2015 Election season ..........stuff it in here.

[GaelicFox]

http://www.liberal.org.uk/

 

These are the true Liberal party if anyone is interested.They would not get into bed with a Tory or Labour come to think of it.

Never heard of them ...some good policies

[Guest Kopfkino]

Found out today that Natalie Bennett is standing in the seat where I'll be living whilst at uni. Thankfully she won't get in, can't be going from one shit MP to my 'idea of hell' MP

[Rincewind]

Never heard of them ...some good policies

they were the original liberals in the 70's some made pacts with the Labour party and formed the SDP and the lib Dems. there were some who refused and drifted out of the limelight. I only found out last year when I replied to a tweet remarking siding with the opposition and they Tweeted back to say they had nothing to do with the LD. I just wish they were known about. I am sure disillusioned LD voters would turn to them.

[MooseBreath]

they were the original liberals in the 70's some made pacts with the Labour party and formed the SDP and the lib Dems. there were some who refused and drifted out of the limelight. I only found out last year when I replied to a tweet remarking siding with the opposition and they Tweeted back to say they had nothing to do with the LD. I just wish they were known about. I am sure disillusioned LD voters would turn to them.

Which of their policies do you like?

[Rincewind]

A Liberal Party Policy Statement

 

Education

• Local Management of Schools (LMS)
• The National Curriculum, Ofsted and SATS
• TeachersNursery Schools
• Pre School education
• Primary and Secondary education
• Further and Higher education
• The needs of students
• Private Schools

Liberal education policy is designed as a lifelong process to maximize the capability and self-fulfilment of individuals, thereby maximising their full potential, and enriching their lives, together with that of the community of which each is a part.

Liberals believe that education should be seen as a form of empowerment rather than as something that is done to the learner, and be regarded as an on going entitlement, with access not restricted by age.

The Liberal belief in the concept of community and the freedom of the individual recognizes that:

1. a) the differing advantages of small and large schools can be brought together by structuring the system to provide schools organised on a collegiate basis, with the aim of sharing facilities and providing a wider range of courses, in particular the utilisation of new technology;
2. b) many areas have diverse needs and cultures and there are many poor and disadvantaged communities requiring additional help to ensure they receive a fair education;
3. c) while Liberals support an education system developed along comprehensive lines, the local community must be left to decide what sort of schools are best for them, and the mix of subjects to be taught.
4. d) small community schools, with relevant shared resources, are preferable to large impersonal institutions;

Local Management of Schools (LMS)

The Liberal Party believes that, as presently organised, the system is not working. There is a shortage of governors with the necessary skills and time to spare on a voluntary basis; budget constraints are leading to the recruitment of probationers in preference to experienced teachers; funds are not sufficient for the refurbishment of deteriorating buildings; and valuable teacher time is absorbed in administration and management tasks for which the teachers are mostly untrained.

Nonetheless we consider that some decisions are most appropriately made in each local school. Accordingly we call for a radical reform of the LMS rules to include:

1. a capital investment programme to address the issue of old and neglected buildings;
2. returning responsibility for the staffing structure and pay scales, but not recruitment, to local education authorities;
3. the introduction of management training programmes for teachers and governors, sourced at local level to enable schools to choose courses appropriate to their particular needs;
4. the removal of the element of competition between schools which works through the use of a funding formula related to pupil numbers.

The interests of pupils can best be served by schools funded and supported by Local Education Authorities, that the role of the LEA should be an “enabling” role, and that no schools should be allowed to “opt out” of LEA control.

The enforcement of regulations currently restricted to the work place should also be extend to educational establishments. An extensive programme of refurbishment and replacement of many of our decrepit school buildings is urgently needed which will further create opportunities for community facilities and adoption of new, energy saving building techniques.

The National Curriculum, Ofsted and SATS

Liberals oppose the principle of a national curriculum, believing it to be a dangerous

concentration of power in the hands of the Secretary of State for Education.

1. the National Curriculum should be replaced with a framework on which local authorities and schools can build to best meet the needs of the pupils within their jurisdiction;
2. older pupils should be offered a wider choice of subjects and choice from a greater diversity of topics within subjects;
3. testing should be reduced to a necessary minimum in order to remove unnecessary pressure on pupils and staff and to reduce the current waste of time and resources on such testing;
4. the whole package of Ofsted, Sats and “league tables” should be abolished forthwith;
5. there must be greater involvement of teaching staff, governors, parents and the local community in the planning and delivery of a curriculum which is relevant to the needs of the children, and in the actual management of schools;

Teachers

Sustained investment in teaching staff and facilities is vital for the future of our schools and Liberals envisage that extra funds will be required for the payment of teachers and for equipment.

There is a need act to improve the morale of teaching staff. We believe this could be best achieved by the creation of an independent review body which would introduce a unified structure for salaries and career grades to reflect the importance we attach to education. Contracts of employment guaranteeing academic freedom should be introduced for all teachers and lecturers, together with a system of appraisal, developed in consultation with the profession, to improve the calibre of teaching.

