Daily Referendum

In his speech today, William Hague said:

“Our ability to undertake economic modernisation will be critical to Britain’s future influence. When capital, labour and technology are increasingly mobile we cannot stand still. That is why James Dyson’s report about how we can give more weight to science and technology in our economy is so welcome. That is why our proposals on business taxation are oriented towards attracting and maintaining investment, why our programme of education reform explicitly draws from best practice across the globe, from Alberta to Sweden to Singapore, to ensure we make the most of every young person’s talent in the future.

“But the change, the modernisation, our economy needs is not guaranteed. If our opponents’ mistaken arguments and mistaken principles prevailed Britain will move backwards towards a ’70s style model, with a bigger say for the trade unions who want to impose rigidity and unaffordable regulation across the public and private sector. The bridge will be drawn up against innovation and investment.

“The dominant current within Labour is no longer the outward-looking thinking of the late 1990s, but an explicitly old-fashioned Left approach. The clearest example is that the Labour Party candidates who are being selected are not the figures of distinction from outside the traditional Labour tent whom Tony Blair sought to win, but hardened union activists with a track record in resisting modernisation: Five more years of Gordon Brown would mean that this country would be associated across the world with risky and unaffordable debt, lack of discipline over spending and trade union power.

“The Prime Minister spoke this morning about the economy. Gordon Brown is right - the economy is at a crossroads. We could continue with five more years of his debt, waste and taxes. We know where that would lead - just yesterday an international credit rating agency warned that Labour's plans would result in the loss of our credit rating.

“That would be a catastrophe for our economy and for our reputation around the world. So the biggest risk for Britain is five more years of Gordon Brown. The alternative is to change direction, deal with our debts more quickly and restore confidence in our economy. A new Conservative Government will be a chance to send the signal far and wide that Britain is once again open for business.”

"Take a long hard look at the Conservative Party". That's one of the slogans being used by the Labour Party on the run up to the General Election. And I couldn't agree more, I (an ex-Labour voter) took a long hard look and I liked what I discovered. I hope that you will do the same. I could make this post an epic - comparing the Conservatives the the Labour party - but I think all that is necessary is to cover my opinion of Labour is this: Labour governments are excellent at throwing money at problems, but the are worse than incompetent when it comes to managing what the money has been spent on.

So instead of a comparison I'm going to tell you what a Conservative government has to offer (and it is not free laptops I'm afraid).

Here is a clipping from a newspaper advertisement by the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for South Ribble, Lorraine Fullbrook:

These are the kind of measures that I, a working man with family to raise and a mortgage to pay, want to see. Added to that, I believe that the Conservatives are the only major party with a chance of winning the election that will protect this country from further EU integration. They are also going in the right direction on the matter of English Votes on English Laws - a subject that is close to the hearts of many Conservative party members.

The Conservatives stand for a smaller, less costly government. Less bureaucracy and interference into our lives - giving us back some of the responsibility that has been taken away from us. Conservatives stand for transparency in government so that we can see how they are going to spend our money. They stand for protecting the NHS budget - even when they will be trying to reduce the massive amount of debt left by the current government. Conservatives believe that the welfare state is there to pick you up when you fall, not support you for life if you can't be bothered to work. They believe marriage should not be penalised by the tax system - and that strong families lead to a stronger society. I could go on and on, but I will leave the rest up to you.

Please take a long hard look at the Conservative Party. I believe they are the party to make this country Great again.

At a time when Councils are trying to help their residents out by keeping council tax bills down (my local Conservative council has frozen it), Gordon Brown wants to saddle them with a £250m burden to pay for extra social care. If Gordon Brown wants this scheme to happen, then why isn't he funding it, instead of passing the burden onto local councils? Inevitably we will pay for this scheme through our council tax.

During DCLG Parliamentary questions today, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Caroline Spelman confronted the Government further over their social care scheme, accusing Ministers of Living in “cloud cuckoo Land”

Extracts from the debate:

“Councils are "feeling furious" after being warned they could have to contribute GBP250 million towards a free home care scheme for the elderly, Tories said today.

