General Election 2017

[testing times]

Not sure if it's true in Hartlepool but watching street interviews on TV, UKIP seem to be yesterday's news. Seems to be a straight choice between the usual three conservative, labour and lib-dems

[admin]

[akarjl]

I'm hoping Marjorie has a crack at a seat in Surrey.

I would guess she would "crack" any seat she sat on...........

[steveL]

UKIP have dropped 3% from 10% to 7% in just one week.

I've always thought that a lot of people make a judgement of who is likely to win and then vote for that person/party just to be on the winning side.

[dowager]

Interesting to read those last few post s just now, a message from a friend has confirmed that labour are deffinitely bringing in an outsider.

NO links with the Town at all and not momentum. but then you can see why with the ones who were lined up

[jeffh]

Interesting to read those last few post s just now, a message from a friend has confirmed that labour are deffinitely bringing in an outsider.

NO links with the Town at all and not momentum. but then you can see why with the ones who were lined up

David Milliband?

[crisstw]

Interesting to read those last few post s just now, a message from a friend has confirmed that labour are deffinitely bringing in an outsider.

NO links with the Town at all and not momentum. but then you can see why with the ones who were lined up

David Milliband?

I doubt he'd leave his well paid job, unless he'd been given a guarantee that he'll be next leader, once Corbyn quits.

[akarjl]

https://www.rt.com/uk/385566-foreign-aid-budget-conservatives/

Britain spends 0.7 percent of GDP, or about £13 billion (US$16.6 billion), on its aid budget every year.

In the past week, the prime minister refused to say whether she would keep that in the Tories' manifesto, with cabinet splits already emerging. On Friday, however, she confirmed the 0.7 percent aid target will remain.

Just listened to her explaining how proud she is to be helping with education overseas building schools etc.

When will this lunacy stop? We build schools overseas and parents are being asked to contribute towards the costs of schools in UK.

We should be spending the money on UK schools and the NHS.

I suspect she has shot herself in the foot with this one. A lot of people have had enough. Charity begins at home.

[jeffh]

Interesting to read those last few post s just now, a message from a friend has confirmed that labour are deffinitely bringing in an outsider.

NO links with the Town at all and not momentum. but then you can see why with the ones who were lined up

David Milliband?

I doubt he'd leave his well paid job, unless he'd been given a guarantee that he'll be next leader, once Corbyn quits.

...that's exactly where I'm coming from - Labour's drop in the polls can be put down to the last 2 leaders - Mr Bean & Citizen Smith - it may be felt that David Milliband may bring some credibility back to both the leadership and then the party.  It's OK for the party members voting Corbyn back in but now it's the turn of the electorate.....power to the people

[Inspector Knacker]

Ah, the trouble with Corbyn. A bit like being the most popular person in your house, the family loves you, especially the youngsters. Trouble is the house is just one house in the street and most of the other residents in the street think you're a bit odd, other worldly.
However, you labour under the misapprehension every house is like your house. It's not. Result, disappointment.

[crisstw]

https://www.rt.com/uk/385566-foreign-aid-budget-conservatives/

Britain spends 0.7 percent of GDP, or about £13 billion (US$16.6 billion), on its aid budget every year.

In the past week, the prime minister refused to say whether she would keep that in the Tories' manifesto, with cabinet splits already emerging. On Friday, however, she confirmed the 0.7 percent aid target will remain.

Just listened to her explaining how proud she is to be helping with education overseas building schools etc.

When will this lunacy stop? We build schools overseas and parents are being asked to contribute towards the costs of schools in UK.

We should be spending the money on UK schools and the NHS.

I suspect she has shot herself in the foot with this one. A lot of people have had enough. Charity begins at home.

Foreign aid budget is the politically correct way of saying we bribe other nations with money so they invest in infrastructure/grant our companies mining rights/provide trade etc... the money goes straight into leaders' pockets, not to the people we're pretending to.aid

[mk1]

Thanks to 'Foreign aid' this country was helped through the post-war food crisis without suffering  the same degree of hunger as the bulk of the continent.
A t the end of the day its a value judgement and if you are that tight that you want to spend every last farthing making sure members The Royal Family can have a dozen eggs cooked for breakfast in the hope at least one egg will be good enough for them to eat  then so be it.

[mk1]

Looks like the Little Englanders are not averse to a bit of 'Foreign Aid' and  tried to hide it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39672956

[Steely Dan]

Thanks to 'Foreign aid' this country was helped through the post-war food crisis without suffering  the same degree of hunger as the bulk of the continent.
A t the end of the day its a value judgement and if you are that tight that you want to spend every last farthing making sure members The Royal Family can have a dozen eggs cooked for breakfast in the hope at least one egg will be good enough for them to eat  then so be it.

Well said that man. I agree totally

[akarjl]

Thanks to 'Foreign aid' this country was helped through the post-war food crisis without suffering  the same degree of hunger as the bulk of the continent.
A t the end of the day its a value judgement and if you are that tight that you want to spend every last farthing making sure members The Royal Family can have a dozen eggs cooked for breakfast in the hope at least one egg will be good enough for them to eat  then so be it.

Do you mean the Marshall Plan which was a low coast loan ( 2%) eventually paid back? A loan- not a charity handout.

If you want to see what happens to UK overseas aid fly into Luanda and take a look at the new presidential "palace".......the UK government saw sense and stopped aid to Angola in 2011.Then walk 500 meters to the shanty town were the local people live in tin huts....oddly most of which have satellite dishes and they all appear to run around with the latest mobile phones.....

See https://fullfact.org/economy/uk-spending-foreign-aid/

Why are we giving 186 million a year to India while they busily try to land a man on Mars and test weapons systems?

As usual you are spot on in some respects, this IS a LITTLE England and we do not have a bottomless pot of money to fund countries that have more than enough money of their own.

If the government MUST give money away give it to charities not tinpot governments or as bribes to secure business.

If your house was falling down, you were homeless or you had to go on social media to beg for money to secure medical treatment for your child because the NHS had not "budgeted" for the cost of treatment, if you you had to wait all weekend in hospital because a consultant was not " available" to approve your discharge would you be donating money overseas?

Or would you want the government to send the money here?

Why did the British government give 12 BILLION away as overseas aid last year?

Unfortunately neither the Conservatives ( not reducing aid) or Labour- (load of flannel about continuing aid) have the balls to say ok enough is enough we May provide some aid but it is on a case by case bases and we not be tied to ) 0.7% of GNI.

It is the elephant in the corner of the room.....nobody has the balls to say lets get our own house in order before saving the world.

Consequently, as some one said on here we are all doomed I say doomed......none of the  viable political parties have the guts to make a stand for the people of UK.

At the moment I am torn between a protest vote to make sure labour loose Hartlepool , a wasted vote for one of the fringe/looney parties and writing " ar** paper" across my ballot form.