Nursery schools

Liberals call for the rapid expansion of nursery education, not so much as an aid to working parents, but more in response to the social education needs of the children themselves, for whom such provision lays a good foundation for all that may follow. We feel it is useful to have nursery provision on the same site as infant schools so as to promote an easy transition to the latter.

Pre School Education

Liberals are concerned by recent research undertaken in this country and in the USA which indicates that teaching 4-6 years olds to read and write and master simple arithmetic may be damaging and counter-productive; may permanently disadvantage as many as one third of our children and may explain our declining educational performance relative to other countries, the escalating gender gap in education and a rising numbers of disaffected young males, especially in deprived areas. Liberals consider that the National Curriculum and its pre-occupation with achieving numeracy and literacy at the earliest possible age could be making matters worse.

Accordingly, we propose a comprehensive and urgent study into the concept of “Pre-school” education for 3-5 year olds in which children are taught attention listening and memory skills, appropriate group behaviour, conceptual understanding and phonological and motor skills. Liberals note that this approach, otherwise known as the “Central European Model”, does not educate children, rather it prepares them for education, and evidence of its working in Hungary, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan, Taiwan and Korea suggests a low rate of disaffection in the later stages of formal primary education and a more comprehensive grasp of literacy and numeracy.

Primary and Secondary education

It is vital that primary and secondary education have the resources they need, since, unless our children are taught the basic educational and social skills during their formative years, monies spent on further education without that bedrock of learning will be wasted.

Liberals believe there should be an emphasis on numeracy and literacy in early learning years.

Liberals believe that there should be a legal maximum of thirty pupils per class.

Liberals believe that consultation with school students has been haphazard or neglected. One of the aims of a Liberal education policy is to give pupils more choice of subjects and of topics within subjects and at a younger age. Liberals therefore call for the establishment of elected student councils in secondary schools with rights to consultation on such matters as uniform, meals, start, finish and break times, and bullying.

[MooseBreath]

Which part of that do you like in particular?

Any other policies you like?

[Strokes]

http://www.liberal.org.uk/

These are the true Liberal party if anyone is interested.They would not get into bed with a Tory or Labour come to think of it.

Just children then.

[sphericalfox]

Just children then.

 

The Tory party then?

[davieG]

Former Liberal leader Lord Steel has said he doubts Liberal Democrat members will want to be part of a coalition after May's general election.

He told the BBC "the most" Lib Dems would accept in another hung parliament is a confidence and supply deal - where policies are agreed on a case-by-case basis, rather than a formal coalition.

There was a "feeling" the party needed to "recharge our values", he said.

Lord Steel added: "Association with another party is not the way to do it."

With polls predicting no clear winner at May's general election, the Liberal Democrats could be called upon to shore up a Conservative or Labour-led government, says BBC parliamentary reporter Rebecca Keating.

Lord Steel told the BBC's parliamentary programme The Week in Parliament: "I'm pretty certain that the mood in the party will be to say the very most we would accept would be confidence and supply.

"I just detect that there's a general feeling that we need to recharge our batteries and recharge our values and that association with another party is not the way to do it."

Minority government

Lord Steel, who was leader of the Liberal Party until it merged with the Social Democratic Party to form the Lib Dems in 1988, said he did not think there would be a mood in the party to go into another coalition with either the Conservatives or Labour.

He said: "What's more, I think in the other two parties if you examine what's happened a lot of David Cameron's Tories want a Tory-only government, even if it's a minority one, and similarly on the Labour side.

"So I suspect if you have to look into the crystal ball that we're going to get a minority government which will have a multitude of minorities in the parliament, which is something new, and they'll be able to play one off against the other.

"There's no reason why it shouldn't succeed."

Asked about the possibility of a change of leadership in the party after the poll, Lord Steel said: "We mustn't start pushing Nick Clegg out the window until we've actually had the election."

Mr Clegg, when asked earlier this week if he would miss being deputy prime minister, said that he "very much hoped the Liberal Democrats would be back in government".

The Scottish Liberal Democrats spring conference is currently taking place in Aberdeen.

Addressing the conference on Friday, Mr Clegg also said his party "will do so much better than anyone thinks" at the general election.

"It won't be easy, but winning shouldn't be," he added.

[lavrentis]

Watching Russell Brand's Trews News and I like it what is going on

[Buce]

Tory sleaze this time:

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32005848

You can't trust any of them.

[cityfanlee23]

Tory sleaze this time:

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32005848

You can't trust any of them.

Get a grip buce

[Guest Bilo]

Get a grip buce

 

Is that cityfanlee23 speak for 'That's too inconvenient, please take it away?'

[Buce]

Get a grip buce

You approve of sleaze, Lee? Or only Tory sleaze?

[Strokes]

Vote for who you despise least.

[Webbo]

It's strange how you never get " Daily fail" when it's tories being exposed. 

[cityfanlee23]

You approve of sleaze, Lee? Or only Tory sleaze?

