Warning: video contains some sweary words unsuitable for young 'uns or codgers
Yikes! It seems a whole heap of Tories have jumped on my election poll over the last 24 hours. Either Dave's trowelled-on make-up last night struck a chord with the Thanet voter, or Lord Cashcroft has spent a few bob on one of those SEO sweatshops in the Philippines. Whatever it is, there's now only two percentage points between them and the Labourites, who've been on top since the start.
Speaking of buying votes, am I the only one on the island who's mystified by those Tory campaign hoardings in every field I drive past? Are the isle's farmers suicidal? Surely the Tories would cut back on their euro-handouts? There's even one in the remaining strip of arable land between the old A299 and the new East Kent Access Road they're building. How much of the £81m shelled out on the scheme by the Labour government did he get for his cabbages? Kuh! Talk about turkeys voting for Christmas!
Still, most of the Tory hoardings have been defaced with BNP slogans, which just proves that you only need an IQ of around 76 to be a Nazi, seeing as they don't even have a candidate standing in the area. What a shame, though, that the only Labour poster I've spotted is in the window of the Mayor of Ramsgate, car-crushing, caff-crushing Councillor Dave Green's house.
Oh well, I'm off to get a skinful of the Gaddfather of Ale's finest. It's St George's Day!
18 comments:
Actually there are plenty of Labour posters and boards in various places. Apart from the Tory ones in fields I've not seen any Laura Sandys' ones at all but perhaps they don't think they need to get her name any better known around the area?
Well, ECR, perhaps the farmers are more concerned about having their fields built all over by the Chairman of the South East Committee, our own Stephen Ladyman. As to boards, I daily travel from Broadstairs to Cliftonville and Ramsgate and have seen one Ladyman board at North Foreland of all places. Probably one of those who has enjoyed the increasing gap between rich and poor under Labour! Conservative and Laura Sandys boards extend from Manston to Northdown and all fields in between. Mind you, it is those little crosses on the day that count and, since this election could be the last democratic one, let's hope folk use them.
It certainly will be the last democratic election if the Tories get in. We will all be ruled by a few Etonians, fat businessmen and George's pal the Russian oligarch. You only have to look at the way the Tories run Thanet to realise they are only in it to line their own pockets. Thorley, Ezekiel, Latchford, Bayford, Wills, Painter et al divvie it all up over lunches in the Lanthorne.
Snap I saw the one Ladyman Board the Rock mentioned
5:46 Conservatives will let you run the country. I dont know how it can work I have never managed to get a committee of 12 to agree let alone a town a county or a country
I doubt you'd get a committee of 1 to agree, Don.
Is that the same Russian that Mandy introduced George to on his yacht? Don't you just love the hypocrisy of Labour supporters. Labour takes money from offshore based millionaires, has public school products in its ranks, makes the poor poorer and runs a state down dictatorial country but that is OK presumably. It is only wrong when Conservatives do it! As for Thanet, I don't recall things being much better under the previous Red administration. Some people need to take their bigoted blinkers off and see the world as it really is.
I just travelled back from Devon - tory posters in farmers' fields is a national blight, not just a local one.
OK so we agree on one thing Rock, both sides suck.
Just to make it clear Rock, I am an undecided voter not a 'Labour supporter' with 'bigoted blinkers', I take it from your stance that you are a dyed in the wool Thanet Tory who can only see left and right.
I have in fact been tempted to vote Lib Dem and your comments have pretty well made my mind up, so thanks for helping me choose.
Grew up on a council estate, dad and grand-dad were Labour politicians and I was thoroughly grounded in the works and speeches of Hardie, Marx and Bevan. Hardly dyed in the wool Tory but just intelligent enough to see the light as far as socialism is concerned. Generally I only vote Tory when necessary to remove Labour governments that have overstayed their welcome. So, 5:46, the Lib Dems are your choice but check their policies. Like all politicians they aren't necessarily all they seem. Probably the Greens or the Loonies are the only ones that fit the 'what you see is what you get' category. At least use your vote, be happy with your choice and may you get the government you deserve.
I agree with Rock on At least use your vote, be happy with your choice and may you get the government you deserve. if you dont vote dont moan.
Well said Don and The Rock!
To quote Polly Toynbee re: the election. "It's not a game. The people who always, without fail, get hit hardest by Conservative governments are the powerless, the weakest, the voiceless – and they may not even vote. It is an absolute certainty that inequality will always worsen under the Tories, always did, always will."
Oh dear, Anonymous, so the poor always get poorer under the Tories! That being so how do you explain the fact that the gap between rich and poor has widened still further under the present Labour government. They have hardly created a fair society and have not been slow to fawn over the rich and famous. From Kinnock to Mandelson, Blair to Prescott, they have happily grabbed the perks and wealth of high office just like the piggies in Animal Farm. Very easy to forget your roots and the poor, you are supposed to represent, when playing croquet on the lawns of your grace and favour residence and having it off with your young secretary on the public purse.
The Rock: Your grasp of comprehension is not the best is it. The quote states that inequality will worsen under the Tories. It does not state that there is no inequality at present - there is - but if the Tories are elected to government the gap between the haves and have nots will widen much further.
With the Conservatives what we end up with is high-blown rhetoric about levels of inequality, but a set of proposals and policies that are at best insufficient to deal with it, at worst deeply flawed.
Anonymous, I don't think it is my comprehension that is at fault here. My point was that since the gap between rich and poor has widened under the present non-Tory government then it must have been narrower, and therefore arguably better, under the previous government.
I am prepared to accept that those in power frequently become so obsessed with their own self importance that they neglect those they are supposed to represent. What I don't do, however, like your friend Polly, is see one side of the political divide as all poor friendly and the other as all rich list luvvies.
Far too many politicians, of all shades, have been consumed by the love of power and privilege whilst others have their snouts in the trough.
One could make a case that those used to wealth and leadership are potentially less likely to be corrupted by high office than those from the lower deck. New money and all that!
Of one thing I am certain though, having seen it too often over my lifetime, is that governments who stay in power too long lose their way. Such is the case at present and as a country we need a change.
What that change is depends on the electorate at large rather than the opinions of you or I in isolation.
Anyone who doesn't understand what the modern conservative party stands for would do well to look at this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKFTtYx2OHc
Sadly, Roger and Laura, your youtube link does not work nor several variations on the theme through Google so I will have to remain unenlightened about the Conservatives. Shame because I was looking forward to some piece of mind blowing political research to help me make my mind up!
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