Anything Political

[Rob.L 1,090]

11 hours ago, Oztalgian said:

Thanks Stuart.C

What a crock of crap the decision to freeze pensions is without regard to the impact it is having on many older people especially.  It feels good to be "out of sight, out of mind". Could I have some of the money back that I contributed to NI as I am not getting the full value of those contributions? I wonder if I am still eligible for a vote?

The good news is that if you came back to the UK, as my father in law did when he returned from over 30 years in Canada, they’d unfreeze your pension and pay the full amount. He also got a full Canadian pension, and the two combined just about covered his care home fees after income tax.

[DJ360 6,730]

On 3/20/2024 at 3:10 PM, Brew said:

No point having advisers that don't agree with you. Every president, PM etc. surrounds themselves with sycophants.

 

That's true, but as you say, the article points to a much more serious cause for concern.

Put briefly, yes, it is normal for any leader to surround themselves with people whose EXISTING views and politics make them 'natural', sycophants.

The activities of extreme Republicans, as illustrated by that nutjob Tommy Tuberville and others, in deliberately blocking promotion for serving military personnel whose views do not precisely align with theirs, is surely designed to try to force the Military away from political neutrality and towards political acquiescence.  A very dangerous development in my view.

[DJ360 6,730]

13 hours ago, Brew said:

Col will be along shortly Oz...

 

The simple explanation Oz, without the necessity to even remind myself of the detail.. is that all semblance of anything resembling the 'Ministerial Code', is gone, as far as the Tories are concerned. Activities and transgressions which would until quite recently have led to automatic resignation, or sacking, these days are all too frequently brushed under the carpet. Johnson's usual 'The matter is now closed', being a typical summation of complete Tory disdain for any sort of rules.

[Brew 5,420]

4 hours ago, DJ360 said:

all semblance of anything resembling the 'Ministerial Code', is gone, as far as the Tories are concerned.

 

The ministerial code has actually nothing to do with selecting peers.

 

It does apply to people like Pola Udin (Labour Baroness Udin), who was sacked over a £125,000 claim for a flat her husband denied ever having owned.

 

Just as a highly experienced politician was given a peerage by Sunak, so were two rather obscure and decidedly inexperienced 'advisors' sent to the Lords by Starmer. Starmer, a man who is using the Lords as a tool of opposition yet hypocritically promises to scrap them when he becomes PM.

[DJ360 6,730]

5 minutes ago, Brew said:

 

The ministerial code has actually nothing to do with selecting peers 

 

Yes, correct. My apologies Oz, I forgot that Sunak used aa different  questionable method to rehabilitate a failed PM with a record of dodgy dealings.

 

 

[Brew 5,420]

15 minutes ago, DJ360 said:

 

Yes, correct. My apologies Oz, I forgot that Sunak used aa different  questionable method to rehabilitate a failed PM with a record of dodgy dealings.

 

 

 

He said swerving neatly round Starmer using the same system  

[Oztalgian 3,298]

The State of Tasmania has voted today. Before this election Tasmania was the only state with a Liberal (Conservative) government in power. It is a third term Liberal Government and now bidding for a fourth term. One quarter of the voters used their option of a pre poll vote.

The main issues are :-

1. The building of the Macquarie  Point Stadium. This is planned to be a roofed stadium that is being insisted upon by the AFL football national body before Tasmania can field a team in the national competition. It is expected to start being built in 2025 and finished in 2029 at the staggering cost of AU$615 million. The Tasmanian taxpayer finding AU$375 million and the Federal Government providing AU$240 million of Australian taxpayer funds
2. The state of the health system, inability to get a doctors appointment, delays of ambulance response times, ramping of ambulances at hospitals as beds are not available for patients. 
3. The cost and availability of housing.

As I have said before, yet again, pollies spending taxpayer monies inappropriately. If the AFL want a stadium then I suggest they pay for it and let the government spend the money on the real priorities.

 

The main difference in voting in Tasmania is that they are the only state that uses the Hare-Clarke method of proportional representation which is one of the best I have seen. Hare-Clark Electoral System in Tasmania (tec.tas.gov.au)

I will not attempt to explain it and I suggest that those with an interest in politics click on the link above, it is only a short read but explains it in plain English. For information there are 5 electorates across Tasmania and each elects seven members of parliament. The party that gets the most members elected forms the government. For a majority a party has to win 18 of the 35 places. The polls are indicating a labor win whilst the political pundits are saying there will be a minority government.

