So last week we had our council elections. Woo.
Now, I feel people should vote, especially women, as other people* worked rather hard in the past to ensure that we can. So I always vote regardless of the election's importance.
*Mr Pankhurst especially. Yes. Much more than his wife or daughters.
And so, on such a day as last Thursday, I find myself at the polling station. Sadly this time with not one clue what I'm voting for. I'm not sure why, I do normally find out. I think this may be due to not caring much because councils are pretty much useless regardless.
Outside polling stations there are usually candidates seeking your vote. This time there were two. So I told these two young men outside that I didn't know what I was voting for and that they had one minute to convince me.
They spoke. I listened. I asked idiotic questions. They answered. The SNP chap gave me a card with his name on and told me to copy it, which impressed me more than the non-answers they gave me.
Bloke two was the second Labour candidate, he had no card and so made less impression. But in light of the other parties being respectively hateful and hated, those are the two parties that don't hurt.
Results were good, even if nice SNP bloke didn't get in, his SNP colleague did. Bye bye 94 LibDems in Scotland, including one in my area. We don't forgive easily.
Which reminds me, I must buy the local paper so I can get a simplistic explanation of the implications.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Monday, 7 May 2012
Monday, 20 February 2012
The wonder of our government
I'm sorry, this may be political, or my version thereof.
Today we received a letter from HMRC informing us that we will not be receiving Child Tax Credits any more because we earn over £26,000 as a household income.
Which naturally makes us rich, right?
A worker on the minimum wage would earn £12k full time. So if you earned £60 a month over the minimum wage and your partner earned similar, then you earn too much to get tax credits.
Rich, rich, rich you'd be too. Rich. Beyond your wildest dreams, as long as you dreamt of a very small flat and not a lot in the way of nice stuff.
As we currently receive a little over £1 a day in tax credits, maybe as much as £1.50, this isn't a huge tragedy. But what is galling:
a) in what universe is £26k a good single salary, never mind a joint salary?
b) no child tax credits means no childcare element. So no help with that then. Thanks, just as I need it too.
So I moan, and get reminded it was Labour that got us into debt, of course. Not a global financial crisis, oh no: Labour. So the valiant Tories have to sort it out for us, so that they can afford the Royal Yacht and other Important Things.
Unless I am mistaken, Labour weren't all for taking our money from us for nothing. They did allow "us" to spend all of our money and get into personal debt, which is another matter, but they didn't simply take our money. Like the Tories do, which isn't surprising as that's what Tories do, and this is one of many reasons why we don't vote for them. Or do, in the case of an alarmingly large number of people, even if it wasn't enough to vote them in without turncoat sell-out Liberals.
I realise that many/most people think I am naive, and even stupid, for not blaming Labour for the global financial crisis and for not thinking that the Tories are a better alternative. But I find it incomprehensible that anyone can know what the Tories stand for - immigration anyone? - and vote for them.
I would like to point out that I am
not a Labour supporter. Prior to the Nick Clegg betrayal debacle, I would have called myself Liberal but I definitely don't support them now. Currently I guess I'm SNP, because they have done many positive things for Scotland. In a general election I think I'd have to vote Green.
I used to be ambivalent about independence, but it now has a huge incentive: no Cameron.
And back to my mate Dave. He has offered Scotland "increased powers" if we have a single question on independence and we vote No. SNP propose two questions so that we can vote for increased devolved powers instead of independence if that's how we see fit. One would assume that we'd specify which powers, something that is notably lacking from David Cameron's offer. That's something to be revealed after we've voted.
Details, schmetails, why would we want to know WHAT additional powers you propose? And by "additional obviously we're looking for "less".
Dontcha just love the UK government?
Today we received a letter from HMRC informing us that we will not be receiving Child Tax Credits any more because we earn over £26,000 as a household income.
Which naturally makes us rich, right?
A worker on the minimum wage would earn £12k full time. So if you earned £60 a month over the minimum wage and your partner earned similar, then you earn too much to get tax credits.
Rich, rich, rich you'd be too. Rich. Beyond your wildest dreams, as long as you dreamt of a very small flat and not a lot in the way of nice stuff.
