Proceedings of the Castle Aching Parish Council, 1905

[alastairq]

Vlad doesn't hold out much hope, whoever forms our next government [it will likely be Labour....but would that be a ''change for the better?'']

 

 

 

[Edwardian]

I will listen to Vlad with interest. I do think Labour is constrained for various reasons to perpetuating a rotten system to the extent that it can only represent a less egregious version of the current government (with a less diverse cabinet!), rather than effecting the real change we need.

 

But what would I know?

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, Edwardian said:

Yes, it has made me concerned as to what we're in for !

 

Chiefly, it would have been complete failure of the Rwanda policy, to which mast colours had been firmly nailed. Speedy abandonment of this will undoubtedly be a Good Thing. Among other Good Things coming out of this is that, has been noted elsewhere, there is no time for the proposed HS2 Handsacre - Crewe abandonment act. But chiefly, HM is spared many more weekly meetings with Sunak - I imagine he is looking forward to a PM with what I would think would be a rather soothing bedside manner.

[Edwardian]

38 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Chiefly, it would have been complete failure of the Rwanda policy, to which mast colours had been firmly nailed. Speedy abandonment of this will undoubtedly be a Good Thing. Among other Good Things coming out of this is that, has been noted elsewhere, there is no time for the proposed HS2 Handsacre - Crewe abandonment act. But chiefly, HM is spared many more weekly meetings with Sunak - I imagine he is looking forward to a PM with what I would think would be a rather soothing bedside manner.

 

This is no doubt amplified because a bunch of (recent) figures showing economic improvement will not cut through to voters so much as the emotive immigrant red-herring, especially when no one is actually feeling any better off. 

[Tom Burnham]

On 22/05/2024 at 20:58, Annie said:

I've only just now finished watching Rishi Sunak do his election announcement outside No.10, - but what had me absolutely confused is that he seemed to be talking about a completely different government and a completely different country before he finally got around to saying the election was going to be on the 4th of July.

Larry the Downing Street cat didn't seem too impressed either.

[Schooner]

EDIT

Edited May 24 by Schooner
Missed the next page of posts, comment not neccessary

[Ian Simpson]

On 23/05/2024 at 10:30, Edwardian said:

...  (with a less diverse cabinet!) ...

True. But I expect Labour will play up the working class credentials of its front bench instead. 

(I didn't put "working class credentials" in quotation marks because you're all cynical enough to add them yourselves. But two-thirds of Sunak's opening Cabinet did go to independent schools, so they weren't completely representative of the UK either. To be fair to Rishi, he did inherit a lot of Johnson's posh mates when he became PM.) 

[alastairq]

An interesting sideshow, given our recent est-steamed PM's statements on the prospect of the reinstatement of 'national service'.....?

 

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/33127

 

[  Conscientious Objectors]

 

Despite the views of the more elderly members of this parish regarding 'bringing back national service'...iE, conscription by any other name......my view is, it wont work, and I don't believe our military actually 'want' it.

The problem is, one pressed person is worth a thousand volunteers.....or something like that!

 

It worked well up to, and in the aftermath of, WW2...but our social structure was vastly different back in that era.... compared to how things are today.

 

It works to an extent today in Israel because military service [IE, defence of your land] has been built into their social fabric repeatedly for generations...but is starting to crack around the edges [advent of social media, perhaps?] these days....

 

I think Sunak's pronouncements are pure fringe vote winners [or, at the very least, put a spanner in the works for Starmer?]...and to my mind smacks of virtual compulsory post-18 adult education for all.

Let's face it, if a young individual wishes to 'do their bit' then there's always the military reserves...?[Territorials, as was....RAF reserve, etc]

 

Maybe we'll see hooligans in Civil Defence roles?  Instead of local politics?

 

The costs of so-called national service would be horrendous as well...Given that such a course of action also impacts on the stats for unemployment, etc etc, should the MoD be the only department to foot the bill?  Why not the DW&P?

 

Given the underfunding record for current adult education provision, how on earth will national service give youngsters 'skills' etc that cannot be delivered under the present system?

 

Nope, I fear, the UK society has left all this far too late to work, let alone work well.

