Do you want to discuss boring politics? (38 Viewers)

[shmmeee]

Agreed. I wasn’t a massive fan of Brown when he was in office but would take him over anyone in parliament at the moment, especially at a time of crisis. He’s a serious politician that ultimately has the country’s best interests at heart, even if people don’t necessarily agree with all his policies as you say.

I was looking the other day though for what Labour did to provide better energy security in their 15 years in office. I think the last two nuclear plants were started by Tory governments for example. They had a massive majority and a growing economy so had chance/funds to renationalise or make massive changes in energy but didn’t. It’s a genuine question for those that might have a better memory than me and closer to policies etc

I’m saying that as someone who voted for Labour during that time but politicians have a habit of pointing the finger at todays problems, when their past actions/inaction are part of the cause of the problem (also see GP and dentist contracts)

Blair was ideologically opposed to nationalisation IIRC. It was the early 2000s and markets/“choice” were going to save everything. It’s the one major piece most Labour supporters would change I’d expect. See also PFI in the NHS and Academies.

 

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[Deleted member 5849]

Blair was ideologically opposed to nationalisation IIRC. It was the early 2000s and markets/“choice” were going to save everything. It’s the one major piece most Labour supporters would change I’d expect. See also PFI in the NHS and Academies.

Yeah bit pointless to bring it up as there's a bunch of lefties (and Grendel!) around here who'd agree utilities should be, and should have been, re nationalised.

But we are where we are, and we need a solution now... and that's on the present lot.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Blair was ideologically opposed to nationalisation IIRC. It was the early 2000s and markets/“choice” were going to save everything. It’s the one major piece most Labour supporters would change I’d expect. See also PFI in the NHS and Academies.

He also revoked none of the anti union laws introduced in the previous Tory governments.

 

[Frostie]

 

[CCFCSteve]

The last serious PM we had.

Or party leader for that matter

Blair was ideologically opposed to nationalisation IIRC. It was the early 2000s and markets/“choice” were going to save everything. It’s the one major piece most Labour supporters would change I’d expect. See also PFI in the NHS and Academies.

To be fair, it wasn’t a major issue/focus at the time anyway, probably wasn’t even up to a year ago. Unfortunately over the past year energy security has come into focus

Privatisation alone isn’t necessarily as bad as it sometimes appears. When companies are privately owned they’re incentivised to run more efficiently, to invest in better processes etc ultimately to generate more profit but the public can also benefit. The problem usually comes with lack of controls, regulations and enforcement of them.

The rail halfway house isn’t working, energy security is now at the forefront of peoples minds due to the war and water companies are taking the piss with their conduct (waste dumping and not dealing with leaks). All could be improved with stricter controls and regulations to force better behaviours. Having said that energy wouldn’t change much at the moment because we’re not self sufficient so at the whim of the international markets

 

[shmmeee]

Or party leader for that matter


To be fair, it wasn’t a major issue/focus at the time anyway, probably wasn’t even up to a year ago. Unfortunately over the past year energy security has come into focus

Privatisation alone isn’t necessarily as bad as it sometimes appears. When companies are privately owned they’re incentivised to run more efficiently, to invest in better processes etc ultimately to generate more profit but the public can also benefit. The problem usually comes with lack of controls, regulations and enforcement of them.

The rail halfway house isn’t working, energy security is now at the forefront of peoples minds due to the war and water companies are taking the piss with their conduct (waste dumping and not dealing with leaks). All could be improved with stricter controls and regulations to force better behaviours. Having said that energy wouldn’t change much at the moment because we’re not self sufficient so at the whim of the international markets

I don’t want to start the argument again but capitalism works because it allows a lot of failure and waste in exchange for innovation and competition. There’s no competition in energy. No one is switching cos Utilitas electricity tastes better. So you get all the worst elements of an uncompetitive market, with all the waste of competition and none of the innovation.

