General politics discussion thread

[patiirc]

Did anyone catch the Tony Benn interview on yesterdays Stephen Nolan Radio 5Live show? Benn was not on the ball as he usually is and seemed to become increasingly tired as the interview progressed. In particular he appeared almost confused as Nolan closed their conversation.

 

At eighty five anyone is entitled to have an off day I suppose but a work colleague who listened called it "upsetting". Once again this could be down to the contrast of how sharp Tony Benn normally is.

 

I'm not sure how to post links, for which I apologise, but I would be interested to know if anyone else listened to the show.

 

Thanks

 

Shuggy

 

 

He was on the election coverage quite a bit looking tired and not with it so I dont think it was just that.

 

 

Maybe age and an underlying condition has finally taken its toll

 

Shame.

[Carbomb]

Shuggy

 

Sorry to take this OT, but I've been meaning to ask: does that mean your name really is "Hugh"? I learned from Rab C. that everyone called Hugh ends up getting called Shug (and, I think, everyone called "George" gets called "Dode", like the Geordies).

 

 

 

 

To take it back on, that's very upsetting about Benn. Guy was a fucking political powerhouse, and I never understood why he never stood up for leadership or prime ministerial elections. A man of principle, old-school left-wing values and a solid, intelligent man - the kind of person we should be demanding all our politicians to be, really. Anyone who's born to aristocracy and abdicates his title and entitlement on principle is definitely someone I'd vote for.

[Hugh Thesz]

Sorry to take this OT, but I've been meaning to ask: does that mean your name really is "Hugh"? I learned from Rab C. that everyone called Hugh ends up getting called Shug (and, I think, everyone called "George" gets called "Dode", like the Geordies).

 

Yep, my name is Hugh.

 

Shuggy, Shug and Hughie are, I believe, originally Glaswegian (or at least west of Scotland) colloquial nicknames for Hugh. I have occasionally tried to use the internet to study the etymology of this without success as there aren't many nicknames which are longer than the persons real name. To be honest though the allocation of the nickname to guys named Hugh is much less than before.

 

As for the Tony Benn interview there is a moment where I believe Stephen Nolan eased up as he had been trying to nail a contradiction on him. I have only listened to it as it aired but I don't think I'm exaggerating how it came across. When Nolan is ending the interview and thanking Benn he is met with silence. Then after repeating his thanks Benn replies "hello" and then sounded terribly - and I hate having to use this phrase but it is relevant - doddery.

 

Very sad but hopefully just an off day for the man.

 

Shuggy

[David]

A little bit of information for anyone who lives in my neck of the woods here in Scotland;

 

An organisation that campaigns for a united Ireland plan to hold a march through Hamilton next month.

 

Cairde Na hHeireann or Friends of Ireland have applied to South Lanarkshire Council to stage the procession on June 26 starting in Low Waters Road and ending at the car park in Bothwell Street.

 

A total of 400 marchers and at least three flute bands are set to parade through Hamilton.

 

The organisation are best known for their organisation of the controversial Bloody Sunday march, each January, in Glasgow.

 

It is thought to be the first time the group have marched in Hamilton and already the planned parade has been condemned by callers to the Advertiser.

 

One said a counter protest was being organised involving anti-Irish Republican groups, the BNP, and the extreme right wing Scottish Defence League.

 

The application for the march was lodged with the council on May 10, and the last date for the submission of objections is Tuesday.

 

Marchers will be accompanied by a number of republican flute bands, including Coatbridge RFB, Vol Sean McIlvienna RFB, Vol Martin Docherty RFB, and Cairde Cumann.

 

Marchers from Cranhill, Castlemilk and Wishaw will join Republican sympathisers from Hamilton and an anti-racism group on the procession.

 

The projected route is Low Waters Road, Portland Place, Quarry Street, Brandon Street, Cadzow Street, Muir Street, Almada Street, Burnbank Road, Clydesdale Street, Douglas Street, and ending in the Bothwell Street car park.

 

According to the application, which has been posted on the council

[David]

Well, not long until we get hit by the budget.

 

I fully expect it to hit the average Joe and the unemployed the most, although i'm sure that the Government will put a spin on it to keep the masses confused and under control.

 

Despite us being in one of the worst recessions in recent times, and constantly being told that we "all have to share the burden" I find it rather strange that the 1,000 richest people in the country managed to see their wealth go up by a third in the last year. To

[patiirc]

HSBC's chief executive Michael Geoghegan announced he would take a

[David]

Agree that the unemployed, the disabled and the majority of workers are going to get butt- fucked

 

I expect VAT to go to 20 per cent

 

and NI to increase just to cover some of the mess.

 

Working Tax Credits to be greatly reduced or abolished

 

and various other cuts that will hurt.

