radioheadrule83
Banned
UK GENERAL ELECTION: LABOUR
I'll start with a quote from Star Wars
:
It's incredibly apt that such a statement would find its way into one of the biggest pop culture works of our time, but it's a sentiment you could find echoed anywhere on Britain's streets today. There are lots of reasons for the dwindling trust in our politicians. (And yes, I did use that quote because I'm a huge dweeb that's amped for the new movie)
Tony Blair entered Downing Street in 1997 promising to clean up the state of government as it was deemed under the previous Tory administration led by John Major. 7 years later, and Tony Blair is facing similar accusations of sleaze and being swamped in the mire of distrust himself. In many respects, he's brought it on himself. In others, he's been between a rock and a hard place. Most importantly, in many ways, maybe it's not entirely fair.
The campaigns of smear, spreading distrust, the emphasis on the Iraq war... all of this is threatening an imperfect government, but one that is positively benign in principle. Politicians are not inscrutible, and they make mistakes. But they are not naturally evil, as the common portrayal might convey. People become politicians because they want to help people... to win or lose though, one of two things has to happen. They either have to appeal to the right people, or the right people have to vote. I am going to try and convince you that it is in your interest, and Britain's, that this coming Thursday - you use your privilege and VOTE.
You will of course make up your own minds which party to vote for, but I am going to ask that you Vote Labour.
=========================================================
=========================================================
WHAT LABOUR IS ALL ABOUT:
Clause IV of the Labour Party Rule Book Aims and values
1 The Labour Party is a democratic socialist party. It
believes that by the strength of our common
endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone,
so as to create for each of us the means to realise
our true potential and for all of us a community in
which power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands
of the many not the few; where the rights we enjoy
reflect the duties we owe and where we live together
freely, in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect.
2 To these ends we work for:
(a) A DYNAMIC ECONOMY, serving the public interest,
in which the enterprise of the market and the
rigour of competition are joined with the forces of
partnership and co-operation to produce the
wealth the nation needs and the opportunity for
all to work and prosper with a thriving private
sector and high-quality public services where
those undertakings essential to the common
good are either owned by the public or
accountable to them
(b) A JUST SOCIETY, which judges its strength by the
condition of the weak as much as the strong,
provides security against fear, and justice at work;
which nurtures families, promotes equality of
opportunity, and delivers people from the tyranny
of poverty, prejudice and the abuse of power
(c) AN OPEN DEMOCRACY, in which government is
held to account by the people, decisions are
taken as far as practicable by the communities
they affect and where fundamental human rights
are guaranteed
(d) A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, which we protect,
enhance and hold in trust for future generations.
=========================================================
=========================================================
HAS LABOUR LIVED UP TO THOSE AIMS AND VALUES?
Labour's Top 50 achievements:
1. Lowest inflation since the 60s
2. Lowest mortgage rates for 40 years
3. Introduced the National Minimum Wage
4. Record police numbers in England and Wales
5. Cut overall crime by 30 per cent
6. Record levels of literacy and numeracy in schools
7. Best-ever primary school results
8. Funding for every pupil in England to double (since 1997) by 2007-08
9. Lowest unemployment for 29 years
10. Written off up to 100 per cent of debt owed by poorest counties
11. 78,700 more nurses
12. 27,400 more doctors
13. Brought back matrons to hospital wards
14. Devolved power to the Scottish Parliament
15. Devolved power to Welsh Assembly
16. Banned anti-personnel mines
17. NHS Direct offering free convenient patient advice at any time
18. New Deal - helped over a million people into work
19. Local government funding has increased by a third in real terms
20. Equalised the age of consent for gay men
21. Free entry to all national museums and galleries
22. Overseas aid budget more than doubled
23. Restored city-wide government to London
24. Child benefit up 25 per cent since 1997
25. Created Sure Start to help children from low income households
26. Introduced the Disability Rights Commission
27. £200 winter fuel payment to pensioners & extra £100 for over-80s
28. The biggest rolling stock replacement programme ever seen on our railways
29. Negotiated the historic Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland
30. Over 28,000 more teachers in England schools
31. Implemented the Freedom of Information Act
32. All workers now have a right to 4 weeks paid holiday
33. Record rises in the state pension
34. 700,000 children lifted out of relative poverty
35. Introduced child tax credit giving more money to parents
