Oldham has to re-run voting (Now Re-Run)

[Uptowngirl]

Too slow ............. must try harder

 

Indeed you must. Is that what the teachers used to write on your school reports?

[Grandad.Malky]

. Like I said many times these matters seem to worry folk who didn't vote for either of the coalition parties far more than they concern those who did.

 

And how do you know who voted for who?

[Uptowngirl]

And how do you know who voted for who?

 

:hihi::hihi::hihi:

[espadrille]

Pretty obvious really on here anyway.

[espadrille]

I was giving you the opportunity to look it up yourself. It is an admission when you have moaned about it so much, that you do not even know its contents. :huh:

 

 

OK here goes.

 

CONCESSIONS BY TORIES

 

* Five Cabinet places and Liberal Democrat ministers in most departments.

* A referendum on the introduction of AV without a legitimacy threshold.

* A reformed House of Lords elected by PR. Although this was also a Tory manifesto promise it was not a first term priority. Use of proportional representation is also a LibDem win.

* No British Bill of Rights of the kind that might have stopped votes for prisoners.

* No repatriation of powers from the EU. Some of us have, for some time, doubted the determination of Cameron and Hague on this front but pressures of the Coalition have made Eurosceptic action even less likely.

* Suspension of all major family policy initiatives including long-grassing of the introduction of a tax allowance for marriage. There is provision in the Coalition Agreement for this tax allowance to be introduced on the back of LibDem MPs abstaining but I am doubtful that government time will be found for the vote. Overall, social conservatives are the big losers from the Coalition as I noted in last week's Times (£).

* A delay to Trident renewal until after the next General Election. This, says the PM, is justified on cost grounds but some Tory MPs suspect the influence of the Liberal Democrats.

* Greater local government involvement in healthcare provision.

* Greater use of community sentences, less use of prison. Although this policy is backed by Ken Clarke the Tory manifesto promised greater use of prison and probably wouldn't have happened if the Tory Right held the balance of parliamentary power.

* Higher rates of Capital Gains Tax.

* No reduction in inheritance tax although the fiscal situation might have necessitated this anyhow.

* Yesterday's referral of NewsCorp's takeover of BSkyB to OfCom (although it probably would have happened anyway).

 

Insistence Five other policy areas settled in the LibDems' favour will be applauded by most Conservatives:

 

* Lifting low-paid workers out of the income tax system. Overwhelming numbers of Tory activists welcome this policy.

* Greater emphasis on tackling tax-dodgers.

* Reform of the welfare system to 'make work pay'. Insiders say Clegg was decisive in helping IDS secure the nature and scale of welfare reform that was delivered, overcoming Treasury resistance.

* A universal pension of £140 (draft idea).

* The introduction of a Pupil Premium for disadvantaged children. Again this is something Michael Gove wanted but the Premium's size and extention into extra benefits for pre-school and pre-university reflects Liberal Democrat influence.

 

In addition certain policy options are probably closed off by the Coalition, including profit-making free schools and abolition of the 50p tax band.

 

COMPROMISES BY LIB DEMS

 

* The Liberal Democrats to support early deficit reduction and George Osborne's goal of eradication of the deficit by the end of the parliament. In the process the junior Coalition partner have swallowed politically unpalatable decisions on, for example, housing benefit reform, freezing the BBC licence fee and cuts to the arts. A majority of Tory members say they are willing to accept concessions to the Liberal Democrats on other issues if the economy is fixed.

 

Other significant Liberal Democrat concessions:

 

* Equal-sized seats, including a reduction in the number of MPs to 600.

* The introduction of a cap on economic immigration and the abandonment of the LibDem policy favouring an amnesty for illegal immigrants.

* Vince Cable's pledges on a mansion tax were abandoned.

* A large increase in tuition fees. The LibDems are, however, likely to secure a cap on fees and a more progressive repayment regime including a penalty for early repayment of student loans.

* A green light for nuclear power.

 

Very comprehensive UTG.

 

Of course you wouldn't get to read any of this in the media as they want you to believe everything they print rather than the true nature of the influence that the Lib Dems have had on the coalition.

[Grandad.Malky]

:hihi::hihi::hihi:

 

I bet that took some thinking about.

 

Anyway back to the simple question …… what influence did the Lib/Dems have on the current education policy?

[espadrille]

I bet that took some thinking about.

 

Anyway back to the simple question …… what influence did the Lib/Dems have on the current education policy?

 

2.5billion extra funding for the poorest children under the pupil premium.

[Stoatwobbler]

Thank you for proving my point. Perhaps if you voted Tory you might yourself become a little richer.

 

And there was me thinking that you need work hard at making money to become rich when apparently all you really need to is vote for the Conservative party!

[Uptowngirl]

And there was me thinking that you need work hard at making money to become rich when apparently all you really need to is vote for the Conservative party!

 

I'm glad to have been of service. Once the yoke of Labour debt has gone along with their policies of squandering money for no return, and once we have no more illegal wars to fund, there should be more money all round.

 

Working hard also helps particularly when the government isn't hell bent on taking it all away from you as tax.

[Grandad.Malky]

I'm glad to have been of service. Once the yoke of Labour debt has gone along with their policies of squandering money for no return, and once we have no more illegal wars to fund, there should be more money all round.

 

Is there something in the water in your area.