|
|
Post by northwestman on Aug 21, 2022 14:54:08 GMT 1
Now this proposal has seriously lost the plot. You can't get hold of a G.P. as it is! www.theguardian.com/society/2022/aug/21/gps-could-prescribe-money-off-energy-bills-under-treasury-planGPs could write prescriptions for money off energy bills for the most vulnerable under a plan drawn up by the Treasury, as Liz Truss’s team signalled more help with costs now forecast to top £6,000 next year. The unusual proposal would mean people could consult their doctor for an assessment on whether they are struggling enough to require help with their bills. |
|
|
|
Post by northwestman on Aug 21, 2022 17:26:01 GMT 1
The liar Johnson has claimed that a plan for social care is in place. It isn't and never has been. Johnson has managed to create a social care plan that essentially has no plan for social care. www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/07/boris-johnson-social-care-plan-prime-minister-disabled-people-care-workersThousands of vulnerable people are suffering inadequate care as severe staffing shortages in previously good care homes push operators to break rules and put residents at risk. A wave of inspections has revealed the human impact of a worsening nationwide staffing crisis, with people being left in their rooms 24 hours a day, denied showers for over a week, enduring assaults from fellow residents, and left soaking in their own urine. Stretched staff have described scrambling to help residents with buzzers going off and fear the squeeze on their time is dangerous. Staff shortages rose by 52% in the last year to 165,000 vacancies, according to Skills for Care, and close to one in 10 social care posts in England are now vacant. Examples of comments care workers made to inspectors include “staffing is a disaster” and “because of how intense it’s been and lack of support, staff just don’t want to do it any more”. The current average pay in independent care homes in England is £9.01. Starbucks baristas earn over £10 an hour, and Amazon warehouse workers earn a basic wage of £10-£12. So what do Sunak or Truss propose to do about this? www.theguardian.com/society/2022/aug/21/staffing-crisis-leaves-many-english-care-home-residents-basic-needs-unmet |
|
|
|
Post by zenfootball2 on Aug 21, 2022 17:35:30 GMT 1
Now this proposal has seriously lost the plot. You can't get hold of a G.P. as it is! www.theguardian.com/society/2022/aug/21/gps-could-prescribe-money-off-energy-bills-under-treasury-planGPs could write prescriptions for money off energy bills for the most vulnerable under a plan drawn up by the Treasury, as Liz Truss’s team signalled more help with costs now forecast to top £6,000 next year. The unusual proposal would mean people could consult their doctor for an assessment on whether they are struggling enough to require help with their bills. so the goverments answer is to subsidies energy companies who are making huge profits. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2022 17:57:12 GMT 1
Indeed so. The only issue I would have is that it is merely distraction. We have an elected government. Elected by a landslide this time round. The same party has been in government since 2010. Well over a decade. How are things going?
Not swimmingly, I grant you, but noone can lay all the blame for our current difficulties at the feet of our government; if I were a Labour supporter, I would be thankful that the electorate hadn't put Labour in power; despite everything, I most certainly am! Seriously? Which party have been in power for the last 12 years?
Which party was arrogant enough to have a Brexit vote that they were certain they would win and had zero plans for if the electorate went against them?
Politicians of which party scrawled lies about £350m a week going to the NHS and backtracked before the entire vote was in, before telling the nurses they would have to make do with 1% and then clapped on their doorsteps every chuffin' Thursday only to pop up with another insulting 1%?
Politicians of which party were drinking and partying in Downing Street while at the same time sending elderly Covid patients into clean care homes to infect the entire staff and other elderly and frail people?
Which party has overseen a 3% loss of spending power for almost every single person in the country?
Which party is allowing a huge increase in energy bills in many cases more than doubling in a little over a year?
