The 2015 Popularity Contest (aka UK General Election )

[Milk]

The crown own all mineral rights on land no matter If they own it or not, oil , gas ect , it gets taken out on licence from them, the owner would get compo but couldnt stop them taking it, you will see it in action soon in the fracking debate

Actually there was an opportunity for landowners (of which the Crown are one of the largest) to register their "rights" to minerals a few years ago. But your point about fracking is very valid:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10245697/Church-of-England-in-fracking-land-grab.html

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Tell that to all of those who have had been sanctioned through withdrawal of benefits. Tell that to the 45+ who have died as a direct result to benefit sanctions since 2012.

We had a report last month highlighting a number of deaths in Teeside based hospitals due to malpractice. Should we scrap the NHS too or acknowledge that it is still one of the best available, albeit with room for ample improvement?

I'm just saying a bit of perspective is needed here. It's been suggested, for instance, that around 100,000 deaths in the US per year can be linked to poverty. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't do what we can to prevent each one, merely that expecting there to ever be a society where bad things don't happen is I think wishful thinking.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Thats not quite the point Im making Bruce what I am trying to say is that austerity measures are aimed at the poorest
percent of our society,so they are getting hit hardest,and are going to get hit again and again

Aye, I hear you, and it's far from ideal. There has been such pressure politically to ringfence certain budgets that if we're to live within our means, other budgets bore a disproportionate brunt of any cuts. I'm not sure that's ideal in anyones book, but such is the political nature of areas such as the NHS these days that it's almost inevitable.

And before people say that we should just borrow more, think about that. Businesses borrow because they expect to grow at a faster rate than the interest they pay on their loan. The UK economy hasn't grown faster than 1.5% a year for the last 30 years, and as the bulk of any new debt taken on will be at a higher rate than that, you're simply taking money from future generations to pay for now. I'm not sure that's particularly ethical.

 

[Ashtonian]

reading about Camerons plans for the internet.

Basically banning proxy sites for torrent sites. Now i can understand banning torrent sites but that is a whole kettle of fish. Point is banning sites that could possibly lead you in the direction of the site without actually containing content is going a bit too far!

TOR- or better yet the dark web. Basically they wont try to ban TOR but they want the likes of google to help with child porn, despite them not governing things in dark web.


Why have i highlighted that word above? Considering the allegations of things going on within MPS and the famous people being thrown in jail left right and centre for the past it seems a cheap shot to throw out and divert attention. 'MPs may have been paedophiles, famous people may have taken advantage of young fans, yet we are striving to get it off the internet by doing nothing but mentioning it to the press'

Pathetic.

 

[Seanjd]

We had a report last month highlighting a number of deaths in Teeside based hospitals due to malpractice. Should we scrap the NHS too or acknowledge that it is still one of the best available, albeit with room for ample improvement?

I'm just saying a bit of perspective is needed here. It's been suggested, for instance, that around 100,000 deaths in the US per year can be linked to poverty. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't do what we can to prevent each one, merely that expecting there to ever be a society where bad things don't happen is I think wishful thinking.

There's a difference between trying to prevent poverty and going out of your way to make poor peoples lives harder by sanctioning them.

 

[jaycee]

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...-the-welfare-myth-of-strivers-versus-skivers/
well worth a listen to

 

[Seanjd]

We had a report last month highlighting a number of deaths in Teeside based hospitals due to malpractice. Should we scrap the NHS too or acknowledge that it is still one of the best available, albeit with room for ample improvement?

I'm just saying a bit of perspective is needed here. It's been suggested, for instance, that around 100,000 deaths in the US per year can be linked to poverty. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't do what we can to prevent each one, merely that expecting there to ever be a society where bad things don't happen is I think wishful thinking.

This has absolutely nothing to do with my point whatsoever. Your example, as you explained, is down to malpractice. My example is down to the DWP introducing strict sanctioning, essentially allowing thousands of vulnerable people to be without any money for weeks, and sometimes months.

