The Good News thread, local jobs, economy etc

[Guest MattP]

I agree that they should be paid more & doing away with expenses.  It would also be worth stopping them taking positions on company boards & lobbying in their own interests.  

 

Absolutely.

 

Unfortunately some people can only see things in black and white and don't understand the full facts.

 

They would rather see an MP earning 40k a year and scamming 100k in expenses rather than just earning a fair wage of 80k and paying for everything themselves.

[Alf Bentley]

They should get an even bigger rise in my opinion, they are very underpaid compared to other first world nations. In Australia they earn something like $170,000.

 

One of the reasons they are supposdly against it is because they know it will lead to the end of their real cash cow which is their "expense account"

 

Bring their pay up, cancel expenses. That will lead to them staying in hotels, ordering food, drink and  travel that is all paid for by themselves so they won't be spending the most extravagent amounts and engaging in the moral theft that caused the expenses scandal.

 

It will save money, make them live in the real world more, we'll all be winners.

 

What do you think an normal backbench MP should earn?

 

I disagree with you on most things, partially agree on some things...but completely agree on this.

 

Being an MP is - or should be - a position of major responsibility. I'm sure that most (not all) MPs work very hard for long hours, regardless of their political party - and, of course, there's no job security for a lot of them.

 

In terms of responsibility, they probably should get considerably more than they do, but that should be toned down a bit as (a) there's a big reward in status, and potentially selfless satisfaction at doing good (for a minority, I realise!); (b) those who want to make a lot of money will be able to make a lot more after leaving parliament, due to having been MPs. A high 5-figure sum sounds about right to me....if a few idealists among them want to donate some of that to good causes, good for them!

 

A bigger problem, I think, is the narrow background from which MPs now come. A ridiculous number, regardless of party, are professional politicians (personal advisers who smarm the right people, climb the greasy pole etc.).

 

Should MPs be allowed to do other jobs while being MPs? Should probably be discouraged, I reckon (should be a full-time job), but probably not banned....but what should be actively encouraged is for most MPs to have done something outside politics before they enter parliament. If the parliament was full of former businesspeople, trade unionists, doctors, teachers, factory workers, farmers, financiers, social workers, not just political advisers and lawyers, parliament would be a better place.

[ADK]

Trouble is with democracy, it's the public who vote these people in. I would never vote for a career politician. But most people would vote for a donkey so long as it wore the correct rosette.

[Rincewind]

Don't know where  to put this without searching which I do not have time for so eather than a link that may be ignored i've copy& pasted. If you believe it does not concern you you can always look the other way but at some point in the future it may concern you and you willm no begging for others not to look the other way.

 

Imagine this: it’s election time. Politicians are out campaigning for votes. Normally, we’d see the Women’s Institute out too, and Oxfam, and local campaigns on issues from schools to hospitals to housing. They’d be pushing candidates to say where they stand and what they’d do on key issues of the day.

Next election, the gagging law could put an end to that. If it goes through, thousands of organisations will be severely restricted in what they can spend - and what they can do - in the 12 months before voting day. [1] We'd all lose important ways of holding politicians to account and telling them what we think.

The outcry has been huge. [2] A coalition of 100+ organisations is supporting an independent, expert Commission, chaired by a former Bishop of Oxford. [3] It’s just produced a heavy-weight report laying out step-by-step how to fix the gagging law and protect our democracy. [4]

The law’s being debated again next week. So this report needs to gain momentum right now. MPs need to read it, and accept its findings. Please click here to send your MP a copy of the report today:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/gagging-law-report

There are early signs the government might make concessions in the House of Lords. Pressure on your MP right now can make that more likely.

How?

1. MPs spend a lot of time in Parliament and are in frequent contact with members of the House of Lords. That means our MPs are a key channel through which we can pile on the pressure in the run up to next week's votes. We need to push our MPs to talk to Lords and tell them voters are demanding they accept the Commission report.

2. If the Lords do make major changes to the law, it has to go back to MPs for a fresh vote in a process known as "ping-pong". If MPs are going to vote again, it’s important that they’ve understood the problems AND that they're under heavy pressure to do the right thing.

Please can you make sure your MP receives a copy of the Commission’s report by sending one to them now, and asking them if they’ll publicly support it?
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/gagging-law-report

38 Degrees members, along with loads of other organisations, have been busy all around the country. Last week, 131 different groups organised to meet their MPs to give them a copy of the 200,000-strong petition against the gagging law. [5] MPs from Bath to Orkney have been challenged to justify their position at public meetings with hundreds of their constituents. [6]

All the pressure seems to be starting to work. In the past few days, Lib Dem peers such as Lord Tyler have started to accept there are problems and to table amendments. [7] So far, these amendments don't solve all the problems, by a long stretch! But they are positive and they show that our concerns are starting to be listened to. So let's keep going.

Click here to send a copy of the Commission’s report to your MP now:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/gagging-law-report


Thanks for being involved,

[davieG]

Don't know where  to put this without searching which I do not have time for so eather than a link that may be ignored i've copy& pasted. If you believe it does not concern you you can always look the other way but at some point in the future it may concern you and you willm no begging for others not to look the other way.

 

Imagine this: it’s election time. Politicians are out campaigning for votes. Normally, we’d see the Women’s Institute out too, and Oxfam, and local campaigns on issues from schools to hospitals to housing. They’d be pushing candidates to say where they stand and what they’d do on key issues of the day.