Which party is in the process of electing their 4th leader in 6 years while at the same watching a costing living crisis, inflation hitting record levels this century, interest rates rising, fuel costs going through the roof, foodbanks running out of food and strikes or threats of industrial action getting to near crisis levels, while there is no-one actually steering the ship? What the hell is Dominic Raab doing? He's supposed to be the deputy PM for crying out loud and no-one has seen hide nor hair of him since Johnson got handed his 'arris by his own MPs
I haven't even scratched the surface of the 12 years of Tory mismanagement and all you can come up with is 'well at least it's not Labour'. As if your crystal ball could see how bad Labour would be given the same set of circumstances regarding Covid and Ukraine. To be honest both of these factors have been manna from heaven for Tory supporters, because you have you been able to deflect everything on to them, wasn't it one of your MPs that claimed that people dying in care homes would save the country money on pension payouts. That really is a lousy level to aspire to.
|
|
|
|
Post by martinshrew on Aug 22, 2022 15:13:13 GMT 1
Not swimmingly, I grant you, but noone can lay all the blame for our current difficulties at the feet of our government; if I were a Labour supporter, I would be thankful that the electorate hadn't put Labour in power; despite everything, I most certainly am! Seriously? Which party have been in power for the last 12 years?
Which party was arrogant enough to have a Brexit vote that they were certain they would win and had zero plans for if the electorate went against them?
Politicians of which party scrawled lies about £350m a week going to the NHS and backtracked before the entire vote was in, before telling the nurses they would have to make do with 1% and then clapped on their doorsteps every chuffin' Thursday only to pop up with another insulting 1%?
Politicians of which party were drinking and partying in Downing Street while at the same time sending elderly Covid patients into clean care homes to infect the entire staff and other elderly and frail people?
Which party has overseen a 3% loss of spending power for almost every single person in the country?
Which party is allowing a huge increase in energy bills in many cases more than doubling in a little over a year?
Which party is in the process of electing their 4th leader in 6 years while at the same watching a costing living crisis, inflation hitting record levels this century, interest rates rising, fuel costs going through the roof, foodbanks running out of food and strikes or threats of industrial action getting to near crisis levels, while there is no-one actually steering the ship? What the hell is Dominic Raab doing? He's supposed to be the deputy PM for crying out loud and no-one has seen hide nor hair of him since Johnson got handed his 'arris by his own MPs
I haven't even scratched the surface of the 12 years of Tory mismanagement and all you can come up with is 'well at least it's not Labour'. As if your crystal ball could see how bad Labour would be given the same set of circumstances regarding Covid and Ukraine. To be honest both of these factors have been manna from heaven for Tory supporters, because you have you been able to deflect everything on to them, wasn't it one of your MPs that claimed that people dying in care homes would save the country money on pension payouts. That really is a lousy level to aspire to.
We'd probably be in lockdown. |
|
|
|
Post by northwestman on Aug 22, 2022 15:38:35 GMT 1
That's my problem. I think all of them are a disaster, and regard their refusal to invest adequately for many years in the infrastructure for short term electoral gain as a total failing of the electorate on their part.
It goes back over 40 years to the 1980s.
|
|
|
|
Post by northwestman on Aug 22, 2022 19:51:37 GMT 1
www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/22/liz-truss-environment-agency-cuts-sewage-water-pollutionThe Tory leadership frontrunner, Liz Truss, was responsible for cutting millions of pounds of funding earmarked for tackling water pollution during her time as environment secretary, the Guardian can reveal. Truss, who was in charge at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) between 2014 and 2016, oversaw “efficiency” plans set out in the 2015 spending review to reduce Environment Agency funding by £235m. This included a £24m cut from a government grant for environmental protection, including surveillance of water companies to prevent the dumping of raw sewage, between 2014-15 and 2016-17, according to the National Audit Office.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2022 6:38:47 GMT 1
I'm not going to make this party political or at least I'm going to try not to.
We are in the midst of the biggest cost of living crisis of our lifetimes, inflation is currently at 10% and is expected to hit around 14%, with some predicting 17 or 18%, the energy price cap is going up on Friday to what is expected to be around £3,600, before rising again in January to over £4,000. For reference in October 2021 the price cap went up to £1,277. In May 2020 the wholesale price for a single therm of gas was less than 10p, in May this year it was £1.37 it is currently £6.08. Granted some of this is down to the war in Ukraine, but when the gas and oil giants are posting stratospheric profits surely some questions need to asked and more importantly bloody well answered.
Petrol and diesel have fortunately dropped by a few bob a litre recently, but that is small fry in compared to the rises so far this year.
On top of all this universities are now asking for £9,250 tuition fees cap to be lifted to £14,000 a year.