 

Labour are scaremongering saying its all doom and gloom and that the coalition will wreck the economy again. Something I find laughable considering what happened under their watch

So, in effect, it'll hit the poorest hardest. As usual.

 

So much for Clegg and all of his bullshit then, eh?

 

I'm glad I wasn't one of those idiots who bought into his nonsense and actually voted for them.

[gary v1]

Well, not long until we get hit by the budget.

 

I fully expect it to hit the average Joe and the unemployed the most, although i'm sure that the Government will put a spin on it to keep the masses confused and under control.

 

Despite us being in one of the worst recessions in recent times, and constantly being told that we "all have to share the burden" I find it rather strange that the 1,000 richest people in the country managed to see their wealth go up by a third in the last year. To

[David]

If Mr Banker gets

[Ronnie]

What I can't understand, and i'm hoping some smart sod on here can enlighten me, is if we had to give the banks the above mentioned sum from the public fund to help them correct their own errors, why aren't they paying it back from their profits?

No idea. If I lent a tonne of money to a desperate friend, then found myself cash-strapped whilst he was making tonnes and still owed me, I'd damn sure expect him to pay it back from his newfound wealth.

 

As an aside: I think that Barclays never took a penny of public money, and so they're free to do as they want without us feeling quite so aggrieved as with the other banks.

 

and NI to increase just to cover some of the mess.

I don't know about that. The Tories were frothing at the mouth about Labour's intended "tax on jobs", and made a point of saying repeatedly that the country's top businessmen had stated that any increase in NI would cause harm.

 

Something I've been wondering about big bonuses. If Mr Banker gets

[David]

Far better would be for the government to either outlaw the paying of bonuses (and demand money back) or raise the particular tax rate on them: At 99% they can be sure to get the money in their coffers without arousing so much disdain from the majority of the populace whose lives are now in some degree blighted by the bankers.

As I mentioned above, that would make virtually no difference at all.

 

The vast majority of the wealthy in this country aren't paying what they should be, with a staggering amount paying virtually no income tax at all.

 

Until the perfectly legal loopholes are closed and these people actually start paying what they are supposed to, it won't make any difference what rate you put them on.

[d-d-d-dAz]

Anyone got sky news on?

 

They've got a wonderful, conservative friendly, 'TOTAL UK DEBT' counter on the bottom of the page, like a ticking clock, going up and up.

 

As for the budget, I think a rise in CGT in line with income tax, a levy on banks, tax breaks for new and local business, increase in the income tax threshold and year-on-year real term rises in the NHS will all be welcome policy. I'm not, necessarily, against a rise in VAT, unless any exemptions are removed, though i'll be watching with a keen eye anything to do with the education budget, as so far conservative schools policy seems arse about backwards.

 

Apparently there'll be a rise in income tax, on top of the planned percentage point rise in NI next year. Oh and increase in duty on alcohol and tobacco, not that that's a massive surprise; though some people seem to favour minimum pricing.

 

I wonder if they'll mention anything on unemployment benefits, to the tune of whether a measure of community labour will be expected as a condition of benefit. I hope so.

[David]

I wonder if they'll mention anything on unemployment benefits, to the tune of whether a measure of community labour will be expected as a condition of benefit. I hope so.

 

If there are jobs doing such things, then why not just make them into jobs? Pay the unemployed person a decent wage for doing it, instead of forcing them to do it for 60 odd quid per week, which is basically slave labour.

[Loki]

Well, they are extending the tax-free personal allowance to 10,000 so that'll help all who earn less than I think 40k a year (wherever the next bracket starts). Which is most people in this country I'd imagine.

 

As for the Lib Dems going along with Tory policy - first of all, they have to keep the coalition working, and that means compromising on lots of policies. Secondly, they and the Tories both have now a deep appreciation of the depth of the problem that the last Labour government has left them. I've heard horror stories from friends within the coalition government about departments completely without proper financial planning or budgets, with millions of pounds allocated with no way of paying for it. Certain government ministers seem to have abandoned their departments in favour of planning their leadership campaign months before the election.

 

A good case in point would be the "cut in free school meals" that the papers have been banging on about. Ed Balls added 30m to the free school meals budget before the election, but with absolutely no plan for finding that extra money as he knew they'd never have to implement the proposal. The new government have had to cancel that raise, as they've had to do in many other cases.

[d-d-d-dAz]

Rather heartbreakingly, there wasn't much I disagreed with in that budget. Though, VAT was a pretty big sting.

 

Opening with a freeze on the civil list, and closing with a little foreplay for pensioners as well as massive tax breaks and allowances for industry and small businesses kind of puts Harriett Harman in a weird position.