The Nasty Labour Party - what they really stand for.

No youngster can join the armed forces without their parents consent untill they are 18.

As to political parties - I am disappointed in them all.

The disrespect on this thread is jaw droppingly depressing.

"Informed choice" is what we have been discussing. You can be in a situation where informed choice is absent because you are conscripted, but also because you are too young, vulnerable and intellectually lacking. The latter is a cause for concern at the moment.

And no, this does not mean that all young people who choose an army career are in the latter category, but it does mean that I have a concern for those who are.

Nobody asked in World War 1 or 2 if men wanted to join up.

Not sure what you mean by that, oldbatty. Are you saying that all military personnel were conscripted?

Let us not forget that many girls are joining the armed forces.

I can certaintly second your post MOnica . As a canvasser st general elections , council elections, Welsh Assemby elections I have met supporters of the Conservative party on council estates, small rented properties, as well as private estates , town houses, farms, Country Estates, farm workers, employees in the building trade , unemployed, and Labour Party supporters in the same areas. Far less Lib Party voters now with the exception of the Welsh AM , Kirsty is a Lib and always gets much support. Lsbour voters titled on country estates too. There is one house where the wife is a Labour supporter and the husband a conservative supporter , come general elections there are posters for both parties in the windows.

Speaking purely for myself; I'd just like to say that I don't give a tinker's cuss whether soldiers, sailors or airmen joined the forces because they volunteered or were conscripted. I just know that I'm indebted to each and every one of them and I'm appalled to see them being referred to in such disrespectful terms as "a trained killer" and "career" soldiers. Whether they've joined up voluntarily or not, their lives are on the line just the same. And as for offering up a refugee worker who just happens to be gay as a comparison to bravey..... words just fail me. wtf

Can I just ask in a totally non confrontational way why people lump conscripts and people who have a career in the forces together?

Surely they are two different things. Nobody asked in World War 1 or 2 if men wanted to join up.

That isn't the same as somebody who makes an informed choice to join the forces.
I don't think you can join up and then complain because you are deployed.

Been away for four days. I admit the thread is already too long to read of of it, but my comments, which may have already been made by other people
1) Both parties are equally unpleasant, devious, unbelievable and incompetent.
2)It is a myth that only wealthy people vote Conservative. If that was so they would never have been in government. Even now their are not enough wealthy people to give them enough seats. The Conservatives draw their support from every level of society, every age group, every income level.

Well with the cost of Brexit purporting to be costing 500m a week (Centre for European Reform figures) there isn't going to be extra money for schools or anything else any time soon.

Part of the reason they don't care - is that so many of them have the choice, and send their kids to private edu - just like for health care.

Out of sight, out of mind - until it comes back and bite you very hard, one way or another.

Education funding per pupil has actually fallen- More children, more money needed (surely everyoone can work that out!)
fullfact.org/education/spending-schools-england/
Add to this the millions wasted on Free schools which have never opened or failed
www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/tens-of-millions-wasted-on-free-schools-that-have-now-closed-a7685256.html
And you have an education system that is not only in crisis but you have a failing policy introduced for political reasons which has cost a fortune. Can anyone really say education is safe in Tory hands?

Choice?

No choice, orders!!!

Officers have that choice.

Oh dear, Officers are first in last out - fact!!!!

Pro rata Annie, no!

Did I say that, Annie?

Public school boys that are military cadets are being trained up as officers, not as squaddies.

Merlot, officers don’t get killed in war ?

Financial crash brought about by fat-cat bankers you mean?

Sooooo, the financial crash didn’t affect anything then!
There are some posters who seem to deny that anything happened back then, and that even if it did, it should not have affected anything.Unbelievable!

GravyGranny posted this!

Education budget 2015 £84bn
Education budget 2018 £102bn

That’s hilarious as Education spending 2009-2010 (Labour) was £88bn.

So according to your own figures GG there was a net decrease of £4bn over 6 years. I rest my case.

2009-10 Expenditure (£bn)
Social protection189
Health119
Education88
Debt interest28
Defence38
Public order and safety35
Personal social services31
Housing and Environment29
Transport23
Industry, agriculture and employment20
Other72
Total Government spending671

As a final word child protection is a measure of a civilised society.. It's over 130 years since the minimum age for a child to work in a factory was raised to 11. Education and training is now extended untill the age of 18. It would seem only fitting if the armed forces limited their recruitment to over 18s.