The 2015 Popularity Contest (aka UK General Election )

[Bruce Wayne]

not in relation to what the rest of czech society earn

Surely if food costs the same here and there, then there should be much higher instances of food poverty there compared to here? As you can see from the chart below, Czechs spend roughly twice as much of their household income on food as we do.

To put this into a bit of perspective. Around 6,000 people are admitted to hospital each year because of malnutrition. That compares to around about 10 million admitted because of alcohol related issues.

 

[peteblue]

Sturgeon saying that SNP will "prop up" a Labour Government even if the Tories have a 40 seat majority.

Wonder how Ed will play this ........ get it badly wrong & it could be the end of the Labour party forever.

It is my guess that if the Scottish Referendum was to be held tomorrow, the YES vote would be >80% because everyone would be wanting rid of the sweaties lol

Both Scotland and Wales are over represented in Westminster. The Scots have 59 MP's and should really have 53 (population 5.3M ) and the Welsh have 40 when they should really have 30 (population 3M). Both Northern Ireland and England have the right number of MP's, NI 18 (population 1.8M) and England 533 (population 53.3M)...............

 

[peteblue]

As I've said before, I don't think that's the case at all. Maybe when we were growing up it was but I don't think it is any more. It begs the question though, given that the government spend roughly £150bn on free health and education for the population, how on earth can there be poverty of provision?

The word 'poverty' is being diminished by its constant overuse..........

 

[bring the ghost on]

Of course not. That's the point. Every year that goes by this country gets richer. Today is a little better than the 1950's, and in 2050 it will be better still, so to those people, 'poverty' is relative. Not a competition, just fact......

Yes Pete, but it's the rich who are getting richer. The inequality gap gets wider year on year. Those at the bottom are still struggling as much as ever.

 

[bring the ghost on]

No, I appreciate that you do other work, but I mean what have you done about the specific children at your school who you believe are currently going hungry........this is not a trick question but a genuine concern.........

Do you expect him to give out food rations in his capacity as teacher? It is totally inappropriate and is not a solution to the problem.

 

[neil999]

Surely if food costs the same here and there, then there should be much higher instances of food poverty there compared to here? As you can see from the chart below, Czechs spend roughly twice as much of their household income on food as we do.

To put this into a bit of perspective. Around 6,000 people are admitted to hospital each year because of malnutrition. That compares to around about 10 million admitted because of alcohol related issues.

ahh man dont bamboozle me with graphs...i cant hack it!

i was talking about relative poverty (see my previous post)

 

[peteblue]

Yes Pete, but it's the rich who are getting richer. The inequality gap gets wider year on year. Those at the bottom are still struggling as much as ever.

Yet, as I've said before, everyone somehow thinks it OK for footballers to earn millions of pounds, by the way I love the fact that they still say £100K per week and not £5.2M per year..........still a working mans game..........

 

[peteblue]

Do you expect him to give out food rations in his capacity as teacher? It is totally inappropriate and is not a solution to the problem.

No, if it is really true that a child is going hungry, I would expect him to raise the issue with the school and contact social services. There are a myriad of other things that can and should be done via charities and voluntary services, besides actually giving money or food direct. If I knew of a child going hungry I would get it sorted sharpish and I believe that every single person in the UK would do likewise........

 

[bring the ghost on]

Yet, as I've said before, everyone somehow thinks it OK for footballers to earn millions of pounds, by the way I love the fact that they still say £100K per week and not £5.2M per year..........still a working mans game..........

Okay, but that's a separate point. You're still downplaying poverty as being 'imaginary'.

Do you agree that the trickle down philosophy hasn't really worked? As the country gets richer, does it not leave millions of people in poverty?

 

[The Esk]

As I've said before, I don't think that's the case at all. Maybe when we were growing up it was but I don't think it is any more. It begs the question though, given that the government spend roughly £150bn on free health and education for the population, how on earth can there be poverty of provision?