We are seeing pay rises of well below the current level of inflation, food banks are running out of food, because people can't afford to donate when they're struggling or having to make cut backs themselves.
Many of us on here are probably not doing too badly in grand scheme of things, but most of us are seeing our spending power reduced, are cutting back on luxuries, are thinking twice about our holidays abroad.
We are seeing the stock market tootling along quite nicely, executives doing very well thank you very much and shareholders having a serious Brucie Bonus moment. In the meantime the water companies are pumping effluent into rivers and onto beaches while posting very nice profits, giving their executives nice pay and bonus packages and paying out shed loads in dividends.
This is all completely unsustainable. It is hardly surprising that some sectors are fighting back with strikes and other industrial action, how big a chunk of our income are people supposed to hand over to those that already have the most money?
I said I would not go all party political so I won't, but I would happily take David Cameron and George Osborne back today. At least they showed a modicum of leadership and competence, which has been and still is sadly lacking.
|
|
|
|
Post by kenwood on Aug 23, 2022 9:47:24 GMT 1
Seriously , take Cameron and Osborne back.
I think that it’s because of their austerity measures that we have ended up in our present situation .
Not even a modicum of leadership from Cameron who misjudged Brexit and then quit as soon as the referendum result went against him and Osborne , incompetent and unaware of the dangers his measures were responsible for .
Lack of investment in our infrastructure , our schools and our health care system.
This Country is on the verge of a national strike ; people have had enough .
When I think this Conservative Party have replaced May and Hammond with Johnson , Sunak and yes , Raab I could weep.
Now the Country will be led by either Sunak who is quickly denying his involvement in this mess or, as is likely , Truss . God help us all.
Whilst the Country is in meltdown Johnson , although promising to continue to play an active part in running the Country before eventually handing over the reins to a successor is doing precisely nothing , as to be expected , whilst Raab has gone missing .
Still, it would have been even worse under a Corbyn led government comes the cry.That’s all that Tory supporters can come up with .
Johnson will proceed filling the Lords with his cronies and Patel will continue to try and encourage people to holiday in Africa .
On the basis of what is happening before our very eyes Danny K is odds on to continue to misrepresent us in our fair Town .
|
|
|
|
Post by northwestman on Aug 23, 2022 10:33:19 GMT 1
Can't see either Truss or Sunak even scratching the surface with this problem:
A record 1,295 migrants crossed the Channel on Monday, beating the previous daily high by more than 100, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
In the busiest day of the year, the Royal Navy and Border Force intercepted 27 boats from France, each on average carrying nearly 50 migrants, who were brought ashore.
That is the largest number since the previous high of 1,185 in November last year and takes the total of migrants reaching the UK past 22,500 so far this year, more than double 2021’s rate.
It also pushed the total for August to 6,273, the second highest month on record and closing in on last November’s total of 6878, the previous monthly record.
The rate of arrivals is double last year and appears to be accelerating, suggesting that internal Home Office estimates that this year could hit 60,000 to 65,000 will prove accurate. That would be more than double the 28,526 in 2021.
Lucy Moreton, professional officer with the ISU union representing Border Force officers, said the Channel migrants were now predominantly Albanians and warned on Monday that staff were facing increasing violence.
“We are getting an increasing amount of violence. That tends to go with the nationalities. There are a lot of young males. A lot of prison tattoos and prison haircuts. I have had two staff attacked in the last week and three bitten, bruised but no skin broken,” said Ms Moreton.
A leaked intelligence report this month found four in 10 Channel arrivals were Albanians during a six-week period in the Summer as traditional asylum seekers are being replaced by potential economic migrants. “It has become a very established route,” said Ms Moreton.
Plans to deport migrants to Rwanda to claim asylum in the central African state - seen as a key deterrent to the crossings - are on hold pending the outcome of a judicial review of the policy’s legality.
The asylum backlog of claims yet to be decided has risen to a 30 year high of more than 110,000 people while the number of asylum seekers being held in hotels has trebled to more than 26,000, costing taxpayers £3 million a day.