We await the outcome with interest.

 

 

[DJ360 6,730]

18 hours ago, Brew said:

 

He said swerving neatly round Starmer using the same system  

 

Not swerving. If I'm not mistaken, Starmer nominated many fewer people to the HoL and NONE, with the specific objective of solving a recruitment crisis in Govt. caused by serial sackings and a talent vacuum.

 

18 hours ago, Brew said:

Starmer, a man who is using the Lords as a tool of opposition yet hypocritically promises to scrap them when he becomes PM.

 

He would be foolish not to use the limited opportunity he has to try to redress the political balance in the Lords as best he can.  I see no hypocrisy in so doing and also holding a long term objective to reform the HoL

 

At present, Labour Lords stand at around 170, c.f. 270 Conservative, 180 'crossbench' 80 Lib Dem and around 70 'others'.

 

In my view..far too many, and recent appointments such as Cruddas and Mone for the Cons offend all notions of decency and fairness.

I'm reasonably happy for an 'Upper House' to exist, but I'd favour a major reduction in numbers, a limit on numbers allowed per PM etc.. and a House of Lords Appointments Commission with real teeth.

[Brew 5,420]

There is a simpler explanation of the single transferable vote on the electoral reform website.

 

I find it difficult to believe Tasmania, who's population is only two thirds that of Nottingham, can afford a prestige project like a stadium, although the financial details are not known.

Presumably the Tasmanian  health service is funded by the Australian government so the money for a stadium is taking nothing away from the bed/doctor/ambulance shortage.

[philmayfield 6,140]

Not political, but years ago we were sightseeing in London and were walking past the Houses of Parliament. There was a queue of other tourists which we joined out of curiosity. It was a tour of both Houses. Green benches in the commons, red ones in the Lords. The outstanding memory was how relatively small both houses were.

[Brew 5,420]

4 minutes ago, DJ360 said:

Not swerving. If I'm not mistaken, Starmer nominated many fewer people to the HoL and NONE, with the specific objective of solving a recruitment crisis in Govt. caused by serial sackings and a talent vacuum.

 

Irrelevant Col, he used the self same system as Sunak, the one you called questionable. The whys and wherefores don't count. 

 

13 minutes ago, DJ360 said:

recent appointments such as Cruddas and Mone for the Cons offend all notions of decency and fairness.

 

Inclined to agree, not only should peers have some sort of relevance but attendance should be mandatory - as it should be for MPs.

[Brew 5,420]

11 minutes ago, philmayfield said:

The outstanding memory was how relatively small both houses were.

And the woolsack is a real sack of wool.....and I sat on it... 

[philmayfield 6,140]

In 1938, when it was being refurbished, the Woolsack was found to be stuffed with horsehair.  It was subsequently refilled with wool!

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

You certainly wouldn't sit on horsehair for long as anyone who has ever endured school Prize Giving at Nottingham's Albert Hall will tell you.

[philmayfield 6,140]

It was just an anecdote that the guide told us on our visit to Parliament many years ago. You can tell it was many years ago as I parked my car right outside Westminster Abbey and left it there all afternoon without a parking ticket or incurring a fine. I bet you couldn’t do that today!

[Oztalgian 3,298]

On 3/20/2024 at 8:42 PM, Stuart.C said:

The bonus doesn't get the triple lock increase only the rate of inflation, regardless of the rate paid.

 

In plain English please what is the "triple lock" and how does it affect the average Joe?

[Oztalgian 3,298]

15 hours ago, Brew said:

I find it difficult to believe Tasmania, who's population is only two thirds that of Nottingham, can afford a prestige project like a stadium, although the financial details are not known.

Presumably the Tasmanian  health service is funded by the Australian government so the money for a stadium is taking nothing away from the bed/doctor/ambulance shortage.

The funding of the stadium is known, AU$375milion from the Tasmanian government and AU$240 million from the Australian Federal Government. this does not include the inevitable blow out in costs.