As we currently receive a little over £1 a day in tax credits, maybe as much as £1.50, this isn't a huge tragedy. But what is galling:
a) in what universe is £26k a good single salary, never mind a joint salary?
b) no child tax credits means no childcare element. So no help with that then. Thanks, just as I need it too.
So I moan, and get reminded it was Labour that got us into debt, of course. Not a global financial crisis, oh no: Labour. So the valiant Tories have to sort it out for us, so that they can afford the Royal Yacht and other Important Things.
Unless I am mistaken, Labour weren't all for taking our money from us for nothing. They did allow "us" to spend all of our money and get into personal debt, which is another matter, but they didn't simply take our money. Like the Tories do, which isn't surprising as that's what Tories do, and this is one of many reasons why we don't vote for them. Or do, in the case of an alarmingly large number of people, even if it wasn't enough to vote them in without turncoat sell-out Liberals.
I realise that many/most people think I am naive, and even stupid, for not blaming Labour for the global financial crisis and for not thinking that the Tories are a better alternative. But I find it incomprehensible that anyone can know what the Tories stand for - immigration anyone? - and vote for them.
I would like to point out that I am
not a Labour supporter. Prior to the Nick Clegg betrayal debacle, I would have called myself Liberal but I definitely don't support them now. Currently I guess I'm SNP, because they have done many positive things for Scotland. In a general election I think I'd have to vote Green.
I used to be ambivalent about independence, but it now has a huge incentive: no Cameron.
And back to my mate Dave. He has offered Scotland "increased powers" if we have a single question on independence and we vote No. SNP propose two questions so that we can vote for increased devolved powers instead of independence if that's how we see fit. One would assume that we'd specify which powers, something that is notably lacking from David Cameron's offer. That's something to be revealed after we've voted.
Details, schmetails, why would we want to know WHAT additional powers you propose? And by "additional obviously we're looking for "less".
Dontcha just love the UK government?
Sunday, 22 January 2012
Hate and Loathing in Lost Values
I have a hobby: shouting at David Cameron on the TV. It is quite a satisfying habit as they very often follow footage of the oafish Cameron and his words of misery with coverage of the unable-to-speak Ed Miliband (how did that happen?) and the permanently sheepish Nick Clegg. Much shouting all round.
Talking of Clegg, I naively believed him when he talked of influencing from within. I am a fool. He lied, he sold his soul, and that of his voters, for the sake of a seat on the cabinet. I have never been so disappointed in any human being ever. All the people who voted not-Tory and voted Liberal got Tory.
But still. We have what we have (sadly) and us* in Scotland are champing to vote for independence. Cameron has shifted us from meh to WE WANT IT NOW with regards to a referendum.
* yes I know it's not all of us. Ok.
I didn't vote for it, which makes me entitled to complain that they're there. I'm still shocked that anyone can understand what Tory policies are and still vote for them.
Ah. The key word there is understand. I think all that was understood was "not labour" and so off they trotted to vote for a party that is openly against so much that is good. They, being the general public, who are mostly ignorant fools. Apparently.
Anyway. I have digressed. Lucky nobody reads this because I shouldn't ever talk about politics. It comes across wrongly.
The point. There is one, somewhere, and it is that I have issue with pretty much every single thing that Cameron says. To be fair I'd argue black was white if he suggested it was blackish, but most of the time I genuinely disagree.
They want to scrap child benefits for "rich" families. Those earning incomes over threshold for higher tax.
Which is about £48k pa.
Last time I checked, this didn't make you rich. If you earn £48k, you could buy a property worth up to £170k. A quick check at property prices indicates the level of mansion you could get for that.
A modest 3 bed to be precise, in a cheap area of the country.
George Osborne was bleating on about how much they could save and Cameron was mewling about people on £40k not being equal to those on £80k and it how they need to look further into it and not once does it seem to have occurred to them that they need to raise the threshold, that current levels penalise middle income earners. Not the rich.
Surprise!