 

When the numbers of ''national service would sort the hooligans out [it never did even back then]....brigade...[the 'never did me any 'arm' voters, will be dwindling day by day, as they khark it whilst on NHS waiting lists....

 

Can we still vote posthumously?

 

 

[Caley Jim]

What's to happen to those who leave school at 16/17 and go into apprenticeships in trades or engineering, also those who go to Uni or FE college before they are 18?  Are they to have their training/studies interrupted to gain some other skill that they don't really need for their chosen career path?

 

Jim

[uax6]

Its almost as if Sunak doesn't actually want to get back into power... 

I can see it picking up some grey haired voters (Those that think all youngsters are just hooligans and deserved to be knocked into shape), but in reality most families with children will revolt against it. I'm really sure that my Daughter (who's just turning 16 and sitting her GCSE's at the minute) will really love to interrupt her studies to do such a thing. 

 

Is this a cheap way to get low level skills into the NHS, to cover for all the staff that are no-longer coming here because of Brexit? 

 

I just cannot see how this could ever work. But its not worth worrying about as I really can't see the Loons getting in again surely? 

 

On other news, I'm disappointed to see that our local donkey (the Truss), has postponed her book signing in King's Lynn on Tuesday, as I was going to get her to sign a copy of one of David Camerons books, and I'm sure she wouldn't even notice.... I'm wondering if the locals will actually vote for her this time round...

 

 

Andy G

[Andy Hayter]

Looking from afar, it seems to me from multiple sources, that the UK is short of labour.  So there has been a need to import labour (aka immigration) to do jobs where there are shortages.  

 

So if there is a supporter of this proposal to make 18 year olds do military service or community service, can they explain how this is going to improve that situation if you effectively take 2% working population out of normal work for 12 months.   OK the community service bit has been suggested to be 1 day per month, but how do further education students find that day if they are already working to pay for their living expenses while studying.   

[John Isherwood]

43 minutes ago, Andy Hayter said:

Looking from afar, it seems to me from multiple sources, that the UK is short of labour.  So there has been a need to import labour (aka immigration) to do jobs where there are shortages.  

 

So if there is a supporter of this proposal to make 18 year olds do military service or community service, can they explain how this is going to improve that situation if you effectively take 2% working population out of normal work for 12 months.   OK the community service bit has been suggested to be 1 day per month, but how do further education students find that day if they are already working to pay for their living expenses while studying.   

 

The UK is not short of labour - it is short of people who want to labour! Over-generous, long-term social benefit payments have bred a sector of society with no incentive to get off their a*ses!

 

Any politician proposing compulsory National Service lives in cloud cuckoo land. The morass of legal challenges, administration and protest will see the idea dropped as a VERY hot potato.

 

....... and I can't see their own offspring being too keen on it, either - or will there be a nice cushy alternative for the Westminster set?

 

CJI.

[uax6]

Just now, cctransuk said:

 

 

 

....... and I can't see their own offspring being too keen on it, either - or will there be a nice cushy alternative for the Westminster set?

 

CJI.

 

Compulsory national service in a Gov dept perhaps? 

 

Andy G

[John Isherwood]

1 minute ago, uax6 said:

 

Compulsory national service in a Gov dept perhaps? 

 

Andy G

 

Serving behind the House of Commons bar?

 

CJI.

[Nearholmer]

1 hour ago, cctransuk said:

The UK is not short of labour - it is short of people who want to labour! Over-generous, long-term social benefit payments have bred a sector of society with no incentive to get off their a*ses!

What utter bollox.

 

(apologies for the poor spelling, it got auto-censored when spelled correctly)

 

 

Edited May 26 by Nearholmer

[burgundy]

10 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

Serving behind the House of Commons bar?

 

CJI.

Serving the barflies in the House of Commons might constitute cruel and unusual punishment. 

Best wishes 

Eric 

[CKPR]

10 hours ago, uax6 said:

 

Compulsory national service in a Gov dept perhaps? 

 

Like working in your parent's constituency or parliamentary office for free and mummy or daddy then  claiming £60k expenses to cover your alleged salary ?!

[CKPR]

11 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

Over-generous, long-term social benefit payments have bred a sector of society with no incentive to get off their a*ses!

