Christmas Tree

Considering its the first time they have backed the Tories in nearly 20 years makes it a suprise, shirley

Finally got round to going last night. Absolutely deeeeeeeeelicious. Food and service 10 / 10 Even got one of those nice big booths with the drapes around. Highly reccomended.

Two national UK newspapers have announced their political allegiances in an attempt to sway their readership ahead of the General Election. The traditionally Labour-supporting Guardian switched to back the Liberal Democrats after a third poorly-received leaders' debate performance from Gordon Brown. In an editorial entitled The Liberal Moment Has Come, The Guardian said if it had a vote it would be cast "enthusiastically" for Nick Clegg's party. The most damning passage reads: "A year ago, the Guardian argued that Labour should persuade its leader to step down. "Shortly afterwards, in spite of polling an abject 15.7% in the European elections, and with four cabinet ministers departing, Labour chose to hug Mr Brown close. "It was the wrong decision then, and it is clear, not least after his humiliation in Rochdale this week, that it is the wrong decision now." But the newspaper conceded that "under our discredited electoral system" readers in marginal constituencies should consider voting tactically for Labour if they wished to keep the Conservatives out. The Tories also gained a boost with an endorsement from The Times. It is the first time since 1992 that the newspaper has backed the Conservatives in a General Election. Under the headline "Vote of Confidence", an editorial said: "The Conservatives offer an optimistic vision for the renewal of Britain. "The electorate has made a call for change and they deserve the chance to answer it." The paper said Tony Blair had offered "the promise of modernity" but Gordon Brown had "squandered the boom". It warned: "The economy is in peril. Mr Brown is the danger."

From a professional viewpoint I'd absolutely love to chat with him about this pledge. http://www.conservatives.com/Information/Contact_Us.aspx

These are just the Policy headlines behind detail such as Restore discipline and order to the classroom . We will give teachers the tools and powers they need to keep order in the classroom. We will abolish the legal requirement of 24 hours’ notice for detentions; reform the exclusion process; and give headteachers the power to ban, search for, and confiscate any items they think may cause violence or disruption. Raise the status of the teaching profession. Move to a high quality system of teacher recruitment and training by raising entry requirements, expanding Teach First and incentivising top maths and science graduates. Raise standards. We will take urgent action to reverse the decline in standards. We will reform the National Curriculum, remove political interference from GCSEs and A-levels, and allow state schools to do the same high quality exams as private schools. We will replace Key Stage 1 Sats with a simple reading test, reform Key Stage 2 Sats, and make Ofsted report on schools’ setting policies and reading schemes.

Apparently the BNP have launched a t. shirt which says..... Naughty but, :D

Nothing new in this (see the interview in the Chronicle) Its basically the same old there will be signings, not loads and bigging up the nucleus of the squad that got us up. He's not going to start pissing on chips now is he.

Which of those policies do you not agree with?

If thats this one It looks delicious. Was going to get it but forgot and ended up with normal and albino. Also got a pumpkin on the go at the minute. Its the bairns and one of these little kiddy pots from Asda. Should be fun though.

How can we be more favourite to go down than West Brom (yoyo) or the other team thats coming up ????? :D

