Are you happy with the labour Government?

[Skatiechik 10]

Yes lets hope Bliar isn't re-elected next time and the Tories get back in.

 

Bliar has done nothing for this country IMO

[DaBouncer 13]

Originally posted by t020

"New Labour not a tax and spend party".

6 and a half years down the line, and the chancellor is borrowing billions to spend on public services, wasted by the fact that most spending will be on red tape and civil servants. Since 1997, the cost of running Whitehall has risen from 14.8billion to just under 21billion today. For every new police officer, 2 civil servants are being employed.

Police officers wage after probationary period receives £20k - £22K per year averag salary.

 

One civil servant of admin grade (which are the government are employing, because the higher up grades never leave... hence they don't need to employ them to come straight in) receives a £12,000 year salary. So 2 civil servant wages only adds to one police officer anyways.

 

Just for your information though t020 last year the civil service (Jobcentre Plus Head Office) had a corporate restructure and thinned out the staff force by 3000 Admin and Executive grades.

So the government actually made 3000 staff just from Jobcentre Plus head office alone surplus to requirements. No redundancy package. It was all either people voluntary leaving to go elsewhere (and the job not be re-filled) or retirement.

 

So your quote above which may have factual grounds (although please quote your source) it doesn't mean anything!

[max 13]

I posted a link to this information in another thread but nobody could identify any lies or dis-information (or couldn't be bothered to look). So I'll paste the actual info to show what this government has achieved.

 

1 Economic stability means long-term interest rates are at their lowest for 35 years. Inflation is the lowest for over 30 years.

2 There are 1.5 million more people in work since 1997. At below 1 million, unemployment is at its lowest since 1975.

3 The National Minimum Wage means that 1.5 million low-paid workers are better off.

4 New Deal has helped over 351,000 young people into jobs, and youth unemployment has fallen by 75 per cent.

5 Record increases in child benefit, the new Children’s Tax Credit, and the Working Families Tax Credit are all helping us lift 1.4 million children out of absolute poverty.

6 We are doing more for pensioners with the Minimum Income Guarantee, £200 Winter Fuel Payments, record rises in the state pension, free TV licences for the over 75s and free eye tests for the over 60s.

7 We have seen the best-ever primary school results. 75 per cent of 11-year-olds are at their expected level in English and 71 per cent in maths. In 1997 almost half of 11-year-olds were unable to read, write or do basic maths at an acceptable standard.

8 We have legislated with the Human Rights Act to strengthen and protect the rights of UK citizens.

9 NHS spending is rising from the equivalent of £2,370 a year per household last year to £4,060 a year in 2007/08.

10 31,500 more nurses, 9,600 more doctors, 68 new hospitals have been given the go-ahead, and we have the first increase in bed numbers since 1971.

11 Crime is down by 27 per cent (British Crime Survey) since 1997.

12 We have banned the import, export and use of anti-personnel mines.

13 Public spending on transport has been boosted by 20 per cent each year for three years until 2003/04. In the ten years to 2010, £180 billion will be invested to get Britain moving again.

14 We have written off 100 per cent of debt owed to us by the world’s poorest countries.

15 We have banned handguns.

16 Our target to reduce the number of homeless rough sleepers by two thirds has been met, earlier than planned.

17 New laws are now tackling anti-social behaviour and racist crimes, and we’re taking action to tackle nuisance tenants and noisy neighbours.

18 We are banning tobacco advertising and now provide world-class smoking cessation services.

19 NHS Direct - the 24-hour nurse-led helpline covering all of England - gives patients more choice about accessing the NHS.

20 Smaller infant classes for all five, six and seven-year-olds. In 1997, far too many children were in classes of over 30. Now only 0.1 per cent of infants are in classes of 30 or more.

 

...and 20 more things

1 We have increased the overseas aid budget by 45 per cent in real terms.

2 We’ve introduced the Countryside and Rights of Way Act - opening up access to the countryside for everyone.

3 A ban on fur farming came into force in January 2003.

4 We have introduced the largest compensation scheme ever for those who are suffering ill health.

5 We now have the cleanest rivers, beaches, air and drinking water since the Industrial Revolution.

6 Families with children are on average £1,000 a year better off since 1997. The poorest families with children are on average £1,700 a year better off.

7 Town centres are being reinvigorated. There was more new retail development in town than out of town in 2000 for the first time since the early 1980s.

8 We have added 30,000 hectares to the greenbelt, an area three times the size of Bristol.

9 Free access to all our national museums.

10 Kids are now guaranteed two hours of PE a week.

11 Seventy five per cent of the NHS budget will be controlled by frontline doctors and nurses in primary care trusts by 2004. In 1997, this was just 15 per cent. And the number of instructions sent out by ministers to the NHS has fallen from 298 health service circulars in 1996 to 26 in 2001.

