[joeysteele]

Hardly a surprise but will it really turn out as a boost for the Conservatives, 100 signatures from at least hundreds of thousands and likely millions of business men and women,I think likely not.
Any surprise that Karen Brady and other staunch Conservative supporters is among them. I think not.
Out of them, the whole 100, only 5 were at some time Labour supporters,once you change your politics,it is amazing how hard you turn on your previous loyalties.
I know, I used to be a Conservative supporter,now I will support any action against them, under this particular leader and the heartless cabinet he has chosen to have.

Business leaders who in the main have done really good out of this recession and the really hard times others have had to contend with,thanks to this govt;:
Ensuring they didn't get penailised like someone very ill has been,well no wonder a small proportion of them are happy to sign such a letter for a biased Conservative paper likely even prompted by the Conservative party too.

Imagine a paper printing a leter with signatures from Union leaders as to supporting labour policy, this would be derided in the media overall for the stunt it would be.
Imagine loads of signatures in a paper about the bedroom charge/tax.
Imagine the thousands of signatures there could be from senior people in the NHS too against this govt:


This I feel, could work against the Conservatives with many floating voters, many who are fed up now strongly of business always being protected in the main while the lower end gets kicked about all the time by this govt;

Business has to work with whatever govt; gets elected, it did for 13 years under the last Labour govt; and the banking sector and business too were glad that Labour did not let the banks go to the wall too when the crisis hit 'internationally'.

I for one, am not impressed with this letter,especially in the paper it is in, it is a paper known as the Daily Torygraph,rather then Telegraph.
This could say to voters, that this is a confimation that the Conservatives in govt; will always look after business to the detriment of the harder working lower elements in society and those most vulnerable too.

Whereas with Labour saying they will take action against exploitative zero hours contracts,well that will say more to the voters where they stand.
Odd this letter appears the day that Labour announce they will take action against exploitative zero hours contracts, could it be that some of those business signatories would hate to see that happen because of their continuing greed and disregard for their workers.

I wouldn't be worried if I was Labour about these 100 signatures, treat them like the celebrities that endorse parties too.
It got their names in the paper, however seeing business actually intervene in an election to try to manipulate voters,I think nowadays will not go down well with undecided voters.
No one likes being dictated to.

Seeing business in this tiny list of business people on this signed list or even greater, would not be a surprise to voters, or to workers and those most vulnerable who have seen businesses still rake in profits and those at the top of businees suffering virtually no hardship whatsoever, despite this govts; heartless austerity measures over the last 5 years.

No wonder these 100 signatories want more of the same, they have really done well out of this govt,despite the mass of the rest of the citizens suffering from in a moderate to severe way all through thsi parliament.

It reinforces the battleground in my view.
1)Support the Conservatives who support big business and help protect their endless gread and profits.
even to the detriment as to regular income for their workers.

2)Support Labour for a fairer way for business and workers,and make sure zero hours contracts can never likely be the same again for business to exploit people as to their lives and incomes.

From those 2 choices, I know which side I would rather support and it for sure aint the first one.

[Nedusa]

Originally Posted by kirklancaster

Poor old Labour. They have spent considerable time, effort and money on trying to convince the UK populace that UKIP is a big. bad, xenophobic, racist WOLF because of its 'Immigration Control' policies, then after witnessing the increase in UKIP's popularity because of those very same 'Immigration Control' Policies, Labour have quickly donned the 'GRANDMOTHER' clothes and are enticing LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD public to trust them and 'come closer to their re-made bed of Immigration policies' for a 'better look'.

It's all a fairy tale.

But Nige must be pleased, because 'Imitation IS the sincerest form of flattery'.

LMAO

Hang on a minute, Labour have NO controls on immigration none whatsoever, in fact they still believe in uncontrolled immigration and closer integration into Europe which means giving up even more rights and freedoms to a nameless, faceless European Elite..........and paying even more hard earned taxpayers money for the privilege.

