It's totally beyond me that people think that the Conservatives aren't right wing [and are moving further to the right all the time]. If they win the next election with a huge majority I'm terrified of what they will do. My dream is still some sort of Labour/LibDem coalition. And it breaks my heart to see Scotland, yet again wanting to leave the Union, albeit this time understanding why they wish to do so.
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This Country has gone too far to the right
(118 Posts)Not just politics but the the newspapers we read also add to it with mainly a right wing bias. For example in Norway there is a high-degree of media ownership fragmentation, they are sometimes owned by not-for-profit foundations and all receive state subsidies based on circulation, which in turn ensures a modicum of objectivity and plurality of opinion. Their British counterparts are often highly partisan and espouse a largely right-wing editorial agenda. In contrast, British media ownership is highly concentrated: 70% of national newspapers are owned by just three companies and a third are owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News UK.
It is probably not without reason that a recent report by the European Broadcasting Union found that the United Kingdom among all of the EU member-states (+Albania, FYROM & Turkey) scores the lowest in levels of trust in written media.
Conservatism was doing OK One Nation Conservatism as it was called. Until Thatcher with New Right neoliberalism which has got progressively and steadily worse putting the wealth into already 1% rich hands and forgetting everyone else. Public services now gone to pot with tax cuts to big corporations who should be paying their fair share instead, money into public services.
Now the Nordic countries are doing good they have social-democratic Labour polices
And this is not only the case in Norway, but has been integral to the social-democratic post-war consensus in all the Nordic countries. Judging by almost any measure of social indicators these policies have been a success, the Nordic region enjoys some of the world’s highest living standards and presumably should be a model to be emulated rather than avoided. Obviously the Nordic region is no earthly paradise and there are cultural, economic and historical differences between the UK and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, but if there is such a thing as a ‘best practice approach’ in public policy the Nordic model would probably be it and, at any measure, a useful benchmark for Britain to move towards.
So remember that neoliberalism is failed economics an ideology, austerity is not needed. All parties who follow this failed economic neoliberal model are moving in the wrong direction and is not good for the whole of this country.
This explains things a lot.
www.opendemocracy.net/en/can-europe-make-it/jeremy-corbyn-mainstream-scandinavian-social-democrat/
Yes, you are entitled to your views aprilrose. Why ever would you not be entitled to them, but I confess that I'm left baffled by them.
As an atheist, I can't really comment on religion and I wouldn't feel entitled to give an opinion.
As for the media, I see that most of the printed media is populist right-wing and the BBC certainly isn't left wing.
The leadership of the Labour Party has moved to the left, but I really can't see that the LibDems and the Conservative parties have. The current Conservative government is the most hardline right wing I ever remember. It would appear from the polls that many people support them, so I really can't see that the country has become more left wing.
If you have any tangible examples, I'm happy to reconsider my position.
What is more pertinent, I think, is, what makes aprilrose think that the tory party has moved to the left.
Perhaps she could give us some examples
I rather think that incitement to revolution is coming from the right at the moment. It's the right that is egging the gullible on to hate our parliamentary democracy and the Rule of Law. They'll be ripe for storming the Bastille and the Winter Palace if this goes on for much longer.
I see that as coming from the left not the right. Although we agree in principle on what is going on there.
growstuff - the Conservative Party has clearly moved left. The labour and Liberal parties have moved very left.
Would you like to name the institutions?
Primarily the media , the church and politics. Those are the things in my opinion ( and it is my opinion and I am entitled to it regardless of whether you agree or not). Those are the institutions where the power lies. Hold those, you hold power.
Yes I did Maizie and every day I regret it,I didn’t vote for
a momentum party or a racist leader who is controlled .
trisher How is the current education system a socialist creation?
aprilrose Please could you give some specific examples of the way the UK has lurched towards the left over the last 20 years.
Admittedly, the leadership of the Labour Party is now more left-wing than it was 20 years ago, but it's not in power and it looks increasingly likely that it won't be under the current leadership. Therefore, it would appear that the country hasn't lurched towards the left and the Labour Party is unlikely to have any power to instigate change.
I really am struggling to think of examples which don't show a lurch to the right.
But you supported Corbyn as LP leader intially, ab. So not the same as absthame who claims to have been observing his 'treachery' for 50 years... (has he been in Parliament that long?)
I am amazed that some feel that they should abandon the Labour party over the appointment of a single man. I understand that some become as they grow older more conservative and less altruistic, but I do not understand how anyone can look at the situation in the UK and believe that by keeping a Conservative government in power they will do anything other than blight the lives of many and enrich a few. It is what might be called slinging the baby out with the bath
water.
As for aprilrose and and the speed with which the socialist left have taken over mainstream institutions.
Would you like to name the institutions? If they are things like the NHS this was a socialist creation. If the state education system this was a socialist creation. The pity is the other institutions such as rail and water are no longer under socialist control and ownership. And essentially that is what socialism is people controlling and running things and the profits being ploughed back not lining some fat cat's pocket.
same for me absthame
I am afraid I disagree with the whole premise. It seems to me that this country has lurched increasingly toward the left which leaves many middle road ordinary people suddenly finding themselves labelled " right wing" or "far right". It has been an unrelenting march to the socialist left in the last twenty years in my opinion - led often by older people ( older than me) who feel they want personal security ( to be looked after) at any cost.