Actually it probably has occurred long since but they undoubtedly like the extra revenue and definitely don't care much about real people.
Cameron is like us you know. If we are all toffee nosed rich boys.
Done now. Normal inanity resumed tomorrow.
Talking of Clegg, I naively believed him when he talked of influencing from within. I am a fool. He lied, he sold his soul, and that of his voters, for the sake of a seat on the cabinet. I have never been so disappointed in any human being ever. All the people who voted not-Tory and voted Liberal got Tory.
But still. We have what we have (sadly) and us* in Scotland are champing to vote for independence. Cameron has shifted us from meh to WE WANT IT NOW with regards to a referendum.
* yes I know it's not all of us. Ok.
I didn't vote for it, which makes me entitled to complain that they're there. I'm still shocked that anyone can understand what Tory policies are and still vote for them.
Ah. The key word there is understand. I think all that was understood was "not labour" and so off they trotted to vote for a party that is openly against so much that is good. They, being the general public, who are mostly ignorant fools. Apparently.
Anyway. I have digressed. Lucky nobody reads this because I shouldn't ever talk about politics. It comes across wrongly.
The point. There is one, somewhere, and it is that I have issue with pretty much every single thing that Cameron says. To be fair I'd argue black was white if he suggested it was blackish, but most of the time I genuinely disagree.
They want to scrap child benefits for "rich" families. Those earning incomes over threshold for higher tax.
Which is about £48k pa.
Last time I checked, this didn't make you rich. If you earn £48k, you could buy a property worth up to £170k. A quick check at property prices indicates the level of mansion you could get for that.
A modest 3 bed to be precise, in a cheap area of the country.
George Osborne was bleating on about how much they could save and Cameron was mewling about people on £40k not being equal to those on £80k and it how they need to look further into it and not once does it seem to have occurred to them that they need to raise the threshold, that current levels penalise middle income earners. Not the rich.
Surprise!
Actually it probably has occurred long since but they undoubtedly like the extra revenue and definitely don't care much about real people.
Cameron is like us you know. If we are all toffee nosed rich boys.
Done now. Normal inanity resumed tomorrow.
Monday, 22 February 2010
Dangerous topic
I have learned not to ever express any opinion whatsoever on the topic of politics. People never agree, whatever you say, always decide your loyalties lie somewhere iffy and it's all generally more hassle than it's worth.
So. Here goes. Misunderstand at will.
This upcoming election. Where I live, which so happens to be Gordon Brown's constituency, is pretty much Labour's safest seat. So the result here is a given, unless the people that never vote get off their ample posteriors and vote, in which case a glorious victory for Liberal/SNP would knock the world off its axis.
But as to most other places, the dedicated media hatred for Mr Brown would seem to have stamped home a message that it would not be A Good Thing if Labour were to stay in.
Which generally means the other guys get in. The other guys in this case being the Tories and *we* would bag ourselves a Tory government, who would presumably implement Tory policies.
Tory may not all be "Tory", and all Tories don't share the same views (bigoted, in other words) but they're still Tory, so they'll be Tory. No? They're not secretly Tory, they're perfectly willing to admit they're Tory, they are presenting themselves as the Tory Party.
Which all appears to be stating the obvious, and displaying excessive usage of the word "Tory" (Conservative way too long to type 56 times) but to be frank, it's a bit tedious that the shouty types don't occasionally think of the future, rather than shouting a lot about what's in existence, voting it out and shouting equally about its replacement. After the joyous ejection of the current hated ones and the deification of the incomers, the faults of the new guys - generally being what they are and doing what they are expected to do - just goes round and round in one boring circle and the beloved get the blame (for whatever happens at the time that whoever is in charge just bumble their way through) and become the devil's minions.
So, having grown up hearing all the shouty types shouting about the "terrible, terrible, awful pure dead evil" things that the previous Tory government did, it's a bit galling to look forward to the shouty types shouting about how much they hate any future Tory policies that would be unleashed on the public that appear poised to vote them in.
But what do I know? I've never been effectively brainwashed.
So. Here goes. Misunderstand at will.
