Cost of living crisis.

[Daggers]

There should be a “Things you don’t see much these days” thread. 
 

Next to white dog shit would be ‘people who defend voting Tory on social media’.

[blabyboy]

18 minutes ago, Daggers said:

There should be a “Things you don’t see much these days” thread. 
 

Next to white dog shit would be ‘people who defend voting Tory on social media’.

You need to widen your "following" circles mate 

[Greg2607]

21 hours ago, Sly said:

Agree. 
 

All new homes should be built with them as standard. It just makes us self sustainable with greener energies. I’m guessing they weren’t getting the kickbacks they required to push the agenda. Similar to cars now. How will they find the network, as petrol consumption will go down as people move to EVs. No doubt we’ll just see an overall increase in energy taxation in years to come. 

they are talking about Toll Roads like on the continent or a "per mile" charge for cars. that's how they will replace it. 

[Benguin]

1 hour ago, blabyboy said:

You need to widen your "following" circles mate 

Politics transcends human relationships these days unfortunately. 

[grobyfox1990]

1 hour ago, Daggers said:

There should be a “Things you don’t see much these days” thread. 
 

Next to white dog shit would be ‘people who defend voting Tory on social media’.

Without diving into the political, there’s plenty in the ‘well what could boris have done about it!!!’ camp. Covid response, brexit fallout, Russian war, escalating cost of living crisis. What could boris have done about any of it??? I’m considering running for PM and taking the £m’s in benefits p.a, as you apparently don’t have any responsibility for anything according to many voters. Everything is just pure luck. Far easier than mine or your job, where we have to work around unfortunate events and still perform 

[Dahnsouff]

26 minutes ago, grobyfox1990 said:

Without diving into the political, there’s plenty in the ‘well what could boris have done about it!!!’ camp. Covid response, brexit fallout, Russian war, escalating cost of living crisis. What could boris have done about any of it??? I’m considering running for PM and taking the £m’s in benefits p.a, as you apparently don’t have any responsibility for anything according to many voters. Everything is just pure luck. Far easier than mine or your job, where we have to work around unfortunate events and still perform 

So you are comparing the average Joe’s daily working challenges to a pandemic or a war? These average Joe’s must have fairly important jobs! No excusing these idiots, but blimey, that’s a stretch  

[Beechey]

4 hours ago, SecretPro said:

You're getting me wrong, I'm not against new infrastructure, where it works and I'm not entirely against your argument but I will address the points in order.

 

1. Yes the trains to Cornwall are slow, disjointed and expensive. Once you've spent £160bn on HS2 the rest of the existing rail network is still going to be the slow piece of shit it is now. When I say invest in the current infrastructure, I'm saying £160bn could be spent improving, reopening, electrifying, extending existing lines. Like the proposed Ivanhoe line - I know I'll use it when it's open. 

 

2. Growth opportunity - part of the issue with the developed world right now is an obsession that growth is all that matters. Even economists are finally waking up to it. Growth comes with some very real consequences that I'd say forms one of, if not the largest crisis this planet will ever face. There needs to be a balance between economic growth and the Environment. 

 

3. Traffic - congestion and traffic isn't confined to London. Have you tried getting in and out of Leicester at rush hour? Saffron lane, standstill, welford Road, standstill, Aylestone Lane, standstill. That's just our city, from the South. There are far too many cars on the road (more it seems since pre-pandemic), and the roads that are holding them are a heap of shit. Perhaps HS2 may reduce congestion to London, but that won't last forever. Car ownership will increase, HS2 will hit occupied capacity and then the normal congestion resumes - even if it is reduced I seriously doubt it will be of any meaningful, national proportion. Again, you are addressing London, not the chaos of frankly ridiculous numbers of cars on the road outside of it. Not everyone is travelling to London and Birmingham. Most people make relatively short journeys in their day to day lives. Improving the public transport networks locally is the only way you are going to significantly decrease congestion and pollution. Bettering the local rail networks is only part of that solution. HS2 may well be good for some things, especially business and freight, but others I really don;t think so. Again I;m talking in context of the current backdrop - the project won't be carbon neutral for another 100 years (by which point it will be as shit as our other 100 year old, underfunded rail system). That's ecological and environemental damage on quite a scale for a supposed 'green solution'.