A contract between the Conservative Party and you Name: David Cameron Address: Conservatives, 30 Millbank, London SW1P 4DP We go into the general election on 6 May with trust in politics and politicians at an all-time low. And I can understand why: the years of broken promises, the expenses scandal, the feeling that politicians have become too remote from the people – they’ve all taken their toll. That’s why I’m making this contract with you. For too long, you’ve been lied to by politicians saying they can sort out all your problems. But it doesn’t work like that. Real change is not just about what the government does. Real change only comes when we understand that we are all in this together; that we all have a responsibility to help make our country better. This contract sets out my side of the bargain: the things I want to do to change Britain. But it also makes clear that I cannot do it on my own. We will only get our economy moving, mend our broken society and reform our rotten political system if we all get involved, take responsibility, and work together. So this is our contract with you. I want you to read it and – if we win the election – use it to hold us to account. If we don’t deliver our side of the bargain, vote us out in five years’ time. We will change politics Our political system needs to change. Politicians must be made more accountable, and we must take power away from Westminster and put it in the hands of people – individuals, families and neighbourhoods. If you elect a Conservative government on 6 May, we will: Give you the right to sack your MP, so you don’t have to wait for an election to get rid of politicians who are guilty of misconduct. Cut the number of MPs by ten per cent, and cut the subsidies and perks for politicians. Cut ministers’ pay by five per cent, and freeze it for five years. Give local communities the power to take charge of the local planning system and vote on excessive council tax rises. Make government transparent, publishing every item of government spending over £25,000, all government contracts, and all local council spending over £500. We will change the economy Gordon Brown’s economic incompetence has doubled the national debt, given us record youth unemployment, and widened the gap between rich and poor. Unemployment is still rising, and this year we will spend more on debt interest than on schools. We need to get our economy moving. If you elect a Conservative government on 6 May, we will: Cut wasteful government spending so we can stop Labour’s jobs tax, which would kill the recovery. Act now on the national debt, so we can keep mortgage rates lower for longer. Reduce emissions and build a greener economy, with thousands of new jobs in green industries and advanced manufacturing. Get Britain working by giving unemployed people support to get work, creating 400,000 new apprenticeships and training places over two years, and cutting benefits for those who refuse work. Control immigration, reducing it to the levels of the 1990s – meaning tens of thousands a year, instead of the hundreds of thousands a year under Labour. We will change society We face big social problems in this country: family breakdown, educational failure, crime and deep poverty. Labour's big government has failed; we will help build a Big Society where everyone plays their part in mending our broken society. If you elect a Conservative government on 6 May, we will: Increase spending on health every year, while cutting waste in the NHS, so that more goes to nurses and doctors on the frontline, and make sure you get access to the cancer drugs you need. Support families, by giving married couples and civil partners a tax break, giving more people the right to request flexible working and helping young families with extra Sure Start health visitors. Raise standards in schools, by giving teachers the power to restore discipline and by giving parents, charities and voluntary groups the power to start new smaller schools. Increase the basic state pension, by relinking it to earnings, and protect the winter fuel allowance, free TV licences, free bus travel and other key benefits for older people. Fight back against crime, cut paperwork to get police officers on the street, and make sure criminals serve the sentence given to them in court. Create National Citizen Service for every 16 year old, to help bring the country together.

Ok so this is whats going on in my allotment at the moment. Planted Asparagus Patch Asparagus growing already!!! Fitted out Shed HQ with old kitchen bench and other essentials! Enabling a dry spot to drink tea and watch the veg grow! Two more chickens added to the coop, now 6 in total so half a dozen eggs a day (most days) Sweetcorn patch planted Welsh onions, Garlic, normal onions and peas away. Soil against the fence will be the lawn bbq area. Back corner not really started on yet. Other random pics And a conservatory overflowing with all sorts of goodies just waiting to go in. Is anyone else growing anything unusual this year.

Why aren't they swamped with immigrants then? Is it because it is too cold or the beer is too expensive? http://www.mynorway.co.uk/ That link wasn't useful. Doing a quick search it appears you need to have worked continuously in Norway for 5 years before you can apply for residency. Not exactly the same free movement as for the EU then. I put it there so you could find out about the weather and the beer

Why aren't they swamped with immigrants then? Is it because it is too cold or the beer is too expensive? http://www.mynorway.co.uk/

The only issue I can see would be whether we negotiate with countries on an individual basis or with the EU as a whole. If it was the EU as a whole then we'd still have the same situation with EU immigration as we currently do. The problem we have is that Labour got its figures wrong. Virtually every other country saw the risk and limited numbers.....Not Us tho I think the limits were only for a limited time (which may have now expired anyway) though. What limits were these then? Never heard of them before, I was under the impression intra-euro immigration was higher in many countires than it was here, happy to find out more about it if someone has a link (not to UKIP or similar though). Iirc, for a period (4 or 5 years?) existing EU could limit the number of people they'd admit from the new members (Poland, Romania, etc.) Right, sounds like we fucked up a bit then. Just a tad

