Some of the things Blair/Labour has been involved with: The good: Minimum wage Ban on hunting with dogs The not so good: Kissing George Bush's backside ... but they all do that War in Iraq ID cards Planning to reduce benefits for the disabled Bus lanes on the M4 Millenium Dome I live in Tower Hamlets, which is officially the second most deprived borough in the UK ... Things aren't that good round here Racial crime is rife Homelessness is a big problem So is domestic violence So is heroin/crack Then we have pollution The average waiting time at the London Hospital A&E is about 5 hours The council can't afford repairs so they are selling off all their homes to private landlords You can't even get a council flat by waiting for it ... you have to bid for it in a competition where applicants pitch their needs against each other. Statutory care organisations are not getting any funding and being forced to make cutbacks in services such as care for the disabled, children's homes, social services etc. Street crime is so bad that they are issuing a curfew on the Isle of Dogs to keep all kids off the streets after 10pm
Don't forget working families' tax credits. To be fair to the man, he's a lot better than the Tories. But he's still a big let down, and the war in Iraq was unforgiveable....
I read it in a number of media sources, right and left, including the Murdock press. It hingest on two facts. 1) She supports the anti-terror laws, 2) She accepts that they will mean more searches of people of Muslim appearance. Put the two together and it doesn't take a genius to work them out. It means the government is supporting a policy that has racist implications. As for asylum, yes the media has a lot to do with it, but the government bowing to hysteria does not help at all. The government needs to be clear on its factual information, and act accordingly. I'm all for popular will, but sometimes the people are just stupid....
he Good http://www.labour.org.uk/top50achievements/ *standing up too the BBC.. and in effect all those that stood against the war . The bad *giving the tory/lib dem partys party any time at all .. heck i even think giving time too the respect party would be more constructive.. *Not being completly honest or matter of fact when people criticised the iraq war (general public)... 'moveing on' etc etc was so weak and pathetic.
No you see the anti terror laws as racist (your implications) and you see the unfortunate/possible consequence of a slight increase of police picking up people of a certain orientation.. this 'rascist' policy no doubt proved too be true in a few months by a slight blip on home office figures or even if this is not the case, i am sure we will have a few cases brought too our attention by the lovely press (completly blowing things out of proportion) ... thus making a self fulfilling prophecy ... If white or oriental persons were the main culprits of spouting rascist angry and violent calls too arms then the situation would be that the increase of these 'types' of people will see a increase in being picked up.. even so i hardly think the policy was aimed at just picking out certain faiths in particular.. just its a sad fact that what she said is true.
Matthew, sometimes I wonder why I bother debating with you. In future I'm going to refuse to answer your points until you've read what I'm saying carefully....
ok we've got good points now = ) i'm convinced. sometimes its just hard to understand someone's opinion through writing - but i had a bit of a discussion with some dudes today, and they've pretty much got me
Ah... New Labour's top 50 achievements... what a crap idea for a channel four series... Well... shall we start off by taking out all the claims that reley on statistical evidence... as we all know... there are lies, damn lies, and statistics... these kind of lists are designed to look impressive but cover the truth of situations... Oh... can I add one onto the negative?... thanks to New Labour for decreasing the value of my pension despite forcing me to work an extra 5 five years before I can claim said increasingly poor pension... Bastards... Fly...
Yup the government has done very little to secure our pensions... mine is (and will be at 60) still worth fuck all... my parents generation got a guaranteed 2/3rds of their wage on retirement. our generation have to save in dubious private schemes never quite sure of what we will end up with (if anything at all) as most of us have to sell the pension to another company for the best deal we can get when we decide to retire (which will probably be 90 the way my finances look).
I did read your post carefuly were was the confusion ? Was there a slight mis representaion of you and people like you ?. you have a point claire ..but unlike yourselves , i don't have the same mentality/broad opinions on certain issues... so sometimes confusion is inevitable .. if in a few months i don't hear about this updated law being talked about in the same way as i mention, then sue me . thats true, probably should join a debating society *snort* *other snobby noises*
Times change.. more old people .. personal finaces are our own problems nothing too do with goverments imho 9they can't force you to save for retirement). Presently i think pensioners are getting more out than they put in ? (no problem with that , wars and all ).
Ich! On a side issue.... *and mini rant* don't you just hate this compensation / sue me society we've become? grrrrrrr *crawls back under stone*
More old people, and more working age people too... We still all work similar hours and for as long as our parents but not get the same benefits (privately) and they can force you to save for your retirement, you have to have a private pension if you work these days, which incidentally freezes you out of the top up system on the state pension.
We used too be able to half blind , break bones and generaly put ourselves in the most dangerous of situations when i was in school .. Now you have to fill in a form to play conkers..or play in the snow...*sigh* those were the days. People taking advantage of such inevitable knocks and scraps is wrong .. but the added safety to children is ok .. a double edged sword.. Adults tripping over paving stones or climbing up the 'wrong ladder' is a bit grrrrrr all in all, certain issues of this i do join you in going grrrrrrrrrr *crawls back under stone*
They are pushing a pension scheme on us at the moment , but it is our choice . Does this mean eventualy i will HAVE to have one even if i don't wish too ?.
