There was a Lib Dem voter on the radio, when Clegg said his bit about going in to coalition with Cons and Lab and what they'd bring to both, he just thought "why not vote for the one of those I'd prefer then?"

I am happy the tories won but for the first time in my life i got involved with a political party. UKIP

I joined last year, went to meetings ,and was asked to stand as a councillor.

i picked up 400 votes .It really is a tiny group of people trying to make a change and yet we got a big chunk of the national vote.I hope the 3 councillors we have in Bolton can stand up to the dickheads that have been running the council 

Well done and thank you for your work. I hope you build on the huge achievements you made this year.

Third place is phenomenal, you did really, really well. Thank you.

One of the things I am saying this , this year, is because the main political parties 

want a kick up the bum now and then. They just are not listening.

We have `career politicians` which is outrageous.

They need to be reminded that they can be voted out.

UKIP has made a noise this time and done some good.

I think the tories have done a good job with the debt and destruction they inherited,

and the inflation rate is great. Well done to the Tories too.

Edited May 10, 201511 yr by overseas

Without a doubt going into a coalition in 2010 was a disaster for the LD's.

The alternative was an unstable minority Tory government and most likely another election within two years.

 

BD, slightly left of centre is effectively middle ground. There is no other party there.

 

Carlos, clearly a lot of voters were lost to the Tories for that reason but Clegg was caught between a rock and a hard place.  He could hardly say we won't work with such and such pre-election.

 

Malc, yes they have been held to account for the U-turn on tuition fees but I don't see how they could have got all their policies through as a minority partner.  

Clegg should have left the coalition talk until post election, when the results were in. No one made him say what he did, the fact he repeated it shows it was actual strategy.

 Somewhere in the middle are the LD's but no one votes for them bacause the middle ground is not a vote winner

 

You are wrong there. Elections are won from the centre, it is a policy which worked for Tony Blair in 97 and may do again next time out.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/09/tony-blair-labour-return-centre-ground-general-election-defeat

Quite right. But it is the best (only?) place to start, and in fact very few would change, and they would very largely have been tactical voters in the real election anyway.

 

Still it will keep me quiet for a little while.

 

I have a concern about pensions expertise in the new Parliament, by the way.

Not only has the (LibDem) minister, Professor Webb, been deposed by a Conservative but also the shadow minister (McClymont) and the chair of the Works and Pensions Select Committee (Dame Anne Begg) were blown away by the SNP.

 

 

Webb?

 

He did plenty, but was he a success?

 

Auto-enrolment? To be decided

 

Freedom & Choice was Conservative policy

 

He thought he was the bees knees and he survived, but the jury is out.

Without a doubt going into a coalition in 2010 was a disaster for the LD's.

The alternative was an unstable minority Tory government and most likely another election within two years.

 

BD, slightly left of centre is effectively middle ground. There is no other party there.

 

Carlos, clearly a lot of voters were lost to the Tories for that reason but Clegg was caught between a rock and a hard place.  He could hardly say we won't work with such and such pre-election.

 

Malc, yes they have been held to account for the U-turn on tuition fees but I don't see how they could have got all their policies through as a minority partner.  

 

They couldn't - and that is why he should not have been so firm on it in the first place. But my gripe with Clegg has always been that he undermined Ming Campbell as party leader. (MC was a former UK athletics captain).

 

Incidentally, which European double gold (relay) medallist stood for the Conservatives this year?

Nicholas Soames?

Eric Pickles, surely?

Just been searching for something online for a customer and came across this.

http://m.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/10546176.Ten_years_since_Bolton_raised___1_3_million_for_coronary_care_unit/?ref=rss

I remember the good people of WW helped to raise some of that £1.3 million. Peanuts in comparison to the amount spent on the NHS but obviously too much for the then Labour government.

Just been searching for something online for a customer and came across this.

http://m.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/10546176.Ten_years_since_Bolton_raised___1_3_million_for_coronary_care_unit/?ref=rss

I remember the good people of WW helped to raise some of that £1.3 million. Peanuts in comparison to the amount spent on the NHS but obviously too much for the then Labour government.

 

All hospitals benefit from charitable donations - the big obvious examples locally being the Children's at Manchester Royal and Christies. I don't think its fair to beat the govt of the time with that particular stick.

 

Fair play to anyone that contributed to the Coronary Care Unit though - and as an aside, Eddie Davies must have tipped up a fair amount too given his name is over the door.

 

Edit - its in the article about ED.

Edited May 10, 201511 yr by RoadRunnerFan

All hospitals benefit from charitable donations - the big obvious examples locally being the Children's at Manchester Royal and Christies. I don't think its fair to beat the govt of the time with that particular stick.

