General News Thread

[DJW1]

21 hours ago, davieG said:

This is a more accurate display of the local election results in England, rather than that shown by most of the media, that headline the number of councillors elected. The local elections are about electing local councils. The headlines generally are not about the councils that have been elected and what parties will be controlling them. The headlines are about the apparent growing support for Reform UK. These are not the same thing, although many people seem to believe that they are. People presumably want to know who are going to be providing their vital services – whether the policies of Labour, Liberal Democrat, Green or Reform (or others) are going to be carried out in their areas. But the media demote that to being of lesser importance than how many councillors were elected per party, which does not give the public that information. In fact Labour now runs 96 councils in England, Conservatives 53, Liberal Democrats 38, Reform 23, Greens 4, and some others. That is what matters most to local inhabitants. The rise and/or decline in support of the various parties is another matter, and though important, it should not be the headline in displaying the results.

 

Does that graphic refer only to councils where ALL the seats were voted for? In many cases. only a fraction of the seats were voted for (a strange system in my opinion). So, Labour could retain control of a council despite losing many councillors last night.

Another point is that in the 6 mayoral elections, Reform was not even close to winning any of them (although they were in and around London).

[BKLFox]

7 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Not the question I asked, but I'll answer it anyway in the hope that an answer to my own question is forthcoming in return. 

 

If there is political corruption going on here, then I hope it's dealt with as much as the law allows it to be, no matter who is at the helm.

 

Over to you, mon ami.

Over to me to do what?

 

I made a statement on the continued jobs for ‘family and friends’ that seems to happen here with every government.

You replied with a question on who the UK should collaborate with & you seem to be knocking me for not answering, does my answer carry that much weight?

 

Of course I’d rather everything coming out of the uk tech, medical, space wise was UK funded & manned by the incredible inventors, surgeons, designers, scientists etc etc that live & work here.

After that does it matter which country then collaborates in UK projects providing they best compliment what we have & what we want to achieve?

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, BKLFox said:

Over to me to do what?

 

I made a statement on the continued jobs for ‘family and friends’ that seems to happen here with every government.

You replied with a question on who the UK should collaborate with & you seem to be knocking me for not answering, does my answer carry that much weight?

 

Of course I’d rather everything coming out of the uk tech, medical, space wise was UK funded & manned by the incredible inventors, surgeons, designers, scientists etc etc that live & work here.

After that does it matter which country then collaborates in UK projects providing they best compliment what we have & what we want to achieve?

Pardon me, given the first paragraph I thought the point that you were making was that any kind of collaboration with the Chinese was a bad idea, hence the response wondering exactly who can be trusted for such collaboration atthe present time. The subsequent clarification is appreciated. 

 

I'd certainly agree that results matter, though I guess the "want to achieve" part is a matter of debate depending on one's worldview. 

 

And pardon me for being perhaps rather blunt with my line, but quite frankly I'm rather jaded at seeing problems stated with no solutions attached and I would even go so far as to say that the current social media trend of doing exactly that is one of the big reasons why things aren't great right now. Too much desire for "change" but not nearly enough thought about what that "change" should look like. Definitely not personal. 

[DJW1]

Regarding personal wealth, public services etc., what has changed in this country since the 1970s (pre-1979)?

 

Have public toilets, weekly rubbish collections, free eye tests and free dental checks-ups disappeared because the tax burden (collectively and individually) has decreased? So, do we have more THINGS (colour TV, mobiles etc.) and more leisure (foreign holidays etc.), but fewer/poorer public services?

Or have certain public services been cut back because the government and councils are spending a greater percentage of their money on things like health and social care?

 

The UK may now have the level of social and services provision that other European countries have always had. For example, I think German students have always had loans rather than grants. 

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, DJW1 said:

Regarding personal wealth, public services etc., what has changed in this country since the 1970s (pre-1979)?

 

Have public toilets, weekly rubbish collections, free eye tests and free dental checks-ups disappeared because the tax burden (collectively and individually) has decreased? So, do we have more THINGS (colour TV, mobiles etc.) and more leisure (foreign holidays etc.), but fewer/poorer public services?

Or have certain public services been cut back because the government and councils are spending a greater percentage of their money on things like health and social care?

 

The UK may now have the level of social and services provision that other European countries have always had. For example, I think German students have always had loans rather than grants. 

I'd have to do some digging to be certain, but I'd hypothesise that the biggest part of the issue lies with what our esteemed member @Sampson talks about frequently, which is a change in age demographics that has put vastly increasing pressure on the exchequer through increasing health and social care budgets.

 

Such a pattern is repeating in a lot of developed countries right now.

 

However, while this is a problem, the truth is that it is a byproduct of advanced development and world developed population growth slowing, which is an absolute necessity. So while it's a bad outcome which will cause stress and have to be dealt with carefully, it's highly likely that every other option to address that matter other than the current one will end worse. 