36. Banned handguns
37. Cut long-term youth unemployment by 75 per cent
38. Free nursery places for three and four-year-olds in England, Scotland and Wales
39. Free fruit for all four to six-year-olds at school
40. Free school milk for five, six and seven-year-olds in Wales
41. Record police numbers in Scotland
42. Implemented the Human Rights Act
43. Cleanest rivers, beaches, drinking water and air since the industrial revolution
44. Free TV licences for over-75s
45. Banned fur farming and the testing of cosmetics on animals
46. Halved maximum waiting times for NHS operations
47. Free local bus travel for the over-60s and the disabled in Wales and Scotland
48. Record number of students in higher education
49. Extended the Race Relations Act so that all public bodies and functions now have a duty to promote race equality
50. Five, six and seven-year-olds in class sizes of 30 or less
....and now the four criteria:
A dynamic economy:
Great Britain has the fourth largest economy in the world under New Labour. Unemployment is at it's lowest since the 1970s. Interest rates / inflation are lower than they were following 18 years of Tory reign. There is record investment in public services. Our future workforce, the younger generation, has been achieving more and more, year on year. More of our tax contributions than ever now support school leavers applying for a place at University. As such Conservative elitism no longer dominates our higher education system. Our contributions ensure that the most hard done by in the massive 40% that apply now have a chance. I'm sure you're well aware of the top-up fees debate, and I haven't forgotten it either, I'll come to it soon. We pay more on University students than we do on primary and secondary education, and we don't have it bad there either. In a third Labour term, more focus will be put on the manufacturing/vocational skills strategy side of our education system and economy. As such, Labour is the party that worker's unions want to work with. By proxy, it's the party that workers want to work with. But do they know it?
A just society:
Society is not perfect. Parts of this country are still better off than others. Others see more opportunities. Others still, suffer further inequality and injustice. But what has happened since 1997? Labour introduced the National Minimum Wage, which Michael Howard himself opposed. Anyone here old enough to remember a time when you'd get under £3 an hour working McDonalds? Initiatives like New Deal and SureStart, which helps Britain's poorest families, are fighting a tough uphill battle to help break the circle of poverty many people still face. Labour has done so for 700,000 and 2 million pensioners. That's not to say enough has been done... how about equal pay and secure pensions? stronger rights? better public services? an improving NHS? Like UNISON have already said: How will spending £35 billion less help improve these things? What world ARE the conservative party living in? A radical third term for Labour is a mandate for them to continue improving this country and campaigning for social justice. A vote for the tories is not.
An open democracy:
How can we know if what we have in place is open and fair if people won't even get out and use it? On May 5, this Thursday, get out and vote. Use the new Postal system if you have to.
A healthy environment:
Britain played a key role in securing the Kyoto protocol agreement under New Labour, which will see this country aim to reduce emissions to below 1990 levels. Labour supports the principles of sustainable development, and on a related note: a third term will see this government continue it's work with the G8. Taking it's presidency in the coming years, it has already pledged to offer more help to Africa.
=========================================================
=========================================================
MORE INFORMATION:
The official Labour website: http://www.labour.org.uk
For more information on where Labout stands on specific issues, please follow the following links that interest you:
Health | Crime | Education | Transport | Trade and industry | Environment | Economic stability | Employment | Employees | Equalities | Defence | Foreign affairs | Culture, media and sport | Rural Britain | Asylum and immigration | Welfare reform | Modern government
For more information on what they're offering certain people:
Business | Families and children | People in developing countries | Older people | Women | Communities | Working people | Young people
=========================================================
=========================================================
WHAT HAS A LABOUR GOVERNMENT DONE FOR YOUR AREA?
What are they promising? What would a Tory/Lib-Dem alternative mean?
http://www.labour.org.uk/maps/level0.phtml?im=on
=========================================================
=========================================================
THE MEDIA'S FAVOURITE ISSUES:
THE IRAQ WAR: AN ELECTION ISSUE?
Seperate Thread: http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=45575
STUDENT FEES:
Labour famously promised in their Election winning manifesto that there would be no student fees. However, during their 7 year tenure that tune has changed. Top up fees have become the hot debate. What's the reality?
