General News Thread

[Foxdiamond]

1 hour ago, Sampson said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgepy0xw1nzo
 

Interesting interview with John Major, who I generally think is a very good interviewee these days. I agree that we need to start making an argument to fix the pension system, which is many many times way more costly and bigger albatross around the country’s neck that immigrants or disability benefits which get way more coverage.
 

A far bigger problem that immigration or disability or job seeker benefits is it’s the only part of the country which still works and the government spend the last generation cutting all other public services largely to fund the ballooning state pensions of an ageing population. But it’s so hard to talk about because it’s much easier to blame immigrants, or say job seekers and disabled people are scroungers than it is to reduce pensions, which are the one benefit people seem to demand they actually “deserve” despite the original idea being they would be something for a very small percentage of the country for 4 or 5 years at the end of their life, rather then for a third if the population for the final 25 or 30 years of their life. We saw that with the backlash over the winter fuel allowance- which was a step in the right direction - because politicians are too scared to publicly make an argument about the issues of population ageing.

Certainly a complicated problem. Yet compared to many other European countries the UK state pension is one of the least generous. For me one of the fundamental changes in the last 40 years or so is the lack of good standard council housing at reasonable rents. This lack of provision has surely affected young families 

[Lionator]

The rest is history did a good series this week on 1975-76 and it’s funny they talk about the quality of politician even in what is historically perceived a terrible time.

 

Things are REALLY bleak in this country politically right now. There are basically zero talented politicians in the upper echelons of party politics. People are angry, they will only vote for parties that will make things even worse and yet the historical popular parties offer absolutely nothing but further decline and anger. There’s nothing on the left either, which is sad for someone that identifies as left wing. 

Edited 1 May by Lionator

[leicsmac]

6 minutes ago, Lionator said:

The rest is history did a good series this week on 1975-76 and it’s funny they talk about the quality of politician even in what is historically perceived a terrible time.

 

Things are REALLY bleak in this country politically right now. There are basically zero talented politicians in the upper echelons of party politics. People are angry, they will only vote for parties that will make things even worse and yet the historical popular parties offer absolutely nothing but further decline and anger. There’s nothing on the left either, which is sad for someone that identifies as left wing. 

And such a dearth of talent is happening just at the time visionary thought beyond just one set of people, and beyond one electoral term, is most needed.

 

We live in interesting times. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

3 hours ago, leicsmac said:

Ladies and gentlemen, a statement from the President of the United States. 

 

 

Melania really should make sure he's tucked up and sound asleep each evening. Maybe slip something in his cocoa.

[st albans fox]

9 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

How can this be legal?  Seriously.  Time to ban political donations more than say 10k. Including from unions.

I think the argument is that when he received this donation he wasn’t an elected representative. 
hence the rules regarding donations didn’t apply to him at that time …………

 

 

[Foxin_Mad]

3 hours ago, Sampson said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgepy0xw1nzo
 

Interesting interview with John Major, who I generally think is a very good interviewee these days. I agree that we need to start making an argument to fix the pension system, which is many many times way more costly and bigger albatross around the country’s neck that immigrants or disability benefits which get way more coverage.
 

A far bigger problem that immigration or disability or job seeker benefits is it’s the only part of the country which still works and the government spend the last generation cutting all other public services largely to fund the ballooning state pensions of an ageing population. But it’s so hard to talk about because it’s much easier to blame immigrants, or say job seekers and disabled people are scroungers than it is to reduce pensions, which are the one benefit people seem to demand they actually “deserve” despite the original idea being they would be something for a very small percentage of the country for 4 or 5 years at the end of their life, rather then for a third if the population for the final 25 or 30 years of their life. We saw that with the backlash over the winter fuel allowance- which was a step in the right direction - because politicians are too scared to publicly make an argument about the issues of population ageing.

Another problem is Public sector pensions, far more generous than private schemes and totally unfunded. 

[CornwallFox]

43 minutes ago, Foxin_Mad said:

Another problem is Public sector pensions, far more generous than private schemes and totally unfunded. 

It's not a problem. 

 

The headline figures given are always the maximum theoretical value if every public sector official retired together and survived at the same time, rather than a realistic annual cost. 

 

Public sector pensions have been through multiple rounds of changes during the Tory years. None of them offer what you get told when the papers focus on the old schemes, not the new.

 

They are no longer final salary, they require much more being paid in, the only positive is they are better linked to actual guaranteed changes in cost of living than private schemes that rely on investment returns.

 

So public servants can pay up to 12% of their wages in, much more than private sector workers generally do. And got a much smaller return than previous schemes.

 

Public sector workers accept paying more in but getting a better return on what goes in, in return for accepting much lower wages per skills, experience and qualifications.

