Vote Tory - And Help Destroy The Conservative Party

[Gromit]

// The Conservative Party faces more than two years of civil war over Europe if David Cameron wins next year’s general election, senior party figures are warning.

There is dismay among ministers over Mr Cameron’s decision to set a rigid 2017 deadline for staging a referendum on EU membership if he remains Prime Minister after May 7.

One Cabinet minister told The Independent: “The timetable we have given ourselves is madness. We have the prospect of the two years after the election of our party tearing itself in two.”//

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/david-cameron-will-trigger-tory-civil-war-with-a-general-election-win-senior-party-figures-warn-9948975.html

Anyone believe this scenario?

[Gromit]

// How the local newspapers published timetables of when the electricity would be on in your area for example. //

I think you are mis-remembering the electricity cuts. They were during Heath's 3 day week. The Winter of Discontent had unburied bodies and dustbins unemptied, but the piwer stayed on.

[tonyav]

Wasn't the winter of discontent 1979, and the Heath thing 1973.

[Gromit]

The Winter of Discontent was 1978-79.

On reflection, the power cuts were probably during the miners strike of 1972, and not the Opec inspired 3 day week.

[ludwig]

I actually don't think either Labour or Conservative want to win the next election. It'll be a horrible situation for either of them if they're haven't got an overall majority, which seems likely.

Much better to watch the implosion of whatever coalition is cobbled together from the safety of the opposition benches.

[BlackadderV]

Memories are fading now, but I distinctly remember the power cuts. I was in the RAF at the time and left in Feb 1972, so it must have been shortly before that. I know we stocked up on candles so our Bridge session would not be interrupted when the lights went out.

[Gromit]

// February 1972: Miners' strike turns off the lights
Many homes and businesses will be without electricity for up to nine hours a day from today, the Central Electricity Generating Board has announced.
Miners now into the sixth week of their strike over pay, have been picketing power stations and all other sources of fuel supply in an attempt to step up pressure on the Government.

From today, electricity will be switched off on a rota basis between 0700 and 2400 every day. It means consumers will face longer power cuts, up from six to nine hours. //

[youngmafbog]

And that is why TGL stepped in and sorted Scargil out.

As for the Tory split, personally I dont trust Cameron to give anyone an election. He is a slimy spineless git.

[ToraToraTora]

yes gromit WOD was 78-79.what I find innexplicable is that any normal person who lived in that era could possibly hate TGL.

[venator]

I remember the Trade Union shambles in the late seventies. My firm had to give 3 pay rises in a year as the unions kept on forcing up pay rates.

Anyone remember interest rates through the ceiling -17% in 1978...

Labour political vision - lie back and let the EU and Unison walk all over you.

[Zacs-Master]

Looks like his Tonyness has dealt a big blow to Milipede's chances of a Labour victory. So where does that leave us?

[mikey4444]

Ventator...I remember my mortgage rate going up to 17% when a certain Tory lady was in power.

[Zacs-Master]

Yes, and I remember my house doubling in price too Mikey. Rough with the smooth.

[mikey4444]

Zacs...while I am happy for you in having an asset that doubled in value, didn't that make it harder for poorer people to buy their home ? Did you income also double in the same time period ?

High property prices are a curse here in the UK.

[Zacs-Master]

No. Poorer people rented and mrs T gave people the chance to buy them for peanuts. Or had you forgotten?

[mikey4444]

House prices are now out of control and we have large parts of the UK where it is next to impossible for ordinary people to buy even a modest small home. Those same areas used to have affordable Council Housing as an alternative to buying but now don't because of the actions of Mrs T in allowing, and indeed encouraging Councils to sell their housing stock off, but forbidding them to use the money raised to build replacement affordable rental housing. We now have a severe shortage of homes for ordinary people to live in.

So what has been achieved then Zacs ?

[Zacs-Master]

That's the trouble with you socialists, you want your cake and eat it. If you know your history you will know that Labour tried to introduce the selling off of council houses in 1959 but lost office in the following election, so don't claim it as a right wing idea.

[mikey4444]

But Zacs...it was the Tories that did it, not Labour ! I have no problem with the selling of council houses to medium to long term tenants. But a huge mistake was made by the Government of the time in refusing to allow local Councils to use the money raised to build replacement housing stock. Most people, even Tory voters, now accept that was a mistake. And its the prime reason why we have a housing crisis in Britain today.

[BlackadderV]

Labour did not lose office in 1959, they were already the opposition.

Whilst we're on the subject, a couple of quotes from that era:

Grammar schools will be abolished over my dead body (Harold Wilson)

Let's charge the better off £20 p.w for council house rent (this was 40 years ago), that'll sort them out! (Richard Crossman).

[mushroom25]

if we're being picky about dates, blackadder, Richard Crossman must have uttered your quote more than 40 years ago, since he's been in the ground longer than that.

:-)