The evidence for the link between ones personal financial circumstances and their children's educational attainment is very strong and if anything is demonstrating a greater link than perhaps when I was growing up. There are numerous studies

http://repec.ioe.ac.uk/REPEc/pdf/qsswp1503.pdf

"We find a J shaped relationship between parental income and sons’ earnings, with parental income a particularly strong predictor of labour market success for those at the bottom, and to a greater extent, the top of the earnings distribution. We explore the potential role of early skills, education and early labour market attachment in this process. Worryingly, we find that education is not as meritocratic as we might hope, with the role of parental income dominating that of education at the top of the distribution of earnings"

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/house...he-uk---eu/2014/sty-causes-of-poverty-uk.html

"
How childhood factors affect educational attainment, income poverty and material deprivation

New analysis from ONS examines the extent to which the circumstances children grow up in affect their future life chances, using data for both the UK and other EU countries. In recent years there has been considerable research into the degree to which children born into poor families grow up to become poor adults. The findings have shown that the UK has a low level of earnings mobility across the generations, meaning that there is a strong relationship between the economic position of parents and that of their children. This analysis aims to help inform policy by showing the childhood factors that impact most on the intergenerational transmission of poverty and disadvantage."

http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0001/7863/Lost_for_Words_-_child_poverty_policy_paper.pdf

Publication from Parliament - House of Commons Education Committee - go to page 20

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmeduc/142/142.pdf

 

[bring the ghost on]

No, if it is really true that a child is going hungry, I would expect him to raise the issue with the school and contact social services. There are a myriad of other things that can and should be done via charities and voluntary services, besides actually giving money or food direct. If I knew of a child going hungry I would get it sorted sharpish and I believe that every single person in the UK would do likewise........

Fair point but so much neglect these days goes unnoticed. If you work in a school in a deprived area, you are likely to see widespread child poverty and you can't just phone the social services or redirect them to a charity in most cases.

 

[1966efc]

My understanding (and I could have got this wrong) is that the majority of cases of malnutrition are discovered on admittance to hospital for reasons other than nutrition.

On the issue of teachers / hungry kids I have known and do know of teachers who are regularly approached for money by desperate mothers & who give a fiver. They would be absolutely mortified if their charity was publicly spoken of.

Most schools will have a very clear policy of who does what / when where cases of extreme hardship are suspected.

 

[peteblue]

Okay, but that's a separate point. You're still downplaying poverty as being 'imaginary'.

Do you agree that the trickle down philosophy hasn't really worked? As the country gets richer, does it not leave millions of people in poverty?

In relative poverty, yes, in absolute poverty, no. I do however believe that we, as a nation, are too willing to allow a few to have disproportionate wealth.........

 

[Bruce Wayne]

The evidence for the link between ones personal financial circumstances and their children's educational attainment is very strong and if anything is demonstrating a greater link than perhaps when I was growing up. There are numerous studies

http://repec.ioe.ac.uk/REPEc/pdf/qsswp1503.pdf

"We find a J shaped relationship between parental income and sons’ earnings, with parental income a particularly strong predictor of labour market success for those at the bottom, and to a greater extent, the top of the earnings distribution. We explore the potential role of early skills, education and early labour market attachment in this process. Worryingly, we find that education is not as meritocratic as we might hope, with the role of parental income dominating that of education at the top of the distribution of earnings"

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/house...he-uk---eu/2014/sty-causes-of-poverty-uk.html

"
How childhood factors affect educational attainment, income poverty and material deprivation

New analysis from ONS examines the extent to which the circumstances children grow up in affect their future life chances, using data for both the UK and other EU countries. In recent years there has been considerable research into the degree to which children born into poor families grow up to become poor adults. The findings have shown that the UK has a low level of earnings mobility across the generations, meaning that there is a strong relationship between the economic position of parents and that of their children. This analysis aims to help inform policy by showing the childhood factors that impact most on the intergenerational transmission of poverty and disadvantage."

http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0001/7863/Lost_for_Words_-_child_poverty_policy_paper.pdf

Publication from Parliament - House of Commons Education Committee - go to page 20

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmeduc/142/142.pdf

Is the money not simply the most visible, and of course, measurable aspect of the equation though? Whilst there are no doubt some who will earn great fortunes through luck or through inheritance, most will have to work hard for it.

Is money therefore a proxy for things like conscientiousness and openness to new experiences, both of which have been identified as crucial character traits for success in life?

It's like the old Toyota five whys that they use to determine cause and effect. Why are the parents financially well off?

After all, state schooling is an excellent quality. The NHS is the best health system in the world. We have all of the worlds information available for free online, with the insights and teachings of many of the foremost thinkers likewise. It's a fantastic time to be alive really.

 

[Clint Planet]

So still no photograph to back up your claim of children going hungry.........we all know that we have levels of poverty in this country, but merely making the language a bit more emotive, such as 'child poverty' or 'children going hungry', really doesn't help.........

There are certainly children who come into my school hungry in the mornings.