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Spending per pupil has increased over the last 10 years, is now stagnating and may fall in real terms going forward. This is the biggest issue I have with the government - I would like to see a greater commitment in this area. There is a slight deception here by the government - it is...

Given that this is the removal of a measure that was implemented AFTER the banking crisis, I'm not sure how you are making that link. And there are no cuts in the education budget - money saved from this measure won't be taken out of the education budget. As for your other point about...

Why a people getting so precious about the removal of a measure that didn't exist under any Labour government of the past. Kitchens won't suddenly become obsolete and useless as a result of this measure unless you think no children outside of reception and year 1 classes have hot meals at...

The increase in defence spending is so that we can maintain the 2% of GDP target. Defence spending under the last labour goverment, as a % of GDP, was higher that what is proposed. You do acknowledge that? The party is firmly in the centre ground on many issues. Sorry if you don't like that...

Equally, don't sit there and lecture me on the challenges facing teachers. I hear it for two hours a night every night. I get it. We're talking here about tuition fees. Not every graduate is a teacher, and teachers are not adequately compensated for what they do (agreed) - but the 1% cap is...

What is happening now? What is this big right wing idea you think they are pushing through that they couldn't if there was somebody keeping them in check? You hear this sort of thing parroted endlessly, but I'm not sure what it refers to. As for tuition fees, it is the biggest political myth...

It's a difficult one. My instincts lean towards PR - purely on the basis of fair representation. It would lead to a permanent coalition - and this can sometimes lead to stagnation and inertia - but also cooperation and compromise. You'd also have to take the rough with the smooth. At the...

Like most people, you don't seem to fully understand what zero hours contracts are. Most people on them are happy with the number of hours they work. These contracts are typically used for part time positions to people who want part time positions (students for example). They have little...

No, it doesn't.

The fuss over this is odd. It was the Tories who introduced free school meals for infants. Labour never saw fit to introduce such a measure did they? It was a nice idea, but wasteful because it wasn't means tested. I don't see the sense in funding free school meals for the children of...

...and the unemployment rate is at the lowest for 42 years. You probably don't give a fuck about that either. I wasn't aware only the top 5% had pensions either. Silly me.

Oh, there was still plenty to sell. Take the effective privatisation of the NHS in the Blair years. Around 100 PFI contracts worth £80 billion. £80 billion for a building programme that cost £11 billion. £4000 for every household in the UK. A cost of £2 billion per year to the NHS. A lot of...

So what? They missed the target by a few years. I'm not sure why you care anyway, you are willing to lend your support to a party that is throwing the whole notion of deficit reduction out of the window. Surely you were glad? Hardly a crime that the deficit reduction has taken longer than...

I'm usually in favour of large infrastructure projects, but just don't see a case for HS2. Same for Hinckley Point, it just isn't needed.

The financial institutions' point is an interesting one. It is amazing how many people who demonised these companies a few years ago now seem to have suddenly understood how much revenue they generate for the UK economy and seem upset at the idea they might move away. There was always a risk...

It does stand up to some scrutiny. The issue is less that companies will move away - although some might, financial institutions are notoriously nomadic (assuming any increase is modest it might not have much impact, but equally it's not likely to generate any extra revenue either). It's more...

Because there had to be borrowing at that point to fill the black hole in the economy. Unless you think the cuts didn't go deep enough quick enough? We still had to pay the bills at that point and had to borrow to do so. Over time, borrowing has come down based on cuts in public expenditure...

That's a very simplistic way of looking at things. Borrowing peaked in 2009/10, at a time of economic strife, but the aim was always to bring that down and they are. In 2009 it peaked at 10% of GDP (153 billion), but this year will fall to between 2-3%. There will be some fluctuations but the...

This is just nonsense. Lazy soundbites. The UK has a tax system that has become more progressive in recent years, a system of tax credits that (although adjusted) remains unlike anything in place in other developed economies and a welfare system that is largely fair and generous. You could say...

Depends how you define progressive. If we view it simply in terms of income tax, then we have a system that you could argue is very progressive and weighted in favour of low and middle earners - even in comparison to Germany (which is itself quite progressive when compared to other EU nations)...