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Paula to answer your question I ended up in ireland by being born there several years ago and living there ever since. I have to side with Jonnie for the most part as i feel the numbers of "sponging" asylum seekers, although high, are being greatly exaggerated by xenophobic hate-mongers like Kilroy-Silk. From my own experiance most foreign nationals have nothing but the most basic and noblest intentions. I have to admit that the unemployment situation is very different here (officially 0%).

o%! Right I'm on my way...... don't try to stop me

Well thats only the officaial number but when I told that to some people at the job office they gave me a funny look

Paula wrote:I feel I have stumbled across a convention of Social Workers. How is Cambridge nice and unaffected largely by a massive influx of AS/IL.

Whether or not we are one of the richest countries in the world please let the people who are living in sub-standard housing with no dentists, on benefits and no jobs on the horizon know how bloody rich this country is because they don't see it.

Paula, geography is one thing you cannot use to claim authority on the subject over me. I grew up in Camden and spend about half the year studying in Cambridge and half the year in London.

You are right however that even if we are a rich country we have a massive problems of poverty and unemployment. But it would be ridiculous to try and lay this at the feet of asylum seekers or immigrants. Immigrants are *net contributors* to the economy while excluding OAPs asylum seekers claim just 0.5 per cent of all benefits. The problems you mention could be solved if there was genuine redistribution of wealth and an end to the kind of obscene arms expenditure i mentioned earlier (3m a day on nuclear weapons).

Jonnie said: My defence of asylum seekers in no way detracts from my defence of British born poor. Voting Tory to solve the "problem" of asylum & immigration sure as hell ain't gonna help the underclass.

I didn't think it would Jonnie you have a good heart. I won't be voting Tory I never have and I never will but I am so disappointed with Labour.

Ghoti - Duh!!! sorry when you said you were too foriegn I wasn't thinking. I always think of Ireland as part of Britain but you are part of the UK.

Reuben - I am not trying to claim authority on this subject I am just relaying my thoughts from my prospective but once again I am swimming against the current. Perhaps you could let Lizzie know if Camden Lock is all its cracked up to be.

Pete. I have never been more confused with a General Election. Great Yarmouth is Liberal and on tonights news guess what, their MP is on holiday in Spain at his timeshare. So the Anglia reporter has sent him a postcard saying weather raining wish you were here ......Charles Kennedy didn`t comment when asked about the MP. The whole lot is becoming a complete fiasco. I am concerned as to what they are going to do for the disabled as since my recent illness, as I was disabled before I got ill I worked now 50% of our income has gone and with a mortgage...

Smile
I think we need to set up our own party ..one that promotes common sense, decency and respect;
Common sense to apply to all we do.
Decency in the way we do it.
Respect to be gained by respecting others.

That can be the manifesto and everything will follow accordingly.
We can call it the Smile Party

Pete

Puala, i never tend to think of ireland as being part of the U.K (perhaps a symptom of living here on the mainland for so long). Several wars have been fought on this topic, let's not start another one...tony hasn't finished the last one yet . I'm glad to hear you're not voting tory (or UKIP ). Just to clear things up Ireland hasn't been a part of the United Kingdom since 1922.

hey paula

soz for getting a bit OTT there.

yeah camden lock is great - went through a bad patch but i love it.

Reuben

Ghoti - I love the Irish one of my favourite people. Isn't Northern Ireland part of the UK? I know you are from Southern. Maybe you could help me how can you look up Births and Deaths for Southern Ireland in the 1800's.

Reuben - Its my own fault for having different opinions on this subject I expected a bit of flak

Pete if only a party like that existed they would get my vote.

Your Party gets my vote, Pete

But seriously.....

Since the campaigning started I thought I'd better look more at what the Lib Dems offer as a real alternative, silently wishing that there was something there which would entice my vote. I listened to Charles Kennedy today being interviewed on the radio and wasn't inspired at all...too many replies which gave the impression that policies hadn't really been thought through..some very bland comments. Maybe I expected more.

The trouble is I now seem to be able to predict the responses of any politician to the questions offered.... there is little inspiration out there... they are all saying the things we want to hear, but with little conviction.

Yes, I will vote otherwise I can't have my moan and until then I'll keep this fence warm.

Pete

Personally, I will be voting for Lib Dem, even though I voted for Blair first time. To me, this is the only viable choice, even though I'm not sure about their stance on Europe. There is absolutely no way I would vote for Blair after Iraq, and I also feel let down by Ken Livingstone. The only good thing that Labour has done is ban fox-hunting, and I'm sure they won't bother to reinforce thelaw. I would even vote for Howard over Blair, if there were only two choices. However, there IS a third choice, and that's to vote for change, which is what I'll be doing. I respect those who vote Green, but to the best of my knowledge, Lib Dem's environmental policies are pretty good, too.

I think you will split the vote if you vote Lib-Dem and Labour will get in by default. I had high hopes for Ken Livingstone what a wanker he turned out to be.

I will be on the fence with you Pete for a few more days to see if there are any viable options out there.

It appears there are so many people disenchanted with Labour and who cannot bring themselves to vote Tory either, that if they all decided to go for the Lib Dems their vote would not be wasted at all.

If everyone felt their vote wouldn't make any difference then we could end up with more of the same, and a government that felt it had a mandate to continue in the same way. It also depends of course where you live, but some tactical voting could certainly make a difference.