Founders Day in Britain

[Juliette]

Using this image as a focus;
How do you feel Mr. Cameron's first year in office has been? Promises fulfilled, broken dreams, well dressed? Let me know!
Also interested in non-UK opinions: How do you feel Mr. Cameron's profiling of Britain in the past year has been? Do you even know him?


(Alternatively, if you have nothing interesting to say about Mr. Cameron, what do you think of the concept of the "Founders" in Star Trek? In fact a single species, capable of separating parts from the whole in order to achieve certain goals.)

[Cole]

I think it will be interesting to see Tories (Cameron there) approach to deal with the crisis (2008 subprimes crisis side effects and all), after a double decade of Labour (Blair & Brown) in office. (I mean, will they take different policies to deal with crisis that Labour would have, eg: will it be orthodox economy, etc...)
Apparently, it seems to be austerity, such as an increase in university fees, one of the most mentionned acts taken within this austerity policy. It seems to head towards this way, I'm curious what Brits think about austerity policies. Will Cameron be the "new Thatcher"?

Also, what kind of approach (Cameron seemed to be annoyed about this issue in one of his speech from what I recall) will they/he take towards another issue in the UK, regarding the split between communities in UK.

Thats two first things I think about.

[Kit-Fox]

Removed

[EbilCC]

well on honestly on world stage hes making mistakes but I expected that as hes only new the role I'll let it pass first year after year two still make mistakes i let him go

at times hes good at times hes shaky it depends on the person asking the questions if they are they hard interogator or a sympaty one

honeslty I give him a C + for performance but not substance on one issue he was great *not going to say what as it caused a storm before when i did* other things not so

and the founders are evil

[Cole]

Unfortunately the Conservatives (there is no party called the tories in the UK, please get it right) have been hamstrung by 3 terms of labour nonstop spending.

Meh, it's a nickname, I didn't say that was their party name.

Well, you say they had no choices, some would have said, let's try a Keynes-like policy to fight recession. Even though that doesn't work anymore dueto among other factors, very open economy to the world.

[MEZZANINE]

As someone who has always worked and paid my own way in life Im a natural Conservative, I hated living under Labor Government, all that tax & spend, thinking they can run every aspect of our lives, giving bums so much benefits they actually have higher incomes and living standards than working people, Labor made me sick.

BUT

I still didnt vote Conservative because although they made a lot of sense on some issues they went to far in favor of the super rich elitists in other area's. The Liberals, I agreed with some policies like Proportional Representation but others like Entering the EU and scrapping Nuclear Power etc I am totally against.

SO

Overall I think we got the best of several bad options, it's not perfect, theres still many things I dont like but the Con/Lib collaboration in most things gets the best policies of both parties.



As for the image, he looks like a smarmy pompous student from a wealthy background, his face just has 'punch me' written all over it.

[Mordack]

I am one hundred percent satisfied with the government's handling of the economy. Public sector expenditure, which had swelled to a gross and unmanageable scale under Labour, is being brought under control and given greater transparency. The private sector is being taken care of after thirteen years of Labour neglect; this week's budget was pro growth and pro small business. Most importantly, the deficit is being brought under control. Great Britain is no longer spoken of in the same breath as Ireland, Portugal or Greece. This is how the financial crisis should have been dealt with from the start. This is what Gordon Brown never understood; you cannot spend your way out of a recession, and you cannot borrow your way out of debt.

On issues other than economics, I'm not so happy. The 'Big Society' is best referred to by its acronym; BS. The less said, the better. Cameron has reneged on his promise to be tougher on European Integration. In terms of foreign policy, we have become involved in yet another pointless and costly war at a time when our armed forces are facing massive budgetary cuts; not a good thing in my opinion. Similarly, the reforms to local government, whilst well meaning, don't seem to be working out as intended.

Some of this is down to the Liberal Democrats. We have a coalition government instead of a single party one, so compromise and the 'watering down' of various manifesto pledges was always a given. Overall, I am pleased with Mr Cameron. He has made difficult choices, which I respect him for, and whilst I'm slightly miffed with other issues, I remain satisfied that the economy, which is a priority for both me personally and the country as a whole, is finally being handled properly.

