Latest Moan From You and Me 2024

Not quite a moan, but related to the latest turn on this thread.

Recently we've seen two consecutive cuts to national insurance. I'm within the salary range that benefits from this. While I'm always happy to have more money in my pocket, I have found myself wondering how the government can afford it when as a nation we seem to be struggling to afford quite a few really important things. Then yesterday I saw news that defence spending is being massively increased. That's good news not just directly for national security, but for companies in the defence and aerospace sectors. Great, but again, how are we suddenly affording all this when only recently the stance was that there is no spare money for budget increases?

Then I had another thought. All the opinion polls seem to be saying that the Tories are in their worst position ever. It's looking like they can't win no matter what they try now, even attempting to exclude university students who often hate Tories, by timing the general election while they're between residences.

So if they can't win, what might they do? What if they make lots of unsustainable financial commitments as they go out, knowing that whoever replaces them will have no option but to row back on them and make some very unpopular decisions, leading to them getting kicked out, and Tories back in, at the next election after this one.

 

You vote for the candidate whose lies you would most like to be the truth

 

Or is the one likely to die within the next year or two, giving you a chance to change the party you voted for initially.

 

I will not vote, but will try not to moan too much about the Government in power.

 

Same reason they found taxpayers' money to pay the £35k legal bill of a minister who spread malicious lies about an academic being pro-Hamas. They always find money for things they want. Its ideological, they won't spend money on people who won't vote for them, nothing to do with affordability.

Pledges that probably won't be met about increasing defense, is a sign of their desperation, as its something that most of the electorate will probably support, even if they don't support the party doing it.

They do the same in places like the US and Russia - when governments are in trouble, rally the population around the flag (defense), the bible (less relevant here), and protecting children (smoking ban). The great comedian/philosopher George Carlin put it better than I could.

People generally won't hear how it is done, or whether it is achievable, they will respond positively to anything seen to be protecting the things they care about, be that their country or their families.

Its why things like prisons get little priorities, because improving prisons isn't a vote winner (many prisoners and their families will never vote), but supporting our troops is.

 

I just think all parties keep coming out with unfunded ideas while at the same time stating th opposite.
I was watching the TV yesterday morning and they tried to tie down one of the ministers about how much the extra funding for defence actually is is going to be and it appeared to be closer to 20 billion over about 6 yrs extra, and not the 70 billion that is being stated.

 

Unfortunately I'd not be good, for starters I'm not prepared to spend the time, and secondly I think I'd struggle with all the childish squabbling and back stabbing.

 

Talking about government now and quite often when it comes to vote, MPs, some of them abstain, what is that if its not refusing to vote.
Ok if you must make it compulsory to vote and lock anyone who refuses to up, or fine them stupid money.
Or let us just have a postal vote so we can abstain.

I often vote in general elections, but I cant see the point of voting for councillors, who appear to have no powers, or police and crime commissioners, what exactly do they do and can anyone name their one.

 

If you had compulsory voting, you could have a none of the above box or a space for you to write in someone else.

 

But surely that just means you have not wanted any of the candidates, staying away basically means the same thing.
They just wouldn't count your vote.

I think its always a show up for the system when they feel they have to twist your arm to make you vote.

 

I can name ours and i have emailed and talked over twitter but like all Mp's if you say something not to they're liking they won't reply and go quite and if you give prayise they reply, + we still won't get any police to come out!!!even with the extre £15million they got, money doesn't allway sort out a problem

 

I don’t really understand people who change the Party they vote for on a regular basis. The Parties have totally different beliefs, so presumably you change your beliefs every 5 years.
I have voted the same way all my life, and assume I will continue in the same way, as my views remain the same.

 

Well, its often the party that changes not the individual.

 

Parties may have different beliefs, but for example, at the last general election, Labour made no indication that they would renationalise the railways. That's changed.

On occasions, I've voted Tory, not because I agree with them, but I agree with Labour less so.
Policies change, leaders change, the candidates for my area change. At one point, I preferred the Lib-Dems, but they had no chance of being elected nationally, so I voted another party so as to keep a third one out. Tactical voting!