I just wanted to say that the behaviour in the commons yesterday was absolutely disgusting. The party leaders ceased to have a constructive political debate and instead a slagging match, battering arguments which simply amounted to na na, your're wrong type of politiics. In one frightening exchange Howard shouted out "Crime up!, taxes up!, MRA up! in a very national front Hail Hitler fashion while Tory MPs smirked in the wings. Blair was equally like the wissel he always is decouncing the Tories with that cynical smile of his. Is this joke, this backbiting excuse for politics how we conduct democracy in this country? Be prepared for this to get worse as we get closer to the election. I wish just for once someone would talk common sense in the Commons rather than play dirty tricks of spin and manipulation on one another Anyone else as fed up as me?
i find it all rather amusing. while our elected leaders are squabbling over the price of fish, it's the only time when the man on the street takes an interest. unfortunately that interest dwindles so that by the 5th of may, everyone just jibs of the idea of voting and goes the pub. then on the 6th of may this sceptred isle returns to a state of usual insanity :) now THAT's democracy.
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burn down our home, RAPE OUR DEAD MOUTHS. Just as long as I don't have to hear anymore of your disgusting babble
i TOTALLY AGREE with you Nick. The problem is how is anything ever going to improve in this "green and pleasant land" of ours if politicans never look beyond mere party interest of (o what can be say to get in), rather than what might be good for the British interest and the international community. In the nineteenth century the British Liberals and socialists dreamt of a New Jerusalem free from poverty, inequality, idleness, disease, want ect. People have a right to expect a better deal from those pricks in white hall, especially while these problems still plague us. I'm sure we all know those communities and individuals affected by these problems where whole streets have degenerated because of lack of money, citizenship and community projects, but politicians I think are all to willing just to think of these people as an embarrassment aka housing estate scum. All starts as one sociologist put it with one broken window.
I'm sure we all know those communities and individuals affected by these problems where whole streets have degenerated because of lack of money, citizenship and community projects, but politicians I think are all to willing just to think of these people as an embarrassment aka housing estate scum.
Well I'm not too sure about that, as increasingly these areas are becoming more and more prominent issues, and hence money is being pumped into the areas and there is an annoyingly vast wealth of benefits for these people.
Moss Side & Hulme around Manchester is a case in point - money put in, Hulme in particular improving, council houses being sold off for £1 to property developers so that trendy flats can be built on the land, and presto - better living conditions.
I'm not desputing what you've said, but in a place not far from where I live, Peterbrough, the city is in desperate need of a revap, building community projects ect. People need to feel safe, unbothered and happy, I know from my own experience and talks with friends of mine this isn't the case. There is still allot of bad housing. Crime is getting higher, there is little support for young people and the elderly and uneasy relations between ethnic minorities. Recently we experienced small race riots and a man was beaten with a hammer in the bus station. It is my view that one's environment, quality of life ect has a major impact on crime as well as economic issues. The government has still fallen short of the radical urban regeneration it promised in 1997, although of course Mancester is a good case in point as far as regeneration is concerned. The fact is that under New Labour urban degeneration, socially as well as environmentally has become become more marked. This inspite of the fact that in 1997 Blair promised," We will help build strong families and strong communities, and lay the foundations of a modern welfare state in pensions and community care".
After seven years of New Labour government, inequality in Britain is increasing. The gap between rich and poor is getting larger. The slice of total income taken by the top one per cent is already back to what it was in the 1930s, and continuing to increase rapidly. Under New Labour the very rich are paying less and the Middle Classes are paying more, while the number of poor underclass is increasing. Despite recent rises in public spending, the government still says it can't afford to run universities without top-up fees. It can' t afford decent pensions for the majority and many city councils are short of cash. We've still got a lot of problems to sort of out in this country, so lets hope we can get a better deal.
