General News Thread

[leicsmac]

4 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

My point is, which you may of missed, is there are plenty of prosperous places to set roots now rather than the UK.

...such as?

 

I'm thinking Scandinavia and possibly Canada/Oz/NZ and a couple of places in Europe, but I'm not sure about much elsewhere. Would say East Asia as well, but seeing as it's often a British thing to not want to bother to learn other languages with even a bit of complexity in structure...

 

That is a few, though. 

 

NB. I do think though the issues above wrt age demographics and economic effects are going to be felt in a lot of places, including those mentioned here. 

Edited 7 November 2025 by leicsmac

[Zear0]

I voted Labour at the last election as I had some optimism they might at least be ambitious and implement some more radical changes that the country desperately needs.  To say I'm disappointed is an understatement...I don't regret the vote, as I'm more minded to vote for whom I feel is more competent to lead, rather than any political dogma (After Boris, Liz and Rishi and his VIP lanes that ruled them out.  Kimi will also neve get a vote).  Jury is out on Starmer but outlook not looking too favourable.

 

I am curious if posters here have any ideas themselves for what they'd implement.  Not proposing it's time for the FT Party to govern, but at least have an idea of the manifesto! As I'm bored...

 

The positive ones...

 

Abolition of Capital Gains on Investment in UK Companies - As of today, my investment portfolio consists of my pension (of which only 2.8% is in UK company according to the fundsheet), bitcoins (not particularly useful for the UK), S&P500 (clearly not very UK) and a truck load of Rolls-Royce shares they gave me for suffering their employment some years ago (whist UK, they gave me these and required no financial investment outside of my time and soul).  There is not an immodest sum of money there, the majority of it is doing f**k all for investing in UK companies supporting expansion or expansion of jobs.  If there's benefit to investing in UK companies rather than multi-nationals, this must surely be a good thing.  Need to realise we're unlikely to get a UK company of the cap of nVidia and, even if we did, they'd be taken over by a US corp immediately.  So to offset the reduced gains, make it more appealing.

 

Tax bands - The "oh it's too hard to implement a linear increase and therefore we need to stick to the PA, Basic, Higher, Additional lines".  No, make it scaling as we don't pay people in cash via brown envelopes anymore.

 

Tuition Fees - Base these on skills demand.  If we can financially incentivise people to study engineering, medicine etc. based on the skills demand of the nation that should be done.  We do it for nursing, broaden that.  Also make sure people stay for 10 years so they don't do as I do and graduate and FO to America (I came back though).

 

Mandatory cash and card payments for any trading business - I equally despise businesses refusing cash as much as I despise them refusing cards.  We all know why the latter is done and if you want to operate as a registered trader, accept card payments.

 

Profit Caps on Essential Services - This isn't the post-Russian invasion of Ukraine screwing our gas prices anymore, current inflation is greed driven by the post-COVID splurge giving companies a new baseline for profit.  Supermarkets (on food), utilities, and social housing landlord profits need capping.

 

Wealth Tax - It simply has to come in, can't keep taxing work.  On that, council tax needs changing.  If Zoopla can tell me every month what my house is worth, I'm sure they can find a solution to ensure I'm not paying the same rate as the guy over the road in his £7mil house. 

 

Investment in Green Energy - We know fossil fuels are poison, and even if that doesn't bother you, finite.  If any government can borrow to invest in things that make profit, just do it.  Jobs and lower bills.  On this, mandatory solar and battery storage on new builds (where appropriate).  If the government is happy with Help to Buy schemes to stump up for deposits, they can do it for schemes to lower bills.

 

Sunday Trading Laws - Bin

 

OBR - I'm reluctant to say bin, but given the most recent chancellors seem to be doing budgets to appease the bean counters there, we're locked into this cycle of decline.  Not bin, but they really need to know their place and know that they're not the ones running the country.  I've always despised auditors.

 

Stop within a fixed distance of admin lines - When I lived in Birstall, the "traveller" site was built on the city limit right on the edge of the village.  When I moved to Markfield (since escaped so do need to update my location), new developments under Charnwood were put right on the edge, but not inside H&B so they got the money, but didn't have to pay for the services as people went to the other districts school/GP.

 

The contentious ones...

