How long do you think the coalition will last?

First topic message reminder :

I want people's opinion of how long they think this coalition will last. ?

witchfinder wrote:Meanwhile back at the ranch, or should I say "back to the topic at hand

Some very interesting findings announced today by a YouGov poll of Liberal Democrat held Parliamentary seats, if the findings were reflected in a general election the Lib Dems would end up with a grand total of 7 seats.

For Lib Dem MPs it realy must be a nervous time, one eye on the calendar, 2 years down and hopefuly 3 to go, the polls might change, I could survive.
The economic forecasters are all shaking their heads, growth is constantly being revised down, a minimum of 3 more years of cuts.

What would YOU do if you were a Lib Dem MP?

I know what they are doing right now more than likely S***ING themselves that is why they keep slipping all over the place while going about there normal business.

I think many people are asking the question.....Are any of the 3 main partys actually capable of running the country anymore? And the answer to that is probably NO.

I can see UKIP making up ground on the others gaining votes from the old LibDem protest voters and disappointed Tories

Blueturando wrote: "I think many people are asking the question.....Are any of the 3 main partys actually capable of running the country anymore? And the answer to that is probably NO"

To a degree you are quite right, its just a shame that the Labour party don’t seem to be able to get the truth regarding what was to blame for the economic mess, even today we had that snake in the grass, Michael Heseltine saying “ the mess left by Labour”. What Labour left was a growing economy and reducing unemployment, yet still the lieing cheating Tories can not help themselves when coming out with the same old crap day after day, and of course all they are proving is how the Joseph Goebbels theory of brainwashing works, “say something enough times and it becomes the truth”

Blueturando wrote: "I can see UKIP making up ground on the others gaining votes from the old Lib-Dem protest voters and disappointed Tories"

Not necessarily protest votes, but leaving the Lib-Dems permanently, a bit more than just a protest I feel. The Lib-Dems by getting so snuggly into bed with the Tories have taken the party so far more to the right and Fascism, that many true Lib-Dems will under no circumstances go UKIP, lets face it, you being a Proud Tory will be more likely to go UKIP who are after all, A Euro sceptic Conservative Party. UKIP will get a few Lib-Dems who have become Tories anyway, and they will pick up many disgruntled Tory Voters, but I don’t think they will make a difference in a General election other than to split the Tory vote, which of course I welcome.

Wont it be nice when we are in power and can say time after time, “ the terrible mess we inherited from the Tory led Coalition”, nothing like a nice bit of revenge, is there and being half Italian, a nice vendetta is in my Genes. What goes round comes round as you Tories will find out starting on May 5th.

One thing I would like you, being a good Tory supporter, to tell us, is Why cant your Party put as much effort into getting back the Tax Money owed us, as they do in fleecing the poor. It Certainly makes me wonder where their priorities are.

blue Quote "..Are any of the 3 main partys actually capable of running the country anymore? And the answer to that is probably NO."

Now that the Tory party is failing in every direction, their supporters are uttering similar words as above rather than come clean and admit that they are utterly useless.

UKIP is a horrid little party...only a couple of rungs down the ladder from the BNP in my opinion...and that Farrage fella really gets on my flippin pin wheel. Smug is not the word!

I have receved this week, through the post, a Conservative Party leaflet which extols the virtues of the sitting Councillor and asks me to ensure that she is elected once more to the local council.

I would have so much preferred that her supporters had delivered it in person so that - like in the old days - I could have torn it up in front of them and mentioned that I would not vote for her even if she didn't have a face which made her appear to have spent a lifetime sucking lemons...

Adele Carlyon wrote:UKIP is a horrid little party...only a couple of rungs down the ladder from the BNP in my opinion...and that Farrage fella really gets on my flippin pin wheel. Smug is not the word!

Every Politician allows themselves a brief hope of becoming Prime Minister. Most obviously realise they are never going to make it, but the most optimistic search around for "the next best thing" and trust to providence. Boris Johnson wants to lead the Tory Party, but as there is no current vacancy he is marking time pretending that being Mayor of London is the pinnacle of his ambition. Yeah, Right!

