richard thomas
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 07:10 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by cd.thomson
quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
Tories cant win an overall majority now, which is only a good thing.
well... if you're a miner and this was the 1980s.
For the rest of us, its quite a bad thing.
Unless like me you work in the defence industry and are living under the threat of the Tories/Lib Dems exercising the right to cancel defence
contracts where clauses allow e.g. Eurofighter Typhoon tranche 3, Carriers etc. on the day that they get in to power, leading to thousands of direct
job losses not to mention the support industries that will immediately follow....which means that major defence requirement procurements will come
from overseas (particularly America), leaving us at the mercy of worldwide politics....Americans might not be our 'best buddies' for ever.
Not to mention the fact that we lose our place in the world as major innovators and leaders in new technology.
But never mind, maybe I could get employed selling insurance....mortgage protection policy in case of job loss anyone?
Odd how violent riots and clashes due to political/social unrest have gone out of fashion since the Eighties.....
As a note, I was born in a mining community in Wales, and vividly remember the hammering that my family and local community got in the eighties - not
much fun living off food parcel handouts and donations - which is why I decided to get into an industry which would allow me the opportunity to work
and live all over the UK including lengthy stints in England and Scotland, which I have done and enjoyed, finally recently settling with my family in
England which currently suits me fine. No I don't see the point of splitting the UK into pieces, which Plaid and the SNP would like to do, and
yes I would like to see in England the benefits of things such as free prescriptions which I was entitled to in Wales. But I don't hold a grudge
against those fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of such benefits due to where they live...it's not something they put in place
themselves, the politicians did it for them.
So if you live in England and would like to see the same benefits, or are unhappy about subsidies to the other parts of the UK, get up off your arse
and go and give your local MP some grief over it - he/she works for YOU!
Jus my two pence worth....
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scootz
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 07:50 PM |
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2p well spent!
It's Evolution Baby!
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richard thomas
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 08:37 PM |
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I'm now off the soapbox....
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MakeEverything
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 09:06 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by richard thomas
he/she works for YOU!
Thats what they all have us believing.
Kindest Regards,
Richard.
...You can make it foolProof, but youll never make it Idiot Proof!...
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Fozzie
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 09:35 PM |
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Well actually.....England is the only country within the UK that doesn't have its own assembly/parliament .... and before you shout
London/Westminster .... No! .... that is the Parliament for the entire UK.... NOT England.....
Does anyone know, or can tell me, as to why this is so? .... or if there is any reason why we do not have this 'representation'?.....
Fozzie ... 
'Racing is Life!...anything before or after is just waiting'....Steve McQueen
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richard thomas
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 09:43 PM |
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And we let them get away with it, our own lethargy stops us pestering them until they take notice/action....we have ourselves to blame!
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scootz
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 09:52 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Fozzie
Does anyone know, or can tell me, as to why this is so? .... or if there is any reason why we do not have this 'representation'?.....
Fozzie ...
Widespread Apathy on the part of the English population!
It's Evolution Baby!
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cd.thomson
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 09:54 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by scootz
quote:
Originally posted by Fozzie
Does anyone know, or can tell me, as to why this is so? .... or if there is any reason why we do not have this 'representation'?.....
Fozzie ...
Widespread Apathy on the part of the English population!
i think the idea is that nothing will ever get done due to the coalitions formed never able to reach decisions on stuff
Craig
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Fozzie
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 10:06 PM |
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Hmmmm ...apathy...you could be right........
Not sure about the coalition thing though (English...not UK/Westminster), the Welsh have different parties as do the Irish and Scots....and they
manage to do the best they can for their countrymen.....Interestingly, if you look at just the English results.....it should be even smoother.....
I think I will leave it a week or two, and I feel an email writing session to my brand new MP (last one resigned...lol) .... be interesting to see
what he has to say about why England are the only ones not represented.... 
Thanks for your replies......I thought it may have been something more than just apathy, as to why we weren't represented because no one on the
'election tv specials' over the last 24 hours has even mentioned it...
Fozzie 
'Racing is Life!...anything before or after is just waiting'....Steve McQueen
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scootz
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 10:14 PM |
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I can see what Craig says to a point too... on a practical level it would be a right PITA to implement and administer due to the sheer size of
England.
I think that if the UK is to continue as the UK, then each of the nations should have their own parliament and Westminster should only meet to discuss
matters of national importance / relevance.
It's Evolution Baby!
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richard thomas
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 10:16 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Fozzie
Well actually.....England is the only country within the UK that doesn't have its own assembly/parliament .... and before you shout
London/Westminster .... No! .... that is the Parliament for the entire UK.... NOT England.....
Does anyone know, or can tell me, as to why this is so? .... or if there is any reason why we do not have this 'representation'?.....
Fozzie ...
Fozzie, it's because there is no public outcry, only murmuring amogst the masses - this thread being an example.
