The planned march through Wootton Bassett..
This morning - the unofficial general election campaign begins...so, what do the parties have to do to win your vote? Also on today's programme, the planned march that Anjem Choudary from Islam4UK wants to organise through Wootton Bassett: we'll talk to the Home Office, the police and the council about whether they will give permission for the march to actually go ahead. Also today Avatar - is it brilliant or not - if you've seen it tell us what you think.
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~40~RS~)
Comments
"what do the parties have to do to win your vote?"
Resign!
I don't think there's anything Labour can do to save themselves now so it's a bit of a moot point from that respect - even if they carry on nicking the policies of the other parties (and implementing them badly) they won't get anywhere, and the other parties are playing their policy cards close to their chests so... Whatever the LibDems do they'll always be seen by the majority as palatable in council but have no chance of running the country with their woolly-thinking and yoghurt-knitting policy ideas so it's basically coming down to a one-horse race at the moment. Might as well crack on with the ballot, then, and put us all out of our debt-addled misery.
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I'm sorry but I don't buy the "Tory inheritance tax plan is a tax break for the rich" spin. My mum is on the state pension and is in no way rich, and neither am I - save for having worked to own our own homes, a car, etc. At the moment, for no other reason than asset inflation and life-long prudence (real prudence, not Browns kind of prudence) my mum - or rather, me - will just creep into crippling inheritance tax. Under the Conservative proposals we will get to keep what WE worked for (as in worked, not claimed benefits or asked for hand-outs) and we are but one of many millions of comfortable bu by no means rich families up and down the country. And Gordon talks about aspiration? How about the aspiration to keep for ourselves and pass on to our children what we slaved all our lives to gain and aspire to?
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No party will face the real issues that are affecting this country. Benefits, immigration, crime, education. There is no one who speaks for me.
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I'm inclined to go for the party that stops throwing our money at the worlds waifs and strays and looks to its own first - y'know; actually represents the people who elected it to represent them. Why on earth are we giving money to one of the worlds fastest growing economies, a country that can afford its own space and nuclear programmes...?
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Once again the Conservative Party will appeal to individuals keen on maximising their own finances - They really are the 'I'm alright, Jack' party - and let's put one thing to bed - de-centralisation does not mean better public services, it means privatisation. The private sector is not equipped to run these services for the benefit of the recipients - profit is king and we all know where that has gotten us, don't we?
Labour are a busted flush and Liberal Dems under Clegg, the Cameron wannabe, appear to be desperate to say anything that will bring them any sort of national power.
I despair at the type of Little Englander views that we will hear now. The banks screwed us all. No matter who wins, we will pay. The state will bail out the private banking sector and receive no thanks and no benefits.
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Um, Labour has done more to sneak privatisation into public services, including the NHS, than the Tories or LibDems could hope to dream of.
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Inheritance tax is paid on inherited money over £325,000.
If you 'just creep' into inheritance tax, you will pay tax on only the amount you have 'just crept'. (inheritance tax on an estate of £330,000 is £2,000.) The argument that 'through no fault of your own' you've become liable to inheritance tax is, frankly, silly. You could avoid the tax altogether, if you really wanted to, by selling the property at less than the threshold value. It's like arguing that just because you happen to be good at your job, you are paid more that £37,400 and so have to pay tax at 40%.
As a matter of principle, money earned on increase value of a property that is not your main home is taxable. If I inherit my mother's home, which is likely to be valued at higher than £325,000, why should I feel that that income should be tax free?
Steve
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Ref Cameron's speech, how many sound bites where there?
I say stop the sound bite culture now!!
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If you stop the sound bites, they'd all be struck dumb.
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At 10:22am on 04 Jan 2010, zeldalicious wrote:
No party will face the real issues that are affecting this country. Benefits, immigration, crime, education. There is no one who speaks for me.
agree completely zelda - they are all spineless to confront the real issues.
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and why have cameron and brown been so silent about the Wootton Bassett fiasco
Surely if Gordon can find time to air his views about X-Factor and SuBo, he must have an opinion on this
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Tempus
Get a grip. The Party of Business always sees Government contracts as a cash cow for it's own kind. ''I spy a profit margin, and it's mine.... I spy a tax loop hole and it's mine.... I spy an opportunity to make a bit of cash and it's mine.....''