Upfront fees will STILL be abolished. You'd be surprised how many people don't realise this. Nobody should have to pay anything to go to University. However, the idea of Top Up fees sees those students who can afford it paying back into the pot when they reach a certain earning level via a Graduate Tax. True enough, this represents more income for Universities because they will be taking more per each year of a students tuition... BUT they will only be doing so if the student can afford it. Students who are red flagged through means testing and who may never be able to afford even this, would not pay a thing.
Subsidizing higher education is a divisive and inflammatory subject to be sure. I'm not going to expect everyone to agree with me here, but hear me out. Here's how I see it: Britain competes on a global mind-market of sorts when it comes to cancer research and other specialities. In order to stay competitive it needs the resources in order to teach at that level, and draw the people in who can/will teach, and those bright enough to be tought. The Lib Dem proposal pays for the abolition of fees through the 50% rate on incomes over £100,000. That might seem fair to some of you... and whether or not you believe their sums, is the difference so great? In both cases you only pay for your education should you become successful. Only under Labour, students aren't taking charity from the tax payer and running away with a free leg-up in life. Sure we benefit from the doctors and nurses, we benefit from the people intelligent enough to run our infrastructures etc, but if you're giving these people a wage premium over other jobs they can afford to give back to this country and help the generation that follows them.
If you're already a student, you remain unaffected until 2005, when paying up-front fees will be abolished. Unless of course one of the other parties wins. With the Tory's threatening a return to admissions caps and elitism, vote wisely.
=========================================================
=========================================================
EVEN IF YOU DON'T VOTE LABOUR... VOTE!
May the 5th. That's this Thursday. Find out where your local polling station is and go down on the day. You'll be able to do it when you get home from work or beforehand in most cases. It takes 5 seconds. And you give your country your say.
That's enough of my politically motivated threadery. I don't normally do this kind of thing, but I personally think people are taking their votes for granted... people aren't even abstaining out of protest... and I wanted to tell fellow UKers why I'm voting in the way that I'm going to vote
Catch ya later!
Thom
I'll start with a quote from Star Wars
: It's incredibly apt that such a statement would find its way into one of the biggest pop culture works of our time, but it's a sentiment you could find echoed anywhere on Britain's streets today. There are lots of reasons for the dwindling trust in our politicians. (And yes, I did use that quote because I'm a huge dweeb that's amped for the new movie)
Tony Blair entered Downing Street in 1997 promising to clean up the state of government as it was deemed under the previous Tory administration led by John Major. 7 years later, and Tony Blair is facing similar accusations of sleaze and being swamped in the mire of distrust himself. In many respects, he's brought it on himself. In others, he's been between a rock and a hard place. Most importantly, in many ways, maybe it's not entirely fair.
The campaigns of smear, spreading distrust, the emphasis on the Iraq war... all of this is threatening an imperfect government, but one that is positively benign in principle. Politicians are not inscrutible, and they make mistakes. But they are not naturally evil, as the common portrayal might convey. People become politicians because they want to help people... to win or lose though, one of two things has to happen. They either have to appeal to the right people, or the right people have to vote. I am going to try and convince you that it is in your interest, and Britain's, that this coming Thursday - you use your privilege and VOTE.
You will of course make up your own minds which party to vote for, but I am going to ask that you Vote Labour.
=========================================================
=========================================================
WHAT LABOUR IS ALL ABOUT:
Clause IV of the Labour Party Rule Book Aims and values
1 The Labour Party is a democratic socialist party. It
believes that by the strength of our common
endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone,
so as to create for each of us the means to realise
our true potential and for all of us a community in
which power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands
of the many not the few; where the rights we enjoy
reflect the duties we owe and where we live together
freely, in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect.
