Reply to: Guardian Poll - Tory Lead Down to 7%

[TimberWolf]

Yes.

And if you believe that I'll tell you another one...

How did Russian history treat Britain when you were being indoctrinated at school? Did you and your classmates have doubts about what was being taught or was the official line swallowed hook line and sinker?

[AtW]

Does Russian history provide a full and fair treatment of figures and wartime events, specifically regarding the Rt Hon. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC?

Yes.

And if you believe that I'll tell you another one...

[TimberWolf]

It teaches how to respectfully address the Great Leader with his full name etc

Does Russian history provide a full and fair treatment of figures and wartime events, specifically regarding the Rt Hon. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC?

[AtW]

What does Russian school history teach about Churchill?

It teaches how to respectfully address the Great Leader with his full name etc

[contractor79]

Looks to me like Cameron is going out of his way to lose this election.

Look to America and see how there is a grass roots populist right-wing movement called the Tea Party taking shape, ready to reshape American politics, with Sarah Palin emerging a leader in their movement.

They're people who are fed up with increasing tax + spend, immigration out of control, increasing socialism, Christian values ignored, bailouts for some but not others... will there be a similar uprising of the right in Britain?

As clearly the Conservative party don't provide a traditional Conservative platform anymore.

[TimberWolf]

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill

What does Russian school history teach about Churchill?

[AtW]

Winston Churchill in 1940 - 1945? Those were quite exceptional circumstances though.

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill

[Gonzo]

So, my question is - did any of the former Conservative Govts ended up with doubling of the national debt in this country, plus personal debt on top?

Winston Churchill in 1940 - 1945? Those were quite exceptional circumstances though.

The levels of personal debt are new.

[Gonzo]

Just think back to prior to 1979 and how Mrs T was seen. She was not seen as a radical. The economic circumstances forced the policies and the various experiments with the economy in order to get it back on track.

She was seen as radical, her policies (as I've said before, she was the puppet, Sir Keith Joseph was the puppet master) were a radical departure from the old Tories such as Sir Edward Heath.

She wouldn't have stayed in power either if she hadn't won the Falklands War, the early eighties were extremely painful.

[AtW]

Until Gordon came along it was exclusively Conservative Chancellors with form for creating unsustainable booms.

Boom might be unsustainable in that it ends, but debt created by labour for their "boom" will outlast many other possible booms of the future.

So, my question is - did any of the former Conservative Govts ended up with doubling of the national debt in this country, plus personal debt on top?

[Gonzo]

If Brown wins a majority, he'll stay for the full term, and imagine what further damage he would do in another five years.

No he won't. His party will get rid of him.

[Gonzo]

Correction, it was the Conservative Govt of 70-74, specifically the Barber boom, that knocked the UK economy out of joint. People often make this mistake, and assume the power cuts and 3-day week of the 70s took place under Labour. They didn't, it was under the Conservatives. Still, Mr Brown's done his best to take Mr Barber's position as the biggest wrecker of GB Ltd.

I don't think that you can completely disregard the effect of the oil price shock but overall I agree your point.

Until Gordon came along it was exclusively Conservative Chancellors with form for creating unsustainable booms.

Reginald Maudling did it in the early sixties.

Anthony Barber did it in the early seventies.

Nigel Lawson did it in the late eighties.

Not that Labour politicians have had the answers mind you. The alarming thing I have heard recently is that governement debt is not really too high and continuing to spend is the right thing to do in the circumstances.

It is all very well listening to economists' and politicians' views on that but the financial market's view could be brutal.

[HairyArsedBloke]

And if Gordo manages to hold on in a minority government...

That is the best thing that could happen to the country.

[MrMark]

Rubbish, I'm certainly not Mrs T's biggest fan, but Cameron isn't fit to lick her boots.

I think the problem is that the Tories chose Dave as the answer to Blair. There again, they couldn't choose one of the big beasts (Clarke, Heseltine or even Portillo) as they would have split the party.
From my point of view the biggest failing is having Dave's chum George as the prospective Chancellor. If he had put someone with gravitas in that role (Hague? Clarke?) a lot of people would feel comfortable in voting Conservative (perhaps). It doesn't help that they've wobbled several times in recent weeks over policy - if they're doing that now prior to the election proper, what they going to do once in power and really under pressure?
Grrr, it's just too depressing to think about isn't it? And if Gordo manages to hold on in a minority government...

[HairyArsedBloke]

Rubbish, I'm certainly not Mrs T's biggest fan, but Cameron isn't fit to lick her boots.

Aye.