Something positive about this government

Annie, Cameron said that to a member of the government, but it's in the Times, so I can't read it in full.

eloathan now that's what I call positive

I agree with you whitewave re IDS and David Laws. IDS has been instrumental in introducing these cuts and this sudden crisis of conscience doesn't ring very true to me. I think it's a bit of political manoeuvring at a time when the Conservative party is in disarray.

By painting IDS as a rather benevolent character, I believe David Laws is trying to excuse his and his party's willingness to go along with the Conservative agenda.

I think IDS was ambitious. I cant see how he would be where he is if he wasn't. I suspect he still is. But perhaps he isnt now.
I also suspect that if Boris were to offer him a nice job sometime after June, he would take it.
What I dont get is why he didnt speak up at all to his colleagues in the weeks leading up to the budget.

What is such fun is the way various government mps come on and say what high regard they have for so and so and how succesful they were at thier job and then go on to totally trash them.

I dee that IDS successor is overtly labelled in the media as "Welsh" & "Christian" They must see that as significant

Love the way they are trying to be all sweetness and light whilst dishing each other

Crumbs, I never thought I would defend IDS - I can't bear the man - but I do believe he feels that it would be good for those on the receiving end of benefits not to be in a position that makes them feel they cannot work because the welfare of their family will be worse by them doing do.

I also feel that to change a system you need enough money to "fudge" the changes for those they will hurt and he seems to have been deprived and deprived again of those resources.

Do those who attack him feel the best benefits system would be one that never changed? That is what it is beginning to sound like. I know I am not as far to the left as some on here - indeed I feel pushed to the further left by what I perceive as the extreme right wing stance of this government but denying that any changes need to made seems pointless to me.

Do I think we should be looking at pensions again - yes. I think we should have a living pension (£11,200 apparently) get rid of all the odds and ends and tax the highest earners so they do not benefit from this. What I do think is that we must feel able to discuss this but pensions seem to be an area closed down by the rhetoric of some on here. We really do all need to be in this together - so that we balance the day to day spending as Labour is now suggesting. That will not be easy and "no changes" will not help.

I think Osborne is a politician and not, by any means, an economist. I think he is so self-obsessed he is a poor politician but this does not stop me thinking there will have to be changes.

I believe there is an absolute maximum of £500 per week, however many children in a family and whatever the cost of housing. This sort of figure is often quoted as if every family receives it - most get a good deal less than that. In my area, the average house costs £500,000, the average flat £350,000 and the average rent is £1,300 per month.

I don't believe that unemployment/disability benefits should be brought down - I believe that the absolutely disgusting wages that some people are earning - even when working for companies that are making huge profits - should be lifted up.

It had been expected that George Osborne would reform pension tax relief - as someone else pointed out, this disproportionately benefits the wealthiest people. Most political commentators agree that as this would have affected Conservative supporters and donors it was abandoned.

I think it is a cowardly, politically and ideologically driven choice to hit welfare but, if some people feel that it is a fair and reasonable target, then I don't see why pensioners should be ring-fenced. Recent figures have shown that, on average, they are doing much better than younger people. Again, the view is that this wasn't pursued because older people are the Conservatives' core voters.

I agree with a lot of your post Gracesgran (therefore I think it's a good post ), apart from being on the left, as I am a floater (not without principles I hope but seeing the best and worst in both parties). I think too long for one party in power is not good for the country and people as a whole, they then seem to think they are invincible and that they can push through whatever they like.

I think one of the real problems is the lack or perceived lack of strong opposition since 2010.
Strong and convincing arguments have not penetrated the narrative, but hopefully now that the total shambles of economic paucity has been exposed, perhaps the voter will begin to refuse to take on board the discourse of the right and begin to look for alternatives. It is all out there for the reading, the trouble is the vast majority of the media close it down as far as is possible

IDS on Andrew Marr claiming he has no ambition-It's so Shakespearean!
"But Brutus says that Caesar was ambitious and Brutus is an honourable man"
Bit late maybe but "Beware the Ides of March"!??

trisher
It was brewing then though

Much depends on the ambitions though, think of Ny Bevans ambition to give the country the N.H.S. Now we have Hunts ambition to destroy it . I cannot see IDS had an ambition to help the vulnerable so I think his ambition was self serving. I do not trust this man. If we vote out of the E.U and have a new PM I think IDS will be back in the cabinet

Finally an apology! Will there be one about the question of my family moving? I never mentioned my family. Will there be one for telling me to 'obey'? How about an explanation of what I didn't find funny? Not going to hold my breath on any of these.

Strange how some make wild comments and expect them to be taken as fact. Strange how HQ delete posts for no reason. GN is clearly no better than the MPs they moan about.

Few more posts to look at then my garden beckons and is much more enjoyable.

Yes he will be the next chancellor and take from the wealthy to give to the poor

nonnie glad you took my advice to avoid making things personal!!

My garden beckons also but it is so cold still here

WW it wasn't me who made it personal, I just responded to one who did!!

Perhaps it would be better for some people to stop harping on about suicide,
There will be quite a few posters with this sadness in their lives ( including me) and it adds nothing to the posts and is hard to prove anyway ( so maybe time to stop trying.)

whitewave writing whatever you like with a grin does not make things better. It is escalating things, not calming them.

I can see there is going to be a stand off on this thread so I'll get it going again. I have to agree that Eloethan's list is quite impressive but would add that some of these achievements were rather costly. I am eagerly waiting for the EU referendum as I can guarantee that fireworks will follow!

nonnie I do hope remark hasn't wound you up.

What I said on the other spin thread to you yesterday was genuine and heartfelt.

gangy in the light of What has been achieved over the past 6 years it is more than impressive it is marvellous.

It would also be marvellous if the chancellor in the current government had achieved everything he set out to do ensuring all the pain given out to the poor and disabled would be worth the candle. But he hasn't and it isn't.

Rosesarered, not speaking of suicide is no different to not speaking of any disability , there must be posters affected by disabilities as you are affected by suicide, I am sorry you suffered this pain

Not different to speaking of disabilities?!! The mind boggles at that statement.
If there were a thread about suicide and how it affected families that would be quite different, but NOT throwing it into a lot of political threads.
There are quite a few on here who have to live with this sadness in their lives [ I know from pms.]it needs to be written of sensitively and not to score political points.Think about it.