Do you want to discuss boring politics? (20 Viewers)

[MalcSB]

Keir Starmer refuses to meet war veteran who 'lost' £60k off pension

Anne Puckridge, who turns 100 this month, has had her pension frozen since 2001 when she retired and moved to Canada to be nearer to her family.

www.dailymail.co.uk

What a c**t Starmer is.

I guess shmmeee will be of the view that the rules are the rules, but It seems fucking ridiculous.

What used to really piss me off was Polish plumbers claiming child benefit for kids in Poland and then sending the money back there. Other EU countries equally. But then, rules are rules.

 

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[MalcSB]

 

[PVA]

Keir Starmer refuses to meet war veteran who 'lost' £60k off pension

Anne Puckridge, who turns 100 this month, has had her pension frozen since 2001 when she retired and moved to Canada to be nearer to her family.

www.dailymail.co.uk

What a c**t Starmer is.

I guess shmmeee will be of the view that the rules are the rules, but It seems fucking ridiculous.

What used to really piss me off was Polish plumbers claiming child benefit for kids in Poland and then sending the money back there. Other EU countries equally. But then, rules are rules.

Hang on, did she travel 5000 miles for a meeting that didn't exist and we're supposed to be angry that the non-existent meeting didn't happen?

 

[shmmeee]

I am sure it offends the very core of your being to open Daily Mail online, so this is a copy and paste

”The Government's new ultra-strict ban on junk food advertising has sparked outrage on social media, with many rallying against the 'confusing' rules that list foods like porridge, muesli and some yoghurts as unhealthy.

These products will be banned from commercials that air before 9pm on television, and axed online ads completely.”

Oh no way, is that enforceable?

The foods need to be scored as unhealthy whatever they are so unsweetened porridge isn’t on there but sweetened porridge is. The line has to be somewhere if you’re doing it I guess. I’m not sure what the value of doing it is. Ozempic for all I say

 

[alexccfc99]

Badenoch is appalling, I’d put my money on her not even leading them in the next election

 

[MalcSB]

Oh no way, is that enforceable?

The foods need to be scored as unhealthy whatever they are so unsweetened porridge isn’t on there but sweetened porridge is. The line has to be somewhere if you’re doing it I guess. I’m not sure what the value of doing it is. Ozempic for all I say

It’s not even the children who buy the foods anyway.

Im not sure Ozemoic stops tooth decay.

 

[MalcSB]

Oh no way, is that enforceable?

The foods need to be scored as unhealthy whatever they are so unsweetened porridge isn’t on there but sweetened porridge is. The line has to be somewhere if you’re doing it I guess. I’m not sure what the value of doing it is. Ozempic for all I say

You only have to look on the front of the packet.

 

[MalcSB]

Hang on, did she travel 5000 miles for a meeting that didn't exist and we're supposed to be angry that the non-existent meeting didn't happen?

I thinks we are supposed to be angry at the principle of the frozen pensions, and the fact that Starmer is so tone deaf as to not agree to meet her if only for 10 minutes.

To be fair to him, he probably is a bit busy as he has spent so much time in the air since he became PM.

 

[SBT]

Badenoch is appalling, I’d put my money on her not even leading them in the next election

The Tories need to come to some sort of arrangement with Reform, they will only get in each other’s way as things stand.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Keir Starmer refuses to meet war veteran who 'lost' £60k off pension

Anne Puckridge, who turns 100 this month, has had her pension frozen since 2001 when she retired and moved to Canada to be nearer to her family.

www.dailymail.co.uk

What a c**t Starmer is.

I guess shmmeee will be of the view that the rules are the rules, but It seems fucking ridiculous.

What used to really piss me off was Polish plumbers claiming child benefit for kids in Poland and then sending the money back there. Other EU countries equally. But then, rules are rules.

I’m unsure what they’re annoyed about unless this was a story and photo opportunity

Not read the whole story but if the person asked ahead for some time that might be good if they didn’t come on it’s the prime minister and you got to meet the pensions minister

Seems this has been the rule for yonks and probably makes sense

 

[shmmeee]

It’s not even the children who buy the foods anyway.

Im not sure Ozemoic stops tooth decay.

Is tooth decay the rationale?

 

[PVA]

I’m unsure what they’re annoyed about unless this was a story and photo opportunity

Not read the whole story but if the person asked ahead for some time that might be good if they didn’t come on it’s the prime minister and you got to meet the pensions minister

Seems this has been the rule for yonks and probably makes sense

Yes as far as I can see no agreement was made to meet the PM. If that was the case and he pulled out, yeah that's shitty.

If she arrived on a whim then I'd say getting a meeting with the Pensions Minister is a pretty good result.

 

[shmmeee]

Keir Starmer refuses to meet war veteran who 'lost' £60k off pension

Anne Puckridge, who turns 100 this month, has had her pension frozen since 2001 when she retired and moved to Canada to be nearer to her family.

www.dailymail.co.uk

What a c**t Starmer is.

I guess shmmeee will be of the view that the rules are the rules, but It seems fucking ridiculous.

What used to really piss me off was Polish plumbers claiming child benefit for kids in Poland and then sending the money back there. Other EU countries equally. But then, rules are rules.

I don’t think we should be paying benefits to anyone outside this country tbh. That’s kinda the deal with leaving the country id have thought.

 

[duffer]

Farage definitely gives the vibe of man that was breast fed for far too long.