I do hope that once your secured your 'hard earned' increase to IHT you wont feel guilty when the less fortunate get forgotten, again.
The system must change - party politics must be consigned to the dustbin of history. DC could bring in some sort of highest bidder policy think tank... er,
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I have just woken up and the first two callers i heard said they are not going to vote. This is very misguided as i feel a spoiled ballot paper sends a much more powerful message than apparent apathy. Furthermore, what is the point of having these people on, as i suspect that the moment somebody says they are not going to vote, a lot of what they are go on to say is just white noise for the listeners who will.
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One box on the ballot paper saying 'None of the above' would do. Make the party that wishes to form a government secure at least half of all those who voted - including the NOTA votes...
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I have a grip, thank you. A £1m threshold would benefit my family very nicely. The current threshold doesn't. Seems reasonable to me - the truly rich will pay on their rich estates. Everyone else won't. If you liquidise your inherited assets for less than what they're worth then I might consider following you but as I'm not that daft, perhaps not.
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/tax/inheritance/article.html?in_article_id=495099&in_page_id=78
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Tempus - Oh dear, I hoped you weren't, but you are...
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So the argument that 'its' no fault of your own' that you fall into the inheritance bracket falls down. Would you have preferred that your inheritance had not grown to its current level?
I'm sure a £1 million threshold would benefit your family very nicely. It would also benefit my family very nicely, but we have a responsibility to the wider country, to the well-being of the society in which we live and to those for whom a £1 million threshold is a few noughts away from reality.
No-one likes paying tax. But we all know that there are somethings we must do together, because they would never be done individually. It seems only fair to me that the wealthy should pay more than the comfortably off who should pay more than the struggling who should pay more than the destitute. We all benefit from a strong and secure social safety-net.
Steve
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The yanks jailed the japs in 2nd world war we jailed Germans and Italians it is time the Muslims protesting in this manner is bordering on treason change our laws now we are at war
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Are these the two tory catchphrases for the next 5 months we can all look forward too ?
A) 'We are all in this together.....'
B)' We can't go on like this......'
Tell you what I can't go on listening to anymore of garbage like this.Did anyone else hear Cameron say this is a ' draft 'manifesto ?A 'draft' manifesto ?The tories have been out of power for 12 years and they are still working on ' draft ' manifesto's 5 months before a General Election.A fine example of why we can't trust or still not believe what politicians say or what that will do.
Ever since Thatcher got elected in 1979 with the help of marketing from an advertising agency ( Saatchi and Saatchi )and New Labour ,the same, with mind numbing slogans that if they say it enough times they hope it will sink into voters sub conscious.It is downright pathetic and an insult to peoples intelligence.The politicians continue to sell themselves like a brand of washing powder and it's all getting rather predictable.
Oh good Victoria is reviewing a teenypop group called the Saturdays on her appalling music review.You would think a presenter nearing middle age would have better taste or selection in music, instead of choosing to review manufactured chart bound music for 5 year old kids.If you are going to continue with a music review widen the scope of it a bit will you please to incude us oldies.I take you are not all ageist on this programme?
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Btw the New Labour politician, on your show, Gisela Stuart, is my MP.
I wrote to her several times about the 10p tax rate ( which Brown introduced for low paid workers )being abolished and how it would affect millions of low paid workers and low income earners.She would not acknowledge this fact at all and several times I received a letter saying there was nothing she could do and she lectured me why.Funny that because this government then had to reverse this decision with tax rebates and the rising of personal allowance for those who lost out.Thats how much they take notice of us.
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Hi Victoria, I'm a great fan of your radio programme and regularly listen in to the engaging daily debates, it makes my journey in to work all the more bearable.
I listened in with interest on the debate with Nicky Campbell this morning about the planned march by Islam4UK at Wootton Bassett. I think the town/village is a victim of its own success and is an example of the politicising effect of the media. As soon as the media started to give it attention, alarm bells should have been ringing. Leaders of all the main political parties have had something to say about it, even Nick Griffin attended a repatriation procession in November 2009 and now Anjem Chaudry has planned a march/procession of his own.