Daily Telegraph.
|
|
|
|
Post by northwestman on Aug 23, 2022 10:41:46 GMT 1
In the meantime the water companies are pumping effluent into rivers and onto beaches while posting very nice profits, giving their executives nice pay and bonus packages and paying out shed loads in dividends. Some of the highly paid bosses of England’s water companies are earning tens of thousands of pounds in second boardroom jobs, advising on the pay deals of other top executives. Five of the chief executives of England’s nine water and sewerage companies are also working as non-executive directors in other firms, sitting on remuneration committees. When your snout's in the trough, your snout's in the trough. |
|
kp
Midland League Division One
Posts: 495
|
Post by kp on Aug 23, 2022 12:47:36 GMT 1
www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/22/liz-truss-environment-agency-cuts-sewage-water-pollutionThe Tory leadership frontrunner, Liz Truss, was responsible for cutting millions of pounds of funding earmarked for tackling water pollution during her time as environment secretary, the Guardian can reveal. Truss, who was in charge at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) between 2014 and 2016, oversaw “efficiency” plans set out in the 2015 spending review to reduce Environment Agency funding by £235m. This included a £24m cut from a government grant for environmental protection, including surveillance of water companies to prevent the dumping of raw sewage, between 2014-15 and 2016-17, according to the National Audit Office. The raw sewage bobbing along in The Severn under The Welsh and away downstream at Christmas just added to the feastive atmosphere I felt. Now they are adding more and more chemicals to our tap water to combat the pollutants. You can smell it. |
|
kp
Midland League Division One
Posts: 495
|
Post by kp on Aug 23, 2022 12:48:25 GMT 1
www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/22/liz-truss-environment-agency-cuts-sewage-water-pollutionThe Tory leadership frontrunner, Liz Truss, was responsible for cutting millions of pounds of funding earmarked for tackling water pollution during her time as environment secretary, the Guardian can reveal. Truss, who was in charge at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) between 2014 and 2016, oversaw “efficiency” plans set out in the 2015 spending review to reduce Environment Agency funding by £235m. This included a £24m cut from a government grant for environmental protection, including surveillance of water companies to prevent the dumping of raw sewage, between 2014-15 and 2016-17, according to the National Audit Office. The raw sewage bobbing along in The Severn under The Welsh and away downstream at Christmas just added to the feastive atmosphere I felt. Now they are adding more and more chemicals to our tap water to combat the pollutants. You can smell it. I blame Corbyn. |
|
|
|
Post by northwestman on Aug 23, 2022 12:54:35 GMT 1
www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/22/liz-truss-environment-agency-cuts-sewage-water-pollutionThe Tory leadership frontrunner, Liz Truss, was responsible for cutting millions of pounds of funding earmarked for tackling water pollution during her time as environment secretary, the Guardian can reveal. Truss, who was in charge at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) between 2014 and 2016, oversaw “efficiency” plans set out in the 2015 spending review to reduce Environment Agency funding by £235m. This included a £24m cut from a government grant for environmental protection, including surveillance of water companies to prevent the dumping of raw sewage, between 2014-15 and 2016-17, according to the National Audit Office. The raw sewage bobbing along in The Severn under The Welsh and away downstream at Christmas just added to the feastive atmosphere I felt. Now they are adding more and more chemicals to our tap water to combat the pollutants. You can smell it. That's a very good reason for purchasing some Montgomery Waters or some other bottled water. |
|
|
|
Post by staffordshrew on Aug 23, 2022 21:26:04 GMT 1
Seriously , take Cameron and Osborne back. I think that it’s because of their austerity measures that we have ended up in our present situation . Not even a modicum of leadership from Cameron who misjudged Brexit and then quit as soon as the referendum result went against him and Osborne , incompetent and unaware of the dangers his measures were responsible for . Lack of investment in our infrastructure , our schools and our health care system. This Country is on the verge of a national strike ; people have had enough . When I think this Conservative Party have replaced May and Hammond with Johnson , Sunak and yes , Raab I could weep. Now the Country will be led by either Sunak who is quickly denying his involvement in this mess or, as is likely , Truss . God help us all. Whilst the Country is in meltdown Johnson , although promising to continue to play an active part in running the Country before eventually handing over the reins to a successor is doing precisely nothing , as to be expected , whilst Raab has gone missing . Still, it would have been