The lunatics really have taken over the Asylum.............

Vote Labour....vote for quicker ways to be fully submersed into the EU, vote for a painless end to a 1,000 years of Nationhood...

Vote Labour.........No thanks not in this life

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

Hang on a minute, Labour have NO controls on immigration none whatsoever, in fact they still believe in uncontrolled immigration and closer integration into Europe which means giving up even more rights and freedoms to a nameless, faceless European Elite..........and paying even more hard earned taxpayers money for the privilege.

The lunatics really have taken over the Asylum.............

Vote Labour....vote for quicker ways to be fully submersed into the EU, vote for a painless end to a 1,000 years of Nationhood...

Vote Labour.........No thanks not in this life

Oh No.... I've been MUGGED by Labour.

[LeatherTrumpet]

Lady called LBC from France this morning where they have a policy on zero hours there. I think she said after 6 weeks (or months) you have to offer full time employment.

So what they do is sack them and get new people or if they are really good i think she said they let them go and re-employ them

anyway she says its a joke and that she expected that to happen if labour tried it.

[arista]

Good Conservative Voters

Yes Labour is Anti Business

[Kizzy]

The people on that list have titles and peerages...who get those? Tory donors.
They've been on such a good thing with the conservatives of course they'll be loathed to see them go.
Will their shareholders want to pay out more of their lovely profits in tax and wages?
Things that actually boost the economy and not just their offshore accounts.

'Labour has hit back at a letter from more than 100 business leaders backing Conservative policies, describing it as a party political stunt and warning one of the signatories, Paul Walsh, that he could damage the political impartiality of the Confederation of British Industry if he pressed ahead with rumoured plans to become its next president.

The attack by Chuka Umunna, the shadow business secretary, came as the chancellor, George Osborne, hailed the letter published in the Daily Telegraph as an “unprecedented” endorsement of the economic decisions taken by the Tory government.

The letter, signed by business leaders in their personal capacity, claimed that any “change in course” after the general election would threaten jobs and put the UK’s'

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...olitical-stunt

'David Cameron has presided over an economy with the weakest productivity record of any government since the second world war, the Office for National Statistics said as it revealed output per worker fell again in the final three months of 2014.

In a separate blow to the government, two-thirds of leading UK economists said they believed George Osborne’s austerity strategy had been bad for the economy.'

Well.. How can this be, all these people are making lots of money and are loving conservatism but nothing is actually being generated for the economy..in fact it's worse, how can that be?


http://www.theguardian.com/business/...-wwii-says-ons

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

The people on that list have titles and peerages...who get those? Tory donors.
They've been on such a good thing with the conservatives of course they'll be loathed to see them go.
Will their shareholders want to pay out more of their lovely profits in tax and wages?
Things that actually boost the economy and not just their offshore accounts.

'Labour has hit back at a letter from more than 100 business leaders backing Conservative policies, describing it as a party political stunt and warning one of the signatories, Paul Walsh, that he could damage the political impartiality of the Confederation of British Industry if he pressed ahead with rumoured plans to become its next president.

The attack by Chuka Umunna, the shadow business secretary, came as the chancellor, George Osborne, hailed the letter published in the Daily Telegraph as an “unprecedented” endorsement of the economic decisions taken by the Tory government.

The letter, signed by business leaders in their personal capacity, claimed that any “change in course” after the general election would threaten jobs and put the UK’s'

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...olitical-stunt

'David Cameron has presided over an economy with the weakest productivity record of any government since the second world war, the Office for National Statistics said as it revealed output per worker fell again in the final three months of 2014.

In a separate blow to the government, two-thirds of leading UK economists said they believed George Osborne’s austerity strategy had been bad for the economy.'

Well.. How can this be, all these people are making lots of money and are loving conservatism but nothing is actually being generated for the economy..in fact it's worse, how can that be?


http://www.theguardian.com/business/...-wwii-says-ons

A Labour govt; could ruin the recovery they say,what short memories they all have.