Unfortunately I fear the opposite will be the end result. I have a very dystopic view of the future right now. I fear for my child and for the future in fifty years time the way things are moving now ( and the speed with which the socialist left have taken over mainstream institutions.
trisher 60 years after I joined the LP I am suddenly influenced by the right wing press and have my views of Corbyn formed by them. Like H*ll they are. My views are formed from observing that treacherous man for something like 50years. Don't forget that Tony Benn also described him in similar terms.
Johnson and Corbyn are caste from similar moulds, owing loyalty only to their own views with no real regard for our nation or its people.
"Transparency International UK (TI-UK) is an independent organisation within the global Transparency International movement, with its own management team, board of trustees, policies, financial accounts and sources of funding.
We make public policy recommendations to politicians across the political divide with a view to securing legislative and regulatory reforms to prevent corruption. We do not accept any funding from donors seeking to influence these policies, nor are they influenced by those who fund us.
TI-UK is independent and politically impartial and does therefore both engage with and objectively criticise politicians regardless of their political opinion or party affiliation.
TI-UK has neither advocated for or against the UK’s continued membership of the European Union.
Our annual accounts, which list our sources of income, are published on our website. TI-UK is not working on any projects funded by the European Union."
Statement issued on 2nd October.
www.transparency.org.uk/press-releases/transparency-international-uk-statement-independence-impartiality/
You seem to repeating several untruths in your attacks on Jo Swinson paddyann. I know she is disliked by the SNP because she has proven to be able to take back some of their support and so is seen as a threat.
Jo Swinson has said that the LibDems will not enter any coalition with a Corbyn-led Labour Party or a Johnson-led Tory Party. If the next general election results in a minority government, the LibDems will judge each policy proposal on its merits and vote accordingly.
Where did you get this "couple of million euro boost to her husband's company" from?. Duncan Hames works for Transparenct International UK which is a registered
charity.
The annual accounts show a grant of £2000 from the EU climate fund in 2017-2018 and no money from the EU in 2018-2019.
www.transparency.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Transparency-International-UK-Trustees-Report-and-Financial-Statements-ye-31-March-2019.pdf
Stemmed by greed ! Much gets more, much receives more and the insidious " sod you Jack, I'm alright " attitude among its MP's and those who vote for them.
I read The Daily Mail as well as The Independent and the Observer I do not find that any of those three papers suggesting that people claiming benefits are scroungers, or even use those words.
Most of them publish reports where it is found that individuals have been criminally cheating the benefits system by telling lies and these people appear in court and are found guilty.
I have read people on GN accusing particular groups of people of being scroungers and being very offensive about them.
But the righteous take offence easily, or do I mean the leftious, or both? 
Like Swinson ,you mean? Sadly Jo will ONLY support a conservative government ,everyone else has been ruled out by her.
Maybe she's not really a remainer and its that couple of million euro boost to her husbands company FROM the EU that has her attempting to appear pro EU ...and then theres the money from the fracking company she accepted ....although she knows Scotland doesn't want and wont accept fracking .
Any person can have Marxist beliefs, but it is how such people carry those views in their everyday lives that demonstrate their real integrity.
By example to the above Len McCluskey, the long-standing General Secretary of the Unite Union has never hidden the fact that he personally holds Marxist beliefs.
However, since his election as General Secretary in 2010, he has made the Unite Union through its infrastructure the most democratic Union in Britain.
McCluskey shortly after his election prevailed on the National Executive that every lay member holding any office in the organisation should stand for election or re-election every two years and that has been the situation ever since that debate.
From local branch minute secretary right up to the chairman of the National Executive Committee all have to stand for election at the end of every two year period
McCluskey himself stands for election every four years proving that holding hard left views does not mean that such persons do not believe in full democracy.
Corbyn may not be plotting a communist revolution, but he should accept that he is very unlikely ever to command the support of all the ex-Tories, ex-Labour, Independents, LibDems and even some in his own party.
If he has the interests of the nation at heart and really wants to prevent a no-deal brexit, he should be prepared to support a Govt of National Unity led by Margaret Beckett or Ken Clarke. (Harriet Harman has been suggested but may not want to do it as she wants to be the next Speaker.)
Corbyn's reputation would be enhanced if he was prepared to do that.
Sorry to annoy you, absthame but I can't see anything in the LP leadership that leads one to the conclusion that they are plotting a Marxist/Leninist/Stalinist revolution if they come to power.
Whereas our current rightwing 'leaders' are providing a classic example of how to foment a revolution...
All Labour Party leaders in recent times have been labelled by the right wing media in Britain as Marxist or communist.
The most right wing leader of the party was, without doubt, Ed Miliband, who during the 2014 General Election campaign was dubbed " Red Ed" by the tabloid press and held up to have neo-communist views.
Of course, as we witness on this forum, there are many who believe all they read in such trash publications.
At a general election the country goes to the polls not just
party members
Forgot to add, no, I don’t think this country as a whole has become very right wing at all.
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