2 To these ends we work for:
(a) A DYNAMIC ECONOMY, serving the public interest,
in which the enterprise of the market and the
rigour of competition are joined with the forces of
partnership and co-operation to produce the
wealth the nation needs and the opportunity for
all to work and prosper with a thriving private
sector and high-quality public services where
those undertakings essential to the common
good are either owned by the public or
accountable to them
(b) A JUST SOCIETY, which judges its strength by the
condition of the weak as much as the strong,
provides security against fear, and justice at work;
which nurtures families, promotes equality of
opportunity, and delivers people from the tyranny
of poverty, prejudice and the abuse of power
(c) AN OPEN DEMOCRACY, in which government is
held to account by the people, decisions are
taken as far as practicable by the communities
they affect and where fundamental human rights
are guaranteed
(d) A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, which we protect,
enhance and hold in trust for future generations.
=========================================================
=========================================================
HAS LABOUR LIVED UP TO THOSE AIMS AND VALUES?
Labour's Top 50 achievements:
1. Lowest inflation since the 60s
2. Lowest mortgage rates for 40 years
3. Introduced the National Minimum Wage
4. Record police numbers in England and Wales
5. Cut overall crime by 30 per cent
6. Record levels of literacy and numeracy in schools
7. Best-ever primary school results
8. Funding for every pupil in England to double (since 1997) by 2007-08
9. Lowest unemployment for 29 years
10. Written off up to 100 per cent of debt owed by poorest counties
11. 78,700 more nurses
12. 27,400 more doctors
13. Brought back matrons to hospital wards
14. Devolved power to the Scottish Parliament
15. Devolved power to Welsh Assembly
16. Banned anti-personnel mines
17. NHS Direct offering free convenient patient advice at any time
18. New Deal - helped over a million people into work
19. Local government funding has increased by a third in real terms
20. Equalised the age of consent for gay men
21. Free entry to all national museums and galleries
22. Overseas aid budget more than doubled
23. Restored city-wide government to London
24. Child benefit up 25 per cent since 1997
25. Created Sure Start to help children from low income households
26. Introduced the Disability Rights Commission
27. £200 winter fuel payment to pensioners & extra £100 for over-80s
28. The biggest rolling stock replacement programme ever seen on our railways
29. Negotiated the historic Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland
30. Over 28,000 more teachers in England schools
31. Implemented the Freedom of Information Act
32. All workers now have a right to 4 weeks paid holiday
33. Record rises in the state pension
34. 700,000 children lifted out of relative poverty
35. Introduced child tax credit giving more money to parents
36. Banned handguns
37. Cut long-term youth unemployment by 75 per cent
38. Free nursery places for three and four-year-olds in England, Scotland and Wales
39. Free fruit for all four to six-year-olds at school
40. Free school milk for five, six and seven-year-olds in Wales
41. Record police numbers in Scotland
42. Implemented the Human Rights Act
43. Cleanest rivers, beaches, drinking water and air since the industrial revolution
44. Free TV licences for over-75s
45. Banned fur farming and the testing of cosmetics on animals
46. Halved maximum waiting times for NHS operations
47. Free local bus travel for the over-60s and the disabled in Wales and Scotland
48. Record number of students in higher education
49. Extended the Race Relations Act so that all public bodies and functions now have a duty to promote race equality
50. Five, six and seven-year-olds in class sizes of 30 or less
....and now the four criteria:
A dynamic economy:
Great Britain has the fourth largest economy in the world under New Labour. Unemployment is at it's lowest since the 1970s. Interest rates / inflation are lower than they were following 18 years of Tory reign. There is record investment in public services. Our future workforce, the younger generation, has been achieving more and more, year on year. More of our tax contributions than ever now support school leavers applying for a place at University. As such Conservative elitism no longer dominates our higher education system. Our contributions ensure that the most hard done by in the massive 40% that apply now have a chance. I'm sure you're well aware of the top-up fees debate, and I haven't forgotten it either, I'll come to it soon. We pay more on University students than we do on primary and secondary education, and we don't have it bad there either. In a third Labour term, more focus will be put on the manufacturing/vocational skills strategy side of our education system and economy. As such, Labour is the party that worker's unions want to work with. By proxy, it's the party that workers want to work with. But do they know it?
