Labour Party Conference

Agreement without insults would make for discussions. Is saying someone is a Corbynite or a communist an insult? Surely not.

So we are all expected to agree now are we? Might as well all pack up and leave GN then. If you aren't allowed to post disagreements about someone's posts then what is the point of political threads? (Mind you this is a bit ripe coming from somene who has constantly condemned so many of us lefties as communists and Corbynistas)

Yes mostlyharmless, i also accept to win a G.E. All parts of the country vote , all parts of the country need to be allowed to speak , to have their views. Not allowed on this forum though. That’s the way to win votes? No way.

So Annie I take it from your post that you don’t agree that there is a world outside the commuter villages of south east England? A world where there is unemployment, people struggle financially and cuts to local council budgets?

I’ve given up commenting on political threads as there’s too much angst, but I do lurk as the opinions are most interesting and it’s good to hear others points of view. I’ve had to stop listening to Radio Four reports as they will keep playing that “OOh, Jeremy Coorbyn” chant and it sticks on my brain all bloody day!

So much sneering and envy here, this is the ‘kinder politics Corbyn brought with him.

Good way to win votes mostlyharmless , not

GIl, I do not agree with your comments to GrannyGrsvy, i certaintly agree with the rest of your post.

Well your village sounds lovely grannygravy but you must surely be aware that there is a world outside it.
“A few areas where councils have not managed their budgets”!
Haven’t you heard about police cuts everywhere, NHS struggling, school budgets being slashed, wages falling, zero hours contracts, the gig economy, young people unable to afford to buy houses, escalating rents, the disabled having their benefits cut, knife crime?
You need to look outside your cosy village sometimes.

trisher, the north of England is part of the U.K., it is not the UK, I know families who choose to live off benefits, who do jobs for cash in hand , they exist, fact.

Just one little point of correction though GG13. Northampton council and East Sussex council who are two of those who are in serious financial straits are Tory run, I believe. Sorry if this ruins your theory.

GG13 what a smug person you are. I can't even be bothered to correct the inaccuracies in your post, there is none so deaf as one who will not hear.
Anyway, back to the LP conference, it isn't going very well is it? Especially if the aim was to make themselves attractive to the electorate as an alternative party of government. Some of us are old enough to remember the bad old days of Labour, with Derek Hatton, foaming at the mouth Union leaders and such. I truly despair. Although, those on GN who voted for the good old days before we joined the EU may like to reconsider their opinion having viewed a re-run of the dreadful 1970s. If this was a play, or a political drama it would not be aired as it would be considered unrealistic.

So should she be commenting about these people Annie I have repeatedly said that the there are people in the UK that have never worked, their parents have never worked and in some cases their Grandparents have never worked. They feel they are entitled to benefits, I feel they should get a job (there are unfilled vacancies around the country)
Perhaps she should be told off as well

This isn’t fair on GrannyGravy, she can no more say what living in a city in the North of England is like more than I can. Those in north of England cities cannot write about living in a market town in Mid Wales.

What Corbyn devotees need to realise is the country will vote at the next G.E. Not just the North of England and not only Labour Party members. John Smith, Blair and Brown accepted this fact. If .labour wants power they have to reach out across the country, gaining 64 seats will not give them a majority to govern and some are now troubled that Clause 4 is being reborn.

Whilst I appreciate that there is a small percentage of people who are struggling financially, and a few areas were councils have not managed their budgets.

Well if you're not blinkered then this seems a deliberately inflammatory remark. Do you never read about families where both parents are working and still struggling to make ends meet?

As for the tales of your small commuter village - you sound insufferably smug.

GrannyGravy13 do you not realise that the reason that your Conservative SE council is doing very well is because this government reorganised the payments to councils precisely so that would happen. That Northern Labour led councils were penalised and their budgets massively cut, so that the very poorest, in areas where there are already massive social problems suffer the most.
Amongst these people there may be a small percentage who have never worked for generations, but having worked in such areas I can tell you they are few and far between. Mostly they are families struggling to exist, who have traditionally worked in industry but are now the victims of the unskilled zero hours contracts economy, who have been part of a close knit community where family ties gave childcare and support for the elderly, who are now faced with abandoning that community and setting out without support to earn their living elsewhere, or with staying put and surviving with the help of food banks. Many do leave and as a result it is those who cannot cope who remain and so the community suffers even more. Perhaps you shoud stop basing your comments on sensationalist TV programmes or DM headlines.

