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What is the point of being in government and actually having influence over decisions that affect the lives of millions of people? Power is a device to improve

What is the point of being in government and actually having influence over decisions that affect the lives of millions of people? Power is a device to improve the world - you hold onto it for as long as you can to do the most good you can. Obviously "as long as you can" is defined in terms of democratic parameters (without which people would do significantly less good with their power.) If tory policy is even more insane (scrapping all employment law, anyone* ?) then that makes it even more important for us to be in there fixing it. * - no, really, from one of Cameron's advisers.

robhu 15y ago
Do you have a citation for the claim that 'scrapping all employment law' was a Tory policy? Or do you mean that it was the viewpoint of one advisor (and so not Tory policy), or even that one advisor said something that might be construed in that way, or entertained the idea of such a thing?
- stuaxo 15y ago
  Found them suggesting scraping unfair dismissal laws: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/10/26/unfair-dismissal-law-scra_n_1032144.html http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/10/26/unfair-dismissal-...
  - robhu 15y ago
    The original claim made was "If tory policy is even more insane (scrapping all employment law, anyone* ?)", "* - no, really, from one of Cameron's advisers." According to the article this was never Tory policy, so that is false. The Huffington Post are a second hand source here, reporting on something in the Telegraph. The details of course aren't available in either, but what is in the Telegraph (who actually saw the thing) look more reasonable (whether one agrees with the gist of it is another thing). It's also rather misleading to say "one of Cameron's advisors" which implies this is a paid employee, rather than a successful businessman who has been asked to make a report (I imagine the government ask for and receive many reports most of which they ignore or only take elements of).
    - tehwalrus 15y ago
      I only meant to imply that this was a Tory suggestion - not a policy - apologies that it looked ambiguous in that sentence structure, it was not intentional.
      - robhu 15y ago
        Even "Tory suggestion" is quite misleading. Something relating to reducing the protection of workers against dismissal was suggested in a report by someone to the Tories.
        tehwalrus 15y ago
        No. This was Cameron's personal adviser who hangs out in number 10, it wasn't in a report. His name is Steve Hilton, and he suggested (among other things) that Maternity leave be scrapped: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/8667058/David-Camerons-senior-adviser-Steve-Hilton-suggests-UK-should-abolish-maternity-leave.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/86670...

robhu 15y ago

Do you have a citation for the claim that 'scrapping all employment law' was a Tory policy? Or do you mean that it was the viewpoint of one advisor (and so not Tory policy), or even that one advisor said something that might be construed in that way, or entertained the idea of such a thing?

stuaxo 15y ago
Found them suggesting scraping unfair dismissal laws: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/10/26/unfair-dismissal-law-scra_n_1032144.html http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/10/26/unfair-dismissal-...
- robhu 15y ago
  The original claim made was "If tory policy is even more insane (scrapping all employment law, anyone* ?)", "* - no, really, from one of Cameron's advisers." According to the article this was never Tory policy, so that is false. The Huffington Post are a second hand source here, reporting on something in the Telegraph. The details of course aren't available in either, but what is in the Telegraph (who actually saw the thing) look more reasonable (whether one agrees with the gist of it is another thing). It's also rather misleading to say "one of Cameron's advisors" which implies this is a paid employee, rather than a successful businessman who has been asked to make a report (I imagine the government ask for and receive many reports most of which they ignore or only take elements of).
  - tehwalrus 15y ago
    I only meant to imply that this was a Tory suggestion - not a policy - apologies that it looked ambiguous in that sentence structure, it was not intentional.
    - robhu 15y ago
      Even "Tory suggestion" is quite misleading. Something relating to reducing the protection of workers against dismissal was suggested in a report by someone to the Tories.
      - tehwalrus 15y ago
        No. This was Cameron's personal adviser who hangs out in number 10, it wasn't in a report. His name is Steve Hilton, and he suggested (among other things) that Maternity leave be scrapped: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/8667058/David-Camerons-senior-adviser-Steve-Hilton-suggests-UK-should-abolish-maternity-leave.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/86670...