Current Affairs 2017 General Election

[tsubaki]

The only issue is, if they didn't hold the views they do the left wouldn't be the left, they would be the right (or at least the centre).

I'm all for PR myself. Then parties could stand up for their views without having to compromise and we would vote for what we wanted.

I rather envied the French Presidential election recently as it seemed to have a whole array of candidates with very defined views.

Unfortunately their voting system doesn't really deliver, hence voters in the left now feeling they have to vote for Macron whose policies they really don't like, just to stop LePen who they like even less

The problem with PR is that it leads to a diversity of parties, not necessarily of views.

IMHO the whole party system should really be gotten rid of, it is inherently anti-democratic and interferes with the role of MPs to scrutinize the Government.

 

[tsubaki]

I quite agree, that would be a daft thing to say. Kind of in the same way it's daft to suggest the Tories are more right-wing than ever, even though, as you've just pointed out, we now spend infinitely more on welfare, health etc than we did under the likes of Harold Wilson. It's a stupid argument from both sides.

It is, but as Peter Oborne pointed out in one of his books the whole left vs right thing is (or was, until Corbyn arrived as leader) an entirely false debate anyway - what we have is a political class that has (had) taken control of all three main English parties and which has discovered it can make a very good living indeed out of the business of politics. Spending goes up because, as we see with the Garden Bridge, that is how people get jobs.

 

[JonS]

The problem with PR is that it leads to a diversity of parties, not necessarily of views.

IMHO the whole party system should really be gotten rid of, it is inherently anti-democratic and interferes with the role of MPs to scrutinize the Government.

What sort of non party system do you mean?

 

[Mrk]

It is, but as Peter Oborne pointed out in one of his books the whole left vs right thing is (or was, until Corbyn arrived as leader) an entirely false debate anyway - what we have is a political class that has (had) taken control of all three main English parties and which has discovered it can make a very good living indeed out of the business of politics. Spending goes up because, as we see with the Garden Bridge, that is how people get jobs.

I think there's probably a lot of truth in that. I have difficulty understanding a lot of left vs arguments because I don't see why being 'left' or 'right' is important. Personally, I think the best governments take policies from both the left and right, because neither the left or right have a monopoly on good ideas.

 

[tsubaki]

What sort of non party system do you mean?

You elect your MP based on what they tell you their beliefs are. They then go off to Westminster, talk to each other and a Government is formed based on an agreed platform. All the MPs then assesses each proposal the Government makes and votes on its merits. After a few years, or if the Government collapses and an alternative cannot be formed, you get to judge how the MP has behaved at an election.

The maddening thing about this country is that we actually do have a near-perfect political constitution, but for the existence of parties.

 

[tsubaki]

I think there's probably a lot of truth in that. I have difficulty understanding a lot of left vs arguments because I don't see why being 'left' or 'right' is important. Personally, I think the best governments take policies from both the left and right, because neither the left or right have a monopoly on good ideas.

Indeed, though of course what we should recognize is that a lot of (certainly most) of the opposition to Corbyn at Westminster is not political, nor is it even related to his competence (or lack of it). People slate him because of the threat he poses to their way of life. That is why he should be supported.

 

[JonS]

You elect your MP based on what they tell you their beliefs are. They then go off to Westminster, talk to each other and a Government is formed based on an agreed platform. All the MPs then assesses each proposal the Government makes and votes on its merits. After a few years, or if the Government collapses and an alternative cannot be formed, you get to judge how the MP has behaved at an election.

The maddening thing about this country is that we actually do have a near-perfect political constitution, but for the existence of parties.

Sounds good to me

 

[hullefc]

Ian Hislop stuns the panel by calling out BBC bias straight to the broadcaster’s face [VIDEO]
APRIL 29TH, 2017

JAMES WRIGHT



Private Eye Editor Ian Hislop stunned the panel on Have I Got News For You by calling out BBC bias:

‘BBC policy?’
The journalist and broadcaster joked about the BBC’s failure to hold the government to account:

"Are there no questions about the Conservatives at all? Is that the new BBC policy?"