Given that so many references have been made to gain political capital out of the laudable actions of the Wootton Bassett residents, I think that if authorities deny Islam4UK the right to this procession then there is the risk of being condemned of double standards. I am a British Muslim and like many am NOT a fan of this group and their methods or message, however if they are simply denied the oxygen of publicity then that should be sufficient to deal with them. I remember when the media in Europe repeatedly showed cartoons of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him), the restraint that the British Media showed was exemplary and I respected them for that, surely in a similar vain boycott of this march is all that is needed to stem any hurt that families of the deceased soldiers may feel or the British public in general ??
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i dont understand the objections.
they want to do a march in remembrance of those who have been killed in afghansitan , except they are afghans .
why not wootton basset whre it has become a political staging post for the military and politicians and the mawkish residents line the street.
why the outrage, is it that we're not supposed to acknowledge that our heroes are trained killers, as likely to commit atrocities as any afghan is claimed to have.
are we not supposed to say that 30 000 or so afghans have died , in the last week a cia death squad killed 8 children.
do we allow such a crime to passed over without some response, why then for afghans?
the point is politicians choose to play on scapegoating their actions by blaming islam and muslims.
the media feeds this propaganda to you.
so why do you think thre is no real debate, and why is it that any who is anti war is now deemed to be a extremist, radical or nut job?
this kind of propaganda doesnt happen without collusion between media and govt.
so they have a point, wootton basset has become political and was always political . with politics comes the good and the bad.
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I have always seen the people of Wootton Bassett as paying their last respects to the dead and not making a political statement as this rather insensitive chap Choudary wants to do.
If him and his crew want to demonstrate against the Afghan War why don't they do it down Westminster way in full view of the politicians ?
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So Tempus re your first comment 'may as well crack on with the ballot now to relieve 'us' (meaning you) of this debt-addled misery'!
May I ask you how any of the mainstream alternatives will bring about the relief you yearn for when it was quite obvious on listening to Shapps etc this morning that the biggest difficulty they all face is how to differ from each other?
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Given that we appear to be at rock bottom, with Darling sounding quite boastful that borrowing is going to hit 75% of GDP in his PBR, whatever the others do to sort the mess is unlikely to make it any worse. Things can only get better. Now, where have we heard that before...?
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In outrage to a contribution from "wendymann" re: Wootton Bassett.
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I was infuriated by the contribution of "wendymann" for her/his disloyal and insensitive contribution to the entries in this blog. So today I registered to express my outrage.
I too have to confess to have been a 'trained killer'- and on ops in a Muslim country where we tried to locate the 'bad boys' who had been blowing my fellow countrymen to bits!
And just a minute, wasn't it 'trained killers' who liberated the concentration camps in Germany and Poland in 1944/45? Wasn't it these same 'trained killers' who fought for and died for in their millions to secure the liberties and freedoms of our country in two world wars that we and "wendymann" still enjoy today??
It would seem that "wendymann" is a supporter of the vile Islamic group Islam4UK and their friends who actually support the Islamic 'trained killers' who blow apart the lives of ordinary decent people in the civilised world in night clubs, embassies and railway ststions. Just to alert "wenymann" what living in this country would be like if the Choudrary and his fascists (sorry "radical Muslims") started to get their way, then here's some home truths.
The "Release" magazine - www.releaseinternational.org provides the voice of persecuted Christians across the world - many countries are Islamic and the treatment they receive at the hands of their Muslim neighbours and governments is truly horrifying ( e.g. VICTIMS of rape are executed. Their rapists just get whipped a few times! )
The UK is a complete joke in Europe and most of the world. Not only do we allow the zealots to live here (often in subsidized housing and on benefits of various kinds) but we then GIVE THEM LEGAL AID to sue us in the European court!! (But goodness me, we silly British are like that, aren't we?)
There are many good,thoughtful Muslims who are as disgusted as we are about what is happening to our country. Some feel that their mosques are being taken over by the men of evil like Choudary and his ilk.
The government MUST hear how fed up we all are, but seems to be more concerned about saving their own reputations and their re-election.
But there are two major problems restricting the movement for change:
a) The BNP will jump on any bandwagon and start their 'Paki bashing', and
b) unless we unite as an inclusive movement (Muslims, Christians, Jews, Humanists, whatever) then it would be seen as a purely "racist" opposition - and that it is NOT!.
