Not any more it doesn't.

 

Not if you're a Labour MP, certainly! :w00t:

I think the Tories manifesto promises on reforming social care are great, especially the fact that the winter fuel payment is to be means tested. About time. Also I'd go a step further and say free bus passes for over 60's shouldn't be given to people still in full time work. They can afford their fares.

That would be the social care reforms that the Tories described as a death tax when they were proposed by Labour. That is, they did so after they had initially backed the plans until the tabloids told them to change their minds.

BTW, I have posted my 2015 General Election spreadsheet to dropbox, if anyone is interested in which seats are the most vulnerable to change.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lbdxpxvc930vpzn/E...02015.xlsx?dl=0

 

Regards,

Didn't realise it was the Leaders' Debate tonight! Doubt I'll be watching unless May & Corbyn do make an appearance. It's particularly pointless for me from a voting perspective as I can only vote for Liberal Democrats (from those who are appearing) in my constituency!

ITV have their "leaders" debate this evening. Anyone planning to place a bet on May wrong-footing Corbyn by turning up unannounced?

 

I wouldn't be surprised :lol: I also wouldn't be surprised to see Corbyn burst in half way through and confront May over it after he sent a message into her Facebook Q&A.

The Tory manifesto is f***ing terrifying.

The Tory manifesto is f***ing terrifying.

 

As bad as it is, it's still far better than commie Corbyn's one...

The Tory manifesto has a lot of good points if they can deliver on them (track record saying otherwise...) and some bad points. I agree that the triple lock should be discontinued, but many elderly people may now have to sell their homes under the proposed changes to social care. I don't think that's fair, but at the same with people living longer and longer, there needs to be some way to fund people's social care. It's a difficult situation, but the Tory plan will make the elderly worse off in many ways. Additionally, despite increasing the allowance before tax to £12,500 and increasing the living/minimum wage, a lot of people will be worse off as the extra money they will get from those changes will just go into paying for their children's school meals. It benefits a lot of people without kids though and could make people plan more for having a child. Although the energy price shake up might help make some people a bit better off a year and off-set the costs of free school meals.

 

The investment into R&D and the reduction in corporation tax is good, especially with us leaving the EU. Labour's plan to raise corporation tax to 26% would likely hurt the economy, as a lot of businesses would likely move as 26% corporation tax would be amongst the highest in Europe.

 

The Tory manifesto doesn't have a lot of substance though. There's not many hard figures. Which to a certain extent is a good thing for them, as it prevents them tripping over themselves, like labour, when asked about their figures. But at the same time they've accussed other parties of their figures being completely wrong. You could argue they can get away with that due to the economic growth seen under the conservative government, but it's quite hypocritical.

 

 

Umm what economic growth?

Umm what economic growth?

 

The economic growth by year:

 

2010: ~1.9%

2011: ~1.5%

2012: ~1.3%

2013: ~1.9%

2014: ~3.0%

2015: ~2.2%

2016: ~1.8%

2017: ~0.3% so far (3 more quarters to go and revisions/finalisations of Q1 estimate are still to come)

 

Of course that doesn't show the full state of the econonmy (wage growth still behind pre-crash levels, GDP has only just got up to around pre-crash levels etc).

The economic growth by year:

 

2010: ~1.9%

2011: ~1.5%

2012: ~1.3%

2013: ~1.9%

2014: ~3.0%

2015: ~2.2%

2016: ~1.8%

2017: ~0.3% so far (3 more quarters to go and revisions/finalisations of Q1 estimate are still to come)

 

Of course that doesn't show the full state of the econonmy (wage growth still behind pre-crash levels, GDP has only just got up to around pre-crash levels etc).

Long-term average growth is 2-2.5% so the Tory record is pretty poor.

Long-term average growth is 2-2.5% so the Tory record is pretty poor.

 

That's true, but there was a worldwide slowdown after the financial crisis and that has continued the last few years. GDP growth worldwide has been below the long term average of 3.8% for the last 5-6 years. So there's definitely a global aspect to the slow in growth that's happened. So you could argue the entire world's record is pretty poor at the moment.

 

2011: ~3.1%

2012: ~2.7%

2013: ~2.5%

2014: ~2.7%

2015: ~2.7%

Edited May 18, 20178 yr by Envoirment

The economy has been the slowest growing in the advanced world for aeveral years under the Tories. Germany and Japan, not following austerity, are recovering and growing faster.

The Tory manifesto is f***ing terrifying.

A time like now in our world and she feels the need to put fox hunting as a priority on it :') God you'd think was something for the Teams task the level of parody it is...

Gawwd almighty is she really going for it then??

 

Miserable bitch.

The economy has been the slowest growing in the advanced world for aeveral years under the Tories. Germany and Japan, not following austerity, are recovering and growing faster.

 

Not true at all, especially Japan who has struggled and entered a recession 3 times since the financial crisis (Two successive quarters of falling GDP). Japan have only recent started seeing sustained growth.

 

Japan's growth figures:

 

2011: ~-0.1%

2012: ~1.5%

2013: ~2%

2014: ~0.3%

2015: ~1.2%

2016: ~1%

 

Germany's growth figures:

 

2011: ~3.7%

2012: ~0.5%

2013: ~0.5%

2014: ~1.5%

2015: ~1.7%

2016: ~1.9%

 

The UK has actually been one of the faster, and at times fastest, growing advanced/developed countries over the last few years.

Edited May 18, 20178 yr by Envoirment

A time like now in our world and she feels the need to put fox hunting as a priority on it :') God you'd think was something for the Teams task the level of parody it is...

 

From my understanding it's not a priority, but she wants a vote to be held in parliament over it. Social media have hijacked it though and have made it seem like a priority with it being mentioned a lot and many memes and such coming from it. A waste of time as it's likely not to pass through parliament as there is quite a lot of opposition to it in her own party, as well as the obvious opposition from the other parties.

From my understanding it's not a priority, but she wants a vote to be held in parliament over it. Social media have hijacked it though and have made it seem like a priority with it being mentioned a lot and many memes and such coming from it. A waste of time as it's likely not to pass through parliament as there is quite a lot of opposition to it in her own party, as well as the obvious opposition from the other parties.

 

Sadly, with the possible landslide leading to massive majority she'd probably be able to pass whatever she wanted through. Coupled with how awful an opposition Labour has been, imagine how worse it will be when she's actually got a large majority! This is assuming Corbyn doesn't go, which wouldn't surprise me at all :/

That's true, but there was a worldwide slowdown after the financial crisis and that has continued the last few years. GDP growth worldwide has been below the long term average of 3.8% for the last 5-6 years. So there's definitely a global aspect to the slow in growth that's happened. So you could argue the entire world's record is pretty poor at the moment.

 

2011: ~3.1%

2012: ~2.7%

2013: ~2.5%

2014: ~2.7%

2015: ~2.7%

No there wasn't. It was all Gordon Brown's fault. That nice Mr Osborne said it was, so it must be true.

If you are among the least well-off, this could be the last time you can afford to vote...

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/polit...t-a7742666.html