Standing for MEP looks like a stepping-stone, though it's a blind alley. That was Nigel Farrage's choice, and he appears to be content with being a very small toad in a rather large pond. On the same course is Daniel Hannan, who has been MEP for South-East England for thirteen years, awaiting the Tory Party call for a different Leader. Meanwhile the Expenses are some small compensation for the delay.

The rise of UKIP could be temporary, but looking at the political landscape I somehow rather doubt that this is a flash in the pan.

A great deal of the new UKIP support is coming from dissatisfied Conservatives who are fed up with the toned down rhetoric on Europe, immigration and welfare reforms, these are the people from the right wing of the Conservative Party, and see the coalition as a disaster.

There is a saying "each action sets off a reaction" and the Lib Dems getting into bed with the Conservatives ( the unholy alliance ) has resulted in the almost unprecedented colapse of Lib Dem support, and it has led to a great deal of unhappiness within Tory ranks, especialy the right of the party.

And so on top of been unpopular due to policies and the mishandling of the economy, the Conservatives now have the prospect of their support been split, splintered or divided, and to make matters even worse there are rumours tonight that more than one Tory MP is ready to defect to UKIP.

http://politicalscrapbook.net/2012/04/tom-bursnall-should-unemployed-have-vote/

I didn't want to start a new thread, so I'm posting this here....Apparently, the ex tory now ukip defectee brat thinks that the unemployed shouldn't be allowed to vote and rich people should get more votes! Must be because they're special or summat! I've just kicked the couch really hard! *spits*

"The former chair of Conservative Future has suggested that the unemployed should not be allowed to vote. Tom Bursnall, who recently defected from the Tories to UKIP on Windsor and Maidenhead Council, specifically targeted the unemployed people on his Pro Capitalist blog...."

Aaaaah. Bless.

Anything to get his name in the paper.

Now that the Tory party is failing in every direction, their supporters are uttering similar words as above rather than come clean and admit that they are utterly useless.

Hi Mel......No Im not afraid to admit it......The government (Tory party) has completely lost its way and are currently Fookin Shite

I am warming to you blue. Vote Labour????

blueturando wrote:

Now that the Tory party is failing in every direction, their supporters are uttering similar words as above rather than come clean and admit that they are utterly useless.

Hi Mel......No Im not afraid to admit it......The government (Tory party) has completely lost its way and are currently Fookin Shite

What would you like to see from the Tory party? In what area's do you feel that they have lost their way Blue? I'm genuinely interested in what makes a tory voter tick, as everything that party stands for is totally alien to me and social conscience.

People saying the government have lost their way.

What did the electorate expect....voting for a bunch of divorced from reality millionaires, and Bullingdon boy toffs. These people have absolutely no concept of the real lives of 90% of the population.

But, hey! We get what we deserve.

I don't think we deserve what we're getting!

As if things are not already bad enough for Cameron, it now appears that unemployment is down this month...

Here in the north west it is up again. I think we have the highest level in the country. 100 people chasing every job.

I must track down that paper, then I can wipe me botty on it!

The creation of cheap labour-- Tory ideology.

Windsor and Maidenhead Council? Enough said.

What would you like to see from the Tory party? In what area's do you feel that they have lost their way Blue? I'm genuinely interested in what makes a tory voter tick, as everything that party stands for is totally alien to me and social conscience

Ahhhh there are many things Adele, but here goes...

I would have expected the Tories to get more business friendly (and I dont mean big business) by removing so much of the red tape strangling SME's at the moment. They should also make it easier and more cost effective for SMEs to employ staff. As an employer myself I know the largest financial obstacle to taking on more staff is National Insurance, Higher staff insurances, health and safety, and ridiculous over the top policy and procedure manuals......So far this government who I expected to bring in policies to revive British industry has failed on all fronts.

Over the last few months the Tories have announced various new policies they would like to bring in without thinking through them first...EG: Tax on donations, home improvement tax, Landsley saying all ciggie packets should be blank etc....each one ill though out and ill conceived, but I could have told them that within 5 seconds and I am no politician.

