safedriver wrote:
The problem with me and the Conservative policy document is that it was the Conservatives who passed the legislation that they now apparently rail against.
The 1991 act allowing councils to collect shedloads of money from parking 'offences' and the act that allowed automatic camera-based speed limit enforcement all came in under John Major. All that this Labour government has done is further refine the tortures on the motorist.
This may be naive of me, and we will find out when the Conservatives get back into power. But when the Conservatives initially implemented the cameras and parking stuff, presumably they genuinely thought that the policies were going to help (although I'm sure there was also some anti-car sentiment behind it from some supporters).
Whereas since 2000 or so, it's become increasingly obvious that cameras aren't working, and that "decriminalised" parking is being abused by councils to raise money. We know that Labour know this, yet they've done nothing; on the contrary, they've made it worse (e.g. the Traffic Management Act). Hatred of cars, greed and an obsession with controlling us eclipse any wish to save lives and have reasonable, fair, sensible policies.
And this, I hope, is the difference. The Conservatives sometimes get it wrong, to put it mildly. But this Labour government consistently lies to and deceives us. This government has a track record of doing things for itself despite knowing that they're the wrong policies for the people. It has no respect for us, and it doesn't even feel the need to pretend otherwise. (This lack of respect shows itself in all sorts of ways, e.g. losing sensitive data about us, because those who lose it and their superiors just don't care enough.)
As I say, it may be naive, but I'm hoping that a future Conservative government will be less malicious, if not much less inept, than the current lot. I'm not saying they would never pull the wool over our eyes: we can expect the AGW nonsense to continue whoever is in power. But surely, surely they at least won't be any worse overall, and there's a good chance of them being better, if only because they don't want to spend another 12+ years in exile.
If people are going to tell me otherwise then please let me down gently...at times it's the only thing that gives me any cause for optimism regarding this country's politics....

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Paul Smith: a legend.
"The freedom provided by the motor vehicle is not universally applauded, however: there are those who resent the loss of state control over individual choice that the car represents. Such people rarely admit their prejudices openly; instead, they make false or exaggerated claims about the adverse effects of road transport in order to justify calls for higher taxation or restrictions on mobility." (
Conservative Way Forward:
Stop The War Against Drivers)