By Elections on 20th July..

If most voters who question who to vote for are like me, which they are not necessarily, they feel that voting for other parties may mean we end up in an even worse situation.
Which may not be true of course.

I am personally an increasing fan of voting for more independent candiates on a general election voting paper. Like some already do in local elections.
But I do seem to be in a minority on that one.

fancythat
^ Sounds like Toll Roads^
Toll roads are usually built to be toll roads, not sudden changes to a stretch of existing road.

It claims it will stop traffic through the town centre, thus cutting pollution for pedestrians.
It’s true that it would, but it would mean a motorway detour I described or, what I suspect would happen, is traffic using roads through housing estates and past schools as a rat run to avoid the payment.
The proposal is to use something similar to Portugal, with a transponder linked to your credit card for regular users or ANPR to send fines to the car owner.
What was Manchester’s proposal?

DaisyAnneReturns

ronib

The turnout was very poor. Difficult to predict the general election therefore.

That sounds like a poor loser ronib. This, is a very significant moment in the journey of the self implosion of the Conservstive party, which once had a majority of 80, but will lose it because of their self obsession.

Just think what a true Conservative government might have done for all the people of this county. Instead their extremism brought both division of the country and their party, chaos in their determination to take the country in ways that no real majority ever wanted and failure in their ability to govern and to grow the economy, to bring the people together and to see a future for all.

So that's their legacy: Division, Chaos and Failure.

Please explain "the real majority". Or are you alluding to losing Brexit because so many couldn't be bothered to get out and vote, the couldn't care less majority.

I would have thought it included those who voted against Brexit plus those who voted for it, but had never envisaged the hard Brexit that resulted.

DaisyAnn is correct to point to ‘the real majority’. Listen to any radio phone-in, talk to people in shops, cafes, very few support this dreadful government.
Yes, they also made a mess of Brexit but I don’t understand your criticism of a couldn’t care less majority. They’re alive and well in gransnet currently . Are they remainders?

Iam64 don’t like the idea of remainders on this site - remainers I think are preferable.

Why are we just thinking in terms of everyone being dependent on having a car! Should we not be thinking ahead to a way of people being able to use public transport easily and cheaply? Should we not be able to eg take a train somewhere and then have transport if some kind at the other end; not just buses but electric cars that can be hired. I read once that Japan had a ministry of forward planning: do we have something like that here? (I’ve just been sat in a car for a few hours and my brain has been ticking away!)

What would you propose for those of us who have to go miles to get to a train station in the first place?

The nearest village did use to have a bus go through once a week.
Then it changed to there being a bus going to a town supermarket once a week.
Been nothing now for about 5 years.

Not that I blame anyone. We live in the back of beyond.

Cars are the answer if you see what I mean.
They enable millions to get about.

Public transport is a backward step for millions of people. Back to circa 1940?

I couldn't agree more MayBee. We need a total transport system. One which suits each local area but seamlessly joins areas, and the country, together.

What would you propose for those of us who have to go miles to get to a train station in the first place

I don't think it is for us to "propose" anything fancythat. It's for you to have a say. You should be facilitated in that by putting you in touch with other communities with similar issues, and by having experts available, and finally by having meetings with the areas you will join on to so that a joint decision can be made. This could be a slightly smaller version of Citizens Juries.

My car has an eco engine, there is no way I will give it up whilst I am capable of driving.

I’m not saying we all have to give up our cars. I couldn’t. I live next to a bus that can take me to the local town but not the one where my son lives. Or my daughter who lives in the next village. I can get a bus to the station, though. But, for those who can’t how about free parking at the station and good public transport at the other end, with an option to hire an electric car at the other end. We need an integrated system so we can use our cars less if we want to.

HousePlantQueen

*Would you have voted for him I couldn’t even tell you what he said because I didn’t even read the leaflet that dropped through my door I took one look at his face and made my mind up instantly*, but why Nanashirlz? If you did not read the leaflet how could you possibly form an opinion in order to vote?

I want someone who believes that they are the person to make a difference and deserve my vote and none of them did that.

ronib

Iam64 don’t like the idea of remainders on this site - remainers I think are preferable.

ronib, it’s usually considered unnecessary and rather rude to correct spellings, grammar or obvious typos.

Iam64 sorry I couldn’t resist!

Iam64

ronib

Iam64 don’t like the idea of remainders on this site - remainers I think are preferable.

ronib, it’s usually considered unnecessary and rather rude to correct spellings, grammar or obvious typos.

But alluding to remain voters as 'remainders' isn't a spelling, grammar or typological error. I have frequently seen the word used to describe remain voters. I thought it was deliberate.
I didn't think ronib was being rude at all.

According to the Observer today the ULEZ charge mostly applies to cars registered before 2005 and vans registered before 2015. (The article didn't mention diesel cars).
So how many people would it really adversely affect?
I hope this doesn't sound unsympathetic. There really should be a good scrappage scheme alongside it.

I agree about the scrapage scheme but that doesn't make the misinformation right.

Diesel cars that meet the standards are generally those first registered with the DVLA after September 2015

So those many diesel cars on the road pre-2015 will be included and they'll be owned by people with less money.

icanhandthemback

^Diesel cars that meet the standards are generally those first registered with the DVLA after September 2015^

So those many diesel cars on the road pre-2015 will be included and they'll be owned by people with less money.

I am in complete sympathy with the probably less well off owners of diesel cars, or of any ineligible vehicles, who will be caught by the charges, but I can't help feeling that the adverse effects of the imposition of ULEZ were probably grossly exaggerated by the tories in Uxbridge for purely political purposes.

It's strongly reminiscent of the fuss about 15 minute areas, not to mention the exaggerations that drove the leave campaign in 2016.

Mind you, Labour didn't exactly handle the issue astutely...

MaizieD - it was a typo. Not that it matters

Iam64

MaizieD - it was a typo. Not that it matters

It mattered enough for you to have a go at ronib.🤔

And, as I pointed out, it's often not a typo...

Has anyone been fined £90 for travelling in Ulez simply because signing was not obvious? In mitigation a sleep deprived parent who is usually on the ball …. Still a very annoying experience.

Any car younger than 2005 will not have to pay the tax. I read that somewhere. 2015 was also mentioned but I forget in what context.

2005 is pretty old for a car.

Whitewavemark2

Any car younger than 2005 will not have to pay the tax. I read that somewhere. 2015 was also mentioned but I forget in what context.

2005 is pretty old for a car.

I posted that yesterday. It was from the Observer.

It's the age of exempt diesel cars which seems to be unclear. Some posters are saying that it's post 2015 registrations for diesel cars.