That's a perfect example of how to politely disagree with someone. I wouldn't want us all to agree nor be on the same side of the political spectrum, it would be very dull. I think by closing down debate he perhaps means calling people idiots and telling them to go to Venezuela to which its almost impossible to reply.

People complain about everything the conservatives do, not necessarily because they have done anything wrong, but just because they are the conservatives, I do find that is somewhat indicative of limited thinking.

If people don't like the UK they are free to leave, instead of constantly moaning about it, aren't they?

As the government of the day, they (The Conservatives), make the decisions that affect EVERONES lives.
If they cant take criticism, they shouldn't be where they are.
Yes, some complain but, people like yourself, abjectly fail to accept that they are making poor decisions.
You have tried to throw your usual anti socialist self made soundbites at this subject and you are on a one man/woman mission.
Even the most right wing Troy press have taken the same view as I did when opening this thread but, you cant help yourself with stupid comments and you've STILL to add an opinion to the debate.
Hell, you're not even brave enough to say when they have clearly got something so badly wrong.

Open debate is very healthy and you may even learn something if you care to listen or read

[list=[/list
Learn? about what, a reaction to a global pandemic, the government admitting mistakes and making changes. I don't believe socialism works, and that is borne out by evidence globally. You say I don't add to the debate, but that is purely your opinion, no more valid than anyone else's.

Come on pal, what is your opinion on the handling of EXAM RESULTS, that is the topic here.

they have admitted they made errors, do we really need to keep poking this with a stick?

What else coukd they do?

All you want to do is moan about the Government, it seems it is all you ever do, moan.

If they actually did a competent job then we and all the press would not be able to find fault unfortunately in virtually everything they have done as been a failure requiring a U turn. This is coupled with their dogmatic approach to continue to believe they are right despite the evidence pointing to the opposite. The problem with this approach when a pandemic hits means we have the highest death rate in Europe exacerbated by their inability to do the basics like prepare for it despite warnings and even then look to blame others the last resort of a desperate government. Then we have education, once again despite warnings these were ignored and now we see students trying to resurrect their education at new universities because their first choice is full. What does the government do but dig their heels in and now it was nothing to do with us but the regulator as per usual.
I am afraid that this will continue with Johnson because he is no more than a front who has surrounded himself with a cabinet of failures who have been appointed because they will accept rule by Cummins. I can’t wait for Brexit to arrive based on the way things have gone how do you think that will go.
I wait for IR80 to advise what the government have done which was a success and help improve both the death rate and improve students educational future. I don’t consider changing the method of counting the dead as a success.

You will never see anything a Conservative government do as a success, you simply believe that Socialism is the answer, if anypne is dogmatic, it's quite possibly you.

That's probably based upon the experiences of the last 12 years of Tory government.

So, using the words of John Cleese, "What have the Tories ever done for us?"

[url=https://www.david-davies.org.uk/campaigns/achievements-current-governmentquite a lot, actually.[/url

if you take of those red tinted spectacles for a while.

Reduced the deficit (until Covid came along at least)
Record Public Sector investment
Delivering the will of the electorate by leaving the EU
Protecting our defence capability

and that is just in the early years, after Labour plunged us into recession.


they haven't engaged in illegal war, sold our economy down the river...

a damn sight more than Labour ever achieved.

So that's a NO then,
We can read the papers, listen to the news to see what has happened, which was exactly why I began the thread
.
I've clearly shown my opinion and I asked YOU for YOURS but, you dont have on or, maybe are unwilling to share it.
That's how debate works, an exchange of information or opinion.

So, do you agree that they made a balls of things or did they get it right.
Come on, tea or coffee question, lets see if YOU can answer.

debate with you is like pushing water up hill, you have such a closed anti Tory mind it's untrue.

Come on pal, that's 2 simple chances to answer a simple question


At least we know for sure that you have no opinion.

You cant say that I didn't try to engage but, even a question with only 2 answers seems beyond you

Typical you would have to drag our Helen into this!!