I deal in fact not allegation.

Let's wait and see if it's proven shall we?

Last week Adam Johnson was a convicted Paedophile, now he's been released on bail due to insufficient evidence and ongoing investigation. Not as clear cut as the papers made out at the time.

If it comes out as proof that this has been done, I'll condemn it, but I could find a list of stuff that labour have reportedly done in the past and present. Most of which was actually true.

- For example the chancellors fixing the budget scandals, let's not get into a debate about trusting the tories.

- 1997 Tony blair taking a 1m payment from Bernie Ecclestone to allow F1 to keep tobacco sponsorships.

- In 2001 when Jo Moore disgracefully tried to use the september 11th twin tower attacks to hide council expenses TWICE forcing her to resign. 

- John prescott using public finances during his affair with his secretary in 2006

- The cash for influence scandal 2009

- The MP expenses scandal which has been during every government, Labour more than others.

- Cash for influence scandal 2010

 

Shall I go on?

You can't really "trust" any of them... But you've clearly come on here just to try to spout drivel about how bad the Tories are Blah blah blah. When every party is the same in their own way.

Let's wait and see if it all comes out as true. Then I'll condemn it if it does.

[Jimothy]

I like how he's used the Johnny Evans defence, of even though it's on video, denying it ever happen.

Loving the fact Dapper Laughs has told Buce to get a grip but hasn't actually discussed it, or argued against it.

[sphericalfox]

It's strange how you never get " Daily fail" when it's tories being exposed. 

 

The odd objective story when they act like journalists? I think the stank to journalism ratio lets them keep their moniker.

[Buce]

I deal in fact...

.

Like your 'facts' about the Belgrano? Priceless!

And what part of 'any of them' don't you understand?

[Guest Bilo]

I deal in fact not allegation.

Let's wait and see if it's proven shall we?

Last week Adam Johnson was a convicted Paedophile, now he's been released on bail due to insufficient evidence and ongoing investigation. Not as clear cut as the papers made out at the time.

If it comes out as proof that this has been done, I'll condemn it, but I could find a list of stuff that labour have reportedly done in the past and present. Most of which was actually true.

- For example the chancellors fixing the budget scandals, let's not get into a debate about trusting the tories.

- 1997 Tony blair taking a 1m payment from Bernie Ecclestone to allow F1 to keep tobacco sponsorships.

- In 2001 when Jo Moore disgracefully tried to use the september 11th twin tower attacks to hide council expenses TWICE forcing her to resign. 

- John prescott using public finances during his affair with his secretary in 2006

- The cash for influence scandal 2009

- The MP expenses scandal which has been during every government, Labour more than others.

- Cash for influence scandal 2010

 

Shall I go on?

You can't really "trust" any of them... But you've clearly come on here just to try to spout drivel about how bad the Tories are Blah blah blah. When every party is the same in their own way.

Let's wait and see if it all comes out as true. Then I'll condemn it if it does.

 

He's been caught on camera!

 

What more evidence would you like?

[cityfanlee23]

Like your 'facts' about the Belgrano? Priceless!

And what part of 'any of them' don't you understand?

 

I've edited the post for you with a few more, Let's talk about not trusting tories?

 

Yeah my FACTS from the Belgrano came from official investigations and military dossiers. of all the sources posted I'd say mine was most credible.

Let's not get into that again.

[cityfanlee23]

He's been caught on camera!

 

What more evidence would you like?

 

 

If the proof is released and he is sacked then fine, I'll condemn the idiot for even attempting what he has been accused of..

My point was that Buce is attacking Tories, when labour have some of the biggest scandals in political history!

 

 

Edit - Just seen a video on daily mail site which seems that it may be true, there is no video just audio though not sure why... 

But it seems he has been a complete tool, So i'll happily retract my statement with regard to that situation, Sorry Buce, 

 

The point still stands on who we can "trust" 

[Buce]

Yeah my FACTS from the Belgrano came from official investigations and military dossiers. of all the sources posted I'd say mine was most credible.

Let's not get into that again.

Do you suffer with memory problems? You claimed as 'fact' that the Belgrano was sunk after we'd had 6 ships sunk. No wonder you don't want to get into it again...

And I'll ask you again, since you ignored it last time: What part of 'any of them' don't you understand? (the clue is in italics since you need the help).

[Guest Bilo]

If the proof is released and he is sacked then fine, I'll condemn the idiot for even attempting what he has been accused of..

My point was that Buce is attacking Tories, when labour have some of the biggest scandals in political history!

 

 

Edit - Just seen a video on daily mail site which seems that it may be true, there is no video just audio though not sure why... 

But it seems he has been a complete tool, So i'll happily retract my statement with regard to that situation, Sorry Buce, 

 

The point still stands on who we can "trust" 

 

 IT HAS BEEN RELEASED WHICH IS WHY HE HAS BEEN SUSPENDED AS THE TORY PARTY CANDIDATE FOR DUDLEY NORTH WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT