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UK Parties: The Labour Party
Last edited Wed Apr 8, 2015, 02:13 AM - Edit history (1)
A thread about the Labour party. Currently the 2nd biggest political party in the UK and the main opposition party to the government.
I would post some bumph from the Labour party website, but it demands to know the answer to the below (ever so slightly loaded) question before it will let me in. Very annoying when all I want is some sort of statement of what the Labour party stands for
http://www.labour.org.uk/index.php/w/splash-survey#utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2F
Are you with us?
YES, I'll be voting Labour
MAYBE, I'm still undecided
19 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
.... though if Blair does much more campaigning for them, I could reconsider ...
The Skin
Anyone inspired to vote for a party that supports a model of knowledge clusters? 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ed-miliband/11536108/Election-2015-The-15-worst-sentences-from-the-Labour-Party-manifesto.html
“The common life we share is who we are as a country.” (page 11)
“We will create a whole-person approach.” (page 34)
“Labour recognises the vital importance of the power of people’s relationships to build the capacity for love, care and resilience.” (page 44)
“We need a change in how we design our public services by pushing power down.” (page 32)
“We will support this model of knowledge clusters.” (page 21)
“We guarantee a universal entitlement to a creative education so that every young person has access to cultural activity.” (page 55)
“Labour has always believed that everyone should have access to nature, whoever they are.” (page 56)
“One of our first acts in government will be to conduct a wide-ranging review of Britain’s place in the world.” (page 74)
“We applaud those faith communities who have pioneered an inter-faith dialogue for the common good.” (page 54)
“In a globalised world, our local environment provides us with a sense of place and belonging.” (page 56)
“For our country to stay strong, with the confidence to look outwards rather than inwards, people need to feel secure in the strength of our borders, our communities, and in the workplace.” (page 49)
“Labour believes that art and culture gives form to our hopes and aspirations and defines our heritage as a nation.” (page 54)
“This will be underpinned by a new National Primary Childcare Service, a not-for-profit organisation to promote the voluntary and charitable delivery of quality extracurricular activities.” (page 44)
“Sport brings us together in an expression of our local and national pride.” (page 55)
“We will take a whole-family approach to policy-making.” (page 45)
“We will create a whole-person approach.” (page 34)
“Labour recognises the vital importance of the power of people’s relationships to build the capacity for love, care and resilience.” (page 44)
“We need a change in how we design our public services by pushing power down.” (page 32)
“We will support this model of knowledge clusters.” (page 21)
“We guarantee a universal entitlement to a creative education so that every young person has access to cultural activity.” (page 55)
“Labour has always believed that everyone should have access to nature, whoever they are.” (page 56)
“One of our first acts in government will be to conduct a wide-ranging review of Britain’s place in the world.” (page 74)
“We applaud those faith communities who have pioneered an inter-faith dialogue for the common good.” (page 54)
“In a globalised world, our local environment provides us with a sense of place and belonging.” (page 56)
“For our country to stay strong, with the confidence to look outwards rather than inwards, people need to feel secure in the strength of our borders, our communities, and in the workplace.” (page 49)
“Labour believes that art and culture gives form to our hopes and aspirations and defines our heritage as a nation.” (page 54)
“This will be underpinned by a new National Primary Childcare Service, a not-for-profit organisation to promote the voluntary and charitable delivery of quality extracurricular activities.” (page 44)
“Sport brings us together in an expression of our local and national pride.” (page 55)
“We will take a whole-family approach to policy-making.” (page 45)
At an earlier stage of this general election, I thought about proposing one of those drinking games in which people have a shot or swig every time a Conservative on the campaign trail used the word ‘plan’. I’m glad I didn’t go ahead with that. Anyone who’d taken up the suggestion would now be in a clinic. It was already bad, but the Tory manifesto takes it to another level entirely. Guess how many times the word ‘plan’ occurs’. For purposes of reference, the Labour manifesto uses it 27 times. Answer: 121. It’s almost as if they were trying to stress the idea that they have a plan.
...
The detail about this increased spending is generous. The detail about how it’s going to be paid for is less so. The cap on the amount of benefit received by a household is being lowered from £23,000 p.a. to £21,000. You would be forgiven for thinking that this will pay for everything, because it’s the only specific cut that is mentioned. Elsewhere there’s a promise, repeating something previously asserted by George Osborne, that the Tories will find £12 billion in ‘welfare savings’, added to another £13 billion in cuts in departmental spending. James Ball at the Guardian has made a vivid chart of what that ongoing £12 billion cut looks like:
That’s not a one-off: those cuts are money which would disappear from the annual budget. And that’s all we know about these cuts: further detail is lacking. These promised cuts, if they go ahead, will have an enormous bearing on every aspect of life in the UK, especially for the poor and the excluded and anyone needing social care, and this is the full discussion they get in the Conservative manifesto: ‘We will find £12 billion from welfare savings.’ Seven words. Whereas here’s the policy on polar bears: ‘We will press for full “endangered species” status for polar bears and a ban on the international trade in polar bear skins.’ Twenty-two words. The Tory manifesto promises £12 billion in welfare cuts, but gives three times as much space to its policy on polar bears.
http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2015/04/14/john-lanchester/episode-nine-polar-bears/
...
The detail about this increased spending is generous. The detail about how it’s going to be paid for is less so. The cap on the amount of benefit received by a household is being lowered from £23,000 p.a. to £21,000. You would be forgiven for thinking that this will pay for everything, because it’s the only specific cut that is mentioned. Elsewhere there’s a promise, repeating something previously asserted by George Osborne, that the Tories will find £12 billion in ‘welfare savings’, added to another £13 billion in cuts in departmental spending. James Ball at the Guardian has made a vivid chart of what that ongoing £12 billion cut looks like:
That’s not a one-off: those cuts are money which would disappear from the annual budget. And that’s all we know about these cuts: further detail is lacking. These promised cuts, if they go ahead, will have an enormous bearing on every aspect of life in the UK, especially for the poor and the excluded and anyone needing social care, and this is the full discussion they get in the Conservative manifesto: ‘We will find £12 billion from welfare savings.’ Seven words. Whereas here’s the policy on polar bears: ‘We will press for full “endangered species” status for polar bears and a ban on the international trade in polar bear skins.’ Twenty-two words. The Tory manifesto promises £12 billion in welfare cuts, but gives three times as much space to its policy on polar bears.
http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2015/04/14/john-lanchester/episode-nine-polar-bears/
Polar bears are cute, from a distance; cuts look better from a distance too, but they never look cute.