1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

General Election - June 8th

Discussion in 'Politics, Religion and Ethics' started by Maharg, Apr 18, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Gravesy
    Offline

    Gravesy Banned

    • Informative Informative x 1
  2. Gravesy
    Offline

    Gravesy Banned

    And...on that theme, did anyone see the recent BBC version of SS GB on the fictitious notion of a British Resistance during German occupation of Great Britain?
  3. Bluebird71
    Offline

    Bluebird71 Well-Known Member

    Well, considering we don't have a Parliament at present, we've just had our first u-turn of the new one!

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-40001221?SThisFB

    This could be fairer (although, for those who have an estate that's only worth about £120k maybe it needs a FLOOR and a CAP) for those with medium to larger size estates, less so for those at the bottom end of the £100k estate.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-40001221?SThisFB

    Whilst it would make sense to commend May on reviewing the plan, it's yet another u-turn. I suspect the u-turn will win back more voters than her indecisiveness loses. It's hardly filling me with confidence that this is strong and stable leadership, from "We will not introduce a cap" to "Hang on, this is a good idea, and we are losing points in the opinion polls."

    Tory Manifesto V2.0 to come?
  4. Markham
    Online

    Markham Guest

    Oh dear ... another day, another U-turn. There Bluebird, I got it in before you!

    Speaking in Wrexham this morning, Theresa May, appears to have changed her mind about her "dementia tax" policy and "clarified" that it will include an absolute limit on how much people will pay in care costs; she has yet to put a figure on that limit.


    Whilst I think it is rather unfair to discriminate against those who need care for progressive conditions for which there is no known treatment or cure as against those, such as cancer sufferers, for whom treatments are available, Mrs May's manifestoed policy was actually rather sane.

    Right now, state funded care is only available once the assets of the person needing care have fallen below £23,250 but their own home is exempted from this means test. Mrs May's proposals more than quadruple that limit to £100,000 but the state reclaims its funding from that person's Estate. With an increasingly aging population, full state funding for elderly care out of taxation simply isn't workable. As the numbers requiring such care rise year on year and the costs of providing that care also rise year on year, general taxation would also have to rise year on year. If my 27 year-old university-trained daughter is to be believed, the majority of young people already object to paying for the elderly both in terms of their pension increases and the ever-rising cost of their care; that on top of having to repay their student grants and loans. Unsuprisingly, she supports May's plans.
    Last edited by a moderator: May 22, 2017
  5. Mattecube
    Offline

    Mattecube face the sunshine so shadows fall behind you Trusted Member

    A strong leader always has a desired position and a fall back position (not talking sexually either)
  6. bigmac
    Offline

    bigmac Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    standing at the bar in the local boozer ?
    • Funny Funny x 1
    • Winner Winner x 1
  7. Timmers
    Offline

    Timmers Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    I'm pleased she has performed a U-turn although it does not look good for the Tories, it is becoming clear that she does not consult enough before putting these proposals in the public domain.

    It is the first time I've seen her struggling under scrutiny this morning when the media was questioning her about it, "what goes around comes around" :)

    At the end of the day something has to be done about this issue and someone has to pay.
  8. Bluebird71
    Offline

    Bluebird71 Well-Known Member

    The U-turn seems like a positive move, but I think it benefits those on the better end of the wealth spectrum. I'm quite busy today, so will need to read it in more detail.

    As for May struggling under scrutiny, I think she often struggles under scrutiny and can appear a little dithering at times. I know we shouldn't read too much into body language, but take a look at her bottom lip whenever she has a tough question to answer. She looks uncomfortable.

    It's not really in line with their election tagline. Not quite a "bigotted woman" type scale, nor a "Two-punch Prescott" thing.

