Comments on: Liberal Democrats are big spenders, not tax cutters

By: Democrat

Democrat — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:17:10 +0000

http://gvdc.googlegroups.com/web/Natl_Debt_Chart….

By: Democrat

Democrat — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:13:38 +0000

This says otherwise

By: mikestallard

mikestallard — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:11:07 +0000

And allow me to say that you were one of the lucky ones. Today, under a Caring and Sharing Government, it would be a useless Comp until you were 18, then, virtually illiterate, you would be syphoned off into College for a couple of years, before being dumped onto the Dole with Mickey Mouse qualifications and a huge debt round your neck.
The only thing you would have learned is that the lounge is a better place than work.

By: Neil Craig

Neil Craig — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:02:26 +0000

Since I was expelled form the Lib Dems for suggesting that cutting taxes, particularly business taxes would help the economy grow Irish style I think I am entitled to share your cynicism about whether they actually mean it. Way back then (2 1/2 years ago) my expulsion was on the grounds that such ideas were officially "illiberal", "incompatible with part membership" & "too right wing" to even be thought about. Today we see the Scottish LD leader is calling for a 2p cut in income tax, though he neglects to say how this will be funded.

However some of the blame for the LDs being able to spout this lies with the Conservatives who have been to nervous to say much beyond commiting themselves to match Labour's spending plans. By trying to hard to hold the middle ground they leave their own goal wide open. I see this in Scotland where, because there is a multi-party PR system they have even less to lose they have been extra cautious. In Scotland if you want low corporation tax & high growth vote SNP for that is their policy, the Tories oppose it. If you want lower income tax then vote LibDem for that is (now) their policy which the Tories oppose. The unique selling points of the Conservatives at the last election were more money for council houses & drug users (really). The wonder is that any Conservative still votes for them.

By: Acorn

Acorn — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:30:01 +0000

Eddie, if you are a fan of the BBC World Service radio – the only reason why I bought a DAB radio – you will have noticed that all monetary values are now quoted in US Dollars, including UK items; but, programme times are now quoted in GMT, so we have some balance!

Personally my day job would be much easier if the whole planet adopted the S.I. (System International) measurement system. [metres; kilograms; seconds etc.] Then I would not spend time having to convert from BTU to Kilojoules; cubic feet to cubic metres; barrels to litres; million tonnes of oil equivalent to gigajoules etc etc.

Please do me a favour and get your kids and your grand kids to read the following. There are some of us trying to illiminate energy iliteracy; and, having to stop explaining why peoples gas bills are in kilowatt hours and no, it is not your electricity bill. http://www.kajul.org/welcomeEN.php

By: Mark Wadsworth

Mark Wadsworth — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:17:23 +0000

Simon and FBJ have beaten me to it.

By: Eddie Allen

Eddie Allen — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 06:36:37 +0000

Flicking through my channels yesterday I unintentionally landed on the Parliamentary Channel to hear some typically bearded Liberal speaker giving his all to Europe as if the place gave birth to every good thing on the planet. Europe was ( apparently )ravaged by wars until we all joined hands in a circle singing Oh Hokey Cokey Cokey with everyone and everyone's neighbour !
Where on earth they dream this up heaven knows.
I wanted to stick my fingers down my throat and hoyk up at his pitiful silly wailing that we should all "celebrate" what Europe has achieved !!

Instead, I flicked to the news, only to land on BBC News 24 giving my ears another drumming of a "tropical storm" in Galveston and the reporter telling us the storm was blowing at 125 "kilometers" an hour……"What's that in real money" I says to the wife, so that set me off again chuntering on about why the BBC are reporting an American tropical storm and not even bothering to measure it in MPH when just then they went rabbiting on about something they were saying about LITRES of water……"Why are they talking kilometers and litres when this place is imperial MPH and pints and gallons"? = "They're trying to indoctrinate us I tell you" !! I says to the wife.

Then they started giving a news item of something in England.
No sooner had the bloke started talking then they cut him off abruptly "Taking us over to the President of the United States" – "I was watching that"! I says to the wife.

Bush came on and said something like "And we have to mobilise the gas companies to stop 'gassing people' ! – Eh ? I says to the wife, did he just say what I thought he said "gassing people", what's he on ?

What is the BBC on and what is that Liberal bloke with the beard on ?

Let's put a DVD on she says…..

By: Freeborn John

Freeborn John — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:06:52 +0000

As a liberal pure in spirit my feelings towards the three main parties are as follows; disappointment in Labour, distrust in the Conservatives and contempt for the Lib Dems. They should be required under the Trades Descriptions Act to change their name.

By: Simon

Simon — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 23:10:34 +0000

Talking about being in love with regulation reminded me of recent news from Telford, Harlow, Ealing and Chichester. All Tory Councils enforcing New Labour laws with an unhealthy zeal. A dearth of spying, snooping and authoritarianism. If that is a taste of what is to come from a Tory Government the future looks extremely grim for this country. It's the same with Boris in London. The first thing he did was to ban alcohol on the underground. What we want are all these authorities off our collective backs.

By: Bazman

Bazman — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 22:52:49 +0000

My understanding of history is that the Liberal Democrats where once the Tories. I have only secondary education. I left school at sixteen for all you thickies.