 

Right to remain - I can't fathom this one.  As mentioned above, I was offered a job in the US for great pay and an opportunity.  At no point did I ever countenance the thought of working for a period of time, jacking it in and expecting the state to pick up the tab.  We've got a skills and jobs shortage, offer loads and loads of visas to get people in, but if they jack it in, return.  I was speaking to the nurses at my grans care home and they said every single one of them was here on a skills visa but was going to pack it in after the 5 years was up.  This scam, along with international student visas being transferred to work visas needs to stop.  Make people become naturalised citizens just so I'm clear I'm not promoting a ban on immigration.

 

Language Requirements - Now this is where I am terrified I'm sounding like Rupert Lowe, but if you're claiming anything from the state, at least have a grasp of the language such that you can fill out the paperwork without a translator.  This is where I'm scared by associated I'm sounding like a TalkTV viewer so hurl abuse at me for this one.

 

Payment for out of work - I've heard generations of politicians say that issuing the unemployed food stamps or restricting spend to be degrading.  I don't want anyone going hungry, which is why I hold the two child cap in utter contempt, but we can't be spending tax payer money on luxuries.  Give them bank cards identical to retail ones to stop them feeling targeted, but the unauditable cash payments is a bit mad.

 

*Edit* And banning Thai nepo babies from owning football clubs.

Edited 7 November 2025 by Zear0

[leicsmac]

6 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

I voted Labour at the last election as I had some optimism they might at least be ambitious and implement some more radical changes that the country desperately needs.  To say I'm disappointed is an understatement...I don't regret the vote, as I'm more minded to vote for whom I feel is more competent to lead, rather than any political dogma (After Boris, Liz and Rishi and his VIP lanes that ruled them out.  Kimi will also neve get a vote).  Jury is out on Starmer but outlook not looking too favourable.

 

I am curious if posters here have any ideas themselves for what they'd implement.  Not proposing it's time for the FT Party to govern, but at least have an idea of the manifesto! As I'm bored...

 

The positive ones...

 

Abolition of Capital Gains on Investment in UK Companies - As of today, my investment portfolio consists of my pension (of which only 2.8% is in UK company according to the fundsheet), bitcoins (not particularly useful for the UK), S&P500 (clearly not very UK) and a truck load of Rolls-Royce shares they gave me for suffering their employment some years ago (whist UK, they gave me these and required no financial investment outside of my time and soul).  There is not an immodest sum of money there, the majority of it is doing f**k all for investing in UK companies supporting expansion or expansion of jobs.  If there's benefit to investing in UK companies rather than multi-nationals, this must surely be a good thing.  Need to realise we're unlikely to get a UK company of the cap of nVidia and, even if we did, they'd be taken over by a US corp immediately.  So to offset the reduced gains, make it more appealing.

 

Tax bands - The "oh it's too hard to implement a linear increase and therefore we need to stick to the PA, Basic, Higher, Additional lines".  No, make it scaling as we don't pay people in cash via brown envelopes anymore.

 

Tuition Fees - Base these on skills demand.  If we can financially incentivise people to study engineering, medicine etc. based on the skills demand of the nation that should be done.  We do it for nursing, broaden that.  Also make sure people stay for 10 years so they don't do as I do and graduate and FO to America (I came back though).

 

Mandatory cash and card payments for any trading business - I equally despise businesses refusing cash as much as I despise them refusing cards.  We all know why the latter is done and if you want to operate as a registered trader, accept card payments.

 

Profit Caps on Essential Services - This isn't the post-Russian invasion of Ukraine screwing our gas prices anymore, current inflation is greed driven by the post-COVID splurge giving companies a new baseline for profit.  Supermarkets (on food), utilities, and social housing landlord profits need capping.

 

Wealth Tax - It simply has to come in, can't keep taxing work.  On that, council tax needs changing.  If Zoopla can tell me every month what my house is worth, I'm sure they can find a solution to ensure I'm not paying the same rate as the guy over the road in his £7mil house. 

 

Investment in Green Energy - We know fossil fuels are poison, and even if that doesn't bother you, finite.  If any government can borrow to invest in things that make profit, just do it.  Jobs and lower bills.  On this, mandatory solar and battery storage on new builds (where appropriate).  If the government is happy with Help to Buy schemes to stump up for deposits, they can do it for schemes to lower bills.

 

Sunday Trading Laws - Bin

 

OBR - I'm reluctant to say bin, but given the most recent chancellors seem to be doing budgets to appease the bean counters there, we're locked into this cycle of decline.  Not bin, but they really need to know their place and know that they're not the ones running the country.  I've always despised auditors.