 

And the pay they do get is subject to having to work in a post for 5 years before getting paid the going rate. It's often said they get pay rises annually by moving through their pay grades, actually the pay grades exist to hold down their wages until they get the proper rate after five years, it's a cost saving. 

 

I am a public sector worker, within a commercial industry, bit hard to explain. I could get paid quite a lot more in the private sector. But I want to feel like my efforts are actually to help the country, not somebody's bottom line. And I accept lower wages on the basis that the pension return is still pretty good, even though I pay in a big chunk of wages. If you cut the pension schemes further, you're going to have to pay a lot more out in wages, which I suspect would actually cost more per year as that is to a huge living cohort of staff, rather than to pensioners whose time receiving a pension is more limited. 

 

Also, why do we consistently have to punch down? Why do we attack the public sector pay and pensions, benefit recipients etc, and never want to attack those extracting all the value from the economy? Why don't we fight for better pensions the private sector, rather than trying to drag everybody down? I can never understand the mindset of right wing supporters that are ordinary people. 

 

 

 

Edited 1 May by CornwallFox

[CornwallFox]

Didn't realise that one of the many things not declared by Farage is that he has a stake in the parent company of GB News.

Utterly stinks.

Edited 1 May by CornwallFox

[leicsmac]

14 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

Didn't realise that one of the many things not declared by Farage is that he has a stake in the parent company of GB News.

Utterly stinks.

Is this particularly surprising to anyone?

[Zear0]

1 hour ago, CornwallFox said:

Didn't realise that one of the many things not declared by Farage is that he has a stake in the parent company of GB News.

Utterly stinks.

Not as egregious being gifted reading glasses though

[Jattdogg]

https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20260501-trump-says-he-will-raise-tariffs-on-eu-autos-to-25

 

Time for EU, Britain, Canada and others to just walk away from this lunatic. I'd even just stop travel and deal with it and the pain it causes. Can't stand the ****.  He doesn't want a deal he just wants to punish the world, rob, steal.

 

Unrealistic maybe. Over the top reaction, likely but I am so done with America just like I am so done with king power. Get out!

[Parafox]

11 hours ago, leicsmac said:

Ladies and gentlemen, a statement from the President of the United States. 

 

 

Interestingly there's 3.85k "ReTruths" and 17.9k "Likes".

 

No button for dislikes, though.

Edited 1 May by Parafox

[Parafox]

11 hours ago, Sampson said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgepy0xw1nzo
 

Interesting interview with John Major, who I generally think is a very good interviewee these days. I agree that we need to start making an argument to fix the pension system, which is many many times way more costly and bigger albatross around the country’s neck that immigrants or disability benefits which get way more coverage.
 

A far bigger problem that immigration or disability or job seeker benefits is it’s the only part of the country which still works and the government spend the last generation cutting all other public services largely to fund the ballooning state pensions of an ageing population. But it’s so hard to talk about because it’s much easier to blame immigrants, or say job seekers and disabled people are scroungers than it is to reduce pensions, which are the one benefit people seem to demand they actually “deserve” despite the original idea being they would be something for a very small percentage of the country for 4 or 5 years at the end of their life, rather then for a third if the population for the final 25 or 30 years of their life. We saw that with the backlash over the winter fuel allowance- which was a step in the right direction - because politicians are too scared to publicly make an argument about the issues of population ageing.

2 points I'd like to make in response, as a pensioner.

 

1. We don't "demand" this benefit nor do we think we "deserve" it having worked and paid NI towards it for maybe 50+ working years. We gratefully accept what the gov pays us the from the system that we've paid into for half of of our lives. It's quite nice to have your working life recognised and your retirement protected. And it's taxed so were still contributing.

 

"The full basic State Pension is £184.90 per week for the 2026/27 tax year, applicable to men born before 6 April 1951 and women born before 6 April 1953. It requires 30 qualifying years of National Insurance (NI) contributions or credits. 

 

Not a lot to live on, is it? Food, fuel and bills have to be paid for. Rents also, in many cases. Council tax. 

 

2. We can't help living longer. Blame the advances in diagnostics, pharmacology and surgery.

 

I've done my  three score years and ten. Should I have dropped dead on the 18th November 2025? It would've saved the state some money.

 

Edited 1 May by Parafox

[Robo61]

6 hours ago, st albans fox said:

I think the argument is that when he received this donation he wasn’t an elected representative. 
hence the rules regarding donations didn’t apply to him at that time …………

 

 

New MPs are required to declare any donation in the previous 12 months, so that simply does not wash.

[Parafox]

36 minutes ago, Parafox said:

It requires 30 qualifying years of National Insurance (NI) contributions or credits. 

 

Also this.

 

With the advance of AI and the deskilling of labour as a result, 30 qualifying years is becoming more remote as jobs and workers become more redundant over time.

