A letter to Mr Cameron shared on facebook

It depends what you mean by 'political knowledge'. All the media have the same map of the election results because that is the fact. There is also fudge and spin and informed and uninformed opinion. The thing is, to learn the difference between fact and opinion. Cameron speaks of 'One nation Conservatism'. What exactly does 'one nation' mean when the UK is so obviously divided?

yes, we all need to think for ourselves. Look at different sources etc and not believe touchingly that everything we read is gospel.This goes for all the left, right and centre voters.

Again I say only an idiot takes their political knowledge from the printed press because we all know they are left/right wing. It is what the left/right papers do not report because of their partisan stance that makes for interesting reading and sourcing your knowledge base.

The BBC is another bone of contention some think it is biased to the left some to the right, you have to look past the BBC for your information to be honest, it is tantamount to a political spin doctor whilst claiming to be neutral, no it isn't. Like the papers there are some decent journalistic progs. but you have to look at other sources to evaluate even those.

I think pointing out there are more right wing papers is a faux argument unless you really do take everything they print as your political bible then you will only see politics through their eyes and won't know any different.

To answer your question, durhamjen, I am not rich at all. Probably rather less so than you.

But far more on the right!

We G'netters are a mixed bunch, not only with politics, but with technology!
Some will be as tech savvy as any young person, some less so, but manage to get around he virtual world, and others content with emailing and a few games and a forum or two.Many people still enjoy reading an actual newspaper though, me included.Let's be honest, there are right wing, centre and left wing newspapers out there and we all know which they are.

I think that you are probably right Ariadne.

I took it that whitewave was talking about hard print newspapers. I havent looked up hard print circulations in a long while.
And for some, probably wrong reason, didnt think many people read newspapers online. I suppose that is difficult to measure. Plus, I think, having spent too long on gransnet, I get the impression that GN readers read hard print a lot more than online. I am being a bit thick.

I meant to add, that I have done a couple of brief comaprisons on other days before, and again, they were quite different, from what I saw.
Perhaps the Telegraph isnt.
I think that when I bought the 8 hard print newspapers, there was a Telegraph amongst them.

If the "paper" versions have "a bit of a right wing bias", then surely you'd have to say the same about the online versions, soontobe? I cannot imagine that they are edited for their different readerships!

paper version [ I meant real/hard copy.

When I started a thread about the DM and its vivid IS pictures, I went out that day or the next and compared it, and about 7 other papers with the online version.
The DM one was radically different. The others, some of which I didnt compare as closely, were different as well, as regards content.
I couldnt do a full and complete search of all 8 of them, as my computer is very slow, and some newspapers, such as the Guardian, and especially the express and one other[forgot which one], is so painfully slow to load, that I give up loading and reading part way through.
The DM is one online version that loads brilliantly compared to others. Which is why I still read it, but not as much as before.
For what it is worth, I should have better somputer access in a few months time. Hoorah!

What do you mean by "paper versions"? Soontobe? I have a subscription to the DT which buys me one "real/hard copy" and online to 2 devices at the same address, so DH and I sit up in bed with our respective iPads while the paper sits on the mat!!
But the content is identical -only missing the ads.

I didnt realise that so many people still read the paper version of newspapers. I thought that they had somewhat died out.

I have realised from partly on gransnet, and doing a bit of looking into it myself, that the paper versions do indeed have a bit of a right wing bias.
I do think that that is slightly counteracted by the left wing bias of the BBC, but I do now conclude, that in the light of so many people still reading paper newspapers, that the balance is wrong.

Well said, whitewave! The new electoral map of the UK is quite alarming. It shows quite starkly the extent to which our political views vary regionally. I can't think any government which has got in on the present voting system is going to welcome any change. And I can't think the Tories are going to show a lot of forebearance over their less popular policies when they have been returned so solidly, in spite of having little support in large areas of the country.

The sentiment in the letter is why I and all my extended family voted Labour.

In fact none of my family have been touched by the Cameron government in a material way - we are what could be classed as middle class I suppose, although material wealth has never been important to any of us - I guess you could say that having never wanted it is easy to say that.

My children are an environmental scientist and a genetic engineer, my nephew in between a Masters and a PHd the rest of us are either retired on reasonable occupational pensions or still in education.

But and it is a big BUT none of us can accept that a society as rich and mature as ours should allow such an imbalance of wealth and power.
The problem is that listening to people when talking about the state of the nation they talk in newspaper headlines, they are a pervasive influence and undoubtedly a right wing narrative is all that gets aired. As a consequence any possible alternative to the current economic path is drowned out with the many of the population unable to make any form of judgement other than one of ever more austerity and for many hardship

How rich are you, Ana?

theconversationuk.cmail19.com/t/r-l-azuyhy-iudkikukhu-h/

I only ask because it's only the rich who have had an increased standard of living, according to this article. Just been checking my email, and there it was! Serendipity, for me but not the poor.

I will post this link again as well dj even though I got told off for posting it the first time (wrong thread apparently, tut tut, us left wingers must learn our place now it seems).

A real economist talking about the economy, and how we are fed lies by the press.

I don't expect anyone to read it, after all, why bother now?

mainlymacro.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/why-are-conservatives-so-incompetent-at.html?m=1

I still bet you will not find this in the Telegraph, Times or DM.

I didn't ask, I just knew you wouldn't be able to resist!

CBA reading Guardian articles at this time of night, although I'm sure some will thank you for the links...

www.theguardian.com/business/2015/may/01/uk-factory-data-debunks-tory-claims-of-economic-recovery

Another one for you, Ana, if you insist. I bet none of the Tory papers had this in.

Not the only ones who haven't noticed, Ana.
A link for you, as you asked.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/06/low-pay-high-rent-work-poverty-employment-general-election-chingford

Iain Duncan Smith's constituency has the fifth highest proportion of low-paid workers in the UK, nearly half paid less than a living wage. Fortunately his majority went down to just over 8000 from 13,000.

put mammon in the place of god
I wasn't aware that any particular party (labour included) had a monopoly on god and never realised that the tories were not religious gracesgran

You and yours may not have noticed it, durhamjen, but it's a matter of record. You must know that, but are affecting ignorance - I anticipate a link coming up!

I haven't actually noticed any economic recovery, and neither have my kids or grandkids, although I suppose you did say "what little....", Ana.

You started it ducks.

'Don't bother to be sad on my behalf btw. You already have so many family troubles to feel down about. Thankfully I have none. I am truly blessed.'
I'm sorry j, but I do think that was a personal, spiteful comment and I would like you to retract it please.