12 We have extended maternity leave to six months at an increased rate of £100 a week, and unpaid leave by a further six months. And we introduced a right to paid paternity leave for two weeks.

13 Between 1997/98 and 2002/03 annual spending on education has risen by £670 per pupil.

14 Highest teacher numbers for over a decade, with more than 20,400 additional teachers since 1997.

15 Free fruit is being made available in schools for all four to six-year-olds.

16 Police numbers are up to a record 129,600 in England and Wales.

17 We’ve virtually eradicated Meningitis C through a new vaccination programme.

18 All workers now have a right to four weeks’ paid holiday.

19 £125 million dedicated to reducing the number of children and families living in bed-and-breakfasts.

20 The Rural Bus subsidy Grant provided 1,800 new services last year.

 

Worst government we've ever had? I don't think so.

[Agent Dan 10]

Excellently put, but I must disagree with your point on the NHS direct service - they are totally useless and are legally unable to diagnose your condition on the phone, therefor meaning that they can only advise you to 1) ignore it 2) ring your GP or 3) go to hospital. Which, to be fair, anyone could've done anyway

 

All the rest of you points are superb!! Forgive my little NHS direct rant...

[nomme 10]

5 We now have the cleanest rivers, beaches, air and drinking water since the Industrial Revolution.

 

Hmm. Maybe so, but I don't think you can really claim that's just down to this labour government.

 

Nomme

[Zamo 10]

Originally posted by max

I posted a link to this information in another thread but nobody could identify any lies or dis-information (or couldn't be bothered to look). So I'll paste the actual info to show what this government has achieved. Worst government we've ever had? I don't think so.

 

Things are never as cut and dry as your bullet points below imply...

 

1 Economic stability means long-term interest rates are at their lowest for 35 years. Inflation is the lowest for over 30 years.

 

How much of this is to do with Labour policy and how much is to do with world economics? Interest rates are almost certain to continue rising over the coming years (along with most other European countries) and are widely predicted to hit 5% by the end of the year.

 

2 There are 1.5 million more people in work since 1997. At below 1 million, unemployment is at its lowest since 1975.

 

As above, there has been a general economic recovery worldwide. I think it is pushing it to say this is all down to the magic of Brown.

 

3 The National Minimum Wage means that 1.5 million low-paid workers are better off.

 

It means wages are more but does not necessarily mean people are better off. We pay so much extra because of all the stealth taxes that I don't believe anyone is better off.

 

4 New Deal has helped over 351,000 young people into jobs, and youth unemployment has fallen by 75 per cent.

 

Fair play, this scheme has had some success.

 

5 Record increases in child benefit, the new Children’s Tax Credit, and the Working Families Tax Credit are all helping us lift 1.4 million children out of absolute poverty.

 

Well I'd question your emotive statement about "absolute poverty" as I don't think it really exists in this country. I think we are so spoilt that (to quote a northern expression) "we don't know we're born". The credit scheme was no more than a multi-billion pound exercise in bureaucracy to replace existing tax allowances.

 

6 We are doing more for pensioners with the Minimum Income Guarantee, £200 Winter Fuel Payments, record rises in the state pension, free TV licences for the over 75s and free eye tests for the over 60s.

 

Funny how most pensioners aren't shouting from the roof tops?

 

7 We have seen the best-ever primary school results. 75 per cent of 11-year-olds are at their expected level in English and 71 per cent in maths. In 1997 almost half of 11-year-olds were unable to read, write or do basic maths at an acceptable standard.

 

I agree testing is necessary to raise standards but they are not the be all and end all. Some of these "top" schools are simple turning out parrot pupils able to regurgitate facts but don't necessarily have much understanding of them. Teaching is as much about creating balanced, happy, sociable people as it is about passing on facts.

 

8 We have legislated with the Human Rights Act to strengthen and protect the rights of UK citizens.

 

Well there are many that would argue that the Human Rights act has done as much harm as good.

 

9 NHS spending is rising from the equivalent of £2,370 a year per household last year to £4,060 a year in 2007/08.

 

Patting Labour on the back for a promise yet to be kept? Besides, there is an argument that much of this money is being wasted.

 

10 31,500 more nurses, 9,600 more doctors, 68 new hospitals have been given the go-ahead, and we have the first increase in bed numbers since 1971.

 

Funding new hospitals through PFI/PPP will in the long run cost this country billions. Effectively the extra money you say is being spent on the NHS will be given to private companies.

