Britain - The Official Thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ross
  • 13,461 comments
  • 771,355 views

How will you vote in the 2024 UK General Election?

  • Conservative Party

    Votes: 2 6.9%

  • Green Party

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Labour Party

    Votes: 14 48.3%

  • Liberal Democrats

    Votes: 2 6.9%

  • Other (Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland)

    Votes: 1 3.4%

  • Other Independents

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other Parties

    Votes: 2 6.9%

  • Spoiled Ballot

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Will Not/Cannot Vote

    Votes: 8 27.6%
  • Total voters
    29
  • Poll closed .
DK
Have you ever considered that these people on the dole you rant about are a tiny minority of the unemployed?
Click to expand...

What makes you think I'm just talking about the unemployed?

TenEightyOne
What does the way they choose to spend their money have to do with you?
Click to expand...

Just trying to establish their priorities to better help me distinguish the liars and hypocrites from those with a genuine need. That's all.
 
MatskiMonk
Just trying to establish their priorities to better help me distinguish the liars and hypocrites from those with a genuine need. That's all.
Click to expand...

So somebody who owns a piece of technology is a liar and a hypocrite? If not then could you explain more precisely what you mean?
 
An uncorroborated "story" from an anonymous "source" is enough to unleash a flurry of cracks ridiculing the wealthy and no one has a problem with that, but heaven forbid you make a crack about people on the dole:sly:
 
Johnnypenso
An uncorroborated "story" from an anonymous "source" is enough to unleash a flurry of cracks ridiculing the wealthy and no one has a problem with that, but heaven forbid you make a crack about people on the dole:sly:
Click to expand...
An anonymous source? What are you reading?

It was Lord Ashcroft's book.
 
haitch40
An anonymous source? What are you reading?

It was Lord Ashcroft's book.
Click to expand...

He meant that Ashcroft doesn't name his source... nor has the evidence to back it up been produced - yet.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics...rces-deny-david-cameron-pigs-head-allegations

The Guardian
The allegations about the dead pig’s head come from an anonymous MP, who said he had seen photographic evidence of the incident. The MP told the authors that Cameron attended a dining club called Piers Gaveston, named after Edward II’s lover and known for its debauchery, as well as being part of the Bullingdon drinking club, which was notorious for trashing rooms.

The book does not provide any evidence of Cameron ever having been involved in any destruction at the Bullingdon club, and the individual who is said to have a photograph of the incident with the pig has not provided any corroboration.
Click to expand...
 
Campic-620x413.jpg


Dave's a real cool cat :p
 
TenEightyOne
So somebody who owns a piece of technology is a liar and a hypocrite? If not then could you explain more precisely what you mean?
Click to expand...

When did he say that? He merely stated that those people who rely on the state to help them live should not be spending that money on an item costing more than a third of my monthly salary, wearing clothes that would total more than half of that, and then claiming that they are poor and deserve more money, and the current government are full of people trying to shaft them, despite bringing in a big increase in the minimum wage, and a hike in the minimum salary required before paying taxes...
 
DG_Silva
When did he say that?
Click to expand...

I don't know, that's why I asked him.

DG_Silva
He merely stated that those people who rely on the state to help them live should not be spending that money on an item costing more than a third of my monthly salary, wearing clothes that would total more than half of that, and then claiming that they are poor and deserve more money, and the current government are full of people trying to shaft them, despite bringing in a big increase in the minimum wage, and a hike in the minimum salary required before paying taxes...
Click to expand...

No he didn't. You certainly weren't mentioned and I don't believe that he got into the matter of their clothing or what you perceive their claims/politics to be. Thanks for asking though.
 
TenEightyOne
No he didn't. You certainly weren't mentioned and I don't believe that he got into the matter of their clothing or what you perceive their claims/politics to be. Thanks for asking though.
Click to expand...

Ok, let me rephrase this; MatskiMonk mentioned that why should money that is intended to live with and look after their children be spent on expensive, unnecessary items, simply because they are expensive.

If you're the one with the answers, can you explain please? While I understand everyone is free to spend their own money the way they wish, you should not spend state-given money on expensive items and then claim you are poor; you're not poor, you just can't budget effectively and efficiently. The reason he may have had issues is because it does affect him. His taxes are going towards paying for others' phones, etc....
 
DG_Silva
While I understand everyone is free to spend their own money the way they wish, you should not spend state-given money on expensive items and then claim you are poor; you're not poor, you just can't budget effectively and efficiently.
Click to expand...

While that premise is fair, it is also fair to say that these people could have stolen the phone, had it given as a gift, had it given as some kind of 'emergency' contact medium (even if a Nokia call & text would do) or they could have owned the phone before having fallen on hard times.

Case by case basis. If someone is poorly budgeting their money, or the state's money, then fine, criticise them. But one shouldn't do so or prejudge without knowing the facts. I've seen homeless people reading books. Did they buy them? Did they steal them? Or did they take the books with them the last time they left the house?
 
