Gransnet is right wing?

Nanadog. I'd ADORE social security. Even I couldn't make a bigger mess of it than it is already!
Do you know they are changing the descriptors for ESA AGAIN! That's the third change since it started. Since that dratted ATOS can't apply the current one correctly heaven knows what they'll do with new ones. The appeal service will then have to juggle 4different systems. My poor old brain can't cope. I think I will retire!

Ok that's miceElf sorted

What's wrong with the National Health Action party?
Run by doctors for all of us to get the NHS back again. Some people see it as a single issue party. However, the Tories in my view made a mistake by telling us all that GPs were capable of running huge budgets.
Many of them have more experience than Osborne had when he was made chancellor. He probably never even had any experience of accounting apart from signing his dad's wallpaper business accounts.
Headteachers also run huge budgets, so they could join forces to run the country.
Do any of you agree with Michael Gove's "back to when we were at school" ideas?

I rather fancy being the minister for culture.

Meant Social Security..

Sorry jeni posts crossed. Will you accept Social Services?
Any takers for Minister of Peace? JO5!

jendurham Minister for Health?

Health and or social security for me. Who for education foreign affairs etc (or are we going to be 'splendid isolationists" in which case no need for foreign affairs)
Do we have ministry of peace instead of so called defence?

Actually I had you down for a more senior role great .
jeni getting there ... but senate is too close to senile perhaps?

Yes, Greatnan, I do read Private Eye, and the Green Benches website which has also been highlighting it for ages. I have joined the National Health Action party, and "unjoined" the Patients Association since they informed me that they had linked up with BUPA. I wear a badge for KONP, i.e., Keep Our NHS Public, and sign up to masses of websites and groups to keep tabs on the NHS.
Like you I think, why do people not notice what's happening. I am really worried that soon it will be too late.
Although this time last year my husband had bad experiences with the NHS in our local hospital, I certainly would not want it to be privatised.
I do quite often think why bother, but then I start to feel disloyal to Ken, my parents and my grandparents.
Anyone who doubts that the NHS is being privatised needs to read the article in the Guardian. However, I have noticed that, although it was the headline in yesterdy's Guardian, it has already gone off the front page of their website.

I am a retired tax inspector so I could volunteer to be treasurer - but I am also a retired English teacher so I could be the secretary. I can't do much door-stepping, though, as I live in France. (No, I have no interest in French politics as my three pensions all come from the UK government.)

The senate party.
As in older/elder states people?

If only we could start our own political party.
Any suggestions for a name? And who'd be wiling to serve and in what capacity?

I have noticed that the petition is now trending on the govt. website!
4 signatures in the last hour. Never thought I'd ever be trendy!
You did say, Jeni, that you weren't interested in politics. And I still woyld not have understood the beans.
Thaks for the info, Greatnan.
I actually tried to put on an epetition to stop companies involved in tax dodging from being eligible to apply for NHS contracts.
They would not accept that, so that is obviously being really political.
I can only presume that that was because of confidential information having to be made available. Why should any company buying out the NHS be able to hide financial information?

Jeni, I am sure jendurham did not mean to be rude - remember what we have all said about how the written word can be misinterpreted?
It is the very fact that politicians seem to be so self serving that makes me keenly interested in all that they do (or as much as we can find out about what they do!) If I thought they were all dedicated and honest I would not spend so much time checking up on them!

jendurham there is no need to be rude!
I was interrupted but meant to go on to say, that if all the politicians weren't so seemingly self serving and a fair number corrupt I would be interested!
At the moment I think all the parties are as bad as each other and feel that the interests of the country are not their priority!

Signed - Jen, do you read Private Eye? They have been highlighting this scandal for many issues, along with so many other corrupt practices, such as the awarding of contracts to very poor companies, and the 'revolving door' which allows retiring MPs to join the boards of companies who have benefited from the policies in which the MP was involved.
Please have a look at my thread 'Who are the masters now?' and you will see how there is a web of contacts between a limited number of people at the top of the social heap. I cannot understand why so few people appear to recognise this, or be angered by it.

Jendurham - Abstain from Beans refers to the practice in ancient Athens of voting by putting different beans in a receptacle - if you didn't want to vote you abstained.
I will sign, even though I don't live in England - plenty of my family do.
I agree that there is no point in posting on a thread that you don't want to post on that thread! I don't post on knitting or gardening as I have no interest in either.

Sorry, I do not understand. Get off the politics forum if that's how you feel.
I'm vegetarian by the way and love beans, but I still do not understand your comment.

I abstain from beans! I find politics boring.

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/40126

So come on all you left-wingers. Read the article in the Guardian about the GPs who are now millionaires by selling off their out of hours group to Careuk and then sign my petiton to look into govt. ministers links with private healthcare companies.
The link ishttp://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/40126
Then join the National Health Action party, particularly those of you who live in London and can go to their inaugural meeting on Thursday.

Right-wing? Well certainly NOT moi.

Although I was recently voted in as a Councillor here and I had only 2 parties to choose from if I wanted to get involved here, the extreme right, or a centre right party, which here if called the 'radical-liberals' (which they are not, lol). But it gives me a chance to get involved with the education system and also the more positive integration of immigrants, so be it.

Not a politics site?
I look on the politics forum first, but I only joined a couple of weeks ago.
There are 136 discussions on the politics forum. That sounds quite political to me. And many of the other forums are political, too, like the epetitions and environment ones.

Ella - you are not alone. Those of us who used to be Labour voters were disenfranchised when Blair turned the party into his personal fiefdom and Brown allowed his personal angst to interfere with his judgement. Now, we can only see what Milliband does and hope he can reverse some of the worst onslaughts onto the poor, the unemployed, the sick, the disabled, and the elderly, the NHS and education.
I have not used my postal vote since I moved to France - I just felt too disheartened, but I think I will vote next time, if I am still in Europe.