Which party was it that signed up to the Maastricht Treaty? It was a serious point not a party point scoring jobby Well being serious then. What do you think the EU will say if we go to them and ask to pull out of everything except the free trade market? And also what do you think it would do for British business? I wouldn't end well. Apparently the EU has free trade agreements with over 50 countries that are not part of the EU. UKIP says on this....... Have they asked the other Commonwealth countries about this? Why on Earth would we want to increase trade with a heterogenous mix of countries that are thousands of miles away based purely on historical reasons. And at the same time cut us off from our Geographical neighbours - the UK-EU Free Trade deal is no replacement for the benefits we get as part of the single market. Once again, why don't you think the tories embrace this if it were remotely feasible - don't you agree it's a vote winner? Trusting UKIP to make policies on Europe is a bit like asking a paedophile to reform child protection laws. Why not try thinking for yourself rather than simply repeating years of what you've heard? Can you explain this sentence? Neither of us are economists, so no, off the top of my head I couldn't list the differences, but they are different, otherwise this wouldn't be an issue. I actually found this wiki article on the European Union, and its subarticles, very enlightening (increasingly I'm growing to respect wiki as a good source of reliable information, better than newspaper articles or political manifestos anyway). It seems to me that it would be hugely detrimental to effectively go it alone, an opinion which is almost universal amongst anlaysts and mainstream politicians - including those from your party. At the end of the day the political parties all agree on keeping the status quo (except the loonys). For largely idealogical reasons, I'd like us to ultimately be in the euro, and I suspect you'd like us out of the it altogether. Fair enough, neither of us will get what we want so we live with the compromise. To be honest im not euro sceptic and like you have really not given it much thought. However having given it some thought today, i seem to be struggling to find a list of benefits for staying v going, particularly given the Norway and Sweden stances. I guess im coming at it from why do we need ANOTHER parliament to make up police and pass laws. As it stands we have less than 10% representation within that parliament anyway. Why do we / you feel a bunch of germans / italians / french etc can make better laws for us than our own politicians. If you do then doesnt that point to a problem with our system. Sweden is a fully paid up memeber of the eurozone isn't it? Can I freely move sticks and live in Norway, benefit from their health and social care? I doubt that somehow, maybe somebody can enlighten me regarding this. I basically agree with what NJS has said about the EU. Yes you can sir, yes you can!

It was from the Telegraph but I knew if I put that in some of the socialists wouldnt have read it. Im not saying its particularly right or wrong, more so that as demonstrated in this thread, a lot of us just take it for granted because its always been that way. I always like the UKIP leader Nigel fer.... when he's on question time. He does quite often talk a lot of sense its just a shame as you say he's in a no win party.

10 Reasons to leave the EU

The only issue I can see would be whether we negotiate with countries on an individual basis or with the EU as a whole. If it was the EU as a whole then we'd still have the same situation with EU immigration as we currently do. The problem we have is that Labour got its figures wrong. Virtually every other country saw the risk and limited numbers.....Not Us tho I think the limits were only for a limited time (which may have now expired anyway) though. They were, but while all the others had the no vacancy signs up, the "rush" came here instead. This not only caused a great deal of problems for a lot of communities (granted we see little of it up here), but also allowed made immigration a big political problem when it need not have been. By the time the otheres took down their full up signs, the damage was done. Surely the "rush" was more to do with the perceived inclusiveness of the UK and that many immigrants speak (pigeon) English already. Crap photo of the old man by the way. Cant have TT not grinning....

The only issue I can see would be whether we negotiate with countries on an individual basis or with the EU as a whole. If it was the EU as a whole then we'd still have the same situation with EU immigration as we currently do. The problem we have is that Labour got its figures wrong. Virtually every other country saw the risk and limited numbers.....Not Us tho I think the limits were only for a limited time (which may have now expired anyway) though. They were, but while all the others had the no vacancy signs up, the "rush" came here instead. This not only caused a great deal of problems for a lot of communities (granted we see little of it up here), but also allowed made immigration a big political problem when it need not have been. By the time the otheres took down their full up signs, the damage was done. Surely the "rush" was more to do with the perceived inclusiveness of the UK and that many immigrants speak (pigeon) English already. Yes, but had we done as our fellow europeans had done....They wouldnt have got in.