 

Stop within a fixed distance of admin lines - When I lived in Birstall, the "traveller" site was built on the city limit right on the edge of the village.  When I moved to Markfield (since escaped so do need to update my location), new developments under Charnwood were put right on the edge, but not inside H&B so they got the money, but didn't have to pay for the services as people went to the other districts school/GP.

 

The contentious ones...

 

Right to remain - I can't fathom this one.  As mentioned above, I was offered a job in the US for great pay and an opportunity.  At no point did I ever countenance the thought of working for a period of time, jacking it in and expecting the state to pick up the tab.  We've got a skills and jobs shortage, offer loads and loads of visas to get people in, but if they jack it in, return.  I was speaking to the nurses at my grans care home and they said every single one of them was here on a skills visa but was going to pack it in after the 5 years was up.  This scam, along with international student visas being transferred to work visas needs to stop.  Make people become naturalised citizens just so I'm clear I'm not promoting a ban on immigration.

 

Language Requirements - Now this is where I am terrified I'm sounding like Rupert Lowe, but if you're claiming anything from the state, at least have a grasp of the language such that you can fill out the paperwork without a translator.  This is where I'm scared by associated I'm sounding like a TalkTV viewer so hurl abuse at me for this one.

 

Payment for out of work - I've heard generations of politicians say that issuing the unemployed food stamps or restricting spend to be degrading.  I don't want anyone going hungry, which is why I hold the two child cap in utter contempt, but we can't be spending tax payer money on luxuries.  Give them bank cards identical to retail ones to stop them feeling targeted, but the unauditable cash payments is a bit mad.

 

*Edit* And banning Thai nepo babies from owning football clubs.

Superb. 

 

The only thing this is missing is foreign policy, for which I'd view things rather simply: be a part of the international community and help other nations to to address core problems so at least try to retain their own citizens and so increase living conditions across the board, and view the Commonwealth Anglophone/Scandic nations as friendlies, while all the big powers (China, Russia, USA) are at best international cooperation business only and at worst detrimental belligerents who should be treated as such - at least until any of their governments change. 

[Zear0]

2 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Superb. 

 

The only thing this is missing is foreign policy, for which I'd view things rather simply: be a part of the international community and help other nations to to address core problems so at least try to retain their own citizens and so increase living conditions across the board, and view the Commonwealth Anglophone/Scandic nations as friendlies, while all the big powers (China, Russia, USA) are at best international cooperation business only and at worst detrimental belligerents who should be treated as such - at least until any of their governments change. 

I forgot to add:

 

Rejoin the EU...

[CornwallFox]

5 hours ago, Tommy G said:

The black hole that has now doubled since a once in a generation budget? Is that their fault too? Got to stop looking in the rear view mirror.

Why do you keep banging on about the once in a generation thing? The coming budget is no different to any other budget. They'll be tax rises in some areas, tax cuts in some others, closing of loopholes over there, a few freebies and handouts over here. They were left an absolute mess of a country. It's clearly more than a parliament worth of work to fix it for anybody. On the economy there may be own goals in there so far, I'm not particularly for arguing over that, but we can all see across the western world there are fundamental problems in most economies. You can point at the effect of the NI risev as a negative, I could point at relative predicted growth as a positive. There's no black and white in this, it's shades of gray, and I think I've been pretty fair in yes trying to point out where they've been unfairly targeted, but accepting mistakes have come and may again in the coming budget if they do look to raise income tax (I did read somewhere the idea of 2p on income tax and 2p off NI but I've no idea what the net effect would be or if it's just pre budget nonsense). I do wish you could come to the conversation equally prepared to accept they might have done some good things as well as the same few negatives you like to point at constantly. 

[Tommy G]

4 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

Why do you keep banging on about the once in a generation thing? The coming budget is no different to any other budget. They'll be tax rises in some areas, tax cuts in some others, closing of loopholes over there, a few freebies and handouts over here. They were left an absolute mess of a country. It's clearly more than a parliament worth of work to fix it for anybody. On the economy there may be own goals in there so far, I'm not particularly for arguing over that, but we can all see across the western world there are fundamental problems in most economies. You can point at the effect of the NI risev as a negative, I could point at relative predicted growth as a positive. There's no black and white in this, it's shades of gray, and I think I've been pretty fair in yes trying to point out where they've been unfairly targeted, but accepting mistakes have come and may again in the coming budget if they do look to raise income tax (I did read somewhere the idea of 2p on income tax and 2p off NI but I've no idea what the net effect would be or if it's just pre budget nonsense). I do wish you could come to the conversation equally prepared to accept they might have done some good things as well as the same few negatives you like to point at constantly. 

