Mr and Mrs K's New Journey to a Debt Free Life.

cazmanian_minx · 31 December 2014 at 12:25PM

I was listening to The World At One on Radio Four on my way to the post office the other day, they were interviewing the deputy leader of the SNP. Apparently the SNP now has more members than the Liberal Democrats and UKIP combined and if the Conservatives don't win an outright majority in May next year, the SNP will be attempting to form a coalition with Labour. I dread to think what will happen to the economy if that actually happens.

heartbreak_star · 31 December 2014 at 2:30PM

UKIP.....*upchuck - they're just the new BNP*

Tories...*bile in mouth*

Labour...*eyeroll*

Lib Dem...*pulls knives out of back and glares at Clegg*

If I can't vote Green, I'm going to be very annoyed.

That is all - politics the HBS way

(please bear in mind I am Northern born and bred, but I do read manifestos and think carefully before casting my vote. The scientist side of me grinds its teeth at some of the Green views but they are by far and away the best for me).

HBS x

patanne · 31 December 2014 at 6:12PM

This will be my excursion into politics and is generally a bad idea. In my late teens I was a theoretical communist (not as in the USSR which was actually state capitalism) more like an Israeli kibbutz. This will never work as it doesn't take into account human nature. At 15 I managed to change my parents vote 180 degrees. However the joking definition of a politician is in my opinion totally true - if his/her mouths moving he/she is lying.

However, my first brush with spin was in the late 70s when Maggie said she was going to reduce tax. I kept telling people that if she reduced tax what was she going to put up. Sure enough she almost doubled VAT. And so it rolls on, they tell you what they want you to hear and never what you need to hear.

As for coming out of the EU, we have lost too many of our ties to other countries to make that a viable proposition. If we had never gone in - which I would have voted for if we had actually been given the option - well that is a whole other ball game. You can't trust any of the statistics they quote on either side. Remember - there are lies, damn lies and statistics. I used to work for several statisticians back before we joined the Common Market and 2 of them used the same figures, one to prove that we should go in and one to prove that we shouldn't. The only difference between the two was the base year they used.

Brogden · 31 December 2014 at 8:47PM

patanne wrote: »

This will be my excursion into politics and is generally a bad idea. In my late teens I was a theoretical communist (not as in the USSR which was actually state capitalism) more like an Israeli kibbutz. This will never work as it doesn't take into account human nature. At 15 I managed to change my parents vote 180 degrees. However the joking definition of a politician is in my opinion totally true - if his/her mouths moving he/she is lying.

However, my first brush with spin was in the late 70s when Maggie said she was going to reduce tax. I kept telling people that if she reduced tax what was she going to put up. Sure enough she almost doubled VAT. And so it rolls on, they tell you what they want you to hear and never what you need to hear.

As for coming out of the EU, we have lost too many of our ties to other countries to make that a viable proposition. If we had never gone in - which I would have voted for if we had actually been given the option - well that is a whole other ball game. You can't trust any of the statistics they quote on either side. Remember - there are lies, damn lies and statistics. I used to work for several statisticians back before we joined the Common Market and 2 of them used the same figures, one to prove that we should go in and one to prove that we shouldn't. The only difference between the two was the base year they used.

Nice one patanne - you have hit several nails on the head as far as I am concerned.

It is all a complete waste of space :mad: !!!!

Brogden

AlexLK · 1 January 2015 at 10:38PM

maman wrote: »

:eek: unthinkable!! Couldn't agree more!:D

This thread is going to be great fun as May gets closer!:rotfl:

:rotfl: I see what you've done there.

dory22 wrote: »

i want snow!

We have no snow anymore.

dory22 wrote: »

doesn't matter what the age all men have selective hearing.

Erm, thanks for that.

AlexLK · 1 January 2015 at 10:50PM

gallygirl wrote: »

I don't think the other lot are much better/any different tbh Alex .

PS - yay, I got a friend :j. Was going to link to a suitable youtube link but I appear to have broken youtube which doesn't augur well for our friendship :rotfl:.

PPS - guess what the link was Alex

Unfortunately, I don't think our current government is that great either. Though they are better than the alternative Labour offering.

:rotfl: I haven't a clue what link you would wish to send to me, what happens in your head is quite a mystery.

cazmanian_minx wrote: »

I was listening to The World At One on Radio Four on my way to the post office the other day, they were interviewing the deputy leader of the SNP. Apparently the SNP now has more members than the Liberal Democrats and UKIP combined and if the Conservatives don't win an outright majority in May next year, the SNP will be attempting to form a coalition with Labour. I dread to think what will happen to the economy if that actually happens.

