Election promises: Wi-Fi chain gangs and maximum wage

The big three are not the only parties in the coming general election. Here are some highlights the other allegedly sensible parties might have in store for us if elected. First up, the Green Party, which might just steal a seat in the Brighton Pavilion constituency. Their manifesto (pdf), like those of the Lib Dems and Labour …

[Marvin the Martian]

Why bother looking at the UKIP manifesto?

Lord Pearson definitely didn't --- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8631146.stm --- even while happily appearing on the Beeb to be interviewed about his manifesto.

[Anonymous Coward]

UKIP = National Socialist

Withdraw from European Convention on Human Rights? This is nothing to do with the EU; this treaty was drawn up (mainly by Britain) after WWII to prevent states from oppressing individuals and minorities (like homosexuals and Jews).

I used to think that UKIP were the BNP for people with detached houses, but they seem to be something much worse.

[Anonymous Coward]

ECHR

The problems with the ECHR are manifest. For example, they can be used to stop the British government from deporting refugees whose asylum claims have been rejected. UKIP has explicitly committed to a British Bill of Rights. Certainly they're further from being National Socialists than any other party standing. There's nothing remotely socialist about their manifesto, nothing that backs corporates over small business and plenty about reining in the power of the state. I suppose you might call them Nazis if you were intellectually lazy and looking for an over-worked metaphor to describe people who you disagree with. Par for the course from the Left.

No, if you want to find the Nazis, you need to look at the parties who want more government intervention, more control, more subordination to unelected EU bureaucrats and British quangos.

[DominicT]

UKIP and BNP?

I'm not sure it's fair to compare UKIP and the BNP, both single-issue xenophobe parties, to the Greens, who are a progressive party with actually through-through policies (whether you agree with them or not). It says a lot that the BNP haven't even bothered with a manifesto, really.

[Graham Marsden]

If you'd prefer to vote for policies, rather than a party...

Take a look at http://voteforpolicies.org.uk/ and see which of the policy sets there appeals most to your views.

(NB I'd strongly recommend clicking on the "Show more policy points from this set" because there are some nasty ones hidden below the "headline" policies")

[blackworx]

Re: voteforpolicies.org.uk

Privacy is not included - there's not a single mention of ID cards/NIR/IMP. And defence doesn't get a look in either.

[Code Monkey]

The Vote Now Show...

...put it wonderfully a few days ago: "UKIP launched their manifesto today. Well we say manifesto, it was a picture of Belgium with a penis drawn on it."

[LuMan]

Green - perhaps around the gills..

So, minimum and maximum wages. Interesting. No matter how hard (or long in some cases) I work, I'll only get paid the same as someone else, in a similar industry, doing less work. What was it that was mentioned:

"an equal society is a happier society."

Ah yes. I think this has been tried before. In those days we called it Communism. Perhaps we really DO have to step back a bit to gain momentum.

[Code Monkey]

Maximum Wage

"So, minimum and maximum wages. Interesting. No matter how hard (or long in some cases) I work, I'll only get paid the same as someone else, in a similar industry, doing less work."

Playing devil's advocate here: so why work so hard? Maybe you could finish work on time, go to the park or see a bit more of the family. You know, work to live and all that?

[LuMan]

Oh dear

Well, perhaps you're right. And judging by the pattern of thumbs up and thumbs down these posts have got it would appear that hard workers (like me - honest) are in the minority. Perhaps I should stop commenting during my lunchbreak and start doing when the company's paying me!!

Seriously, though, we're in enough of a state thanks to lazy, scrounging bastards in this country. Perhaps if more were made of that fact that hard work = better rewards some people may start pulling their fingers out.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Vote UKIP...

...if you're scared of Belgians.

(Joke icon but now I'm not so sure)

[Uncle Slacky]

Maximum wage makes sense...

...if it's a multiple of the minimum wage. That way, if bosses want a nice fat pay rise, they'll have to up the minimum that they pay their staff as well.