Seeing host Kirsty Young roll her eyes, Hislop assured her:

"I don’t want to question the superior wisdom of the BBC".

Double standards

Hislop went on to draw attention to an apparent double standard in the media. Discussing Theresa May’s expected proposal to cap some fuel prices, the satirist said:

"That was a very bad idea when Ed Miliband announced it. But now they’ve announced the same thing, it’s a really good idea. And in the old days it was interfering in the market, but now it’s… interfering in the market. But it’s a very good idea because the Tories are doing it. Do you see the difference? If Labour do it, it’s very very bad".

He continued:

"If the Conservative Party do it, it’s intervening in a good sense to provide a stable, strong… strong and stable… stable".

The evidence
The data shows this double standard with the two main political parties pervades the BBC. A major content analysis from Cardiff University revealed that the BBC is pro-business and conservative-leaning in its coverage, no matter which party is in power. When Gordon Brown was in power in 2007, his coverage exceeded that of David Cameron by a ratio of less than 2-to-1. And while it’s to be expected that current prime ministers get more airtime than their opponents, Cameron’s coverage in 2012 exceeded Ed Miliband’s by almost double that ratio (4-to-1).

The study also found that on the BBC’s News at Six, business representatives outnumbered trade union spokespeople by a ratio of more than 5-to-1 in 2007, and of 19-to-1 in 2012. Research into the BBC coverage of the 2008 financial crisis revealed similar pro-business sentiment. Opinion was almost completely dominated by investment bankers, stockbrokers and other city voices.

The Private Eye Editor left the BBC host catching flies by calling out the broadcaster’s bias straight to its face. And the data shows he is making an important point in doing so. Especially right before a high stakes general election".

The state run Tory controlled BBC keep ranting about Corbyn being 'unelectable' and stacking their news programmes with 'evidence'. Sing the praise of the Tories and don't comment but then make judgements about Labour and in particular now Corbyn. The BBC have learn nothing since they doctored footage of the Battle of Orgreave in news clips.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Tin foil shares are going through the roof at the moment.

 

[orchard]

Good comeback Bruce.

Tin foil shares are going through the roof at the moment.

 

[neil999]

Banning zero hours contracts is a decent policy, but didn't Milliband propose the same..

They really are horrible, especially from big companies

 

[PhilM]

Banning zero hours contracts is a decent policy, but didn't Milliband propose the same..

They really are horrible, especially from big companies

In certain, albeit limited circumstances, they can be beneficial for both parties such as a small business or flexible work for students etc.

However, it's their more widespread use in the common workplace and like you said by large businesses that's really not a good practice.

Some will argue that it provides extra employment for those who'd otherwise not have employment, but that's a glib answer I'd say.

 

[neil999]

In certain, albeit limited circumstances, they can be beneficial for both parties such as a small business or flexible work for students etc.

However, it's their more widespread use in the common workplace and like you said by large businesses that's really not a good practice.

Some will argue that it provides extra employment for those who'd otherwise not have employment, but that's a glib answer I'd say.

It's doesn't allow people to budget properly, which must be a nightmare on a low income

 

[Clint Planet]

Make no mistake, the impending cuts are going to brutal, and will have a devastating effect on the quality of education our children receive.




Five hundred head teachers accuse Theresa May of pushing schools 'to breaking point'


'We will be forced to make staff redundant, cut subjects, increase class size and cut back on extracurricular activity'

Theresa May has been criticised for Government plans to cut schools funding by £3 billion AP

More than 500 school head teachers have written to Theresa May accusing her of pushing Britain’s education system to breaking point.

Conservative plans to “rebalance” schools funding will result in £3 billion of cuts to school budgets across the country, which teachers say will see many schools lose thousands of pounds.

The letter was sent by Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, and signed by more than 500 heads teachers.



In it, teachers said they were having to ask parents for donations in a desperate bid to pay staff and fund resources.

“On the steps of Downing Street you promised a country that works for everyone”, says the letter, published in The Mirror. “That begins with our children.Yet schools are facing real-terms cuts of £3billion. This will have a massive impact on young people and standards of education.

