Gransnet forums

Chat

Things that you are scared about with the new Tory Government

(269 Posts)
soontobe Sat 09-May-15 17:21:10

I have seen a number of posters express deep concern about the conservatives having full power for the next 5 years.

Is it worth having a thread for posters to list their concerns?

I am not sure that other gransnetters can put their minds at ease at all, as it may be a case of wait and see what the conservatives do.

Ana Mon 11-May-15 16:59:42

I think we should have a new 'terrified' emoticon - how about it, HQ?

Something like this

Terrified!!!

Eloethan Mon 11-May-15 17:05:54

As the editor of The Independent said on The Wright Stuff this morning, it is an absolute disgrace that it is thought to be OK for Boris Johnson to hold the positions of Mayor of London and MP, plus to be given a cabinet position and write for The Telegraph.

Surely the position of Mayor of London alone is a full-time post which carries considerable responsibilities?

In my view, he hasn't been a great Mayor - always keen to raise his profile by pushing for vanity projects (like the £60 million cable car system across the Thames from the Greenwich peninsula to the Royal Docks, and the planned controversial Garden Bridge) but he has not been so keen on the more nitty-gritty issues like housing, air pollution and traffic congestion.

soontobe Mon 11-May-15 17:13:36

I suspect that he doesnt intend to spend much time in writing for the Telegraph or on MP duties, until after May next year.
Plus high fliers dont normally sleep much.

Atqui Mon 11-May-15 17:25:00

Sorry about the link I tried to post . I don't know why the whole article doesn't come up.

Eloethan Mon 11-May-15 17:43:08

soontobe Boris Johnson still writes for the Telegraph and in one of his last columns charmingly described Ed Miliband as a "commie". When he appeared on BBC's "Hard Talk" he said the £250,000 p.a. he's paid for the column is "chicken feed".

Presumably, even if he doesn't do much work as an MP until May when he steps down from his mayoral post, he gets paid as an MP?

Atqui I got the link. smile

FarNorth Mon 11-May-15 17:47:08

MPs get paid whether they do anything or not and their constituents have no comeback. Some time ago there was a move to get that changed but it didn't succeed.

durhamjen Mon 11-May-15 17:48:38

you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-changes-to-access-to-work

If I needed a job, I'd be scared of this.

durhamjen Mon 11-May-15 17:52:09

The recall bill did get through, FarNorth.

Summary of the Recall of MPs Act 2015

The Bill provides for a recall petition to be triggered if a Member is sentenced to a prison term or is suspended from the House for at least 21 sitting days. If either occurred, the Speaker would give notice to a petition officer, who in turn would give notice to parliamentary electors in the constituency.

A petition would then be open for signing for eight weeks. If at the end of that period at least 10 per cent of eligible electors had signed the petition, the seat would be declared vacant and a by-election would follow. The Member who was recalled could stand in the by-election.

The Bill also introduces rules on the conduct of the recall petition, including campaign spending limits for those supporting and opposing recalling the Member.

Just have to hope he does something to get himself suspended from the house for over 21 days.

FarNorth Mon 11-May-15 17:56:09

Thanks for that dj. What does an MP have to do/not do, to get suspended?
At a wild guess it probably involves disobeying a whip, or something. Just not making much effort probably won't get noticed.

durhamjen Mon 11-May-15 17:57:16

Priti Patel agrees with Gove.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-tories-new-dwp-minister-wants-to-bring-back-capital-punishment-10240777.html?origin=internalSearch

It will act as a deterrent, she thinks. How to reduce the Welfare costs.

durhamjen Mon 11-May-15 18:03:27

I think it would get noticed if he wasn't sitting on the front bench making a mockery of parliament by his comments.
Here's hoping anyway, FarNorth.
Actually he can get suspended for being rude about other MPs. I've got Caroline Lucas's book Honourable Friends? to read, and it's very entertaining. It's about the last five years of parliament, and she talks about all the rules of what to call whoever. Could Johnson stick to it? He's so full of his own importance I doubt it.

FarNorth Tue 12-May-15 17:24:25

A link about people being prosecuted for stealing waste food from bins :

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/how-expected-live-judge-slams-5682582

The judge was appalled and asked "How are they supposed to live?"

pompa Tue 12-May-15 18:01:21

The comment about capital punishment by Priti Patel was made in response to a question back in 2011, and was strongly agreed with by the audience at the time. As it happens I do not agree with her. Capital punishment will never be re-introduced.
Priti Patel is our local MP, she has worked harder for her constituents than any other MP we have had over the last 50 years. She regularly visit the towns and villages in her area and always responds promptly to any correspondence. She has successfully fought many local issues. I could not praise her enough, and if the election results were anything to go by, so do her constituents. She thoroughly deserves her cabinet post.

durhamjen Tue 12-May-15 18:32:31

It might have been made in 2011, pompa, but that was when she was in the ruling party and had only been an MP for a year. It's not that long ago. It does not say much for the people in the audience, either.

trisher Tue 12-May-15 20:21:39

What am I scared of?
More privatisation in the NHS. There are companies waiting out there to cherry pick services and DC will be handing things over to them. (38 degrees had a petition on the NHS before the election and asked the parties to sign up to stopping privatisation- the Tories wouldn't)
The erosion of my human rights.
The poor, the disabled, the mentally ill suffering even more. (No I am not any of those things, but "No man is an island" and "Any man's death diminishes me"
Fox hunting brought back- Why?

durhamjen Tue 12-May-15 20:34:34

Because they can, trisher.
I hope they will allow their MPs to vote with their consciences on fox hunting. If they had a conscience about anything else on your list, they would not be Tory MPs.

Soutra Wed 13-May-15 10:57:04

I thought from the start this thread was a wind-up, but 6pages of 'fears' on, surely it is time for it to be wound up.

soontobe Wed 13-May-15 11:15:09

We are supposed to love everyone Soutra.

Soutra Wed 13-May-15 11:20:15

Oh I do try, but nowhere in the Bible says you have to agree with or love what people say.

rosequartz Wed 13-May-15 11:33:14

We are supposed to love everyone Soutra

Why?

rosequartz Wed 13-May-15 11:36:33

The Bible also says 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth'
Exodus 21-24

So, as you smite someone who has done you or yours wrong, you say 'I love you really'
hmm

Soutra Wed 13-May-15 11:43:27

smile
I wonder if a [smite] emoticon would be inappropriate? (Just joking)

Eloethan Wed 13-May-15 11:56:01

I can't understand why, if people are uninterested in a thread or think it's dragging out a bit, they don't just ignore it.

Soutra Wed 13-May-15 12:03:54

There seem to be many threads on the Election, the Election result, whether or not we are " better or worse " people depending on how we voted, proposed action by the new government , TTIP, the European Bill of Rights. Etc etc, a case of the trees obscuring the woods perhaps?
A thread on an issue in one thing, a thread inviting only negative contributions another.
So yes, I can ignore the thread, but I can also express my opinion of it (several pages on).

soontobe Wed 13-May-15 12:27:42

People posted their feelings. I am of the idea of "better out than in". I could tell from other threads, that people were genuinely upset and very concerned.