well what do we think then

Corruption

Lies...oops sorry Statistics

Peerages for sale oops sorry loans

No money left to pay salaries next month ?

Is this the end.......please

Is there a way back ?.

When will Blair go.....anywhere

Do we want Brown..... Not a chance

Len

(bored)

I don't know how he got in a second time, but it is interesting to note that he did get in with fewer votres than Neil Kinnock got when he failed.

definitely don't want that scottish thief Brown in, but the other parties don't actually inspire.

Brian

Bored hey! You want to retire , Hazel is doing her Dracula act today so I'm able to relax a bit but still jave along "TO DO" list.
Why do women think that we live to work whereas men know we work to live??:confused:

Brian

Bored hey! You want to retire , Hazel is doing her Dracula act today so I'm able to relax a bit but still jave along "TO DO" list.
Why do women think that we live to work whereas men know we work to live??:confused:

Brian

Which is why I am still at work.. at least I can get bored in peace :D :D
L

Hazel is doing her Dracula act today


Out in daylight ????? Sounds a bit iffy to me :D :D

Hazel is doing her Dracula act

Oops sorry, it is the family phrase for her regular blood transfusions, it's just kinda natural to use it.:)

brian

and of course while Hazel is away you are here loitering on the forum instead of doing the things on the To Do list

L

I'll skip lunch

brian

I announced to 'er indoors last week that I was having 4 days off work (thurs,fri,mon,tues)

The "to do" list was produced within 30 minutes with enough jobs to keep an army busy for a month. I did the shed roof, did a little on the garden, went shopping etc etc, then rain stopped play so had to do the PS2 (not on list)

I have yet to
1) put up the nets in the small bedroom window
2) finish garden
3) clean pumps in pond
4) cut back overgrown trees in garden
5) fix broken dishwasher - or by a new one
6) sort toilet cystern
7) put stuff in loft
8) go to the tip with stuff
9) cut hedge for winter (leylandii). . . . . . shall I go on?:rolleyes:

Col

. . . . . shall I go on?:rolleyes:

Col


nah Go back to work...:D :D :D and have a rest :rolleyes:

L

Political Form

I posts a few bits to get a bit of Political banter going (cos sometimes it is in short supply)

First response is "On Thread" and now we are away with the fairies muttering on about "er indoors"

Ah well situation normal

L

Hazel is doing her Dracula act
I thought it was a term of endearment like Ken and Cupcake:rolleyes:

Col

I don't know how he got in a second time, but it is interesting to note that he did get in with fewer votres than Neil Kinnock got when he failed.


Is this because of fewer people voting and if so what are the causes of the lesser turnout?

Political Form

I posts a few bits to get a bit of Political banter going (cos sometimes it is in short supply)

First response is "On Thread" and now we are away with the fairies muttering on about "er indoors"

Ah well situation normal

L
To bring this thread back to the original topic. . . . .

I think that there is not much option if Tone goes, Brown will be PM. I don't know what that means to us or the world - I hope we are less lapdoggy to the Yanks and concentrate on home issues. I feel Tone concentrates too much on the world stage and forgets why he is there.

The next election? what is a good alternative to Labour? what would we like?
for example

1) a lesser role in world affairs?
2) stop wasting money on wars?
3) spend more on NHS, police, schools and essential services?
4) re-nationalise the lousy train service?
5) spend more on roads? fix the broken roads we already have?

any clues as to who would do this? is this what we want? or is the current incumbent doing a good job? if not why not, what can he do better? what should he have done / not done?

Col

How about we have somebody with a bit of backbone to
tell some people to B***** off
others (EU in Brussels) to stop interfering
Law breakers to watch out cos soft options are gone
Public Services to get their act together and stop p******* about
Len

Is this because of fewer people voting and if so what are the causes of the lesser turnout?


Yes fewer voting mainly conservatives following sleazy happenings, and also a split in the party regarding Europe. Whiter than white New Labour have taken the sleaze issue to new heights, or should that be depths, in modern parlance I suppose they have institutionalised it. The Liberal party has gained many votes but in our 1st past the post sytem that is not fairly reflected in the number of MPs they have.

Brian

I think Col is right about Tony chasing the world stage, he is after his place in history, the trouble is it wont make pleasant reading.

Brian

I think Col is right about Tony chasing the world stage, he is after his place in history, the trouble is it wont make pleasant reading.

Brian


I think we should give him his place in history (Retirement) but the question has been asked, what do we replace him with ? Current options are m=not that good

Of course there is always me. Bit bored at the moment but lacking funds to buy...oops encourage support

L

How about we have somebody with a bit of backbone to
tell some people to B***** off

Is Mrs Thatcher still about? :p

Absolutely

Bring back the handbag

L

4) re-nationalise the lousy train service?
Col

Was it any better when it was nationalised? In any case many of the problems surrounding the railways now are of the governments own making.
Take the fines for late trains, all well and good until you realise that before if a connection was slightly late the main train would wait for it, not now, they can't afford the fines. Good job we have intelligence in high office eh?:rolleyes: ;)

Was it any better when it was nationalised? In any case many of the problems surrounding the railways now are of the governments own making.

I don't know if it would be better - I threw it out as a discussion point

So what about this privatisation generally? good or bad? is safety better? or are private companies 'skimming' the money at the expense of investment?

Good to have 6 or 7 different railway companies or one national one? Has the government got it right?

Should lottery money go towards any of the "services"?
like our air ambulance helicopter in Essex is run solely on voluntary charity contributions - should such an important lifesaver be reliant on contributions and fund raising events? should it be government financed?

Col

The bullet train system in Japan used to be run by the state but it was crap.

So they sold it to private industry. The whole service I understand, Trains track the lot.

Result excellent quality service because they had nobody else to blame for any aspect of the service

L

I don't know if it would be better - I threw it out as a discussion point

So what about this privatisation generally? good or bad? is safety better? or are private companies 'skimming' the money at the expense of investment?

Good to have 6 or 7 different railway companies or one national one? Has the government got it right?


Col
It really depends on what eras you use for comparison, in the golden era railway companies were run usually by enthusiasts with entrepreneurs making or losing fortunes. The trouble is that era ended long before the war, too many branch lines, too few passengers etc.
The railways were nationalised at the end of WW11 of course because the government couldn't afford the reparations due to the private operators.
Since then railways have been run by accountants. Companies today need long term contracts in order to invest the huge sums required for modernisation, those long term contracts don't exist, it's a catch twenty two situation at the minute where only the strongest financially will survive.
We love the motor car too much at the minute to return to the railway and in any case it's too bloody dear to travel by rail!
Anyway I stick to the few surviving rescued preserved steam lines down here. :cool:

I think privatisation could be ok, but our government seem incapable of getting things right from the offset.

Long term contracts are a must (and obvious I would think) and of course cost of travel (as you say) it must be attractive to travel by train. It needs to be clean, efficient and cheap (ish) Our trains (in Essex) are dirty, vandalised, no air-con, 30 years old and often no toilets.

It costs £21 (return) to go to London off peak from Colchester, a trip of 50 minutes (earliest train is 9:15am). They advertise the trip on telly from as little as £5 - but you need to travel in the dead of night, with 32 days in the month and a full moon to get that.:rolleyes:

As you say, its run by accountants, as is the NHS. Patient care sadly, is way down the list.:mad:

Col