 

4. On London - you've mentioned London multiple times. You know what? **** London. What would really help the entirety of the economy, all people everywhere and improve happiness would be ending this London centric notion. It's 2022, nobody should be needing to travel 2, 3, 4 hours to go to work in London - my work-life balance is shite and I work in Leicester, add another 2 hours commute on to my working day and I;d be ready to put a bullet in my head. I don't know how people suffer it. Working and spending locally would drastically improve the economy in all the towns and cities that the Tories don't give a shit about, ie - anywhere outside of London. Investment outside of London from Government and private companies is a crucial step to a better future, both financially and health wise. Building infrastructure locally, creating jobs locally and spending money locally would stabilise the wider economy of the Country and being less London-focussed would add certain sureitys too. It would certainly improve the finances of cities outside of Greater London. It would also lower the living costs of a vast majority of people (through less travel, less expense, less childcare ets) and allow people more time to spend more money on pleasure (which would also boost local economy). Not to mention someone invented the Internet which should definitely mean nobody has to ever make long trips to attend something as simple and menial as a meeting - doing so is frankly criminal and I suspect it's only yuppies that like to travel for meetings and show off to the world how 'important' their jobs are. 

 

5. Airport expansion - if somebody is strawmanning here, its not me. What exactly is the significance of reducing domestic air travel if you are increasing international air travel? Do planes flying abroad not cause pollution? All air travel needs drastically reducing until such time than it becomes environmentally viable. 

 

6. I'm not arguing against spending on infrastructure and never have?! Just think it should be done sustainably and more locally and have the effect of helping the many rather than the minority. 

 

7. You didn't address my point that train travel in the UK is bordering on criminal price-wise. Its an absolute joke. When it comes to getting trains for pleasure travel it is not affordable. In case you had forgotten, millions of us will be drastically affected by the cost of living crisis, possibly long term. Those people are not going to be paying the extortionate train fares currently on offer. If people are feeling the pinch they are likely to want to take their holidays in the UK - this would benefit the UK economy, but if you are then aksing me to fork out £400 to get to and from Cornwall with the misus when it;s clearly cheaper to fly abroad multiple times then that not only undermimes the idea of staying local to save money but it also means the UK economy won't benefit from people doing so. Its basics, if you want bums on seats then you need to make it affordable and practical. It's neither at the moment. 

 

8. The main point I was making to begin with (and that you didn't address) was that if you can spent £40bn on Test and Trace, £10bn on dodgy contracts, write of £15bn in fraud with the click of a button and spend £160bn on HS2 (whether you think that's a good or bad thing, I'm talking about it in context of the current economic backdrop) there is no way on earth you can then claim you can't afford to help people with the cost of living, raise benefits in line with inflation etc etc. I mean FFS the Government had to go to war with Rashford over funding a poxy financial amount of school dinners but they can write of £15bn in Covid fraud? It's a con. There IS clearly money to ease the cost of living crisis but it doesn't benefit the Tories or their pals to do so. It's as simple as that. 

 

I appreciate your detailed posts. I don’t want to continue as I think we might derail the thread. I feel be both want the same thing in better rail travel, but feel it should be achieved in slightly different ways. Both valid positions to hold although I do also fear about our decrepit lines and frankly diabolical franchise system. Rail travel doesn’t have to be as expensive as it is here.

 

For what it’s worth, I think we should be improving existing rail lines alongside building high speed rail lines. I’d be throwing obscene sums of money at large infrastructure projects.

 

I don’t dispute the Governments spending has been terrible, I only disputed that HS2 has been a waste. I don’t feel our positions are too far apart.

Edited 24 March 2022 by Beechey

[grobyfox1990]

23 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

So you are comparing the average Joe’s daily working challenges to a pandemic or a war? These average Joe’s must have fairly important jobs! No excusing these idiots, but blimey, that’s a stretch  

No. The average daily joe has to work around uncertainties and still perform in their jobs. Otherwise they’re out. In the eyes of SOME voters windswept mullet boy can do no wrong, everything is down to bad luck and we have no right to complain. I wish my boss was just as forgiving! 

[SecretPro]

27 minutes ago, Beechey said:

I appreciate your detailed posts. I don’t want to continue as I think we might derail the thread. I feel be both want the same thing in better rail travel, but feel it should be achieved in slightly different ways. Both valid positions to hold although I do also fear about our decrepit lines and frankly diabolical franchise system. Rail travel doesn’t have to be as expensive as it is here.

 

For what it’s worth, I think we should be improving existing rail lines alongside building high speed rail lines. I’d be throwing obscene sums of money at large infrastructure projects.

 

I don’t dispute the Governments spending has been terrible, I only disputed that HS2 has been a waste. I don’t feel our positions are too far apart.

I believe we should be getting Rep points for having a civil debate - a rare thing on FoxesTalk 

[Daggers]

2 hours ago, blabyboy said:

You need to widen your "following" circles mate 

That would just make me sad. I’ll stick with the pictures of puppies, otters and pandas. 