“Shadow communities secretary Caroline Spelman said ministers must be living in "cloud cuckoo land" if they did not believe this was an "unfunded burden".

“Last month Gordon Brown unveiled plans to provide 400,000 vulnerable elderly people with free personal care in their homes, at an annual cost of GBP670 million.

“Some GBP420 million of this would be funded by the Department of Health while the rest would be met by local authorities. But council leaders have warned that the Personal Care at Home Bill would increase the strain on an already overburdened social services system.

“During Commons question time, Mrs Spelman asked: "Can you understand why councils are feeling so furious after being instructed to meet a GBP250 million shortfall in the Prime Minister's latest commitment to personal care?

"Given the Government defines a new burden as any new policy or initiative which increases the cost of providing local authority services, can you explain which part of that GBP250 million is not covered by that doctrine?”

Typical Gordon Brown, isn't he great at spending our money?

I don't like Labour's idea to force everyone to insure their dogs against attacking people. For one thing it punishes the many for the stupidity of the few - typical Labour really. And for another, how are those on low incomes and pensioners going to afford this insurance? Are Labour actually saying that only "well off" people are allowed to have dogs? For some OAP's a dog is the only company they have.

Commenting on the publication of DEFRA’s consultation on dangerous dogs, Shadow Environment Secretary Nick Herbert, said:

"The problem of dangerous dogs is growing and the current legislation is clearly not working, but the Government's proposals risk penalising millions of law-abiding dog owners with the blunt instrument of a dog tax. We should be targeting the minority of irresponsible dog owners, not the vast majority who are responsible dog lovers. And we need to legislate carefully, not in haste, so that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the infamously flawed Dangerous Dogs Act.

Conservatives and many others have been calling for action to deal with dangerous dogs for years, and we are pleased that the Government has finally woken up to the problem. But we question why they have taken so long and are announcing these plans just weeks before the election is called"

The truth about all this is that Labour have had thirteen years to find a solution to this growing problem, and only now (weeks before a General Election) are they doing something about it. Electioneering?

Calling for Gordon Brown to be recalled to clarify his evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry, Shadow Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox said:

"Today I have written to Sir John Chilcot to ask that Gordon Brown is recalled to the inquiry to clarify his evidence. There have been so many other witnesses whose evidence directly contradicted his, concluding with Bill Jeffrey today, that there is a clear case for questioning Gordon Brown again.”

Here is the text of the letter sent to Sir John:

‘Since Gordon Brown’s session last Friday (5 March 2010) two former Chiefs of the Defence Staff (Admiral Lord Boyce and General Lord Guthrie) and a former Chief of the General Staff ( General Sir Richard Dannatt), all highly respected men of great integrity, have made public statements completely contrary to, and directly challenging, what Gordon Brown said during his session regarding resourcing and equipping our Armed Forces.

‘There is a strong case for you to recall Gordon Brown for further testimony in front of your inquiry after the upcoming General Election.

‘I fully understand why you do not want your inquiry to be involved with party politics but I do think that it is important to get the truth in this matter even if this cannot happen until after the election.’

What are the chances of the lying sod being dragged back to Chilcot before the election? If Gordon the liar Brown has anything to do with it, I would say the chances are zero.

Are you thinking about becoming a Conservative Party Member? I joined the party to help get rid of Gordon Brown and Labour before they can do any more damage. Becoming a member is a great way to meet up with like minded people through your local association. If enough of us get together, we can make the changes that we can all see are desperately needed.

Also the party really does depend on membership fees to fight elections. No matter what you may have heard about Non Dom donors, it is a fact that Labour receive more from Non Doms. And contrary to what Labour ministers are trying to spin, Labour (with the help of the unions) are spending more in marginal seats. Labour are going to fight a dirty campaign and the Conservatives are going to need all the help they can get.