I would have expected the Tories to have gotten a grip on immigration levels as they said they would...Failed. Created more jobs....Failed. Tackled the EU waste and IMF handouts...Failed. Invested in Building and infrastructure.....so far Failed......and put a stop the Nanny state Labour created......Massive Fail!!!!

We are all in this together made a good sound bite, but increasingly it only applies to anyone who is not a multi millionaire or a major business, both of which do very well at avoiding paying their fair share of tax, thanks to this and the last government turning a blind eye.

Cameron and his front bench has lost touch with the real world, but so have Miliband and Labour.....both lost touch years ago. Too many Millionaire career politicians on all sides....Time for some new politics in the UK me thinks?

What I would like to see is working people and law abiding citizens coming first. In my opinion too much focus is placed on the lazy, feckless and 'the world owes me' culture in our society and the working man and women is always left to pay the bill. I also think we need a UK bill of right to stop criminals abusing the ECHR at the expense of Joe public.

There's more, but I have to go and fill in another H&S report for the powers that be.....Oh the joy!!!!

Thanks for the reply Blue. can I ask, do you agree that employees should have to wait two years instead of one year before they can challenge their employer for unfair dismissal? You see, I look at it from the opposite position that you do. I work for a guy who cuts corners and pays me a pittance, at the moment he is trying to riddle out of giving me my full holiday entitlement, I could write a book about the ways he's attempted to rip me off. Luckily I can take him to a tribunal if he decided to sack me in a fit of pique. But it appears that the tories think that all employers are the dogs bollocks and all workers are numpties who are out to cause trouble.

A long fight was fought so that workers, lots of them very poorly paid, had a modicum of protection at work. I work in a shop with inadeqate heating, no inside toilet facilities, the lav is outside in the back yard and is crumbling to bits. It's riddled with damp and mold as well. But I take comfort from the fact that i do have avenues I can go down, should I choose to, I'm a wuss and choose not to push my boss into improving things coz I know he'd just sack me or make my working week very miserable.

I'm his only member of staff, I have no one to fight my corner for me, but I could sue him if he sacked me as I've been there over a year now. Now I'm not saying that all workers are angels, some aren't good employees, but some bosses are utter swines too! I think it's so unfair that people can be treated shamefully at work and soon they'll have to wait 2 years before they can sue for unfair dismissal. It's just another way that the tories look after their own, or that's what it feels like.

I have concerns with the labour party too, in fact I'd go as far as saying that Phony B'liar is a closet tory, but what annoyed me about him the most, and I helped to get him elected, I was youth officer for wigan CLP at the time, was the fact that he considered the word socialism a dirty word. And of course the blood on his hands over WMD's and iraq. That's when I cut my membership card in two and sent it back to him with a nice little note!

I'm with you on the nanny state issue, I can't believe that they want to start snooping on our texts and emails, but maybe it'll help the tabloids get a bit of dirt for their front pages, post levenson! I think I've rambled on a bit, sorry if I've bored the pants off you!

One last thing I will say is this....the only time I ever hve this sick sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach is when we have a tory government. I'll never forget how thatcher ripped the heart and life blood out of our communities, nor will I forgive her, but this new bunch put even her to shame! I'm a single mum, trying to sell a house to pay my ex his half, I'm surviving on minimum wage and tax credits, I work part time and very hard and I'm genuinely scared stiff of what will happen to me and my son. I don't trust them, they're not interested in me and people who are worse off than me...

Adele, without try to sound condescending I have a lot of sympathy on all levels for you on what you posted....

In my post I was trying to get across that the government doesn't seem to give 2 hoots for small/medium sized businesses and that’s where I feel our economy and jobless figures could benefit the most. I am certainly not against my staff, they do a great job and I would love to be able to take on more. Unfortunately the costs and the red tape are preventing me doing this.....My biggest bills are to the government and there are occasions I do not pay myself so I can keep all my staff employed.
Your boss sounds like a complete t*sser and he is taking advantage of you. I am not sure what advice to give you here, but I would maybe keep an eye out for alternative employment...What I would say is that is law that should have a contract of employment and that legally binding contract should state holiday entitlement, so if he tries to pull the wool over your eyes then you have the contract to back up your case and if you don’t have a contract then he's breaking the law on so many levels anyway.