It is this govt; that ruined a recovery in place and eroded the growth in place at that time too in 2010 when they took over.
For 3+ years afterwards we had virtually no recovery and no growth at all.

That is the track record of this govt; and I wouldn't be surprised to hear of this recovery and growth not being as good as is being depicted by the Conservatives and that after the election,we may even see again, a fallback for a time, especially when they set out on their savage cutting programme again,like they did last time.

Quite frankly I doubt after these last 5 years that people,(floating voters especially),will take very kindly to this 'intervention' and being dicated to by business in this way as to who to vote for.
The more the Conservatives are only seen as the party of the rich and powerful the better in my view,so bring it on.
It didn't succeed for Cameron in 2010 and I doubt it will in May now either, even moreso.

[MTVN]

Well I think it's hard to quantify really how much our economy was recovering even if we were going into the election on the back of two or three quarters of tentative growth. Labour also love to remind people that 2007 saw a worldwide recession which was apparently none of their fault, if we allow for that we also have to allow for how volatile the global economy was in the early days of the Coalition. The government has had to steer through some incredibly choppy waters, particularly the Eurozone crisis really blew up from around when they came to power. Mistakes aplenty have been made by this government but the UK has come out the other side of the last few years of economic turmoil in a lot better shape than most of Europe.

[Kizzy]

I think the economists will have offset that, it does not however explain why they are lying about borrowing, massaging employment figures and inventing economic growth.

[LeatherTrumpet]

How do the other euro countries view the UK economy?

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

People will think

hmmm economy is getting better, better stick with what we have than risk it


you watch

Really? We keep being told everythings getting better, wages are up, more in employment and such. But a quick look around people I know, not one is feeling this supposed recovery/ Everyone seems a lot worse off, and thats before even getting to those on benefits. My mums wages have been frozen for years whilst everything else has gone up. My brother is plonked on a 0 hour contract with no work at all but is classed as employed as he has a contract... You may feel the results of this recovery if you have millions, but normal people..not a chance.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

Really? We keep being told everythings getting better, wages are up, more in employment and such. But a quick look around people I know, not one is feeling this supposed recovery/ Everyone seems a lot worse off, and thats before even getting to those on benefits. My mums wages have been frozen for years whilst everything else has gone up. My brother is plonked on a 0 hour contract with no work at all but is classed as employed as he has a contract... You may feel the results of this recovery if you have millions, but normal people..not a chance.

A really great number of voters are in those situations you point out Vicky or know others that are.

As you say, in the real world not the boardrooms and the elite as to society that is what is felt and seen by large numbers of voters.

If those voters cast their votes wisely, they can end this stagnation there has been for near 4 or the 5 years this govt; has been in power.


Hi MTVN, you do make good points as ever, however I recall us being told by the Conservatives in 2010, that the cuts they planned to make had to be done, and had to be done from the first year to ensure success for their targets and to clear the deficit but also to combat anything that may come from problems in the Eurozone too.
As Kizzy said, they planned for that in the more than necessary severe austerity cuts and still failed.

In 2008 however, being fair not just to Labour in the UK but also to all govts; around the World.
None of them, not even in the USA, saw the financial crisis coming that eventually hit and brought a deep recession to many countries.
Since also, the then Conservative opposition under David Cameron, was calling at that time for the banks to be 'less' regulated than they were under labour, that recession and crisis could then have been even worse had they been in power then.

I still say too, (possibly with the exception of Northern Rock in the North), the Conservatives would have had to and would have done so too,as to bailing the rest of the banks out too,just as the then Labour govt; did.

Leaving a crisis to sort out no matter which of them had been in power.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

How do the other euro countries view the UK economy?

That is entirely irrelevant, it's our economy that's in discussion. One of the richest countries in the western world, where almost 1 million people currently rely on foodbanks, record amounts of children live in poverty, the worst since the 1920s.

