Jon,

Right with you there. But then Shirley is a well-known Tory supporter. Her sycophancy towards them is only surpassed by her nauseating fawning over the Royals…

Both Shirley and David Cameron appear to have conveniently forgotten that ‘The Age of Irresponsibility’ is largely the legacy of his predecessor Thatcher – remember her telling us ‘There is no such thing as Society’? Her banker friends certainly took that to heart!

Please Shropshire Star, can we have some real journalism? If I want to read this sort of stuff I’ll fish a Tory election leaflet out of the wastepaper bin…

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Obviously all the above three comments are from readers and believers of that height of intellectual and unbiased reporting of the Daily Mirror and The Sun. Just up their street by the sound of things and other papers, such as the Star are a bit beyond them.
I wonder if either of them are from Telford, the centre for political debate of the highest order where, according to the two above well known pundits, the star is going down the tubes for want of not supporting the Labourites. Utter and complete balderdash.
We now get the “anti” everything comments which are symptomatic of the “cry baby” approaches of the Labourites when they get a drubbing which has been long in coming because of lies, spin, deceit, dirty tricks and the politics of the gutter from this degraded Government.
Neither of you listened to Cameron telling the truth in his speech over the week-end, it was an eye opener which even the normal, blindly following sheep of the Labour Party would have been on their feet shouting approval from the rooftops if they were capable of seeing the wood from the trees.
Just in case the Peters and Jons of this world don’t appreciate the dirty politicking of New (sorry OLD) Labour, in the year leading up to the election in 2010 (next year for those two who don’t know), after all the borrowing that got us into this mess, Brown is going to borrow another £78 BILLION. After the election he has said that it is payback time – bigtime, with massive cuts in public services and high tax increases.
Now, readers and Peter and Jon and similar blind Labourites, ask yourself why Brown is going to continue to borrow before the election and impose all the dirty work after the election – or, will they cry foul when it is left to Cameron and friends to do it for them afterwards. Worse times are on the way after the election, Cameron gave it to us straight, his is the job of mopping up after this Labour disgrace.

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presumably there were more bargains at the boot sale, and amongst the books less fiction. why do political parties waste so much money on conferences. surely 1 a year is enough, and when we reduce the constituencies from 650 to 200 this will make it cheaper still.
car boot sale and a hot air balloon show, love it

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“Cameron is a shallow vacuous politician who has never had a real job (except he did advice that Lamont guy to put interest rates up to 15%).”

Well Jon, let’s see now – where has all the experience of the Old Labourites got us, the “moral compass” that allows illegal wars and lying to justify them, eye watering borrowings that have put this country into hock for the next 30 – 40 yaers, 2.1 million unemployed and rising sharply – predicted to be over 3.5 million before it bottoms, the country reduced to being the sick man of the world with nary a good word for our economic achievement and “experience”. What else is there, oh! yes, we mustn’t forget the gutter sleaze and lies that is the bedrock of Old Labour, the orchestrated. “ganging up” on a female Conservative MP to cast her as a loose woman, accusing a leading Tory of suffering an unmentionable desease and infecting his children with similar – YES, ALL THIS FROM THE EXPERIENCED POLITICIANS that you seem to laud.
There is no depth to the pit that they have sunk to, cash for peerages is just a blot on the horizon by comparison,
Now, cuts in public services. Labour won’t do that now (apart from the £3.5 billion reduction in Education and the NHS that Yvette Cooper tried to hide until she admitted it to Tim Robinson, the BBC Correspondent) until after the election, then, we can all watch out if Labour get in which I strongly hope they do.
Just in case you didn’t realise it Jon, Labour declared 13000 nurses redundant 18 months ago, yet they “borrowed” the money to recruit them in the first place – what “experience” is that.
As for the old COD, the finances of our armed forces have been reduced to a state where they can barely function – under Labour. Why should there be a great rumpuss if the COD does close anyway, the Labourites were going to do it and will still do it if they get in. All this talk of it being safe is a myth.
Whoever gets in next time will have to make mammoth reductions in public services and massive increases in taxes. Labour caused it and unfortunately the Tories will have to repair it. Had we not lived under the massive borrowings of Prudence Clown we wouldn’t be where we are.
But carry on reading the Mirror, Sun and Star, real intellectual stuff – just right for Old Labour.
Methinks “Devon Salopian” has changed his name to the “cothercote kid” – both have the same worth in their comments.

