LJRM050389

I actually think Cameron is more central than most of the tory party, but my god he needs to get rid of stories like this...

David Cameron came under fire today after he claimed he knew nothing about a controversial Tory youth group which has trained some of the party's parliamentary candidates, despite its leaders describing the NHS as "the biggest waste of money in the UK" and suggesting that waterboarding of prisoners can be justified.

In an interview in Time Out magazine, Cameron denied all knowledge of the Young Britons' Foundation, which has been called "the Conservative madrasa". Conservative HQ promotes YBF-run training courses for young Tory activists.

Several members of Cameron's team, including shadow defence secretary Liam Fox, addressed a YBF rally last month and at least 11 prospective Tory candidates have been delegates or speakers at training conferences run by the YBF.

The group's leader, Donal Blaney, has taken Conservative activists on training courses in the US which include sessions shooting semi-automatic weapons and machine guns.

Asked if it was true that prospective candidates had been trained by the YBF, Cameron said: "No, I don't think so. I don't know anything about the Young Britons' Foundation." When told the YBF claims on its website that it trains Tory members at official party conferences, Cameron said: "I've no idea about this."

The party's link to the YBF was front page news last month and tonight Labour said Cameron's denial was "unbelievable" and called for him to "come clean" about his party's involvement with the YBF.

Labour MP Jon Cruddas said: "It is absolutely unbelievable that David Cameron doesn't know about an organisation that is training up candidates on behalf of the party – not least because its events have included contributions from party chairman Eric Pickles, shadow defence secretary Liam Fox, and other members of his frontbench team. Cameron should come clean on the role this shadowy organisation has at all levels of the party."

A spokesman for Cameron declined to answer questions about his depth of knowledge of the organisation, but confirmed it has "been involved with some Tory candidates". He added: "The YBF is independent of the party. We do not endorse their views."

link

I see the Tories are pandering to their core Daily Fascist types with their new "Let's cut benefits for those who refuse work" poster campaign. Seeing as people have their jobseekers allowance cut already if they refuse work I don't see the point in this except to pander to the prejudices of many Tory voters. It also strikes me as an act of an increasingly desperate party.

I wonder if we will also see a Tory poster campaign called "Increase the penalties for the rich who avoid paying their share of tax". or even "We will create jobs for the unemployed" I won't hold my breath!

Interesting that labour are losing their vote to the BNP and yet its only Tories who are facists

and why is every rich person who has tried to avoid paying tax a Tory ?

But long as voters have preconceptions I don't suppose anything will ever change really , will it ?

Maybe it says something when people like me (i'm only 21) hold these beliefs too as well as the older guard. Maybe it's true

Some of the attitudes and behaviour of private school types at uni is shameful and just carries on the belief of what Tories are and stand for!

My Labour allegncy is soley from what I've seen and witnessed at uni!

I've just read that both the Libs and Labour are planning to lower the voting age to 16.

More unbelievable populist politics crap.

Labour have promised to call a vote on lowering the voting age in the commons if elected I believe. Which would no doubt be rejected.

when I was 16 I didn't know anyone who actually took the remotest of interest in politics. It's not taught in our schools to any kind of level so how they can say that someone in this country who is 16 years old can make an informed decision on who to vote for is rubbish.

when you are 16 it's football, fanny, fags, fruity alcoholic beverages, food, fannying about.

This is true, it wasn't until I came to uni did I even understand the differences between tha parties and their names.

However if at 16 you can pay tax and can join the army I think you should get the right to vote.

I will now not be voting whatsoever. A combination of me not finding out until today that Aber automatically registers you here, and the uni net going down for about an hour and a half before I could fix that and sign up for a postal vote (last minute style) means I'm not bothering to vote here.

I wish our Uni had done that! But the Sabbs have been too busy canvassing with the local Tory candidate.

Even though the Labout MP has signed the NUS Student pledge, and had no expense claims what so ever.

For the record 300 Lib Dems, 200 Labour and only 10 Torys have signed the signed student pledge, ie not to vote for an increase in the CAP...

