too close to the truth ?

Nope, I don't disagree with the sentiment, it's just a hackneyed, childish and lazy expression of it. Winds me right up.

how would you know you were worse off under labour, unless your circumstances hadnt changed much since 1997 it would be hard to know wouldnt it?

Wonder how long he and his [/s]cronnies forget about section 28 being a mistake.

As for the EEC,wonder if he will say its a waste of time, especially as the EEC laws are forceing the airlines to look after british passengers stranded abroad,that should be interesting for uk citizens stranded abroad.

I am hoping its just a bad memory, but I am still worried that we ll be lookin at long dole queues, higher tax for the poorest, and cuts in basic services …just like the last time. So just maybe we should all get on our bikes just like good old norman tebbits dad 😈

One for the bad puns club.

Presumably a Conservative – Liberal Democrat coalition will be know as ConDem (pronounced condemn for any UKIP supporters who are struggling with this terrible pun). As in we've just been ConDemed to four years of weak government.

On the plus side perhaps this government will be able to take the tough and unpopular decisions needed to get a country out of recession because no one party will feel that it will take the sole blame for those decisions.

To be honest I doubt it though.

Condemn

"I am hoping its just a bad memory, but I am still worried that we ll be lookin at long dole queues, higher tax for the poorest, and cuts in basic services …just like the last time. So just maybe we should all get on our bikes just like good old norman tebbits dad"

It's on the way I'm afraid.

Dole queues – well they will cut public spending – this means more on the dole heap.

Higher tax for the poorest – well they are cutting child tax credits so that is just one of the many to come tax raises…

Cuts in basic srvices – oh just wait. You think our roads and streets are in a bad way just now…..

Chances are once Campoon opens Campoons box and out come the silenced freaks like Redwood and other trough snouters Clegg is going to look back at his wilting troops trying to work out who will be the first one of them will realise they never got involved with politics to mix with that lot at cabinet cheese and wine parties and hop it off to sit on good old middle of the road labour benches, unable to stop the rot Campoon's going to have a high noon with Cleggs dwindling band of mercenaries and before November 5th has arrived they will have lost a crucial vote and will have to hand the towel in and call a re-election, why do you think Broon looked so happy when he pushed the ejector seat button.

I'm still clinging to the miniscule chance that Lab and the Libs are just planning a huge prank on Cameron. When he tries to form a government in the house they all just start laughing as theyve done a secret deal with the nationalists for Clegg to be called to the palace.

Funny – I can't remember there being 12 years of dole queues and 3 million out of work, a slashed public services and riots. I guess other people have much better and more accurate memories than me. Even though I lived through it. I find it quite sad really that there seem to be so many people who are openly hostile to a conservative led government and think it's going to be awful and seem to have completely missed what a catastrophic situaiton we are in largely thanks to Gordon Brown's "prudence" and strong economic judgement. His policies and decisions as chancellor have ruined us financially and is something we will be paying for in one way and another for quite some time.

And yes, I think I can say, quite categorically, that I am worse off proportionately than I was before Labour came into office. Am I worse off than I would have been if Labour hadn't been in office? That one is harder to call, but I suspect I am.

im guessing the first big issue will be the bailout of greece are we contributing or not?

As we're not in the Euro (thank god), surely it's not directly anything to do with us?

Oh well.

Bikingcatastrophe – Around 5 million unemployed under Thatcher. Regular riots based on race, poll tax, you name it. Lining the pockets of their friends (Denis and Mark did particularly well). Regular scandals Hamilton, Archer, Aitken.

Welcome to the world of Tory government.

Of course it will all be different this time.

And Aracer, I may be wrong but the Greece bailout will cost us £6-8M if it goes wrong.

Funny – I can't remember there being 12 years of dole queues and 3 million out of work, a slashed public services and riots. I guess other people have much better and more accurate memories than me. Even though I lived through it.

Am I the only one who cannot make head or tail of what this is saying/trying to say?

And yes, I think I can say, quite categorically, that I am worse off proportionately than I was before Labour came into office. Am I worse off than I would have been if Labour hadn't been in office? That one is harder to call, but I suspect I am.

