Off Topic JULY 4th 2024 6 months JAN 2025 ..chaos+ more fibs +roughshod attitudes+backtracking +++ C R A S H++

I think you need to be more open minded. Net zero and spending billions upon billions on foreign green aid will in future delay winter. Less winter = No need for winter fuel payments.

 

TODAYS OFFERING of mouth's to feed and requests for the free ticket come from a further 408 boat crossings, LABOUR .GOV has to rob another £280,000 + per week from the British tax payer thats only another £14,850,000 per year.
In 2 months they been over seeing, so far, 7479 KNOWN, illegals an annual bill for these is circa £272,235,600 and 1 day to go.

note
mentioned by a learned friend the .GOV publish's these "daily figures" to cover up the real number that land !!!

 

The government also wants to announce the hard stuff now so that it feels like a distant memory by the time of the election. But that strategy isn’t without risks.

The Conservatives, despite being a massively depleted force in Parliament, have landed some blows over the summer. They’ve accused the government of prioritising pay deals over benefits for pensioners. There have also been several accusations of cronyism after people with links to the Labour party were given civil service jobs.

The risk for Sir Keir isn’t that his party turns against him but that some of these accusations start to stick.
Labour is doing everything it can to shape the political narrative for the coming months by arguing it has a big mess to clear up. But plenty of others will be trying to do the same, arguing that Labour is going too far or is exaggerating the problems with its economic inheritance.

Remember, there are choices involved in everything the government is doing. It is a choice to rule out putting up major taxes that would raise more money. It is a choice to rule out more borrowing. And it is a choice to focus spending on pay deals rather than winter fuel payments. It is up to ministers to persuade you they are making the right choices.

what they dont seem to be doing is ..............

There are plenty of other challenges around the corner for the government too. How to stop small boats crossing the channel. How to reduce NHS waiting lists. How to balance the needs of businesses and unions when new workers' rights legislation is passed. Fixing problems in the court and prison systems. I’m sure most people reading this would have something else to add to the list.!!!!!!!!!!!!!
{from BBC news sheet}

 

I think we can discuss Ashton’s support of the Labour Party mooting further restrictions on tobacco. The world apart from Two Tier knows that people dying earlier is a net gain for the NHS, and people living longer increases the need for the NHS, but we need to look at the wider picture as Ashton does.

Removing people’s enjoyment and pleasures mean not only do they live longer, they can wirk longer. So Labour can increase the retirement age, increase GDP and fill a bit of that surprising black hole Mr Starmer just found by working working class people longer.

 

We barely get winter now compared to when I was a kid

 

last few GE's



the 12 months to 21 April 2024 there were 30,653 small boat arrivals compared to 45,755 in the calendar year 2022, a decrease of 33%

 

take the table above of the GE's from 1988 onwards .gov's have been [ HAD!!!! ] been trying to encourage the pensionable age to be decreased so that the younger element could be able to find work and thus continue the payments to NI/ PENSION CONTRIBS to pay for the aged populations pensions!
[ I was a licenced finanacial operative at that time when there was a massive shake up in pensions ]
It was well worked out and took a massive amount of responsibility from the .GOV's during various periods of their seat in power.
mooted back then was 4 day working/ early retirement/ individual personal resposibility to arranging own pensions ......... and a stupid idea that an individual could commute their lump sum and do with whatever BUT when spent would be at mercy of having to have benefits ... a double whammy against the .gov. who would pay a benefit as opposed to a pension as the irresponsible had spent their pension!
that has NOW all changed they want pensioners to work longer..... reasoning to follow

 

NOW ....[ MAYBE A FEW REPLIES as I compose the next bit ] but will open a second screen to monitor if & adjust later.

The pension contributions up to around 1998 ...ish ... were part of payment to NI reformation/ protection etc it basically started with SERPS being put into private hands ...


....................

A highly unusual "most confidential record" of the 1980 papers show that, on 14 November, Howe told his cabinet colleagues the government would be accused of "attacking the poor and breaking its election pledges", but he couldn't exempt the social security budget from his third round of cuts because it made up 25% of public spending. He argued the elderly had to take their fair share of the general reduction in living standards.
But the cabinet minutes show that not only did the social security secretary, Patrick Jenkin, point out that Thatcher had earlier that year personally pledged on television to maintain the value of the state pension, but other senior ministers feared it could provoke riots.....

NOTE........... I wonder if KAMIKAZE has decided / been advised that he needs to show rioters that if he messes with the pensions there could be riots so the tough action against free speech etc has been clamped down PUTIN style as a deterrent!