Just saw a Tory candidate on C4 News from Eaton I must add, just say that in his constinstuincy they speak the Queens English...

Oh dear, is this modern Conservatives DC?

Paxman, Socialist???

Well I never.

He is anti establishment to be fair.

Quick internet search shows that he once applied to be New Statesman editor, which is left in nature!

Does anyone know what the BBCs reporters political alegncies are

I know that Nick Robinson and Andrew Neil are Tories.

Stephanie Flanders I think is more a less Tory, some of her recent blogs suggests she may be

I'd guess that Andrew Marr is Labour

Robert Peston is the son of a Labour Lord I think?

Paxman? etc

If the Tories get in I can't see Chris Grayling being made Home Sec, didn't shine on the home sec debate on BBC 2 today. I don't think any did to be fair, which probably means A Johnson did best as he was defending a record (Labout har on )

Anyone else think that Andrew Neil is really going for the Lib Dems with his questions since last Thursday? Likewise Paxman to a certain extent.

Saw in a paper at work that the Lib Dems are going to let all the illegal immigrants stay here and have a UK passport.

What a terriffic idea.............if you want to lose your deposit at every seat, bunch of loons

Think if its theyve been here for 10 or more years, plus it gets them paying taxs and out of criminal circles...

Peter I attended a meeting yesterday which explained that there are over 250K civil servants in Whitehall. I'll dig out my notes and clarify

And I am not suggesting cutting jobs.

You do it by doing what they do in the USA, put different departments in different cities (states in the USA), reducing London costs, spreading the wealth and talent around the country and not just London!

Happens here to some extent. A lot of the DCSF (education) team are in Darlington.....but then people will only moan about the expenses when they have to travel to other parts of the country for Conferences.

many of the DWP lot are in Sheffield too

Every department with the exception of Home Office, Foreign Office and Treasury, as they have historic links of being in London should be in every city across the UK.

And as for travel expenses for meetings? Video Confrencing?

LJRM - that is what the Labour party is proposing I believe - The Tory party is still very SE centric as we have seen recently though and the London and Home Counties bias will remain with them

Well its my career aim to be a Labour Local Councillor within ten years so I will do my upmost to ensure Brum gets one

Peter I attended a meeting yesterday which explained that there are over 250K civil servants in Whitehall. I'll dig out my notes and clarify

And I am not suggesting cutting jobs.

You do it by doing what they do in the USA, put different departments in different cities (states in the USA), reducing London costs, spreading the wealth and talent around the country and not just London!

They should do what they do / did in Birghton, lottery entry into state schools, then the peer effect can help everyone

I am looking forward to popping along to St James next week for the 2nd leg

I think you'll see a much better Villa Performance too, with the pressure and expectation on Newcastle

but the large city blocks already skew it in Labour's favour anyway?

in terms of voting numbers, the tories scored higher in england than the other parties yet that is never reflected in the votes. Same as the number of LD votes should translate to about another 30-40 more seats iirc.

Hence the Alternative Vote, but reducing the number of MPs no way!

1.) You cut the number of Mp's down.

Why does everyone seem to think this is a good idea? Surely that makes the parilament less representative and it's not a solution for fiddling / corrupt MPs which seems to be the problem that led dave to this solution at least.

This way the Torys would get more share of the vote in their favour as the large number of city constituinceys get broken down.

I disagree with it strongly

Also I find it so hilarious how my Uni Sabbs have all of a sudden joined Vote Tory groups on Facebook, there all private school boys. It just makes me laugh they campaign about tuition fees, the environment and fairness yet they are voting Tory and actually all been appointed to the local Conservative Future campaign team

I had the Mahmood leaflet come today as well. I thought it was addressed to the household but no, apparently it's specifically for me.

Not a chance in hell I'd vote for him. Anyone who's Wiki page has a referenced quote saying he's a bit thick, and also effectively says how high when the Labour says jump is someone I don't think I'd vote for.

I sent all the PPC for Perry Barr the Power 20 Pledges or what ever they are called, only the Lib Dem took time to reply to me...

