The UK Politics & Brexit Thread

[MikeInWimbledon]

No-one's Nan is going to be killed by Labour withdrawing £400 Winter Fuel allowance.

Nan and Grandpa are being killed every week by the cancer and heart disease that's flourishing in the UK because the Government and "Our NHS" can't be bothered to tax or regulate fast food, unhealthy supermarket nosh, alcohol sales - both on and off-premises.

So Labour are taxing the old who, bluntly, are living longer and happier than they have done in the past.

But what else do you expect them to do?

Tax Tony Blair's Property portfolio - fifty homes at last count?

Tony and Cherie Blair bought property via offshore firm and saved £300,000 in tax

Former PM and his wife became owners of £6.5m office building by acquiring offshore company partially owned by Bahraini minister

www.theguardian.com

Or tax Euan Blair's small recruitment business? (Allegedly worth £400 million)

Euan Blair net worth — Sunday Times Rich List 2024

The former prime minister’s son co-founded the apprenticeship service Multiverse with a friend eight years ago

www.thetimes.com

To do either would establish a dangerous precedent for Sir Keir Stamer KC, on leaving office.

 

[Swotty]

Where is the evidence that KS is a Marxist ? There certainly appears to be none on the internet.

That's where you need to keep up ... he's been a Trot since his childhood. Let Google be your friend with those 2 terms.

Family oop north are still active in Labour politics - some in office - and he certainly hasn't changed, according to those who know/of him.

A further thought ... if he isn't, what could explain his actions since becoming PM? Megalomania?

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Whoops - needed autocorrect there!

A Dr Strangelove moment there....

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[Swotty]

No-one's Nan is going to be killed by Labour withdrawing £400 Winter Fuel allowance.

Nan and Grandpa are being killed every week by the cancer and heart disease that's flourishing in the UK because the Government and it's "Our NHS" can't be bothered to tax or regulate fast food, unhealthy supermarket nosh, alcohol sales - both on and off-premises.

So Labour are taxing the old who, bluntly, are living longer and happier than they have done in the past.

But what else do you expect them to do?

Tax Tony Blair's Property portfolio - fifty homes at last count?
Or tax Evan Blair's small recruitment business? (Allegedly worth £400 million)
To do either would establish a dangerous precedent for Sir Keir Stamer KC, on leaving office.

Yes, he of the tax-free pension from his time as DPP. Meanwhile, he's happy to tax the state pension.

And reported today that Raynor is about to axe Right to Buy, having profited from it personally to the tune of £49K (DT).

Hypocrisy ... don't so as I do, do as I say. Rules are only for the little people.

 

[Tonye]

from the confines of your super white narrowboat world .

Keep my utopia out of this.

Narrowboats are uncommon on the Norfolk Broads. I guess geography is not your strongest suit .

Correct, its full of yogurt pots that zig zag along

 

[Tonye]

narrowboat world . Open to all creeds and colour if you have the balls to sell up and do it.

 

[ALFAitalia]

......because the Government and "Our NHS" can't be bothered to tax or regulate fast food, unhealthy supermarket nosh, alcohol sales - both on and off-premises.

*RANT MODE ON*

Saying stuff like that really gets my goat.......its education not regulation......sugar tax on soft drinks has not done anything ....except make treats/alcoholic drinks for people like me who have self control and are not overweight, have to pay more for stuff just because of the idiots who don't, and the politicians who come up with that sort of nonsense, that NEVER works, just keep doing it. None of that sort of stuff is that harmful....IN MODERATION, but the fatso's don't have the ability to be sensible about food and like to try and blame it on cheap fast food (not true compared to fresh ingredients. Its just they cant be bothered to do anything than microwave stuff.)
Increasing the price of unhealthy food wont loose anyone weight....it just makes fat people poorer.....along with the rest of us. As per usual the bright have to pay for decisions of the stoopid....eating too much, excess alcohol, smoking etc. Will education work any better.....probably not? Some people you just cant help.

*RANT MODE OFF!*

 

[Gollom]

narrowboat world . Open to all creeds and colour if you have the balls to sell up and do it.

Would love to see some pics of your barge please?

 

[ALFAitalia]

narrowboat world . Open to all creeds and colour if you have the balls to sell up and do it.

Nice that you have.....but its not for me.....I hired one for a week once......never again!....but I can see the attraction to the right sort of person.

 

[Tonye]

 

[Gollom]

View attachment 160689View attachment 160690

Love the colour!

 

[Tonye]

Nice that you have.....but its not for me.....I hired one for a week once......never again!....but I can see the attraction to the right sort of person.

Let me persuade you

Boat purchase 30-100k
CRT licence 1.3k p/a
Marine fee 3.5k (optional)p/a
you can just constant cruise the 2000 miles moving every 14 days.
Insurance 1-300 p/a
Fuel 95p ltr
Gas x 2 90 p/a
Coal x 10 150 p/a

Whats not to like

 

[MrGreedy]

And reported today that Raynor is about to axe Right to Buy, having profited from it personally to the tune of £49K (DT).

Hypocrisy ... don't so as I do, do as I say. Rules are only for the little people.

Hypocrisy, yes, but a sound move in my view. That Social housing is for the benefit of those who need it in society, and right to buy should have never been introduced, unless to be morally fair, there was an equal right to buy from private landlords with equivalent contribution from Govt.

 

[Swotty]

Hypocrisy, yes, but a sound move in my view. That Social housing is for the benefit of those who need it in society, and right to buy should have never been introduced, unless to be morally fair, there was an equal right to buy from private landlords with equivalent contribution from Govt.