[MEZZANINE]

I am one hundred percent satisfied with the government's handling of the economy. Public sector expenditure, which had swelled to a gross and unmanageable scale under Labour, is being brought under control and given greater transparency. The private sector is being taken care of after thirteen years of Labour neglect; this week's budget was pro growth and pro small business. Most importantly, the deficit is being brought under control. Great Britain is no longer spoken of in the same breath as Ireland, Portugal or Greece. This is how the financial crisis should have been dealt with from the start. This is what Gordon Brown never understood; you cannot spend your way out of a recession, and you cannot borrow your way out of debt.

On issues other than economics, I'm not so happy. The 'Big Society' is best referred to by its acronym; BS. The less said, the better. Cameron has reneged on his promise to be tougher on European Integration. In terms of foreign policy, we have become involved in yet another pointless and costly war at a time when our armed forces are facing massive budgetary cuts; not a good thing in my opinion. Similarly, the reforms to local government, whilst well meaning, don't seem to be working out as intended.

Some of this is down to the Liberal Democrats. We have a coalition government instead of a single party one, so compromise and the 'watering down' of various manifesto pledges was always a given. Overall, I am pleased with Mr Cameron. He has made difficult choices, which I respect him for, and whilst I'm slightly miffed with other issues, I remain satisfied that the economy, which is a priority for both me personally and the country as a whole, is finally being handled properly.

Well said ^

Economy - Cutting benefits, cutting public sector spending, no income tax under 10K pa, encouraging private sector investment, and most importantly clearing the massive national debt created by Labor. All good.

Europe - I dont understand why we have anything to do with Europe, it costs a fortune, makes up silly laws, is undemocratic and seems to be of no benefit to us. Why do have anything to do with mess ? get us out !

Big Society - Pipe dreams, people are to busy just working to pay their way in life to volunteer to do more work for free.

Alternative vote - not as good as proportional representation, but better than the current system.

Energy - We NEED nuclear power ! Fossil Fuels just keep rising in price and the sources are screwing us, we dont want 70s style 3 day weeks and brownouts. Green stuff sounds great but doesnt deliver, and anywhere you try to put green stuff people complain cause wind turbines look ugly, or water power will destroy the habitat of some water-rat you never heard of. Tell it like it is and build Nuclear power plants.

Military - Cutting this when we seem to need them more and more often is insane

Devolution - As the name suggests it's a backwards idea, insanity creating extra layers of bureaucracy, inconsistent policies and inequality within the UK. Basically part of the EU plan to make us all states in the United States of Europe. Scrap it !

[[KMA]Avenger]

You guys are completely uneducated and i wouldn't trust any of you with a ballot paper!


Sorry if i offend anyone but if we are going to speak as "men" then lets speak properly without the use of this false Left/right paradigm and all this "i'm completely/partly (delete as is applicable to you) satisfied with this whole charade Govt thing".


I AM NOT SATISFIED DAMMIT, OUR GOVT (WHAT A JOKE!) ARE A BUNCH OF TRAITOROUS MURDERING SCUM!

[Changed forum acc]

I AM NOT SATISFIED DAMMIT, OUR GOVT (WHAT A JOKE!) ARE A BUNCH OF TRAITOROUS MURDERING SCUM!

welcome to the real world

[[KMA]Avenger]

Don't welcome me, i've been in "the real world" for some time now, shame everyone else likes....or should i say, prefers to live in lala land

[Cole]

You guys are completely uneducated and i wouldn't trust any of you with a ballot paper!

They just think differently than you...even though I don't agree with some of their point of views, I have to point out this is completely uncalled to accuse someone who sees things differently, who has arguments to back their opinions, to be "completely uneducated".

[MEZZANINE]

You guys are completely uneducated and i wouldn't trust any of you with a ballot paper!

