Tableland

Really good point. I think this when I see all the pot holes in the roads and problems with the services: these are the good times.

Tableland

I consider him to be a good PM too, but he did "ride the boom" like Blair. The test of a really good leader is how well you steer through the bad times. We shall watch with interest over the next 10 years to see how this pans out.

rabsody

There's no doubt there are issues in UK and that crimes do happen.

The difference is the constant focus in the media of these crimes. If you have a shooting here in Brisbane, it barely rates a mention in the press half the time (I do believe this is changing slightly here too of late). Whereas the same crime in UK would be front page news for a week with various different angles invariably portraying the country in a bad light.

The point is if you actually look at crime figures for say, Aus and UK, in some areas Aus is far worse (for instance rape), but you would never know this by reading the papers or watching the news here because you just don't hear about it.

The media is also highlighting the difference in national psyches. They are giving the audience what they want, whether they realise it or not!

rabsody

I would agree totally with this point and it was something I noticed in myself when I was last back in UK. But does it become a self fulfilling prophecy? Just because we feel less safe, for whatever reason, does not mean it actually is less safe.

rabsody

He is as hated here as Blair is in UK.

Trying to quickly pass WorkChoices without fair consultation was his downfall: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workchoices
(plus his kissing up to George W).

Tableland

I guess it's a bit of both. For sure, the media have made a real song and dance about violent crime and catered to the average Brit's sense of end-of-our-society fatalism. However, violent crime seems to be quite common from looking at local news at least, and the "mob mentality" of lads roaming about looking for trouble while loaded on tequilas is what people are wary of.

Re. correlations between criminal behaviour and the economy, I would say the links are strong. For one thing, the era of £1 cans of lager and £2 double shots have fuelled this violence, as much of it is drink-related. I would argue that when we are deeper into the recession and drink goes up, there will be much less violence on the streets.

Grayling

I remember hearing that when Thatcher was in her prime.

Give the tories a few years and people will remember why they stopped voting tory in the first place.

Grayling

Even Cameron admitted, during an interview on BBC the other day, that the level of deaths from Knife crime are no different to 1997.

Tableland

Workchoices was ridiculous, and I can't believe he pressed it. Also, I feel he had a slightly inaccurate view of the Labor movement in Australia post-Hawke. I'm not sure he got what they were all about; at least if he did he didn't act like it. Having said that, from a neutral perspective, I still argue he was a good PM, but as Enoch Powell once said, all political careers end in failure.

Tableland

It just goes round and round, G. One day someone will be writing "Give the Labour Party a few years and people will remember why they stopped voting Labour in the first place" - in fact I think they're saying that now.

It is inherent to the system, irrespective of colour or ideology. They rise. They promise. They get to power. They start to deliver. They stop delivering. They lie. They disappoint. They get voted out.

rabsody

I think a lot of problems UK has now originate from Thatcher era and the "I'm alright Jack" mentality that ensued.

*Sigh* they're all crap really, aren't they? Hardly surprising people are so apathetic about politics these days.

Tableland

Is that Norman Rockwell by the way?

Grayling

Who

Tableland

I thought your avatar looked like a Rockwell portrait.

Grayling

The UK are responsible for much of the current hysteria.

Robert Murat has just been awarded over £500000 by the courts....to be paid by 10 newspapers for printing blatant lies.