Conservative Party Unveils Manifesto 'Lite'

Cameron unveils 'mini manifesto'

* "Flatter and simpler" taxes and deregulation for industry

* Reducing means testing for pensioners, paid for by raising the retirement age

* A "huge increase" in drug rehabilitation places for young offenders

* "Binding annual targets" for carbon emissions

* Ending the "culture of top down centralisation and targets" in the NHS

* More "streaming and setting" in schools

* Creating a "unified border police" and a homeland security minister

* A New Bill of Rights to replace the Human Rights Act

* Scrapping the government's proposed ID card scheme and unelected regional assemblies

Hmm...

Having read the news article and read the pdf document See BBC Link, I must say it all looks rather good, which in turn makes me feel dirty

I find myself agreeing with lots of what is said, several things that are mentioned I believe that while they are simple in their idea could achieve a lot.
I believe what we have here is the nicer side to Conservativism, Mr Cameron may indeed see himself as the Anti-Thatcher so to speak.

But I find myself asking, where is the rest? All the ideas mentioned are the "nice stuff", this 'lite' manifesto seems to leave out a lot of the heavier issues, such as immigration and the gritty parts of law and order.
I can understand why they are keeping to lighter "greener" issues, but I'm going to reserve judgement on the party until they bring out their Manifesto proper nearer the next election.





[edit on 16-8-2006 by Prometheus James]

Ah come on PJ, surely you're not serious?

It's nothing more than a long and drawn out exercise in saying absolutely nothing substantive at all.

Jayzuss wept, to think tories once used to bash Blair for a total and complete lack of using any actual 'verbs'.

They aren't really proposing anything, it's all vague (and as unthreatening as possible) noises to cover an utter lack of policy.

Mind you right now the tory polling is unspectacular and Camerons personal polls aren't looking too good (and given the state of TB's personal polling right now that can't be good for the tory party); I suspect his Blair-lite approach is not going down too well.
(at least Labour have the excuse of pointing to the usual and hardly unusual 'mid-term blues')

.....and as for the shameless opportunism of the tories right now particularly regarding the nuclear deterent and nuclear power.

Well, talk about a brazen and totally calculating attempt to put party before country.

Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
Ah come on PJ, surely you're not serious?

*cough*

Originally posted by Prometheus James
But I find myself asking, where is the rest? All the ideas mentioned are the "nice stuff", this 'lite' manifesto seems to leave out a lot of the heavier issues, such as immigration and the gritty parts of law and order.
I can understand why they are keeping to lighter "greener" issues, but I'm going to reserve judgement on the party until they bring out their Manifesto proper nearer the next election.

Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
Mind you right now the tory polling is unspectacular and Camerons personal polls aren't looking too good

I think its David Cameron they don't like as he's a Blair (political style) look alike, the policy, people are interested in.
People I've spoken to (past Labour, Lib Dem, and Conservative voters) have said they like the feel of what is said but dislike the actual leadership as he's another spawn of the beast that is political spin'ism.

Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
.....and as for the shameless opportunism of the tories right now particularly regarding the nuclear deterent and nuclear power.

Lets be fair, every political party is guilty of opportunism.


[edit on 18-8-2006 by Prometheus James]

Originally posted by Prometheus James
*cough*

- Yeah ok, fair enough, you did complain too.....but you did say you liked some of it too.

People I've spoken to (past Labour, Lib Dem, and Conservative voters) have said they like the feel of what is said but dislike the actual leadership as he's another spawn of the beast that is political spin'ism.

- Totally.
The tory problem is that they are (as is always the tendency) fighting the last war.
They seem to think that acting as much as possible like Labour did in the few years leading up to 1997 is 'the way'.

Personally I think they're crackers but time will tell I suppose.

Lets be fair, every political party is guilty of opportunism.

- That's true, fair comment, but there are certain things some parties are supposed to hold as valued principles (for instance whilst Labour may not be so obviously 'socialist' anymore it does still proclaim - and policy backs this - it's main focus is on the many and not the few etc etc).

The tory party used to make a great big deal about putting the interests of the country ahead of all.
Their recent attempt to stand between 2 stools over the British nuclear deterrent and nuclear energy requirement finally busts that little flush
(not that anyone who knows anything about them would seriously believe they are an anti-nuclear party).
But such naked cynicism isn't much of an appealing quality.......what next will they pretend to ditch?

[edit on 18-8-2006 by sminkeypinkey]

It is a joke, like the whole of the Tory Party.

Just take one aspect of it:

A New Bill of Rights to replace the Human Rights Act

Fantastic, right? The European Human Rights Act, has caused many problems - mostly the deportation of immigrants [who might be terrorists] to Nation’s which might end up harming them. However, there is one key problem about this. The European Court of Justice, holds precedents over the House of Lords. We can pass the Bill all we like, however as long as they can over-rule our own courts it doesn’t matter.

It’s nothing more than sham tactics, to get the ignorant part of the British Population who were angered by this ruling to vote for them instead of the Labour Party. Great, well done but it won’t change a thing.

The other things they go on to say, is laughable. They’ll reduce taxes? They’ll increase taxes? No, they’ll make them simpler. What does that mean? They’ll take the taxation booklet, dumb-it-down? It actually tells us nothing. The only thing that they have done that’s worthwhile, is increasing drug rehabilitation centres and places for the Youth. It’s only taken what, 20 years for them to do that? The fact it has been common knowledge in the legal field, since Thatcher’s days that Prison doesn’t work for those who take drugs. It just causes them to be criminalized, increases the difficulty of them finding jobs and then makes it more likely they will commit further crimes.

Well done, Mr D. C…you’ve managed to read a Sociology book or listen to a lawyer. Well done…:|

The day the Torries get back into power, whill be the day I pay for a one way ticket out off the UK. 11 years Under Thatcher was enough without having more years under the Torries.



I dont like David Cameron mind you I do not like Tony Blair either hmmms who else is there to vote in