Why aren't the Tories doing better

[sp1814]

Assuming the country is 'going to hell in a handcart' (immigration issues, financial meltdowns, housing market woes etc etc), why aren't the Tories doing better?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/pol itics/conservative/3467100/Tory-poll-lead-over -Labour-narrows-to-5-per-cent.html

Is it due to people 'sticking to what they know in times of crisis' or a general mistrust of Cameron's team?

Why is their lead shrinking???

It makes no sense.

[Oneeyedvic]

Gromit:


You must mean more Police, nurses, doctors, teachers, all of which have increased tremenously after 1997.

Which would be offset against the Water, power and telecommunications companies (not to mention train company) who were public sector but then went to private sector

[jno]

brands can be changed, VHG - here's an interesting piece on how Posh Spice has managed it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/de c/18/victoria-beckham-fashion

I expect Katie Price is busy having it read out to her even now

[sp1814]

VHG has said something which I've recently suspected, but no-one has actually vocalised:

Labour have ruined the UK with their financial and immigration policies, and I would LOVE to tget them out, but not sure I could bring myself to vote for Cameron.

Whilst I would disagree with the first part of that statement, the second half, I understand the second.

[Gromit]

Oneeyedvic

Which would be offset against the Water, power and telecommunications companies (not to mention train company) who were public sector but then went to private sector.

The Water, power and telecommunications companies (not to mention train company) all went into private ownership long, long before Labour can into Government.

It was a Labour manifesto pledge to spend more on schools and Hospitals and employ more teachers, nurses police officers. The voters have elected them 3 times on that basis. Just because there is a recession, you cannot suddenly sack half of the teachers or half of the nurses to get parity with the private sector job losses.

[rov1200]

Its all Thathchers fault. While she is still alive it evokes distant memories. To cop it all her statue will give her monetary policies constant comparison and derision.

[danchip]

half of the world is in recession/ financial troubles how can you therefore place the blame solely at the hands of the british government, its not their fault the US mortgage sector had a bad affect on british banks, its not labours fault icelandic banks collapsed nor is it their fault woolworths ran up nearly �400million in debt which it cant pay back

[Oneeyedvic]

It was a Labour manifesto pledge to spend more on schools and Hospitals and employ more teachers, nurses police officers. The voters have elected them 3 times on that basis. Just because there is a recession, you cannot suddenly sack half of the teachers or half of the nurses to get parity with the private sector job losses.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/artic le5258247.ece

The research centre found that 1.3m jobs were created in health, education and public administration from 1998 to 2006, helping mask the loss of 1.1m manufacturing jobs.

So we increase the amount of people in the public sector and we go into an economic down turn. Now there is a shock!

Even if you don't like this - the fact is that we are approaching 2 million unemployed - pretty much where the last tory government left us.

[Oneeyedvic]

* edit - official unemployed

[Oneeyedvic]

danchip its not their fault the US mortgage sector had a bad affect on british banks, its not labours fault icelandic banks collapsed nor is it their fault woolworths ran up nearly �400million in debt which it cant pay back

Yes it is - The government advised councils to put their money into Icelandic savings accounts. No accountant or IFA I know gave that advice, and hence I know of no one who lost out on this.

Regulation could have prevented the banking industry from losing so much (and could have helped prevent a run on Northern Rock), but that didn't happen.

And regulation could also help prevent such a house price crash - irresponsible lending (five times salary) led to the last crash and is now (partially) responsible for this one.

[jno]

don't forget irresponsible borrowing, vic - there are two sides to the story. I would never in light years have borrowed five times my salary for anything; and I feel slightly less than full sympathy for anyone silly enough to do so.

[VHG]

>don't forget irresponsible borrowing,

That is an interesting one.

Did the irresponsible LENDING by banks drive up house prices where people HAD to borrow more and more to buy a house.

Or did irresponsible BORROWING encourage the banks to lend more and more money, thus driving up house prices.

Or was it the two going hand in hand.

[jno]

both, I'm sure, VHG.