 

That's no way to talk about pensioners...and imagine the impact on the hobby if 90% of us were drafted into national service !

Edited May 27 by CKPR

[Nearholmer]

Imagine the impact on the military and community services!

[GMKAT7]

Good morning folks,

 

Having retired at the age of 62 I am now considered to be 'economically inactive ' according to recent surveys of economic activity in the UK.

 

However, when I reach 64, in 3 weeks time, I then reach the upper limit of those who should be working according to the surveys.

Having retired I see no earthly reason or inclination to go back to work.

 

Moreover, how can I be 'economically inactive ' when I still buy stuff (models included) and pay VAT on most things?

Would the armed forces really relish my ageing carcase?

 

Answers to R Sunk, ex-PM.

 

Cheers, Nigel.

[John Isherwood]

10 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

What utter bollox.

 

(apologies for the poor spelling, it got auto-censored when spelled correctly)

 

You don't agree then?!?

 

Having lived in social housing for much of my life, and been all too aware of the anti-social behaviour of many of the 'can't be a*sed to work' brigade, I am confident in my assertion.

 

CJI.

[Skinnylinny]

12 hours ago, cctransuk said:

The UK is not short of labour - it is short of people who want to labour! Over-generous, long-term social benefit payments have bred a sector of society with no incentive to get off their a*ses!

As a disabled person who still works as much as they can (16 hours a week), and can barely pay the rent and bills even with the help of Universal Credit/Housing Benefit, I'd love to learn more about these long-term social benefit payments. (To clarify, this is not a complaint against my employer, who pays me a very reasonable hourly rate!)

For under-35s, Housing Benefit doesn't cover enough to live alone, being intentionally set at a level to allow flat-sharing but not living alone. I have been rejected from receiving PIP (the current system of disability benefits) because I can (although not reliably, by the admission of the Department for Work and Pensions) sometimes walk to the nearest bus stop and supermarket, and I can work part-time (from home, often from my bed, and with *very* flexible hours.) 

My rent is about to rise from £675/month to £750/month. The price of my weekly shop has nearly doubled in the last couple of years, while minimum wage has barely risen. Often younger people who complain about this are told "Just get a better job", without considering that someone else will then take that job and not be paid enough to live on. 

Edited May 27 by Skinnylinny

[Compound2632]

15 hours ago, Caley Jim said:

What's to happen to those who leave school at 16/17 and go into apprenticeships in trades or engineering, also those who go to Uni or FE college before they are 18?  Are they to have their training/studies interrupted to gain some other skill that they don't really need for their chosen career path?

 

Jim

 

 

No thought has been given to the different education system in Scotland, you can be sure of that.

Edited May 27 by Compound2632
typo.

[Skinnylinny]

There's also the question of where young people who live in rural areas are supposed to volunteer... and how they're supposed to get there! 

[John Isherwood]

24 minutes ago, Skinnylinny said:

As a disabled person who still works as much as they can (16 hours a week), and can barely pay the rent and bills even with the help of Universal Credit/Housing Benefit, I'd love to learn more about these long-term social benefit payments. (To clarify, this is not a complaint against my employer, who pays me a very reasonable hourly rate!)

For under-35s, Housing Benefit doesn't cover enough to live alone, being intentionally set at a level to allow flat-sharing but not living alone. I have been rejected from receiving PIP (the current system of disability benefits) because I can (although not reliably, by the admission of the Department for Work and Pensions) sometimes walk to the nearest bus stop and supermarket, and I can work part-time (from home, often from my bed, and with *very* flexible hours.) 

My rent is about to rise from £675/month to £750/month. The price of my weekly shop has nearly doubled in the last couple of years, while minimum wage has barely risen. Often younger people who complain about this are told "Just get a better job", without considering that someone else will then take that job and not be paid enough to live on. 

 

To be clear, I am not referring to disabled persons; rather to families who maximised family allowance payments with an annual pregnancy, and were able-bodied enough to spend all day, every day converting old cars into banger racers.

 

Most meals appeared to be delivered fastfood takeaways, and mysterious deliveries were furtively unloaded in the hours of darkness.

 

Never a day's work was done by any of the ever-expanding tribes.

 

That is why we need immigrant labour.

 

CJI.