Sanctioning has risen 580% in a year. This can't be painted any other way - this is punishing the poor.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...-the-welfare-myth-of-strivers-versus-skivers/
well worth a listen to

Sounds interesting, will listen to it all later. Cheers. Anyone remember John Hills who we bought from Blackpool youth? Think it was when Moyes first arrived. Super fit but was never really gonna be a top player skill wise. I think Moyes bought him as a motivator and barometer for the other players fitness levels more than because he was ever going to get into the first team. Bit like a young Pip Neville. A bit off topic I know but the name of the guy presenting Thais podcast is John Hills so it made me think of him for the first time in years. Wonder what happened to him?

 

[jaycee]

Sounds interesting, will listen to it all later. Cheers. Anyone remember John Hills who we bought from Blackpool youth? Think it was when Moyes first arrived. Super fit but was never really gonna be a top player skill wise. I think Moyes bought him as a motivator and barometer for the other players fitness levels more than because he was ever going to get into the first team. Bit like a young Pip Neville. A bit off topic I know but the name of the guy presenting Thais podcast is John Hills so it made me think of him for the first time in years. Wonder what happened to him?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hills_(footballer)

 

[Ashtonian]

Sounds interesting, will listen to it all later. Cheers. Anyone remember John Hills who we bought from Blackpool youth? Think it was when Moyes first arrived. Super fit but was never really gonna be a top player skill wise. I think Moyes bought him as a motivator and barometer for the other players fitness levels more than because he was ever going to get into the first team. Bit like a young Pip Neville. A bit off topic I know but the name of the guy presenting Thais podcast is John Hills so it made me think of him for the first time in years. Wonder what happened to him?

Way off my friend. Joe Royle signed him 1995!

lower league career, owned a pub , coached with jamie milligan and gavin mcCan, is or was a coach at Hyde after returning to blackpool to be one at one point.

 

[Toffeelover]

No, I'd like them to pay the tax that they should. It doesn't matter if they are headline cases, they are billion pound companies avoiding tax purposefully.

You are right Mate but as I said there are no legal grounds at present, it comes down to a morality issue and that will never weigh with them. Need to pass legislation to make it clear that now matter where your HQ is, tax is due on profits made where the sale is or originated. Which is why I suggested a sales tax as outlined in my post.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

This has absolutely nothing to do with my point whatsoever. Your example, as you explained, is down to malpractice. My example is down to the DWP introducing strict sanctioning, essentially allowing thousands of vulnerable people to be without any money for weeks, and sometimes months.

Sanctioning has risen 580% in a year. This can't be painted any other way - this is punishing the poor.

Does it not? It's hard to imagine any sanction is delivered with the intent of someone dying as a result of it. That sounds to me like an administrative cock-up that has had terrible consequences, just like in the hospitals on Teeside.

I mean the page here outlines the criteria for sanctions - http://liverpool.gov.uk/benefits-and-grants/advice-if-your-benefit-is-sanctioned/ - and nowhere does it say that you get sanctioned just for being poor or vulnerable.

It really is quite an accusation to say that the government are enacting some kind of euthanasia program here.

 

[Toffeelover]

Of course no society can be equal but is that a reason to punish the worse off?

?????punish the worse off, pray how are they being punished? Please clarify.

 

[jaycee]

?????punish the worse off, pray how are they being punished? Please clarify.

Sanctioning of benefits,removal of housing benefitd for under 25s,workfare programmes,theres a myraid of cuts against
the worse off yet none against the select few

 

[Toffeelover]

Sanctioning of benefits,removal of housing benefitd for under 25s,workfare programmes,theres a myraid of cuts against
the worse off yet none against the select few

I see but have to say the whole question of benefits has to be brought under control, one often sees stories of folk having many children to keep getting money, recently two women so overweight had to have wheel chairs supplied and their benefits totaled £40.000 per year. look at the Jihadi John family all the time they have been here has been on beneifit. They were living in a £600,000 apartment in London paid for by the t/p.None of them has ever worked, father did a bunk back to Kuwait but still claims benefit!

That is just a few examples of abuse, it has to be brought under control.