[BKLFox]

32 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Pardon me, given the first paragraph I thought the point that you were making was that any kind of collaboration with the Chinese was a bad idea, hence the response wondering exactly who can be trusted for such collaboration atthe present time. The subsequent clarification is appreciated. 

 

I'd certainly agree that results matter, though I guess the "want to achieve" part is a matter of debate depending on one's worldview. 

 

And pardon me for being perhaps rather blunt with my line, but quite frankly I'm rather jaded at seeing problems stated with no solutions attached and I would even go so far as to say that the current social media trend of doing exactly that is one of the big reasons why things aren't great right now. Too much desire for "change" but not nearly enough thought about what that "change" should look like. Definitely not personal. 

Yeah, The Chinese comments on my post was about espionage, not so much about collaborations.

The 2nd part I guess did all be nothing to do with country collaborations but referred to the fact that out of 70m people in the country it turns out the ideal person to head that latest initiative has a direct relationship with a former PM.

 

& then just to be clear In my reply to your question & being of sane mind the ‘want to achieve’ portion relates to advances in good 👍 

[CornwallFox]

2 hours ago, BKLFox said:

Genuine question?
Come on Cornwall you saying we shouldn’t be worried about any foreign state openly conducting espionage operations on our shores?
Maybe we should give them all passes and they can come and go as they please in any building they want classified or not, maybe we allow them to just count our votes up instead of going through the hassle of trying to hide in the background when trying to rig elections, maybe we save a whole pot of cash by ditching our military & security services, sod it maybe we just give them the codes to the thing that does keep the UK at the top table because after all we are just a little old island and shouldn’t be there anyway.

 

There’s tin foil hat conspiracy & there’s plain ignorance, I think a safe place to sit is somewhere in the middle.

No I'm not saying that, I'm just asking why we constantly raise china as different to other state actors.

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, BKLFox said:

Yeah, The Chinese comments on my post was about espionage, not so much about collaborations.

The 2nd part I guess did all be nothing to do with country collaborations but referred to the fact that out of 70m people in the country it turns out the ideal person to head that latest initiative has a direct relationship with a former PM.

 

& then just to be clear In my reply to your question & being of sane mind the ‘want to achieve’ portion relates to advances in good 👍 

Sounds good to me. The world certainly needs more collaboration for the advancement of the species (as opposed to one small part of it) and less "jobs for the boys/relatives" corruption in whatever governments. 

[Lcfcbl]

6 hours ago, Raj said:

I'll have abit of this!!

I'm 55 born n bred in lestah, both parents had to work, crappy factory jobs being immigrants.

Holidays? Yeah right🤣

Car? Yeah you guessed Datsun sunny.

House- 3 bed terraced off Uppingham Rd.

Branded clothes? 🤣🤣Hand me downs

School buses? 🤣 walk to school no matter what.

Games- play outside until dark.

 

Nowadays parents have the kids, waste money on cars, 90 inch TVs, lips, nails, stone island, all the games consoles, Instagram perfect life but dont have the mentality  to skrimp and save.

Most kids have probably been to more holidays by 9 years age than our generation  had in our teens.

Most things on credit and all tge fancy cars on monthly payments.

 

Yes the housing is a massive issue but let's not pretend it wasnt hard in our era.

 

This generation  is entitled and want everything on a plate.

 

I'm generalizing I know but you get my drift

40 years old, can probably guess what estate I'm from and still live on from my username. 

You described my childhood, good working class people, race and religion irrelevant, just normal hard-working families who did their best and lived relatively normal lives.

Materialistically, didn't have a great amount and a week at the seaside in the summer was paradise.

Blaby, Groby, Anstey, Countesthorpe etc are places that were seen as posh to me and better lives than mine. 

I wonder how many of the people who post on here sneering at comments you have made grew up in places like that rather than where we did?

[Raj]

48 minutes ago, Lcfcbl said:

40 years old, can probably guess what estate I'm from and still live on from my username. 

You described my childhood, good working class people, race and religion irrelevant, just normal hard-working families who did their best and lived relatively normal lives.

Materialistically, didn't have a great amount and a week at the seaside in the summer was paradise.

Blaby, Groby, Anstey, Countesthorpe etc are places that were seen as posh to me and better lives than mine. 

I wonder how many of the people who post on here sneering at comments you have made grew up in places like that rather than where we did?

Exactly.

I went Mundella  which says it all!!🤣🤣

 

Funny how the posters username geographically  is one of the most sought after areas in the country...unlike Northfields!!

 

And yes, places like Anstey, Groby may as well have been Mayfair!!🤣🤣

 

 

[Lionator]

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

Sounds good to me. The world certainly needs more collaboration for the advancement of the species (as opposed to one small part of it) and less "jobs for the boys/relatives" corruption in whatever governments. 