    They can always sell this as a "The people spoke, and we listened" type of message.
  9. Markham
    Online

    Markham Guest

    I think we've both overlooked something here. This so-called "Dementia Tax" and Mrs May's "clarification" changes little because in both the manifesto and in her speech, she only promises to consult - to publish a Green Paper - with her "pledges" being a starting point for discussion. Her clarification adds the promise of a cap on the amount that Estates will have to repay with the promise that Estates will be left with at least £100,000.
  10. Markham
    Online

    Markham Guest

    Oh, by the way, this isn't the only General Election that in one way or another affects me. At the May Day rally in Valletta, Malta's Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, suprised everyone in the country by announcing a snap General Election with voting to take place on Saturday 3rd June. He's banking on his public image as a rather successful EU President of the Council to ensure his Labour Party is re-elected. Or so I'm told.

    I only became aware of this in the last few days by the arrival of a letter addressed personally to me and signed by Muscat in which he sought to draw my attention to the Labour Party's record on improving education standards and building new schools to replace some of the older buildings - in some cases from the pre-war days. To be fair, Malta's schools are very good and class sizes are somewhat smaller than in the UK or Philippines - they strive for secondary school classes of 15 to 25 pupils (depending on subject). My son has seven other class mates in his Primary.

    There is somewhat of a juxtaposition between parties and the EU. Malta's Labour Party kind of likes the EU but recognises that it badly needs root and branch reform; it is mildly Eurosceptic. The Nationalist Party, on the other hand, is right of centre and very much a pro-EU party in favour of close intergration; the NP would be delighted if the EU ruled that all British ex-pats were to be sent home. In that respect, the NP is every bit as nasty as the BNP.

    This election is so low-key, it's hard to believe it is happening. There are no billboards advertising one party or another, no window stickers and no election leaflets jamming-up letterboxes. There are no party political broadcasts on TV - hardly anyone watches either of Malta's own TV channels anyway! - and no leaders' debates. Here it is just something that happens every four years and is about as important as a leap day. How refreshing!
    Last edited by a moderator: May 22, 2017
  11. Markham
    Online

    Markham Guest

    In an interview with Farmers Weekly in 2009, an MP who is now a party leader was asked "[If elected] will you repeal the ban on fox hunting?". That MP replied "I would vote to repeal the ban. It damages animal welfare and is impractical to enforce. My personal view is that it hasn’t worked and I would vote to repeal it and replace it with broader animal welfare and licensing safeguards."

    Who was that MP?
    It was Tim Farron who was the Lib Dem shadow DEFRA spokesman and here's a link to that Farmers Weekly interview.
  12. Timmers
    Offline

    Timmers Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Of course it was Farron, although I heard him being interviewed on the subject a couple of days back and he was putting a different spin on it, no surprise there then.
  13. Markham
    Online

    Markham Guest

    Postal ballot received, correct box ticked and returned in the mail to Pembrokeshire :like:
  14. Markham
    Online

    Markham Guest

    Of course it was Farron! Unlike May or Corbyn, Tim Farron represents a very rural constituency whose inhabitants have somewhat different concerns to their counterparts in Maidenhead or Islington. Perhaps there's a case to be made that this is a matter that should only be voted upon by rural MPs whose constituencies are most directly affected.
  15. Markham
    Online

    Markham Guest

    This will not please some here, but lies have to be exposed for what they are:

    upload_2017-5-22_19-41-20.png
    Not only did The Times not publish an article stating "Only the Lib Dems can stop a hard Bexit" but it appears that a Times journalist did not write the words in the centre clip, apparently dated 6th March, either.

    No wonder they're slipping in the Opinion Polls and, at this rate, will be lucky to emerge with 8 MPs.
    Last edited by a moderator: May 22, 2017
  16. Markham
    Online

    Markham Guest

    Somewhere in the seven hundred-odd messages in this thread, Bluebird claimed that NHS nurses are having to resort to food banks. I don't know about England but that does appear to be the case in Scotland. Can't blame the Tories for that though, Nicola Sturgeon is in charge of those purse strings, NHS funding being a devolved matter. She apparently was given a bit of a roasting about this very subject by a nurse during a recent leaders' debate televised in Scotland and, if press reports are accurate, was visibly squirming during the exchange. Stick to the day job, Nicola!
  17. Markham
    Online

    Markham Guest

    Theresa May's grilling by Andrew Neil should teach her to be honest with the electorate. If she carries on like this, she will be moving out of Downing Street on June 9th.