That thought is very, very scary indeed. :eek:

I do hope the SNP will choose not to be involved in UK wide politics as it was only a couple of months ago they were fighting for independence.

heartbreak_star wrote: »

UKIP.....*upchuck - they're just the new BNP*

Tories...*bile in mouth*

Labour...*eyeroll*

Lib Dem...*pulls knives out of back and glares at Clegg*

If I can't vote Green, I'm going to be very annoyed.

That is all - politics the HBS way (please bear in mind I am Northern born and bred, but I do read manifestos and think carefully before casting my vote. The scientist side of me grinds its teeth at some of the Green views but they are by far and away the best for me).

HBS x

What do you like about the Greens?

As for being a born and bred Northerner, you're not the only one. *Waits to be told I'm not a "real" Northerner*

AlexLK · 1 January 2015 at 11:01PM

patanne wrote: »

This will be my excursion into politics and is generally a bad idea. In my late teens I was a theoretical communist (not as in the USSR which was actually state capitalism) more like an Israeli kibbutz. This will never work as it doesn't take into account human nature. At 15 I managed to change my parents vote 180 degrees. However the joking definition of a politician is in my opinion totally true - if his/her mouths moving he/she is lying.

However, my first brush with spin was in the late 70s when Maggie said she was going to reduce tax. I kept telling people that if she reduced tax what was she going to put up. Sure enough she almost doubled VAT. And so it rolls on, they tell you what they want you to hear and never what you need to hear.

As for coming out of the EU, we have lost too many of our ties to other countries to make that a viable proposition. If we had never gone in - which I would have voted for if we had actually been given the option - well that is a whole other ball game. You can't trust any of the statistics they quote on either side. Remember - there are lies, damn lies and statistics. I used to work for several statisticians back before we joined the Common Market and 2 of them used the same figures, one to prove that we should go in and one to prove that we shouldn't. The only difference between the two was the base year they used.

Really not a bad idea, patanne. I enjoyed reading your reply.

Often I wonder if I am well informed enough to make the right choice and don't vote with blind disregard. I do read each parties manifesto, even if at times I fail to see how certain policies affect my family and I or perhaps do not understand. Generally speaking, I think there are a couple of parties that fit everybody's political viewpoint.

Brogden wrote: »

Nice one patanne - you have hit several nails on the head as far as I am concerned.

It is all a complete waste of space :mad: !!!!

Brogden

I think it is very easy to come to the conclusion that politics is a waste of space when the media have such a big part to play.

Keep in mind no party can deliver everything if they are in power during a five year term. I think people often forget politicians are humans and thus are inclined to make human mistakes.

patanne · 2 January 2015 at 1:44AM

I have to say some politicians make more mistakes than others. I always vote - if you do not vote you do not have ANY right to complain when things go t***up.

Most times I have had at least the basic 3 to choose from, but when I lived elsewhere there were only 2 and one of those was libdem. Yep I voted for them.

Too many of us vote the way our parents did (not me obviously) but I worked with a woman (she'd be over a 100 now) and she was voting conservative and I asked her why on earth was she doing that? Answer - because her father had been something in the local party. I told her she was an intelligent women, supporting 3 children & a husband disabled by WWII living in a council house. A little self interest was allowed. Frankly she was like a turkey voting for Christmas.

Seems strange to say this but we 2 women were amongst the first to have mortgages without having to have a male guarantor. My aunt had to and my father signed for her. The ridiculous thing was she earned almost double what he did and the only dependent she had was their mother who had a widows & state pension.

When I was 20 (well more like 24 actually) NICE girls didn't leave home unless a really good job made it necessary (for nice read professional). By the time I was 30 the world was a completely different place. Now everybody has to be so politically correct it is boring. I used to like being whistled at - why wouldn't I? It was never ill natured, just some man improving the enjoyment of his day by expressing his appreciation. Now it tends to be someone being nasty. Who needs that in their day?

heartbreak_star · 2 January 2015 at 9:41AM

AlexLK wrote: »

What do you like about the Greens?

As for being a born and bred Northerner, you're not the only one. *Waits to be told I'm not a "real" Northerner*

If you're south of Teeside, you're not a Northerner :P

I like the Green views on:

Housing - sustainable and affordable
Wages - an actual living wage instead of minimum + top-ups
Animals - ending factory farming and increase animal protection standards
Climate change - renewable energy (this is a MASSIVE thing and could create a lot of jobs) and conservation
Public services (this is the major thing for me) - reverse sell-offs where possible, stop the NHS privatisation and investigate ways of freeing up health professionals to do their jobs (e.g. reduce paperwork)

The thing I mainly disagree with them on is their opposition to nuclear energy. If it were me, I'd put more money into cold fusion research - a method that produces energy while turning unstable radioactive materials into more stable, safer ones.

I know a lot of Labour and LD voters that are turning to the Greens as a viable alternative - me being one of them. I can't quite forgive Clegg for turning into Cameron's pet poodle.

HBS x