even worse under a Corbyn led government comes the cry.That’s all that Tory supporters can come up with . Johnson will proceed filling the Lords with his cronies and Patel will continue to try and encourage people to holiday in Africa . On the basis of what is happening before our very eyes Danny K is odds on to continue to misrepresent us in our fair Town . To be fair, young master Johnson promised government as usual while the leadership selection took place - well, they always bugger off on holiday in August, so he's doing exactly what he said he would. The immediate problem is that absolutely nothing is really being said about helping people pay these crazy Price Cap rises - not until the new PM is in place. This is causing worry, media induced panic and desparation, with higher rates of inflation being speculated every day - something needs to be done and done this week when the new price cap is announced - perhaps they should have somehow delayed the price cap announcement until we have a government again? |
|
|
|
Post by northwestman on Aug 24, 2022 10:22:53 GMT 1
www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/23/liz-truss-refuses-to-commit-to-appointing-ethics-adviserLiz Truss has refused to commit to appointing an ethics adviser if she became prime minister, saying she has “always acted with integrity”. At the Conservative leadership hustings in Birmingham on Tuesday night, Truss declined to directly answer whether she would appoint someone to the role, instead saying she would “ensure the correct apparatus is in place so that people are able to whistle-blow”. The previous ethics adviser, Christopher Geidt, quit in June after conceding the prime minister may have broken the ministerial code over the Partygate scandal. After being pressed on the subject of a new ethics adviser multiple times, Truss said: “I do think one of the problems we have got in this country in the way we approach things is we have numerous advisers and independent bodies, and rules and regulations. “For me it’s about understanding the difference between right and wrong, and I am somebody who has always acted with integrity […] and that is what I would do as prime minister.” So that's alright then!
|
|
|
|
Post by northwestman on Aug 24, 2022 11:51:13 GMT 1
As the Tory leadership race sputters and wheezes its way into its seventh week, the contest has assumed an air of unreality. The political backdrop is that of a Bosch painting; inflation running over 10 per cent, businesses folding, a collapsing NHS and an alarming feeling of lawlessness amid strikes, unsolved crimes and record migrant Channel crossings.
In this climate, the Battle for No 10 seems the ultimate poisoned chalice: like auditioning for the role of entertainment officer on the Titanic. Yet Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak continue to tour the country, exchanging sound bites and taking chunks out of each other. Polls suggest that the public is noting all this with distaste.
A dispiriting paradox is at play here. Nothing seems to function, and yet the tax burden is at a 70-year high.
Inevitably, the NHS will continue to absorb an ever-larger slice of public spending, without any accompanying reform or even an expectation that it perform a health service’s most basic functions, like seeing patients.
Daily Telegraph.
|
|
|
|
Post by staffordshrew on Aug 24, 2022 12:09:06 GMT 1
I'm not going to make this party political or at least I'm going to try not to. We are in the midst of the biggest cost of living crisis of our lifetimes, inflation is currently at 10% and is expected to hit around 14%, with some predicting 17 or 18%, the energy price cap is going up on Friday to what is expected to be around £3,600, before rising again in January to over £4,000. For reference in October 2021 the price cap went up to £1,277. In May 2020 the wholesale price for a single therm of gas was less than 10p, in May this year it was £1.37 it is currently £6.08. Granted some of this is down to the war in Ukraine, but when the gas and oil giants are posting stratospheric profits surely some questions need to asked and more importantly bloody well answered. Petrol and diesel have fortunately dropped by a few bob a litre recently, but that is small fry in compared to the rises so far this year. On top of all this universities are now asking for £9,250 tuition fees cap to be lifted to £14,000 a year. We are seeing pay rises of well below the current level of inflation, food banks are running out of food, because people can't afford to donate when they're struggling or having to make cut backs themselves. Many of us on here are probably not doing too badly in grand scheme of things, but most of us are seeing our spending power reduced, are cutting back on luxuries, are thinking twice about our holidays abroad. We are seeing the stock market tootling along quite nicely, executives doing very well thank you very much and shareholders having a serious Brucie Bonus moment. In the meantime the water companies are pumping effluent into rivers and onto beaches while posting very nice profits, giving their executives nice pay and bonus packages and paying out shed