 

[CCFCSteve]

I don’t want to start the argument again but capitalism works because it allows a lot of failure and waste in exchange for innovation and competition. There’s no competition in energy. No one is switching cos Utilitas electricity tastes better. So you get all the worst elements of an uncompetitive market, with all the waste of competition and none of the innovation.

Hard to disagree if you’re talking about the retail energy companies, most/a lot of which has gone bust recently as there’s not much profit in it with the cap in place and wholesale prices as they are

Ultimately though most are just the middle men, taking a tiny slice. You’d need to own the energy generation companies and they operate differently to each other, innovating and investing in renewables etc, finding ways to produce/deliver energy to people as efficiently and now, as environmentally friendly, as possible. This is where the public benefit ‘should’ benefit a bit from private ownership. But also where the money is made

Edit - just to clarify, I’m not saying there shouldn’t be a debate about renationalising energy, especially in the current climate, but people need to be clear about what/how they would do it

 

[PVA]

Phew, glad to see the government are doing all they can. Thanks Boris!

 

[clint van damme]

Or party leader for that matter


To be fair, it wasn’t a major issue/focus at the time anyway, probably wasn’t even up to a year ago. Unfortunately over the past year energy security has come into focus

Privatisation alone isn’t necessarily as bad as it sometimes appears. When companies are privately owned they’re incentivised to run more efficiently, to invest in better processes etc ultimately to generate more profit but the public can also benefit. The problem usually comes with lack of controls, regulations and enforcement of them.

The rail halfway house isn’t working, energy security is now at the forefront of peoples minds due to the war and water companies are taking the piss with their conduct (waste dumping and not dealing with leaks). All could be improved with stricter controls and regulations to force better behaviours. Having said that energy wouldn’t change much at the moment because we’re not self sufficient so at the whim of the international markets

Privatisation of public services and utilities has been a disaster.
It's lead to a billions flowing out of the country and massive under investment.

 

[CCFCSteve]

Privatisation of public services and utilities has been a disaster.
It's lead to a billions flowing out of the country and massive under investment.

I cant really argue with that although it’s impossible to tell what services would be like under government ownership. my point in an earlier post is if the right controls and regulations were put in place some of the issues we see now wouldn’t/shouldnt have happened

 

[shmmeee]

fucks sake

 

[clint van damme]

fucks sake

She was probably looking at cows (I'm sure there's a Father Ted paraphrase in there somewhere)

 

[shmmeee]

 

[skybluetony176]

She was probably looking at cows (I'm sure there's a Father Ted paraphrase in there somewhere)

 

[wingy]

0.005833333% of the UK's landmass .
However just seen an article suggesting the country will be short of farmland by as near as 2030, something like 75% of the nation is farmland.
Edit - Crops for biomass fuels far far outstrip a few solar panels.

 

[PVA]

Tory members are just awful, awful people aren't they?

 

[Ian1779]

Tory members are just awful, awful people aren't they?

It’s self interest pure and simple. They’d watch the world burn for their kids if it meant keeping the poor in their place.

 

[fernandopartridge]

fucks sake

Just think of all those pineapple trees we could have in north Yorkshire

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[Sbarcher]

Always fancied the Fringe, but was put off by the price of accommodation.

Two questions.

a) Is it worth going?

b) Any tips for doing it on the cheap?

WGS was on great form. I didn’t need to ask about Telfor as he was referred to as Gordon’s love child. I did get an interesting story about Noel Whelan.
Is it worth going? Absolutely but you need to be well planned and fit to get to the many venues across the City. I’m taking in 5/6 a day to see a good spread of comedy, music and theatre.
to keep the costs down I stay in student accommodation. Basic but clean and many serve breakfast in their canteen. Tickets used to be very reasonable but generally now £10-12. Lots of free shows around with a bucket collection at the end.
one tip- go on your own. That way you can plan your shows to suit you and grab food and drink on the go.

 

[cowboy1850]

The police, can't respond or investigate some crimes, officers cancelling leave because staff shortages.

The NHS is riddled with issues, longer waiting times, staff shortages and recruiting issues, services being restructured, too many overpaid middle management.

