Monday, April 02, 2007













A very interesting report has appeared on the BBC politics website about the local political scene so far as older voters are concerned this afternoon:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6323849.stm

Quite why the Beeb decided to investigate the concerns of the grey vote down our way is a bit of a mystery but the attention is welcome nonetheless.

And they have learned what we here all know. Older voters here are fed up with rising bills and falling pensions.

They are sick and tired of being intimidated on the streets at night and they are appalled at a society that seems to glory in the removal of freedoms and liberties many of them fought with their lives to preserve.

They are totally fed up with crushing political correctness and European inflicted legislation mucking up our common-sense approach to law and order.

To be fair to the BBC they seemed pretty unimpressed with most of the political parties potential solutions (or perhaps lack of solutions) to their concerns; although the consensus seemed to be that the Conservatives would provide their best hope.

It might be slightly ungentlemanly of me to point out that the BBC couldn't find anyone still planning to vote Lib dem at the next election, but it was an interesting fact nonetheless.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am a pensioner and what I am fed up with is being taken for a ride by politicians of all colours.

I have paid into the so-called welfare state my entire working life (I have never had a day unemployed) on the basis that I did not need to worry about financing my retirement - what a con!

I started work at 15 and have financed my home and family (I have four children) entirely on my own efforts. I bought my first home in the 1960's and both my wife and I worked two jobs each to raise the deposit and make the payments.

Meanwhile my brother in law who has never done a proper days work in his life was provided with a nice new council house by Mr Wilson; which Mrs Thatcher eventually let him buy for 1/10th of what I paid for mine. When he had p*ssed the 'free' money up the wall and the house was repossessed that nice Mr Blair made sure he got a new one, this time from a housing association.

My pension is peanuts, the home that I worked so hard to pay for now costs me more per month in council tax and water rates than I used to pay per year in mortgage payments - but thats OK because when I go into an old folks home I will probably have to sell it to pay the fees, or if I am 'lucky' enough to die without going into a home the taxman helps himself to what remains of my estate in death duties.

My Brother in law on the other hand, gets his council tax paid, and gets approximately twice as much each week from the government than I do, but he hasn't paid a penny in tax for the last 40 years or so.

Fair? I don't think so.

Anonymous said...

I think you'll find plenty of voters voting for the popular local Lib Dem MP ahead of the careerist 'man from Windsor' Marcus.

You keep attacking Mr. Adrian Sanders MP but his personal popularity outstrips that of both the rest of the Lib Dems and the Tories locally.

Are you a critic of the Lib Dem councillors and / or Mr. Sanders or do you have any policies of your own Mr Wood ?

I think your party is complacently imagining that you'll virtually wipe the Lib Dems out of the council chamber, but I have a hunch that the buffoon who actually runs the council - your man Bye - is becoming increasingly a laughing stock and will potentially lose you personally votes in the future too, as well as at the 2007 locals.

Oh, and many locals and longterm incomers haven't forgotten how bad previous Torbay Tory MPs have been, such as that 'nice' Mr. Allason !

Marcus Wood said...

I think this wholly negative post reveals rather more about you than the Conservatives, who ever you are.

Your claim for the MP "his personal popularity outstrips that of both the rest of the Lib Dems and the Tories locally" applies to every other MP in England; twice as many vote in national elections than local ones.

However, he was the poorest performing Lib Dem MP with a near 5% negative swing - his vote in 2005 was the lowest in this constituency since universal sufferage.

If I was him I would be less complacent than you seem to be.

As for the locals, we believe we have a real fight on our hands next month - but mainly because there are plenty of 'anyonebuttheLibDems' candidates to choose from(!)

Anonymous said...

So you've no policies of your own then ?! Rupert Allason's 'popularity' didn't fit the description you gave !

2) Sanders IS popular and respected. Dissing him isn't the way to garner support for yourself ! You fail to get this point Mr Wood.

3) Additionally, you fail to factor in the bad reputation of previous Tory MPs here ! People have long memories. Having not lived here long you probably don't know this !

4) Mr Wood - have you no experience of local government yourself ? Why should one vote for someone without any experience of elected office ? No record of achievement politically methinks. Local Govt not glamorous or financially lucrative for you ?

To be positive, at least you are more liberal than the UKIP headbangers and the BNP bigots...so it's a case of almost anyone but the Tories !!!!