 

11 Crime is down by 27 per cent (British Crime Survey) since 1997.

 

I think I'd congratulate the police for this more that the Labour Government.

 

12 We have banned the import, export and use of anti-personnel mines.

 

... and invaded other countries killing thousands of people and leaving unexploded scatter/cluster bombs everywhere.

 

13 Public spending on transport has been boosted by 20 per cent each year for three years until 2003/04. In the ten years to 2010, £180 billion will be invested to get Britain moving again.

 

Again, this hasn't happen yet and still only amounts to a tiny percentage of what is raised through taxing motorists each year.

 

14 We have written off 100 per cent of debt owed to us by the world’s poorest countries.

 

A moral decision or have they just decided to stop flogging the dead horse?

 

15 We have banned handguns.

 

Which has made no difference to gun crime, which has risen by over 40% in the last 2 years.

 

16 Our target to reduce the number of homeless rough sleepers by two thirds has been met, earlier than planned.

 

Just the Big Issue sellers to get rid of now then!

 

17 New laws are now tackling anti-social behaviour and racist crimes, and we’re taking action to tackle nuisance tenants and noisy neighbours.

 

We've yet to see if ASBO's really have any effect.

 

18 We are banning tobacco advertising and now provide world-class smoking cessation services.

 

Haven't quite found the balls to ban smoking in public places though.

 

19 NHS Direct - the 24-hour nurse-led helpline covering all of England - gives patients more choice about accessing the NHS.

 

Umm. I'm still reserving judgement on this. Many doctors think that this is a complete waste of money and takes valuable resources away from delivering "real" NHS care.

 

20 Smaller infant classes for all five, six and seven-year-olds. In 1997, far too many children were in classes of over 30. Now only 0.1 per cent of infants are in classes of 30 or more.

 

Well done.

 

Max, I'm afraid I can't be a*sed to go through the "other 20" you quoted as everyone (including me!) will lose interest. The point is that while there is some truth in your points a lot of it is opinion and not necessarily fact.

 

Personally, I am fed up with this Labour government. I think the problem is Blair and the yes men and women he has surrounded himself with - it is simply unhealthy and leading to bad decisions. Let's get rid of Blair and his cronies so I can vote Labour again.

[Mo 10]

Spot on Zamo.

 

Lets not forget the £758 million he wasted on the London Dome, not to mention the millions it has cost to mothball it over the years.

 

Lets not forget the war with Iraq and those illusive WMD

 

Lets not forget the way he treated the firefighters

 

Lets not forget the dozens of new taxes he has brought in

 

Lets not forget that there are schools where teachers and parents are having to buy pencils and paper, and that the 30 class size rule only applies upto age 7. After that anything goes.

 

Then there is pensions and the way this government treats it's elderly.

 

The amount of drugs entering the country at record levels.

 

Mr Blair is not a popular man and the sooner he goes the better.

[Skatiechik 10]

The sooner labour and 'bliar' go the better

[max 13]

Originally posted by Skatiechik

Yes lets hope Bliar isn't re-elected next time and the Tories get back in.

 

Bliar has done nothing for this country IMO

 

Originally posted by Skatiechik

 

The sooner labour and 'bliar' go the better

 

Buzz, repetition Nicholas.

[Skatiechik 10]

Either you can't read or for some reason you believe my name is Nicholas

 

Its Skatiechik

 

Sorry about repetition, just fed up with Labour and unhappy with todays government. Mind you, you must be extremely bored at work if you feel it necessary to go through topics of conservation and pick out where people have made the same point twice.

 

Skatie

[max 13]

Originally posted by Skatiechik

Either you can't read or for some reason you believe my name is Nicholas

 

Its Skatiechik

 

Sorry about repetition, just fed up with Labour and unhappy with todays government. Mind you, you must be extremely bored at work if you feel it necessary to go through topics of conservation and pick out where people have made the same point twice.

 

Skatie

 

Yes I am bored at work, nice of you to ask. I didn't really need to go through the topics as you only made your first 'point' this morning and I remembered it.

 

Nicholas is a reference to Nicholas Parsons who chairs 'Just A Minute', a radio show where the contestants have to spot repetition, deviation or hesitation, just a whimsy of mine in mentioning it. Sorry.

 

That aside, I'd be interested in hearing why you're fed up and unhappy. I've posted one or two points, 40 actually, outlining why I'm happy with this government.

[Skatiechik 10]

I am bored at work as well, possibly why I am repeating myself this place is driving me insane

 

I will post some reasons later when this sodding headache goes away.

 

Trying to remember which Station Nicholas Parsons is on