The 2015 Popularity Contest (aka UK General Election )

[hullefc]

I agree with much of what you have said, my main gripe is that the cuts have not been fair, poor people have been made worse off, while rich people have been unaffected or in some cases are better off now than they have ever been.

For example in 2014 the average CEO of a british company earns 143 times more than his/ her average worker (not lowest paid!)

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/...ritains-fat-cat-pay-gap-hits-new-heights.html

From 2013 the NHS has over 14 major services privitised and being run for a profit, taking money from public funding and putting it into the hands of people like Virgin and Care UK, the more this happens, the more likely it is that we lose the NHS to the system that the Americans had before "Obama Care".

http://www.nhsforsale.info/privatisation-list.html

The issues with transport are far reaching, the main problem is that politics is generally "short term" and the benefits of transport infastructure changes are "long term". Mark Carney spoke about this last year. stating that the Govenment needed to spread the wealth from London by creating better transport infarstructure in the North.

http://www.itv.com/news/story/2013-10-02/bank-of-england-governor-mark-carney-economy/

What ever way you paint it the energy companies are taking the mick. They post record profits while old people freeze to death, becasue they cannot afford to heat their homes. in 2013 the profits of the big six energy suppliers were five times higher than they were in 2009.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/pol...ocketed-since-the-financial-crisis-began.html

I dont know if there is any one of the political parties who can fix these problems, I would love someone to at least give it a go though, the current lot are not even giving it a go in my opinion

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement between the EU and the US will be devastating for the NHS and other public services and will see the further expansion of the privatisation programme. Funny really that the Tories are not complaining and demanding that the UK should opt out of this EU agreement.

US health and educational companies are lining up a major swoop on UK government money. And if a particular service is not put up for tender, and therefore they don't get a contract, there is a clause that they can sue for compensation. That is why there has been a tentative mooting for private health insurance like in the US.

No public service is protected under the agreement.

The energy companies were instrumental in stalling the growth of the solar industry and are in conflict with wind farm providers because it will hit into their profits. Certain politicians with interest with the energy companies always talk negatively against the solar industry and/or wind farms. But they promote fracking even though it has been shown to pollute the water supply in and around the areas where fracking is going on.

 

[rascal]

It doesnt generate any more tax receipts though. Been tried and proved tons of times. Sounds good, and can appeal to some, but it is actually pointless to do.

Okay, so make it 90% then.... lol

 

[The Cowboy]

Okay, so make it 90% then.... lol

After VAT and various other duties, it ends up being in that region anyway!

 

[rascal]

After VAT and various other duties, it ends up being in that region anyway!

95%....

 

[hullefc]

Agree, that is unacceptable. They are so deluded.

But why has that article related it to Cameron taking office in 2010? This Malcolm Jack fella was a clerk between 2006 and 2011 meaning this could well have happened under Labour's watch.

Do we have the figures for bubbly bought in during the Labour govt?

In fact, this has no real relevance to Cameron at all. The Lords is not related to the Commons like that.

The Cameron government came to power promising that 'we are all in this together' in 2012 and demanding austerity from 'everyone' that would effect 'everyone'. Seems like he is a hypocrite.

Where's the £1.3 million austerity measures against one branch of the den of iniquity palace of Westminster never mind the,

"Booze prices in the Commons have been frozen again - even though MPs' food and drink is subsidised by millions of pounds a year.

Taxpayers are forced to stump up £7million a year to keep restaurant and bar bills down in Parliament".

That is £10 million going on subsidies for those already living the life of luxury that could pay for foodbanks and stop 850 000 illegally sanctioned by the DWP.

Mind, the House of Commons pub want be closing down even though there has been an increase in Muslims going there.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement between the EU and the US will be devastating for the NHS and other public services and will see the further expansion of the privatisation programme. Funny really that the Tories are not complaining and demanding that the UK should opt out of this EU agreement.

US health and educational companies are lining up a major swoop on UK government money. And if a particular service is not put up for tender, and therefore they don't get a contract, there is a clause that they can sue for compensation. That is why there has been a tentative mooting for private health insurance like in the US.