 

Fair play to anyone that contributed to the Coronary Care Unit though - and as an aside, Eddie Davies must have tipped up a fair amount too given his name is over the door.

That's fair comment. I've read elsewhere that these charitable donations are proof that the government is at best underfunding and at worst hell bent on privatisation.

That's fair comment. I've read elsewhere that these charitable donations are proof that the government is at best underfunding and at worst hell bent on privatisation.

Whoever said that is an ill informed scaremongering clown. We gave a sizeable donation to the Christie when my dad died and labour were in office then and I don't recall any outcry that the Christie charity was only there are Blair was going to privatise it.

That's fair comment. I've read elsewhere that these charitable donations are proof that the government is at best underfunding and at worst hell bent on privatisation.

 

Aye all they are proof of is the generosity of the British public - and they are likely to continue to happen in the future no matter who is in power.

 

I can see the logic in the underfunding argument but only a crank would link charitable donations to privatisation.

Whoever said that is an ill informed scaremongering clown. We gave a sizeable donation to the Christie when my dad died and labour were in office then and I don't recall any outcry that the Christie charity was only there are Blair was going to privatise it.

Blair furthered the road towards privatisation of the NHS with PFI contrasts and increasing internal market competition. And there was outcry.

 

There needs to be a proper debate on the NHS and in my view the electorate needs to be given honest and clear options. I'm fundamentally against privatising it, because I think it will be an absolute disaster. Selling off individual services that currently or at least in theory work together will be a joke. I know we are already part way there, but it has to stop IMO. But there needs to be a full and frank discussion as to what the NHS will and won't pick up the tab for.

 

For example I'm not sure that anymore we can justify the NHS subsidising dental treatment other than in cases where it is medically relevant. For example an im-growing tooth or a wisdom tooth that needs removal. Cavities, crowns, bridges etc are all preventable if people look after their teeth. And if they don't there are private practices where they can pay to get fixed. If they can't pay, then they should look after their teeth properly.

 

It is one way a saving could be made and the service aligned to the economic and physical pressures it is under.

How about coming out of Europe and giving the 33 million pounds that we lose per day, randomly, to each Hospital in turn. So one day say Southampton Hospital gets 33 million pounds bonus, next day Birmingham Hospital gets it etc. and we are no less off than now.

I think the electorate need to understand firstly, that it isn't free and secondly, manage their expectations.

I am still shocked that you think you are a centrist from reading your posts. That's up there with me thinking I'm a size 10.

Blair furthered the road towards privatisation of the NHS with PFI contrasts and increasing internal market competition. And there was outcry.

 

 

 

PFI started under Major (though did increase under Labour) and the internal market came in under Thatcher. JSL

How about coming out of Europe and giving the 33 million pounds that we lose per day, randomly, to each Hospital in turn. So one day say Southampton Hospital gets 33 million pounds bonus, next day Birmingham Hospital gets it etc. and we are no less off than now.

Has it gone up 3 million since the lib dems got evicted?

Has it gone up 3 million since the lib dems got evicted?

Well I was ignorant of it all until a week or so ago. I looked it up and apparently we give a lump sum to EU like we did a while ago where Osbourne forgot ( :lol: ) and we  get about 16 billion of it back, but it works out at a loss of 33 million pounds a day for UK. The country should be run as a business. make logical and regular changes and make each change permanent.

My comment was really about major investment in a particular hospital from the private sector than individual donations. I'm well aware that The Christie relies on charitable donations, more so than more mainstream hospitals ( not sure why)

We also gave donations to The Royal Bolton after Mum died but assumed that it would go to enhance rather than part fund the running of the hospital.

Are the charitable donations included in the figures the government quote as their spend on the NHS?

You are wrong there. Elections are won from the centre, it is a policy which worked for Tony Blair in 97 and may do again next time out.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/09/tony-blair-labour-return-centre-grou

nd-general-election-defeat

It was very different in 1997. SNP and UKIP have changed things significantly. It would be difficult for labour to repeat the new labour trick next time.

Are the charitable donations included in the figures the government quote as their spend on the NHS?

 

No

 

I wasn't insinuating you were a crank btw Boby, felt I was agreeing with you as you had read someone linking charity to privatisation elsewhere.

Edited May 10, 201511 yr by RoadRunnerFan

Of course we could renegotiate the UK fee to EU, and have it set so the loss is zero, and then donate the 33 million saved is option of course.

I believe UK puts in more money than most as it is.

Edited May 10, 201511 yr by overseas

No

 

I wasn't insinuating you were a crank btw Boby, felt I was agreeing with you as you had read someone linking charity to privatisation elsewhere.

None taken????