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Peter, silly nonsence as usual. Perhaps you want the print industry and media to return to what your mates made it all those years ago when Eddie Shah took it on. They could only print what the local chapter approved and if it wasn’t pro, extreme socialist Labour or favourable to the Unions it wasn’t printed and strikes resulted.
Thank goodness both papers and workers in the industry are now both working with free, democratic, mature and loyal principles in mind and not the tired, old, decrepit principles of a time long gone when an honourable profession and industry was brought to it’s knees by those mates of yours.
There again, when Old Labour is in trouble it has always lashed out in all directions without thinking of what it is saying or doing.
I have followed Shirley Tart since her first item all those many years ago, more power to your elbow Shirley, you will have no cribs from me if you suddenly lambasted the Tories, that is the freedom of the press, that is democracy and long may it continue.

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Stuart,

Throughout the printing disputes in the 70s and 80s, the poisonous Tory tabloid press, which does so much to undermine democracy in this country, continued to spew its bile in great quantites, so the suggestion that the unions somehow censored it is utter nonsense.

I would be equally concerned if the Star were to put out such blatant propaganda on behalf of any other party – including Labour.

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Y Mab – You might be right – but who on earth could you seriously look to as an alternative?

I certainly think that Vince Cable has overshadowed his own party leader in his performance for the Lib Dems, but they have other policies which I think would make them unelectable.

As for the other ‘fringe’ parties, none are even on on the starting blocks.

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Party politics is for chumps.
They have more in common with each other, those in opposite sides of the house, than they do with their electorate. Party supporters might as well wear badges saying ‘Durrr!’.
Politicians reveal their feckless nature, hungrier for power than their desire to stand up for what they believe, willing to waltz across the house (watch them go when it suits), willing to straddle however wide the divide to win your vote.
There’s ‘strength in numbers’ and ‘might makes right’, but not truth and decency.
They join a club, politicans do, where they conspire to feather their nests and strip yours.
My advice – Never vote for anyone who wants to get elected, or at the very least, never vote for anyone who expects to get elected. Vote for a party, support evil, make yourself poorer – however of course, the choice is yours.
As for newspapers – generally they’re on their way out what with rolling 24 hour news channels and the internet. They’ve turned into excellent sources of celebrity tittle-tattle and sports rumour-mongering (or in the case of this esteemed paper, a sort of watered down Fortean Times), but as for actual news..pah, forget it! That’s why the word news has been dropped from the phrase ‘What the Newspapers Say’. Occasionally they (papers in general) pop up to scream something controversial in the hope you’ll look up and buy them, mainly they just belch out the same old guff their catchment group of readers want to hear is the ‘truth’. Read all about it, 50p will buy you opinions you already agree with. Sad to say this has led to the truly evil position of sister-papers taking opposite stances over the same subject (e.g. cervical cancer jabs in the Daily Mail and the Irish Mail). Buy a newspaper, support evil, make yourself poorer – however of course, the choice is yours.

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y mab i quite agree if only the lib dems would soften their support for europe they have the makings of a sensible government, probably with a lib lab pact. vince cable is excellent with fiscal policy, menzies cambell a fine foreign sec.
and with paddy ashdown, charley kennedy and david steel in the wings, there is your top brass.

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boring, boring. Too many long posts..

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Now we have the Jon Ledbury, “Comic Cuts” version. I have said all I wish to say above Ledbury, particularly about “self respect” and “self pride” if the cap fits, please wear it. Now, what can we say about the following:-

This government has made some messes – Iraq and borrowing. And has some things to be ashamed of – McBride and not going into coalition with the Lib Dems in 97 to finish off the Tory party forever. But to suggest the last 12 years of investment in education, the NHS, overseas aid etc. was not better than when the morally bankrupt Tories ran the country says more about Stuart than it does about those who have benefitted from huge government investment.

