Local elections

[corium]

Just been watching yes prime minister with teenage daughter, as it happens about local politics. She found it difficult to believe it was set decades ago ( except for some hair/clothing styles).

[wheels]

Simone, she is not my candidate I am not a member, I did not take part in the selection process I not even sure I will vote for her.  But I do know she has the firm support of the local party, she was the clear victor in the selection process easily beating at least one local councillor.

[Duke Fame]

Candidates don't have to be local, it's not a prerequisite but it's better if they have some connection to the area. If all things are equal with all the candidates then local is a plus.

Your Parliamentary candidate Wheels apart from where has she come from ? What experience in life has she had? For that matter what experience in politics has she had. Has she raised a family, held down a job, what was it - where was it? She's too young to have had experience in anything.     

How does she come to be here other than she's identified a winnable seat on the map and probably parachuted herself in a couple of years ago.

As a previous poster referred to - she's a professional politician inasmuch as she wants to be an MP and in my opinion there's too many of them now. David, Nick and Ed are Prime examples and she's the same as them only years younger. The seat could be anywhere to professional politicians, they don't care as long as its a seat.  I've looked and I can't find any credentials for her. If you were writing her CV for The local MP's job what would you put on it? I can't think of anything but I'm prepared to be convinced.

The problem isn't just Dave, Nick and the other one's lack of real life experience, it's there at every level. Few of the cabinet have had other jobs, none (?) of the shadow cabinet have and this is replicated all the way down the line. The party machines are set up in this way, perhaps that's why UKIP have a growing support, they don't work in focus groups etc. 

[simonesaffron]

Candidates don't have to be local, it's not a prerequisite but it's better if they have some connection to the area. If all things are equal with all the candidates then local is a plus.

Your Parliamentary candidate Wheels apart from where has she come from ? What experience in life has she had? For that matter what experience in politics has she had. Has she raised a family, held down a job, what was it - where was it? She's too young to have had experience in anything.     

How does she come to be here other than she's identified a winnable seat on the map and probably parachuted herself in a couple of years ago.

As a previous poster referred to - she's a professional politician inasmuch as she wants to be an MP and in my opinion there's too many of them now. David, Nick and Ed are Prime examples and she's the same as them only years younger. The seat could be anywhere to professional politicians, they don't care as long as its a seat.  I've looked and I can't find any credentials for her. If you were writing her CV for The local MP's job what would you put on it? I can't think of anything but I'm prepared to be convinced.

[Duke Fame]

What an interesting post!  So do we take it that Bowden Guy would like to see the clock turned back 100 years, to the days before universal suffrage was introduced, and the poor didn't get a vote?

I can understand why you don't get economics, your comprehension skills are appalling if that's how you interpreted BG's post

[Duke Fame]

The Labour Party believes it can create social equality via increased public spending. During the Blair/Brown years there was a massive increase in public spending, most of which was designed to buy the votes of specific groups in society (freebies for the over 60s, Educational Maintenance Allowances for 16-18 year olds etc etc). The last Government raised taxation significantly via stealth taxes.

Does anybody seriously believe that, if Labour are elected again, they won't seek to further their aim of social equality by increased public spending? It's what they are. Otherwise, what is their purpose?

Yep, they basically want take away individual responsibility and ambition, hand outs control people and keep them at the bottom.

[wheels]

Thanks for the sage advice, wheels. Your comments are always spot on and hugely interesting. Keep up the good work and get out there campaigning for your "local" parliamentary candidate.

There was nothing local about Stunell why is this such an important issue, you just keep bulling the rest of us and all will be right with the world

[Bowden Guy]

Thanks for the sage advice, wheels. Your comments are always spot on and hugely interesting. Keep up the good work and get out there campaigning for your "local" parliamentary candidate.

[Bowden Guy]

The Labour Party believes it can create social equality via increased public spending. During the Blair/Brown years there was a massive increase in public spending, most of which was designed to buy the votes of specific groups in society (freebies for the over 60s, Educational Maintenance Allowances for 16-18 year olds etc etc). The last Government raised taxation significantly via stealth taxes.

Does anybody seriously believe that, if Labour are elected again, they won't seek to further their aim of social equality by increased public spending? It's what they are. Otherwise, what is their purpose?

[wheels]

Funnily enough, Dave, I didn't actually say anything of the sort. It is avfact, however, that the Labour Party has a natural constituency comprising a very large minority of the population who receive more in benefits (of many kinds) than they pay in taxes. This group of people are always likely to vote for parties that promises to raise tax rates, taxes that they will never have to pay.

In addition, the Labour core vote is heavily concentrated geographically, with many constituencies having very small electorates compared to the average (thank you to the Lib Dems for blocking any reform of this over the past 4 years).

Finally, with our First Past the Post system, this means that Ed Miliband can reasonably expect to win in 2015 with only 35% of the turnout which, as you know very well, is their whole strategy.

So what are you doing about it other than moaning on here

[simonesaffron]

Here's a story with a difference inasmuch as it's a good story about one of our Marple Councillors, well I think it is anyway.

Apparently, the Councillor (I WON'T NAME) walked into the local Vet's surgery yesterday. HE/SHE foiund an injured bird in his/her garden.

So he/she fed it, watered it put it in a box and took it into the local Vet.   

That's a kind thing to do.

[Dave]

This group of people are always likely to vote for parties that promises to raise tax rates

A party that promises to raise tax - I'll believe it when it happens!   

Ed Miliband can reasonably expect to win in 2015 with only 35% of the turnout

...... as opposed to the Tories, who won in 2010 with, er, 36% of the turnout.   

[Bowden Guy]

Funnily enough, Dave, I didn't actually say anything of the sort. It is avfact, however, that the Labour Party has a natural constituency comprising a very large minority of the population who receive more in benefits (of many kinds) than they pay in taxes. This group of people are always likely to vote for parties that promises to raise tax rates, taxes that they will never have to pay.

In addition, the Labour core vote is heavily concentrated geographically, with many constituencies having very small electorates compared to the average (thank you to the Lib Dems for blocking any reform of this over the past 4 years).

Finally, with our First Past the Post system, this means that Ed Miliband can reasonably expect to win in 2015 with only 35% of the turnout which, as you know very well, is their whole strategy.

[Dave]

Well, Dave, everything will be hunky dory when Ed takes the keys to No 10 next year, elected by the 35-40% of the electorate who contribute almost nothing to the national exchequer, purely because their votes are concentrated in 'safe' Labour constituencies, often with only 75% of the average constituency.

What an interesting post!  So do we take it that Bowden Guy would like to see the clock turned back 100 years, to the days before universal suffrage was introduced, and the poor didn't get a vote?

[Duke Fame]

Ok Duke I will remember to get a none professional doctor when next I need one. Why do you regard professionalism as perfectly ok is many occupations but not among our politicans? And don't tell me to declare and interest Dave!

In politics, we're better off having someone with life experience, not just a moron who's skill is to be  able to re-iterate the nonsense from Mill bank. I really don;t want to hear another 'economic mess we inherited' or [yawn] 'tax cuts for millionaires.

I watched a town hall meeting where the Labour lad bought along a a hard hit person who was going to struggle with the bedroom tax. an hour f party politics later, someone pointed out that he should have told his constituent that help was available and the constituent needn't have worried. What a hideous Councillor who was prepared to string his constituent along for some silly party political stunt. IMHO that is not a good use of time and frankly, the Councillor IMHO is a disgrace.

Career politicians and local authority workers are generally failure in life - now, can I count on your vote.