The 2015 Popularity Contest (aka UK General Election )

Who will you be voting for?

  • Tory

    Votes: 38 9.9%

  • Diet Tory (Labour)

    Votes: 132 34.3%

  • Tory Zero (Greens)

    Votes: 44 11.4%

  • Extra Tory with lemon (UKIP)

    Votes: 40 10.4%

  • Lib Dems

    Votes: 9 2.3%

  • Other

    Votes: 31 8.1%

  • Cheese on toast

    Votes: 91 23.6%
  • Total voters
    385
  • Poll closed .
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Eggs said:
....I'll tell you next year, Mate.
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You will be fine mate, unless you have a pension income of more than £50k when you finish. That sounds a lot, but tons of civil servants could be affected.

The issue is limiting the pot to £1m. Again, that sounds a lot, but that will produce a pension with the same benefits as a civil service one of apx £25k.

So maximum pension for public sector is double what is available to the rest of us.
 
roydo said:
You will be fine mate, unless you have a pension income of more than £50k when you finish. That sounds a lot, but tons of civil servants could be affected.

The issue is limiting the pot to £1m. Again, that sounds a lot, but that will produce a pension with the same benefits as a civil service one of apx £25k.

So maximum pension for public sector is double what is available to the rest of us.
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...finger on the pulse, Roydo. My pension isn't in the £50k region but you are right that it does impact quite a few.
 

Ashtonian said:
there is a wider issue with E ciggeretes that the country turns a blind eye to in favour of bad press coverage.

first of all the untested, potentially unsafe argument that is always thrown out in light of the subject is nonsense. the products are tested and if you bother to look online there is plenty of research data proving that both the inhale and exale of the liquids are not harmful to anyone, especially compared to ciggerettes. There is plenty of proffesionals world wide who have backed them as a genuine anti smoking aid and not 'harmful' in the light of what they are replacing. but read BBC news next time they publish an article and see none of this mentioned because rats injected with Pneumonia got the illness. (actual story by them btw)

Second of all it is down to money. Less people smoke, less tax. Less money for government to collect which shows where the priorities are when it comes to public health. But they are planning on making a hell of a lot of changes to the use of them which will kill business in this country of them. Look at it deeper, there is at least 4 companies that make liquids for retail, and sell overseas as well. They would go out of business so there is a lot of jobs that will disappear as a result, to line the pockets of the government in the guise of 'no smoking'.

finally The whole thing is clearly a crusade by the government to try and sieze control of the industry because they havent got their monopoly on it. I have many many views on how smoking is handled by the government but what it boils down to is the fact they are losing money. If you actually read what they propose to do by 2016 you will see to what extemes they will go to try and take control, it makes me sick.
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Why do you sound surprised by any of this?!
 
Clint Planet said:
Pretty snidey the way Bruce acknowledges "inequality" but spins it as the unequal way in which children approach their school life.

It's all the kids' fault! I see.

Very poor.
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To pin the blame on achievement squarely on the child is inexcusable. His comment is just downright, 100% incorrect. A kid going to a school in Kirkby cannot achieve the same as a kid going to Eton. It's common sense. Sure, they can get similar marks, but the life afterwards is a world of difference.

It's odd as the last sentence is completely at odds with the rest of what he's saying, which, whilst I disagree, at least is coherent in the point. Then he just wraps it up by blaming kids for not making All Saints feel like Harrow!
 

Wednesday Inequality Briefing:

briefing_54_700.png




50 DAYS TO POLLING DAY......
 
Clint Planet said:
Wednesday Inequality Briefing:

briefing_54_700.png




50 DAYS TO POLLING DAY......
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So from what I can tell from that is that the Basic State Pension enjoys a ring fenced, triple lock, increase, and because a lot of pensioners are "wealthy", (probably in property terms in many cases), that accounts for a lot of the % increase?

A bit straw clutching that one Clint.

Interesting though.
 
Clint Planet said:
What an offensive remark to make. You really do blame the poor for being poor, don't you?
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You can choose to be offended at anything if you so desire, it's a purely personal choice. Your comment (and that of Tubey) seem to assume that I'm expecting the child from Kirkby to achieve the same as the one from Eton. I don't, any more than I expect me to be as good a cyclist as Bradley Wiggins. A whole manner of things suggest that isn't ever going to happen, but by training well, eating properly and various other things, I can be as good a cyclist as I can be, and certainly a lot better than had I not bothered at all.

The thing is, that child from Kirkby can still make the best of their life by going to their local school, trying hard and doing the best that they can, and it wouldn't surprise me if the children from poor backgrounds that do well in life don't do just that. You can't choose many of the things you have in life, but you can choose how you respond to them.

So no, I don't blame the poor for being poor, but being poor doesn't mean you don't work hard or try your best given the opportunities you do have. If someone chooses to abuse the fantastic opportunity afforded to them as a British citizen and doesn't try their best in school, then yes, I do blame them for that.

Feel free to take offence.
 
Bruce Wayne said:
The thing is, that child from Kirkby can still make the best of their life by going to their local school, trying hard and doing the best that they can, and it wouldn't surprise me if the children from poor backgrounds that do well in life don't do just that.
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If that same hypothetical kirkby kid was lucky and his family won the lottery and decided to send him to Eton instead, do you accept he would have a far better chance at succeeding?

I appreciate that you are arguing that a lot of kids from less well off backgrounds can make it through hard work. But what about the kids that aren't as successful? The way you word your posts suggests that you think a lot of poor kids have some inherent genetic disposition which prevents them from simply ''making the most of their lot'' and having success in their academic and work careers, etc.
 
Bruce Wayne said:
If someone chooses to abuse the fantastic opportunity afforded to them as a British citizen and doesn't try their best in school, then yes, I do blame them for that.

Feel free to take offence.
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This is, again, wrong on many levels and skirts over the core issues of inequality. Children from deprived families will find it much more difficult to take this 'fantastic British opportunity' than those who aren't. They are not 'abusing' the system, they have been let down by the system. The odds are stacked up against the vast majority of these children. I work with them every day, and with the best will in the world and the best teaching we can possibly give, a high amount won't end up in well paid jobs or go to university. Their poverty will create too big of a barrier.

You need to open your eyes, Bruce.
 
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