Actually Im pretty well educated, but if you disagree with something be more specific.

The electoral system is imperfect and all governments are a compromise ( coalitions more than most ) but overall I think the current UK government is doing more things I agree with and less things I disagree with than any of the other realistic possible outcomes of the last election would have done.

[[KMA]Avenger]

Be specific eh?!

Ok, putting aside everything i know about just how corrupt Govt and all politicians are...i've noticed a trend that has been getting steadily more "visible" (for lack of a better word) ever since the days of James Callaghan and his labour Govt right through to the present.

We in the UK get a Govt, they stay in power 2/3/4 terms until they are so out of control the British public swings the "other" way and vote them out of power, the new Govt (regardless if it is left or right) is swept into power and begins a clean up operation laying all blame on the ousted mob until they themselves are so out of control they are ousted by the very same morons they ousted. and so the trend continues without EVER getting any better.
Case in point would be this bunch of morons we have in power now (whom i wouldn't trust to run a Sylvanian family's toy town, never mind a country) who are telling us we have to put up with all this "austerity and tax hikes" to pay for the previous mobs (and mob is EXACTLY what they all are) over spending...WHO THE **Filtered** BUYS THAT CRAP!?!


You do know that the BoE is a private FOR-profit corporation not accountable to the Govt of the UK (or anyone else for that matter), and is in fact the REAL power in the UK since it is the BoE that sets interest rates, tax increases and controls the whole of the UK's economy, as well as determine how much your mortgage will cost and everything else you and me buy?

I assume you do, in that case do i REALLY have to go on with my explanation?


The sooner people realise the game is rigged the sooner we can have an "educated" discussion about just how good or bad our Govt ("our govt" what a joke ) really is.

The way i see it is like this...all 3 parties are nothing more than sheep dogs, if they want us to vote left then they push from the right and visa versa with the Lib Dems staying in the rear to scare the crap out of us so don't all drop away and stay in the "game".

[MEZZANINE]

Be specific eh?!

Ok, putting aside everything i know about just how corrupt Govt and all politicians are...i've noticed a trend that has been getting steadily more "visible" (for lack of a better word) ever since the days of James Callaghan and his labour Govt right through to the present.

We in the UK get a Govt, they stay in power 2/3/4 terms until they are so out of control the British public swings the "other" way and vote them out of power, the new Govt (regardless if it is left or right) is swept into power and begins a clean up operation laying all blame on the ousted mob until they themselves are so out of control they are ousted by the very same morons they ousted. and so the trend continues without EVER getting any better.
Case in point would be this bunch of morons we have in power now (whom i wouldn't trust to run a Sylvanian family's toy town, never mind a country) who are telling us we have to put up with all this "austerity and tax hikes" to pay for the previous mobs (and mob is EXACTLY what they all are) over spending...WHO THE **Filtered** BUYS THAT CRAP!?!


You do know that the BoE is a private FOR-profit corporation not accountable to the Govt of the UK (or anyone else for that matter), and is in fact the REAL power in the UK since it is the BoE that sets interest rates, tax increases and controls the whole of the UK's economy, as well as determine how much your mortgage will cost and everything else you and me buy?

I assume you do, in that case do i REALLY have to go on with my explanation?


The sooner people realise the game is rigged the sooner we can have an "educated" discussion about just how good or bad our Govt ("our govt" what a joke ) really is.

The way i see it is like this...all 3 parties are nothing more than sheep dogs, if they want us to vote left then they push from the right and visa versa with the Lib Dems staying in the rear to scare the crap out of us so don't all drop away and stay in the "game".

I dont disagree with you, we've had the discussion about western democracy before and agreed the systems used in the UK and elsewhere are terrible, little more than a sham to placate the masses. Tories will pay off the deficit with high taxation and lower spending, and in 5 maybe 10 years people will start to believe the Labor promises again they will switch places and wheel keep turning round and round.

But this thread is about the current UK PM, his appearance and if he has done what he said he would, which apart from some compromises for the coalition he has.