Current Affairs

[towny44]

Universal credit introduction.
Has anyone noticed how food bank spokespersons all spout the same comments, makes me wonder if they have all been to the same Labour party funded training camps, or maybe the BBC provide them with a crib sheet.
Surely eveyone knew that the introduction of UC was intended to save money on the massively increased benefits that Labour had introduced, so why the sudden surprise that some claimants will be worse off?

[barney]

The main problem with the roll out John is that the budget for it has been cut but over half.
That is why Duncan-Smith quit.

My sister in law worked on this for years and is passionate about it, but is very, very unhappy at the cuts introduced after the event.
Typical Tory policy to go for the softer targets.
The idea is to help get people into work, not drive them to the poor house.

Did you know that in the last ten years, the UK has spent 100 billion on foreign aid.
100 billion of British taxpayers money.
That is 100 billion on top of what we contribute via the EU.
100 billion that could have been spent keeping day care centres open and youth projects going.
Add into that the billions we have spent propping up the failing EU and you can see why folk are cross about it.

I'd propose that ALL of the foreign aid budget cease immediatly.
Keep a proportion back for instant aid follwong tragedies and spend the rest where it should be spent.
In the UK and on the people who deserve it.

[towny44]

The main problem with the roll out John is that the budget for it has been cut but over half.
That is why Duncan-Smith quit.

My sister in law worked on this for years and is passionate about it, but is very, very unhappy at the cuts introduced after the event.
Typical Tory policy to go for the softer targets.
The idea is to help get people into work, not drive them to the poor house.

Did you know that in the last ten years, the UK has spent 100 billion on foreign aid.
100 billion of British taxpayers money.
That is 100 billion on top of what we contribute via the EU.
100 billion that could have been spent keeping day care centres open and youth projects going.
Add into that the billions we have spent propping up the failing EU and you can see why folk are cross about it.

I'd propose that ALL of the foreign aid budget cease immediatly.
Keep a proportion back for instant aid follwong tragedies and spend the rest where it should be spent.
In the UK and on the people who deserve it.

l hear what you say Barney but if everyone stopped foreign aid we would have even more economic migrants flowing into Europe from Africa.
As regards benefits I agree that the very needy should be protected, but during the last Labour govt benefits were expanded massively which is why we ended up with many thousands for whom working was not an economic option.

[barney]

https://qz.com/africa/737094/oxfam-is-m ... e-welcome/

Even less accountability though John.

I will only ever support local charities.
I cannot be part of the international scam and I refuse to help pay the conflated salaries of these charity bosses.
I wonder how much actually goes to helping those it is intended to help.
Many CEOs are on six figure salaries.
Think back to when we were kids.
Sometimes the school or Sunday School asked you to do things to raise money for the little black children in Africa.
Years on, they are still asking the same.
What has happened to all of those millions and millions raised?

I'm absolutely happy to give, but do like to know where it's going.

[towny44]

Channel 4 moves to Leeds.
Nice to see that channel 4's headquarters is moving to Yorkshire, maybe that will prompt the BBC to upgrade Look North and regional programmes up to HD standard.

[Mervyn and Trish]

They probably think the north looks better not in HD

[screwy]

Steady Merv.

[Stephen]

They probably think the north looks better not in HD

[Manoverboard]

Channel 4 moves to Leeds.
Nice to see that channel 4's headquarters is moving to Yorkshire, maybe that will prompt the BBC to upgrade Look North and regional programmes up to HD standard.

My understanding is that they are moving ' some ' of their operation to Leeds but most of their HQ will remain in London.

Had they wanted to support a Northern Powerhouse it would have gone to Manchester …. with the BBC and ITV. Great for Leeds however and good to see stuff being moved out of London of course.

[Stephen]

Channel 4 moves to Leeds.
Nice to see that channel 4's headquarters is moving to Yorkshire, maybe that will prompt the BBC to upgrade Look North and regional programmes up to HD standard.

My understanding is that they are moving ' some ' of their operation to Leeds but most of their HQ will remain in London.

Had they wanted to support a Northern Powerhouse it would have gone to Manchester …. with the BBC and ITV. Great for Leeds however and good to see stuff being moved out of London of course.

It might as well, as practically everything on TV has someone from Oop North advertising, acting, singing, dancing and god knows what else.

Img_1047ba.jpg

[Stephen]

On a lighter note



Reminder for our American cousins... It's election day Tuesday 6th November

[barney]

It seems that the USA is just as divided as the UK.

The Democrats victory is a little like Labour's at our last election.
No power but enough presence to spoil.
At least Trump will be reigned in for the next two years.
I wonder if the Democrats can find a candidate in that time.
It looks like he intends to run again and could well win again.

I think a lot will depend on this 'migrant train' that is heading north.
Let them in and he's weak.
Keep them out and he's a b*stard.

[Jack Staff]

I think a lot will depend on this 'migrant train' that is heading north.
Let them in and he's weak.
Keep them out and he's a b*stard.

The caravan is still about 1000 miles from the border. I doubt we will hear any more about it until Trump needs to whip up his fan base again.

[Mervyn and Trish]

His press conference was awful yesterday. Showed hime as the bullying thug he is. But I doubt his ardent fans will notice.

[david63]

His press conference was awful yesterday. Showed hime as the bullying thug he is. But I doubt his ardent fans will notice.

