The Conservative Party

[hilts]

How old are you mate? Serious question.

I honestly think you have no clue about what a "boot on the throat" - as you put it - feels like.

When I grew up, we had no carpet, not because we had rustic wooden floor boards, but because we couldn't afford it. We had no central heating - in fact we had no heating at all other than the gas fire in the lounge. In winter the windows would freeze in the inside. One year, dad had to pour boiling water down the loo because the loo had frozen. I never had a bike, my clothes were from the 2nd hand shop and from neighbours' kids who were older and had outgrown them. And my dad had a good job: this is what life was like for most people around where I lived.

Nowadays, kids have their smartphones and playstations and there's a 50" LCD in the lounge and they have central heating and most people get to eat a decent meal most days. Families have a car... or two ... or three. We have a very decent health service, schools and public services generally, no matter how much you like to pretend we are living in Rwanda. Honestly I think you have no idea.

Back in the day they never suffered Tampax poverty though. Free roller skates for every Corbyn vote.

 

[bluethrunthru]

May is a fucking disgrace.

Oh she is so resilient they say.

No she is not she is s fucking disgrace I hate her.

I disagree - May is doing a marvellous job - her legacy of failed Brexit and local council decimation - a party in bits and some EU elections she promised we would never even have to fight to come with I hope similar results I hope they can't get shot of her for years.

 

[Bigga]

How old are you mate? Serious question.

I honestly think you have no clue about what a "boot on the throat" - as you put it - feels like.

When I grew up, we had no carpet, not because we had rustic wooden floor boards, but because we couldn't afford it. We had no central heating - in fact we had no heating at all other than the gas fire in the lounge. In winter the windows would freeze in the inside. One year, dad had to pour boiling water down the loo because the loo had frozen. I never had a bike, my clothes were from the 2nd hand shop and from neighbours' kids who were older and had outgrown them. And my dad had a good job: this is what life was like for most people around where I lived.

Nowadays, kids have their smartphones and playstations and there's a 50" LCD in the lounge and they have central heating and most people get to eat a decent meal most days. Families have a car... or two ... or three. We have a very decent health service, schools and public services generally, no matter how much you like to pretend we are living in Rwanda. Honestly I think you have no idea.

What? Do you think I'm 20?

I'm sure you're smarter than that, but you're speaking about things in relative time. Sweets were 2p, bread was 10p and there were landlines galore everywhere.

Just because things have moved on in relative time, doesn't mean we are well in anything but relative to that time!

Sorry, but it's quite a silly argument as you could use your comparison to even earlier Victorian times as we had it great in the 70s compared to then!

So, if society isn't being squeezed by big corp, what's gone so wrong then? Why is there increased homelessness and nurses going to food banks and much bloody debt??

I think you think £7 an hour is decent bloody wage!!

Have to agree. Neither of the two ‘main’ parties are relevant to the people of today. The Labour party, although trying to convey, they are for the working ‘man’ have failed to keep up with who the working man/woman really is today. He/she probably no longer holds down a permanent job, more likely to be on a zero hours contract or in the gig economy. The Tories appear to ignore anything to do with them and carry on with their policies no matter what.

Time for a radical overhaul of the political system where everyone can feel they are listened to. Is it time for PR or something similar?

But, it's Labour that's tried to curtail the zero hour contract that the Tories love!! They WANT you to have security and a permanent wage!

I don't understand any of you lot.

Are your collective heads buried in the sand...?

 

[bluethrunthru]

 

[Chippy_boy]

If think you think £7 an hour is decent bloody wage!!

Actually I don't, but if you want to make and sell anything, then you have to be competitive, right? Surely even you would agree with that? And our minimum wage is against this backdrop:

And we have MUCH worse productivity than France and Germany, so our workers on roughly the same minmum wages as France and Germany, produce much less. We can argue (let's not) about why that is, but the reality is that is the case. FYI the cost of living, even allowing for their cheaper rent, is much higher in France as well.

 

[Bigga]

Actually I don't, but if you want to make and sell anything, then you have to be competitive, right? Surely even you would agree with that? And our minimum wage is against this backdrop:

And we have MUCH worse productivity than France and Germany, so our workers on roughly the same minmum wages as France and Germany, produce much less. We can argue (let's not) about why that is, but the reality is that is the case. FYI the cost of living, even allowing for their cheaper rent, is much higher in France as well.