No answer is still no answer, if you cannot defend the government’s actions with regards handling the pandemic and education we must presume your sole purpose is to just disrupt the thread. We gave you several opportunities to tell us why their actions were acceptable but chose or could not do so.

Cant see the NHS on your list...........................
Maybe that wasn't started by the Tories

As per IR80s request, I have taken off my red tinted spectacles for a while and this is what I’ve found in response to his claims of Tory successes:

Reduced the deficit (until Covid came along at least) – partially true
• The national deficit before the 2008 crash was 3% of GDP it then rose to 10% in 2009/10. In Feb 2020 it was back to 2.7% of GDP – and as you say Covid will no doubt cause it to rise again. So, Labour fell foul of an International banking crash, the Tories are falling foul of an International pandemic.

Record Public Sector investment - wrong
• Public sector net investment was 3% of GDP in 2009. It then dropped to around 2% during the austerity years. It is projected to increase back up to 3% by 2023.

Delivering the will of the electorate by leaving the EU - wrong
• In 2016 52% of the electorate voted in favour of an undefined Brexit. In 2019 43% of the electorate voted in favour of the Brexit as set out in the Tory manifesto.
• The latest opinion polls show that 50% believe that leaving the EU was a mistake and only 36% believe it to have been the right decision

Protecting our defence capability - wrong
• Defence spending in 2020 is about 2.2% of GDP, a figure which has remained the around same since at least 2000.
• Cummings, (who spent some time in Russia) however is visiting key MOD sites prior to a defence review later this year, He has refused to appear in front of the Defence select Committee to explain what he is doing.

First failure - the exams should have been sat - no reason whatsoever for not holding the exams

Second failure - allowing ofqual to not robustly test the algorithm to ensure it would deliver fairness

Third failure - allowing teacher assessments to used - bonkers - teachers will overstate the grade - knowing it would be knocked back

Fourth failure - saying no u turn and then u turn

All in all a complete disaster - Labour would have simply taken the easy option of awarding based on teacher assessments to keep all their unions mates sweet.

I dont think you can say what Labour would have done, while they are in opposition ,all of this falls on Boris' shoulders.
The point here is that the party in charge have abjectly failed, on every aspect of the exam debacle.

I do agree that many exams could and should have taken place but, you can add that to the list of failings.

Where is Boris anyway.
Things are getting difficult again and he's gone AWOL.

This is probably one of the strangest statements you have made. I and neither do you know what would have happened under a Labour government, you can of course surmise based on your Union bias. The problem is that the Conservatives are in charge and what they did despite the usual warnings caused a lot of confusion and hurt to students before resorting to what you believe would be the stance taken by Labour.
I suppose they made this decision not to support their union enemies but because it was the obvious outcome following their many failures. It is possible that a Labour government would have seen the problems coming several weeks ago and done things differently, they could not have done it worse.

Labour were calling for this outcome all along - so you know exactly what Labour would have done - what did Labour do in Wales?

Kirsty William's, the Welsh Education Minister, is a Liberal Democrat.

Sorry Sal but, you are totally wrong.
There was a sequence of events that got us up to this point, right from virus arriving in the UK and through lockdown, school closures etc, etc.
Had Labour been at the helm, do you believe they would have taken exactly the same route ??
Some things they may have handled better and others, no doubt, worse.

However, the current mess falls firmly at the feet of Bojo.
His decisions, his style of leadership and of course him backing the beleaguered Education Minister.
To try and say things "would have been the same" is just plain daft and is just making excuses for this excuse of a government.
Bojo has everyone in his party nodding along, too afraid to question anything for fear of being booted into the long grass.

Also, you will perhaps recall me suggesting that blame for the handling of the covid crisis would e planted at the door of Public Health England, an organisation which has now been replaced.
How very convenient and responsibility for the mess now put at someone else's door. Spineless and two faced, lets see what happens next.

With no credible opposition, another Conservative win at the next GE.