If Choudary cannot be deported (although he may have been born here) and goes ahead with his godless band of 'coffin bearers', the "Rivers of blood speech" will prove to have been a prediction that materialises on the streets of Wootton Bassett.
So I suggest that "wendymann" takes her/his next holiday in Egypt and talks to the peresecuted Christians there just to complete her/his education and misguided view of civilisation. I would willing wave her/him off!
And as for the young bearded Anjem Choudary, just get a life!!
Anyone wishing of join my "Christianity4Afghanistan-and-Egypt" party??
good-UKcitizen
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Hi Victoria,
Great show and thanks for allowing we listeners to react publicly to news events. SORRY; Wootton Bassett again!!
Read good-UKcitizens' contribution and I have to say he (I assume) made many good pointscof which most of us would agree. As to why Mr. Chaudary (peace and blessings be upon him)cwants to parade through Wootton Bassett defeats me unless he just wants to stir up trouble
and increase the tension between us and our Muslim immigrant population. There are many better places he could take his proposed march, like to his own home town.
Our "war" (if you can call it that) in Afghanistan, is not about Christians fighting Muslims and never has been. It is not a cruisade! Mr. C should know that Muslim is fighting Muslim in Afghanistan
and in other Islamic countries. What the Taliban do to school teachers and their young girl pupils, for example, is barbaric. Yet I don't hear anything from Mr. Choudary about that!! Surprisingly I've not heard any news that suggests Afghanistan intends to honour our British losses either thought we are out there beacuse the Afghans asked us for military help in the first place. Unfortunately in all modern day wars, it is the civilian who becomes an unintentional victim. History teaches us that.
If Mr. Choudary and his unenlightened supporters really wanted to help then they should support the counrty in which they actually choose to live. A country based on Christian principles and to which many Muslims are attracted because of that. And as such Muslim Mr. C. should try to prevent Muslim fighting Muslim. In Afghanistan it just so happens that our forces are caught between the two sides of Islam. If the two sides out there could live in peace and harmony our armies could come home and those sad scenes in Wootton Bassett would become an event of the past.
So for God's sake Mr. Choudary don't even think about marching in Wootton Bassett. You will insult the good people of Britian and the country that has unfortuneately given you and your kind a home, and you will cause further suffering of innocent people for your vile and distorted motives.
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Hi victoria.
It's time that the people of this country stood up to bullies like Mr Choudry.
Afterall, no moslem country would allow their christian minorities (let's assume that such a thing exists!) to march against moslem terrorists blowing themselves up in a christian country.
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RE: #26; Outstanding.
RE: #27; There's absolutely no way I'll be wishing anything remotely like "peace and blessing" on the hate-spouting hypocrite Choudary or anyone smelling like him.
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According to tabloid headlines, the government have assured us that al-Muhajiroon and Islam4Uk will be banned first thing in the morning...
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/668251/WAR-ON-HATE-Home-Secretary-Alan-Johnson-to-impose-anti-terror-laws-on-Anjem-Choudarys-organisations.html
Of course, all fluffy Anjem will do is re-brand and be allowed to carry on until the pubic get in a Facebook tizzy again.
No ineffective populist opportunism to see here - move along.
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Those offensive protester types from Luton have just been found guilty. Apparently, they were shouting about freedom of speech (for all except Danes who draw cartoons and the like, naturally) and how they are determined to bring sharia and the caliphate to the UK.
They're really not doing much for cohesion and the removal of division, are they?
Oh - and the person who started the Facebook campaign against the Choudary WB march? Been getting death threats, according to reports.
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Apparently, pointing out that the Luton protesters were found guilty and made certain comments outside the court is grounds for removal, despite it being widely reportied in the mainstream press, including by the BBC:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/8452616.stm
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Five-Muslim-Men-Guilty-Of-Public-Order-Offences-Over-Demonstration-At-Luton-Army-Homecoming-Parade/Article/201001215519155?f=rss
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1242335/Muslims-called-British-soldiers-rapists-cowards-scum-exercising-freedom-speech-court-hears.html
Perhaps it was my mention of the organiser of the Facebook protest against the Wooten Bassett march receiving death threats that exercised the mods so - but that appears to be true, as reported in the mainstream press, too:-
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1242292/Vile-death-threats-creator-Facebook-group-opposing-Muslim-march-Wootton-Bassett.html
The irony, when the subjects of the post are complaining that their rights of free speech have been stimied by the court.