[Sampson]

1 hour ago, Jattdogg said:

https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20260501-trump-says-he-will-raise-tariffs-on-eu-autos-to-25

 

Time for EU, Britain, Canada and others to just walk away from this lunatic. I'd even just stop travel and deal with it and the pain it causes. Can't stand the ****.  He doesn't want a deal he just wants to punish the world, rob, steal.

 

Unrealistic maybe. Over the top reaction, likely but I am so done with America just like I am so done with king power. Get out!

Too many British voters sadly too engrained in Americanisation and too anti-EU to do what needs to be done and create a united military-economic alliance seperate from the US, China and Russia between the likes of the UK, EU, Canada, Australia and Japan

[Clogger_]

51 minutes ago, Robo61 said:

New MPs are required to declare any donation in the previous 12 months, so that simply does not wash.

Last I heard, he *owned* the party?

 

He won't wriggle out of this one, and I bet there's more where it came from. 'Recall petition' territory...is there a Martin Bell to kick him out?!

Edited 1 May by Clogger_

[Trav Le Bleu]

48 minutes ago, Parafox said:

2 points I'd like to make in response, as a pensioner.

 

1. We don't "demand" this benefit nor do we think we "deserve" it having worked and paid NI towards it for maybe 50+ working years. We gratefully accept what the gov pays us the from the system that we've paid into for half of of our lives. It's quite nice to have your working life recognised and your retirement protected. And it's taxed so were still contributing.

 

"The full basic State Pension is £184.90 per week for the 2026/27 tax year, applicable to men born before 6 April 1951 and women born before 6 April 1953. It requires 30 qualifying years of National Insurance (NI) contributions or credits. 

 

Not a lot to live on, is it? Food, fuel and bills have to be paid for. Rents also, in many cases. Council tax. 

 

2. We can't help living longer. Blame the advances in diagnostics, pharmacology and surgery.

 

I've done my  three score years and ten. Should I have dropped dead on the 18th November 2025? It would've saved the state some money.

 

I think @Sampson is thinking of something like this...

 

 

[FoxesDeb]

1 hour ago, Jattdogg said:

https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20260501-trump-says-he-will-raise-tariffs-on-eu-autos-to-25

 

Time for EU, Britain, Canada and others to just walk away from this lunatic. I'd even just stop travel and deal with it and the pain it causes. Can't stand the ****.  He doesn't want a deal he just wants to punish the world, rob, steal.

 

Unrealistic maybe. Over the top reaction, likely but I am so done with America just like I am so done with king power. Get out!

Happy to be living in Spain and enjoying the complete 'fvck you' Sanchez sends to him at every opportunity 

[CornwallFox]

1 hour ago, Parafox said:

2 points I'd like to make in response, as a pensioner.

 

1. We don't "demand" this benefit nor do we think we "deserve" it having worked and paid NI towards it for maybe 50+ working years. We gratefully accept what the gov pays us the from the system that we've paid into for half of of our lives. It's quite nice to have your working life recognised and your retirement protected. And it's taxed so were still contributing.

 

"The full basic State Pension is £184.90 per week for the 2026/27 tax year, applicable to men born before 6 April 1951 and women born before 6 April 1953. It requires 30 qualifying years of National Insurance (NI) contributions or credits. 

 

Not a lot to live on, is it? Food, fuel and bills have to be paid for. Rents also, in many cases. Council tax. 

 

2. We can't help living longer. Blame the advances in diagnostics, pharmacology and surgery.

 

I've done my  three score years and ten. Should I have dropped dead on the 18th November 2025? It would've saved the state some money.

 

Tbh para the pension isn't enough, although let's remember pension credit exists as a top up for those in need. 

 

I think the issue is that many working age people that are struggling see the pensioner cohort - again, not all pensioners, but the average pensioner - vote against the interest of workers and young people again and again and again and again. So when it comes to the issue of generational fairness there isn't much good will left. If pensioners voted to make all ordinary people better off, then this wouldn't be an issue.

[leicsmac]

1 hour ago, Parafox said:

Interestingly there's 3.85k "ReTruths" and 17.9k "Likes".

 

No button for dislikes, though.

Of course. 

 

There's that notoriously thin skin again.

 

19 minutes ago, FoxesDeb said:

Happy to be living in Spain and enjoying the complete 'fvck you' Sanchez sends to him at every opportunity 

I just wish the current UK leadership and diplomatic corps would do likewise more often. 

 

I've said it before, but trying to toe the line with the guy doesn't work. 

[bovril]

10 hours ago, Lionator said:

The rest is history did a good series this week on 1975-76 and it’s funny they talk about the quality of politician even in what is historically perceived a terrible time.