Liquid
While that premise is fair, it is also fair to say that these people could have stolen the phone, had it given as a gift, had it given as some kind of 'emergency' contact medium (even if a Nokia call & text would do) or they could have owned the phone before having fallen on hard times.

Case by case basis. If someone is poorly budgeting their money, or the state's money, then fine, criticise them. But one shouldn't do so or prejudge without knowing the facts. I've seen homeless people reading books. Did they buy them? Did they steal them? Or did they take the books with them the last time they left the house?
Click to expand...

It also presumes that these people have never worked. A good friend of mine is out of work but has retained his smartphone, his R-reg Yamaha and his widescreen TV. What. A. Scab.
 
Not to mention that these apparent "scroungers" might either have second-hand smartphones or haven't upgraded in the past few years.
 
DK
Not to mention that these apparent "scroungers" might either have second-hand smartphones or haven't upgraded in the past few years.
Click to expand...

But on the other end of the scale, and I now plenty of them, there are those who are true scabs/scroungers. And they are numerous, official numbers are most likely way to low.
 
Three very valid points. However Liquid brings up a good point; while there are people who have had a lot, then fallen on hard times, who have paid into a system that supports them to find work (as the social system was supposed to), there are equally people who have never worked, and never likely to work. It's these people who are usually the most vociferous when it comes to claims of being poor and the government doesn't give them enough, and it's those I take umbrage with.
 
DG_Silva
Three very valid points. However Liquid brings up a good point; while there are people who have had a lot, then fallen on hard times, who have paid into a system that supports them to find work (as the social system was supposed to), there are equally people who have never worked, and never likely to work. It's these people who are usually the most vociferous when it comes to claims of being poor and the government doesn't give them enough, and it's those I take umbrage with.
Click to expand...
I'm a contractor who does work for the local housing authority. In my experience totaling more than a decade, dealing with hundreds and hundreds of people in the welfare and public housing system, three kinds of people make up the vast majority of them. One is the working age lifers, people who I see year after year after year and they will never leave the system. Often their parents were part of the system and often they live nearby in another public housing unit along with cousins, aunts etc. They can be single mothers, layabout single men, often sponging off the single mothers, and rarely, families of two adults + children.

Another is new immigrants. Very often they have large numbers of children. Not unusual to see 3-5 kids in a house and no fathers in sight. Many have escaped horrible conditions back home. Some of them move on eventually most do not, probably about 20/80.

Last are the seniors. Some have lived in public housing for a long time, others are just broke and can't afford anything else, again, about 50/50. Once they get in, they don't leave until they're pushing up daisies.
 
Did anyone else miss the part about the UK now being in full EU referendum mode?

AFAIK, there isn't a date set for it yet - just that DC has promised there will be a referendum before 2017 is finished, but apparently there are already 3 campaigns up and running (which is quite impressive considering there are presumably only two options!)...
 
Touring Mars
Did anyone else miss the part about the UK now being in full EU referendum mode?

AFAIK, there isn't a date set for it yet - just that DC has promised there will be a referendum before 2017 is finished, but apparently there are already 3 campaigns up and running (which is quite impressive considering there are presumably only two options!)...
Click to expand...

There's two rival campaigns for the out option for some unknown reason. You'd think they would combine into one.
 
Spurgy 777
There's two rival campaigns for the out option for some unknown reason. You'd think they would combine into one.
Click to expand...


Per the BBC...
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-34502343

Vote Leave comprises a cross-party group of MPs and peers from the Conservatives and Labour, and UKIP's only MP Douglas Carswell.

It is being run by Taxpayers' Alliance campaign group founder Matthew Elliot, who organised the successful 'No2AV' campaign in the referendum on Westminster's voting system, and Dominic Cummings, a former special adviser to Conservative cabinet minister Michael Gove.

It has the backing of three existing Eurosceptic groups: Conservatives for Britain; Labour Leave and Business for Britain, and is being funded by party donors.

Leave.EU was formerly called The Know and rebranded when an amended referendum question was proposed. Founded by UKIP donor Arron Banks, it has been described by UKIP leader Nigel Farage as an "umbrella group" of anti-EU campaigners.

It describes itself as "Britain's fastest-growing grassroots organisation" and claims to have gained 175,000 members since The Know was launched in August.

------------------

The Electoral Commission has yet to designate the official campaigns on either side of the EU debate.

The chosen groups will benefit from increased spending limits of £7m during the campaign period, campaign broadcasts, and a free mailout to households.

They all get access to public meeting rooms and to the electoral register, and are entitled to public grants of up to £600,000.
 
Last edited:
He's been replaced by Sandi Toksvig. I hope she's as good at the gentle put downs on you know who.
 

Latest Posts

Back