dave, you love this. Sure if the search engine was better there would be plenty of posts prior to the election where you long for this to happen (once you realised Labour would get a kicking of course).

And for the record, I didn't vote for the Tories, I'm just not blinkered by partisanship like you.