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Fozzie
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 10:33 PM |
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Scootz and Craig, yes I understand what you are saying, but it should be feasible....and the size of the country shouldn't be a factor.....
Scootz, I think you are right, we should all have our 'assemblies' that would be fairer when 'regional' agendas are argued in
Westminster.
Richard......You are right.....hence I will be 'asking questions' to my MP .... ...soon...
(let's see what he is made of) ... I will keep you updated...
Fozzie
'Racing is Life!...anything before or after is just waiting'....Steve McQueen
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scootz
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 10:36 PM |
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And apathy is not just confined to the English... we're all guilty of it! Life is pretty cosy for the vast majority of the population of the
UK, so we just grumble and let things pass us by that we don't agree with. After a period of time we'll wake-up to find we are in a right
mess.... and far far worse than we are in just now. We'll all seek to apportion blame, but there will be no-one to blame but ourselves... we
saw it coming... we moaned about it a bit... but did we take action?
Where the Scots and Welsh do differ slightly from the English (other than being better-looking and more intelligent - obviously!) is that many of us
have been indoctrinated (consciously and sub-consciously) to have a collective sense of being continually downtrodden by our biggest neighbour. The
majority of this is borne out of historical squabbles and past injustice, but it exists nonetheless and it makes many of us spiky and sensitive to
every little thing that comes out of Westminster. It effectively makes us more likely to kick up a stink and demand things. It also helps that there
are less voices in Scotland / Wales / NI as that means there are less contrasting points of view and less arguments about how to go forward.
I'm rambling now...
It's Evolution Baby!
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Fozzie
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 10:51 PM |
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Ah.....Scootz ..... I think that is the major misnomer .....
Just because Westminster is situated in England, it is not 'the' English ....
Whatever comes out of Westminster is from the UK Parliament not from the English Parliament ...we haven't and never have had one......
Gordon Brown for example, is Scottish and his Constituency is in Scotland ....absolutely nowt to do with England or the English .....as were at one
time or another in the past 13 years, the major players of the Labour Cabinet, but their 'office' is Westminster, which of course is
situated in England, but that doesn't make it 'English'......it is the UK Government
So I don't really understand why, just because Parliament is sited in England.....it is somehow the fault of the English ....but you are
correct, I think, in saying that historically the English have been 'blamed' for Westminsters decisions ....
Fozzie
'Racing is Life!...anything before or after is just waiting'....Steve McQueen
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scootz
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 11:08 PM |
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Sorry... it's my 'Scottishness' - should have explained!
The term 'Westminster' is used disparagingly by many Scots when discussing politics. The perception being an anglo-centric body.
It's Evolution Baby!
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Fozzie
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| posted on 7/5/10 at 11:21 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Sorry... it's my 'Scottishness' - should have explained!
The term 'Westminster' is used disparagingly by many Scots when discussing politics. The perception being an anglo-centric body.
No worries.....Scootie ...
As you know my OH is a Highlander (half)... and we spend time whenever we can up there......
His rellies are always blethering away about the English ... usually about politics ......until we say, 'well actually Broon is Scot, and so
are most of the Cabinet'......LOL
Fozzie
'Racing is Life!...anything before or after is just waiting'....Steve McQueen
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RK
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| posted on 8/5/10 at 01:18 AM |
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Just be careful what you wish for. We have 10 provinces here and all of them hate the federal government at one point or another, especially the
ninnies here where I live presently. I also think that anybody advocating separation should be, um, hung.
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Fozzie
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| posted on 8/5/10 at 08:25 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by RK
Just be careful what you wish for. We have 10 provinces here and all of them hate the federal government at one point or another, especially the
ninnies here where I live presently. I also think that anybody advocating separation should be, um, hung.
No RK...you misunderstood (me)! .... in no way would I want the collective countries that make up the UK to become separated......
I would just like it, if, like NI, Scotland and Wales who have their own regional (country) Assemblies/Parliament, England did too.....and were then
collectively governed by the UK Government at Westminster.....surely that is only fair in a democracy?
Fozzie
'Racing is Life!...anything before or after is just waiting'....Steve McQueen
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RK
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| posted on 8/5/10 at 09:48 PM |
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Warning: know-it-all-foreigner commenting (again) on things he has no business talking about:
All I meant was that it just gets to be more and more of the very people nobody really wants: politicians, all arguing constantly for BORROWED money,
that WE (you in this case, UK taxpayers) have to pay to borrow. More government is not necessarily a good thing.
I am not an expert obviously, but your constitutional monarchy system of government seems to work, and has been borrowed by us, as well as a lot of
other places for good reason. A Scottish parliament, Welsh parliament, Northern Irish parliament, English parliament (why not?)... next thing you know
you've got one for the Shetlanders, the Outer Hebrides, as well as the Home Counties (cause that's where all the money is! - you can call
it the Beautiful South (BS for short) Parliament). How many politicians is that?
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