I've always been for the concepts of the EU because I feel in the next few years we need to be in an entity that big to compete with China and India as well as the "old" powers. I think an individual country would be too overshadowed. I've also always thought the idea of a larger community with similar people (fuck off Parky) to be beneficial from a social point of view and I'f like to see the ties and exchanges between countries expanded. That fights been and gone....we lost

Nice to hear. Makes Brown seem even more of a prick for having a pop at her like. Aye, well done Mrs Duffy for keeping her integrity. I don't think Brown was being malicious but he must feel like a complete tit over this mess. Turned down the Sun but sold it instead to the Mail on Sunday by all accounts. All will be revealed on Sunday morning I guess. Is it true that a member of the labour party allegedly offered the dear a substantial amount of money to do the photo shoot with Brown that she refused.

The only issue I can see would be whether we negotiate with countries on an individual basis or with the EU as a whole. If it was the EU as a whole then we'd still have the same situation with EU immigration as we currently do. The problem we have is that Labour got its figures wrong. Virtually every other country saw the risk and limited numbers.....Not Us tho I think the limits were only for a limited time (which may have now expired anyway) though. They were, but while all the others had the no vacancy signs up, the "rush" came here instead. This not only caused a great deal of problems for a lot of communities (granted we see little of it up here), but also allowed made immigration a big political problem when it need not have been. By the time the otheres took down their full up signs, the damage was done.

The only issue I can see would be whether we negotiate with countries on an individual basis or with the EU as a whole. If it was the EU as a whole then we'd still have the same situation with EU immigration as we currently do. The problem we have is that Labour got its figures wrong. Virtually every other country saw the risk and limited numbers.....Not Us tho

Which party was it that signed up to the Maastricht Treaty? It was a serious point not a party point scoring jobby Well being serious then. What do you think the EU will say if we go to them and ask to pull out of everything except the free trade market? And also what do you think it would do for British business? I wouldn't end well. Apparently the EU has free trade agreements with over 50 countries that are not part of the EU. UKIP says on this....... Have they asked the other Commonwealth countries about this? Why on Earth would we want to increase trade with a heterogenous mix of countries that are thousands of miles away based purely on historical reasons. And at the same time cut us off from our Geographical neighbours - the UK-EU Free Trade deal is no replacement for the benefits we get as part of the single market. Once again, why don't you think the tories embrace this if it were remotely feasible - don't you agree it's a vote winner? Trusting UKIP to make policies on Europe is a bit like asking a paedophile to reform child protection laws. Why not try thinking for yourself rather than simply repeating years of what you've heard? Can you explain this sentence? Neither of us are economists, so no, off the top of my head I couldn't list the differences, but they are different, otherwise this wouldn't be an issue. I actually found this wiki article on the European Union, and its subarticles, very enlightening (increasingly I'm growing to respect wiki as a good source of reliable information, better than newspaper articles or political manifestos anyway). It seems to me that it would be hugely detrimental to effectively go it alone, an opinion which is almost universal amongst anlaysts and mainstream politicians - including those from your party. At the end of the day the political parties all agree on keeping the status quo (except the loonys). For largely idealogical reasons, I'd like us to ultimately be in the euro, and I suspect you'd like us out of the it altogether. Fair enough, neither of us will get what we want so we live with the compromise. To be honest im not euro sceptic and like you have really not given it much thought. However having given it some thought today, i seem to be struggling to find a list of benefits for staying v going, particularly given the Norway and Sweden stances. I guess im coming at it from why do we need ANOTHER parliament to make up police and pass laws. As it stands we have less than 10% representation within that parliament anyway. Why do we / you feel a bunch of germans / italians / french etc can make better laws for us than our own politicians. If you do then doesnt that point to a problem with our system.