Politics

[Monkeys Fist 43056]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3vrw9pd16do
 

£1,200 for two leather folders.…

 

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3957]

1 hour ago, Monkeys Fist said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3vrw9pd16do
 

£1,200 for two leather folders.…

 

[Alex 35566]

While it’s a joke the scrutiny over something like this seems to be a fairly recent phenomenon in the BBC. 

[Alex 35566]

And if you wonder how something like this works. It goes a bit like this: MP, former MP, former SpAd or something like that knows exactly how much was previously spent on these folders, where they were purchased etc. So they (for example) tell a sympathetic journalist at the Telegraph or the BBC to send in a very specific freedom of information request. And there’s your highly important bit of investigative journalism carried out in the public interest. 

Edited December 10 by Alex

[Monkeys Fist 43056]

Thank god the BBC News department isn’t overrun by Tories, then. 

[Renton 21976]

FAO @Rayvin.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/12/majority-of-brexit-voters-would-accept-free-movement-to-access-single-market-uk-eu?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

 

Must admit, if the majority of Brexit voters would accept FoM, seems like it is now time for Starmer to at least introduce this into the conversation. Simply ignoring Reform isn't working, they need to be taken head on and as a bonus it would be good for the tories to nail themselves to that mast again. 

I'm not as critical of Starmer as others are, I see how difficult things are. But now is the time TO MAKE THE ARGUMENT YOU SON OF A TOOLMAKER. 

Edited December 12 by Renton

[spongebob toonpants 4123]

4 minutes ago, Renton said:

FAO @Rayvin.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/12/majority-of-brexit-voters-would-accept-free-movement-to-access-single-market-uk-eu?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

 

Must admit, if the majority of Brexit voters would accept FoM, seems like it is now time for Starmer to at least introduce this into the conversation. Simply ignoring Reform isn't working, they need to be taken head on and as a bonus it would be good for the tories to nail themselves to that mast again. 

I'm not as critical of Starmer as others are, I see how difficult things are. But now is the time TO MAKE THE ARGUMENT YOU SON OF A TOOLMAKER. 

 

 

[Renton 21976]

17 minutes ago, spongebob toonpants said:

 

 

 

Or waiting for the right time? 

I don't think there was anything to be gained making the argument before the GE. 2025 will be the right time imo, with the election of Trumo and potential trade wars. No more Reeves platitudes from now on please, lets start a a proper discussion. 

[ewerk 31194]

For a party who began on about creating economic growth it seems strange not to use the one thing that would guarantee an economic boost.

[Rayvin 5293]

Renton pointing it out here isn't the same as Labour agreeing to do anything about it mind you. I sort of don't care tbh how this is done - if Labour start doing something about it now having been quiet about the whole situation in order to get into power then great, I'm happy with that, as long as they're fucking doing something. I don't care about the rights and wrongs of when someone could or should have done this or that, I just want us to stop living in this fantasy land where this doesn't need to be rectified urgently.

 

So yes, great that the polls have said this - but now we need Labour to actually do something with it.

[Rayvin 5293]

Mind you, do they have a mandate for anything like this? I would imagine that they'll want to push it back to the people one way or another which would mean another referendum (highly divisive) or we have to wait for their next term and vote them in on that. So again it feels like a missed opportunity, this election just gone. They could have had 'rejoin the EU in full' on the manifesto last time out and they'd still have won power IMO.

[Howmanheyman 33818]

Caught a bit of BBC news tonight at work where they highlighted that there'd be no compulsory redundancies until 2025 with the foreign takeover of the post office as if that was a real Brucie's bonus. It's 2025 in what, 15 days? Wow! You can tell these people reporting are happy to swallow whatever shit some suit tells them. Honestly, the reporter whose surname used to be bland but I note he's changed it but he's still bland in every way, looked really smug and happy wearing a company supplied hi-viz standing on the shop floor spinning for them like a really high end yo-yo.

[spongebob toonpants 4123]

Selling what should be a publicly owned utility to a foreign billionaire. Absolutely not a recipe for disaster

[NJS 4410]

I admit I can be a sexist pig sometimes so apologies in advance if the following comes off that way (notwithstanding we have virtually no females poster left) but I don't get this waspi thing. 

 

My understanding is that women born in the 50s/60s expected 5 years more of pension than men for the same contributions. Thay are now campaigning to be compensated to get that extra amount  "back" on the basis that they didn't know about the change despite it being passed in 1995.

 

This also includes the fact that this 5 year difference lasted for decades despite being obviously discriminatory and also the fact that women have a higher life expectancy than men so always had more retirement time on average. 

 

Am I being too harsh in saying they're taking the piss? 

 

(There's obviously an issue with broken promises by Starmer's government but that's par for the course). 

