Just to stir the pot, has anyone noticed...

[mark w]

You really don't see how the left wing can be any worse? You've obviously forgotten Bliar.

Blair/Brown Government saved the NHS, waiting lists went from an all time high to an all time low, they also brought in the minimum wage, just two things I can remember off the top of my head.
We had just had years and years of Tory rule and our country was at rock bottom, history repeating.
The Tory system of running down public services, lowering taxes for the rich, (who by the way benefit most from tax cuts)
Doesn't work, history demonstrates this.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Labour inherited a fairly sound economy and blew it. They saved the NHS? We are still paying the bills. The minimum wage was good in principle, but as I forecast at the time it has now become a target. It also works against people earning a few quid above it - every time a wage increase is applied for the firm will say sorry, our wage bill has already gone up too much as the national minimum wage has been increased (I know this). The tax take increases when the top rate is lowered.
I am no fan of this inept government, by the way.

 

[mc281]

The Guardian is completely free with no restrictions other than having a sign in account.

You get what you pay for!

 

[Keith Cocker]

Nothing. I just think they're wrong.

I wouldn’t dream of saying what they think about you

 

[Keith Cocker]

And buy your overpriced white goods only from the electricity board, wait a year for a phone to be installed ...

Totally false analogy.

 

[Yorkieguy]

...the fact that the Princess of Wales loves to read the DAILY MAIL ONLINE? Just wondered. Discuss.

What a thing for anyone to admit to. (Not the online bit - the Daily Mail bit).
(Could be worse I guess - The Guardian?)

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I wouldn’t dream of saying what they think about you

Don't worry, I'd take it as a compliment.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Totally false analogy.

Totally true. There might be reasons for renationalisation, but if you believe these industries worked well when they were nationalised something's playing tricks on your mind.

 

[Jester129]

With regard to the supposedly underfunded NHS, money can and has been thrown at it. And squandered on pathetic non-roles.
By all means give more money to the NHS, but employ someone that has experience from an industrial perspective to MANAGE that money to be spent wisely, for example on more wards, nurses, specialist machines etc, not these nonentity superfluous invented (how many more adjectives do you want?) roles that waste the money! Rant over, BUT I have to ask what 88 posts (and counting) have to do with the Princess of Wales reading the Mailonline?

 

[wally7]

very well said niallY..Running a country is very difficult and no party could possibly have all the answers. I' m 79 so have lived through drama/failure/catastrophe's under all partys. and in my opinion it;s just a game we play regularly voting pretending we make a difference. For the vast mass of us it makes little difference in the long term, we swing in the wind and wind up where we are. The rich will always be richer and the poorer poor. Take no notice of the pundits, vote if you want to think you make a difference or don;t and let the machine roll on. Just get on with your life , have a few chuckles along the way.
Who said, Democracy is a terrible method. to run a country---but it's the best we've come up with!
Focus on your immediate life a family, friends. Things outside of that will happen and you'll cope. Have a laugh, be happy. If another war starts THEY'll let you soon enough. I

 

[Jacob]

.....

Many, if not most, staff will have received at least basic education in the country where they're working (funded by taxpayers).
......

Only 7% get private education in UK. This opens the doorway to many walks of life which these people might not otherwise reach. This accounts for the utterly second rate and untalented nature of top levels of politics, finance, law.
Has to be said they do well in the arts though. This is due to massive investment in facilities for music, theatre etc. in the bigger private schools. Meanwhile these are being severely cut back in state schools, to save expenditure on the riff-raff and allow the filthy rich to hang on to more of their ill-gotten gains and get the best jobs for their offspring.

 

[Jacob]

With regard to the supposedly underfunded NHS, money can and has been thrown at it. And squandered on pathetic non-roles.
By all means give more money to the NHS, but employ someone that has experience from an industrial perspective to MANAGE that money to be spent wisely, .....

Privatisation is exactly what they have been doing and it's been a dismal and expensive failure; NHS, Rail,* you name it.
NHS was seen as super efficient with low levels of management, before it started being "re organised" for the benefit of private enterprises.

*and the Post Office of course - how could I forget! Now being broken up and destroyed by privatisation. Easy to forget that the Post Office was usually the most important and well used building in towns, villages, cities in Britain. A hugely valuable and highly visible service to the people. Now relegated to a small back-counter in a supermarket somewhere, if you can find it - just look for an angry queue and unhappy staff!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

NHS was seen as super efficient ...


It never was.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The workforce of bureaucrats in the NHS is growing six times as quickly as the number of nurses, according to official figures (2010 - under labour) .

While the number of health service managers went up 12 per cent in one year, the number of nurses increased by less than 2 per cent - and the number of health visitors plummeted.

Since Labour came to power, the number of managers has almost doubled ...
..................

Sorry to pee on your strawberries.

 

[Jacob]

.... We are all paying more VAT because of inflation. VED has gone up, council tax has gone up, etc., etc. The least able are paying more tax than ever.

.....

yes you've got it. But the very wealthy are wealthier than ever and paying less tax as proportion of income. This is basic tory policy. That's their only game. The one thing on their agenda, now and always.

 

[selectortone]

But your original assertion was that taxes are too low. In fact, because of stealth taxes like the pegging of the personal allowance, the least able are paying more tax than ever.

 

[Jacob]

But your original assertion was that taxes are too low. In fact, the least able are paying more tax than ever.

Net taxes are too low but more particularly high rates of tax are much too low. The burden should be shifted upwards and away from the low paid. Bring back 75% top rates (normal in 1971), stop all the various dodges and wheezes, increase inheritance tax etc etc.
Money has to go around to drive the economy, and to support public services.
Too much wealth in too few hands leads to stagnation.

 

[selectortone]

Yes, you've got it.

 

[Drifter2406]

It's all well and good saying pay more tax but we wouldn't need to pay more tax if so much money was not wasted in the first place.
The first thing that comes to my mind when Blair's name comes up is not how good they were but the guy who started an illegal war and walked out of office when he knew things were going t**s up and a very rich man and handed to Brown who seemed a bumbling fool, if memory serves wasn't it Brown that sold a big chunk of our Gold reserves when it was at the lowest price?

 

[mc281]

With regard to the supposedly underfunded NHS, money can and has been thrown at it. And squandered on pathetic non-roles.
By all means give more money to the NHS, but employ someone that has experience from an industrial perspective to MANAGE that money to be spent wisely, for example on more wards, nurses, specialist machines etc, not these nonentity superfluous invented (how many more adjectives do you want?) roles that waste the money! Rant over, BUT I have to ask what 88 posts (and counting) have to do with the Princess of Wales reading the Mailonline?

Or to do with Workshops