General Chat

Surely we vote at a local level for the MP that we "believe" will do the best for our respective communities.

The last ten years under the Labour party has moved this country to the top of the tree, we have now the best economic stats we have ever had.

i agree eddie but gb is no good as pm

Economic stats don't help us keep our heads above water though!!

xx

What is best for the local community rarely has any effect on Central Government. I am not trying to be argumentative but I am on a few panels within my county and yes we can push for better services locally but it will make no difference to central economy policies.

Eddie, I am not a great Labout supporter I must admit, but what you say is very true - economically the United Kingdom is actually very strong currently. Too often, small businesses try to blame current economic strategy for their own incompetencies.
Why do some continue to thrive?

Eddie,

What stats would they be?

personally i think within ten years we will part of a european super state controlled by one man in america

I was brought up in a mining town to vote labour. Everyone had parties the day Labour won the election and kicked Maggie out. However, I will never vote Labour again, after seeing the balls up they've made of our country. Its gone to the dogs.

me too romany but are you worse off than ten years ago y or n

Sue that is the whole point of Tony Blair's modernisation of government campaign. As part of that, the power was taken away from the mandarins and handed to smaller decision makers at a local level who can, through their decisions, make a real impact.
Budgets are no longer held centrally (in general terms) and this has helped in many ways to destroy the corruption that traditionally existed in British politics - budgets were held by a very small minority back in the days of jobs for the boys etc.
Now, there is higher accountability and therefore responsibility.

can everyone answer are they worse off or better off than ten years ago

Worse off

Errol,

We gross £.5m so are a small company. With enforced extra holidays to be paid for (and the possibility of having to pay for bank holidays in the near future) increased NIC rates, much higher PLI rates, exhorbitant fuel costs, 3% of business costs spent on legislation controls you cannot say that failing businesses have only themselves to blame.

I have to complete stats for government departments and certainly don't get paid for all the data filing I have to do, failure to complete on time attracts a fine!

Running a business in 2007 is certainly much more difficult than it was in 1970.

in what way brian

Worse. Not just financially, BUT for me there's more to life than money.

Im going to fly to Albania, smuggle myself back in, and get discovered, and get a council house and free furniture, wooo-hooo. Back soon!!!

sadly, santas (I want a peerage) elf - only joking - it is very difficult to compare in isolation because world dynamics, politics and economies have changed drastically over the past decade but I do understand what you are saying and I think if anyone were honest they would agree that they are better off.

sue is it easier to run a buisness now or ten years ago

Financially, i have to work far more hours to make the same wage i got 5-10 years ago