“To make ends meet, head teachers will be forced to make staff redundant, cut subjects, increase class size and cut back on extracurricular activity.

“More and more schools are reluctantly asking for donations as a last resort to bring their budgets back from breaking point. Parents should not have to dip into their own pockets to make up for the investment Government is unwilling to provide.”

The signatories call on the Prime Minister to “stop seeing education as a cost and instead see it as an investment in the future” and reverse the £3 billion of cuts.

“The future of our country depends upon the next generation. Their skills, their knowledge, their confidence and their creativity”, they say.


Last month, the powerful House of Commons Public Accounts Committee warned that the Department for Education had “buried its head in the sand” over the problems the funding cut will cause.

Responding to the latest letter from head teachers, Angela Rayner, Labour’s shadow Education Secretary, said: “Seven years of Tory failure have led to the most severe spending cuts to schools in a generation. It is time the PM listened to teachers and parents, and woke up to the crisis she has created.”

The Department for Education has previously said schools funding is at record levels and is set to rise further.

“We have protected the core schools budget in real terms since 2010, with school funding at its highest level on record at more than £40bn in 2016-17 - and that is set to rise, as pupil numbers rise over the next two years, to £42bn by 2019-20”, a spokesperson said.

"We recognise that schools are facing cost pressures, and we will continue to provide support to help them use their funding in the most cost-effective ways, so that every pound of the investment we make in education has the greatest impact."

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Make no mistake, the impending cuts are going to brutal, and will have a devastating effect on the quality of education our children receive.




Five hundred head teachers accuse Theresa May of pushing schools 'to breaking point'


'We will be forced to make staff redundant, cut subjects, increase class size and cut back on extracurricular activity'

Theresa May has been criticised for Government plans to cut schools funding by £3 billion AP

More than 500 school head teachers have written to Theresa May accusing her of pushing Britain’s education system to breaking point.

Conservative plans to “rebalance” schools funding will result in £3 billion of cuts to school budgets across the country, which teachers say will see many schools lose thousands of pounds.

The letter was sent by Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, and signed by more than 500 heads teachers.



In it, teachers said they were having to ask parents for donations in a desperate bid to pay staff and fund resources.

“On the steps of Downing Street you promised a country that works for everyone”, says the letter, published in The Mirror. “That begins with our children.Yet schools are facing real-terms cuts of £3billion. This will have a massive impact on young people and standards of education.

“To make ends meet, head teachers will be forced to make staff redundant, cut subjects, increase class size and cut back on extracurricular activity.

“More and more schools are reluctantly asking for donations as a last resort to bring their budgets back from breaking point. Parents should not have to dip into their own pockets to make up for the investment Government is unwilling to provide.”

The signatories call on the Prime Minister to “stop seeing education as a cost and instead see it as an investment in the future” and reverse the £3 billion of cuts.

“The future of our country depends upon the next generation. Their skills, their knowledge, their confidence and their creativity”, they say.


Last month, the powerful House of Commons Public Accounts Committee warned that the Department for Education had “buried its head in the sand” over the problems the funding cut will cause.

Responding to the latest letter from head teachers, Angela Rayner, Labour’s shadow Education Secretary, said: “Seven years of Tory failure have led to the most severe spending cuts to schools in a generation. It is time the PM listened to teachers and parents, and woke up to the crisis she has created.”

The Department for Education has previously said schools funding is at record levels and is set to rise further.

“We have protected the core schools budget in real terms since 2010, with school funding at its highest level on record at more than £40bn in 2016-17 - and that is set to rise, as pupil numbers rise over the next two years, to £42bn by 2019-20”, a spokesperson said.

"We recognise that schools are facing cost pressures, and we will continue to provide support to help them use their funding in the most cost-effective ways, so that every pound of the investment we make in education has the greatest impact."

Education spending in 2000: £42.69bn
PISA results in 2000: Maths 9th; Science 5th; English 8th

Education spending in 2015: £85.75bn
PISA results in 2015: Maths 27th; Science 15th; English 22nd

I hope we kept the receipt if that's what doubling spending does.