The chancellor said “once in a generation” so it’s her words not mine! Look it up 

[CornwallFox]

1 hour ago, Zear0 said:

I voted Labour at the last election as I had some optimism they might at least be ambitious and implement some more radical changes that the country desperately needs.  To say I'm disappointed is an understatement...I don't regret the vote, as I'm more minded to vote for whom I feel is more competent to lead, rather than any political dogma (After Boris, Liz and Rishi and his VIP lanes that ruled them out.  Kimi will also neve get a vote).  Jury is out on Starmer but outlook not looking too favourable.

 

I am curious if posters here have any ideas themselves for what they'd implement.  Not proposing it's time for the FT Party to govern, but at least have an idea of the manifesto! As I'm bored...

 

The positive ones...

 

Abolition of Capital Gains on Investment in UK Companies - As of today, my investment portfolio consists of my pension (of which only 2.8% is in UK company according to the fundsheet), bitcoins (not particularly useful for the UK), S&P500 (clearly not very UK) and a truck load of Rolls-Royce shares they gave me for suffering their employment some years ago (whist UK, they gave me these and required no financial investment outside of my time and soul).  There is not an immodest sum of money there, the majority of it is doing f**k all for investing in UK companies supporting expansion or expansion of jobs.  If there's benefit to investing in UK companies rather than multi-nationals, this must surely be a good thing.  Need to realise we're unlikely to get a UK company of the cap of nVidia and, even if we did, they'd be taken over by a US corp immediately.  So to offset the reduced gains, make it more appealing.

 

Tax bands - The "oh it's too hard to implement a linear increase and therefore we need to stick to the PA, Basic, Higher, Additional lines".  No, make it scaling as we don't pay people in cash via brown envelopes anymore.

 

Tuition Fees - Base these on skills demand.  If we can financially incentivise people to study engineering, medicine etc. based on the skills demand of the nation that should be done.  We do it for nursing, broaden that.  Also make sure people stay for 10 years so they don't do as I do and graduate and FO to America (I came back though).

 

Mandatory cash and card payments for any trading business - I equally despise businesses refusing cash as much as I despise them refusing cards.  We all know why the latter is done and if you want to operate as a registered trader, accept card payments.

 

Profit Caps on Essential Services - This isn't the post-Russian invasion of Ukraine screwing our gas prices anymore, current inflation is greed driven by the post-COVID splurge giving companies a new baseline for profit.  Supermarkets (on food), utilities, and social housing landlord profits need capping.

 

Wealth Tax - It simply has to come in, can't keep taxing work.  On that, council tax needs changing.  If Zoopla can tell me every month what my house is worth, I'm sure they can find a solution to ensure I'm not paying the same rate as the guy over the road in his £7mil house. 

 

Investment in Green Energy - We know fossil fuels are poison, and even if that doesn't bother you, finite.  If any government can borrow to invest in things that make profit, just do it.  Jobs and lower bills.  On this, mandatory solar and battery storage on new builds (where appropriate).  If the government is happy with Help to Buy schemes to stump up for deposits, they can do it for schemes to lower bills.

 

Sunday Trading Laws - Bin

 

OBR - I'm reluctant to say bin, but given the most recent chancellors seem to be doing budgets to appease the bean counters there, we're locked into this cycle of decline.  Not bin, but they really need to know their place and know that they're not the ones running the country.  I've always despised auditors.

 

Stop within a fixed distance of admin lines - When I lived in Birstall, the "traveller" site was built on the city limit right on the edge of the village.  When I moved to Markfield (since escaped so do need to update my location), new developments under Charnwood were put right on the edge, but not inside H&B so they got the money, but didn't have to pay for the services as people went to the other districts school/GP.

 

The contentious ones...

 

Right to remain - I can't fathom this one.  As mentioned above, I was offered a job in the US for great pay and an opportunity.  At no point did I ever countenance the thought of working for a period of time, jacking it in and expecting the state to pick up the tab.  We've got a skills and jobs shortage, offer loads and loads of visas to get people in, but if they jack it in, return.  I was speaking to the nurses at my grans care home and they said every single one of them was here on a skills visa but was going to pack it in after the 5 years was up.  This scam, along with international student visas being transferred to work visas needs to stop.  Make people become naturalised citizens just so I'm clear I'm not promoting a ban on immigration.