Dear Lee,

Thank you for writing to me about the Power 2010 campaign, I am delighted to

support the campaign for a reforming Parliament and have signed the pledge.

Liberal Democrats have been calling for wholesale reform of our

Parliamentary system for a long time and I am pleased to say that it is

already our policy to:

Introduce a proportional voting system.

The Liberal Democrats will change politics forever and end safe seats by

introducing a fair, more proportional voting system for MPs, and for the

House of Lords. By giving voters the choice between people as well as

parties, it means they can stick with a party but punish a bad MP by voting

for someone else.

Scrap ID cards and roll back the database state.

Liberal Democrats would scrap ID cards. Getting rid of this illiberal,

expensive and ineffective scheme, will free up money for thousands more

police on our streets. We will also get innocent people off the DNA

Database and scrap the intrusive ContactPoint database which will hold the

details of every child in England.

Replace the House of Lords with an elected chamber.

Liberal Democrats will replace it with a fully elected second chamber with

considerably fewer members than the current House.

Draw up a written constitution.

Liberal Democrats believe that people should have the power to determine

this constitution in a convention made up of members of the public and

parliamentarians of all parties, and subject to final approval in a

referendum.

The only part of the pledge with which I do not agree is the call to "allow

only English MPs to vote on English laws". We need a wider look at the

constitution and our electoral system, rather than creating two types of MPs

at Westminster. I believe that the better approach to solve the anomalies in

the current constitutional settlement is to address the status of England

within a Federal Britain, through the Constitutional Convention set up to

draft a written constitution for the UK as a whole.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact me.

Karen

-----Original Message-----

From: Lee

Sent: 06 April 2010 16:24

To: karen@karenhamilton.org.uk

Subject: A Reforming Parliament

From:

Lee

Dear Sir or Madam,

I live in the constituency you wish to represent in Parliament. As a

candidate in the election you are asking me to vote for you. But I would

first like to know if you understand the need for real change at this

election - or instead want to continue with politics as usual.

Our political system is broken. It has failed its people and its purpose.

But there is a way for you to show that you want change - by signing the

POWER Pledge.

POWER2010 ran the UK's largest ever democratic consultation. Tens of

thousands of people were involved in identifying the people's priorities for

cleaning up and reforming our politics - and over 100,000 votes were cast.

The five most popular reforms became the POWER Pledge. These are:

1. Introduce a proportional voting system

2. Scrap ID cards and roll back the database state

3. Replace the House of Lords with an elected chamber

4. Allow only English MPs to vote on English laws

5. Draw up a written constitution

To sign the POWER Pledge you don't have to agree with all five reforms. All

you have to do is back a majority of the ideas - and then join our call for

a reforming Parliament that will act on them.

If you support at least three of these ideas I urge you to click the link

below to sign the POWER Pledge:

http://www.power2010.org.uk/PPCpledge

If you sign the Pledge your name will be added to a list on the POWER2010

website of PPCs who are willing to stand up for change.

Thank you!

The chancellors had a discussion on the Beeb at lunch.

That was fun.

Once again it amounted to, effectively, 'NO YOU!'.

And the amount of backing up and evidencing of the figures they both come out with they may as well say we should mine Perry Barr as the latest energy source, naturally occuring masala, has been discovered.

On the subject of Perry Barr had Khalid Mahmoods leaflet come through today, its very well put together!

Yes the immigrants in jobs figure is often the same migrant workers doing different temp jobs and it all being added up to reach that sum

James Cann owned the Tory economic policy on Newsnight! Should be viewing for every voter in this country! Explained it better than Labour have to be fair

Deeney was at LB and Captain?

Thought Lampkin was brillant when moved up front

VAT is a regressive tax! It would be reduced to 10% if I ever came to power in a decade or two!

Labour Party: 66%

Liberal Democrats: 55%

Green Party: 53%

Id say that is about right, I am after all a Labour Party Member

With regards the young NUS is majority left. Infact the two top boys are Labour! At my uni the Guardian is the best selling newspaper too!