The main problems of England as I see things.

That's that then!

for England I assume you mean the United Kingdom
you are factually as well as idealogically incorrect

Poor England, how blessed Wales, Scotland and N Ireland are

Thanks for that, P100 I'll get back to the ironing.

It must be wonderful to be so certain of everything. I feel quite inadequate.

Saves having to read realms of links too Nonnie!
I too am apparently utterly inadequate so will wander off to deadhead the roses.......or something

GNHQ, can we have a [deep sigh] emoticon please?

Off to clean out my cellar, in sackcloth and ashes.

Oh good, it's summer, I can go and watch the grass grow <sigh>

grannyonce, my posting is spot on.

Britain has had Thatcherism since 1979.

Scotland finally voted for the SNP in May, thus getting out from under the harshness of Thatcher's Parliament.

Sweeping generalisations !

Shall I stop debating. Stop voting. Stop trying to change things even if it's just in a small way.

If it's cut and dried then there is no point.

Much as I'd like to we cannot go back to the politics of the mid to end of the last century. The unions/workers have been broken. The Labour Party is no longer socialist. They will not bring back nationalisation or give more power to the workers. But then the world has also changed. We have to move with the times. Even with my rose tinted spectacles I know there has never been a dream socialist regime. The Seventies and Eighties were a time of great upheaval. The ruling class thought the workers might take over and they fought back. They had the power to make and change laws, to close down pits, mills and factories, to allow cheap imported goods to flood the market, to use the police and if necessary the armed forces and they used these powers to great effect. On the other hand some people might say they were saving the country from anarchy. That's something we'll never know because we (the socialists) lost so we were never tested in government.

As with all wars the losers have to come to terms with losing and learn to live under the rules of the victors. That doesn't mean we can't fight back but we have to adapt and change our strategies. We can't win in an all out battle but we can keep pushing to make sure our treasured institutions like the NHS continue and aren't sold off to the highest bidder (see the thread about TTIP and the NHS)

Parliament100 may have given up the fight but I haven't.

Oh dear, are we all walking around with blinkers on? No? Maybe we are all just old and stupid? I knew everything when I was 19 but then began to realise I actually didn't.

So 'we English are neither interested in nor motivated by politics.'

Has anyone watched this Old English Ivory paint as it dries? So exciting to see the subtle shades as they change. Can't wait to touch it to check it's not wet. Much more exciting than the mental gymnastics of political debate!

whenim64, The past 30 odd years in this country has created a huge rich and poor divide that's getting wider.

Millions of our old people are in poverty, millions live on the streets, and there are a million food banks round the UK. This is after 30 odd years of right wing rule with no policy at all.

whenim64, what would you like to hear to make you feel passion for politics ?. To motivate you.?

There are nowhere near a million food banks in the UK, Parliament100.

At least get your facts right.

With you Vampirequeen

Parliament I have a passion for politics. I just don't have a passion for your misguided rants. Haven't you got an outlet that doesn't involve preaching to the converted?

When is that the gloss or the emulsion?

Hyperbole has no place in informed debate. According to the Trussell Trust, 'In the last year, more than 1 million people were helped with three days’ food, including almost 400,000 children'. Not quite 1 million food banks. As for rough sleepers, statistics from the Crisis website give the lie to the notion that millions live on the street.

The Autumn 2014 counts and estimates suggested there were 2,744 rough sleepers on any one night in England -a rise of 55 per cent from Autumn 2010, when the figure was 1,768.

However, it should be noted that these figures are a snapshot taken on one night and fall well short of what local agencies report over the course of a year. In London alone, 6,508 people were reported sleeping rough during 2013/14.

I don't think that the BBC is right wing! Quite the opposite in fact!

Heard on the local radio this morning that the Muslim group in Newcastle are going to make a meal tonight for the hundred homeless that they know of.

That seems quite a lot for one city.

Maybe not the right forum to argue that the English aren't interested in politics! Or the Welsh, Irish and Scots.

What, Lilygran!
Some are not interested in politics.
Are you going to join the coven?