From the party website:

Members play an active role in the Party, and receive important voting rights in Party elections. As a Member, you’ll be able to:

- Decide who represents the Party in local, general and European elections
- Vote in elections for the Party Leader and in your local Association’s AGM
- Attend Party Conferences

In addition, you’ll receive:

- Access to our Affinity Programme which provides great discounts on a wide range of products
- A membership card and welcome booklet
- Regular email updates

Becoming a Member costs £25 a year - or £5 a year if you’re under 23 years old.

You can become a member of the Conservative Party by clicking HERE.

Gordon Brown sunk to a new lows this week (if that is possible). Calling our Generals liars over Defence funding is a disgrace, but to then fly out to Afghanistan for a photo op with the troops is beneath contempt. I hope the people get rid of this despicable man.

I've always been in favour of English votes on English Laws (EVoEL), and to some extent so has the Conservative Party. They see why the current system is flawed against the English, but their proposal for a English Grand Committee does not go far enough for some. This is how it works (I think): All MPs can vote on the first, second AND third readings of England-only laws. However, on the third reading, parties would be stopped from using Scottish votes to block amendments made by English MPs. This is not a perfect solution but it is a damn sight more than Gordon Brown would ever offer.

I will be voting Conservative whether or not they go all the way and introduce EVoEL because the Tories are the only party heading in the right direction on this matter. The same can be said over the EU, I desperately wanted a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty (the one Labour promised and then refused to hold), but I'm willing to vote for the only Eurosceptic party that has a chance of winning the General Election.

It is important that the Conservative party gets their strategy right on these policies. We are in the position (for now) of looking at a hung parliament or a small majority (more likely), but if we can convince the those in favour of EVoEL and UKIP to change their minds then we should see a decent number of seats. I would like to see David Cameron passionately reinforce
his stated position on the EU, and I would like to see EVoEL adopted as part of the manifesto - even if it is just a promise to introduce it within the first three years of the next parliament.

I cannot understand why EVoEL is made out to be a complicated solution. In my mind it is simple: Any vote that is unique to England should only be voted on by English MPs, it can't be that hard to arrange surely? Just a small note on the coming week's list of votes. Maybe "EMPsO" next to the vote would suffice. We must encourage people, who are generally natural Tory voters to do so at the upcoming General Election - especially as Labour and the Lib Dems are secretly planning to form a coalition that will keep the Tories out of (and themselves in) power for ever.

Would you be more likely to vote Conservative if they promised English Votes on English Laws?
	Yes
	No
	Will vote Tory either way.
pollcode.com free polls

The following video from David Cameron explains exactly why I stopped supporting Labour and will be voting Conservative at the next General Election. In fact, I feel so strongly about getting rid of our wasteful Labour Government that I'm hoping to stand as a Tory candidate in my local council elections. Please watch this video with an open mind, we really do need a Conservative Government to get the country's books back in order:

Following the launch of the Conservative iPhone app, Labour have launched an app of their own.

Features in the launch version of the app include:

■User-friendly guide to all the key policy dodges.
■Ability to telephone canvass potential comrades and report their voting intentions back to the Party (great way to target bribes i.e. free laptops).
■Simple mechanism for donating directly to the Party (a bit like union dues, but with your permission).
■Easy way to watch all the latest Prescott Vlogs (you lucky people).
■Virtual ‘Swingometer’ featuring a UK map getting bluer as Labour's percentage share in the General Election decreases.
■Automatic Twitter updates (directives) from the Labour Party and integrated access to the Facebook page (access will be monitored).

John Prescott commented:

“Once again, the Labour Party is almost at forefront of digital innovation in UK politics. This iPhone app will help both existing supporters (yes there are some) and floating voters (bribe targets) learn more about our policies (when Ed finally gets around to knocking up a manifesto), connect with us on social networks (again, access will be mon..) and share political smears with comrades.

“Whether it is on websites, social networks or mobiles, we are the only Party that has fully embraced spin and lies in the run up to the General Election.”
This not a real app, or a direct quote from Prescott.
Don't forget to retweet if you like this.

