moonraker

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Yes they do but when in Governement they could at least portray unity. The current bunch are the worst I can remeber, my point is not party political it is the view of a non card carrying ordainary voter.

Grasping at straws again. Brexiteers should be more concerned about the car carsh that is the Tory Governemnt and its totally lack of unity and focus at the most important time in our history since 1945.

VVD is not yet fit, simples. Sadlly entitled scousers and some faithless SFC fans will read this as fact he is leaving for the murky end of muckyside.

There is a magic money tree after all, using taxpayers money to give the Torys a majority is a disgrace.

I agree, I know several people who voted Labour as an anti tory vote not a Corbyn vote. It could equally be said of the Referendum where there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that many people voted leave as a protest believing it would not happen, the big difference is the GE result can be changed, but quitters are adamant we cannot have a second referendum even if there is a much better understanding of what leaving means. I predict hung parliaments until Labour and the Torys show some real leadership and courage, from where I stand not likely to happen any tine soon they are both to interest in power for powers sake.

I thought our sovereigns lovely EU outfit at the state opening was great.

The problem for parents today is your dammed if you do and your dammed if you don’t. As a child of the late 50’s growing up in what today would be termed a rural ideal I and my peers roamed free. We came home when we were hungry or it was getting dark and were expected to do our own risk assessments as to whether climbing a tree, swimming in a river etc. was safe or sensible. Yes there were accidents and incidents, thankfully in my experience none serious. We learnt to take responsibility, we learnt self sufficiency and we respected adults. Sadly today parents are continually judged and scrutinised, every day activities of yesteryear are now managed, and policed by adults with CRB checks. Despite all the extra oversight and control children remain vulnerable. I do not have the answer, but as a parent to 6 children aged from 33 to 16 I have experienced the ever increasing scrutiny and restrictions on children’s freedoms. There is so much today that is better than in my childhood, we are generally more tolerant, poverty whilst still shamefully with us is not in most cases as desperate as it was, housing for the vast majority is vastly better (no out side toilets and tin baths), despite what the media and politicians would have us believe education is more inclusive and broader and increasingly privilege does not protect the vile behaviour of some of the rich, the famous and the powerful. For me one of the most mendacious and cringe worthy phrases often heard from parents is ‘I want my kids to have what I didn’t have’, what kids need is the freedom to be themselves, they don’t need mountains of consumable stuff, what parents must do is make sure they are equipped for the big wide world that awaits them as adults.

Still no Batman, very unusual for him to miss an opportunity to post random links to articles on terrorism.

Right Wing terrorism is a significant problem. Taking the UK in isolation the threat to UK citizens in the UK is obviously currently far lower than from Islamist terrorism. Whilst the figures do support your contention they should not be used to downgrade the threat from right wing terrorists. Currently in the UK, the extreme right is fractured, leaderless, confused and dispirited, it will only take a couple of effective leaders to take a grip of the hatred and extremism that undeniably exists and we could easily see a significant increase in Right Wing terrorism. The security services are well aware of this and 1 in 3 on terrorist watch are Right Wing extremists. While most right wing action is fairly facile and low level we must guard against any possibility of it becoming more organised and more dangerous. Incidents like this can not be dismissed as the actions of a lone wolf, they are the result of right wing campaigning and hate propaganda. The media and all of us rightly condemn and pursue through the legal system so called ‘Islamic Hate Preachers’, the same must apply to ‘Nationalist Hate Preachers’.

Mays refusal to meet with people unless it was stage managed during the GE Campaign and now not meeting joe public following the dreadful disaster is all the confirmation I need to confirm what I already knew, she is not fit to hold the office of PM or any important public office. This not a party political statement it is a statement on her, and her alone, for the country’s and everyone’s sake just go Mrs May you are a failure.

So true, and when blame does start getting aportioned it is rarely the senior policy makers and bean counters who are in the firing line. We cannot change what has happened, we can do a great deal to ensure it never happens again and for that we need total transparency no cover ups.

This tragedy is the result of multiple factors including but not limited to; Current Fire Risk Assessment legislation and its application, failure to acknowledge known problems with this particular insulating material especially when used in high rise buildings, cutting local authority budgets, devolution of social housing management, maintenance and delivery to third party organisations, resulting in no direct elected representation, paying lip service to residents concerns and complaints, lack of any fire safety or fire awareness education for residents, basic building design relying on fire containment at the expense of effective escape and evacuation provision. Fire regulations have evolved over a long period, starting with the legislative response to Tooley Street fire in 1861 and has essentially been a bolting the stable door approach ever since. The fire services, fire safety specialists and fire engineers have highlighted many such issues, tragically to often they are the ones left saying we told you so.

