Poll: Which party will get your vote in the General Election?

[Naffa]

what substance do you want? they were not in power. However they would not of run up national debt like labour, they would not of made a big fat government even fatter and they would not of introduced draconian laws.

Can you not see how utterly ridiculous that sounds? How on earth could you possibly know that? And don't even think about comparing this Conservative party to the Conservative party of old as you would be doing nothing other than undermining Cameron's efforts to change the party image.

getting rid of the 50% bracket is a good think, it achieves nothing and actually undermines

I disagree. In these exceptional circumstances, exceptional measures need to be taken and (to quote Gordon Brown) those with the broader shoulders need to pay more.

As for the windfall on bankers that is just retarded and shows how jealous you are. Lets retrospectively change the law to punish a certain group of people. yet again another stupid law labour at looking at.

That has to be one of the most idiotic things I've ever read on here. You think the reason I support it is because I'm jealous....? Right. Why don't you take a look at the Financial Times article I linked to where one of the world's leading economists says why he thinks it's a good thing as it pretty much sums up my view. I've no desire to have copious amounts of money and it has absolutely nothing to do with jealousy and it's ridiculous to even suggest that it's so.

 

[Hatter The Mad]

I disagree. In these exceptional circumstances, exceptional measures need to be taken and (to quote Gordon Brown) those with the broader shoulders need to pay more

http://www.heritage.org/research/taxes/wm327.cfm

The 50% tax band is populist and does more harm to our tax receipts than good.

 

[Naffa]

http://www.heritage.org/research/taxes/wm327.cfm

The 50% tax band is populist and does more harm to our tax receipts good.

Whilst I agree that you're right, in the long term, the 50% will probably harm the economy, this is not a long term tax. All of the examples in your link are spanned over two presidential terms, this is not a long term tax, it's a short term one.

 

[Jonny69]

I notice a number of you who are in work and earning reasonable wages complaining non-stop about recession, but it's not really affected you. Why does it bother you so much?

 

[Aled]

Not sure how you can simultaneously support a British unionist party and a Welsh separatist party.

Need Plaid for business to run efficiently (and thats why Conservative in the County elections)
But for the country i'd rather BNP.

 

[Hatter The Mad]

I notice a number of you who are in work and earning reasonable wages complaining non-stop about recession, but it's not really affected you. Why does it bother you so much?

It will affect us. It will affect public services, it will affect our businesses and employers, it will affect the country's output as a whole. It will affect our children.

 

[Hatter The Mad]

Whilst I agree that you're right, in the long term, the 50% will probably harm the economy, this is not a long term tax. All of the examples in your link are spanned over two presidential terms, this is not a long term tax, it's a short term one.

Even then, it still applies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laffer_curve

When the amount to be saved from evading a tax outweighs paying that tax AND accepting the risks involved in the evasion, people will do it.

 

[Naffa]

Even then, it still applies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laffer_curve

When the amount to be saved from evading a tax outweighs paying that tax AND accepting the risks involved in the evasion, people will do it.

Please don't think I'm claiming your information to be false or incorrect when I ask this, but do you have any examples of said economics at work in the UK? Just out of genuine curiosity, I'm not trying to prove you wrong or anything.

 

[Jonny69]

It will affect us. It will affect public services, it will affect our businesses and employers, it will affect the country's output as a whole. It will affect our children.

It'll stifle your consumption because the real cost of something is reflected, rather than what it looks like when the economy is stronger than everywhere else. It's a genuine question and that's a very vague answer, what are you worried about?

 

[Glaucus]

Can you not see how utterly ridiculous that sounds? How on earth could you possibly know that? And don't even think about comparing this Conservative party to the Conservative party of old as you would be doing nothing other than undermining Cameron's efforts to change the party image.

why's it ridiculous, you saying Tories would have ran the country the same way fo the last 10 years, with the increased borrowing, the increase in a big fat lumbering goverment and introduce stupid popularist laws that have no effect and are not based on fact. So you saying it would be the same is the stupid part.

I disagree. In these exceptional circumstances, exceptional measures need to be taken and (to quote Gordon Brown) those with the broader shoulders need to pay more..

It harms the economy, we need the rich, they are going to move abroad, also that article posted a few posts above. In these times you need sensible policy not ridiculous ones like this.

That has to be one of the most idiotic things I've ever read on here. You think the reason I support it is because I'm jealous....? Right. Why don't you take a look at the Financial Times article I linked to where one of the world's leading economists says why he thinks it's a good thing as it pretty much sums up my view. I've no desire to have copious amounts of money and it has absolutely nothing to do with jealousy and it's ridiculous to even suggest that it's so.

Yes you are jealous and bitter. You think it is ok to retrospectively change law to punish a small group, that is never ok or a good thing. LAw should never ever be retrospectively changed and if you can't see how retrospective law changing that targets a minority group is wrong then wow just wow.

I notice a number of you who are in work and earning reasonable wages complaining non-stop about recession, but it's not really affected you. Why does it bother you so much?

because it affects everyone, even people with seemingly good jobs, companies have cut back and made redundancies. It is never good for the country and business as a whole. Many of us have seen family or friends been made redundant.

 

[Beren]

Not just with uranium-based nuclear fission power, which is what's on the table. That's a short term temporary solution at considerable expense. Uranium is rare. If they get a thorium-based fission power station working, that would be a different story. Thorium is relatively plentiful. Or economically viable fusion, of course, but nobody's talking about that happening soon.

