Next Leader of the Opposition

[Rincewind]

When the otherswere  inside debating he was on the streets talking to people  asking about their concerns. Is this  not what  politicians are supposed to do?

[Guest]

When the otherswere  inside debating he was on the streets talking to people  asking about their concerns. Is this  not what  politicians are supposed to do?

 

Don't be naive.

 

Politicians are there to tell you what you need and get it implemented. They only go on th streets to look fake and kiss babies.

[Benji]

Corbyn is my MP.  Didn't vote for him, mind, the scruffy hippy.

[Rincewind]

Don't be naive.

 

Politicians are there to tell you what you need and get it implemented. They only go on th streets to look fake and kiss babies.

I have said that myself in the past but the consenus on here is that I am an idiot for saying it so thought it best If I agree with the majority.Although Corbyn did attend the march the other day and supports a  better deal for the vulnerable which cannot be a bad thing and stood by the beliefs right or wrong,good or bad, that made him want to enter politics.

[Guest MattP]

When the otherswere  inside debating he was on the streets talking to people  asking about their concerns. Is this  not what  politicians are supposed to do?

Don't be naive.

 

Politicians are there to tell you what you need and get it implemented. They only go on th streets to look fake and kiss babies.

I have said that myself in the past but the consenus on here is that I am an idiot for saying it so thought it best If I agree with the majority.Although Corbyn did attend the march the other day and supports a  better deal for the vulnerable which cannot be a bad thing and stood by the beliefs right or wrong,good or bad, that made him want to enter politics.

 

How many times have you tried to contact your local MP or ask for an appointment at a surgery? I've done it numerous times and never failed to received a response - to either meet them in person or a reply to what I have asked.

 

Though I suppose it's far easier to just do nothing about your problems, just blame someone else and say it's their fault.

[Rincewind]

There are good and bad  ones. It depends on what you are asking their help for and their views on it. How is it blaming others when your elected MP refuses to help after someone who has tried everything  else  goes to them.

Jon Ashworth is a  good MP which is why he was re elected. He goes out into the community and helps out with various project.

Believe  it or not there are some  people out there that are vulnerable and need help and are desperate.I take it your MP is a Tory. Would he take up the case of someone and challenge tory policies in the commons?

I doubt a Labour MP would challenge his own party policies either.

I have not personally needed the help of my MP but I amsure that he would help on most things unless it went against his principles.

I doubt that he would agree to promote a petition to bring back fox hunting or close down a community centre he visits but he would campaign to keep it open and keep the fox hunting ban.

 

All I said was that Corbyn was on the streets getting peoples views while  the other candidates  campaigned  inside. Thought that was a reasonable comment as footage can be seen of him talking  people  and the others inside.. I am sure FIF comment was tongue in cheek as was mine after it.

[Rincewind]

Momentum is gaining for Corbyn. Fed up of seeing people writing him off as unelectable when the other 3 candidates are a complete and utter joke. He probably would lose the general election but he'd go down fighting and raising the issues which need sorting.  

He certainly does seems more popular with some charities and organisations that campaign for the vulnerable at the moment than the other candidates are. No idea why though.

[Guest MattP]

Surprised you are a fan of Ashworth, he was one of the Labour MP's outed employing people on zero-hour contracts. He was re-elected because he's the Labour candidate, same reason Ed Argar was elected in my constituency (Yes my MP is Tory).

 

I can't believe you can even ask the question of whether a Tory would criticise policy in the commons? Have you not watched anything in the last few weeks? we've already had a backbench rebeillion over Europe and Cameron needed Labour to abstain for him to win the vote.

 

Of course Jeremy Corbyn would campaign to keep everything open, that's how he gets his vote, if he ever got into a position of power though he wouldn'y be able to do everything he campaigns for as he wouldn't have the money to do it, that's why Labour have never had him in the cabinet (aside from his support for terrorist groups). Denis Skinner has said he'll withdraw anyway if it looks like he is going to win, he probably knows himself just how unrealistic implementing his political views are on society actually would be.

[Alf Bentley]

There are good and bad  ones. It depends on what you are asking their help for and their views on it. How is it blaming others when your elected MP refuses to help after someone who has tried everything  else  goes to them.

Jon Ashworth is a  good MP which is why he was re elected. He goes out into the community and helps out with various project.

Believe  it or not there are some  people out there that are vulnerable and need help and are desperate.I take it your MP is a Tory. Would he take up the case of someone and challenge tory policies in the commons?

I doubt a Labour MP would challenge his own party policies either.

I have not personally needed the help of my MP but I amsure that he would help on most things unless it went against his principles.

I doubt that he would agree to promote a petition to bring back fox hunting or close down a community centre he visits but he would campaign to keep it open and keep the fox hunting ban.

 

An MP won't normally argue openly against their party policy - unless they already disagree with it (e.g. Labour MP Kate Hoey supporting EU withdrawal & fox hunting). However, they might raise particular amendments to a policy. In 92-93 I went on an organised lobby of parliament over Higher Education funding and got a Westminster lobby appointment with my Tory MP, Dame Janet Fookes. She disagreed with most of my points, but seemed genuinely interested in taking a couple of points up (lack of money in hardship funds was one). She might have been bullshitting me, but I don't think so, though she probably got nowhere even if she did raise the points.