Local councils and schools, union action over pay, possibly more cost cutting ahead.

Royal mail (scruffy uniform dodgers), more cost cutting, lots of union involvement.

The rest of the population being continuously hit in the pocket, mostly with energy prices, food, fuel price increases. More and more businesses going under leaving the high-steet threadbare.

We are in a downward spiral. Terminal decline. The rot is setting in and politicians don't have the answers.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

The police, can't respond or investigate some crimes, officers cancelling leave because staff shortages.

The NHS is riddled with issues, longer waiting times, staff shortages and recruiting issues, services being restructured, too many overpaid middle management.

Local councils and schools, union action over pay, possibly more cost cutting ahead.

Royal mail (scruffy uniform dodgers), more cost cutting, lots of union involvement.

The rest of the population being continuously hit in the pocket, mostly with energy prices, food, fuel price increases. More and more businesses going under leaving the high-steet threadbare.

We are in a downward spiral. Terminal decline. The rot is setting in and politicians don't have the answers.

You know union members are also in the rest of society and are being hit in the same way which is the very reason they are taking action

 

[Deleted member 5849]

You know union members are also in the rest of society and are being hit in the same way which is the very reason they are taking action

They didn't say union action was unjustified...

 

[fatso]

The last serious PM we had.

The robbing c**t who taxed the shit out of pension funds, crippling the pensions of millions of workers. absolute fucking wanker.

 

[shmmeee]

The robbing c**t who taxed the shit out of pension funds, crippling the pensions of millions of workers. absolute fucking wanker.

Never let the facts get in the way of a good rant.

 

[skybluetony176]

So non UK citizens who don’t live in the UK have a say in who the next PM is because the Tories allow non UK citizens living overseas to be party members even though they’re not eligible to vote in a GE. How is that allowed?

Tory leadership election: Meet the overseas voters picking the next PM

Conservatives who are not UK citizens explain why they’re voting in the party’s leadership ballot.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[wingy]

He speaks .
Labour Labour Labour .
We're going to build a new Nuclear power station every year not every decade .
Remind me who has majorly been in power across the last fifty years .
He seems to think that decision relates to a twenty year period when in reality it goes back 50.

Edit:-ooh forgot labour force? Hardware ?materials?

 

[fernandopartridge]

Where are the media / the labour right / the Tory pretend anti-racists on here going to call out Liz Truss and her stereotyping of jewish families?

 

[shmmeee]

Where are the media / the labour right / the Tory pretend anti-racists on here going to call out Liz Truss and her stereotyping of jewish families?

Whats she said?

 

[fernandopartridge]

Whats she said?

" “So many Jewish values are Conservative values and British values too, for example seeing the importance of family and always taking steps to protect the family unit; and the value of hard work and self-starting and setting up your own business. "

 

[Deleted member 9744]

" “So many Jewish values are Conservative values and British values too, for example seeing the importance of family and always taking steps to protect the family unit; and the value of hard work and self-starting and setting up your own business. "

Didn't think it was possible but she really is going to be much worse than Johnson. Horrible stereotyping as you say and it seems other parts of the speech were about attacking woke in the public sector. So she is saying our public services should not be alert to injustice and racism. Presumably this is to allow the Government to use all the usual racist stereotypes.

 

[chiefdave]

He's alive!

 

[Ian1779]

He's alive!

A whopping £46 a year - that’ll make a dent for the people that it is relevant to.
In all seriousness it is something that should definitely be done - but he needs to announce more than this soon or risk looking like he’s completely clueless and out of touch with reality.

 

[shmmeee]

FFS Mick

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

FFS Mick

90% of the article and what he says doesn’t concern that, of course, and is kind of irrelevant to his position.

 

[shmmeee]

90% of the article and what he says doesn’t concern that, of course, and is kind of irrelevant to his position.

Then he should keep his mouth shut. He runs a train union FFS. But he’s got to signal to the other tankies he’s one of the gang. There’ll be no left wing economic shift while it’s attached to this crap.