No public service is protected under the agreement.

The energy companies were instrumental in stalling the growth of the solar industry and are in conflict with wind farm providers because it will hit into their profits. Certain politicians with interest with the energy companies always talk negatively against the solar industry and/or wind farms. But they promote fracking even though it has been shown to pollute the water supply in and around the areas where fracking is going on.

Hang on a minute here. So in post after post in this thread you have been suggesting that politicians are cheating, incompetent, out of touch idiots, and then in this one you want them to have a monopoly on something as important as health. What's more, you want to ban an NHS patient from getting access to a better service should it exist outside of the NHS, simply because it isn't the NHS?

 

[Tree13]

With regards to pensions, the state pension age needs to be a whole lot higher than it actually is. 70 would be a fair age.

Given the rising population generally, and the rising number of people living well beyond 70 as compared to that figure when the system was originally set up, it's blindingly obvious that either
a) people need to pay more into their state pension; or
b) the state pension age for men and women needs to go up to 70
if the state pension system is to continue to exist.

But it won't happen. The current swathe of the electorate in their fifties and early sixties have financially planned their entire lives based on the model as it is and will obviously fight tooth and nail against any change that is to their disadvantage. Can't really blame then.

 

[The Cowboy]

The Cameron government came to power promising that 'we are all in this together' in 2012 and demanding austerity from 'everyone' that would effect 'everyone'. Seems like he is a hypocrite.

Where's the £1.3 million austerity measures against one branch of the den of iniquity palace of Westminster never mind the,

"Booze prices in the Commons have been frozen again - even though MPs' food and drink is subsidised by millions of pounds a year.

Taxpayers are forced to stump up £7million a year to keep restaurant and bar bills down in Parliament".

That is £10 million going on subsidies for those already living the life of luxury that could pay for foodbanks and stop 850 000 illegally sanctioned by the DWP.

Mind, the House of Commons pub want be closing down even though there has been an increase in Muslims going there.

I see - so the years of Labour's profligacy must now be sorted by Cameron cutting absolutely everything everywhere or else he is tarred as a hypocrite.

Were you screaming for these cuts at any point during the Labour govt? Or does it only matter now the Tories are in?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Hang on a minute here. So in post after post in this thread you have been suggesting that politicians are cheating, incompetent, out of touch idiots, and then in this one you want them to have a monopoly on something as important as health. What's more, you want to ban an NHS patient from getting access to a better service should it exist outside of the NHS, simply because it isn't the NHS?

As an example, I attended the awarding last month of the RSA's Albert Medal (given to the person who's achieved something remarkable in that year) to Jos de Blok, who runs Buurtzog in Holland. They're a community nursing organisation that are consistently ranked in the top employers in Holland and are very highly rated by patients.

They manage to go about their work very cheaply and effectively because they have but a handful of managers overseeing the whole affair, with nurses given a lot of autonomy and support to make their own decisions.

He does all of this whilst operating as a non-profit. But yes, should he want to come in and help the NHS in some way he should be told to sod off because he's 'private' and no doubt up to no good. Keep your tin foil hat on comrade.

 

[hullefc]

Hang on a minute here. So in post after post in this thread you have been suggesting that politicians are cheating, incompetent, out of touch idiots, and then in this one you want them to have a monopoly on something as important as health. What's more, you want to ban an NHS patient from getting access to a better service should it exist outside of the NHS, simply because it isn't the NHS?

There is an absolute certainty that patients will not get a better service from a privatised NHS without money. The more you have the better the service. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership will not deliver a health service for all. It will be exactly like the US. Money talk and the people of Britain will suffer. If you don't have money for insurance then 'tough'. There are numerous summer camps in the US were doctors give their time free to treat patients with no insurance because they can't afford it.

Most politicians are cheating, incompetent, out of touch idiots, and I would add protectors of those that have abused children. They run the government and don't have a monopoly on something as important as health. Health workers do. Politicians have the purse and this Tory government want to hand over the health purse to companies that have a vested interest in.

This and previous governments are only kept in check by unions, NGO, whistleblowers etc. highlighting to people what they plan to do, and the shambles that is going on with the increased privatisation of public services.