The Tasmanian and all other states/territory health services are jointly funded by both State and Federal governments. Federal funding of hospitals is round about 50% of the costs. Since 2011 the Federal government agreed to fund 45% of the growth of delivering hospital services but in 2017-18 capped this growth at 6.5% per year. This leaves the state or territory governments with increasing costs in funding health services. The state spending money on a stadium is reducing funding for other things among them health services.

[letsavagoo 963]

4 hours ago, Oztalgian said:

In plain English please what is the "triple lock" and how does it affect the average Joe?

Lots of info on line as to the triple lock. This is from The Times money mentor.

 

QUOTE

The full basic state pension rises each year in line with the highest of three factors: earning growth figures between May to July the previous year, CPI inflation from the previous September, or 2.5%. This system is known as the triple lock. 
 

Due to soaring inflation, the state pension increased more than 10% this April, costing the Treasury £124bn. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised that the commitment will stay, despite wages growing by 8.5% in July. The rise in state pension will also see millions more retirees paying more in income tax.

But is the triple lock affordable? According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the government could be spending as much as £45billion on the state pension.

[Stuart.C 491]

For someone with a Frozen pension, it wouldn't apply.

 

Cut and pasted from Commons Library,,

The government is legally required to increase the basic and new State Pension each year at least in line with average earnings. The 'triple lock' is a commitment, beyond this legal requirement, to increase State Pensions by whichever is highest of average earnings growth, CPI inflation, or 2.5%.

[Brew 5,420]

7 hours ago, Oztalgian said:

The funding of the stadium is known, AU$375milion from the Tasmanian government and AU$240 million from the Australian Federal Government.

 

I meant the financial arrangement; is the money borrowed or from the reserves, if borrowed, (which is probable), what are the interest rates, how long to pay back, how big an impact will the annual repayments have on services etc. 

[Oztalgian 3,298]

15 hours ago, Brew said:

I meant the financial arrangement; is the money borrowed or from the reserves, if borrowed, (which is probable), what are the interest rates, how long to pay back, how big an impact will the annual repayments have on services etc. 

Sorry Brew, no information, commercial in confidence?

Highly likely to be borrowed money. There is no doubt it will impact services and support for the stadium is mixed even within parties. The libs have won most seats but will not have a majority and will have to govern with the help of the greens, independents and independent groups.

There is a perfectly good football ground in Hobart it does not have a roof or the required crowd capacity that the AFL wants, if they want more than that the let them pay for it instead of sponging off every state government as well as federal governments. Many greens and independents are totally against it.

Our state has "given" at least half a billion to one of the local AFL clubs this last year and has funded a "gather round" wher all AFL clubs play here over a weekend. Of course we do not know what this funding was as it is again "commercial in confidence".

[DJ360 6,730]

Privatisation of UK water by Thatcher has created a system of legalised theft, which customers are paying for in rotten service, ruined rivers and increasing bills.

Water companies are actually borrowing money to fund dividend payments and being legally allowed to charge customers more to service that debt.

When questioned, Ofwat , politicians etc.. all fudge the issue.  This has to stop.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2022/dec/01/down-the-drain-how-billions-of-pounds-are-sucked-out-of-englands-water-system

[DJ360 6,730]

More Privatisation scandal:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2024/mar/12/private-nursery-chains-profits-england

[Brew 5,420]

1 hour ago, DJ360 said:

More Privatisation scandal:

 

 

But is it?

To my mind 20% seems a fairly normal profit margin. I can't really see why they're trying to make out it's some sort of outrageous profiteering. They are after all a business like any other.

 

The GMB and that mysterious invisible group 'campaigners' wants more regulation, I say it's too much regulations that's caused the problem.

 

Since child minding became regulated and forced into a politically correct regime of quasi schools for babies, many have simply given up. The visits from the education department, the demand for record keeping, a curriculum plus 'appropriate' toys etc is simply too onerous. Without local childminders parents have no choice but to turn to corporate nurseries.

[Brew 5,420]

3 hours ago, DJ360 said:

Privatisation of UK water by Thatcher has created a system of legalised theft, which customers are paying for in rotten service, ruined rivers and increasing bills.

 

Apart from the oxymoron I quite agree...