This upcoming election. Where I live, which so happens to be Gordon Brown's constituency, is pretty much Labour's safest seat. So the result here is a given, unless the people that never vote get off their ample posteriors and vote, in which case a glorious victory for Liberal/SNP would knock the world off its axis.
But as to most other places, the dedicated media hatred for Mr Brown would seem to have stamped home a message that it would not be A Good Thing if Labour were to stay in.
Which generally means the other guys get in. The other guys in this case being the Tories and *we* would bag ourselves a Tory government, who would presumably implement Tory policies.
Tory may not all be "Tory", and all Tories don't share the same views (bigoted, in other words) but they're still Tory, so they'll be Tory. No? They're not secretly Tory, they're perfectly willing to admit they're Tory, they are presenting themselves as the Tory Party.
Which all appears to be stating the obvious, and displaying excessive usage of the word "Tory" (Conservative way too long to type 56 times) but to be frank, it's a bit tedious that the shouty types don't occasionally think of the future, rather than shouting a lot about what's in existence, voting it out and shouting equally about its replacement. After the joyous ejection of the current hated ones and the deification of the incomers, the faults of the new guys - generally being what they are and doing what they are expected to do - just goes round and round in one boring circle and the beloved get the blame (for whatever happens at the time that whoever is in charge just bumble their way through) and become the devil's minions.
So, having grown up hearing all the shouty types shouting about the "terrible, terrible, awful pure dead evil" things that the previous Tory government did, it's a bit galling to look forward to the shouty types shouting about how much they hate any future Tory policies that would be unleashed on the public that appear poised to vote them in.
But what do I know? I've never been effectively brainwashed.
Thursday, 4 December 2008
Ignorance
That's my ignorance I refer to by the way. Just in case anyone hasn't got the time to read past the first line and wants to decide I'm mocking someone else.
I'm reading this book just now, called "Who Runs Britain... and who's to blame for the economic mess we're in" by Robert Peston. I would like to know the answer to this question, hence the purchasing of the book. I am on page 5, due to courseworks and what not, so I'm not all that in a position to judge.
But I can judge myself. And I'm off on a talk-about-myself thing, I do apologise. Blame Chandler.
I'm back to this whole "I don't know what I think" thing. I make a crap anarchist, because if someone's in charge, I get all meek and think "ooh, how exciting, he's in charge, how very assertive". (if it's a he; if it's a she then I think, ooh she's not very pretty, no wonder she went into politics). I like being told what to do. Within reason. If I kind of wanted to do it anyway.
I want to be told to do the things I want to have the freedom to decide that I want to do. On the fence a bit on that one.
Libertarian: make your own decisions. Nope. Too much responsibility. No thanks.
Fascist: force me to do things I don't want to do. No thanks.
Next?
Right's bad, right? So why does David Cameron make so much sense? Is he from the shiny happy wing that like social cohesion and want to join Europe? Does that really exist?
And why does Boris Johnson make so little sense? No, Boris, don't listen to the people, they don't know what they're talking about... oh you did it anyway. Never mind. "We love you because you bumble". No. No bumbling. Be assertive.
Nick Clegg's nice. He always says nice things. Very nice. Totally harmless. Being nice. I just looked to see if there was anything not-nice about him and the worst I could find was that he'd said he'd slept with no more than 30 women. Oh, really. How terrible. Obviously we all want virginal politicians that bumble. Anyway, I likes him: can promise the moon on a stick as will never have to provide, thus promises little pretend moons on matchsticks because that's rather nice.
I have no idea what Gordon Brown says about anything because I think he has a nice voice and immediately switch off. It's not intentional, I find him very boring. He's a lovely MP, he writes occasionally about how much he wants to improve Kirkcaldy and is often seen at the Rovers, but yawwwwwnnn. Oh, you did what? We spent how much? And you're not... ok. Alistair Darling, similar problem, I watch his eyebrows and the words wash over me. I can't remember who the rest of them are, those government types, boring people that drivel on. I like some of what they say, I'm kind of annoyed about the whole war/economy thing, I don't really care about them. VAT, woop, I've saved about 10p this week, I appear to mostly buy VAT free goods anyway. I buy a wodge of things, look at the receipt, Total bill: £45.97 VAT saving: £0.02. Oh wow! Really? Every little 2p adds up. If I start buying stuff I don't normally. Biscuits. I need more biscuits in my life just to appreciate the VAT decrease.