'The Social Mobility and Child Poverty (SMCP) Commission today publishes its
assessment of the UK government’s draft child poverty strategy. The Commission’s assessment finds that 3.5 million children will be in absolute poverty- almost 5 times the number needed to meet the government’s legal obligation to end child poverty by 2020 - and that the government lacks any credible plan to get back on track.

The Commission concludes that the government’s draft child poverty strategy 2014 to 2017 is a missed opportunity and falls far short of what is needed. The Commission recognises there are some good things in the strategy - such as the extension of childcare support for low-income families and greater acknowledgement of the problem of working poverty than there was in the last strategy - but believes they will not be enough to prevent child poverty rising over the next few years, let alone to deliver the
large reductions in poverty needed to meet the 2020 targets.'

http://www.parliament.uk/business/pu...-a-short-guide

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

That is entirely irrelevant, it's our economy that's in discussion. One of the richest countries in the western world, where almost 1 million people currently rely on foodbanks, record amounts of children live in poverty, the worst since the 1920s.

'The Social Mobility and Child Poverty (SMCP) Commission today publishes its
assessment of the UK government’s draft child poverty strategy. The Commission’s assessment finds that 3.5 million children will be in absolute poverty- almost 5 times the number needed to meet the government’s legal obligation to end child poverty by 2020 - and that the government lacks any credible plan to get back on track.

The Commission concludes that the government’s draft child poverty strategy 2014 to 2017 is a missed opportunity and falls far short of what is needed. The Commission recognises there are some good things in the strategy - such as the extension of childcare support for low-income families and greater acknowledgement of the problem of working poverty than there was in the last strategy - but believes they will not be enough to prevent child poverty rising over the next few years, let alone to deliver the
large reductions in poverty needed to meet the 2020 targets.'

http://www.parliament.uk/business/pu...-a-short-guide

It is relevant as an independent view of another large country will be illuminating

[LeatherTrumpet]

http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/01/news...labour-brexit/

"Britain has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and is creating jobs at a record pace. "


Interesting article and the video shows that CNN see the UK economy as on the right path

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

It is relevant as an independent view of another large country will be illuminating

It wouldn't have any baring on what was, is or will be happening in our country however. Why would the opinion of someone outside the UK matter more or have more relevance than those living in it?

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

It wouldn't have any baring on what was, is or will be happening in our country however. Why would the opinion of someone outside the UK matter more or have more relevance than those living in it?

If the big ones like Germany all said yes the UK is doing really well I think people would take notice

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/01/news...labour-brexit/

"Britain has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and is creating jobs at a record pace. "


Interesting article and the video shows that CNN see the UK economy as on the right path

Are CNN news UK economists now, what do they see that two thirds of our analysts don't?

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

If the big ones like Germany all said yes the UK is doing really well I think people would take notice

Well we could chatter what ifs and other hypotheticals all day... best stick to what we know as fact.

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Are CNN news UK economists now, what do they see that two thirds of our analysts don't?

are they the analysts that did not see the financial crisis coming?

[Kizzy]

Did CNN predict the financial crisis?..
Anyhoo the thread is spinning off into the realms of fantasy here, as a UK resident I would not trust the conservatives to complete another term in government.

[hijaxers]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Don't you all bad mouth the great Diane she is a politician of principles and integrity and has great banter with Portillo and Neil on This Week

Don't make me laugh she made a proper exhibition of herself the week before last !
Personally i can never understand a word she saying - why the hell did she not get her adenoids sorted ???

Also the dough she's on you would think she could afford a decent weave !!

[hijaxers]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

If the big ones like Germany all said yes the UK is doing really well I think people would take notice

Oh yes we are doing so well - most people are 70p a week better off - not bad in 4 yrs eh ????

[Kizzy]

George Osborne is in Leeds today... I thought the sky had gone a bit black :/

[Kizzy]

Youtube video