SO in THE days after John Major, the first of Bliars sessions work was done and encouraged older people to retire early [ up to 2 years? ] this freed up jobs for young and also at the time UK.GOV was benefiting from massive amounts of new revenue oil and gas.
FROM 1979 TO 2000 [ PRE 2001 GE ] THE DEMOCRATIC process was functioning very well, more and more people were getting rid of SERPS into private and pensioners s were doing doing OK... ISH.
The election of 2001 saw the first Labour smoke screen, happening behind closed doors the feel good factor was being funded by the oil revenue but also loans as projects seemingly were not funded? just 59% of the population voted like now 2024 because media had the party miles ahead ... without knowing the truth!
2005 saw another plunge Labour lost 100 seats lowest % of votes for decades from a 61% turn out and writing was on cards country was in trouble Bliar gave way to Brown knowing next GE was lost and hiding a massive deficit [ nothing like the the so called £20bn of 2024 but 4 or 5 times? that amount.
PENSIONS WELL IN THE PREVIOUS DECADE ... with Labour encouraging migrants paying them less Pensioners didnt have to leave early as jobs were covered! But lazy UK CITIZENS just grabbed benefits instead

so in 2009 the country well broken............. WORST BY A LONG CHALK THAN NOW!

 

As clifton points out ......... partly!
Cliftonville said: ↑
The world apart from Two Tier knows that people dying earlier is a net gain for the NHS, and people living longer increases the need for the NHS, but we need to look at the wider picture as Ashton does. Removing people’s enjoyment and pleasures mean not only do they live longer, they can wirk longer. So Labour can increase the retirement age, increase GDP and fill a bit of that surprising black hole Mr Starmer just found by working working class people longer.

......... the world apart from two tier Kamikaze. knows that people dying earlier is a net gain for the NHS, and people living longer increases the need for the NHS, ... a sort of egg and chicken comment phrase! .. does reality actually mean dying younger doesnt have the same/ similar effect on the NHS ? ... NO ... people living longer means going to live longer but be ill and not die because kept alive? NO ... JUST GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT!

Removing people’s enjoyment and pleasures mean not only do they live longer, = [ A ..... ] they can wirk longer. = [ B] So Labour can increase the retirement age, [ C ]................
A: ....... I DONT think this is anyway correct if you have something to live for then you probably will do! nothing to live for = depression / lack of "exercise?" so body shuts down, and ability to work is compromised by illness!! .
B: ....... So those that do live longer have the choice of working because they can or want to , NOTHING TO DO WITH removal of pleasures / enjoyment. I stopped working for pay at age 71/72 AND KEEP FIT [ ish! ] .........
C: .........A law passed in 1995 said the women's pension age would increase to 65 between 2010 and 2020. The Pensions Act of 2011 accelerated those changes. Because people live longer the .GOV's know their mis management of pensions it will cost loads more money to pay them longer. [ see note at end ]. However it is a 2 edge sword, as making them work longer it means often a detrimental effect on productivity and also means the work tree is adversely affected, young not needed till old leave! So to this add a million or 2 who have not paid a lot into pension system like illegal immigrants being welcomed now, and draining the benefits pot, and who in a few years will be entitled to state pensions will seriously upset the apple cart.

note: One of my pension providers in past year or maybe 2 sent out an annual report......... in it it said " due to people drawing their pensions for longer" we have had to make certain changes to costings and payments in! OF COURSE when you settle / commute your pension it is for life.. a contract! State pension is a benefit not an entitlement that has to be paid! ...yes you "contribute via NI " but unlike a private pension they can say .. your monthly pension is subject to ...or ... you are getting a 20% reduction!!
the .gov [ of the time ] should say ........ not means tested but any pensioner receiving less than £20k per annum or even £15k per annum / joint of say £25k or similar entitled to heating allowance...

Labour of course know that when pensioners [ a majoity of them ] vote it primarily for tories, those that vote labour quite often on benefits or get a rather tasty sum added to their basic pension!

