Labour lose in Glasgow East

[Andyhsufc]

Some early policy ideas for you -

- The union to be scrapped as the barnett formula favours the Scots, using English money. Let them look after themselves!
- Basic rate of Income tax to be cut to 18p/ £1. Funded by 5p rise in top band. Any extra revenue raised goes into the NHS
- House of Lords 100% elected.
- Queen to receive no taxpayers money
- Job seekers allowance to be paid for 1 month. If you havent got a job by then, you have to either do full time voluntary work or you lose your benefits.
- As franchises end, gradual renationalisation of the rail companies to end the farcical level of service and value that we get on them. All then rebranded under Network Rail and run "not for profit" as NR is. Prices should fall substantially.
- Sustained above inflation investment in education. Paid for by the savings in Job seekers allowance
- Points system in immigration so we get the people we need for certain areas and not the people who raid our benefits system

What do we think so far?

 

[MK Shrimper]

Some early policy ideas for you -

- The union to be scrapped as the barnett formula favours the Scots, using English money. Let them look after themselves!
- Basic rate of Income tax to be cut to 18p/ £1. Funded by 5p rise in top band. Any extra revenue raised goes into the NHS
- House of Lords 100% elected.
- Queen to receive no taxpayers money
- Job seekers allowance to be paid for 1 month. If you havent got a job by then, you have to either do full time voluntary work or you lose your benefits.
- As franchises end, gradual renationalisation of the rail companies to end the farcical level of service and value that we get on them. All then rebranded under Network Rail and run "not for profit" as NR is. Prices should fall substantially.
- Sustained above inflation investment in education. Paid for by the savings in Job seekers allowance
- Points system in immigration so we get the people we need for certain areas and not the people who raid our benefits system

What do we think so far?

Some good points there, some unworkable fantasy land stuff.

I mean - The Queen...work for a living. Steady now!

 

[Andyhsufc]

Some good points there, some unworkable fantasy land stuff.

I mean - The Queen...work for a living. Steady now!

No, what Im saying is that she would have to use the value of her many estates to live on.

 

[Cricko]

Some good points there, some unworkable fantasy land stuff.

I mean - The Queen...work for a living. Steady now!

I thought you already had a job Paul....:unsure:

 

[Vange Shrimper]

When is the next general election, is it next year? I definitely know who to vote for when this happens.

 

[MK Shrimper]

I thought you already had a job Paul....:unsure:

Ooo, get you, you big bitch ;)

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

A quite stunning defeat for the government in a constituency that has been a Labour stronghold for the best part of a century.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7522153.stm

After the defeat in Crewe & Nantwich and now Glasgow East it's a question of time before someone challenges Gordon Brown's position as PM. New Labour are mortally wounded rather in the manner of the Tories before their defeat in 1997, but they will struggle on for another two years before they have no other choice but to call a General Election.

However and more seriously if Labour have no mandate in Scotland it throws a whole new light on the Union.

Can't say I was that surprised with the result. I thought the odds were overstating the Labour position. This was a typical by-election result for an unpopular government: their vote stays at home, third parties squeezed as the protest vote unites behind candidate most likely to topple them.

I haven't checked the figures, but I suspect Labour still have more of a mandate than they do in England.

Labour are a party in trouble: the New Labour coalition has split with the southern middle classes having deserted them for the Tories, whilst their traditional working class support in Scotland and the North feels betrayed and stays at home/votes SNP. I can't see a change in leader reversing that, at least not in the short term. Traditionally, Labour have lacked the ruthlessness of the Tories to replace their lame duck leaders so it will be interesting to see if anyone (Jack Straw?) steps upto the plate and tells Brown his time is up.

 

[steveo]

Some early policy ideas for you -

- The union to be scrapped as the barnett formula favours the Scots, using English money. Let them look after themselves!
*************WINNER************

- Basic rate of Income tax to be cut to 18p/ £1. Funded by 5p rise in top band.
***********DEBATABLE*********


Any extra revenue raised goes into the NHS
************ NO - BUILD MORE PRISONS FIRST. INCREASE INCOME TAX TO EVERYONE TO FUND THE NHS BUT LET PEOPLE WITH PRIVATE HEALTHCARE OPT OUT OF NI**********


- House of Lords 100% elected.
******WINNER******

- Queen to receive no taxpayers money
******WINNER********


- Job seekers allowance to be paid for 1 month. If you havent got a job by then, you have to either do full time voluntary work or you lose your benefits.
*******WINNER ALTHOUGH 1 WEEK WOULD BE BETTER*******


- As franchises end, gradual renationalisation of the rail companies to end the farcical level of service and value that we get on them. All then rebranded under Network Rail and run "not for profit" as NR is. Prices should fall substantially.
*****SO WOULD THE SERVICE - NEEDS MORE DEBATE*****

- Sustained above inflation investment in education. Paid for by the savings in Job seekers allowance
******WINNER************

- Points system in immigration so we get the people we need for certain areas and not the people who raid our benefits system
******WINNER********

What do we think so far?

LOOKING GOOD.

Couple of extra's. Scrap Road Tax, put it on fuel. Easy way to stop tax dodgers and make people who drive more, pay more.

Supply and fit waste disposal units to everyone’s sink for 20 quid. This new system of bunging all foods scraps straight into a wheelie bin is doing me head in.