This isnt too clear either, mayb you should lay of the champers.

I can say without any shadow of a doubt that I am better off now than I was under the Tories, does that make Labour good. No it just means my life's moved on.

Bikingcatastrophe – Member

I find it quite sad really that there seem to be so many people who are openly hostile to a conservative led government and think it's going to be awful

Thats because we have memories of the last Tory government and the disaster tehy were – double digit inflation, double digit interest rates and wasting the north sea oil money on benefits not infrastructure. twicve as many unemplyed then as well ( remeber the tories fiddled the figures to make them lower and labour restored them to a more sensible count – over 5 million unemployyed at peak under tories byy current couting methods)

and seem to have completely missed what a catastrophic situaiton we are in largely thanks to Gordon Brown's "prudence" and strong economic judgement. His policies and decisions as chancellor have ruined us financially and is something we will be paying for in one way and another for quite some time.

Drivel – the financial crisis is an international one and Browns decisions are seen round the word as the example to follow. History will see him kindly as chancellor. Compare him to Norman Lamont – now he really was a disaster

His policies and decisions as chancellor have ruined us financially and is something we will be paying for in one way and another for quite some time.

What? He ran the whole world's economy as well as our own?

economy on it's knees….clock is ticking Dave

The economy isn't the problem………it's his policies that's the problem.

No one can tell how long the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition will last – politics just isn't like that.
Who would have thought a year ago when they had a 22% lead, that the Tories would fail to win a majority ?
Just a week is a long time in politics, as they say.

But one thing I am fairly sure about ……. the LibDems will live to bitterly regret the day they jumped into bed with the Tories. It won't win them any votes, and it will cost them dearly in lost ones. I reckon that in 20, 30, 40 years time, people will still be talking about the Tory-LibDem love in. I have previously said that I considered Nick Clegg's election as leader of the LibDems the greatest political disaster of recent years – a truly missed opportunity to change British politics. Nothing which has happened in the last few days makes me think that I might have got that wrong……the Tories are back in office and nothing has changed – all thanks to our LibDem pin-up boy.

Good job my kids are nearly old enough not to need a childminder so I can work.

I would have spent several of the last 10 years out of work and on benefits without the Working Families and Child Care Tax Credits as I could not have afforded to work and pay childcare. Instead, I've been able to contribute to the country, work my way up to a position where I earn sufficient not to be eligible for the income based part of the tax credits and also giving my children a decent lifestyle.

Tax credits have been the best thing the Labour Governemnt did and are a testament to their aim of bringing children out of poverty. Shame on Cameron if he scraps them without a similar incentive to lone parents and making it affordable to work.

We may not be in the Euro, but we are signatories to the IMF and as such will be responsible (along with the rest) for underwriting the Greek National Debt should they default on the loan from the Eurozone Countries.

I wonder how badly the £ will fall in the next week?

Yeah, because we've had two illegal and unpopular wars, a massive and relentless push toward a surveillance society, civil liberties repealed, the gap between rich and poor has widened and social mobility has shrunk to Victorian levels.

Before you ask, no I didn't vote Tory, I too remember the 1980s but this last Labour administration have committed some horrendous acts of vandalism that shouldn't be rewarded with a fourth term.

One can only hope that they spend a good long time in opposition to reflect on all these things they did wrong.

I for one am getting the lube ready.

I wouldn't bother, Tory's deserve it dry!

Before you ask, no I didn't vote Tory, I too remember the 1980s but this last Labour administration have committed some horrendous acts of vandalism that shouldn't be rewarded with a fourth term.

Seems fair enough

One can only hope that they spend a good long time in opposition to reflect on all these things they did wrong.

Nah – a years long enough

he gap between rich and poor has widened

Yet the rate that it has widened at has slowed, I will agree thats not good enough and the other points you make are valid but try to be fair. Not in anyway convinced the Tories would have done better on anything you have said.

We'll have to see how many policies Nicky boy is happy to support while Davey drags the electoral reform out as long as he can. If Clegg is weak and just wants to be seen to have a hand in the power then maybe it could go to full term.