loads in dividends. This is all completely unsustainable. It is hardly surprising that some sectors are fighting back with strikes and other industrial action, how big a chunk of our income are people supposed to hand over to those that already have the most money? I said I would not go all party political so I won't, but I would happily take David Cameron and George Osborne back today. At least they showed a modicum of leadership and competence, which has been and still is sadly lacking. I'm afraid the stock market isn't tootling along quite nice either - fear of a recession, massive increases in energy costs for industry, etc. The energy companies had a little blip, but otherwise things not looking too good for anyone with their pension invested in shares. The Chief executives, the City and the money lenders though, they are doing very well. For the average person, with their defined contribution pension invested in shares, it's rising prices and less money all round. Truss or Sunak, they aren't going to do anything to help the avaerage person. |
|
|
|
Post by frankwellshrews on Aug 24, 2022 15:29:02 GMT 1
I'm not going to make this party political or at least I'm going to try not to. We are in the midst of the biggest cost of living crisis of our lifetimes, inflation is currently at 10% and is expected to hit around 14%, with some predicting 17 or 18%, the energy price cap is going up on Friday to what is expected to be around £3,600, before rising again in January to over £4,000. For reference in October 2021 the price cap went up to £1,277. In May 2020 the wholesale price for a single therm of gas was less than 10p, in May this year it was £1.37 it is currently £6.08. Granted some of this is down to the war in Ukraine, but when the gas and oil giants are posting stratospheric profits surely some questions need to asked and more importantly bloody well answered. Petrol and diesel have fortunately dropped by a few bob a litre recently, but that is small fry in compared to the rises so far this year. On top of all this universities are now asking for £9,250 tuition fees cap to be lifted to £14,000 a year. We are seeing pay rises of well below the current level of inflation, food banks are running out of food, because people can't afford to donate when they're struggling or having to make cut backs themselves. Many of us on here are probably not doing too badly in grand scheme of things, but most of us are seeing our spending power reduced, are cutting back on luxuries, are thinking twice about our holidays abroad. We are seeing the stock market tootling along quite nicely, executives doing very well thank you very much and shareholders having a serious Brucie Bonus moment. In the meantime the water companies are pumping effluent into rivers and onto beaches while posting very nice profits, giving their executives nice pay and bonus packages and paying out shed loads in dividends. This is all completely unsustainable. It is hardly surprising that some sectors are fighting back with strikes and other industrial action, how big a chunk of our income are people supposed to hand over to those that already have the most money? I said I would not go all party political so I won't, but I would happily take David Cameron and George Osborne back today. At least they showed a modicum of leadership and competence, which has been and still is sadly lacking. I'm afraid the stock market isn't tootling along quite nice either - fear of a recession, massive increases in energy costs for industry, etc. The energy companies had a little blip, but otherwise things not looking too good for anyone with their pension invested in shares. The Chief executives, the City and the money lenders though, they are doing very well. For the average person, with their defined contribution pension invested in shares, it's rising prices and less money all round. Truss or Sunak, they aren't going to do anything to help the avaerage person. Quite right - of course none of that matters to the people they're appealing to with db pensions for whom the performance of the stock market is irrelevant. |
|
|
|
Post by Minormorris64 on Aug 24, 2022 15:39:47 GMT 1
I'm not going to make this party political or at least I'm going to try not to. We are in the midst of the biggest cost of living crisis of our lifetimes, inflation is currently at 10% and is expected to hit around 14%, with some predicting 17 or 18%, the energy price cap is going up on Friday to what is expected to be around £3,600, before rising again in January to over £4,000. For reference in October 2021 the price cap went up to £1,277. In May 2020 the wholesale price for a single therm of gas was less than 10p, in May this year it was £1.37 it is currently £6.08. Granted some of this is down to the war in Ukraine, but when the gas and oil giants are posting stratospheric profits surely some questions need to asked and more importantly bloody well answered. Petrol and diesel have fortunately dropped by a few bob a litre recently, but that is small fry in compared to the rises so far this year. On top of all this universities are now asking for £9,250 tuition fees cap to be lifted to £14,000 