History will show that today we lost our best ever Prime Minister

RE: I agree with you on that

Walwork syndrome. Ronnie is now the best midfielder in the game in folk law anyway. If smith hadn't died he'd have been put through the ringer just as blair, major have and brown will be. Doesn't mean smith wasn't a good politician just means he hadn't been tarnished by time. Only the good die young ?</p>

Also in my opinion parties don't get elected the government of the day get 'de elected' people vote against the govt of the day... it's all very negative. </p>

But ask them to vote for 'Jade' or someone in i'm a non-entity get me out of here, they'll vote and pay it as well !!!</p>

 

True we don't know how he would have reacted

but again it's someones opinion. I feel he would have made a good leader and gone onto to well. Whether I'm right or wrong we'll never know/

 

RE: True we don't know how he would have reacted

aye I do agree with you, but in this media dominated, style based society Smith would have been too old fat and bald... doesn't matter how great a politician he was.</p>

 

But it does though...

If you don't like something and choose not to speak out against it because it may compromise your position in the cabinet but then you make out you're some rebel crusader the minute you're out the door makes you precisely dishonourable...

At the very least it doesn't put you in a position to criticise anyone who may describe you as self-serving and hypocritical.

"then why be so naiive?" - please! I'm well aware of what it takes to get elected I just don't agree with it, simple as. Call me idealistic, but I prefer discussion to soundbites and pandering to the lowest common denominator...

 

RE: Agree with every line of that, JC...

Wasn't Abromavich actually the governor of the region in which he bought his oil interests at the same time that he did buy them at bargain basement prices? A lot of dirt there for those interested in digging!

Hard work, endeavour and individual enterprise I think the Tories would credit your mate for! I don't believe in the self-made millionaire routine, never have - behind every fortune there's some form of exploitation or dishonesty.

All to end the subsidy hungry public sector - that's why we're still subsidising most of 'em anyway. The trains may not have run on time thirty years ago but they still don't and at least there wasn't a barrel full of shareholders getting rich out of it all...

Like selling the family silver, mate...

 

Best in my lifetime too

I think he's done a fairly decent job.

Politics is on the whole, in my opinion, crap.

 

So there's nothing down for Gordon Brown then!

David Cameron come on down (Aaggggh)

 

RE: So there's nothing down for Gordon Brown then!

ohhhhh no !!! menzies campbell is probably the best politcian of the lot but his image is old and fuddy duddy. Just watched pqrt of question time and one of the questions made me realise how blair had changed the image of the PM to a president. The question was 'when brown is installed we should have a general election'..... why you vote for an MP not a party leader so if they change the leader it should not shorten the life of a govt.</p>

One thing on a more personal not both my 'kids' want to be teachers when they leave uni. Son 20 taking English. Daughter 17 History is what she'll take. Both want to be teachers in those subjects. Any advice would be appreciated !!! </p>

thanks </p>

Dave</p>

 

RE: I like what Michael Foot said about Blair

nice one

 

By the sounds of it they'll be heading into secondary and subject specialism

I'm a primaryschool teacher mate to be honest . Personally I prefer it at my end - you have to teach all the subjects but you get a lot from it. I find the discipline aspect in secondary difficult and a lot of the kids seem disillusioned. </p>

I know I talk about the negative aspects but it is a very worthwhile career and you do get a lot from it. You have to put thehours in it's nowhere near the nine to three job some seem to think it it is. Pay's not too bad starting wage is decent and can rise up to 33,000 and higher if you go into management. I'd be lying if I said the holidays weren't an advantage. </p>

All in all I'd say go for it but be prepared to work hard and expect the unexpected because no two days are the same. </p>

Hope this is useful. Night!</p>

</p>

 

bit of a contradiction

You are well aware of what is needed to get elected to a position where you could do something. However, you take the line that to do so would be selling out or being dishonourable. Much better to take the moral high ground and make yourself unelectable. The labour party spent years doing just that and we got what we deserved - Thatcher. I've never particularly liked Blair but unlike alot of the old guard I'm glad that he came along and played the Media at their own game.

 

He said he was a "conservative" with a small c.

.

 

What would you know, living in Wales? nt

 

RE: There are a lot of good things that Blair has done

That is why new teachers are lasting on average 6 years in the profession. It's PAPERWORK PAPERWORK PAPERWORK. The Education X 3 to keep people on at school (where thet don't want to be) until they are 18. This will cause more danger to the teachers. One Education Secretary who I did admire was a Conservative (Dr Rhodes Boyson, an ex-Headmaster) who said it would be better to lower the age to 14, but always leave the door open for kids to go back later if they so wished.

 

Weak spined wimp!

Blair has ridden on the back of a strong world economy for years.

 

Blimey

Has Thatcher died then?

chortle

 

what a load of bullsh!t

i don't need to clarify who I am but i can assure you I have lived through the freeloaders tenure all in adult life.

The man is a complete ****** and is to blame for much of the issues evident today.

oh - and lets not lay a slight on the young that he sent to their deaths in a pointless war.

 

Anyone would think being involved in an illegal invasion leading to the deaths of 650,000 human beings might be something worth resigning over, or even putting someone on trial for..........but nahhh just "a mistake", that's all!

So, other than being incompetent, a liar and a war criminal, I think he did a great job.

 

What about Lord Salisbury

He was a proper PM!

 

Not a contradiction at all...

My first comment was on the poor state of British democracy and, especially considering you've more or less admitted that it takes a media manipulator to get a political party elected, my point still stands.

Just because a person knows what to say in front of a camera or in a press conference does not (automatically) furnish them with the integrity necessary to serve in public office and, as demonstrated over recent years, the two appear to be somewhat exclusive characteristics.

Unfortunately, and we both seem to be in agreement on this point, it takes such a person to make headway in modern politics thus, to a great extent, vindicates my initial remark about the poor state of "democracy" in this country.

Q.E.D.

By the way, I hardly think not lying in order to justify wars and not selling the nation's honours at knockdown prices to your rich mates is would be quite "taking the moral high ground" really, would it? I’m not exactly calling for too much self-restraint…