Going back to the politics issue....I strongly believe that the top 2% or so are abusing their wealth, connections, influence or political status to insure that the rest of us suffer and not them. It was they who created the problems, but as usual the man/women on the street bears the brunt. Both Labour and the Tories are using the state to Nanny us using social engineering and snooping powers under the guise of anti-terrorism. In reality they want to keep the status quo and are afraid what would happen if we rejected them and their thieving ways....I am sure a meeting or 2 has taken place looking at what would happen if there was a European Spring such as the one that has recently occurred in Arab countries...I guarantee with the imminent collapse of the Euro and the EU economy, they are worried about it.

I have no idea what the Tories are trying to do with Tax credits, it makes no sense to me what so ever. How does reducing the hours people can work before they receive credits help the economy?.....I am flummoxed (now there's a good word) I wish I had some easy answers for you to easy your worry, but it almost seems that government would prefer you didn't work and just claimed off the state...they do so little to help people in your position
One of the reasons I am a Tory is that Labour always want to control, be very centralised and believe they know what's best for all of us...and I hate someone or something trying to control me. I always thought of the Tories in believing in free enterprise and you get rewarded if you work hard and have the freedoms to do so.......Now I am not so sure. It seems they all want to control us and keep us where we 'belong'...I am far from happy with what's going on right now, but like most people I struggling to see or find an alternative to it

There are so many things wrong with the UK right now, I don't know where to begin......and before other posters on here say...Vote Labour. You, I and they know Labour are no different

PS......The only positive is that I am only 2 mins away from my avatar pic....roll on summer!!!

blueturando wrote: Hi Mel......No Im not afraid to admit it......The government (Tory party) has completely lost its way and are currently Fookin Shite.

Blue I fully appreciate your honesty, and am impressed by your stating what you have after many, many months of stout Tory defence and I’d take my hat off to you, if I wore one.

I don’t know quite how you feel you want things to go in politics and will not crow over your revelation, but I’m sure that after some serious considerations, you will make an informed decision and lend your support to whoever you think will be best for the UK. Time I guess will tell. Bob.

I disagree about labour..in my heart I feel they still can take the moral high ground on certain issues...I also feel that lots of people within the labour party still have a social conscience...thats not a feeling I get from the tories.

I rejoined the labour party just prior to the leadership contest...I'm prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt for a while....I may as well admit that I voted for Ed!

You're very lucky to be in such a beautiful place. I'd love to visit Jersey some day. My eldest son has been and loved it. His ex girlfriend has family on the island. I'd settle for a wet weekend in clacton right now. The last holiday I had was 5 years ago! p.s flummoxed is a grand word!

Anyone though of taking Blues tempreture and pulse, i think he as a fever, he is talking all out of sinc. He as started to sound like a fully paid up member of the Labour party.

p.s again! Fookin is another of my favorite words!! I said it earlier about 50 times, as I decided to throw a purple toner on my hair as it was looking a bit brassy, and now I look like Mrs Slocomb from are you being served! It wasn't supposed to be this purple and it won't wash out. The job I do is....wait for it....selling hair dye! doh! lol

jackthelad wrote:Anyone though of taking Blues tempreture and pulse, i think he as a fever, he is talking all out of sinc. He as started to sound like a fully paid up member of the Labour party.

Has he heck as like! I'm quite liking the fact tho that someone who has mainly been of the blue variety is capable of finding fault where it is due my dear little shrekky! lol

I think critising bad policy/government is vital!

Interesting reading between blueturando & Adele Carlyon

It made me think of this years conference of the Federation of Small Businesses which was hel last month not too far from me in Scarborough, and strangely enough Ed Balls got a warmer reception than Vince Cable, who was representing the government.