And this takes the biscuit for Pony. You always write as if you are the ultimate authority on everything, occasionally you get something right, not your GE predictions, what was your predicted, an 80 seat majority for the nasty party. In this instance the fact that Corbyn is a leaver is correct, the rest while not actually untrue is the far from the full picture. As a hard nosed quitter you are consistent, cheery pick snippets, refuse to acknowledge any downside to quitting and dismiss others opinions as pony. For a self declared democrat you do a good impression of an autocrat.

Where do I say Corbyn has any legitimacy, therein lies the problem with our antiquated electoral system. When asked the majority of people want politicians to work together for the benefit of the country, no single party is ever likely to command a true majority and the failure of the two main parties to acknowledge this is for me wrong and undemocratic.

The electorate rejected the tories, most seats but a minority's in the house, small popular vote majority but well below 50% of the vote, all starting from a 20 point lead is a dsaster there is no way to read in any other way. The Tory arrogance personified by May and the pony spouted on here by her acolytes has been seen for what it is. I still think Corbyn is flawed and not PM material but his campaigning and appeal to the young and the disenfranchised is genuine and no amount of petty snipping and re writing of history changed or can change that. A little humble pie from the Tories would do them far more good than their current strategy of claiming a legitimacy they plainly do not have. Party first, country second, that's the Tories.

While a secound referendum is pie in the sky certainly in the short term, I think now the under 35 vote has been mobilsed remain would win easialy. On the election result May is mortally wounded, she may hang on for a few months but the Tory party dont back failures. We still have a long way to go before we will have any idea what where we are heading, one thing I predict is that Brexit does not mean Brexit.

The Tory apologists cannot admit any fault with the nasty parties policies. The financial crash was international, maybe the Blair government could have done more to mitigate the crash but to blame them for the banking crisis has been one of the biggest political cons in modern British history. What is about 95 % of people will not pay any more tax under Labours proposals is it that the blinkered don't get, if it's just simply nor believing politicians why believe the nasties there all the same, at least with Labour there is some hope for the majority.

Left, Right whatever, I am not a socialist never have been, however the Tories are for me the most unpalatable of the political parties. They criticise the Unions connections to labour all the while toadying up to big business, HNWI, and the landed gentry, none of whom would ever contemplate championing the average person in the street. They feign concern for the family, the elderly, the sick, the disadvantaged, the armed forces, the police, I could go on, yet their policies and record in office are sufficient evidence for any sane jury to find them guilty beyond any reasonable doubt of political fraud and deception. One problem is many people have the same relationship with political parties as football fans have with their clubs. Witness the bindippers defence of their corrupt club over VVD, it’s the same for the many who choose a lifetime affiliation to a political party, they can never admit that perhaps, just perhaps the party is flawed. I could use exactly the same argument for Labour, but this election is about the awful prospect of the Tories led by Mayhem gaining an unassailable majority and continuing to screw the majority of our people, all in it together, strong and stable my arse.

That would be a first.

Apologies you did not but have and my point was more about latching on to peoples colthing choice than the ban, what are your thoughts on the constant cuts to our police and armed forces in the face of the increasing terroist threats?

What do you think, oops i forgot you dont think you just react!

The proposal to Ban the Burka does pose something of a dilemma. Banning clothing that is so obviously alien in our eyes seems logical and desirable. Our society is one of openness and transparency, in human relationships that means being able to look others in the eye, to read their facial expressions and indeed recognise them, the Burka prevents all of these things. Additionally the Burka immediately identifies its wearer as an adherent of Islam, in itself not a issue except that in these sad times when the Islamic faith is being hi-jacked by evil criminal forces law abiding peaceful Muslims must take a stand. One easy very public way of doing this would be for the Muslim Leadership in the UK and indeed across Europe to impose the ban on the Burka, as an act of faith not an act of state law, it is after all not compulsory for Muslim women to wear it. it is a choice not an act of faith. My problem is that for the state to ban the Burka sets a dangerous precedent. One of our core values is freedom of expression, this is often translated into how people dress and adorn themselves. I do not believe it is the duty of the state to set dress codes. It is the duty of the state to combat terrorism and other threats to our security and safety and reducing the numbers of our police and armed forces is inconsistent with this duty.

While I am no Corbyn supporter I find it odd that he fails to answer one question as is lambasted by our resident right wing loons, May hasn't answered any questions and is lauded by the salf same loons as future great hope.

In 1964 Wilson before the election Wilson was in a similar place to Corbyn, we were building the first CASD capability and Harold would not commit, indeed opposed it. Once elected and fully briefed on why we needed it he changed and the Polaris ptogramme was delivered in quick time. Of course the electorate then was dominated by people who really understood the horrors of military jingoism and major conflict and could empathise with a politician who was willing to question the need for such a orrifically destructive capability. None of us on here have any idea what global conflict means. For the record I support CASD, but welcome continual scrutiny and reappraisal as to its relevance.