Of course, in reality anywage rise at the top end would be disguised as bonuses to get around it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Already done I believe

Civil Service is implementing this I believe.

My only worry is it's borderline towards communism. Let min_pay = max_pay and you're there.

[Uncle Slacky]

Studies show...

...that happier societies are those with smaller income inequalities (contrast e.g. Scandinavian countries with the USA, for example). Certainly a differential should be maintained to encourage aspiration, but wage *rises* would then benefit everyone to some degree.

[JohnG]

Maximum wage

People at the top tend to receive substantial sums via share options and the associated dividends. As dividends are unearned income, these would be as exempt from a maximum salary law as they are from National Insurance.

Aside from bonuses, some employees might also receive allowances for accommodation, travel, security, communications, etc.

Of course, those very wealthy people who take no salary but have only unearned income and capital gains would be entirely unaffected.

Nice to see the Greens looking after the very rich.

[John Smith 19]

Plaid Cymru braodband priorities

Imagine. Global access to pix of every sheep in Wales.

A boom to all countryside lovers everywhere.

[Robin]

re: Plaid Cymru braodband [sic] priorities

In Wales we say 'boon' rather than 'boom'.

But well done for being the first person to make a sheep/Wales reference. No, really.

[Anonymous Coward]

Did John make a funny?

Yes he did,

Oh yes he did.

There's a clever boy.

Pratt......

[Mage]

Obviously

If Ireland had stayed in the Union (1922, 1948), the Celts would now be in a position to control Westminster and make England Independent federated Monarchy of Yorkshire, The Home Counties, and the rest. Cornwall would of course be invited to secede from England and joint the Celtic Alliance.

Then the next target would be Brittany and part of Spain. Then the Celts would have a strong voice in Europe. N.I. Could have dual Sovereignty to Ireland and Scotland.

Perhaps the IoM could come in from the non-UK cold and join the Celtic Alliance too. The Channel Is can either stay as they are, be independent, join France or Become part of the United Kingdom Of Yorkshire, England, Gibraltar, Falklands and CI.

mine's the one with a celtic fringe on the bottom.

[Anonymous Coward]

Why are the Greens called Watermelons?

Because they're green on the outside and red on the inside...

If you look at the green movement its all the Marxist nutters who are too hardcore for the Labour Party who see the "environmental apocalypse" as the mechanism for imposing their warped world view on the rest of us; they're using the green movement as their original vehicle - Communism hasn’t worked out so well...

If you think I'm exaggerating look up Caroline Lucas' statement that driving as 4x4 is equivalent to stabbing someone in the street...

[Campbeltonian]

My local friendly* UKIP candidate

I had the dubious pleasure of listening to a live debate on Radio Scotland between the candidates standing in my constituency. None of the candidates were particularly outstanding but the UKIP candidate in particular seemed exceedingly dim.

Even the audience, which seemed vastly more Euroskeptic than the general population, didn't seem to warm to her.

Still, maybe she'll succeed in dividing the Tory vote, thus ensuring that the constituency doesn't fall into the hands of the blues.

[Anonymous Coward]

Greens

These would be the Greens who's candidate material for the Euro elections said their candidate lived in Finchley, while the document for the election said she lived outside of London.

I emailed them asking why there was a difference, they never bothered responding. After that I will never vote Green again. I used to be a Green voter too.

[Anonymous Coward]

What you really need to ask yourself is

Not what any of these parties can do for you, but just how much more effective a team of software engineers would be under a New and Fairer New (and improved) Labour government with a fairer new deal for all (especially families though, not those awful single people).

[crypt]

read it

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/partydoc/Socialist_Party_manifesto_2010

[Anonymous Coward]

maximum wage

Not being English, I did not go and read the manifestos. However, the idea of a maximum wage is interesting, if it was done properly. For example, put a cap so that big bank executives who bork up the economy can't get payed 10 000 000 plus benifits on the same year they force millions out of a job.

[John Smith 19]

AC@15:50

If you jam your tongue any further back in your cheek it will get stuck there.