 

Any decent MP - and that's probably most of them, regardless of party - will take up any justifiable personal case or grievance over which they can have influence. My Mum was more left-wing than me and worked in a social security office but was full of praise for the local Tory MP, Michael Howard, of all people, as he was most assiduous at raising the cases of people who'd been mistreated by the benefits system....unlike his Tory patrician predecessor who'd been a useless slob, apparently. They're probably the exception to the rule, a few long-serving backbenchers (of all parties) with safe seats and no talent or who have gone to seed. My Mum said that intervention by an MP was very effective, too - any case raised by the MP went straight to the top of the pile. Apart from anything else, MPs know that being assiduous with casework can win them votes, both directly and indirectly, as people mention to family, friends & neighbours whether they've been well treated by their MP or not.

 

I've had dealings with MPs of all 3 main parties (Paul Tyler, Lib Dem MP for North Cornwall & Edward Garnier, Tory MP for Harborough spring to mind) and all have responded well. I've received a properly thought-out letter in response each time. Being realistic, they might have been written by advisers and just signed off, but if so, they'd employed people who were doing their jobs well.

 

Geoffrey Robinson, Labour MP for Cov and a Blair minister, is the one that I kick myself about. In the late 90s, I went to his surgery to lobby for Labour to continue its shift towards proportional representation (he was opposed & they short-sightedly kicked it into the long grass as they had a massive majority). I had a great old political argument about it with him, during which he was being very scathing about Blair (he was an ardent Brownite). Then he needed to see the next person, but invited me to meet him in the pub afterwards to continue the argument....but I got some strange idea that I'd be morally corrupted by this and declined the offer. What a prat!   I wonder what further indiscretions I'd have got out of him with a couple of pints in him? 

 

Saw Jon Ashworth at a local community arts event the other day. He's very short, isn't he? I was like Leo Ulloa next to him!  He must be doing something right as he got a massively increased majority at the election.

[Rincewind]

Yes you  areprobably right. I am not condemming them all. Its just that I heard about some  peoplewho wrote to their MP and received a standard letter back stating they cannot help and  stating all the good things  that are being done. More than one person received a similar letter.  I'm more convident with my MP anyway so that is all that matters. Everyone will have different experiences depending on the situation, their attitude and the MP's attitude. We are all human after all.

 

At the Real Food Project someone mentioned contacting Ashworth to invite him along. He had heard about it from the last one and has said he supports it.On the other side Souldby was invited to attend the last one but declined as he had other business to  attend to. Opening a new car park?  Ou planning another cycle route perhaps?

No only joking he may have already arranged something else. I'm sure he'd  be in favour of the cause.

[Rincewind]

One for  Moose.

Iain Duncan Smith MP ‏@IDS_MP May 9

We've protected many buildings from angry protestors today by writing 'Job Centre' on the doors.

[Guest MattP]

Really enjoyed that post Alf.

 

Pretty much confirms what I've always thought, if you actually do try and contact an MP you'll at worse get a response and at best they'll even offer to sit down and listen to you (even over a pint! What were you doing?!).

[Rincewind]

Hopefully Jon Ashworth will accept an invite to attend the next Real food Project at the old Library on Belvor Street. Any questions for him?

Soulsby turned an invite down for the last one so its 1-1 on results.On how they respond.

[Guest MattP]

Ask him if he still employs people on zero hour contracts and doesn't pay the living wage?

[Strokes]

What figure is the living wage?

[Frank to be]

It's about £8 per hour I think, more in London. I'm sure Google knows. It's what the minimum wage should be.

[Guest MattP]

What figure is the living wage?

 

Think it's about £7.65. I'd actually have no problem introducing it though as a minimum wage assuming it excluded or compensating small businesses who simply can't afford it.

 

You would soon see people though who moan about this then moaning about the cost of living standards again as services and goods went up to pay for it.

[Rincewind]

It doesnt exist. It is a myth.

[Frank to be]

Prices wouldn't have to go up if businesses viewed their social contribution as important as profit.

[Guest MattP]

Prices wouldn't have to go up if businesses viewed their social contribution as important as profit.

 

And is that going to happen? No, so prices will go up.

[Frank to be]

And is that going to happen? No, so prices will go up.

It might happen. People are becoming more and more aware of business and corporation's social responsibility and that is having an impact on people's spending decisions. The more that continues the more businesses will have to adjust just to stay afloat. It's a brave new world of informed consumers out there. Businesses won't get away with draconian approaches forever.

[Guest MattP]

It might happen. People are becoming more and more aware of business and corporation's social responsibility and that is having an impact on people's spending decisions. The more that continues the more businesses will have to adjust just to stay afloat. It's a brave new world of informed consumers out there. Businesses won't get away with draconian approaches forever.

 

Some will and do, but they are often businesses that are in wealthy areas that know most of their customers are shopping for a brand rather than a bargain, Brewdog is committed to it and for that reason you pay a bit more.

 

Places like Primark and Weatherspoons aren't going to pay a living wage though, their clientele can't afford the increases that would come from it, the former are even prepared for people to die making their stuff so they can flog it so cheap.

[Strokes]

Its not only the cost of the unskilled that will go up though, the semi skilled that are already on £7.50-£9.00 will want that extra pound too. Prices will balloon and subsequently the living wage threshold moves. Its probably better that we have charities that help the needy and then anyone that does give a shit (not me), can give generously.

[davieG]

In the same way that they're proposing to reduce income support etc and increase the tax threshold companies should receive tax concessions for paying the living wage, employing apprentices and sponsoring employees to do degrees/higher education courses especially where there is a known shortage of skills.

[Guest]

How many times have you tried to contact your local MP or ask for an appointment at a surgery? I've done it numerous times and never failed to received a response - to either meet them in person or a reply to what I have asked.

 

Though I suppose it's far easier to just do nothing about your problems, just blame someone else and say it's their fault.

 

Why would I need to?

 

I'm on drinking terms with my senator!