No rebuttal on the above. Interesting...

I am voting with my head on Thursday. I believe we need to reduce our debt, curb spending, curb immigration and have an EU referendum. I believe we need common sense over the NHS and proper debate on how it will be funded now we live longer. We need to reduce the size of government. I believe we should make it easier for people on low wages to live. We should protect our armed forces and renew our nuclear deterrent. I believe we should remain as the UK.

Only one party offers that. The rest are either spineless or incompetent.

Emotive? No. It is a rational thought process that has led me here.

So how are you voting Michael?

Edited by matt_himself (05 May 2015 8.05am)

"That was fun and to round off the day, I am off to steal a charity collection box and then desecrate a place of worship.” - Smokey, The Selhurst Arms, 26/02/02

Typical Labour guff about the so called "Epidemic" of "Zero Hours" contracts.

According to the "Office for National Statistics" between Oct and December last year a total of some 700,000 said they were employed on zero-hours contracts in their main job. This represents only 2.3% of people in employment, hardly an epidemic ! Furthermore 80% of the jobs created are full-time and there are nearly 31 Mill in work which is a record.Besides there are many who choose to work on a 'Casual' basis as it suits them to do so and I know quite a few in this category.

Edited by Willo (05 May 2015 8.35am)

DEFLECTION.

"That was fun and to round off the day, I am off to steal a charity collection box and then desecrate a place of worship.” - Smokey, The Selhurst Arms, 26/02/02

That went well

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'Lies to the masses as are like fly's to mollasses...they want more and more and more'

I'll have a go.

Some of the bullet points you make I approve. In some respects, this mid-lefty public sector worker is pretty right wing. Thus, I like reduced debt and smaller government. However, I would go much further than any of the parties in far more private sector involvement in the health sector. It pains to say this but cradle to grave is simply not sustainable with an ageing population. I also would like to see state pensions means tested [and all the other stuff that goes with it like free prescription, bus passes etc.]. While I would set the test quite high, national INSURANCE is just that - it is something to fall back on if you are not provided elsewhere. It cannot be a right.

However, where UKIP fails me is the central parts of their policy. This country is doing better than other places BECAUSE of immigration. They say that the Eurozone is failing and we are thus experiencing a flood of workers escaping unemployment. Good! That is how a free market works. The type who cross continents to work in a country where they don't speak the language but who nevertheless succeed are the lifeblood of a nation - or more likely it is their children who will sustain us. We need young people in an ageing population. What do you propose to do to adjust the balance - some sort of compulsory reproduction? The points system is all very well, but it removes the healthy competition element. Also, will people want to come to this country given...

The other issue I have is that the EC is indeed corrupt and poorly functioning. However, it is a small price to continue to pay into this (dis)organisation to have a seat at the table that discusses Europe-wide economic issues. It is more essential to have the advantageous trade deal that comes of being part of the group. True, there are wealthy nations that are outside the EC in EFTA that MAY have us on board. Or they may not. Also, UKIP talk in terms of exit and negotiating trade deals with our major trading partners on the continent. Given we will be on the poor side in terms of bargaining power, do you honestly think that we can impose terms favourable to us? Yes, by all means try and do deals with our former colonies. Those countries that are 1000s of miles away will be only to keen to fleece us on terms wholly favourable to THEM. There is a simple reason why the business community is terrified of exiting the EC - the instability and loss of trade advantage will trigger a wholesale economic collapse.

From our tough little economy that somehow manages to opt out of much we don't like and has the luxury of looking on smugly as the Eurozone crumbles while we pick up the crumbs, we will be an irrelevant little fringe nation whose words are ignored and whose key workers are lured onto the continent or to the US.

This country is an island; but it is one whose success is founded on trade and close relations with those it buys from and sells to. Immigrants compete with the indigenous population for jobs, homes and services. UKIP appeals to those who are unable or, more likely, unwilling to compete with them. However, from a macro perspective, immigrants generally enrich the nation and severing ties with our major trading body is a turkey voting for Xmas.

Indeed but neither actually can afford to maintain and own the properties either. But by selling them off they can essentially feather local pockets with money, and let someone else deal with the problem.

Essentially they're shuffling the chairs on the Titanic, so they can show good figures at the right times, reduce over heads, and then rinse and repeat.

Housing stock should never be sold. No one should have the right to buy their own council home or property, without essentially paying the cost of replacement stock (ie the price of your council home is established as the cost of building its replacement).

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
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