Kite-based high altitude wind power would be useful. Wave power likewise. Both are reliable and common around the UK.

A mix of methods would be a good idea, as there are drawbacks with all of them.

That depends on what you term short term temporary. There is currently enough readily available Uranium deposits for us to mine to last at current usage for ~100 years. 50.7% of this is located in Australia and Canada, so we are not going to have to worry about civil war disrupting supply any time soon. It is estimated that we should be able to find deposits for a further 200 years or so of use. This is without recycling as we do at sellafield which would greatly increase these numbers.

Nuclear is IMO the only realistic way to meet our mid-term energy requirements. In the medium term we are going to want to cut our dependence on fossil fuels as much as we can. I don't care if the argument for this is CO2, Peak Oil, Disruption to supply through political instability or what. IMO any one of these reasons is enough for us to be running away from a fossil fuel dependency as fast as possible.

If any of the parties would stand up and provide a solid energy policy and a good fiscal policy then I would jump ship from the Lib Dems, they are still dreaming about the ideal world not the real one when it comes to energy though so I will just have to keep shouting at as many of them as I can till they change their minds

 

[ElectroBlaster]

I will never vote tory no matter how bad things get, I grew up in the days of thatcher and will never forget what she did to this country. I will not be voting labour either!

So Lib dem seems the only other choice but tbh I just dont know if to vote this time around...

 

[Hatter The Mad]

I will never vote tory no matter how bad things get, I grew up in the days of thatcher and will never forget what she did to this country. I will not be voting labour either!

What did she do (that adversely affected you and your family)?

 

[britboy4321]

What did she do (that adversely affected you and your family)?

For me she introduced poll tax the first year I started work. I was earning £28 per week down a chippy (first ever job). My dad was on £62000 per year.

Thatcher decided we both should pay identical tax to the penny 'as it's fairest'. Effectively I was paying about 75-80% tax on my £28 per week. Dad, being rich, naturally got a lot lot richer. Which is of course the cornerstone of conservative thinking (his amazing sudden riches should have inspired me to earn more or something so the theory goes!!)

The tories actually, seriously, stood up in the house and said that this was the fairest form of taxation. I disagree personally. It VERY BADLY directly affected me.

 

[dirtydog]

For me she introduced poll tax. I was earning £28 per week (first ever job). My dad was on £62000 per year.

Thatcher decided we both should pay identical tax 'as it's fairest'. Effectively I was paying about 75-80% tax on my £28 per week.

The tories actually, seriously, stood up in the house and said that this was the fairest form of taxation. Directly affected me.

You would have received an 80% reduction in your poll tax due to your low income. Or should have.

 

[britboy4321]

You would have received an 80% reduction in your poll tax due to your low income. Or should have.

I can't remember my exact wages but this was 15 years ago working about 15 hours a week in a chippy. I definately did not recieve any rebate. after spending my first paycheck, I had to save up for many months to be able to afford the tax bill.

My dad thought it was hilarious!

 

[EddScott]

BNP are a disgrace.
Conservatives will ruin this country.
Labour have failed us.
Lib Dem imo.

This.

The Conservsatives will spend their term in power milking it just like Labour, making a mess just like Labour and when they fail to reach targets they'll blame Labour.

If your only prepared to consider Labour and the Conservatives its like looking at two piles of poo and trying to decide which one smells nicer.

Lib Dems have had some good ideas over the years but they are hindered by their size compared to the big boys. They also shot them selves in both feet by hanging Charles Kennedy for having a drink problem. They could have rallied round and actually turned it into a PR win by supporting him. What they did was bury him and it was a PR disaster.

If they could ditch Clegg and get Kennedy back in they would certainly come a closer 2nd then they are likely too now.

 

[EddScott]

What did she do (that adversely affected you and your family)?

She forced the mines to close which produced huge estates full of unemployed people. These unemployed people never became re-employed. These unemployed people required state funding to support themselves and their families. These families got used to no working but having things paid for so it became a habit. These family had children who saw that there was no real need to work and with your social money go down the pub, get drunk, smoke too much and have lots of unprotected sex because they couldn't be bothered to go to school and learn how babies are made.

Times this by 25 years. You now see how short sighted it was to save a penny by closing mines but to be awarded this huge burden on the social system, education system and health system.

So even if you weren't one of those families directly affected, your family will have had to pay for these people in their taxes.

And don't for one minute think that the Tories will do anything about it.

 

[izzy eckerslike]

What did she do (that adversely affected you and your family)?

government of Thatcher , how did ( & still does) it effect you & your family you ask

Err let me think ?

highest utility prices in Europe thanks to Tory privatisation
Amongst the most expensive public transport in Europe ,ditto
Amongst the highest petrol price in the EU thanks to Lamont, check it out

I could post a lot more but I don't want to wear my keyboard out

 

[Luseac]

Conservatives.

And yes, I'm only 21 and don't remember the nasty Thatcher years, but then again I'm fortunate enough not to live in a horrid northern town where a bunch of unionist miners lost their jobs and haven't stopped winging since.

Don't see myself ever really voting for the liberals, I'm quite a royalist and would be concerned that they would scrap things like our Nuclear deterrent and cut our defence budget (Goodbye CVF, Type 45s, JSF, Astutes etc.) to fund some "green" projects.

Some of the labour cabinet seem to be alright, but unfortunately the fact that 90% of the backbenchers seem to just be a load of retired trade union leaders and believe in wealth distribution to such an extreme level puts me off. Oh that and their complete lack of economic creditability.