Does the disenfranchisement of UK prisoners make them all Political prisoners?

[ahinton]

I knew that we could find something to agree on in this thread. There has always been political point scoring on those benches.

Whether we have ever had a Government or Opposition that have been so transparently "na, na, na, na, na" is very doubtful. On occasions, it renders me speechless. Mostly, I find it frightening in the extreme.

I nevertheless cannot help but harbour the suspicion that you and I and the rest of us ain't seen nuttin yet; the very fact that it's become a cross party phenomenon (and some of us haven't forgotten Thatcher's response to the question as to whether she wanted to pull the Tory party to the right, namely that she wanted to pull all parties to the right) is surely ample evidence in and of itself and I will not be surprised to see a whole lot more of this kind of thing whoever's "in power" at any time simply because they ARE in power.

[Flosshilde]

(and some of us haven't forgotten Thatcher's response to the question as to whether she wanted to pull the Tory party to the right, namely that she wanted to pull all parties to the right)

And she succeeded with a vengeance.

[Simon]

And she succeeded with a vengeance.

Unlike in those countries where left-wing governments have been such astounding successes for their peoples ... now, where were they? I can't just recall ... er....

[MrGongGong]

Unlike in those countries where left-wing governments have been such astounding successes for their peoples ... now, where were they? I can't just recall ... er....

oooh Simon
this Left wing / right wing nonsense is SO 1970's .......

all depends on where you are starting from though
for the poorest people in their society I would guess (but i'm NO historian) that the system in Cuba has been a great success
it's all very well to witter on about left/right nonsense when you have food , clothes and shelter ..... for some needs are more basic

[amateur51]

oooh Simon
this Left wing / right wing nonsense is SO 1970's .......

all depends on where you are starting from though
for the poorest people in their society I would guess (but i'm NO historian) that the system in Cuba has been a great success
it's all very well to witter on about left/right nonsense when you have food , clothes and shelter ..... for some needs are more basic

You would have thought that that nice Ralph Feinnes would have briefed Our Man better than this, eh MrGG?

[MrGongGong]

You would have thought that that nice Ralph Feinnes would have briefed Our Man better than this, eh MrGG?

[ahinton]

And she succeeded with a vengeance.

Whether she succeeded with or without a vengeance is debatable; the fact that all major parties have indeed moved to the right since those days may or may not be down in whole or in part to her efforts but what's arguably of more import in the long run is that one effect of this has been that the main parties are all far more alike than was the case previously.

[ahinton]

Unlike in those countries where left-wing governments have been such astounding successes for their peoples ... now, where were they? I can't just recall ... er....

I don't believe that even Thatcher sought to pull all main political parties to the right in any country other than that of which she was prime minister at the time, actually, so that's something of a red herring, methinks...

[Serial_Apologist]

I don't believe that even Thatcher sought to pull all main political parties to the right in any country other than that of which she was prime minister at the time, actually, so that's something of a red herring, methinks...

Well if I remember rightly it was in the context of the fall of E Bloc "socialism", as well as the kissing goodbye of cross-party mixed economy consensus known as Butskellism that enables Lat to look back longingly at the MacMillan era for positive leadership at the top. Just goes to show how far the right/left balance has shifted; which is why, I guess, Ams and MrGG see it as relegated to some distant past...

[Flosshilde]

which is why, I guess, Ams and MrGG see it as relegated to some distant past...

Excuse me, not just Ams & MrGG . & less of the distant past - my past is relatively recent.

[amateur51]

Excuse me, not just Ams & MrGG . & less of the distant past - my past is relatively recent.

I think S_A might be referring to the distant past where the Left-Right dichotomy and the Derbyshire present reside simultaneously

[Flosshilde]

I thought for a second that you said the Derbyshire president

[MrGongGong]

I thought for a second that you said the Derbyshire president

[amateur51]

I thought for a second that you said the Derbyshire president

I'll just check with David Icke

[Flosshilde]

Are you suggesting he's the big cheese?