Politics Thread!

[pogo]

Yeah, but Thatcher would have lost too.

That war was worth something like 30% of the vote to the party in power. If it had been Labour or the SDP–Liberal Alliance, you wouldn't have seen them shifted for ten years either.

We don’t know that. The Falklands War was only one factor. The Tories were unpopular before the war but we were in a recession which had started to recover by the election. the Labour party did move sharply to the left, inspiring the SNP to break away and form a new party, before the Falklands War. The Tories got 4.5m more votes than Labour, who themselves were only 700,000 ahead of the Lib+SNP alliance.

If Labour had not split they might have been able to win. But the fact is they did split, along similar fault lines that divide the party today, between “Blairites” and those who consider them a “virus”. That had nothing to do with the Falklands, just Labour self-destructing over the same divisions as today.

[gravy]

Again, how else should they have done it?

Manage the sale of shares with the competency you'd expect from a trainee hedge fund manager in their first week.

Time the sale to get the best return possible, ie don't sell them at the lowest price for 12 months.

Take the stewardship of assets we paid for and their disposal seriously and not of secondary importance your arguably unsound ideology or as a means for political advancement.

Simples!

I guess it's not his fault. Osbourne has never had a proper job, just failed attempts at journalism and then 20 years as a professional conservative. He's even less qualified than the politics, philosophy and economics drones that flooded Labour. Our Chancellor has a 2:1 history degree. Good job!

[gravy]

Never saw this at the time

http://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/news ... s__money_/

[tufty]

The railways have done especially well since privatisation.

Fucking hell, did you eat a clown for breakfast?

Here's some scientific research : http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 8214000416
And here's something from the Daily Mail's free sister : http://metro.co.uk/2015/01/05/train-far ... t-5007000/

Railway company "success" since privatisation has been a hoax since day one. Not only a hoax, but one that's transparently obvious to all but - well - you, it seems.

[KlaxonCow]

In fairness, he did not specify for whom it's done especially well.

I'm sure the perpetrators of this scam are thoroughly chuffed by how they're totally minting it on the backs of the Great Unwashed. For them, this is all perfectly awesome stuff, no doubt.

[Absolute_Zero]

This thread delivers.

Roll up, roll up... watch Darwin at work as the turkeys vote for Christmas, internecine warfare and impotence.

Typically blinkered thinking from a climate-change denying Tory.

When the only tool at your disposal is a hammer...

Never voted Tory, likely never will.

Technically, I'm a 'lukewarmer'. Which means, technically, that I believe the Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity to reside at the low end of the IPCC "likely" range. Actually just below but since the AR5 "likely" lower limit was reduced since AR4 from 2C to 1.5C, I suspect I'll be within the orthodoxy by AR6.

...every problem looks like a nail.

[zip accident]

Yeah, but Thatcher would have lost too.

That war was worth something like 30% of the vote to the party in power. If it had been Labour or the SDP–Liberal Alliance, you wouldn't have seen them shifted for ten years either.

We don’t know that. The Falklands War was only one factor. The Tories were unpopular before the war but we were in a recession which had started to recover by the election.

Recessions starting to recover means nothing in elections, the party in power is blamed until the rocovery is realised. Before the war, the SDP–Liberal Alliance was ahead of both the Tories and Labour in the polls.
Steel would have taken Britain into the Falklands war, Callaghan would have taken Britain into the Falklands war. Wedgie Benn or Michael Foot, maybe not, and they'd have got the kicking in the polls that they'd have deserved for not doing so if they hadn't. The Falklands war was hugely popular, it was a defensive war with no risk to the mainland of Britain.

[(o)(o)]

RE Osborne's expenses I live in his constituency.

I saw Martin Bell out and about many times on his own in his white suit.

I've seen Osborne twice - both times flanked by two policemen despite cuts in police manpower.

His local representation is dramatically more convivial than his cabinet role.

[pogo]

In fairness, he did not specify for whom it's done especially well.

for passengers.

So if it’s a hoax then a lot of people are having the wool pulled over their eyes. Or maybe it really is a roaring success, attracting more and more people with nearly continuous growth since privatisation.

[tufty]

and yet, rail is more or less flatlining while car usage goes up and up.



For long distances, average rail prices (the average of fares actually paid, not the average of prices shown) are up by 71% over 10 years, 30%+ more than the RPI. Flexibility and quality of service are down.

[pogo]

That graph looks like the same data, just over a different range and so squashed it can be hard to see, but it does show rail rising from 1993, after flatlining for more than a decade. Car journeys have grown much more but the growth in private car usage has been explosive since the war, as incomes have risen while motoring costs have steadily fallen.

As for 71% I just checked here which reports a rise of 71.2% for long distance fares over eleven years. Other types of fares, and so the average, is lower. The average real increase is only 18.6%, again over 11 years, but that does not include any adjustment for rising incomes.

[(o)(o)]

Like many services the train service has got shittier since it's been privatised.

It's fucking expensive.

There's bugger all sitting room.

It's democratic consensus it's a pile of crap and the MAJORITY (including Tories) want it renationalised.

Bleat all you want pogo I thnk you'll find most people will refer you back to reality.

Tories should stop acting like crooks and do what they are supposed to do : represent the democratic will of the people. If they were 'in business' to do that they would get on with renationalising the trains and many other industries as soon as possible.

[zip accident]

Like many services the train service has got shittier since it's been privatised.

It's fucking expensive.

Except if you book months in advance. Which suits some people very well, but most of us not at all.

[(o)(o)]

A few other industries

Only the banks is close to a split in thse others there's a preference toward public ownership.



The neoliberals want to sell it all off.

[zip accident]

The economic liberals (i.e, those who think those who have money should be free to spend it however they like, i.e. Tories) want to sell it all off.

FTFY