So, as demonstrated, I'm a bit clueless.
And back to the book...
I was slightly dubious as he's from the BBC and they might just possibly be a teeny bit biased against the government, but hey, no conclusions jumping. But he's not really. He's one of those people that absolutely categorically knows what's right in his mind, he knows exactly what he thinks and what he believes in. I want that. I want to know. I don't want to be woolly and impressed by young, nice, unbumbling people in suits.
I want to care. I want to be passionate like I was about hating Jack McConnell. I knew I hated everything he said, it was easy, shout "you're an idiot!" at the TV a lot, object to every word he says. Easy. Why can't I hate the rest of them like that? I need to hate more, then I'd care more, then I'd know what I believed.
I'm reading this book just now, called "Who Runs Britain... and who's to blame for the economic mess we're in" by Robert Peston. I would like to know the answer to this question, hence the purchasing of the book. I am on page 5, due to courseworks and what not, so I'm not all that in a position to judge.
But I can judge myself. And I'm off on a talk-about-myself thing, I do apologise. Blame Chandler.
I'm back to this whole "I don't know what I think" thing. I make a crap anarchist, because if someone's in charge, I get all meek and think "ooh, how exciting, he's in charge, how very assertive". (if it's a he; if it's a she then I think, ooh she's not very pretty, no wonder she went into politics). I like being told what to do. Within reason. If I kind of wanted to do it anyway.
I want to be told to do the things I want to have the freedom to decide that I want to do. On the fence a bit on that one.
Libertarian: make your own decisions. Nope. Too much responsibility. No thanks.
Fascist: force me to do things I don't want to do. No thanks.
Next?
Right's bad, right? So why does David Cameron make so much sense? Is he from the shiny happy wing that like social cohesion and want to join Europe? Does that really exist?
And why does Boris Johnson make so little sense? No, Boris, don't listen to the people, they don't know what they're talking about... oh you did it anyway. Never mind. "We love you because you bumble". No. No bumbling. Be assertive.
Nick Clegg's nice. He always says nice things. Very nice. Totally harmless. Being nice. I just looked to see if there was anything not-nice about him and the worst I could find was that he'd said he'd slept with no more than 30 women. Oh, really. How terrible. Obviously we all want virginal politicians that bumble. Anyway, I likes him: can promise the moon on a stick as will never have to provide, thus promises little pretend moons on matchsticks because that's rather nice.
I have no idea what Gordon Brown says about anything because I think he has a nice voice and immediately switch off. It's not intentional, I find him very boring. He's a lovely MP, he writes occasionally about how much he wants to improve Kirkcaldy and is often seen at the Rovers, but yawwwwwnnn. Oh, you did what? We spent how much? And you're not... ok. Alistair Darling, similar problem, I watch his eyebrows and the words wash over me. I can't remember who the rest of them are, those government types, boring people that drivel on. I like some of what they say, I'm kind of annoyed about the whole war/economy thing, I don't really care about them. VAT, woop, I've saved about 10p this week, I appear to mostly buy VAT free goods anyway. I buy a wodge of things, look at the receipt, Total bill: £45.97 VAT saving: £0.02. Oh wow! Really? Every little 2p adds up. If I start buying stuff I don't normally. Biscuits. I need more biscuits in my life just to appreciate the VAT decrease.
So, as demonstrated, I'm a bit clueless.
And back to the book...
I was slightly dubious as he's from the BBC and they might just possibly be a teeny bit biased against the government, but hey, no conclusions jumping. But he's not really. He's one of those people that absolutely categorically knows what's right in his mind, he knows exactly what he thinks and what he believes in. I want that. I want to know. I don't want to be woolly and impressed by young, nice, unbumbling people in suits.