a year. We are seeing pay rises of well below the current level of inflation, food banks are running out of food, because people can't afford to donate when they're struggling or having to make cut backs themselves. Many of us on here are probably not doing too badly in grand scheme of things, but most of us are seeing our spending power reduced, are cutting back on luxuries, are thinking twice about our holidays abroad. We are seeing the stock market tootling along quite nicely, executives doing very well thank you very much and shareholders having a serious Brucie Bonus moment. In the meantime the water companies are pumping effluent into rivers and onto beaches while posting very nice profits, giving their executives nice pay and bonus packages and paying out shed loads in dividends. This is all completely unsustainable. It is hardly surprising that some sectors are fighting back with strikes and other industrial action, how big a chunk of our income are people supposed to hand over to those that already have the most money? I said I would not go all party political so I won't, but I would happily take David Cameron and George Osborne back today. At least they showed a modicum of leadership and competence, which has been and still is sadly lacking. I'm afraid the stock market isn't tootling along quite nice either - fear of a recession, massive increases in energy costs for industry, etc. The energy companies had a little blip, but otherwise things not looking too good for anyone with their pension invested in shares. The Chief executives, the City and the money lenders though, they are doing very well. For the average person, with their defined contribution pension invested in shares, it's rising prices and less money all round. Truss or Sunak, they aren't going to do anything to help the avaerage person. FTSE100 UP 5.06% over the last year, but lets not let facts get in the way of another anti Govt rant. |
|
|
|
Post by Worthingshrew on Aug 24, 2022 16:14:32 GMT 1
www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/23/liz-truss-refuses-to-commit-to-appointing-ethics-adviserLiz Truss has refused to commit to appointing an ethics adviser if she became prime minister, saying she has “always acted with integrity”. At the Conservative leadership hustings in Birmingham on Tuesday night, Truss declined to directly answer whether she would appoint someone to the role, instead saying she would “ensure the correct apparatus is in place so that people are able to whistle-blow”. The previous ethics adviser, Christopher Geidt, quit in June after conceding the prime minister may have broken the ministerial code over the Partygate scandal. After being pressed on the subject of a new ethics adviser multiple times, Truss said: “I do think one of the problems we have got in this country in the way we approach things is we have numerous advisers and independent bodies, and rules and regulations. “For me it’s about understanding the difference between right and wrong, and I am somebody who has always acted with integrity […] and that is what I would do as prime minister.” So that's alright then! She had so much integrity she thought Boris should carry on lying and being PM. |
|
|
|
Post by ssshrew on Aug 24, 2022 16:26:39 GMT 1
Talk about deluded. She hasn’t got a clue.
|
|
kp
Midland League Division One
Posts: 495
|
Post by kp on Aug 24, 2022 17:22:38 GMT 1
I'm afraid the stock market isn't tootling along quite nice either - fear of a recession, massive increases in energy costs for industry, etc. The energy companies had a little blip, but otherwise things not looking too good for anyone with their pension invested in shares. The Chief executives, the City and the money lenders though, they are doing very well. For the average person, with their defined contribution pension invested in shares, it's rising prices and less money all round. Truss or Sunak, they aren't going to do anything to help the avaerage person. FTSE100 UP 5.06% over the last year, but lets not let facts get in the way of another anti Govt rant. Increases from a low position when expressed as percentages give a false impression. Try this. FTSE 100 Value 2018 High 7778.79. FTSE 100 Value 2022 High 7669.56. It was 6739.50 in 1999... Historically it gains about 7.75% a year. (That is over its lifetime since its inception). Any questions? |
|
|
|
Post by staffordshrew on Aug 24, 2022 17:32:15 GMT 1
I'm afraid the stock market isn't tootling along quite nice either - fear of a recession, massive increases in energy costs for industry, etc. The energy companies had a little blip, but otherwise things not looking too good for anyone with their pension invested in shares. The Chief executives, the City and the money lenders though, they are doing very well. For the average person, with their defined contribution pension invested in shares, it's rising prices and less money all round. Truss or Sunak, they aren't going to do anything to help the avaerage person. FTSE100 UP 5.06% over the last year, but lets not let facts get in the way of another anti Govt rant. Selective statistics.
Fact is FTSE 250 Index
19,305.23 -4,681.14 (-19.52%) in the past year.