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Right, so first it's deleted (#31) and then it's not (in case you're baffled by the opening of #32)...
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Mr Choudary is typical of a particular immigrant culture that is totally at odds with British people
Surely he would feel happier living amongst his own?
I'm afraid the BBC will NEVER persuade us of the benefits of mass immigration
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"Surely he would feel happier living amongst his own?"
A journalist did recently ask him why, if he wanted to live under sharia and enjoy the life offered by an islamic state, as opposed to a secular one, then why didn't he emigrate to one?
His reply was something along the lines of it being his absolute right to be here (true in the context of his place of birth) so as to abolish democracy and the attendant rights and freedoms and to turn the country into an islamic theocracy under full sharia (or a dictatorship, in other words). The other day he was saying the ban on his group made the UK a dictatorship. Seems a dictatorship's fine, as long as it's HIS dictatorship on HIS terms.
Notwithstanding his perceived "right" to subvert the state I suspect the reported £25k+ in benefits and the fact that if he said a fraction of what he says here in an islamic country then he'd be immediately banged up, or worse.
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Helps to finish the sewntence before hitting Post:-
"Notwithstanding his perceived "right" to subvert the state I suspect the reported £25k+ in benefits and the fact that if he said a fraction of what he says here in an islamic country then he'd be immediately banged up, or worse, may well have something to do with it."
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Tempus Fugit and I seem to be in total agreement. I guess that he/she reflects what most decent people feel.
Well done T.F.! You should stand for parliament! You'd get my vote.
The unemployed and scrounging layabout Mr. C. has unwittingly redefined "Allah". In his perception, "Allah" is providing him the £25K per annum in benefits. I didn't realise that the tolerant hard working British tax-payer is also be referred to as "Allah".
I have been unemployed for 18 months and living off had earned savings. I have 'done my bit' in the British Army and risked life and limb in a Muslim country many years ago and would willingly die for Queen and Country. But as a Christian and a law-abiding Englishman, it would appear that "Allah" wants nothing at all to do with me and refuses to help me.
Mr. Chaudry should be deported. He is a security threat and the perfect hypocrite.
He firmly confirms the old adage "The devil makes work for idle hands" ( or should that be idle Hamza? )
gUKC
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Oh my goodness! You fought for the army and would die for the Queen??? What on earth for??? Where is the reward in that? What benefit do you reap after your death? What does christianity say about you dying for the Queen and country?
As for tempus standing for parliament...PLEASE!!!
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Referring to the comments of "Justice4Muslims":
Our dead soldiers who are nobly carried through Wootten Bassett have given their very lives for Queen and country and all the things we hold dear. How dare you devalue their sacrifice!!
Fighting for one's Queen and country is far nobler cause to lay down one's life for than to blow yourself up with scores of innocent people in the name of a perverted view of a God who promises an fantasy after-life in paradise with fourteen subservient virgins.
Just what are those "believers" smoking?!!!!!!
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The queen doesn't give a monkeys about you or the other soliders who are fighting or who have died in warfare! So why lay down your life in her name? As for fighting for your counrty, dead soldiers are mentioned after they die and then they are forgotten...oh until rememberance day of course! Just doesn't make sense to me.
The noblest cause to die is for the sake God, the One who created you, the One who blessed you with everything, the only One who is worthy of your life! The martyr has a very high status in Islam, because the hardest thing in life is to sacrifice your life for the one you love. Islam recognises that and thus the status for the one who dies for God and ONLY God alone, is truly immense. Why would someone want to die for queen and counrty??? Search me!
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Which Muslim country did u fight against? How come your not in the army anymore?
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[quote]What benefit do you reap after your death? [/quote]
Peace and quiet from down-talkers of the nation and sneerers at people who retain pride in themselves and their nation, perhaps...?
Oh, apparently, a translation error from the original language form the koran was written in to the modern one is responsible for the "72 virgins" misunderstanding. A new study translates the reward as being chilled or white raisins.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2002/jan/12/books.guardianreview5
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