Red Ed's Speech and Vision

[Benfleet A1]

Anyone else listen to his speech yesterday? Return the UK to socialism, energy bills freeze, 17 mentions of Britain can do better. What does everyone think about it?

Personally, I am considering a move to North Korea if Labour get in. The man is a blundering idiot who is going to plunge this country back to the stone age with his visions and unworkable polices. I am filled with dread.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

So you think energy bills should keep going up and up and that Britain can't do better? You haven't highlighted anything scary as far as I can tell.

 

[WightShrimper]

Whether you agree with him or not, I like the fact that we might actually get some political parties with differing views rather than a number of parties that are all just shades of muddy brown.

 

[dloman]

So you think energy bills should keep going up and up and that Britain can't do better? You haven't highlighted anything scary as far as I can tell.

Apart from the lack of how any of these policies are going to be paid for.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Whether you agree with him or not, I like the fact that we might actually get some political parties with differing views rather than a number of parties that are all just shades of muddy brown.

Agreed. It looks like there will be a genuine choice between Labour and the Conservatives in 2015. I'm still far from convinced of Miliband's leadership quality, but at least he is slowly starting to put some ideas out there.

Incidentally, Ladbrokes shortened Labour to 4/9 to win most seats at the next general election in light of that speech.

 

[ldnfatso]

Free childcare from 8am till 6pm is supposedly going to be funded from existing breakfast club income! How can this possibly work, the childcare is going to cost more as staffing needs to be for longer. The only way this can work is by increasing the cost of the breakfast club which will result in parents possibly not being able to afford it!

As for the energy prices, is this going to be legal?? Then what happens in 2017??? Answer: Above inflation increases to make up for the time the energy companies were unable to do it?

BONKERS!!!! Keep these brainless morons out!!!

 

[Jam_Man]

So you think energy bills should keep going up and up and that Britain can't do better? You haven't highlighted anything scary as far as I can tell.

Didnt hear it but that's inflation isnt it? Not sure how they can cap rises anyway.

Obviously if they are increasing by 10% every year thats taking the mickey. I personally love how they reduce prices in April and then increase them in October when people actually use it more. Weird co-incidence that.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Didnt hear it but that's inflation isnt it? Not sure how they can cap rises anyway.

Obviously if they are increasing by 10% every year thats taking the mickey. I personally love how they reduce prices in April and then increase them in October when people actually use it more. Weird co-incidence that.

On Five Live yesterday, Caroline Flint came mighty close to accusing the energy firms of running a cartel. Now, that wouldn't surprise anyone were that to be the case, but that's sticky ground for an MP and a shadow secretary of state to be on.

 

[londonblue]

Didnt hear it but that's inflation isnt it? Not sure how they can cap rises anyway.

Obviously if they are increasing by 10% every year thats taking the mickey. I personally love how they reduce prices in April and then increase them in October when people actually use it more. Weird co-incidence that.

I think that's really what he's on about. We all know that the energy companies take the mickey out of us, and that Camerscum is too scared of them to really do anything about it. As Milliband said on 5 Live this morning, the PM's brave when it comes to standing up to the poor, but not when it comes to standing up to the rich (or words to that effect...).

Let's face it, there's nothing wrong with saying we can do better, because it's true. We can always do better.

 

[ldnfatso]

And what is SuperMilliband going to do about the railway companies which have been doing the same for many years too?? F*** all is what!!

 

[dloman]

I think that's really what he's on about. We all know that the energy companies take the mickey out of us, and that Camerscum is too scared of them to really do anything about it. As Milliband said on 5 Live this morning, the PM's brave when it comes to standing up to the poor, but not when it comes to standing up to the rich (or words to that effect...).

Let's face it, there's nothing wrong with saying we can do better, because it's true. We can always do better.

Though to be fair wasn't Milliband energy secretary when the price started to rise in the first place?

 

[Benfleet A1]

So you think energy bills should keep going up and up and that Britain can't do better? You haven't highlighted anything scary as far as I can tell.