Mmm, but France are kicking off over the disparity of wealth, are they not? They are not happy as a people and want more equality in living, no?

I think you're conflating issues or, at least, making another argument altogether.

You make the argument of working to live, rather than living to work!

For me, competitiveness and quality do not always go hand in hand.

In fact, the more competitive a production becomes, quite often the worse that product is.

So, what you seem to mean to me is that it's fine for competition to equal cheap labour.

Cheap labour = greater profit for the company/ owner whilst cheap labour = poor standard of living for the worker in comparison.

Cheap labour = greater wealth disparity between the top & bottom and that wealth disparity = being forced to live paycheck to paycheck and bridging that gap with debt or picking out what yacht you fancy in a marina somewhere.

This has become the 'woke' issue of the last few years and it gathers pace for many, finally standing up for themselves and the future generations.

And, here you are comparing life to where we were in the 70s.

Bring back workhouses, I say!

 

[Neville Kneville]

Mmm, but France are kicking off over the disparity of wealth, are they not? They are not happy as a people and want more equality in living, no?

I think you're conflating issues or, at least, making another argument altogether.

You make the argument of working to live, rather than living to work!

For me, competitiveness and quality do not always go hand in hand.

In fact, the more competitive a production becomes, quite often the worse that product is.

So, what you seem to mean to me is that it's fine for competition to equal cheap labour.

Cheap labour = greater profit for the company/ owner whilst cheap labour = poor standard of living for the worker in comparison.

Cheap labour = greater wealth disparity between the top & bottom and that wealth disparity = being forced to live paycheck to paycheck and bridging that gap with debt or picking out what yacht you fancy in a marina somewhere.

This has become the 'woke' issue of the last few years and it gathers pace for many, finally standing up for themselves and the future generations.

And, here you are comparing life to where we were in the 70s.

Bring back workhouses, I say!

The difficulty, is finding the balance.

 

[Ifwecouldjust.......]

I agree social change is required but I don't think it can be achieved with any of the traditional political parties in power. Corbyn is not the answer, he is a dinosaur living in the 1950's who would bankrupt the country within a couple of years... I am completely fed up with politicians of all persuasions at the moment, I could not care any less about any of them... Social change will not happen here unless the people deliver a knockout blow to the current self serving, rudderless twats.....
I'm 55 so I've seen a few changes over the years, I can't see me being alive when things are changed radically to achieve what you refer to, I'm up for it though ...
Now you have a great weekend mate, let's hope on this occasion the Blues prevail and the reds are consigned to oblivion.. Again..

Where do you get 'labour will bankrupt the country in a couple of years' from? Every Labour government has borrowed less and left less debt than the Conservatives ... EVERY.SINGLE .ONE.

Even after the global financial crash the UK debt level was in a better state than they currently are under the Tories after 9 years of austerity..

 

[Chippy_boy]

Mmm, but France are kicking off over the disparity of wealth, are they not? They are not happy as a people and want more equality in living, no?

I think you're conflating issues or, at least, making another argument altogether.

You make the argument of working to live, rather than living to work!

For me, competitiveness and quality do not always go hand in hand.

In fact, the more competitive a production becomes, quite often the worse that product is.

So, what you seem to mean to me is that it's fine for competition to equal cheap labour.

Cheap labour = greater profit for the company/ owner whilst cheap labour = poor standard of living for the worker in comparison.

Cheap labour = greater wealth disparity between the top & bottom and that wealth disparity = being forced to live paycheck to paycheck and bridging that gap with debt or picking out what yacht you fancy in a marina somewhere.

This has become the 'woke' issue of the last few years and it gathers pace for many, finally standing up for themselves and the future generations.

And, here you are comparing life to where we were in the 70s.

Bring back workhouses, I say!

Honestly mate I don't know where to start with that. There's SO much stuff in there I disagree with, and so little chance of you agreeing with anything I say, I really can't see the point in replying. (The "the more competitive a production becomes, the worse the product" - that was a gem.)

Please on in your cloud cuckoo fantasy land, fine with me.

 

[Chippy_boy]

Where do you get 'labour will bankrupt the country in a couple of years' from? Every Labour government has borrowed less and left less debt than the Conservatives ... EVERY.SINGLE .ONE.

Even after the global financial crash the UK debt level was in a better state than they currently are under the Tories after 9 years of austerity..

Oh god, not THIS again. Have a chat with Len Rum - I think he managed to get it after having it explained to him 27 times.