The Conservative Conference

It doesn't start until tomorrow...

No pre-conference razzmatazz? I wondered if it was because there are so few members of the party. I was just reading an article which discusses the ageing, falling membership of the Tory party. It's only subscription on-line but I will quote a little.

"The party's conference in Manchester, like Labour's in Brighton, will be full to bursting. But where the labour shindig is chock-full of members, trade unionists and hangers-on from the charitable sector, the Conservative gathering is a more corporate affair: lobbyists outnumber members by four to one. At a fringe event last year, the journalist Peter Oborne demanded to know how many people in the room were party members. It was standing room only - but just four people put their hands up"
(Stephen Bush "Another Voice" New Statesman 2-8 October 2015)

No pre-conference razzmatazz?

I was too busy sitting on the fence watching the rugby to go along and do any cheerleading.
www.livestrong.com/article/542003-what-muscles-do-cheerleaders-use/
Couldn't find my pom-poms either

The razmattaz is in the People's Assembly today, Gracesgran, and in the papers.
They interviewed IDS in the Guardian today about the conference. No idea what he said as I could not bring myself to read it.

It's a shame this is not going to be mentioned at the Conference.

www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/03/ministers-hiding-details-nhs-cash-crisis

I wonder if Jeremy Hunt will mention it.

I wonder how many doctors are members of the Conservative party.
I wonder how many have left.

www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2015/oct/03/fear-reform-public-sector-services-junior-doctors-protests

Something else that will not be mentioned. I bet it will all be hunkydory in the Conservative NHS.

I was listening to comments on the news about the cash issues for the NHS and two committees have said they have been leant on to keep quiet for the moment.

There are so many things coming up that are challenges for the Conservatives although they may well survive the conference. The letters about the cuts in tax credits are going out just before Christmas - I can't see that going down well and, as you say Jen there are many problems looming with the NHS.

My issue will always be that they a called "the nasty party" for good reason. Obviously not everyone who supports them is intrinsically nasty but their attack on the vulnerable seems to continue and continue. Cameron, on Marr today, tripped out the "we have had to make difficult decisions" yet again. All governments have to make difficult decisions this does not excuse them making it at the cost of the poor or in need of care.

Why, if Tax Credits are not the best way forward, not tax companies earning/turning over a certain amount more than it costs for the tax credits paid to their employees? This would cover the cost and leave some for the smaller companies.

The NHS is a challenge. I don't think anyone would disagree with that. So why attack those working in it? They may have to change but surely they could offer a way forward and their views should be considered. Making public sector workers work in a way that means they will leave as soon as they can does not seem good management to me.

This is not Cameron's government it is Osbourne's. When I think of him I do not see a benign figure I see an ideologue who cares little for people as long as his view of the state is in place.

I listened to Cameron this morning , Marr is not a great a political interviewer . I would like to know how cutting tax credits this year will not affect families because they will benefit from this governments new living wage which will not reach the full amount per hour until 2020

I do find those who support this government are uncaring about the vulnerable

I do actually agree with Cameron (I know, I know) that employers should pay more so that people need to claim less, but his timing is all wrong.
There are so many people telling him that but he is not listening. That's what comes of him only knowing people to whom this is an academic exercise, and nobody who lives in the system.
The living wage needs to be in place first, and for everyone, not just those over 25 years old. Then he can see how tax credits are affected, and adjust accordingly.
It would be interesting to know what the makeup is of his constituency. Some of them might even be at the conference, but outside the ring of steel, the people he ignored on his way in.
It's strange how some people on this site tell us that he is PM for all of us, but he does not acknowledge it. They are all people with a vote, after all.

So Cameron has announced, on the Andrew Marr show, that GPs new contract will include 8-8 opening. It's such a pity that he is willing to impose it, rather than discuss it with GPs.

www.pulsetoday.co.uk/home/finance-and-practice-life-news/dr-chaand-nagpaul-this-announcement-was-not-discussed-with-us/20030125.article

Particularly at a time when GPs are considering resigning en masse.
What is wrong with the man? Why confrontation instead of negotiation?

Might he not care whether the NHS survives?

Oh yes, whitewave. I should have thought of that.
However, when hundreds of GPs give three months notice, he might change his mind.

Did you see Jeremy Hunt having to be shoved through the barriers by all those police, just so he could get into his own conference? I really felt sorry for him.
I wonder if they were as kind to Theresa May.

"Might he not care whether the NHS survives?" I don't think anyone could be so short-sighted as not to care whether the NHS survives. They might wish to make drastic changes to it, but letting it totally collapse without surviving would nor be in their interest.

Its total collapse would leave 150,273 doctors, 377,191 qualified nursing staff, 155,960 qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff and 37,078 managers unemployed, hundreds (thousands?) of hospitals without staff or funds, and millions without any healthcare at all.

That would hardly improve the chances of a government being re-elected, so would not be allowed to happen.

Haven't you noticed the private healthcare vultures circling, Elegran?

Maybe elegran but the workers could be re-employed under a privatised umbrella, rather like many of them now.

Elegran, the word is care. He doesn't care whether the NHS survives.

I am also looking forward to hearing what figures come out of the education department.
I'll be surprised if this gets mentioned.

www.theguardian.com/education/2015/oct/04/half-of-teachers-consider-leaving-profession-shock-poll

That's within the next two years.

I would quite like to see a FullFact fact check on Corbyn's speech versus Cameron's speech.
Most of what Corbyn said about the government claims was correct, so it will be interesting to see if Cameron gets his own facts correct.
Of course, they have changed child poverty figures so that money is not counted any more, so it should be interesting what he says about child poverty, or if he mentions it at all.

i1.wp.com/voxpoliticalonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/151004toryconf22.png

A message from Corbyn.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/pictured-police-snipers-spotted-roof-6573383

Very nice. I like being British because the Tories can have police snipers on the roof when they are having a conference.

Why wouldn't there be armed police in place to protect government ,insiders, or protesters even? Th

Why would anyone one be surprised at the presence of armed police at the conservative part conference? The country is in a state of high likelihood of a terrorist attacking. They are armed protection officers, not
Police snipers.

Well said, Iam64.