I suspect his problem is probably the opposite.

A lot of the right wing nutters seem to have been farmed off to boarding schools so their parents didn't have to look at them.

Lack of cuddles for them then, lack of empathy for others now, perhaps?

 

[MalcSB]

I’m unsure what they’re annoyed about unless this was a story and photo opportunity

Not read the whole story but if the person asked ahead for some time that might be good if they didn’t come on it’s the prime minister and you got to meet the pensions minister

Seems this has been the rule for yonks and probably makes sense

It has been the rule for 70 years. On what basis do you think it makes sense?

They have made the same qualifying contributions as anyone else, but are not burdening the state with, for example, healthcare costs.

It makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.

 

[MalcSB]

I don’t think we should be paying benefits to anyone outside this country tbh. That’s kinda the deal with leaving the country id have thought.

What a bizarre take on it! They have made the qualifying contributions etc. And it isn't “kinda the deal” and shouldn’t be.

 

[Grendel]

I suspect his problem is probably the opposite.

A lot of the right wing nutters seem to have been farmed off to boarding schools so their parents didn't have to look at them.

Lack of cuddles for them then, lack of empathy for others now, perhaps?

Bit harsh on Anthony Charles Lynton Blair

 

[MalcSB]

Bit harsh on Anthony Charles Lynton Blair

Hmmm. Not sure anything could be too harsh for him. Blood on his hands methinks. Dodgy dossier. David Kelly.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

It has been the rule for 70 years. On what basis do you think it makes sense?

They have made the same qualifying contributions as anyone else, but are not burdening the state with, for example, healthcare costs.

It makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.

Not to increase the pension is that what we’re talking about?

 

[MalcSB]

Not to increase the pension is that what we’re talking about?

Yep.
Just think of all the benefits of pensioners emigrating.
Reduced pressure on NHS and social services.
Additional housing stock released to the market.
Can bring in an immigrant professional to fill key gaps in public services without increasing the population.
Less boomers around to wind up younger generations.

There must be more.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Yep.

Ok why do you think it’s been the case for 70 years and so wrong?

 

[MalcSB]

Ok why do you think it’s been the case for 70 years and so wrong?

I have no idea what the rationale was. I was a baby at the time.

It feels wrong to me because these people have made full qualifying contributions to the system.

You are avoiding answering the question I posed to you by asking another question.

So, to go back to my question to you. On what basis do you think it probably makes sense?

 

[MalcSB]

I have no idea what the rationale was. I was a baby at the time.

It feels wrong to me because these people have made full qualifying contributions to the system.

You are avoiding answering the question I posed to you by asking another question.

So, to go back to my question to you. On what basis do you think it probably makes sense?

If they aren’t going to get the full benefit earned by their contributions, they ought to get a partial refund.

 

[MalcSB]

Is tooth decay the rationale?

One of them

Obesity and development of diabetes being another two.

 

[PVA]

If they aren’t going to get the full benefit earned by their contributions, they ought to get a partial refund.

...or if they want the full benefit earned by their contributions they should stay in the country?

If they want to leave then absolutely fine but that's their decision, they know what the deal is.

 

[MalcSB]

...or if they want the full benefit earned by their contributions they should stay in the country?

If they want to leave then absolutely fine but that's their decision, they know what the deal is.

On what basis is the “deal” fair or reasonable. Still waiting on an answer from @Sky Blue Pete

 

[MalcSB]

It is fascinating how this overwhelmingly socialist forum is so mean to older people.

 

[chiefdave]

The raw milk lot.

With perfect timing an update on RFK Jr's favourite raw milk

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/california-suspends-raw-farms-raw-milk-products-after-bird-flu-detection-2024-12-03/

 

[shmmeee]

It is fascinating how this overwhelmingly socialist forum is so mean to older people.

Why should people who don’t live in the UK be able to claim UK benefits?

 

[PVA]

On what basis is the “deal” fair or reasonable. Still waiting on an answer from @Sky Blue Pete

When you leave the UK you give up lots of benefits, this is one of them. You know that's the case, so you make your decision.

I don't see why that's so controversial.

 

[fernandopartridge]

To be fair the uprating of pensions based on a reciprocal arrangement with the country that person lives in seems ok. According to an article I read Canadian pensioners living in the UK have their state pension uprated by the Canadian government so it's unclear why there isn't reciprocity for UK pensioners living in Canada.

That said, none of the articles give any explanation of what is meant by reciprocal arrangements.

 

[MalcSB]

Why should people who don’t live in the UK be able to claim UK benefits?

Why should people who arrive illegally in the UK receive benefits having never contributed a halfpenny?

 

[MalcSB]

When you leave the UK you give up lots of benefits, this is one of them. You know that's the case, so you make your decision.

I don't see why that's so controversial.

That’s not a justification of the rule.

 

[MalcSB]

To be fair the uprating of pensions based on a reciprocal arrangement with the country that person lives in seems ok. According to an article I read Canadian pensioners living in the UK have their state pension uprated by the Canadian government so it's unclear why there isn't reciprocity for UK pensioners living in Canada.

That said, none of the articles give any explanation of what is meant by reciprocal arrangements.

I know reciprocity is the enabling factor, I really don’t understand why that should be.

 

[MalcSB]

Why should people who don’t live in the UK be able to claim UK benefits?

Because they have paid NI for 40 plus years, unlike some who claim benefits.