Off Topic Politics Thread

Dutch anglophile friends are losing their love of the UK. Concerns over brexit regulations have meant changes to their business plans. The time consuming costs have led to the rundown of, and soon to be ceased import/export trade with the UK. They are keen boaters and divers, the deterioration of rivers and beaches causes dismay.
Feargal Sharkey re the rivers.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CeTu08rThgM

 

A group of Swiss women has won a ruling the European Courts that their government has failed to do enough about climate change - impacting their quality of life. This could now affect every European government, including the UK.

I think the world is in for a very bad time over the next 15 years- and everyone needs to face up to the damage we have done.

 

I've worn aids for 25+ years. Initially NHS Anologue. They were ok under controlled conditions e.g. No background noise, otherwise not
I've been through the progression into improving digital aids and they're pretty good now, but not as good as the ones I've bought privately when there's background noise. I needed backups for when my main aids, stopped working, needed to go away to be fixed/serviced
In Southampton up to 2010 the NHS service was excellent and they were upgraded over time
In Dorset since then the NHS service is poor, its difficult to get appts and you have to jump through hoops to get an upgrade
When you have aids, you get a build-up of ear wax. GPs have stopped removing earwax, so everyone has to go private
I've found one or two services from sole traders that are good value, but if you can't find these services then High St audiologists can charge up to £100
I once had an £85 appt and arrived 5 mins early, the audiologist saw me almost immediately and I walked out before my appt time. For £85!!!
Audiology is being privatised by the back-door, the same as Dentistry

 

I think I have said this before but I have always considered the high cost of hearing aids to be a tax on disability.
I have just given my new aids a healthy road test, airport noise, plane, car, restaurant and even tv and they have past with flying colours with the aid of different settings programmed into them.
The “restaurant” setting cuts out a lot of background use and I have used it in a variety of settings to make speech and conversation clearer.
The biggest improvement for me was how much I could hear in a car. Driving down the very noisy M27 I was able to hear the driver, backseat passengers AND the satnav, whereas with my old ones I would have just heard the car noises as it ran along and maybe the driver.
It’s a shame that they aren’t available at a decent quality (mine aren’t top of the range) and a decent price for everyone. I could have done without the expense of buying new aids, at this time, as I had an expensive 2023 with house improvements so I am putting myself on a tight budget to try and rebuild my bank balance.

 

Inflation spiked in the US again, which means good chance it spikes here too.

Get ready for more price rises everyone

 

It's ****ing disgusting that anyone is paying for hearing aids. I pay a fair bit of tax (I'm not a high earner by any means but overtime and PAYE means I sometimes lose a fair chunk in a month) This is exactly what my tax should go towards, not lining Tory donors pockets. Its ****ing disgraceful that there's a financial penalty just because people have disabilities. Absolutely outrageous.

 

A recent poll, it didn’t say how many people were polled, shows that 16% STILL didn’t know that they will need photographic ID to vote at an election.
This could keep a few Tory MPs in marginal seats, which I think was the plan when the law was introduced.

 

Prices are going up anyway, the rate of inflation has slowed, that’s all.

 

And soon the Brexit border controls will likely have an impact on driving prices up. Nothing to do with American inflation though

 

Yeah, it's not like prices ever stagnated or started coming down. So when the Tories and their client media crow about halving the rate of inflation, that doesn't mean working people are suddenly better off. It just means we're getting poorer a little more slowly; which is no help at all when your bills go up but your wages don't.

 

Not just price availability to. There's an increasing number of companies, especially SMEs, that have already and in the future stopped trading between the EU and UK in both directions.

 

I totally agree about how taxes should be spent but with regards to hearing aids, as has been mentioned above, there are free alternatives available on the NHS. The replacement batteries are free too. They may not be the best on the market but they do work reasonably well. I apologise if this is no longer the case but unlike prescriptions*, dental services and eyesight**, there are free hearing services available to all.

*Free to the over 60's.

**I think eyesight tests are free to the over 60's but unless you are on benefits they still have to pay for the glasses. I may be wrong on that too but I'm sure someone will put me right.

 

Didn’t it allegedly blow back in their faces at last years locals with elderly voters impacted as much as the younger voters they were hoping to catch out.

 

Yep as a single aid user I do tend to agree. I can get a NHS one (and have a 5 year old non working one). I chose to buy one because at the time it was a lot better and I was in a position to buy one. Not maybe the case now. I do though use the free batteries in my paid for aid as they are the same size.

 

That was the resultingmessage which was sent to Conservative Head Office. As an aside, I worked at a polling station during the last local election (the first time that Voter ID was required), and most of the people who turned out to vote had the required ID on them. To be honest, the only person who didn't have acceptable ID with them was a police officer.

 

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New Private Eye out now!

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But, I believe it was reported that they only collected stats on those turning up IN the station without ID and missed the fact that many were asked OUTSIDE and turned away if they didn't have suitable ID on them

So having implemented a Policy with no statistical evidence to support it, they failed to collect meaningful data on its effect

The good news is that Dr Who wouldn't have had any bother showing ID and they are clearly woke
(hence the pronoun)

 

I will get slated on here as it leans so heavily to the left sometimes that I have to use my laptop in portrait to read this thread but I am surprised there is no mention of this on here

Police investigate Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner over council house sale

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68797258

FWIW I think it is much ado about nothing, but if it was the Tory Deputy leader all hell would be breaking loose on here with rants of double standards and no smoke without fire.