The Politics Thread

I'm not saying people are going on a jolly with the child benefits and if they are that is a very big minority.

I think the difference is that i see hving children as a responsibility which encompasses the aspect of providing for the child whereas you see it as a right that should be covered by society.

You have certainly raised interesting points and i cannot begrudge your view as its far more altruistic than mine.

 

But how much do we spend per capita and relative to our overall budget?

I agree we need more front line staff and that medicine should be free for all. Just all the beauracracy and middle management from what i hear.

 

That's what I meant.
http://visual.ons.gov.uk/how-does-uk-healthcare-spending-compare-internationally/

Note that the Americans spend more on government healthcare and don't have a universal system.
Then they spend a ****load more on top of that, roughly doubling their overall spending.
That's what we're heading towards.

 

It's not just healthcare where this happens, as the welfare budget has also been grossly exceeded due to paying these third-party firms to reduce costs: https://www.theguardian.com/comment...ory-welfare-spending-universal-credit-housing

...and that's before taking into account things like the story about how a woman with MS had her mobility scooter taken away to save £6000 - and then was given £65,000 to pay for cab fares instead, or to put it another way to save six grand they're making a loss of nearly sixty grand: https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/ms-su...o-axed-her-motability-car-in-favour-of-taxis/

 

Donald Trump has mockingly referred to Elizabeth Warren as Pocahontas at an NRA rally.
So that's the American President taking the piss out of someone for... being American?
Racists gonna racist.

 

A few of Ian Hislop's highlights from HIGNFY

On the lack of questions about the Tories
Are there no questions about the Conservatives at all? Is that the new BBC policy? I don’t want to question the superior wisdom of the BBC.

On the Tories introducing a cap to fuel prices
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...If the Conservative Party do it, it’s intervening in a good sense to provide a stable, strong… strong and stable… stable.

He also called out panelist Robert Peston for the line of questioning he gave Tim Farron (which I mentioned a few days ago)

Says a lot when you get better analysis of the election on a panel show than any of the BBC's current affairs programmes, doesn't it?

 

Peston has May on his programme tomorrow. I expect we'll be treated to plenty of this....

 

Every time you read the phrase "Tim Farron: did not vote" take a drink. Actually, don't...
https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news...sa-may-jeremy-corbyn-voted-womens-issues/amp/

 

I'm getting visions of her getting chased down the road by journalists, shouting that over her shoulder as she goes.
"What about the election fraud, Theresa?"
"STRONG AND STABLE LEADERSHIP! STRONG! STABLE! LEADERSHIP!"

Sun's headline the following day: THERESA MAY IS A STRONG AND STABLE LEADER!

 

She belongs in a stable looking at her

 

Didn't they say the hull of the Titanic was "strong and stable"?

 

No further comment necessary

 

May is not really PM material.
No shame in that (many MPs have been good senior ministers etc without
getting/seeking the top job etc) , but there you have it.

 

This was worse:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...about-nurses-going-to-foodbanks-a7710066.html

I'm surprised that she didn't talk about strong and stable food banks, to be honest.

 

When Tony was leader, we expelled people for advocating voting for other parties. I can’t see what he is doing is any different...So can I tell Labour grandees like Blair, [Peter] Mandelson and [Roy] Hattersley to shut up and get behind us. To do this just days away from crucial local elections and five weeks out from a general election is totally unacceptable. Anything else would be a betrayal and let down the millions of people who need Labour back in power to save our NHS, our schools and our future. So Tony. Stop complaining and start campaigning. For Labour. Not against it. - John Prescott

Prescott also compared Bliar to "a faded striker shouting from the sidelines as a spectator, desperate to get on the pitch to score a goal and hear the roar of the crowds.”

 

Says it all when Prescott is the voice of reason of the Blair era for
rallying the electorate behind the current Labour election campaign.

 

Remember that the main reason for Prescott having such a prominent position in the Blair regime was so, whenever anyone stated that New Labour was Tory Lite, they could just point at Prescott to say "See? We have someone connected to Labour's roots!" so it stands to reason that, now that Blair isn't leading the party, there's no reason for Prescott to toe the Blairite line.

 

No matter your political affiliation, no one can argue that Diane Abbott is making herself look utterly incompetent.