main issues facing britain and how do partys compare

[jonny2mad]

what do you feel are the main issues that will be facing britain, is it population, energy production, making the country more equal, those are just some possibility's .

And how do you think the various party's compare , our ideas of what will be the important issues may be vastly different from the man in the street who thinks of things pretty much as business as usual .

I went to a local meeting where people were asking their prospective mp questions and it was like now what are you going to do about parking yes thats a very important issue we need to have more parking spaces or the towns economy wont grow ......

where I live parking really isn't that bad as it is...and Id say the economy isn't going to grow

[nexus]

You clearly haven't been paying attention J2M

........without parking there's no shopping.........

[Quintus]

I saw a poll about 4-5 weeks ago that said 50% of the population think there is no need for cuts and another 25% think that the necessary cuts can be via efficiency savings and the elimination of waste. If this poll reflects what people are really thinking (?!) it’s no surprise they imagine that parking and dog fouling are among the top problems.

Short-term one of the main issues is preventing the collapse of the economy (Iceland style); mid-term we have to live without massive borrowings (it will be like a drug addict going cold turkey) but without sending the economy into a depression.

In the long-run the west (c.800m people) has dominated the use of the world’s resources and will now have to get used to another 3bn (+) having a piece of the action. What we don’t know is how such a shock to western lifestyles and culture can be managed so we are able to maintain global peace and orderly, contented communities at home.

[snow hope]

What we don’t know is how such a shock to western lifestyles and culture can be managed so we are able to maintain global peace and orderly, contented communities at home.

I don't think it can.

To try and answer J2M's question,

1. How (or can) the country avoid a depression / going bust, considering the vast amount of money we owe?

2. Considering the spending cuts and the tax increases that are going to made in the coming year(s), how will we cope with the number of companies going bust and the large increase in unemployment that will result?

3. When hundred of thousands of people default on their mortgages what will happen?

4. What will happen to benefits when the amount of claimants double, tripe, quadruple?

5. How will we cope when (hundreds of) thousands of people no longer have the money to buy food?

6. Now that the North Sea oil and gas has declined so quickly and we no longer can export any, how will we afford to import the energy we need to keep companies and homes going?

7. How will society behave when everything starts to go into short supply as the economy goes tits up?

8. Will there be a violent period as people fend for themselves and try to ensure they can get access to food when the supply-chain breaks/stops?

9. As the BAU we are familiar with fails - shortages occur, pensions stop, benefits stop, employment drops (thus incomes), law and order breaks down, will any Govt. be able to do anything to arrest the mayhem?

Just my worst case thoughts......

[emordnilap]

Just watched John Gormley (leader, Irish Green party) on the Late, Late Show (RTÉ) and he floundered and looked guilty and got cornered and generally didn't do very well.

He did, however, promise economic growth next year! We're saved!

WTF am I a member of that party?

[JohnB]

He did, however, promise 'growth' next year! We're saved!

Of course they'll be growth next year. Trees, vegetables, fruit......

[emordnilap]

Grrr. Edited. Tee hee.

[Quintus]

He did, however, promise 'growth' next year! We're saved!

It might be a good idea to start weening people off the concept of measuring purely GDP and growth - and the idea that we're all going to be better off every year. It will be a lot less depressing for everybody as time goes by.

Here's one idea:

Genuine Progress Indicator

We believe that if policymakers measure what really matters to people—health care, safety, a clean environment, and other indicators of well-being—economic policy would naturally shift towards sustainability.

Redefining Progress created the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) in 1995 as an alternative to the gross domestic product (GDP). The GPI enables policymakers at the national, state, regional, or local level to measure how well their citizens are doing both economically and socially.

http://www.rprogress.org/sustainability ... icator.htm

[emordnilap]

He did, however, promise 'growth' next year! We're saved!

It might be a good idea to start weening people off the concept of measuring purely GDP and growth

Per-zactly, I agree. But my point was that green out of government and green in government are two totally different and unrelated colours.

[biffvernon]

It might be a good idea to start weening people off the concept of measuring purely GDP and growth - and the idea that we're all going to be better off every year.

Maybe we will be better off each year - but in a different way. With less paid work we'll have more time to tend our allotments and grow better food. Less aviation means no more taking one's shoes off in queues and not being able to hear people when sitting in the garden.

We need to think about all the good aspects of the end of civilization and make sure they outweigh the negatives.

[snow hope]

It might be a good idea to start weening people off the concept of measuring purely GDP and growth - and the idea that we're all going to be better off every year.

Maybe we will be better off each year - but in a different way. With less paid work we'll have more time to tend our allotments and grow better food. Less aviation means no more taking one's shoes off in queues and not being able to hear people when sitting in the garden.

We need to think about all the good aspects of the end of civilization and make sure they outweigh the negatives.

In order to cope successfully with the changes that are coming, I think you both make an excellent point We have to change our mindsets. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the successful people in the future will be the ones who can achieve a mindset change along the lines of what is mentioned above.

The least successful will be unable to change their mindset.

I would say folks on here will generally be good at changing their mindset in fact a lot have already achieved it to a considerable degree!

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." Thomas Jefferson

[JohnB]

Useful summary of the parties environment policies from Good Energy
http://good-energy.typepad.com/greenene ... -vote.html