But it was a lady by the name of Jenny Rooke who infuriated me with her outrageous claim that (and I quote) "All the rules and regulations are currently in favour of the employee and against the employer. This sadly puts firms off from taking on apprentices, which is very sad."

Strangely enough Mrs Rooke has her small business quite close to where I live ( Beadlam Grange Farm Shop & Tearoom ), and though I can feel some affinity with people who run small businesses, there are some things which I fail to understand.

Could someone, anyone, pleae explain why it is fair or just for an employer to be able to dismiss or sack someone knowing full well that the employee has no means of defence, and no way of bringing a compaint of unfairness or worse, victimisation.

What if the foot was on the other foot, what if you could not make a complaint to trading standards unless you had been operating in business for at least two years ?, or you could not go to a business rate tribunal, couldent make a complaint to the council, the highways authority, the gas board, the electricity company or to enviromental health.

http://www.beadlamgrange.co.uk/bg_contactus.htm
Beadlam Grange Farm and Tea Rooms

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17459152
BBC federation of small business conference

It isn't fair and it isn't just. I get the feeling that the employers are being cosseted in some ways and workers demonised. There's good and bad in everyone. We fought hard for employment protection laws because it is fair and just and I knew as soon as these sods got in the'd try to shaft the workers again...it's always a given when the toe rags are in gov't. I think they'd open the workhouses again and send babies up chimneys if they thought they could get away with it!

For what it's worth...the guy I work for is a millionaire near as damn it. He employs me for 16hrs min wage as it means he doesn't have to pay tax or insurance for me. I have no contract and don't even get a wage slip anymore as they cost him money.

Oh, you DO have a contract, Adele. You may not have been given any written terms , but working in the circs you describe has created a contractual relationship. And if you are not receiving a payslip, I suggest you start asking politely for one, or telling this guy you will have 'to seek advice' on the matter from HMRC...

The reason he stopped giving me one I think is because there are no deductions and no payroll number as I'm the only member of staff. Basically, the only thing written on the ones he used to give me was my name, the date and the grand amount of £94.87 :affraid:

I took advice about my holiday entitlement, I work three days...4 1/2 hrs on two of the days and 7hrs on the third day. He tried to tell me that I only really worked two days and that I was entitled to 11.2 days a year instead of 16.8. I rang ACAS and he's wrong, his face was a picture when I told him so! haha

and now I look like Mrs Slocomb from are you being served

Hello Adele (luvverly name, I like it!)

To the statement above, I take it you are UNANIMOUS in this!!

Yes! Both me and Puss!!! haha

by Phil Hornby Today at 7:23 pm



Oh, you DO have a contract, Adele. You may not have been given any written terms , but working in the circs you describe has created a contractual relationship. And if you are not receiving a payslip, I suggest you start asking politely for one, or telling this guy you will have 'to seek advice' on the matter from HMRC

I agree with Phil. And I believe, unless the law has changed since my time, he is in breach of the law. You should, certainly in my time, have had written contract within 3 months.

Now to important things. Half-time - Chelsea 1 Barca 0.

We might be better off without the biased TV commentary, however...

by Phil Hornby Today at 9:17 pm



We might be better off without the biased TV commentary, however...
If you listen to 5live commentary and watch the TV you can hear what is going to happen on TV 2 secs. later. You can watch for the fouls and judge better.
Perhaps the Ref. should have a radio with him to be prepared;)

You should, certainly in my time, have had written contract within 3 months.

Hello Trevor

My son in law, after 3 years on the dole, has 6 months ago landed a good job. Company are very happy with him - good worker, takes ALL the overtime they throw at him. NOW 6 months is up, he HAS to go on the dole for 4 or 5 weeks, the break in service means that the company get a BENEFIT - a HANDOUT! from the dole for re-employing him again. I mean, it is the bosses who are complaining about the "Little People" getting hand outs, but they are not so slow on taking advantage themselves. I just wonder what this is going to do to affect his pension. Probably why Madge wanted the Pension "To Wither On the VINE!! "!

And NO he does not have a contract of employment.