General Chat

Please add your point of view on the following subject.
No arguing as we all have different views on all things & must be respected.
Thank you in advance.

Press the following link

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/theresa-may-faces-new-crisis-after-mass-walkout-over-social-policy/ar-BBG3rjA?li=AAmiR2Z&MSCC=1512289793&ocid=spartandhp

It takes some people a long time to grasp the truth but they get there in the end.
Remember and reflect 9 November 1938.

I see a huge mess caused by the arrogance of David Cameron who gambled on his imagined understanding of the psyche of a population who had recently voted to call their prestigious polar exploration vessel Boaty McBoatface.

It was interesting to watch the tactics employed by different individuals to avoid being landed with the job of creating some sort of order out of his chaos before Teresa May, for reasons I will never understand, allowed herself to be burdened with it. I can only attempt to imagine what would have happened had she not taken it upon herself.

I do not understand and have not taken enough interest to make any comment upon any other aspect but it is would appear that a Brexit policy was never constructed on the assumption that it would never be needed and that the social policy was still being considered and implemented piecemeal.

I have not read enough to know what's happening in the social policy spectrum as I've had too many other things to do recently.

However, I have a long memory and wonder what happened to the 'spending more time with the family' labourite Alan MIlburn who seems to be the main stirrer here for Jeremy. Gillian Shepherd in on the act too - I would say sour grapes but I'll have to read more.

I see Nick Clegg has put his oar in too - and we all know how ineffectual he was when he had the chance to change things.

I think it may be a sign of the times because I doubt very much whether Labour or Lib Dem could do any better without upsetting someone - financier or taxpayer or anyone else.

I believe all three of them have had their chance and they made no better fist of it than the current lot are doing so I'll wait to read everything before I jump onto their bandwagon,

the bandwagon has an 8% lead over May according to Survation (Sunday Mail).
Survation were the only polling firm to call the last 2 elections correctly.
They also report that 62% want a referendum on the exit terms.

May's administration is hanging by a thread. The party is riven with disputes. The DUP are threatening to pull their support at any sign of compromise with the ROI. The tin whistle sash adorned brigade never pass up the chance of self destruction.

Unless somebody makes a screeching u turn soon there will be a GE in 2018 and we will have a new set of deck chair attendants. The ship will still sink. John Redwood is right. Right b'astard and from the land of the swivel eyed right but still right.

The emasculated trade unions are not in a position to protect anybody.

When they come with the battering ram to open your door at 3am nobody will come.

Mrs May's political paralysis accompanied by democratic disadvantages & bitcoin bonkers resulting in her taking the Hubertus Heil exit route via No.10's back door.

I feel sorry for Mrs May.she took this post on ,and there have been so many things that have happened since then,besides Brexit she has had to cope with.
It is a thankless job.
Here is an email I had from a friend which has a go at the EU...

......Brexit explained.....

Mr Dave Davis is at the golf club returning his locker key
when Mr Barnier, the membership secretary sees him.

"Hello Mr Davis", says Mr Barnier. "I'm sorry to hear you
are no longer renewing your club membership, if you would
like to come to my office we can settle your account".

"I have settled my bar bill" says Mr Davis.

"Ah yes Mr Davis", says Mr Barnier, "but there are other
matters that need settlement"

*In Mr Barniers office -*

Mr Davis explains that he has settled his bar bill so
wonders what else he can possibly owe the Golf Club?

"Well Mr Davis" begins Mr Barnier, "you did agree to buy one
of our Club Jackets".

"Yes" agrees Mr Davis "I did agree to buy a jacket but I
haven't received it yet". "As soon as you supply the jacket
I will send you a cheque for the full amount".

"That will not be possible" explains Mr Barnier. "As you are
no longer a club member you will not be entitled to buy one
of our jackets"!

"But you still want me to pay for it" exclaims Mr Davis.

"Yes" says Mr Barnier, "That will be £500 for the jacket.
"There is also your bar bill".

"But I've already settled my bar bill" says Mr Davis. "Yes"
says Mr Barnier, "but as you can appreciate, we need to
place our orders from the Brewery in advance to ensure our
bar is properly stocked".. "You regularly used to spend at
least £50 a week in the bar so we have placed orders with
the brewery accordingly for the coming year". "You therefore
owe us £2600 for the year".

"Will you still allow me to have these drinks?" asks Mr
Davis. "No of course not Mr Davis". "You are no longer a
club member!" says Mr Barnier. "Next is your restaurant
bill" continues Mr Barnier. "In the same manner we have to
make arrangements in advance with our catering suppliers".
"Your average restaurant bill was in the order of £300 a
month, so we'll require payment of £3600 for the next
year".
"I don't suppose you'll be letting me have these meals
either" asks Mr Davis.

"No, of course not" says an irritated Mr
Barnier, "you are no longer a club member!"

