How was Osborne able to hoodwink Channel 4 News and claim Labour's success in Hammersmith and Fulham?

Hmmm, whether it is Tory or Labour, I really dislike the idea of "you will only get planning permission for your commercial development if you build us a community facility for free". If you need a library or a bus station then you need one, you cannot simply wait until there is a commercial development to hold to hostage. If you do not have the money for the development of the community facility then the solution is to tax the commercial developers. At least that is honest and above board.

Around the country supermarket chains turn this around and use it to their advantage. They say "if you let us build a supermarket [and destroy local small businesses] we will build a nice new youth centre for you". And the tiny minds of local councillors get confused with all the figures and say "yes, please" hoping that it will be their name on the new youth centre.

So basically, what I am saying is, let's be honest about this, and admit that the backhander from the developers in the form of a new library is not the honest way to do things.

The Tories would behave exactly like H&F. What was it the Leader there said about social housing again???

Hi Toby/Labourlist

And everything our minsters say is 100% honest everytime ?

The 10p tax rate which The Primeminster said wont hurt anyone

Iraq

British jobs for british workers

EU treaty

3rd runway at heathrow

Shouldnt we get our own house in order first before slinging mud ?

ricki

Ricki - you're always first! Wouldn't you say it's only right for Labour to celebrate and claim its own achievements, and not really fair for the Tories to take credit for something we did?

I seem to recall Gordon Brown taking credit for the economy during Labour's first parliament, despite the fact that it was the Tories who created that healthy economy.

Ah, Alex. Fairness, now there's a thing to ponder.

Hi Alex

Sorry , I like the debate on here and even if no one reads my posts , its nice to know that we can have good civil debates (most of the time) and would be nice to think that the leadership of our party would read it and take notice .

As to your point i agree we should celebrate things we have achevied but saying the torys maybe bent the truth when lets face it our goverment have done the same .

Will i get fined for being first ? lol

ricki

It's more a criticism of Channel 4, I think...

Alex, politicians being economic with the truth? Who'd have thought it?

Hi Alex

Do you mean a weak media ? or just a media that takes mps word for it? if so i think thats right but as a whole do we have a weak media ?

thanks for putting up with me , as i said the site is good and welcoming and has come a long way since it started , you are doing a great job Alex .

ricki

Thanks, Ricki. I do think that aspects of our media is often not as diligent as it should. Channel 4 News are normally very careful in corroborating their stories and getting scoops, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that, for a shopping centre of this size to open in 2008, it is unlikley to have been approved by a council that only gained power in the area 18 months before.

Plus, we know from the Mayor of Baltimore hoax a couple of weeks ago that the media are not always as careful as they perhaps should be.

Hi Alex

So its lazy journolisim , Is it something that is atrend ?

Pehaps with the internet now most bits of spin can be highlighted quickly as does your peice show , I just wonder if we do not have a robust media and we do not have a robust parliment it starts a slippery slope .

The Mayor of baltimore affair made a lot of people get red faced ? but again shows we maybe have to become cynical about everything we here , or maybe just maybe i have a radicl answer ,
any Mp or PM should just tell the truth ? that would solve the whole problem .

ricki

I read quite a lot of people saying that our current economic woes are basically down to the Tories.

Giles these people are all wrong we have never had a recession when the Tories are in power

I am slightly wondering when we'll get to the point that Labour actually accept responsibility for the economic state of the nation.