Policies that have been lost in the phoney war...

[SKII]

What policies are in the manifestos that have caught your eye that have not been given any airing thanks to the phoney war about respective bogeymen and hung parliaments?

There are bound to be a lot of policies in the manifestos that are of interest but have been swept under the carpet of sound bites. Anything of note?

 

[southfieldhibby]

I've looked at The Labour manifesto and it doesn't make any reference to stopping the 3 Billion cuts to the DLA so by default I assume they'll continue with that Tory initiative.The SNP make a very specific pledge, whether they can deliver on that is something else.

so not especially 'sexy', but one of the single most important issues in my house.

 

[SKII]

I've looked at The Labour manifesto and it doesn't make any reference to stopping the 3 Billion cuts to the DLA so by default I assume they'll continue with that Tory initiative.The SNP make a very specific pledge, whether they can deliver on that is something else.

so not especially 'sexy', but one of the single most important issues in my house.

Thanks, this is what I had in mind in starting the thread. In a similar vein, with a veterinary student in our household, some of the animal welfare issues have been discussed in our household in a manner that may not have happened elsewhere. Again, like you said, not "sexy" but of interest nonetheless.

For example, the Tories manifesto includes provision for a free vote on repealing the Hunting Act which outlawed fox hunting. They also have said they will protect methods of religious slaughter, such as shechita and halal.
The Greens want to ban the use of genetically altered animals and ban the culling of badgers as a means of controlling TB.
Labour also want to ban badger culling and introduce a complete ban on the use of wild animals for performance purposes.
UKIP want formal non-stun training and certification for all religious slaughtermen and they will install CCTV in every abattoir and would ban export of live animals for slaughter.
The SNP manifesto has a general paragraph on animal welfare but makes no new specific pledges - more a reiteration of things already being discussed at Holyrood in terms of protecting tuna and reviewing current dog tail docking legislation.

 

[Smurf]

One of the really unfair policies of this current government was to introduce fees of up to 1200 for employment tribunal claimants. And I'm pleased that Labour is pledged to abolish this.

 

[Shades]

One of the really unfair policies of this current government was to introduce fees of up to 1200 for employment tribunal claimants. And I'm pleased that Labour is pledged to abolish this.

I have to agree with this. It's just tories being tories and making justice a tool readily available to the rich but not so to the poor, in the exact same way they would like to make health the preserve of the rich establishment. It's no wonder that "shy" voters are most often tories.

 

[FTJT]

tories and labour have been engaged in an apocalyptic round of one-upmanship with the cancer drugs fund - it's basically a billion quid blank cheque to pharmaceutical companies for expensive placebos - because cancer is bad

 

[SKII]

I've looked at The Labour manifesto and it doesn't make any reference to stopping the 3 Billion cuts to the DLA so by default I assume they'll continue with that Tory initiative.

the Tories manifesto includes provision for a free vote on repealing the Hunting Act which outlawed fox hunting.

One of the really unfair policies of this current government was to introduce fees of up to 1200 for employment tribunal claimants. And I'm pleased that Labour is pledged to abolish this.

Bringing this back to the fore and looking at the Tory policies mentioned above...the disabled, the dismissed and the foxes are all going to be affected one way or another.

 

[egb_hibs]

Bringing this back to the fore and looking at the Tory policies mentioned above...the disabled, the dismissed and the foxes are all going to be affected one way or another.

The foxes one is - at the risk of drawing more Fire than I already have tonight - interesting. When I was younger and knew so much more than I do now this seemed like a no brainer. But in the years since where I have read more and therefore known less, the impact on rural communities and indeed on maintenance of livestock from fox hunting and other countries 'pursuits' being banned has given me pause for thought at least.

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In cowshed days of yore I used to joke that labour would shut the mines these days to please a middle class green agenda. Now the guardians 'keep it in the ground' campaign is seeking to prevent mining reemerging alongside other such things.