 

 

[PaddockLad 17640]

I don’t think they’re taking the piss. I think in the third decade of the 21st century they’re being ludicrously and laughably unrealistic. After every cunt and his brother has filled their gunnels with Covid cash do they really think any government are about to hand out 10 billion in comp? They’re not being singled out, if scrapping their WFA allowance isnt a big enough signal that they’re being chucked on the financial fuckin scrapheap with the rest of us then am not sure what they think they’re looking at  

Edited Wednesday at 11:57 by PaddockLad

[Gemmill 45990]

Aye. They should probably have been compensated for what happened. But a lot of water has passed under the bridge since 2010 when the mistake was made, young people today will be lucky to retire by 75, and a significant number of them will never own their own home. Set against that backdrop, and with a national infrastructure that's completely fucked, and things like the infected blood scandal, I don't think the government should prioritise a £3k payout to people that had to work until they were 65 instead of 60.

 

In a different time, with a different economic context, pay them their fucking money. But here and now, forget it, I'm afraid. 

 

Also I bet most of them voted for Brexit to pay Cameron back.

 

[Gemmill 45990]

I also think it's probably true that most of them did know about the changes, so for a lot of them the thing they're being compensated for wouldn't even be valid.

[Renton 21976]

3 hours ago, NJS said:

I admit I can be a sexist pig sometimes so apologies in advance if the following comes off that way (notwithstanding we have virtually no females poster left) but I don't get this waspi thing. 

 

My understanding is that women born in the 50s/60s expected 5 years more of pension than men for the same contributions. Thay are now campaigning to be compensated to get that extra amount  "back" on the basis that they didn't know about the change despite it being passed in 1995.

 

This also includes the fact that this 5 year difference lasted for decades despite being obviously discriminatory and also the fact that women have a higher life expectancy than men so always had more retirement time on average. 

 

Am I being too harsh in saying they're taking the piss? 

 

(There's obviously an issue with broken promises by Starmer's government but that's par for the course). 

 

 

 

Labour never promised them anything. And yes, they're taking the piss. Give me 20 grand or whatever because we forgot to send you a letter explaining what was on the news. Boo fucking hoo. 

Edited Wednesday at 14:41 by Renton

[NJS 4410]

28 minutes ago, Gemmill said:

I also think it's probably true that most of them did know about the changes, so for a lot of them the thing they're being compensated for wouldn't even be valid.

It's been suggested 90% knew about the change so for me it's a bit like ppi where people knew what they were signing in general but then thought a few k compensation sounded good as everyone else was claiming. 

[Rayvin 5293]

They're disputing that 90% figure mind, claiming that this includes women who were only 'vaguely' aware that increases were coming, but not that it affected them. The campaigners claim that 60% of affected women didn't know.

 

That being said, Gemmill is spot on for this in my eyes.

[spongebob toonpants 4123]

For me it's just another case of working people working longer for less, as the rich get richer

And as always it will be the least we'll off who suffer the most

[Dazzler 10358]

Most affected will have retired already and have a better quality of life than us poor cunts still working. "Please give me some compo so I can pay off the cruise without it affecting my savings rates."

 

Fuck 'em. If I have to work until I drop then I have zero sympathy for any cunt that contributed to it by voting for shit that shagged the country up the arse without consent.

[Rayvin 5293]

29 minutes ago, Dazzler said:

Most affected will have retired already and have a better quality of life than us poor cunts still working. "Please give me some compo so I can pay off the cruise without it affecting my savings rates."

 

Fuck 'em. If I have to work until I drop then I have zero sympathy for any cunt that contributed to it by voting for shit that shagged the country up the arse without consent.

 

This is very much where I am, heart of hearts. We voted to be poor, this is what being poor looks like. And those of us under 40, under 30, under 20... we're going to have it far, far worse over the course of our lives.

 

Having said this, Labour are truly in the wars at the moment. The Guardian commentariat is almost fully turned, whereas I would have said that the comfortable majority of them were pro-Starmer's pragmatism on arrival. Seemingly just didn't understand what that would mean.

 

I still disagree with his overall approach but I respect that he is taking tough decisions and at least being consistent with his own agenda.

[Renton 21976]

3 hours ago, NJS said:

It's been suggested 90% knew about the change so for me it's a bit like ppi where people knew what they were signing in general but then thought a few k compensation sounded good as everyone else was claiming. 

 

Except PPI was claims against banks, not the government. I've got claims against Volkswagon too for similar reasons. I'm not going to feel bad about that, at the same time if I'm unsuccessful I won't be whinging like these WASPIs. 

[Renton 21976]

2 hours ago, Rayvin said:

Having said this, Labour are truly in the wars at the moment.

 

They are. In my opinion they've done little wrong in all honesty. NI looks like a mistake in hindsight but I don't know what other options they have. The Tories left the country fucked and there's a hell of a lot of external headwinds too. And ultimately we're still heading for a demographic time bomb no party seems able to face.