Unless of course the party bin him for being a Tory lap dog.

If Clegg and the LibDems keep pushing for reform and refuse to support the Government until it is sorted, then I wouldn't be surprised to see another election before the year is out.

In fact the Cons may well think that people who voted Lib Dem this time will feel hard done to so wouldn't vote LD again, wouldn't vote Con or labour and so another election could well win the Tories a majority government.

We can only wait and see.

TJ – I might end up agreeing with you here

Yeah, because we've had two illegal and unpopular wars, a massive and relentless push toward a surveillance society, civil liberties repealed, the gap between rich and poor has widened and social mobility has shrunk to Victorian levels.

I think everyone knows why New Labour didn't win a fourth term.

But the question no one seems to be asking is why the Tories didn't win ?

Is that the guy in 10 Downing street who is now the PM who lost the election then ernie?

PJM1974 about summed it up for me.

Camerons on a hiding to nothing anyway 'cos the countrys skint.

well David Cameron cant do any worse than Gordon Brown and Labour!

I don't think a year is long enough. Reckon they need at least two or three in the sin bin to remember their purpose. One year will just be a slap on the wrists which they'll quickly forget.

I can't remember there being 12 years of dole queues and 3 million out of work, a slashed public services and riots.

I bl00dy do! I was made redundant three times under the tories, hence .unemployed three times. I went self-employed, the banks killed me off when the yuppie boom busted. Kicked out of two homes because poll tax took too much computer time for my rent to be paid…

now I'm working as many hours as I can find including weekends, paying tax and NI and I can eat regularly.

It's funny how the ones who got to the trough under Thatch think it was great and the rest of us were considered expendable.

Con Lib's, Con Dem's, Lib con's, Dem con's – non of them read well, everything is against it, it might just work.

Best of a bad lot IMO. I'm still an anarchist/liberal.

But the question no one seems to be asking is why the Tories didn't win ?

Maybe because it's obvious – nobody really trusts Cameron and Osborne. I'm an instinctive Conservative voter, yet would have happily voted Labour rather than vote for that pair had it not been that I wanted rid of Brown even more (and that a Labour vote is a wasted vote here, whilst I've documented elsewhere the reasons for not voting for the Lib Dem candidate).

Oh 8 months see you @ Trafalgar Square for a demo

I'm up for that, the last time I was there, it was for the Criminal Justice Bill Demo.
Anywho, Tory/LibDem coalition, one almighty bad year ahead, General Election next year, revitalised Labour Party with new leader, "bingo" we're back in!
As long as they don't stop me from riding on bridleways, like the Tory **** would have liked at the weekend, all dressed in tweed heard saying, "I thought bridleways were for horses", and that after I'd politely asked if I could go ahead of them so as not to spoil their walk!!

guybe – Member

well David Cameron cant do any worse than Gordon Brown and Labour!

Want to bet? I bet interest rates and unemployment are significantly up in 3 months time.

A million on the dole queue in a year – thats my bet

well David Cameron cant do any worse than Gordon Brown and Labour!

The scary thing is that he could!

FWIW, I'm more in favour of a con/lib coalition than a "pure" tory govt. As others have also stated, I hope that they can moderate each other. For this reason, I don't want another election soon (as long as they don't **** it up). I'm certainly not a dyed-in-the wool tory and don't rule out voting for any major party in the future.

unemployment are significantly up in 3 months time.

3 months wouldn't be a reflection on the current govt, more of a hangover from the last. Dole queue 1m?

The claimant count for key out-of-work benefits was 1.54 million in March

Well that would be an improvement

Bikingcatastrophe – this is your logic:

well David Cameron cant do any worse than Gordon Brown and Labour!

Cant quite see dave leading the world with a bold campaign to refinance the banks and capitalise the economies via quantitive easing …cant see Dave doing that or his Chancellor george knowing what any of that means which is more worrying.

I bet interest rates and unemployment are significantly up in 3 months time.

You could have placed that bet not knowing who'd won the election, or how the opinion polls were going. Though I'm not quite sure what is so bad about interest rates going a bit higher – I know a few pensioners who will be rather relieved.