Off Topic The Politics Thread

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Should the UK remain a part of the EU or leave?

  • Stay in

    Votes: 56 47.9%
  • Get out

    Votes: 61 52.1%

  • Total voters
    117
  • Poll closed .
I hear you, but I think we'll find that the hinterland of the country, where people feel abandoned by recent governments, actually wouldn't mind having immigration just as it is - if only the government would do something to help them with their lives and life opportunities. People just want to be able to get work, pay bills and lead happy lives. If they had enough jobs at decent rates of pay, enough schools, houses and hospitals, then I think they wouldn't see immigration as a problem. Of course, if the government doesn't want to provide those things then immigrants are an easy target to deflect attention from the real cause of the problem.

You need to find the money to have that kind of building program. Soaking the rich only works in moderation, and chasing tax evasion would provide a drop in the ocean
 
I would not accept the result of a second referendum because a large number of leavers would lose hope and not vote, on the basis that Parliament would keep forcing votes until it gets the result it wants - as happened in Ireland

I thought they would be taking to the streets with Farage, not losing heart? A lot would have snuffed it by then anyway.

What parliament wants should be the deciding factor - representative democracy.
 
I thought they would be taking to the streets with Farage, not losing heart? A lot would have snuffed it by then anyway.

What parliament wants should be the deciding factor - representative democracy.

They'd lose heart in the democratic process and then take to the streets.

Parliament voted to give the electorate their say on the EU. If it ignored the result, it would damage the Parliamentary process more than if Guy Fawkes's gunpowder had gone off
 
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I see some Turkish copper shot their Russian ambassador this afternoon, and early reports of a truck in Germany tonight ploughing into an xmas market....
Nice to see the year ending well...
 
You need to find the money to have that kind of building program. Soaking the rich only works in moderation, and chasing tax evasion would provide a drop in the ocean

You certainly won't find the money by halting immigration or even perhaps throwing out some people. Maybe there are some less important public expenditure items that might be redeployed. More to the point, if stopping immigration is so important and yet ultimately so toothless in solving our infrastructure investment problems, why did people vote for it?

Perhaps we could start finding the money for decent wages by telling employers they can no longer employ people at rock bottom wages that are subsidised by state top-ups that cost the employer nothing. Why should my taxes subsidise their wage bill? I'd much rather it subsidised a public service or a house-building programme.
 
I see some Turkish copper shot their Russian ambassador this afternoon, and early reports of a truck in Germany tonight ploughing into an xmas market....
Nice to see the year ending well...
A truck has ploughed into a crowd close to a Christmas market in the German capital Berlin, killing nine people.

Local media, citing police at the scene, said first indications pointed to a deliberate attack on the market.

In a tweet Berlin police said nine people were dead and "many" were injured.

Video footage from the scene shows stalls knocked over and people lying injured on the ground.

Police cars and ambulances converged on the scene.

The incident occurred near the fashionable Kurfuerstendamm avenue in the west of the city.

The truck crash comes five months after an attack at Nice in France, when a 19-tonne truck was driven along the beach front, mowing down people who had gathered to watch the fireworks on Bastille Day, killing 86 people.

That attack was claimed by Islamic State. Police shot dead the driver, Tunisian-born Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, at the scene.

The truck crash comes five months after an attack at Nice in France, when a 19-tonne truck was driven along the beach front, mowing down people who had gathered to watch the fireworks on Bastille Day, killing 86 people.

That attack was claimed by Islamic State. Police shot dead the driver, Tunisian-born Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, at the scene
 
You certainly won't find the money by halting immigration or even perhaps throwing out some people. Maybe there are some less important public expenditure items that might be redeployed. More to the point, if stopping immigration is so important and yet ultimately so toothless in solving our infrastructure investment problems, why did people vote for it?

Perhaps we could start finding the money for decent wages by telling employers they can no longer employ people at rock bottom wages that are subsidised by state top-ups that cost the employer nothing. Why should my taxes subsidise their wage bill? I'd much rather it subsidised a public service or a house-building programme.

Curbing immigration will help infrastructure problems getting worse.