Good relations with China is so obviously the right move. If they spy then genuinely why is that an issue? Do USA not spy?

[Foxdiamond]

12 minutes ago, Lionator said:

Good relations with China is so obviously the right move. If they spy then genuinely why is that an issue? Do USA not spy?

What do suppose China's attitude to spies they find is.

[Robo61]

5 hours ago, davieG said:

I've never voted for Labour, tory or LibDems. I've always looked for the most appropriate Independent Candidate and will continue to do so until we get a proper and fairer voting system.

 

I guess that would be deemed wrong to some.

While I am.all for a fairer voting system I am struggling to understand how voting independent will progress that wish. 

[davieG]

6 minutes ago, Robo61 said:

While I am.all for a fairer voting system I am struggling to understand how voting independent will progress that wish. 

Probably won’t although shows there is interest in other parties voting for the big 2 certainly won’t. 
 

I just don’t like the straight jacket party politics puts on individuals as for u-turns they’re not always a bad thing as circumstances are always changing. 
 

Although the media.has a lot to answer for with the decline in competent trustworthy MPs

[Parafox]

9 hours ago, Raj said:

I'll have abit of this!!

I'm 55 born n bred in lestah, both parents had to work, crappy factory jobs being immigrants.

Holidays? Yeah right🤣

Car? Yeah you guessed Datsun sunny.

House- 3 bed terraced off Uppingham Rd.

Branded clothes? 🤣🤣Hand me downs

School buses? 🤣 walk to school no matter what.

Games- play outside until dark.

 

Nowadays parents have the kids, waste money on cars, 90 inch TVs, lips, nails, stone island, all the games consoles, Instagram perfect life but dont have the mentality  to skrimp and save.

Most kids have probably been to more holidays by 9 years age than our generation  had in our teens.

Most things on credit and all tge fancy cars on monthly payments.

 

Yes the housing is a massive issue but let's not pretend it wasnt hard in our era.

 

This generation  is entitled and want everything on a plate.

 

I'm generalizing I know but you get my drift

 

I couldn't afford a PS5 until I was 65.

[Zear0]

1 hour ago, Parafox said:

 

I couldn't afford a PS5 until I was 65.

Must have been difficult saving up 60 years for a PS5

[BKLFox]

3 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

No I'm not saying that, I'm just asking why we constantly raise china as different to other state actors.

I’m not sure we do tbh & just because their silent whilst the other state actors posture, bully and blow their trumpets for everyone to hear it doesn’t mean they are towing the line, what’s that saying, beware the quiet 1s.

Whilst the US & Russia show their hands in public it’s a security services dream & China will be rubbing its hands & using the noise to step up their efforts in intelligence gathering & destabilising objectives, it’s what they do.

[st albans fox]

Trump says Iran’s reply to his proposal for ending the war ‘totally unacceptable’

 

does that mean he’ll attack again or will we go through another round of negs whilst he tries to release more vessels from the gulf ?

 

 

[Leicesterpool]

1 minute ago, st albans fox said:

Trump says Iran’s reply to his proposal for ending the war ‘totally unacceptable’

 

does that mean he’ll attack again or will we go through another round of negs whilst he tries to release more vessels from the gulf ?

 

 

He'll just say "USA's winning" 

[StanSP]

 

 

 

[StanSP]

Fvcking hell

 

 

 

 

[leicsmac]

8 hours ago, BKLFox said:

I’m not sure we do tbh & just because their silent whilst the other state actors posture, bully and blow their trumpets for everyone to hear it doesn’t mean they are towing the line, what’s that saying, beware the quiet 1s.

Whilst the US & Russia show their hands in public it’s a security services dream & China will be rubbing its hands & using the noise to step up their efforts in intelligence gathering & destabilising objectives, it’s what they do.

I guess in that case it comes down to the geopolitical question of whether or not a person thinks the overall aims of China are scarier for the UK than that of the US and Russia at the present time or not.

 

And that is clearly up to the beholder.

[CornwallFox]

20 hours ago, davieG said:

I've never voted for Labour, tory or LibDems. I've always looked for the most appropriate Independent Candidate and will continue to do so until we get a proper and fairer voting system.

 

I guess that would be deemed wrong to some.

Proportional representation is the only real democracy

[st albans fox]

11 hours ago, StanSP said:

Fvcking hell

 

 

 

 

And at the other end of the spectrum an MSP elected whose visa is soon to expire and was fundraising to try and extend it. 

 

I had no idea that non citizens could be elected 

 

[CornwallFox]

Think starmar has probably sealed his fate with today's speech. 

A shame as I think he's a good man who is actually doing quite a decent job, but he ability to communicate with the electorate is a downfall. He's too much manager and not enough dreamer. 

Burnham needs to be brought into the fold ASAP.