A just society:
Society is not perfect. Parts of this country are still better off than others. Others see more opportunities. Others still, suffer further inequality and injustice. But what has happened since 1997? Labour introduced the National Minimum Wage, which Michael Howard himself opposed. Anyone here old enough to remember a time when you'd get under £3 an hour working McDonalds? Initiatives like New Deal and SureStart, which helps Britain's poorest families, are fighting a tough uphill battle to help break the circle of poverty many people still face. Labour has done so for 700,000 and 2 million pensioners. That's not to say enough has been done... how about equal pay and secure pensions? stronger rights? better public services? an improving NHS? Like UNISON have already said: How will spending £35 billion less help improve these things? What world ARE the conservative party living in? A radical third term for Labour is a mandate for them to continue improving this country and campaigning for social justice. A vote for the tories is not.
An open democracy:
How can we know if what we have in place is open and fair if people won't even get out and use it? On May 5, this Thursday, get out and vote. Use the new Postal system if you have to.
A healthy environment:
Britain played a key role in securing the Kyoto protocol agreement under New Labour, which will see this country aim to reduce emissions to below 1990 levels. Labour supports the principles of sustainable development, and on a related note: a third term will see this government continue it's work with the G8. Taking it's presidency in the coming years, it has already pledged to offer more help to Africa.
=========================================================
=========================================================
MORE INFORMATION:
The official Labour website: http://www.labour.org.uk
For more information on where Labout stands on specific issues, please follow the following links that interest you:
Health | Crime | Education | Transport | Trade and industry | Environment | Economic stability | Employment | Employees | Equalities | Defence | Foreign affairs | Culture, media and sport | Rural Britain | Asylum and immigration | Welfare reform | Modern government
For more information on what they're offering certain people:
Business | Families and children | People in developing countries | Older people | Women | Communities | Working people | Young people
=========================================================
=========================================================
WHAT HAS A LABOUR GOVERNMENT DONE FOR YOUR AREA?
What are they promising? What would a Tory/Lib-Dem alternative mean?
http://www.labour.org.uk/maps/level0.phtml?im=on
=========================================================
=========================================================
THE MEDIA'S FAVOURITE ISSUES:
THE IRAQ WAR: AN ELECTION ISSUE?
Seperate Thread: http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=45575
STUDENT FEES:
Labour famously promised in their Election winning manifesto that there would be no student fees. However, during their 7 year tenure that tune has changed. Top up fees have become the hot debate. What's the reality?
Upfront fees will STILL be abolished. You'd be surprised how many people don't realise this. Nobody should have to pay anything to go to University. However, the idea of Top Up fees sees those students who can afford it paying back into the pot when they reach a certain earning level via a Graduate Tax. True enough, this represents more income for Universities because they will be taking more per each year of a students tuition... BUT they will only be doing so if the student can afford it. Students who are red flagged through means testing and who may never be able to afford even this, would not pay a thing.
Subsidizing higher education is a divisive and inflammatory subject to be sure. I'm not going to expect everyone to agree with me here, but hear me out. Here's how I see it: Britain competes on a global mind-market of sorts when it comes to cancer research and other specialities. In order to stay competitive it needs the resources in order to teach at that level, and draw the people in who can/will teach, and those bright enough to be tought. The Lib Dem proposal pays for the abolition of fees through the 50% rate on incomes over £100,000. That might seem fair to some of you... and whether or not you believe their sums, is the difference so great? In both cases you only pay for your education should you become successful. Only under Labour, students aren't taking charity from the tax payer and running away with a free leg-up in life. Sure we benefit from the doctors and nurses, we benefit from the people intelligent enough to run our infrastructures etc, but if you're giving these people a wage premium over other jobs they can afford to give back to this country and help the generation that follows them.
If you're already a student, you remain unaffected until 2005, when paying up-front fees will be abolished. Unless of course one of the other parties wins. With the Tory's threatening a return to admissions caps and elitism, vote wisely.
=========================================================
=========================================================
EVEN IF YOU DON'T VOTE LABOUR... VOTE!
May the 5th. That's this Thursday. Find out where your local polling station is and go down on the day. You'll be able to do it when you get home from work or beforehand in most cases. It takes 5 seconds. And you give your country your say.
That's enough of my politically motivated threadery. I don't normally do this kind of thing, but I personally think people are taking their votes for granted... people aren't even abstaining out of protest... and I wanted to tell fellow UKers why I'm voting in the way that I'm going to vote
Catch ya later!
Thom