Terrible events in Berlin tonight. RIP and thoughts with the injured. It does occur to me that the dead passenger of the lorry may be the hijacked driver
 
Meanwhile the Tories condemn workers for striking for fair and equal pay while MP's get another £1,000 pay rise.

''Patrick McLoughlin, the Tory Party chairman, has challenged Jeremy Corbyn to publicly condemn the strikes.

In a statement issued to the Telegraph he says: “The Labour Party’s refusal to condemn these strikes speaks volumes about their priorities for Britain today.

“Instead of standing by while their union paymasters punish ordinary working people, Labour should join the Conservatives in putting the British people first and telling the unions to go back to work. If they don’t, then it will be the ordinary working people of Britain who will continue to pay the price.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/17/pressure-theresa-may-unions-run-rampant/
 
With all this **** of many colours happening, I have had a triumphant morning. Took delivery of essential Xmas kit - a large circular dining table. We were told that it would be assembled but these blokes demanded a tenner each to do it, so the offer semi politely declined. Despite the packaging saying 'instructions inside' there were no instructions. Used logic and in a remarkable first, patience, to put it together without resort to swearing or the hammer. Very pleased with myself.

Even better got one of those 'we are calling about your windows computer' scam calls. All the swearing I had saved up was unleashed in a truly cathartic two minutes of invective. To my amazement 'Daryl Johnson' did not hang up, I apologised for my language but told him he really needs to think about his life, what did he tell his family about his job, take a look in the mirror, life may feel unfair to you but that's no reason to make others lives worse etc etc. He admitted it was a scam (actually used those words) and thanked me. Next time I might skip the swearing and go straight to the counselling. Or perhaps not, the swearing is fun.

Now I better do a little light emailing for the day job. In the meantime take pleasure where you can and don't let the bastards grind you down.
 
Meanwhile the Tories condemn workers for striking for fair and equal pay while MP's get another £1,000 pay rise.

''Patrick McLoughlin, the Tory Party chairman, has challenged Jeremy Corbyn to publicly condemn the strikes.

In a statement issued to the Telegraph he says: “The Labour Party’s refusal to condemn these strikes speaks volumes about their priorities for Britain today.

“Instead of standing by while their union paymasters punish ordinary working people, Labour should join the Conservatives in putting the British people first and telling the unions to go back to work. If they don’t, then it will be the ordinary working people of Britain who will continue to pay the price.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/17/pressure-theresa-may-unions-run-rampant/

We need new legislation on strikes. I propose making it illegal for only two types of workers to strike: those that belong to a union and those that don't. I know I already have the support of Oslo and Stroller, so we should forge ahead with this one without further delay. :)
 
We need new legislation on strikes. I propose making it illegal for only two types of workers to strike: those that belong to a union and those that don't. I know I already have the support of Oslo and Stroller, so we should forge ahead with this one without further delay. :)

:emoticon-0100-smile
 
Theresa May accuses striking unions of having contempt for 'ordinary' people. That's her job isn't it? 'Ordinary' people's wages 10% lower today, in real terms, than they were in 2007.
 
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Even better got one of those 'we are calling about your windows computer' scam calls. All the swearing I had saved up was unleashed in a truly cathartic two minutes of invective. To my amazement 'Daryl Johnson' did not hang up, I apologised for my language but told him he really needs to think about his life, what did he tell his family about his job, take a look in the mirror, life may feel unfair to you but that's no reason to make others lives worse etc etc. He admitted it was a scam (actually used those words) and thanked me. Next time I might skip the swearing and go straight to the counselling. Or perhaps not, the swearing is fun.

I find it depends on my mood with these cold callers/scammers.
If they get me in a bad one I launch into a massive, expletive ridden rant, that usually only lasts a few seconds before the line goes dead...but if I'm in a good mood I explain to the caller that I suffer from Tourette's and see how long I can keep them on the line, all the while inserting swearing and random words into the conversation like 'sausages', 'parrot and 'condom'.

I once kept a survey taker on the line for almost 43mins, explaining throughout my answers that I didn't have arms or legs, traded for items with magic beans, believed in self medication with LSD and that my house didn't have any doors so I exited the house through the upstairs window using a rope ladder with my teeth.
As you can tell, I was bored that evening :)