 

[Vange Shrimper]

Another thing for them to think about is the average £20k debt that students get into after studying at university.

 

[Andyhsufc]

Can everyone put their opinions on the new thread and lets try and build some more ideas

 

[Vange Shrimper]

Next general election, when is it, please?

 

[Andyhsufc]

Next general election, when is it, please?

Very likely to be 2010

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Next general election, when is it, please?

Whenever Brown (or his successor) calls it.

 

[Vange Shrimper]

Whenever Brown (or his successor) calls it.

He's going to drag his leadership for as long as possible, I can just see that happening.

I bet Blair is laughing at whats happening to his successor now...

 

[Firestorm]

- The union to be scrapped as the barnett formula favours the Scots, using English money. Let them look after themselves!

Would the Scottish Oil money we used to support the massive denationalisation subsidies of the 1980's be paid back to the Scots in one go then ? or is it a case of we will have a United Kingdom when it suits the English (Welsh coal is another example) but once the natural resources of your province has been raped you can bugger off and leave us alone.

I like the abolition of the civil list.

As for the renationalisation of the railways..The ideals of nationalised industries is that the whole portfolio is self financing. The bottom fell out of the idea when the profitable parts were sold off (ie oil & telecoms) and left the loss making elements (ie Rail , Mines ) in the public domain, these could only be shipped out by the massive injection of subsidies from public funds.

The intoduction of an extensive public Transport system is a splendid idea , but it will not make money, if likes of BP and BT had not been sold off and the mobile phone licences not farmed out to their buddies , there may well be enough in the public companies portfolio to subsidise something for the people.

 

[loz]

Some early policy ideas for you -

Any extra revenue raised goes into the NHS
************ NO - BUILD MORE PRISONS FIRST. INCREASE INCOME TAX TO EVERYONE TO FUND THE NHS BUT LET PEOPLE WITH PRIVATE HEALTHCARE OPT OUT OF NI**********

NI also pays for Unemployment Benefit, pensions etc etc which they'd still be entitled to receive, so I don't think they should be able to opt out.

- As franchises end, gradual renationalisation of the rail companies to end the farcical level of service and value that we get on them. All then rebranded under Network Rail and run "not for profit" as NR is. Prices should fall substantially.
*****SO WOULD THE SERVICE - NEEDS MORE DEBATE*****

not neccesarily. MK would probably know more about this than me, but I think I'm right in saying that Southeastern (who are basically government-run and took over from Connes when they got kicked off their franchise) are one of the more efficient rail franchises in the UK. Also, trains being 'punctual' means jack when companies just increase the timetabled journey time to account for delays, whilst upping the prices above inflation.

Couple of extra's. Scrap Road Tax, put it on fuel. Easy way to stop tax dodgers and make people who drive more, pay more.

that is actually a really good idea. Progressively green, and an easy way to get some cash out of tax evaders.


others:

end or at least completely rewrite PFI, which seems to have largely been an excuse for incompetent companies to make some guaranteed cash out of the taxpayer (Metronet, NHS out-sourcing, etc etc)

Germany-style system in place for people with solar panels etc to sell their generated electricity back to the National Grid, along with tax breaks for companies who reduce their energy consumption.

closing tax evasion loopholes for large companies- e.g. Tesco and the like using a variety of offshore holding companies. They've made billions of profit in the UK and should contribute their reasonable share.

Reinvestment in nuclear energy, to a) reduce our dependence on volatile energy markets (coal, natural gas), b) lower emissions.

Do something about the electoral system to ensure that everyone's vote counts, not just the cherished swing voters in 100 or so marginals.

 

[steveo]

NI also pays for Unemployment Benefit, pensions etc etc which they'd still be entitled to receive, so I don't think they should be able to opt out.

Do you not think a concession somewhere for Private Healthcare patients would be fair then?

 

[loz]

Do you not think a concession somewhere for Private Healthcare patients would be fair then?

Possibly, although private healthcare generally doesn't have some things NHS does (like A and E) so it could get very complicated. Also, once you decide to opt out, you shouldn't be allowed back in again- otherwise the facilities are being maintained/improved during the intervening period even though you're not contributing to their upkeep.

 

[blue scorpion]

Would the Scottish Oil money we used to support the massive denationalisation subsidies of the 1980's be paid back to the Scots in one go then ? or is it a case of we will have a United Kingdom when it suits the English (Welsh coal is another example) but once the natural resources of your province has been raped you can bugger off and leave us alone.

I like the abolition of the civil list.

As for the renationalisation of the railways..The ideals of nationalised industries is that the whole portfolio is self financing. The bottom fell out of the idea when the profitable parts were sold off (ie oil & telecoms) and left the loss making elements (ie Rail , Mines ) in the public domain, these could only be shipped out by the massive injection of subsidies from public funds.

The intoduction of an extensive public Transport system is a splendid idea , but it will not make money, if likes of BP and BT had not been sold off and the mobile phone licences not farmed out to their buddies , there may well be enough in the public companies portfolio to subsidise something for the people.

Lets get this straight.
The SNP were the party banging on about independence for their homeland this morning not the English.
Anyway lets see some figures about Scottish oil money compared to how much it costs to subsidise the average Scot [last figure I saw @ £1500 per head] instead of these glib generalisations.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Just as an aside, I wonder how many thousands of people there are like me, on thyroxin, so because they need regular medication end up getting ALL prescriptions free?