Who should lead the Tories?

[chris blanc]

Cultures? What does that matter? they will all bow under my mighty foot and promise of page 3 women and wham bars

[Colin, Germany]

A currency is not part of the national culture. A single currency is part of being in one trading block. It just makes it easier to trade with other countries in the trading block. The euro coins have symbols of the fifteen participating nations on them. That is national culture. So the euro is a trading block currency combined with national culture.

 

As to there being differences in culture between various regions in the U.K., this is also the case in other countries in Europe. The Bavarian culture is different from the Prussian culture, the Sicilian culture is different from the South Tirol culture, the Réunion culture is different from the Normandy culture.

[Mr Happy]

I still think there is too greater a culture gap in Europe for political union. The way we live differs gratly. Just an example is home ownership. this is seen as being important in the UK and home owners will always want government to support them. However, in France, there is far less home ownership with many preffering to rent.

 

With regards to the currency situation, it is easy to want a single currnecy so that people do not have to keep changing money up. However, my problem is more related to economics at a higher level. I do not want to see Europe have control over the UK economy and set our interest rates and have more say in taxation. Economically, the UK has performed very well in recent years giving low unemployment etc whilst many continental countries have been struggling.

 

I also object to British tax payers money going to support the worse off places in Europe (southern Italy, Ireland etc). If we are to give foreign aid (which is what this really is) I want it to go to countries that we have f***** up in the third world in the past.

[pabird]

I am with you Mr H but in simpler terms the Euro has never improved the fiscal wellbeing of any country todate but has had a detrimental effect on the wellbeing of the inhabitants of several member states

Why? join, selfish! yes and about time this country was selfish on behalf of its people

We are a low pay high tax economy and the high tax is becoming a nonsense, enough is enough in the goodwill stakes

[Urchin Boy]

What About The Monster Raving Looney Party ? Lol

[Colin, Germany]

I do not want convergence in taxation. Every country should decide for itself what its taxation policy is. However, the constraints of keeping within the agreed limits in order to increase confidence in the euro and to avoid inflation are better solutions than letting the U.K. government decide whether to inflate the national currency and spend more than the country is receiving in order to win an election and leave the country in another mess for the next government to sort out.

 

I agree that aid should not be going to the poorer regions of the E.U. because they are far richer than the countries bordering on the E.U. and the Mediterranean Sea, and they in turn are far richer than the countries that they border on.

 

The culture gap in home ownership is mainly caused by tax breaks and inflation. When people get a tax break and a huge profit out of inflation by borrowing lots of money to buy a house, that is what they are going to do.

[pabird]

Colin I will only pick you up on one issue

Home ownership is about (for many) knocking your self silly working 7 days a week and losing out on all sorts of family treats to ensure the future for yourself and your family

Do I mean I resent people who choose to be housed by their local council,no.

Do I mean that any government who wants to take a tax from the profit generated by all that bloody hard work and risk taken in accepting that degree of self responsibility is taking an unfair piss taking liberty, too bloody right

The people who lean on the nanny state are alright by me but they must not object to risk taking hard grafting people who in the pursuit of a secure future eventually make a profit

[The Invisible Man]

Eventually make a profit? Hardly. We have the nonsense of the "property ladder" whereby you have to buy a little house or flat with the sole intention of flogging it 2 to 3 years later at a handsome profit, in order to buy another the next size up, and so on. This causes housing shortages, inflation and endlessly rising house prices, and is now pricing young first time buyers out of the market.

 

This is also no longer merely an option, as council houses are a thing of the past.

 

Unfortunately renting in the private sector is even more expensive than buying due to the housing shortage. If rented accommodation was available at reasonable prices, people would have more money to spend and enjoy a better life, would eat out more more example, instead of having to spend their lives working to pay a mortgage. This in turn would drive the economy. As it is many people have such high mortgages they can afford to do nothing but sit in their house!

 

There is more to life than that.

 

 

[Halifax Lass]

Oh Invis I couldn't agree more! If only with your last little paragraph!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

[Urchin Boy]

Whats Wrong With The Monster Raving Looney Party ? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[CANV EFM]

dont fight the free market.. dont fight supply an demand.. eventually you will come second .. the longer you fight the realities of life the harder the smack in the face is when the natural balance is resumed...

low tax, self determination, reward hard work , care for the needy, fk the lazy..