Are you happy with the way you voted?

[TWR]

Do you regret the way you help the the conservatives into power? If so, why.

[LoftyLottie]

Yes I do, because I voted Lib Dem and had no idea they would join forces with the Conservatives. I shouldn't have voted at all.

Whilst I was no fan of the previous government I am truly pessimistic now about the avant garde and reckless way that things are now being handled.

[jno]

cazzz, it was Maggie wot unleashed the banks (the 'big bang'). They should never have done it. Labour should have undone it. Both parties are responsible.

[karenmac60]

I think you'll find practically none of Scotland helped the Tories into power. But yet again, we'll be the ones bearing the brunt of the cuts....

[mike11111]

Interesting how the political demographic in Scotland has changed over the past 50 years. At the 1959 election the Tories held half of all Scottish seats. Today they hold just one. I believe that that was largely down to sectarianism which seems much less prominent these days.

[karenmac60]

I have no idea where you got that information from Mike. Unfortunately sectarianism is as rife as ever in Scotland, but I've never seen or heard any evidence that it played a part in political leanings.

[Sqad]

Dont just blame the banks.

I didnt hear any complaints from mortgage borrowers when they were offered 120% mortgages, knowing that in the hard times they might have difficulty with the repayments.

The FSA was set up to monitor the banks and one of the main criticisms of the banks was that the members of the FSA who came to the banks knew "bu99er all" about finance. The doubt of impending insolvency was relayed to the Government who basically said "Shut it, the electorate is happy, the banks are happy and we, the government are popular"

The problem is that people would rather feel well of in a bankrupt country, than poor in a financially stable country.

Don´t blame it all on the banks.

[steg]

"I believe that that was largely down to sectarianism which seems much less prominent these days. "
lol that made me pmsl, cheers............................... you were joking, weren't you?

[craft1948]

It doesn't apply to you stegs, it's different to being sectioned.

[steg]

it is nearly the same craft, specially the start

[mike11111]

If Scotland is anything like north-east England, the Labour party was strongly identified with the RC church, whilst the Tories were perceived as supporting the Established church. I thought that religious tribalism was now largely confined to Northern Ireland, but am happy to be corrected by those whose experience is greater than mine on things Scottish.

[karenmac60]

I would think that would be more down to class Mike. Catholic families tended to be bigger and working class, whereas Church of Scotland has always been more middle class - therefore the votes were split in that way, but not because of the religion. Sectarianism in Scotland has very little to do with religion and more to do with football. Of all the staunch religious bigots I have known in my life, very few of them have ever attended church or chapel.

[Davethedog]

http://blogs.thisismo...lar-vs-tracksuit.html

What you may say is being done to chase the tax avoiders? as much as 3 times that paid in benifits didn't hear anything about that in the budget did we.

[steg]

there's 3 huns hinging from a lamp post a long the road from me

[mike11111]

You are probably right, Karen, and your experience of religious bigots mirrors mine. I seem to remember, quite a few years ago now, that there was absolute uproar when Glasgow Rangers signed an RC player.

[steg]

at primary school we fought with the catholic school that was about 300 yards away, and the same at secondary school with the catholic school that was next to us. Right or wrong doesn't really matter, It is just the way it is

[karenmac60]

Yip, we were terrified of the catholics at the school next to ours and they were terrified of us - but none of us knew why or what was different about any of us. Madness!

[steg]

us prodys have bigger boabys

[karenmac60]

I know I do Steg ;)

[annie0000]

I think the one thing that is clear is that the government are making the cuts as hard as possible as early as possible - not because it is necessarily the right thing to do for the country, it's because it 's the right thing to do for the Tory party - they can blame everything on the Labour party and it also gives them some chance of being able to hold back on some cuts in 4 years time when they are looking for re-election. A more steady approach would be better for the country as a whole, but that is not politically clever as far as they are concerned.

Also, what baffles me is, whilst I do agree that there are areas that could work smarter and more efficiently (including the NHS), if they just put a penny or two on income tax it would hit most people proportionately and it would stop some of the cuts being made elsewhere. There would be less talk of winners and losers and it would bring massive amounts into the treasury without it impacting too harshly on day to day services.

[jake-the-peg]

I love the way all these people with 20 20 hindsight are telling us that the labour party should have reigned in the banks earlier.

You should have told us and Cameron that at the time.

As I recall any time the Labour party went near regulation issues the Tories all screamed - free market , free market like a bunch of parrots and Cameron gave one of his speeches about cutting red tape in the city.

Funny how we don't hear that any more don't you think?

As for my vote I didn't really have one being in the speaker's constiuency - but I am glad that with my assistance UKIP came third behind a guy in a dolphin suit!