 

Language Requirements - Now this is where I am terrified I'm sounding like Rupert Lowe, but if you're claiming anything from the state, at least have a grasp of the language such that you can fill out the paperwork without a translator.  This is where I'm scared by associated I'm sounding like a TalkTV viewer so hurl abuse at me for this one.

 

Payment for out of work - I've heard generations of politicians say that issuing the unemployed food stamps or restricting spend to be degrading.  I don't want anyone going hungry, which is why I hold the two child cap in utter contempt, but we can't be spending tax payer money on luxuries.  Give them bank cards identical to retail ones to stop them feeling targeted, but the unauditable cash payments is a bit mad.

 

*Edit* And banning Thai nepo babies from owning football clubs.

I'll read the whole thing properly later but just in tuition fees, they should be done away with. You can set limits on courses and numbers if you want to do something on those lines. Tuition fees are a net negative to the economy as people paying tuition fees aren't spending that money in the economy.

 

Current tuition fee debt should be bright back to be held by the government, having been sold on with huge interest rates attached so they can't be repaid. The cost of bringing out back should be borne by the government.

 

There should be zero interest for existing debt. If £20k was borrowed, then £20k should be repaid. With inflation that means it'll get easier and easier to repay over time for those with existing debts. That would mean those people can get on with spending that money in the real economy, boosting local businesses.

[CornwallFox]

Just now, Tommy G said:

The chancellor said “once in a generation” so it’s her words not mine! Look it up 

Indeed. But I don't understand what it's got to do with the next budget. You think that any tax rise somehow changes the last budget? It's just bizarre. And I notice how yet again you refuse to engage with the rest of what I wrote. It's pointless trying to have a sensible discussion with you as you only deal in pointed comments to support your own agenda and stupid laughing emoji. Why are you so scared of looking at positives in the labour record?

[Zear0]

5 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

I'll read the whole thing properly later but just in tuition fees, they should be done away with. You can set limits on courses and numbers if you want to do something on those lines. Tuition fees are a net negative to the economy as people paying tuition fees aren't spending that money in the economy.

 

Current tuition fee debt should be bright back to be held by the government, having been sold on with huge interest rates attached so they can't be repaid. The cost of bringing out back should be borne by the government.

 

There should be zero interest for existing debt. If £20k was borrowed, then £20k should be repaid. With inflation that means it'll get easier and easier to repay over time for those with existing debts. That would mean those people can get on with spending that money in the real economy, boosting local businesses.

Yeah the stories of people paying more in interest than they pay off is appalling. 

[CornwallFox]

Just now, Zear0 said:

Yeah the stories of people paying more in interest than they pay off is appalling. 

If you graduate now, you come out with something like £50k in debt to start with an the interest is something like RPI+3% which is currently 6.2%. it's ridiculous. It's effectively a lifetime 9% tax over £25k ish. Remember how much shouting there was when Corbyn suggested a 5% tax over £80k? But yet we accept a 9% tax over £25k ish. So when you earn that you have income tax, ni, then pension, and then 9% student loan. It's crazy. And we wonder why young people aren't having kids or going out. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

If the sentiment is true, it won't just be the UK that's finished. 

 

That particular generation is facing problems in so many places. And, more importantly, no government or organisation with both the power and foresight to actually address those problems properly. 

I think there's a general ignorance and/or disinterested of the problems other countries are facing. The eternal "grass is greener"

 

The whole world is going down the pan. There's no country "getting it right".

[leicsmac]

6 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

I think there's a general ignorance and/or disinterested of the problems other countries are facing. The eternal "grass is greener"

 

The whole world is going down the pan. There's no country "getting it right".

Pretty much. 

 

And either enough of the world turns things around and "gets it right", or the effects will mean no one will. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

10 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Haha, much as the memes are amusing, if you watch the video, Trump watches in concern for about 10 seconds, then after the media lady sends the media out, he turns to face the camera again as if you give the man some privacy and at the same time acknowledge the departing journalists.  For a man who reacts weirdly to just about everything this was almost human.

There's the old saying, "the camera never lies", which I've never understood because it often does.

 

With any single photo you are capturing a fraction of a second (to avoid smart****s, I'm going to point out shutter speeds, but obviously I'm talking about every day, general photography) and you're taking away all context.