I've changed my mind about RTB over the years. Coming from a council estate "pin the tail on the Labour donkey" background and with generations of family elected in various local and national positions, I initially took the view that it was anti- working class.

However, with the passage of time and increased life skills experience - as happens to us all? - I now see it as a levelling up exercise starting in the 1980s, much like the grammar school initiative on the 1950s i.e. lifting people out of poverty.

I agree, however, that replacement social housebuilding is the necessary but missing component. I occasionally reflect on what could have been achieved if this had been included in the strategy ... a much fairer society, perhaps.

But now that has been totally superseded. The accelerating influx of migrants seeking homes and services will return us back to the 1970s, if not the 1950s.

 

[Swotty]

Let me persuade you

Boat purchase 30-100k
CRT licence 1.3k p/a
Marine fee 3.5k (optional)p/a
you can just constant cruise the 2000 miles moving every 14 days.
Insurance 1-300 p/a
Fuel 95p ltr
Gas x 2 90 p/a
Coal x 10 150 p/a

Whats not to like

Crumbs, that's a fair annual layout ... almost on a par with my V12!

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I've changed my mind about RTB over the years. Coming from a council estate "pin the tail on the Labour donkey" background and with generations of family elected in various local and national positions, I initially took the view that it was anti- working class.

However, with the passage of time and increased life skills experience - as happens to us all? - I now see it as a levelling up exercise starting in the 1980s, much like the grammar school initiative on the 1950s i.e. lifting people out of poverty.

I agree, however, that replacement social housebuilding is the necessary but missing component. I occasionally reflect on what could have been achieved if this had been included in the strategy ... a much fairer society, perhaps.

But now that has been totally superseded. The accelerating influx of migrants seeking homes and services will return us back to the 1970s, if not the 1950s.

Ditto. The missing link is that, once sold (TBH in pretty cr*ppy condition) to long term council renters, Councils "should" have given themselves the right to develop, or co-develop, new estates of social housing. They have the land / planning permission / local expertise. And then repeat again, with young renters, especially young parents, gradually buying off the council as they get older and more settled.

And let's be honest about right to sell discounts. Those homes were generally in poor condition, with structural, infrastructure, decorative and maintenance issues. But they went to people who were prepared to put their own time into doing them up. And, after that, they were always limited by what they were: "ex-local authority."

 

[Tonye]

Crumbs, that's a fair annual layout ..

Yes, about 1/5 of my old expenditure

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

*RANT MODE ON*

Saying stuff like that really gets my goat.......its education not regulation......sugar tax on soft drinks has not done anything ....except make treats/alcoholic drinks for people like me who have self control and are not overweight, have to pay more for stuff just because of the idiots who don't, and the politicians who come up with that sort of nonsense, that NEVER works, just keep doing it. None of that sort of stuff is that harmful....IN MODERATION, but the fatso's don't have the ability to be sensible about food and like to try and blame it on cheap fast food (not true compared to fresh ingredients. Its just they cant be bothered to do anything than microwave stuff.)
Increasing the price of unhealthy food wont loose anyone weight....it just makes fat people poorer.....along with the rest of us. As per usual the bright have to pay for decisions of the stoopid....eating too much, excess alcohol, smoking etc. Will education work any better.....probably not? Some people you just cant help.

*RANT MODE OFF!*

No problem.

You do the education. And make it clear to people that yes, cancer rates are up as a result of lifestyle, obesity, alcohol, and TBH better diagnosis.

I'll remove alcohol from everyone's corner shop, where booze grins at people as they buy their bread, butter and cigarettes.

I'll move booze back into off-licences, open from noon until 8pm. So you can't just casually pick up something, or more, for the evening, while shopping.

I'll increase the VAT on fast food to 30%, and regulate (close) a quarter of the fast food outlets, taking them back to 2013 levels. (Down from 50,000 to 37,500 outlets)

We didn't used to be so fat when the pubs closed at 10.30, when alcohol was sold in off-licences, when fast food wasn't on every street corner, and less than 30 minutes away from mobile phone.)

One in five 11 year olds is already obese, Plenty of women in their mid-20's are already 20kilos over weight and piling more on every year.

This situation isn't going to get any better by saying "well, just pull yourself together."

You want to tax people to pay off unionised trades? Raise taxes on unnecessary food and drink.

 

[Tonye]

I initially took the view that it was anti- working class.

Quite the opposite.

I now see it as a levelling up exercise

And it was, partially. I jumped in with both feet and climbed the ladder of ownership. Don't blame the little people with hope in their hearts, it was the councils of the time that didn't invest in rebuilding social housing.

 

[GrahamT]

Ditto. The missing link is that, once sold (TBH in pretty cr*ppy condition) to long term council renters, Councils "should" have given themselves the right to develop, or co-develop, new estates of social housing. They have the land / planning permission / local expertise. And then repeat again, with young renters, especially young parents, gradually buying off the council as they get older and more settled.

And let's be honest about right to sell discounts. Those homes were generally in poor condition, with structural, infrastructure, decorative and maintenance issues. But they went to people who were prepared to put their own time into doing them up. And, after that, they were always limited by what they were: "ex-local authority."

And why did that not happen ?
Under the Housing act 1980 ,the government restricted authorities' use of most of the money to reducing their debt until it was cleared rather than spending it on building more homes.
Half of the proceeds went to the Local Authorities with the balance going to the Treasury.