Bashing political parties

I never heard Phillip Noel Baker speak, but I agree that Robin Cooke was good. He didn't have much in favour of himself – small, rather ugly man, an appearance that he made worse with that wretched beard, and a funny little squeaky voice – but his command of language, his rapier-sharp intellect and his shining integrity made him a man to watch and listen to. Who matches up now? Who has stepped into his shoes?

I once attended a meeting addressed by Denis Healey. He kept the audience in the palm of his hand. Nobody has charisma these days and hardly anyone has any principles. Disillusioned? You bet I am.

Didn't Robin once say 'alas, my face is against me '...

annodomini, """I once attended a meeting addressed by Denis Healey. He kept the audience in the palm of his hand. Nobody has charisma these days and hardly anyone has any principles. Disillusioned? You bet I am"""

We can shake hand on this then.

Today's leading politicians are economists, not social democrats.

Alan Johson got sacked as the front bench opposition Chancellor because he wasnt an economist, he spoke from the heart.

Alan Johnson was a postman.

Ivanhoe

George Osborne may be Chancellor of the Exchequer but he isn't an economist.

Well, isn't that the problem with most of them, whatever party? People with no idea what life is like in the real world. And that includes most Labour politicians too, these days.

BARROW, """I get the impression, I may be wrong, that a lot of the contributors on GN tend to be more left wing so tend to "Tory bash".

I grew up in a family where my Father was an active Trade Unionist and campaigned for the Labour party but I'm afraid following the Blair/Brown disaster I have now voted Conservative.

Labour's answer to most things is to spend more money, which means more taxes. UK is one of the highest taxed countries in the world already. Of course, the Conservatives haven't got everything right but I trust them more than I trust those at the top of the Labour party."""

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Barrow, You have got some things wrong here. First of all New Labour were free-market Thatcherite, because Tony Blair and Gordon Brown continued Thatcher's policies from 1997.

Secondly we havent had a "Conservative party/Government since the 70's. So when you went to Conservative, you actually vote for the same ultra right wing Tory Government since Thatcher in the 80's.

Barrow, ""Labour's answer to most things is to spend more money, which means more taxes. UK is one of the highest taxed countries in the world already""

First of all if we want our vital services we have to be prepared to pay for them. And this includes a welfare state for those who's jobs fall victim to market forces.

Also, since the 80's when Margaret Thatcher cut income tax for all British workers, Britain's income tax rates remain the "lowest" in the EU. EU workers pay far higher income tax rates than we do.

David Cameron is now busy dismantling the role of the State including the welfare State because the Tory right wing don believe in either.

So Barrow, be prepared for more food banks around the country because you believe that Labour's answer to everything is spending money.

Frankly, I also used to be a Labour activist, but ditched my membership when Blair took Labour to the right and embraced Thatcherism.

Also I have worked "all" my life and know that traditional Labour were the founders of the welfare State and the NHS, and im proud that my income taxes have always gone toward both to help the unemployed, the sick, the old, and the disabled, because right wing Torysm cares nothing for the vulnerable.

" traditional Labour were the founders of the welfare State"

Let's be accurate, Ivanhoe, Lord Beveridge, whose report formed the foundation of our welfare state was, in fact, a Liberal, although the report was implemented by the post-war Labour government. Credit where credit is due.

You beat me to it anno

vampirequeen ""Bring back the likes of Dennis Skinner""

Brilliant posting. I could not agree more.

However, Tony Blair ruined Labour because Mr Blair took Labour to the right in 1997 and embraced Thatcher's free market policies for 13 years.

annodomini , Bang on. I apologise.

Would that be the same Dennis Skinner who used to boast at never having been abroad, and who dumped his old wife for his young American 'researcher'?

Ivanhoe

Dennis Skinner is alive and kicking still in Parliament. I wish he wasn't he can't ask a civil question, he wastes his time being arrogant and uses childish rhetoric to get a cheap laugh. Nothing intelligent is ever asked by him.

Give me the likes of Kate Hoey and Frank Field any day. They won't waste precious opportunities to ask a sensible question or respond with intellect.

Having read all of your many views etc I'm still completely confuse maybe if there is a independance I will look at him/her

HAVE YOU WONDERED WHERE ALL THE COMUNISTS HAVE GONE?
HAVE THEY TAKEN OVER THE BBC?

As my father who was a coal miner left the miners hall, having paid his union dues, stopped to light his pipe, I, who was a school boy asked him if all the miners were labour supporters. He said to me "Son if you give 10 bob more to any of them you have a conservative".

canny.

gagagram I haven't counted, but I'm fairly sure there are more posts on here where people say they can't stand the Tories or Labour (and sometimes Libdem). There are a few Labour supporters and one or two Tories. So that hardly represents an "on line meeting of the Labour Party".

I would never, ever vote Tory because I disagree completely with their ideology and because I think they are largely a group of privileged and out-of-touch individuals who ultimately represent the interests of big business. In the past I voted Labour and feel that they did some good things at the start - spending more on education, the Sure Start Centres, massively reducing NHS waiting times. I was appalled when TB deceived the British people and took this country into the Iraq War - a shameful legacy that he will never be forgiven for.

I have little faith in the Labour Party and none in the Tories or Lib Dems. I would prefer to vote Green but recognise that with our current voting system it will be a wasted vote and might let in the Tories. What to do? I don't know.

I just wish that the Respect party had a candidate here. it does seem to be the only party actively opposed to war. Life is so precious so why do men (mainly men ) send men/women to kill other human beings.
Anyone else notice that the names of the war dead are no longer read out in PMQ--- or did i miss last weeks casualty?

blueskies

The reading of the names of serving forces personnel killed in action still is the 'first' duty of the PM at PMQ's .

Today, wed. 24th April, sadly was in tribute to Lance Corporal Jamie Webb of the 1st Battalion Mercian Regt. He was killed in Afghanistan on tuesday 26th March.

There was no PMQ's last week!

I laughed when I read the OP! My experience on reading posts when I first joined GN suggested to me that the majority of posters were more likely to vote Tory/UKip /Lib Dem rather than for a traditional socialist Labour party (New Labour does not count as that!) There are a many left of centre GNers but i would not consider them the majority!

When I first looked at GN approx. 6 mths ago and joined it was very apparent that most people posting were very left of centre. I still think that holds true. Interesting how different our perceptions of GN are nanaej

I agree, Sel. Many seem to have become disillusioned with Labour during Tony Blair's premiership, but the allegiance to the left is still obvious.

Also I think many that aren't very left wing just leave

And how do you know that, Sel......are you privy to membership details denied the rest of us?
Out of some 15,000 members only a tiny proportion post regularly and possibly these are the people who feel most strongly about politics, religion, etc. We have absolutely no way of knowing the allegiances of the vast bulk of our membership. And does it matter? It would get pretty boring if we all agreed about everything.