Well I’m sorry grannygravy but perhaps you should read your post again ?

Especially the part that starts “ Here in the SE a small commuter village....”

To me that comes across as very blinkered indeed .

Oh and btw I did not vote for Brexit. Nor would I ever vote Labour again whilst JC is leader .

gillybob, I may be many things, but I am not blinkered.

LP is being warned by some insiders to support Brexit, or risk,losing support in Northern working class areas who voted predominantly voted for Brexit.

Dennis Skinner isn’t a happy bunny listening to Keir Starmer say a people’s vote is not ruled out

I have never implied that the poor are not worth bothering about. I have repeatedly said that the there are people in the UK that have never worked, their parents have never worked and in some cases their Grandparents have never worked. They feel they are entitled to benefits, I feel they should get a job (there are unfilled vacancies around the country)

Some people are unable to work due to ill health, whether that be physical, mental or any form of illness. They need carers, these people and those who care for them should get help from the state.

You only have to look round Europe and see that in fact we are a civilised country, free health care for all at point of use, free education for all. We may (at the moment) have EHIC cards for use in the EU, but we still have to have Health Insurance when going to EU countries, they do not have to have Health Insurance when traveling here.

Whilst I appreciate that there is a small percentage of people who are struggling financially, and a few areas were councils have not managed their budgets

Please tell me that was your idea of a joke grannygravy ?

“a small percentage of people struggling financially” ? Really ? Just a small percentage?

“ and a few areas where councils have not managed their budgets” our council has cut services back to the bone . We are an economically very poor town in the North East ( you might not know it) with one of the highest rates of council tax in the country. We relied on heavy industry for jobs, sadly now all gone.

Of course you will be nice and comfy in your cosy little SE commuter town with all its lovely amenities. Blinkered or what? Really I despair .

Here in the SE,

Sorry, GG13, that tells me all I need to know.

Here in the NE things are rather different.

A recent report estimated that 4.5 million people in the UK were living in poverty. I hesitate to introduce Brexit here but I'll point out that Leavers scream that our EU budget contribution of some 1% of the UK's budget was a massive sum far too important to lose. Yet now, you're telling me that some 6% of the UK population is a'small percentage' (implying that they're not worth bothering about). I'm not saying you're a Leaver, GG13, I don't have a clue as to how you voted, but if you are typical of the thinking of UK citizens then there's something pretty wrong somewhere...

I absolutely fail to understand why we should tolerate any of our citizens living in poverty... We're meant to be a civilised society.

Whilst I appreciate that there is a small percentage of people who are struggling financially, and a few areas were councils have not managed their budgets.

Here in the SE, a small 'commuter' village, we have 2 libraries one in the bottom of the village and one at the other end on the busy main road.

We have still got a surestart centre, can get appointment with GP and home visit if needed. Have had to use community nursing team, and both local hospitals weekly last year for my Mum, they were all excellent.

As for putting money back into the economy, we have 4 very good pubs serving food, all extremely busy, especially during the day with Mums and young children. Together with 3 Italians, 6 eat in Indian restaurant, a Malaysian and multiple takeaways, these are always busy.

Fortunately we have had a Conservative Council for many years, who keep council tax at a reasonable level and still provide good infrastructure and services.

The only way they will get more money for services is taxation

If you think about it logically how is the government going to increase the tax take if there is very little money in the economy?

Getting multinationals to pay their proper share of tax is only part of it. Multinationals can only make taxable profits if money is being spent with them. Taking money out of the economy by cutting public services (which many multi nationals actually sell to) just reduces the amount of money available to be taxed. Cutting jobs (and therefore wages and salaries) means less money in circulation. As does making less money available in the public sector to pay for goods and services. Which, can I remind people, are provided by private enterprise. If private enterprises suffer reduced income they have to lay off staff, too. It just all contributes to a downwards spiral and means that the government has to pay out more in benefits.

Zero hours contracts and the 'gig economy' don't help because many of the people working in this way don't earn enough to pay tax; indeed, they may even be in receipt of welfare benefits by way of tax credits.

As I said earlier, I'd be very happy if anyone can give me a coherent explanation of how cutting government spending 'grows' the economy. Without resorting to the completely mistaken idea that a national economy is the same as a household economy.

Would someone point out where I said anything about union reps attending the conference. Our union spokesman claims I have