There are fundamental tensions between the interests of regular workers and the interests of the great and the good. This doesn't autmatically decide who is right - but it is a shame that the workers aren't well represented in the debate

 

[southfieldhibby]

The foxes one is - at the risk of drawing more Fire than I already have tonight - interesting. When I was younger and knew so much more than I do now this seemed like a no brainer. But in the years since where I have read more and therefore known less, the impact on rural communities and indeed on maintenance of livestock from fox hunting and other countries 'pursuits' being banned has given me pause for thought at least.

Isn't that just an excuse though? The rural community uses to allow this pretty cruel practice. Is badger baiting acceptable? I struggle to draw a distinction

 

[Shades]

The foxes one is - at the risk of drawing more Fire than I already have tonight - interesting. When I was younger and knew so much more than I do now this seemed like a no brainer. But in the years since where I have read more and therefore known less, the impact on rural communities and indeed on maintenance of livestock from fox hunting and other countries 'pursuits' being banned has given me pause for thought at least.

So when Rabbits were decimating vegetable crops, why didn't we all jump on horses in faux military gear and shoot them?

 

[egb_hibs]

So when Rabbits were decimating vegetable crops, why didn't we all jump on horses in faux military gear and shoot them?

Good question. :coffee:

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Isn't that just an excuse though? The rural community uses to allow this pretty cruel practice. Is badger baiting acceptable? I struggle to draw a distinction

I'm not claiming expertise - just acknowledging its more complex than I would once have allowed. The pro- traditional practices sorts argue that badgers spread TB to live stock. That still leaves baiting fairly indefensible to my mind though I'm not aware of counter arguments. I have read in respect of fox hunting that purportedly more humane methods leave more wounded animals who - it is argued - both suffer more and are a danger to easy prey of livestock in their injured condition which leaves them unable to pursue harder targets

 

[southfieldhibby]

Good question. :coffee:

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I'm not claiming expertise - just acknowledging its more complex than I would once have allowed. The pro- traditional practices sorts argue that badgers spread TB to live stock. That still leaves baiting fairly indefensible to my mind though I'm not aware of counter arguments. I have read in respect of fox hunting that purportedly more humane methods leave more wounded animals who - it is argued - both suffer more and are a danger to easy prey of livestock in their injured condition which leaves them unable to pursue harder targets

I claim no expertise either, but it's pretty obvious it's cruel and unnecessary. There are clearly more humane ways if protecting livestock is the genuine concern.

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Bringing this back to the fore and looking at the Tory policies mentioned above...the disabled, the dismissed and the foxes are all going to be affected one way or another.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/hours-after-the-election-the-dwp-says-it-is-looking-to-cut-a-disabled-access-to-work-scheme-10237191.html

And yet another example of the cuts hitting the most needy.Labour might be the personification of an omni-shambles, but they wouldn't be doing things like this.

Which brings me back to my recent mantra of FFS England, look what you've done.

 

[SKII]

I'm not claiming expertise - just acknowledging its more complex than I would once have allowed. The pro- traditional practices sorts argue that badgers spread TB to live stock. That still leaves baiting fairly indefensible to my mind though I'm not aware of counter arguments.

Badgers do spread TB but there is now a move to vaccinate them after trials proved very successful in reducing TB in the species. They've committed 20 million over five years to roll out effective cattle and oral badger vaccines as soon as possible.

The British Veterinary Association stance on the matter is as follows:

BVA believes that it has not been demonstrated conclusively that controlled shooting can be carried out effectively and humanely based on the criteria that were set for the pilots. Nor are we confident that the effectiveness and humaneness can be significantly further improved, despite Defras assurances after the first year of culling. We therefore do not support the continued use of controlled shooting as part of the badger control policy.

 

[egb_hibs]

I claim no expertise either, but it's pretty obvious it's cruel and unnecessary. There are clearly more humane ways if protecting livestock is the genuine concern.

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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/hours-after-the-election-the-dwp-says-it-is-looking-to-cut-a-disabled-access-to-work-scheme-10237191.html

And yet another example of the cuts hitting the most needy.Labour might be the personification of an omni-shambles, but they wouldn't be doing things like this.

Which brings me back to my recent mantra of FFS England, look what you've done.

On the other hand;

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/400-more-disabled-people-in-work-every-day