 

Was it last year? I published the snow reports for the 20 -30 ? years up to around mid 90's , snow in Bristol was pretty regular occurrence almost guaranteed to get snow on 30 or more days over a Dec to March period.. will try and find it again
In 50'60' 70's it was a guarantee to get at at least 6 -8" and on the ground for at least a month or more [ maybe 2 separate lots second on top of the frozen remains of the first ]

 

During my 64 years, and to the best of my knowledge, we’ve had just 2 fairly bad winters in all that time
The really bad one of 1963 when I was 3 years old and in1979 or 1980 when it stayed below freezing for a few weeks after it snowed initially and the ice never really thawed

 

I was posting with my tongue firmly with my tongue in my cheek. Two Tier asserts that smoking places a huge burden on the NHS. Yes there is a burden of four billion a year - Smoking and the Public Purse — Institute of Economic Affairs (iea.org.uk) Smokers contribute billions a year in taxation. However the early deaths cause by smoking reduce costs to the NHS in the long term. If all smokers suddenly stopped smoking in a weird out there hypothetical world tomorrow, taxes would have to go up/ public spending would need to be cut.

 

thats better ... put it into a sort of context!
[?the living longer bit?] .... hypothetical world ... = " leaves an assumption" that all smokers give up so no tax income, so need to raise more tax somewhere else? .. however if they dont smoke then likely wont need the NHS costs so not as much needed in tax to cater for!... ? Also likely live longer so less burden on NHS ? .............. SO WOULD NEED LONGER PENSION POTS! it becomes a very entangled web!

 

if you are solely living in Bristol comment likely correct ... from 2000 through to 2020 I did have to travel all over the UK [ and parts of Europe ] quite often paid a premium to get a delivery done as the WX in the area of it or getting to it was suffering with extremely bad snow/ ice... thinking back probably about 6 or 7 winters and maybe 9 or 10 deliveries in UK and definetly 3 into EUROPE ... maybe 5 !
Bristol wise / locally [ >50 miles < ] FROM 1970 about 5 bad ones!

 

There are many studies and reports that conclude smokers pay for their healthcare, and the taxes they pay make the state money v Two Tiers burden to the NHS.

The longer we live the more expensive our health care becomes. As a group who costs the NHS more those in their twenties and thirties, forties fifties, sixties seventies etc? Its the latter's by far. I work in healthcare. Elderly individuals we support are costing thousands of pounds per week per person to support. People who die prematurely (smokers) have a smaller net burden on the health service in long terms, reducing state's spending on social care and pensions.

 

in healthcare, residential homes of the different classes dont actually have that much drain on the NHS ... only when they go into Hospital! I have had relations go into healthcare scenario's and am very aware [ been advocat/ POA etc on a number of cases ] of the costings and where the the money they [homes ] get paid comes from!
Health is not only the main concern from smokers. I read a very in depth report from a company employing over 1400 individuals.There analysis was quite alarming, smokers cost this company a drop in production of some 9%. Had they not made a stand and gave in to the the non smokers there production would have dropped to 27%. There leverage was THE ADDITIONAL HEALTHCARE PACKAGE they extended to all employee's [ for a small weekly fee toward its cost! ]
If you smoke and want to take more than 2 15 minute breaks, one either side of dinner "hour/ period" then you cannot be in the health plan as "smoking damages your health ".
toilets were strict non smoking and had smoke alarms with regular inspections........

 

Local councils fund the majority of residential homes and supported living services. Its councils biggest costs. Primary health needs are financed by the NHS and these needs are met in individuals care homes, and own homes.

The elderly require more healthcare from NHS services, more medication and more commissioning of NHS healthcare service external to hospitals. The majority of people post 65 use some NHS funded medication (one in ten use eight plus medications a day), the majority of people in the twenties, thirties, forties and fifties don't. The longer people live the more physical and mental health support they need from the NHS.

 

they do but also get a lot of the money from the private sector!
I dealt with 5 different homes also on top xyl worked in 2 others for 40 years! and is very savvy!

 

September kicks off with another 351 mouths to feed clothe give spending money and a roof over their heads besides 3 square meals a day ............. moneywise thats just another £250,000 a week or £13,000,000 pa

I was wondering how much it costs to run parliament? 650 MP's that must around £84,000,000 ? then other staff say £40,000,000 then security staff say £8,000,000 they have gas electric food refreshments cheap bar cleaners etc etc

tried looking it up but not easy ..other than a few historical notes ... from pre 2009 and in todays interpretation that wages have gone up and so has costs by %'s or £'s PA LIKELY to be circa £1,ooo,ooo,ooo ! so we spend circa £2,000,000,000 on boat people and MP's....... about

Total annual receipts in the tax year 2023 to 2024
HMRC collected £829.1 billion in taxes in 2023 to 2024, an increase of 5.1% from the year before. that's £829,100,000,000.

so about £1 of every roughly £400 you pay in tax takes care of boat people and MP's