General Election 2017

[paul]

Is that the same Blair that won 3 elections, two of which were landslides? The same Blair who made Labour electable and a political force? Whatever one thinks of some of his decisions (Iraq in particular), he will go down for me as the most successful Labour leader in history. Blair and Cameron are in a different league to May if you ask me.

Labour were electable and a political force way before Blair came along mate. I'm what people call a floating voter, and I have voted Labour many times in the past, but I couldn't disagree with you more about Blair. He is the root cause of many of the problems this country now faces in my opinion though I agree he came across as a convincing man at the time - hence the 3 election wins.

 

[Andy]

If Corbyn was a "Leader", he'd sack John McDonnell.

John McDonnell sure is making some dangerous remarks, some are even going as far as to suggests he's inciting civil unrest.

Corbyns problem is this - People have started treating him as a Politician and not a Joke. And choosing to preach to 300,000 champane socialists who can all afford a £600 plus weekend at Glasto rather than pay respects to the Armed Forces says everything you need to know about the blokes mentality.

I don't like Theresa May, but at least today she showed some Leadership qualities in PMQs. Corbyn had the chance to show he could manage something close to statesmanlike; he opted instead for more political opportunism. I imagine he was disappointed there were no victims he could hug for the cameras.

Dread to think how Labour would deal with a national crisis, just look at the mess the Labour Camden council have caused trying to force people out of their own homes!

 

[Alan M]

If the fire service came to you and said "we think your house is a potential death trap and we cannot guarantee your safety if you stay in it" would you look to move your family out while repairs were carried out? Multiply that by the number of people in the Camden flats and put yourself in the position of the council.

Yes, the operation to move people out was not particularly smooth or well-organised, but it's not exactly a situation for which they would have had a contingency planning day and they found out late in the afternoon. They had to make a quick decison and then carry it through.

Damned if you do and potentially worse than damned if you don't.

 

[Ben]

He is the root cause of many of the problems this country now faces in my opinion though

I'd say a certain Mrs Thatcher has had a far great impact on the problems facing this country. Her legacy means many parts of Northern England (Liverpool, Manchester, the North East) to this day remain Tory no go zones. Not that this is a bad thing.

 

[paul]

I'd say a certain Mrs Thatcher has had a far great impact on the problems facing this country. Her legacy means many parts of Northern England (Liverpool, Manchester, the North East) to this day remain Tory no go zones. Not that this is a bad thing.

I was too young to be involved or interested in politics during the Thatcher years but I am adamant she is the only PM in my lifetime that had a pair and wouldn't run and hide from decisions she made whether they were bad ones or not. I admire that in a leader personally. Much of Cheshire where we live has in fact always been Tory zones by the way, is Cheshire not in the north these days?

 

[paul]

I still reckon she's not a patch on 'our Heidi' down here. Maybe I just have a more critical eye though!

(Can't believe I'm propagating this angle of this thread...)

I have just seen Heidi Allen on the news speaking at PMQ's earlier today - is this photo from about 20 years ago Nicki?? Esther all the way

 

[Ben]

I was too young to be involved or interested in politics during the Thatcher years but I am adamant she is the only PM in my lifetime that had a pair and wouldn't run and hide from decisions she made whether they were bad ones or not. I admire that in a leader personally. Much of Cheshire where we live has in fact always been Tory zones by the way, is Cheshire not in the north these days?

Hence why I said, 'many parts' of Northern England.

And yes, I can't argue that she had conviction and wasn't scared of making big decisions, but I firmly believe that her legacy of deindustrialization, her decimation of social housing and her brutal treatment of minors and the unions, has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many, especially in the previously industrial North, South Wales and Scotland. She has also created the type of individualistic, 'me first' society that we live in today, where collectivism and civic society have been consigned to the margins.

 

[paul]

Hence why I said, 'many parts' of Northern England.

And yes, I can't argue that she had conviction and wasn't scared of making big decisions, but I firmly believe that her legacy of deindustrialization, her decimation of social housing and her brutal treatment of minors and the unions, has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many, especially in the previously industrial North

Many parts of the south. including parts of London, in the general election swung from the Tories to Labour. Vice versa in parts of northern England. What is your point? Times have changed.

Thatcher may have left a bitter taste in many peoples mouths but you can not deny she was a leader. So called leaders of this country since Thatcher have been weaklings in comparison. Hence why we have gradually become a very weak country.

 

[Nicki]

I have just seen Heidi Allen on the news speaking at PMQ's earlier today - is this photo from about 20 years ago Nicki?? Esther all the way

You're deluded!

Esther is evil. Don't let the blonde hair (it's a wig) fool you.

 

[Nicki]

... and you are not Adam Ant! He was good!

 

[paul]

You're deluded!

Esther is evil. Don't let the blonde hair (it's a wig) fool you.

Oh no it isn't!! Virgil will agree with me anyway! The lovely Esther will be popping into Barnton Library on 15th July for anyone that's interested (though I don't think Barnton is in her constituency?!!)

As for Adam and the Ants I agree. Top dollar

 

[Nicki]

She's not a local. You can't expect her to actually know where is and isn't in her constituency!

 

[Andy]

Another reshuffle in the Corbyn Cabinet. Some things never change.

The honey moon periods over, is it back to the squabbling whilst he clings on to power over Labour?

 

[virgil caine]

nicki.
I think you will find that one part of Barnton is included in Esthers tatton constituency.the other part of Barnton is weaver vale.As for not being local she was born twenty miles from her constituency.unlike George osbourne who was from London was never seen the only time he turned up was when they opened Waitrose .when they opened Aldi and the refurbished Harrys Fish Bar he was nowhere to be found.Double standards indeed!!!

 

[paul]

Another reshuffle in the Corbyn Cabinet. Some things never change.

The honey moon periods over, is it back to the squabbling whilst he clings on to power over Labour?

Complete shambles on the issue of Brexit. I still have no idea whatsoever what their stance or plan is therefore I can not put my trust in them and I have lost interest yet again. Promising the money tree and the world to everyone in their GE manifesto reignited my interest but it has fiizzled out again quite soon afterwards. All in all its not looking too bad a result in the GE for the Tories in hindsight.

 

[toddyb]

Paul will you be collecting your bucket of tripe at our first home game,you have certainly earn it?

 

[Andy]

Anyone here Jacob Rees-Mogg in the commons few days ago?

Only person talking any real sense over the tower blocks.

Snippet below if anyone hasnt heard it.

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[Alan M]

I was with him all the way ... until he said "... like Margaret Thatcher ..." and suggested social housing should be sold. That will not solve the underlying issues of the housing market. Coincidentally, "The Bottom Line" on R4 is starting as I type this and it is all about the wider problems with housing in this country.

 

[Andy]

Alan, we just need a government that will use the money made from selling social housing to build more social housing

 

[Alan M]

Oh, that it were so simple.

Governments generally do not run social housing, local authorities and more often housing associations do. Thatcher told councils to sell council houses and forbade them to invest the money in building more council houses - hence my objection to Rees-Mogg's words. This government had the crazy notion a year or so ago of sell one - build one, which was roundly condemned as totally unworkable by almost everyone in housing associations and the building industry.

And anyway (I'm sure we've had this discussion before) the vast majority of people in social housing cannot afford to buy the property - they neither have the deposit needed nor do they have the means to be offered a mortgage nor could they meet the affordability criteria which lenders apply to such loans. So the most that would happen is that the housing is sold to others from uder their feet, leaving them either looking for other non-existent social housing or at the mercy of private landlords, possibly even under the very same roof if someone has done a buy-to-let purchase. The whole idea of social housing is encapsulated in the name.