I want to care. I want to be passionate like I was about hating Jack McConnell. I knew I hated everything he said, it was easy, shout "you're an idiot!" at the TV a lot, object to every word he says. Easy. Why can't I hate the rest of them like that? I need to hate more, then I'd care more, then I'd know what I believed.
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Things you probably wouldn't want to do #825,321.75
People that like to have a rant: the Scots
Subject they like to rant about: the Union, whatever their stance on it
So would anyone in their right mind have an open comments site for Scots (or indeed anyone else that cared, ie noone) to comment on a proposed referendum for independence?
Yup.
The National Conversation.
We are only 3 months behind here, which is quite good as yesterday we were in 2006.
I've read something like 6 comments and I'm itching to say something. Itching. Itching. I shall refrain, because "oh my god get me away from these cretins, I quite like England and I LOVE Wales" probably wouldn't be all that helpful. I don't believe that's representative of what I actually think about independence anyway. I want to be (properly) part of Europe. Or we could form an alliance with Norway and Switzerland and go completely in the other direction. Hmm. I don't know what I think. I need someone to understand politics for me and explain it s-l-o-w-l-y. Or I might become a politician.
Scarily, this looks like they want the people of Scotland to think up their own constitution. 24 hour compulsory drinking, free fags and regular stoning of the English does not a constitution make.
Fla fla fla. Roads and stuff.
Subject they like to rant about: the Union, whatever their stance on it
So would anyone in their right mind have an open comments site for Scots (or indeed anyone else that cared, ie noone) to comment on a proposed referendum for independence?
Yup.
The National Conversation.
We are only 3 months behind here, which is quite good as yesterday we were in 2006.
I've read something like 6 comments and I'm itching to say something. Itching. Itching. I shall refrain, because "oh my god get me away from these cretins, I quite like England and I LOVE Wales" probably wouldn't be all that helpful. I don't believe that's representative of what I actually think about independence anyway. I want to be (properly) part of Europe. Or we could form an alliance with Norway and Switzerland and go completely in the other direction. Hmm. I don't know what I think. I need someone to understand politics for me and explain it s-l-o-w-l-y. Or I might become a politician.
Scarily, this looks like they want the people of Scotland to think up their own constitution. 24 hour compulsory drinking, free fags and regular stoning of the English does not a constitution make.
Fla fla fla. Roads and stuff.
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Politics
Everyone in my life seems to fall into one of two camps politically: right-wing Torygraph readers, or punk-reared semi-anarchists. I don't know where I fit. I don't seem to be able to talk to anyone about it without coming across as simply wrong, because I never actually agree with anyone and at some point in any political conversation the other person gets that "you are so naive/stupid/posh" look on their face which makes me feel like an idiot. I don't think I'm bigoted, I support the Euro and I applaud the current government for many of the things they have done. I liked Blair and don't like Brown. I've never voted Tory, probably never will, but I don't think Thatcher was all bad and I think family values are important (assuming your family aren't bigoted twats).
I did the Political Compass and came out as slightly left of centre and in the middle between libertarian and authoritarian (the not being as libertarian thing is where I differ from most people my age). It seems I share a political outlook with Tony Blair, the 1982 Labour Party and Beethoven. That makes it all much clearer.
I think I need to know more, but it is impossible to find out unbiased information. So what now? My heroes are all semi-anarchist or they're embarrassingly right wing. My husband is a semi-anarchist. I can't even copy.
I was going to suggest maybe I needed my own political party that was a bit woolly and unsure, then I remembered we already have the Liberal Democrats.
I did the Political Compass and came out as slightly left of centre and in the middle between libertarian and authoritarian (the not being as libertarian thing is where I differ from most people my age). It seems I share a political outlook with Tony Blair, the 1982 Labour Party and Beethoven. That makes it all much clearer.
I think I need to know more, but it is impossible to find out unbiased information. So what now? My heroes are all semi-anarchist or they're embarrassingly right wing. My husband is a semi-anarchist. I can't even copy.
I was going to suggest maybe I needed my own political party that was a bit woolly and unsure, then I remembered we already have the Liberal Democrats.
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