I can't believe that Gordon Brown is now taking notice of crime in this country after not being at all bothered in the past. Actually I can believe it, seeing as were just weeks away from a General Election. And isn't it funny that after letting tens of thousands of prisoners out of prison early, he now says he's going to stop that just before the election. What we need, but what he will not offer, is the extra prison places we have needed desperately for years.
People have been attacked, murdered and raped by the dangerous people Labour let out of prison early - all because Gordon Brown would not commit to building prisons. He was happy to waste billions on I.D cards and numerous other failed I.T projects, but he wasn't happy to build the prisons that were needed to keep people safe.

The figures of crime may have fallen, but in real life we know what the true situation is - crime is on the up - but people are becoming desensitised and don't bother to report it.

I'm going out tonight, so I haven't time to post anything of my own. Therefore this is a part of William Hague's excellent speech (lifted straight from Iain Dale's blog):

"When Gordon Brown took over, this, our great country, was the 4th largest economy in the world. Now it is falling behind and forecast within 5 years to be the 11th, behind not just growing giants like China, but behind our neighbours France and Italy. We were ranked 7th in the world for the competitiveness of our economy. Now we are 13th. We were 4th in the world for our tax and regulation. Now we are 84th and 86th. We are the last G20 country to emerge from recession. We are borrowing almost as much of our income as Greece, but the Greeks have more plans than Gordon Brown, like everyone else in the world, to do something about it. We are telling the British people the truth: we cannot go on like this. We say to them now: it is time, it is time to make the break. We cannot go on just borrowing money from China so that we can buy their goods and then borrow some more.

Gordon Brown is like a credit card company who will always send you another letter saying it would be so easy when in debt to borrow even more. Every family, every small business, everyone except this Government knows it is the road to ruin.

Last week Gordon Brown said the election should not be a verdict on the Government's past record. Let me tell him this: we will ensure that a country that wants to look to the future is fully aware of his record. He may not want to discuss his pension destroying, gold selling, golden rule-breaking, national debt-doubling, money wasting, tax raising, colleague rubbishing, pledge betraying, election bottling record but, oh boy, we do.

He says voters should give him a second chance. Look here Gordon, you've had 13 years now. You've had your second chance and your third. No one in Britain can afford to give you a fourth chance: no one in this country can afford another 5 years of Gordon Brown. So it is time for change. And if we do not take this opportunity, grasp this hour, to set a new direction for Britain, then I tell you in all frankness that it will be too late. It will be too late in 5 years' time to say we should have got rid of them, too late to reverse the decline: the debt will be too big, the bureaucracy too bloated, the small businesses too stifled, the slope Britain is sliding down will be too steep.

So to every voter listening to us now we say solemnly, if not now it will be too late. It is time, time to say we can rescue our country, time to refuse to get poorer and more indebted, time to say Britain is not doomed to decline, time to let the Labour party fight its squabbles out of power where it can do no harm, time to invite the forces of hell to get the hell out of Downing Street."

Wayne Rooney gets home from football practice with the England squad and says to Coleen:

"John Terry says that he's shagged all our birds except one"

Coleen replied:

"I bet it's that Posh Spice the stuck-up cow".

A blonde calls her boyfriend and says:

"Please come over here and help me. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle, and I can't figure out how to get started."

Her boyfriend asks:

"What is it supposed to be when it's finished?"

The blonde says:

"According to the picture on the box, it's a rooster."

Her boyfriend decides to go over and help with the puzzle.

She lets him in and shows him where she has the puzzle spread all over
the table.

He studies the pieces for a moment, then looks at the box, then turns to
her and says:

"First of all, no matter what we do, we're not going to be able to
assemble these pieces into anything resembling a rooster."

He takes her hand and says, "Second, I want you to relax. Let's have a
nice cup of tea, and then (he said with a deep sigh) ..........



"Let's put all the Corn Flakes back in the box."