Ok, I'll highlight my concerns of which there are many. He wants to see a return to a socialist UK which as far as I can see is a return to nationalised, state control. There is already talk of him renationalising the railways, how is that going to be paid for? I can see it going one of two ways, buying the operators out of their contracts which will cost billions or snatching them back under state control which amounts to nothing short of full blown communism. Freezing price rises of gas and electric utilities is simply going to cut investment which could well lead to shorter supply and blackouts which if you were around in the 70's were a complete pain in the arse. Indeed Centrica have already said and I quote 'If prices were to be controlled on a background of rising costs it would simple not be economically viable for Centrica or indeed any other energy supplier, to continue to operate and far less to meet the sizable investment challenge that the industry is facing' Scaremongering? Maybe but what if it isn't. What if Mliiband and Balls have got it so wrong that energy companies pull out or walk away? So if he wants to take state control of the railways what's next? It certainly sounds like he's after the utilities services and if it is the case of really returning the nation to socialism then he will not be able to stop just with the railways. British Telecom, gas, water, electricity, Royal Mail the whole shabang will have to come under state ownership which would make this country less competative than a one legged man in a arse kicking contest.

Then we have the extra 25 free hours of child care for working parents paid for by increasing the Bank Levy. I don't understand what the Bank Levy means so I'll leave that for the likes of Neil F but I do know that teachers are already up in arms at the prospect of having to spend even more time in the school looking after children outside of usual school hours. So how is he going to impliment this without upsetting the teaching unions.

It was a speech to make us all feel that we might be getting something for nothing, that Labour has all the answers after only three years in opposition and all the mistakes of the passed will be righted and/or forgotten about. But where was the policies on Immigration, The Welfare State, The NHS, Europe, Scottish Independance and it's implications, Crime, not a word? Where is all this money going to come from that is required to build this utopia he invisions. They want to build 200,000 new homes every year for 5 years and force builders and property developers sitting on unused land to use it or lose it. What sort of talk is that? Are we to expect land snatchbacks which is then given to state controlled building firms to knock up another rabbit hutch estate. Social housing for those key workers we hear so much about when in reality it ends up just another sink estate, landlorded to the hilt charging top dollar and no-one living there ever getting the chance to get on the property ladder themselves.

As far as I'm concerned he is just saying what the gullible want to hear and to quote one of his favorite phrases He just doesn't get it!

 

[Mad Cyril]

I welcome the proposed 25 hours a week free child care but feel it is extremely unfair that the 25 hours cannot be taken consecutively and at the weekend.

It would be convenient for me to drop the kids into care on a Saturday lunchtime and then go out and ****ing cane it until five or six Am Sunday and grab a bit of kip before picking them up.

The Labour party really needs some blue sky thinking like this.

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

I am waiting to see what the wise one has to say before i comment.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Free childcare, free school meals.....what is the focus on children all about? Schools are full of children who see little enough of their parents as it is, I just don't understand where those two parties think the finance will come from or how it's going to really benefit the children. What they want is their parents' time and attention, they'll end up getting less.

And can you imagine power cuts with the way computers control our lives these days? The 70s black outs were bad enough but at least supermarkets could keep working because they had manual tills - shops would have to close now; train lines would stop because the signalling and points are all computer controlled, and don't even think about getting on a plane!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

So you think energy bills should keep going up and up and that Britain can't do better? You haven't highlighted anything scary as far as I can tell.

Come on, you're intelligent.

What do you think the energy companies will do to prices two months before the next election when faced with the possibility of prices being frozen for two years if Labour are elected?


The sad thing is that Milliband and his team must realise this, so they are deliberately causing prices to rise so they can gain politically. Like Syria, it isn't about doing what is right, it's about screwing the other side.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I am waiting to see what the wise one has to say before i comment.

Miliband is a democratic socialist (who along with Ed Balls) has finally begun to outline the policies, which will return Labour to power, (with a small majority) in May 2015.

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

Miliband is a democratic socialist (who along with Ed Balls) has finally begun to outline the policies, which will return Labour to power, (with a small majority) in May 2015.

That is fine and dandy but i am still waiting for the wise one before i comment.

 

[South Bank Hank]

That is fine and dandy but i am still waiting for the wise one before i comment.

Well I reckon Mreallybland has delivered a fine set of populist ideas to get the 'supporters' wet round their furry bits but there's not a lot of substance behind them. I'll get him the benefit of the doubt and say YET. Classic behaviour from a party in opposition.

Over to you then Tone. :thumbsup:

 

[Rob Noxious]

That is fine and dandy but i am still waiting for the wise one before i comment.

Caroline Flint rocks.