Shall we start off with this, just in case you didn’t know, all the “investment” in education, NHS and uncle Tom Cobley an all was done with borrowed money. Even the BNP could do that, if a Government doesn’t have to worry where the money is coming from they can invest what and in anything they wish. They are still investing now – ON BORROWED MONEY.
Now Ledbury, you tell me who will benefit when all the debts have to be repaid AND ALL THE CUTS have to be made AFTER the election. All the past investment is worthless if all that it has bought has to be given back. I repeat, YVETTE COOPER admitted that the budget hid a cut in the NHS and Education of £3.5 BILLION this year. That is just the start, watch this space if Labour get in next time. But again, the Tories will also have to slash and burn just to make repairs to the desolation Labour has caused.
Sorry Ledbury, the rest of what you say, doesn’t bear comment but I really hope that Labour do get in next time, there is nothing they can do to make the country worse, let them get us out of the morass they have pulled us into. Why should the Tories have to take the blame when they have to sort out the mess.
Unemployment, under the Tories to sort out Labour mess, 3 MILLION, under Labour to date, NO MESS and all self inflicted, last count 2.1. MILLION and predicted to be 3.5 MILLION by the years end. What say you to that Ledbury.
Yes I did say, “self pride” and “self respect”. I have them, I wouldn’t if I was a Labourite, I would hang my head in shame.

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Kid,

Lying through the teeth and an illegal war in Iraq – Tories fault.
Likely to “BORROW” 2 TRILLION POUNDs by the time they exit – Tories fault.
Putting the country in hock for the next 30 – 40 years – Tories fault.
Healey borrowing from the IMF when he caused the country to go broke – Tories fault. ERM problem by comparison, small fry.
Failing to save for a “rainy day” – Tories
fault.
Allowing uncontrolled entry of millions including rapists, terrorists, murderers, paedophiles – Tories fault. Closing mental homes absolutely no comparison.
Smashing Trade Unions – yes, good, after they brought this country to its knees with Scargill, McGahey etc. Yes well done Tories fault. We have had no strikes to seriously mention since.
Promising an EU referendum on the Lisbon Treaty then reneging – Tories fault.
Cutting pensioners interest rates to nil, promising to remedy it and then again reneging – Tories fault
Lying over Tories unemployed as 4,000,000 when it was 3,000,000 (see above in yours) – Tories fault.
Swamping our country with illegal immigrants and failing to deport them – Tories fault.
Exagerating the homeless under the Tories and more than matching that now under labour – Tories fault.
No more boom and bust when now we have the biggest bust in our history – Tories fault.
Will never again in this Government raise the basic or the highest rates of income tax then reneges on that manifesto pledge – Tories fault.
Council Tax risen by over 110% since Labour came to power – Tories fault, Puts the poll tax in the shade.
Pouring money which we hadn’t got into the NHS and education – which come 2011 will have to be paid back with many NHS staff redundant – Tories fault.
Bringing Privatisation into the NHS which they falsely accused the Tories of doing before the 1997 election – Tories fault. PFI has put the NHS in debt for the next 30 years paying of rent on privately owned hospitals and other buildings.
The highest “stealth” taxes by any Government in our history – Tories fault.
The sleaziest, most corrupt and unprincipled Government in our history – Tories fault.
Getting the Police to invade Parliament to investigate “non secret” leaks to shadow Ministers – Tories fault.
Running a “dirty tricks department” of Prime Ministers advisors to think up lies against the opposition – Tories fault.
Bringing the Parliament of this country into disrepute – Tories fault.
Bringing this country to it’s knees worse than any Government in it’s history – Tories fault.

CORRECTION —-FOR TORIES READ LABOUR.

Welcome to the fray Devon, you just can’t win.

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Cothercot, you forgot to mention the leaking roofs in primary schools, and the sale of public assets such as council housing stock, energy utilities and publicly owned banks (TSB)in order to fund tax rate cuts in excess of 40% for the wealthiest people in the country.

Oh, and Thatcher’s snuggling up to despots such as Pinochet…

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come, come Peter, in your “balanced” comments you forgot to mention Mr. Clown’s plundering of the 10p Income tax rise on the lowest paid, his promise to pay it back and his failure to do so with one million still suffering this cut by the friend of the working class.
As for Pinochet, you also don’t give a balanced view by Bliar sidling up to the biggest international villain of them all, George W. Bush, the saviour of the western world – I don’t think.
Just in case you haven’t realised, Frank Field, Blunkett and a couple of other leading Labourites are opposed to the breaking of the manifesto pledge by increasing taxes to HALF OF EARNED INCOME for the high earners. Welcome old Labour.
Leaking roofs, new one on me but at least the school owned the buildings and didn’t have to pay rent on them – like now with Bliar and Clown’s PFI.
Let’s all hope for a Labourite victory to see what they can really do to drag us lower. Here’s waiting but it won’t be long if Clown has another week like this one, poor man, all his friends say’s he needs a rest.

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