Welcome to the start of the increasingly insurance dominated Americanisation of the health service.

 

[Mrk]

The Cameron government came to power promising that 'we are all in this together' in 2012 and demanding austerity from 'everyone' that would effect 'everyone'. Seems like he is a hypocrite.

Where's the £1.3 million austerity measures against one branch of the den of iniquity palace of Westminster never mind the,

"Booze prices in the Commons have been frozen again - even though MPs' food and drink is subsidised by millions of pounds a year.

Taxpayers are forced to stump up £7million a year to keep restaurant and bar bills down in Parliament".

That is £10 million going on subsidies for those already living the life of luxury that could pay for foodbanks and stop 850 000 illegally sanctioned by the DWP.

Mind, the House of Commons pub want be closing down even though there has been an increase in Muslims going there.

The "Cameron government" have no say on issues such as this or most other commons business. The commons/lords don't vote on party lines when it comes to things like that.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

There is an absolute certainty that patients will not get a better service from a privatised NHS without money. The more you have the better the service. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership will not deliver a health service for all. It will be exactly like the US. Money talk and the people of Britain will suffer. If you don't have money for insurance then 'tough'. There are numerous summer camps in the US were doctors give their time free to treat patients with no insurance because they can't afford it.

Most politicians are cheating, incompetent, out of touch idiots, and I would add protectors of those that have abused children. They run the government and don't have a monopoly on something as important as health. Health workers do. Politicians have the purse and this Tory government want to hand over the health purse to companies that have a vested interest in.

This and previous governments are only kept in check by unions, NGO, whistleblowers etc. highlighting to people what they plan to do, and the shambles that is going on with the increased privatisation of public services.

Welcome to the start of the increasingly insurance dominated Americanisation of the health service.

Like the Swedish education system (for instance)? Or indeed the free school system here. The state foots the bill but don't try and pretend that they're the only (or the best) people to deliver the service.

I appreciate that isn't what you want to hear.

 

[hullefc]

I see - so the years of Labour's profligacy must now be sorted by Cameron cutting absolutely everything everywhere or else he is tarred as a hypocrite.

Were you screaming for these cuts at any point during the Labour govt? Or does it only matter now the Tories are in?

Seems like you have an agenda there.

During the Labour boom years and the expanding economy, which you will have benefited from, did you put your hand up and shout stop?

Cameron said 'we are all in this together'. Not true, he is a bare faced hypocrite. He knew one section of the population would pay and another section of the population wouldn't. He made choices. Sanction illegally 850 000 people claiming money and he knew that there would be an increase in people needing help from charities. How did he know this? Because he studied PPE and there would have been modules he 'studied' that would have shown the relationship between cuts in welfare and increased destitution.

 

[toffee matt]

The NHS will remain free at the point of access for the considerable future, whoever wins the election.

It's political suicide to change that and no party would do it.

 

[hullefc]

Like the Swedish education system (for instance)? Or indeed the free school system here. The state foots the bill but don't try and pretend that they're the only (or the best) people to deliver the service.

I appreciate that isn't what you want to hear.

"Britain's adoption of Sweden's "free school" model has been called into question after one of Sweden's largest private sector school operators announced it would shut down, leaving hundreds of students stranded.

JB Education, whose schools educate around 10,000 Swedish pupils, said on Thursday that it would sell 19 of its high schools and close down the remaining four.

The decision, which follows four school closures announced by the company in February, came as the Danish private equity group Axcel, which bought the chain in 2008, decided it could no longer continue to cover the company's losses.

"I'm devastated that the company I've managed for a short time won't survive," said JB Education's chief executive, Anders Hultin. "It's extremely regrettable that it will affect the students."

I appreciate this isn't what you want to hear. But most times private companies aren't the best to provide and deliver public services.

Since 1979 the increased privatisation of the health service has seen a proliferation of top down with hundreds of thousands of managers and those working under them getting massive increases in salaries. The proportion of salaries going to managers has increased alongside the increased privatisation of the health service when compared to other salaries. I would wager.