General Chat

The Lib Dems are the only party pledged to abolishing the council tax and plan to replace it with a local income tax. To me that's worth voting for alone. Under Labour or the Tories tax will continue to be unfair, with the poorer members of society having to pay a higher proportion of their income in tax as they do at present.

I have to say, i dont know who we can trust. I dont want labour in again (i didnt vote for them last time either) and im not sure about Howard, so i think i'll be voting Lib Dems this time. Id like to see what they can do for this country. Donna

I feel totally confused about who to vote for and why. I don't feel I can trust any party to take the concerns of the electorate seriously. There are a thousand and one questions that I want some honest answers to, but I know I wouldn't get them. I want to vote for me!! Carole

Helen - Maggie didn't need a pay rise, with a millionaire husband! More money would have just been an embarrassment to her! (Although I'm sure, Mark would have helped her spend it!) Lily

Oh Lily, i am so sorry, you have been caught up in the catch 22, this is what makes me angry, whatever you paid for 47 years, surely you are entitled to a proper pension, my dad died at age 59, he worked all his life paid his due's and died before his pension age, what happens to all that money he paid in?? my mum worked all her life and got her pension in her own right, Helen

If benefits for pensioners are means tested then so should child benefit. For anyone undecided take a look at this site :- http://www.whoshouldyouvotefor.com/

Morning Julie, thats the problem, nothing is fair, when poll tax came in it was the worst thing they could have done, i know that was maggie thatcher!! but all the parties give themselves lovely big pay rises and tell everyone else they can't have one, i believe maggie thatcher did not have a pay rise whilst primeminister, when they realise its the work force that keep this country going and not them we might get some where, thats if there is any industry at all a few years down the line!! we were sold out many years ago during harold wilsons time, he made pacts with america during the sixties and ted heath sold us to europe sorry about that, i dont know what came over me then, will some one shut me up PLEASEEEEE lol Helen

Julie - don't start me on pensions! I struggled for fifteen years to pay the bills and stay off Benefits, after hubbie made redundant in his fifties - hence my pitiful private pension which is all of £49 per month, plus a restricted State Pension 'cos I paid the reduced rate of NIC's. I worked nearly 47 years and only retired last year due to arthritis. No, Life isn't fair! Lily

I agree with you Starstruck. We can't complain if we can't be bothered to go and place our vote.....problem is, I haven't a clue who to vote for. I clash terribly with my hubby as we both usually vote for different parties, so I rarely comment on who I vote for ;o) I will follow this discussion with interest. :o) Claire xx

Oh yes Lily, i always vote, i tell my kids to vote(i'm a bossy mum) they don't realise it's the future generations who will bear the brunt otherwise, i would like my grandchildren to grow in a world thats safe. love Helen

I agree with you Julie. An elderly couple in my family get over £500 a week and don't pay council tax, my husband works long hours and we have much less to live on and have to pay council tax in full, how fair is that? M.

We feel helpless somehow BUT we must vote, or we can't complain. I am very aware of the suffering that women went through to get women the vote, can I ask all women in GR to at least exercise their vote - even if it's for the Green Party! Lily

I haven't heard any of the policies of any party (live in a social vacuum) so don't know who to vote for. I am hoping they come knocking at my door. Mind you, at the risk of causing offence will vote for anyone who has the heating payment for old people means tested. My FIL earns £350 a week and gets a handout from the govt just because he turned 60 and they tell me I probably won't get a pension due to lack of funds!!! How is that fair? Julie xx

I agree with you Lily, now i'm getting older its a kind of insecurity, i feel none of us know what is happening, they don't inform us what is going on, we the general public have to accept everything they say, because none of them tell the truth, i find it scary, i think we just want to feel safe, job security, education, nhs, these area's have suffered so much over the years and all these so called leaders, ie Blair, Bush and the like want war all the time. Love Helenxx

Do you prefer that we stay governed by the U S of A?!! Sadly, I feel we lost our independence many years ago - under Maggie. Lily

It will have to if we stay in europe, but when we went decimal in the early 70's we the public paid much higher prices for everything!! now they want the euro and again the cost of everything will be put on us, in my oppinion in theory its good but in practice no, i don't really want to be governed by brussels, for some reason this government are hell bent on getting us in it!! Love Helenxx ps I need a soap box in Hyde park, lol

If we stay in the EU, the Euro has to come into being here in the UK, if only for business purposes, don't you think? Lily

You right Starstruck i think the Lib Dems have some good polices and i think Charles Kennedy is a down to earth man but i personally dont want the single currancy and the lib dems are for that!! Love Helenxx

If enough people voted for them on 05/05/05, they could perhaps hold the balance of power and put a brake on the ruling party's more radical policies........just a thought! Lily