General Chat

As I have said on another thread, when our interest rates were high, so were everyone else's. Wordwide rates have come down. The USA prime lending rate is now 3%. Our bank rate is 4.75% : over fifty percent higher than the USA. Now tell me our rate is low. The European rate is 2%. Ours is 4.75% : more than double. Now tell me our rate is low. Gordon Brown boasts of 50 quarters of continuous growth. The first 18 of those were before Labour were elected in 1997. Don't keep gettng taken in by the spin. Check the facts out yourself and then make up your mind.

thats what we have done and labour win again yipeee all those sorry torys they dont deserve a good labour goverment i have never been better of good on yu tony

Politicians are essentially the same - whatever colour they are - and opponents on every side accuse the others of not having a brain cell between them. It's a wonder that anyone functions at all!

you cheeky boy peter

i speak for myself peter my buisness is booming under a labour goverment why should i change it and take the risk if its not broken dont mend it, i spoke to tony six weeks ago and he tells me gordon will be pm in about 18 months another good scotsman

Peter, Britian has been more expensive that the rest of Europe for far longer than Labour has been in government this time round. It has been a long-running complaint by some that 'we' subsidise the EU to too great an extent for example. My point really is that all things are cyclical and there will always be complaints no matter who is in power. Had the Tories won the election there would still be unhappy voters. Whether I pay taxes or claim social security has no relevance to this discussion. Why do you ask about it?

cheer up brian, you have a short memory what about maggie she left us in a fine state

under maggie we had 3million unemployed thats not a good state of affairs labour got the country back to work maggie destroyed the miners the steelworks the shipyards i could go on and on, i am in transport brian.

peter why do you think felicty might be a taker and what differance dose that make i am sure she is not a sponger she may have contributed more than you infer she is only giving her opinion take the chip of your shoulder man.

Hi Brian - what percentage of the nation is that compared to the figures being quoted during Mrs Thatcher's years?

my god brian you are in a sorry state i think you should go and have a good nights sleep

Hi Brian - what I was wondering is: if 8 million unemployed now represents 5% and 3 million then represented 25% then it's no worse now - I'm not fighting with you I just wondered if anyone has the answer

night all i enjoyed your company it was a good laugh

lol Brian - those figures were plucked out of the air as examples. If only 15 million people were eligible to work during the Thatcher government then the 3million unemployed quoted would be 20% unemployment. If the 8 million unemployed you told us about are taken from an eligible work force of 80 million people then the figure is 10% unemployment. It's the percentage of unemployment that counts not the basic figure. That is why I asked what the percentage figure was.

Goodness Peter - is every single mother in your city really claiming benefits?

hmmmmmm .....well i'm not gonna comment on the politics side of things however.......Gordon Brown lives just up the road from me when in Scotland so if he becomes PM I'll need to wear me slap (make up) everyday in case I get noticed by all the media around eh!!! lmao...I'll wave to you all thru the tele!! Bet he dont send his wee boy to the local school tho! jill x

Jill - be sure to wear a big red flower on your jacket so we know it's you !!

Bendy I'll make sure I carry a wee GR flag with me and give you a wave!!! lol

Not all of them Peter. Do none of them work where you live?

Peter, It's irrelevant as to whether I am a tax payer or on social security for 2 reasons (at least). 1 my present circumstances are unlikely to be a reflection of my life/contribution as a whole and that's what really counts and 2 my personal circumstances make this discussion far too insular and personal, and frankly are no-one elses business. 'Giver', 'taker', we all do both at some time or other. Back to the general discussion though. You mentioned Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair as if there was nothing in between, but there was. Also, single mothers drawing benefit, men malingering and so on are not issues solely present in a Labour government, and no, I don't fit into either of those categories.