  18. Bluebird71
    Offline

    Bluebird71 Well-Known Member

    They may have to take her back off the front-line after she accidentally strolled onto it.

    In fairness, Corbyn started this campaign with nothing to lose, and May started it with everything to use. If it were an FA Cup tie between Arsenal (May) and Sutton United (Corbyn), Arsenal would win but not by the 7 or 8 goals people would expect.

    This is something that is doing the rounds on the Independent. I haven't fact checked this one, Markham, but would be interested in your views.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...ternet-conservatives-government-a7744176.html

    The collection of data (and this started under Labour under the illusion of being anti-terrorist), is not a good thing. I remember a Council somewhere in England using anti-terrorist laws to monitor people's recycling. When challenged, the Courts ruled in favour of the Council. There are mumblings that browsing history will be used to profile people accused of certain crimes. It would be quite easy to profile a person as a pervert, terrorist, or treachery based on browsing history. It really isn't a case of "nothing to fear, nothing to hide".

    May is struggling, I think she always has done under scrutiny (which is something she tries to avoid). The election is starting to look interesting. It would be amusing (in a macabre sort of way, I'm that sort of chap!) if May emerged from the election with a similar majority to the one she currently has.

    Cynically, I suspect the red tops have some tricks up their sleeves in readiness for a close election.

    BTW, with Corbyn being one of the more "unpopular" leaders of recent times, I wonder if there is something as a "shy/secret Labour voter"?
  19. Markham
    Online

    Markham Guest

    I think that all three main parties are secretly relieved that all campaigning has been halted until further notice - by agreement between Corbyn and May - as a mark of respect following the horrific atrocity in Manchester. The SNP was to have launched its manifesto today but that has been cancelled which they will doubtless view as being disadvantageous and a deliberate plot by the English to derail their campaign (their manifesto probably has just the one predictable pledge: independence!)

    Having read that piece I've come to the conclusion that there's a bit of conjecture being espoused. I would give it credence had the government decided against cancelling the second Leveson enquiry and effectively killed-off Impress, the press regulator founded and financed by Max Mosley - a man who has good reason to hate journalists and seek rigorous censorship of the press. Impress' remit was to include regulating all internet sites based in the UK that (re)publishes news or comment about anybody (personal or corporate) living in Britain - and I have warned about this in the past. Its passing will be mourned by Mosley, Hugh Grant and members and supporters of Hacked-Off but by almost nobody else.

    The prime responsibility of any government is to keep its citizens safe. Somehow I don't believe that Daesh, Al Qaida or any other terrorist group is going to promise not to use the internet to communicate with their operatives, followers and supporters. Therefore I consider it is perfectly acceptable for GCHQ to monitor traffic for the purposes of intelligence gathering in order to keep the citizenry safe. I think safety and security trump civil liberties every time.

    A big part of me thinks that May's stumbles are all part of Lynton Crosby's strategy to ensure May is elected. The Tories were in too much of a commanding position in the polls that there was a danger that the Tory turnout would be low due to complacency. By projecting her as a real human being - and we all make mistakes - her lead in the polls has dropped which may cause Tory voters to turn out and vote. Frankly, given the calibre of Corbyn and his team, the alternative is not at all enticing (to put it mildly and politely!!)
  20. Methersgate
    Offline

    Methersgate Well-Known Member Lifetime Member

    "These are my principles. And if you don't like them, I have others!"

    Groucho Marx, of course, but perhaps of wider application.

    Incidentally I don't have a problem with Tim Farron's views on foxhunting.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page