 

Number of times you see photos in tabloids of people who are supposed to be angry, sad, annoyed, doesn't care, etc, but it's just one photo of probably hundreds taken and chosen to fit that newspaper's agenda.

 

There's plenty of sticks to beat Trump with, but with your added context Jon, doesn't seem this is one of them.

[bovril]

2 hours ago, leicsmac said:

...such as?

 

I'm thinking Scandinavia and possibly Canada/Oz/NZ and a couple of places in Europe, but I'm not sure about much elsewhere. Would say East Asia as well, but seeing as it's often a British thing to not want to bother to learn other languages with even a bit of complexity in structure...

 

That is a few, though. 

 

NB. I do think though the issues above wrt age demographics and economic effects are going to be felt in a lot of places, including those mentioned here. 

Depends what you want. A lot of people just want a quiet life, to own their own place, to enjoy their free time. I don't think England is a great place to do that any more, maybe not the other countries you mention either. 

[leicsmac]

3 minutes ago, bovril said:

Depends what you want. A lot of people just want a quiet life, to own their own place, to enjoy their free time. I don't think England is a great place to do that any more, maybe not the other countries you mention either. 

No real disagreement there. As per above, there's not many places at all, if any, that have that opportunity now - the ones I stated were, as you say, maybes. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

14 minutes ago, bovril said:

Depends what you want. A lot of people just want a quiet life, to own their own place, to enjoy their free time. I don't think England is a great place to do that any more, maybe not the other countries you mention either. 

Work, dammit, work! Why aren't you a productive member of society?! Why aren't you MY definition of productive?! You need more, there's no such thing as enough! You'll be missing out! Social media! Get involved!

[kenny]

1 hour ago, CornwallFox said:

Indeed. But I don't understand what it's got to do with the next budget. You think that any tax rise somehow changes the last budget? It's just bizarre. And I notice how yet again you refuse to engage with the rest of what I wrote. It's pointless trying to have a sensible discussion with you as you only deal in pointed comments to support your own agenda and stupid laughing emoji. Why are you so scared of looking at positives in the labour record?

I've been really worried about the state of the economy for a while. Under rishi it was unremarkable but working, then immediately declared broken by Labour. Him and Hunt were doing a decent job IMO.

 

18 months in and every tax has risen while I employment is increasing daily.

 

What's worse is that we aren't even seeing anything for our money. The amount of public investment projects being paused or mothballed is weird and is one of the drivers of the construction industry output drops we have seen.

 

The downright bizarre approach of reducing housing targets on cities, to force new housing into greenbelt development is criminal. It is encouraging a car reliant society and effecting food security as they believed it would deliver quick wins.

 

When I know someone that has had their life improved by this government then I think your criticism of Tommy will have some merit.

[st albans fox]

Prisoners abscond

prisoners are inadvertently released 

Sh1t happens - que sera 

 

but apparently someone serving 21 years for kidnap and gbh being in an ‘open prison’ years before they begin to approach early release is now a thing  
 

[Foxdiamond]

3 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Prisoners abscond

prisoners are inadvertently released 

Sh1t happens - que sera 

 

but apparently someone serving 21 years for kidnap and gbh being in an ‘open prison’ years before they begin to approach early release is now a thing  
 

Staggering.  How can this be justified. 

[st albans fox]

1 minute ago, Foxdiamond said:

Staggering.  How can this be justified. 

No space in prisons 

No idea how long this fella had served before moving to Ford 

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 minute ago, Foxdiamond said:

Staggering.  How can this be justified. 

TBF, people change. Each case has to be judged separately.

[Foxdiamond]

2 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

TBF, people change. Each case has to be judged separately.

This is not a minor offence and apparently moved to open prison 4 years before schedule and now absconded 

[bovril]

 

Double post

Edited 7 November 2025 by bovril

[bovril]

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

No real disagreement there. As per above, there's not many places at all, if any, that have that opportunity now - the ones I stated were, as you say, maybes. 

At the very least I'd prefer a government that doesn't try and micromanage my life simply because they've given up on improving my living standards. In that sense there are many many places better than the UK with better weather, work life balance and a more cohesive society too. 

 

 

[leicsmac]

8 minutes ago, bovril said:

At the very least I'd prefer a government that doesn't try and micromanage my life simply because they've given up on improving my living standards. In that sense there are many many places better than the UK with better weather, work life balance and a more cohesive society too. 

 

 

I'd be interested in hearing a specific example or two on this one.