 

Things are REALLY bleak in this country politically right now. There are basically zero talented politicians in the upper echelons of party politics. People are angry, they will only vote for parties that will make things even worse and yet the historical popular parties offer absolutely nothing but further decline and anger. There’s nothing on the left either, which is sad for someone that identifies as left wing. 

The first half of the 1970s is under discussed in today's endless discourse on where things went wrong in the western world. 

[Foxin_Mad]

8 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

It's not a problem. 

 

The headline figures given are always the maximum theoretical value if every public sector official retired together and survived at the same time, rather than a realistic annual cost. 

 

Public sector pensions have been through multiple rounds of changes during the Tory years. None of them offer what you get told when the papers focus on the old schemes, not the new.

 

They are no longer final salary, they require much more being paid in, the only positive is they are better linked to actual guaranteed changes in cost of living than private schemes that rely on investment returns.

 

So public servants can pay up to 12% of their wages in, much more than private sector workers generally do. And got a much smaller return than previous schemes.

 

Public sector workers accept paying more in but getting a better return on what goes in, in return for accepting much lower wages per skills, experience and qualifications.

 

And the pay they do get is subject to having to work in a post for 5 years before getting paid the going rate. It's often said they get pay rises annually by moving through their pay grades, actually the pay grades exist to hold down their wages until they get the proper rate after five years, it's a cost saving. 

 

I am a public sector worker, within a commercial industry, bit hard to explain. I could get paid quite a lot more in the private sector. But I want to feel like my efforts are actually to help the country, not somebody's bottom line. And I accept lower wages on the basis that the pension return is still pretty good, even though I pay in a big chunk of wages. If you cut the pension schemes further, you're going to have to pay a lot more out in wages, which I suspect would actually cost more per year as that is to a huge living cohort of staff, rather than to pensioners whose time receiving a pension is more limited. 

 

Also, why do we consistently have to punch down? Why do we attack the public sector pay and pensions, benefit recipients etc, and never want to attack those extracting all the value from the economy? Why don't we fight for better pensions the private sector, rather than trying to drag everybody down? I can never understand the mindset of right wing supporters that are ordinary people. 

 

 

 

The problem is globalism and globalist corporations. The majority of small to medium sized businesses can not afford better pensions or pay, many companies in the country are in the brink. Tax is high, rates are high, energy is high ,wages keep going up etc etc. For many businesses in the economy there isn’t much extraction. I don’t really understand the left wing view that all businesses are extracting extreme wealth from the economy. It’s simply untrue. 

 

The globalist corporations are using tax avoidance schemes are the ones doing well and maximising profits for shareholders. It’s a global problem, but it’s difficult for UK policy to change global business. Meanwhile we kill our manufacturing and end import the same things made in worse conditions made with coal from overseas.

 

The whole tax system is broken. I too have worked in the public sector and I personally could see why it’s very wasteful and ineffective, to the point I left, I liked serving the public but some of the waste and incompetence in middle management was unreal imo.

[ajthefox]

27 minutes ago, Foxin_Mad said:

The problem is globalism and globalist corporations. The majority of small to medium sized businesses can not afford better pensions or pay, many companies in the country are in the brink. Tax is high, rates are high, energy is high ,wages keep going up etc etc. For many businesses in the economy there isn’t much extraction. I don’t really understand the left wing view that all businesses are extracting extreme wealth from the economy. It’s simply untrue. 

 

The globalist corporations are using tax avoidance schemes are the ones doing well and maximising profits for shareholders. It’s a global problem, but it’s difficult for UK policy to change global business. Meanwhile we kill our manufacturing and end import the same things made in worse conditions made with coal from overseas.

 

The whole tax system is broken. I too have worked in the public sector and I personally could see why it’s very wasteful and ineffective, to the point I left, I liked serving the public but some of the waste and incompetence in middle management was unreal imo.

I'm not sure that that view (bolded) is particularly widely held.

 

I think most somewhat left leaning people similar to myself (not speaking to the extreme) would agree with a lot of what you have said and that it is the big global corporates that are the primary issue.

 

Sure there are plenty of other problems, but they wouldn't be so much of a problem if the money wasn't all heading up the chain into fewer and fewer pockets as time passes.

[Robo61]

1 hour ago, Clogger_ said:

Last I heard, he *owned* the party?

 

He won't wriggle out of this one, and I bet there's more where it came from. 'Recall petition' territory...is there a Martin Bell to kick him out?!

I hope ypu are right,  but I have very little faith in the authorities to deal with this sort of thing,  when it involves Farage.  There is no chance any other propsective PM would be allowed to host a politics show on a TV news channel,  but he gets away with it.  Balls my piss that the MSM had Starmer and Reeves donotions of what amounted to half a small wardrobe of clothing,  on the fromt pages for weeks,  but so little of the milions Farage regularly recieves in donations,  seems it only matters if corruption occurs on the left.