False news!!!!!

[barney]

His press conference was awful yesterday. Showed hime as the bullying thug he is. But I doubt his ardent fans will notice.

Trump is what he is and doesn't pretend to be anything different.
The basic mistake that the journalists are making is that they think that they are dealing with a politician.
Trump is not and never has been a 'traditional' politician.

When a politician is attacked, they naturally go on the defence, whereas Trump naturally goes on the offence.
What the journo considers a reasonable question, Trump takes as a personal attack, and attacks right back.
This particular guy does have a fair bit of history with Trump and CNN do produce a fair amount of dubious stories about him.
I watch CNN daily as part of my worldwide news roundup and some of their stuff is really proposturous.

The question was originally about his use of the word invasion.
He could and should have thrown it straight back to the guy, asking what word he'd use to describe it.
When you look at the simple fact, Trump is pretty well spot on.

No one has yet asked the Democrats what they would do if in power.
Welcome them all in?
I doubt it.
The best thing that the USA can do is to feed and water the Train on the Mexican side of the border.

Just imagine if the UK had let in all of the thousands that were camping in Calais.
Thousands more would have come within weeks.
That all started in Sangatte in 2002 and slowly escalated.
I can't remember Tony Blair welcoming all.

My point really is that it's easy to preach from opposition but when you have to make decisions, it's much harder.

[david63]

You can always rely on good old Diane Abbott.

Anyone hear her on Question Time last night say "I have spoken to many who died in the Grenfell fire" - she did quickly realise (for her) what she had said and corrected herself!

[Stephen]

You can always rely on good old Diane Abbott.

Anyone hear her on Question Time last night say "I have spoken to many who died in the Grenfell fire" - she did quickly realise (for her) what she had said and corrected herself!

42684593_507225026419312_1475743160813486080_n.jpg

[Jack Staff]

By the way, ANY NEWS FROM THE STATES?
Has it fallen to a caravan of a handful hungry tired people yet?
I only ask because it was, according to Trump, Fox, Infowars, Breitbart et al. an imminent threat to the US, right up until Tuesday, and then not a peep. So worried. #pray4usa

{Alex Andreou}
‏

[barney]

By the way, ANY NEWS FROM THE STATES?
Has it fallen to a caravan of a handful hungry tired people yet?
I only ask because it was, according to Trump, Fox, Infowars, Breitbart et al. an imminent threat to the US, right up until Tuesday, and then not a peep. So worried. #pray4usa

{Alex Andreou}
‏

Smug comments are easy Jack.
Just as matter of interest, what would you do if you were the President of the USA?
1. Let them all in unchecked?
2. Allow them to apply for asylum inside the USA thus clogging up the sysytem for genuine asylum seekers?
3. Allow the to apply for asylum on the Mexican side of the border?
4. Turn them away at the border and finance a refugee camp in Mexico?
5. None of the above.

[Jack Staff]

By the way, ANY NEWS FROM THE STATES?
Has it fallen to a caravan of a handful hungry tired people yet?
I only ask because it was, according to Trump, Fox, Infowars, Breitbart et al. an imminent threat to the US, right up until Tuesday, and then not a peep. So worried. #pray4usa

{Alex Andreou}
‏

Smug comments are easy Jack.
Just as matter of interest, what would you do if you were the President of the USA?
1. Let them all in unchecked?
2. Allow them to apply for asylum inside the USA thus clogging up the sysytem for genuine asylum seekers?
3. Allow the to apply for asylum on the Mexican side of the border?
4. Turn them away at the border and finance a refugee camp in Mexico?
5. None of the above.

I just thought it was funny and reinforced my view that I posted on the 7th.
This thread seemed (now) to be more light hearted and congenial than the 'other place'.

[Happydays]

They are still on their way to the USA border but now demanding bus be supplied!

[towny44]

They are still on their way to the USA border but now demanding bus be supplied!

It won't be long before we are being asked to give up our cabins on Med cruises, so that the ships can pick up sub Saharan refugees to bring back to the UK.

[Jack Staff]

They are still on their way to the USA border but now demanding bus be supplied!

It won't be long before we are being asked to give up our cabins on Med cruises, so that the ships can pick up sub Saharan refugees to bring back to the UK.

Because we are in the EU, when I was on a Med cruise and we piked up sub Saharan refugees, they were taken to Italy. You may well be right that in future they will have to be brought back to the UK.

[barney]

By the way, ANY NEWS FROM THE STATES?
Has it fallen to a caravan of a handful hungry tired people yet?
I only ask because it was, according to Trump, Fox, Infowars, Breitbart et al. an imminent threat to the US, right up until Tuesday, and then not a peep. So worried. #pray4usa

{Alex Andreou}
‏

Smug comments are easy Jack.
Just as matter of interest, what would you do if you were the President of the USA?
1. Let them all in unchecked?
2. Allow them to apply for asylum inside the USA thus clogging up the sysytem for genuine asylum seekers?
3. Allow the to apply for asylum on the Mexican side of the border?
4. Turn them away at the border and finance a refugee camp in Mexico?
5. None of the above.

I just thought it was funny and reinforced my view that I posted on the 7th.
This thread seemed (now) to be more light hearted and congenial than the 'other place'.

OK, you thought it was funny, but what would you suggest that the solution is ?
Any of the above suggestions or do you have your own idea ?