[Sampson]

On 21/03/2022 at 11:19, ealingfox said:

Can you imagine what would be going on in this country if 3 years into a Corbyn government they were telling people to wear jumpers at home because energy bills were rocketing and to grow their own fruit and vegetables?

Never gets old.

Edited 24 March 2022 by Sampson

[Sampson]

On 23/03/2022 at 14:26, Sly said:

To put it bleakly ….

Knocking 5p off fuel is like throwing a deck chair off the titanic. It achieves very little.

Personally I was over the moon with the 5p off fuel announcement.

Takes us back to the heady days of early March 2022.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

On 09/03/2022 at 23:38, ozleicester said:

Capitalism is failing, the elite and governments will tell us that Covid has caused these issues, but they have been coming for a long time.

The only answer is higher taxes for the wealthy, using that income to assist the working class, lets not kid ourseleves most of us are working class and are being exploited for the gain of the rich. Remember, in the 70s, the highest tax rate was 90%... now its 45%. Increased VAT takes from the poor while less affecting the rich.

Town centres will die as we shop more online and work from home, retail and service jobs will fall as we realise that we cant afford luxuries and we deserve a decent wage no matter what our role, already homelessness is at horrific levels and getting worse...and still the rich are living an absurd life.

Then lets look at how climate change is going to destroy our 'normal' life, the governments, as voted by greedy middle class wannabes have avoided and ignored the coming disaster for 40 years.

Societal change is the only way out... well ........except extinction.

" and I think to myself, what a wonderful world"   

[Bellend Sebastian]

2 hours ago, Sampson said:

Personally I was over the moon with the 5p off fuel announcement.

Takes us back to the heady days of early March 2022.

I was a younger man and the world still seemed alive with possibilities

[kenny]

3 hours ago, SecretPro said:

I believe we should be getting Rep points for having a civil debate - a rare thing on FoxesTalk 

I'm more bothered that Dr Beechey wants to open up railways. Reckon someone is trying to right some wrongs!

[SecretPro]

14 minutes ago, kenny said:

I'm more bothered that Dr Beechey wants to open up railways. Reckon someone is trying to right some wrongs!

The Beechey cuts 

[enmac]

On 20/03/2022 at 06:30, Sly said:

I did see something that stated diesel would be £3.00 by June. 
 

Crazy. I only turned 40 this year but I remember it being 69p. 

In the mid 80s, I remember petrol £2 a gallon.

44.4p a litre. 

[enmac]

20 hours ago, rachhere said:

This exactly. The whole narrative around HS2 is so frustrating - it’s been portrayed about just saving time for travellers on those lines when in reality its so much more.

 

agree about the rest of the government waste in spending though. 

Trains are too expensive to travel on now. How much will it cost  on HS2? 

[Sampson]

4 hours ago, enmac said:

Trains are too expensive to travel on now. How much will it cost  on HS2? 

I guess the idea is it will be cheaper because it takes more regular trips and more people on.

 

Like that new high speed London to Edinburgh train was it Locus or something supposedly for £30?

Edited 24 March 2022 by Sampson

[Greg2607]

I wouldn't worry about the cost if you are in Leicestershire as there isn't a Leicestershire station.  

 

The line goes right through Ashby, but I'd have to drive to toton to get on it!

[ozleicester]

just a note.. if you need a foodbank, you working class. 

Stop being ashamed of it and start voting to benefit it.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/rishi-sunak-food-banks-middle-class-b2042958.html

[Leicester_Loyal]

23 hours ago, ozleicester said:

just a note.. if you need a foodbank, you working class. 

Stop being ashamed of it and start voting to benefit it.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/rishi-sunak-food-banks-middle-class-b2042958.html

What are they defining are 'middle class', someone with a full time job?

 

Seems a very weird article.

 

October will be the real jump, we've got 6 months to prepare ourselves, but sadly some people haven't got anything spare to arm themselves with.

[Bellend Sebastian]

Done about 80 miles on the motorway today. People are definitely driving a bit slower, presumably in an effort to save petrol. Not noticed that since that petrol 'crisis' a few years ago

[Heathrow fox]

23 hours ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

Done about 80 miles on the motorway today. People are definitely driving a bit slower, presumably in an effort to save petrol. Not noticed that since that petrol 'crisis' a few years ago

There was talk of reducing the speed limit to 60 MPH for bit.

[Bellend Sebastian]

1 hour ago, Heathrow fox said:

There was talk of reducing the speed limit to 60 MPH for bit.

They might as well do it on the Smart motorways anyway, and not tell people so as to avoid all the fuss.

 

The difference in the fuel consumption in my car between driving at 60 and 80 mph is massive - I reckon the extra 20 mph uses at least 25% more fuel