"Then of course" Mr Barnier continues, "there are repairs to
the clubhouse roof".
"Clubhouse roof" exclaims Mr Davis, "What's that got to do
with me?"
"Well it still needs to be repaired and the builders are
coming in next week", your share of the bill is £2000".
"I see" says Mr Davis, "anything else?".
"Now you mention it" says Mr Barnier, "there is Fred the
Barman's pension". "We would like you to pay £5 a week
towards Fred's pension when he retires next month". "He's
not well you know so I doubt we'll need to ask you for
payment for longer than about five years, so £1300 should do
it".

"This brings your total bill to £10,000" says Mr Barnier.

"Let me get this straight" says Mr Davis, "you want me to
pay £500 for a jacket you won't let me have, £2600 for
beverages you won't let me drink and £3600 for food you
won't let me eat, all under a roof I won't be allowed under
and not served by a bloke who's going to retire next month!"

"Yes, it's all perfectly clear and quite reasonable" says
Mr Barnier.

"P*** off!" says Mr Davis

Now we understand what Brexit is all about!!!!!

:-D :-D

As to the crux of the article ( which is not brexit ).

"“The worst position in politics is to set out a proposition that you’re going to heal social divisions and then do nothing about it. It’s almost better never to say that you’ll do anything about it.

"The growing sense that we have become an ‘us and them’ society is deeply corrosive of our cohesion as a nation."

I think this is indisputable .

( PS this is my short version ;-) )

Powerless politicians' pointless promises & propaganda. Disgusting politics. :-P

The position of the Tory party is and has always been that the best way to help the poor and needy is to have a "freewheeling" market economy where there is maximum opportunity and work pays. Tangible benefits such as housing benefit, truly affordable housing, free further education, state pensions are to be kept to a minimum if they exist at all and are certainly not going to be an impediment to making money.

It is a matter of fact that the countries with the highest standard of living and lowest inequality do not operate such a policy. But neither do they operate the state socialism beloved by Corbyn, Wilson, Callaghan and V I Lenin. Therein lies the rub.

It is a mistaken and dangerous concept to see politicians as people without power. Therein lies the justification for government by the military, religous fanatics and "strong men" dictators such as Putin, Hitler and Mugabe.

In any true democracy power is shared and decisions made by compromise. It can appear to be weak but is not.

C & P'd from the Financial Times

TRIMONTIUM 5 hours ago
Much indignation here. But the fact is that this commission was at the end of term and did not expect to be re-selected.So they jumped in the hopes that they would get the attention which had previously eluded them. Story? What story?

While so many of the "haves" don't give a stuff about the "have nots" then committees can pontificate all they like but nothing will change.

I believe you're right, Guinevere. Several years ago the UK was known for having (and shown to have) the greater polarization in salaries between those at the top of companies and those on the shop floor/coal face. The disparity seems to have grown.

If anyone who is not into statistics (which I know can be manipulated) questions this, one only has to look at the salaries of hospital employees - need I go into depth?

Successive governments have failed to address this problem - some, unlike Mrs May's, do not seem to have even recognised it.

It is always going to be an uphill struggle no matter who leads the country. I do believe that one way forward would be to limit the percentage difference in salaries between the lowest-paid and the highest-paid members of staff - a re-distribution of wealth which would also benefit the country in lifting some lower-paid employees out of 'top-up' benefits and, so, lessen the burden on taxpayers.

I'd love to hear other suggestions.

Impending unemployment due to work elimination by advancing technology is a reality & one of the worrying social problems to be faced. Unemployment is a catastrophe for the unfortunate individual & for society generally. The state's typical reaction is to abdicate its responsibility & will do so by exhausting every legal option available at its disposal.

Meanwhile, bosses receive pay rises while the lowly employees, who are 'lucky enough' to have something to do at all, are expected to endure further cuts.

Smacks of inequity & injustice.

It does, indeed, Dermot.

I believe it is hard for those born in circumstances like Cameron (whose garden hut is the equivalent of a wage for some) to appreciate. It is a little easier for the likes of Mrs May to understand this because of her family background - but she faces an uphill struggle against some of the Cameronesque people across the board. Shame on them!

I mostly agree with Sharron's comments.

Everything will take a back seat whilst Brexit is 'sorted'.

Fiddling while Rome burns...

While all the politicians go round & round talking about Brexit & getting nowhere. The UK remain in a mess.

The Number of...
Company closures get higher
Unemployment gets higher.
The cost of living gets higher.
The amount of homeless people gets higher
Crimes gets higher.
Disabled people that need real help, but are refused the help they need gets higher.
Suicides get higher

That's just to name a few things.
Q. Who will win if Brexit goes ahead or not?
A. Not the lower paid working people, not the unemployed people, not the homeless people & defiantly not the disabled people. All the people in the hard up classes & need help, well probably get nothing & probably be expected to pay/bail the country out. Oh what an upside-down world we live in.

This is of course just the view of one man, me. I know others might not agree with me on this but everybody has a right to an opinion. You are welcome to add yours with no argument from me.

:-(