Anthony Smithee

I don't consider abortion a sin. It is undesirable, obviously, and should not be done for trivial reasons, but I believe it should be allowed in extreme circumstances.
Our current laws on abortion are up to the challenge of achieving this; it is merely the way they are interpreted that is at fault.

Invited terrorists? "Are you a terrorist, good sir? Yes? Please sign here, then, and come right in!"
Somehow I find that difficult to believe.

As for devolution, I do not think that it should be up to the majority of British people to decide on the issue, but instead up to the majority of the sub-group in question; the Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish or English deciding on Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish or English Parliaments respectively.
More needs to be done on the issue of an English Parliament but I certainly don't think the English should decide on the Scottish Parliament!
As for making the breakup of the UK inevitable, I think that in fifty years time the UK will still be here, as united a kingdom as ever. I will probably not be around in fifty years time, but I will certainly be for the near future in any case!

I see nothing wrong with the European Union, and I certainly contest the allegation that it is bad for the economy. What of the money we save on trade now? What of the European funds poured into British projects?
We give a lot, but I believe we take a lot as well.

New laws and regulations are not inherently bad.

Was the 'appalling crime rate' there before?
Was the NHS in a bad way before (indeed, can it be in anything but a bad way nowadays? Consider what it must cater for!)?
Reducing taxation is not always good. Also, is it not a little unrealistic to expect that they should reduce taxes AND sort out the crime rate AND the NHS AND control the borders AND sort out education AND do anything else you wish them to do?

I can't contest the dependency culture claim. Do you have any figures to back it up?

Failed on education? How so?

ukpopdems

Anthony, people here will begin to think you are a plant and just pretending to support labour.

Or maybe just very complacent.
The crime rate being bad when labour takes over is a very good reason to fix it. Not ignore it.
Ditto all the other problems current n Britain

Britannist

99% of abortions in the UK are not carried out for "extreme circumstances" - most are non-medical (i.e. abortion in the UK is being used as a form of 'late contraception').

Abortion is the killing of an unborn child.

You are displaying the Labour logo - no Roman Catholic should vote Labour.

Britannist

I am a Unionist (i.e. I support the Union of the UK) - but Labour are putting our Union in danger by refusing to give equality to the people of England with the people of Scotland in the UK.

Scotland has a Parliament - England must have one too.

Devolution to EU-backed 'regional' authorities in England is not acceptable.

We want an all-England legislature unless Scotland votes to shut down the Scottish Parliament (which is not likely).

Labour don't want an all-England legislature because they know that - without the votes of Scottish Labour MPs - they've got problems getting things through in England because Labour (thank goodness) is not usually as strong in England as it is in Scotland.

Britannist

Only because you don't know the facts. Or that you do know the facts but are ignoring them.

This country does very badly out of membership of the EU.

Go and ask the Labour MPs Austin Mitchell, Ian Davidson or Frank Field if you don't believe me.

Britannist

Is this a deliberate wind-up?

If the UK relied on trade with only the EU we would have gone bankrupt in 1974. We haven't had a trade surplus with the EEC/EU since 1973 (the first year of our forced membership of the EEC/EU).

The UK has a gigantic trading deficit with the EU (to the advantage of the continental EU nations) and we have paid a larger sum into the EU than any other member state (since we joined it) except for Germany (a country which does better financially out of the EU than we do).

The money we get back from the EU in grants and subsidies is the second lowest of all the EU member states - and has been for many years.

If a Chief Executive of a company was trying to run a company's finances on the above lines s/he would be fired by an angry board.

Britannist

You're kidding.

Britannist

They are if you a small business which has to pay huge sums for implementing mostly unnecessary EU regulations which are designed by the EU to deliberately weaken the UK economy and to reduce our competitiveness against other EU member states.

EU rules, directives and regulations cost businesses in the UK a fortune - the Taxpayers' Alliance website has details of just how much.

At least 60% of legislation processed by the House of Commons now comes from the EU and most of it cannot be stopped by the democratically elected UK Parliament. The EU damages our democracy, costs us a huge sum and causes (quite deliberately) damage to our economy.

The sooner we get out of the EU the better. Those in Gordon Brown's Lie-bour Party who support the EU will, one day, pay a very heavy price electorally for backing an organisation so blatantly harming our nation.

Brendan Scarborough

The views you have so far volunteered seem reasonable. Welcome to the Forum. To my horror, I have family who support Labour

We are a mixed bag here, to be sure. You should enjoy yourself I would think.

Best regards,

Resident Nationalist Loony.

B.

__________________

David Agnew

.
Our current laws on abortion are up to the challenge of achieving this; it is merely the way they are interpreted that is at fault.
As you well know we have abortion on demand in this country. Why do you consider that killing unborn children is not a sin? If that isn't, then what is?

I can assure you that I find it difficult to believe as well. You must know that New Labour set up 'power sharing' with the sole purpose of inviting terrorists into government. If there had been no terrorism can you honestly tell me that we would now have 'power sharing'? Of course not. It is all about rewarding terrorism. This is truly obscene.

No, I don't think that it should be up to the English to decide on an Scottish Parliament, it should be up to the British people as a whole (including the English). If it fails to get the support of the majority of British people, then it should not happen. That is democracy. Are you in favour of democracy?

If you are being serious, then I strongly urge you to read up on the subject. (There are some very good books in the 'recommended reading' section of this forum).

True, but there is too much of the politicians' syllogism: something must be done, this is something, therefore we will do this

Was the 'appalling crime rate' there before?
Yes there was. That is the trouble, ALL the established parties lack the political will to tackle it.
Was the NHS in a bad way before (indeed, can it be in anything but a bad way nowadays? Consider what it must cater for!)?
Yes it was. As I have mentioned before all the established political parties lack the political will to tackle it. For the money that New Labour is spending we should have clean hospitals, no waiting lists and and survival rates at least as good as the European average. We do not.
Reducing taxation is not always good.
That is true, provided that the tax rates are already low and the money is being spent on things that the economy needs eg transport infrastructure. But if the government is wasting tax money, then taxes should be cut. New Labour is wasting staggeringly large amounts of money on, for example: the dependency culture, wars, the EU, devolution, consultants, quangos, extra 'Bloody Sunday' enquiries, administration of the unnecessarily complex tax and benefits system. Looking around the world, low tax economies tend to have better growth rates than high tax ones.
Also, is it not a little unrealistic to expect that they should reduce taxes AND sort out the crime rate AND the NHS AND control the borders AND sort out education AND do anything else you wish them to do?

I can't contest the dependency culture claim. Do you have any figures to back it up?

Failed on education? How so?[/quote]