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sorry cyfr i find it very hard to believe that cameron is compassionate,he says he is but after once i was asked if i knew what conservitive means i was told =conserve for oneself- by a tory m.p. so you'll forgive my cynisism.

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CFR
Unfortunately the Tory party will never be different, they still have the same basic idealogy (and always will have). As for David Cameron having 'compassionate conservative credentials' can a leopard really change its spots.
The Tories will always have the interests of the 'Employers' and the 'Monied Classes' at heart. Look at the way they decried tha minimum wage. I actaully asked Peter Britcliffe (along with the other parliamentary candidates) a question at an open forum meetting brfore the 1997 election, about low apy and the minimum wage. He actaully thought it was ok to pay people extremely low wages - I don't know how he thought they could live on £2.00 an hour (which was the wage rate I quoted as per an advert in Accrington Observer).
Maybe when you go out in to the real world CYR, you will learn just how hard it is for the majority of people in Hyndburn to earn a wage - never mind a decent living wage.

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Which MP was that?

clatonender, what are your comments based on? Of course they can change, look at the past and now, they're completly different. Cameron is fighting a center battle, The last 5 Conservative leaders fought for right-wing policy.

"can a leopard really change its spots."

What sort of question is that, of course it can. Look at all the new modernisers in the Tory party, they helped get Cameron off the starting block as he was once a nobody.
The labour party are no longer the party of the left, are you trying to tell me that party change can't happen? Because it's happened in front of my eyes while I grew up.

Oh and, if Mr Britcliffe did say that, well, what one counciller said back before 1997, dosn't reflect the party as a whole nearly 10 years on.

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Ok, so what Peter Britcliffe said, when he was a parliamentary candidate in 1997, isn't important (or at least as far as you are concerned). If Peter Britcliffe had changed he would be acting on the powers introduced in the 2004 Housing Act, so that private landlords are licensed in Hyndburn. That would be a very local example of 'compassionate Toryism'.
I still maintain that the present Tory leadership are only saying what they think people want to hear - I am sure they haven't changed at all. It is 50 years since I asked my father ( who was an ordinary working man), what was the difference between the parties, and what he said then is still true. The Tories only look after their own kind.
You say that the Labour Party is no longer left wing -are you in touch with the main body of Labour Party members?

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Sorry the server was playing up again

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It seems to me that there is a crucial difference between the changes that Tony Blair brought to the Labour Party and those that David Cameron is seeking to do with the Conservatives. To show that Labour had really changed he forced it to give up something the Party really cared about, namely Clause 4. The change was painful for Labour but it really did change. With David Cameron what we are seeing is the spin of change - we'll know they've really modernised when they've given up on an outdated policy that they really care about; Europhobia would be a good example, but as they are about to pull out of the organisation that all other European Conservative parties are in it looks like Dave's flunked this one!
:engsmil:

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Well, New Labour know all about the'spin of change'....they have used it enough themselves to be able to recognise it.
And what has Europe done for us....precious little from where I stand.......and I for one am against Brussels dictating what we can and cannot do. OK....so you may say that I don't understand the finer points of the EU....so educate me!

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I don't think the bit about Europe was one of Camerons policies? Didn't he say he wanted to pull out of the EPP before he was elected as leader?

Personaly I dislike Europe for anything but trade reasons. We're our own country and no reason why we should be ruled from Europe.

I'm quite happy that he's taken a stance on Europe, not like Mr Blair who let the French/Germans have their way, then give an extra few billion which Thatcher fought hard for. He can only rule so long being a soft touch and trying to make friends, rather than putting down his foot and actualy getting stuff done for our country.

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Double post... you running windows roy? :p

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We'll also know they've changed when the grass roots Conservative members accept the approved ethnic/female weighted candidate lists Cameron is keen for them to adopt, so far with very little success.

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Margaret, I would not attempt to educate anyone on the finer points of the EU as I have not got a clue what they may be.
Its ironic that the only Goverment to sign up for the treaties that have made significant changes as to how Britain is ruled were signed by a Tory Goverment! the Conservatives took this nation into the EEC and signed up to the treaty of Rome, and rubber stamped it by signing a treaty that this country still has to abide to, the Mastrict agreement.
As for Thatcher taking on the EU regarding a refund of contributions her party signed up to in the first place..rather than good old Maggie "swinging " her handbag she was simply going "cap in hand" like a common begger when her cabinet realised the mess they had made of this country's economy

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The mess they made of the economy? What? Previous to Thatcher yeah. She tried to correct it, and it worked, look at the gift that Labour were handed.
The Conservatives took us in to the European Economic Community, but Labour wanted us to be in it too, so you can't try and throw that card :p

Our country dosn't have to abide by anything, we can drop out of the EU if we want, we just have to reverse an act of parliament..

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By my memory.. that is getting slower, the official Labour party line was a vote NO! in 1972. no country has to abide by anything, so whats the line now? the Tory's will relieve us of the power they gave to the EU?

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Just to carry this on.. when has this country ever had the workforce,applied by law, been ristricted to work only 3 days a week? and when was the last time the population had to suffer compulsory power cuts? do I need to tell you? 73 under the Tories!

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No thats not what I said, don't read between the lines. I said that if we wanted to we could pull out, we arn't abided by things against the will of the people.

In 1962 Macmillian (Tory) applied to join EEC, the french vetoed "Britain was not sufficiently European-minded yet to break away from the Commonwealth and accept a common agricultural policy"

In 1967 Wilson (Labour) wanted to join the EEC, the french vetoed "Britain had to improve its economy"

The french president who was rejecting UK applications resigened in 69 and in 1973 Heath joined the EEC.