So much for an anti Govt rant.
|
|
|
|
Post by suttonshrew on Aug 24, 2022 23:21:21 GMT 1
Going to be a tough gig for either Rishi or Truss. I have recently met both and Rishi is def the most polished of the 2, but struggles to connect with the average person. Liz is tough and I wouldn’t underestimate her shaking things up if needed. I’m a member and voted Truss but I held off until the last possible minute. Will be interesting how the party takes the result either way
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2022 6:01:22 GMT 1
Going to be a tough gig for either Rishi or Truss. I have recently met both and Rishi is def the most polished of the 2, but struggles to connect with the average person. Liz is tough and I wouldn’t underestimate her shaking things up if needed. I’m a member and voted Truss but I held off until the last possible minute. Will be interesting how the party takes the result either way Would either of the options given to you by the MPs have been your first choice? |
|
|
|
Post by ssshrew on Aug 25, 2022 8:00:57 GMT 1
I don’t want either but I dread Truss as I feel she’s a loose cannon and we need someone steady and honest - not anyone connected with Boris. So I shall be disappointed whoever gets it - not to mention concerned for the majority of our population as I don’t think either of them really give a damn for anyone except themselves.
I’m afraid the future does not look good either way.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2022 8:21:43 GMT 1
I don’t want either but I dread Truss as I feel she’s a loose cannon and we need someone steady and honest - not anyone connected with Boris. So I shall be disappointed whoever gets it - not to mention concerned for the majority of our population as I don’t think either of them really give a damn for anyone except themselves. I’m afraid the future does not look good either way. There are undoubtedly some talented people in the Conservative party, even I can accept that. I think that Sunak would probably have utilised that talent far better than Truss. She will go down the same route as Johnson and surround herself with those who agree with her, regardless of their lack of anything approaching talent. In the long term her leadership will be good for Labour's chances at the next election, the couple of years are going to be very trying. |
|
|
|
Post by ssshrew on Aug 25, 2022 8:29:35 GMT 1
Exactly. Anyone who still supports Boris has to be suspect I’m afraid. The Tories needed a complete change but were too insular to realise this.
|
|
|
|
Post by northwestman on Aug 25, 2022 10:12:42 GMT 1
www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2022/aug/25/rishi-sunak-liz-truss-boris-johnson-covid-lockdown-uk-politics-liveOnly now does Sunak tell us this! Sunak suggests Johnson let the lockdown go on for too long. Sunak says ministers were discouraged from acknowledging the problems created by lockdown. He says the government’s scientific advisers, in particular Sage (the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies), were given too much power. Lockdown – closing schools and much of the economy while sending the police after people who sat on park benches – was the most draconian policy introduced in peacetime. No. 10 wanted to present it as ‘following the science’ rather than a political decision, and this had implications for the wiring of government decision-making. It meant elevating Sage, a sprawling group of scientific advisers, into a committee that had the power to decide whether the country would lock down or not. There was no socioeconomic equivalent to Sage; no forum where other questions would be asked. So whoever wrote the minutes for the Sage meetings – condensing its discussions into guidance for government – would set the policy of the nation. The public, Sunak says, was being scared witless, while being kept in the dark about lockdown’s likely effects. ‘We helped shape that: with the fear messaging, empowering the scientists and not talking about the trade-offs.’
Those trade-offs are apparent. At first, no one asked what all those cancelled NHS appointments would mean. When the answer came, it was devastating: a waiting list that is projected to grow from six million now to nine million by 2024. Avoidable cancer deaths due to late diagnosis will run into the thousands. Then there’s the economic impact. ‘We are short of 300,000 to 400,000 [workers],’ he says. ‘That is a problem.’ Some 5.3 million are on out-of-work benefits, with many over-fifties giving up on work entirely: a tendency that Sunak says was not spotted ‘until it was too late’. To Sunak, the problem at the heart of the government’s Covid response was a lack of candour. There was a failure to raise difficult questions about where all this might lead – and a tendency to use fear messaging to stifle debate, instead of encouraging discussion. www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-lockdown-files-rishi-sunak-on-what-we-werent-toldExactly what Laura Dodsworth pointed out in her book 'A State of Fear'. The ruthless use of behavioural psychology employed by the government on the general population.
|
|