Next election, the gagging law could put an end to that. If it goes through, thousands of organisations will be severely restricted in what they can spend - and what they can do - in the 12 months before voting day. [1] We'd all lose important ways of holding politicians to account and telling them what we think.

The outcry has been huge. [2] A coalition of 100+ organisations is supporting an independent, expert Commission, chaired by a former Bishop of Oxford. [3] It’s just produced a heavy-weight report laying out step-by-step how to fix the gagging law and protect our democracy. [4]

The law’s being debated again next week. So this report needs to gain momentum right now. MPs need to read it, and accept its findings. Please click here to send your MP a copy of the report today:

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/gagging-law-report

There are early signs the government might make concessions in the House of Lords. Pressure on your MP right now can make that more likely.

How?

1. MPs spend a lot of time in Parliament and are in frequent contact with members of the House of Lords. That means our MPs are a key channel through which we can pile on the pressure in the run up to next week's votes. We need to push our MPs to talk to Lords and tell them voters are demanding they accept the Commission report.

2. If the Lords do make major changes to the law, it has to go back to MPs for a fresh vote in a process known as "ping-pong". If MPs are going to vote again, it’s important that they’ve understood the problems AND that they're under heavy pressure to do the right thing.

Please can you make sure your MP receives a copy of the Commission’s report by sending one to them now, and asking them if they’ll publicly support it?

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/gagging-law-report

38 Degrees members, along with loads of other organisations, have been busy all around the country. Last week, 131 different groups organised to meet their MPs to give them a copy of the 200,000-strong petition against the gagging law. [5] MPs from Bath to Orkney have been challenged to justify their position at public meetings with hundreds of their constituents. [6]

All the pressure seems to be starting to work. In the past few days, Lib Dem peers such as Lord Tyler have started to accept there are problems and to table amendments. [7] So far, these amendments don't solve all the problems, by a long stretch! But they are positive and they show that our concerns are starting to be listened to. So let's keep going.

Click here to send a copy of the Commission’s report to your MP now:

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/gagging-law-report

Thanks for being involved,

http://www.foxestalk.co.uk/forums/topic/90119-gagging-law/?hl=gagging

 

You started it Rincey 

[Rincewind]

Going out in 5 minutes and had to get ready so was just skimming posts.

[Guest MattP]

What do you think a back bench mp.should earn?

[Zingari]

What do you think a back bench mp.should earn?

i personally think they should be "paid" about 60k ( it's only really part time if they can do other jobs)  , but they should "earn" all of it 

[Rincewind]

Very interesting

http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2013/05/15/the-hidden-welfare-state-that-the-u-k-government-dares-not-speak-of/

[pSinatra]

 

Vive la revolution!!

[MooseBreath]

Jobs for everyone

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25428119

Interest rates will be going up soon, hold onto your hats mortgage payers

Edited 18 December 2013 by MooseBreath

[Strokes]

Jobs for everyone

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25428119

Interest rates will be going up soon, hold onto your hats mortgage payers

Interest rates need to go up fairly soon, its not fair on savers. My mortgage is fixed until this December 2015 so no need to panic just yet.

[Rincewind]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/food-bank-debate-jack-monroes-2937649

[leicsmac]

Interest rates need to go up fairly soon, its not fair on savers. My mortgage is fixed until this December 2015 so no need to panic just yet.

 

On the flip side, if they do go up it's not fair on first time buyers and people struggling with their mortgage in the face of wages not rising anywhere near inflation. 

 

Either way someone has to pay.

[MooseBreath]

I do wonder if a lot of people who have taken out cheap mortgages in the last few years really took into account how much more expenive it's going to be when rates go up.

Nobodies fault but their own though if they struggle.

[ADK]

I hope they lose their homes. Would make it more affordable for people who know how to manage their money.

[Strokes]

I do wonder if a lot of people who have taken out cheap mortgages in the last few years really took into account how much more expenive it's going to be when rates go up.

Nobodies fault but their own though if they struggle.

We were well advised, we know the rate it can go up to and we would struggle, but you have to cut back on the luxuries and protect your assets.

[Zingari]

Jobs for everyone

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25428119

Interest rates will be going up soon, hold onto your hats mortgage payers

It is impossible that unemployment is going down. The truth is that it has almost doubled. Just recently according to gov figures  2 million disability claimants were deemed fit to work and taken off disability benefits and told to look for work OK ?

So unless 2 million plus jobs have been created it must be a lie 

[Webbo]

 

It is impossible that unemployment is going down. The truth is that it has almost doubled. Just recently according to gov figures  2 million disability claimants were deemed fit to work and taken off disability benefits and told to look for work OK ?

So unless 2 million plus jobs have been created it must be a lie 

 

How do you know that's not a lie?

[Finnegan]

How do you know that's not a lie?

OH MY GOD! WHO SHOULD WE TRUST?!

:panic:

[Zingari]

How do you know that's not a lie?

:xmassmile: well i don't , but one of the claims is a lie and possibly even both claims are.

suffice to say they must be  lying to us 

[Webbo]

OH MY GOD! WHO SHOULD WE TRUST?!

:panic:

No, I was just making the point that they're both govt statistics but Zinger only believes the one that suits his prejudice.

 

There are more people employed than ever before and some people who have been taken off disability haven't signed on for whatever reason so it s possible.

[Zingari]

No, I was just making the point that they're both govt statistics but Zinger only believes the one that suits his prejudice.

 

There are more people employed than ever before and some people who have been taken off disability haven't signed on for whatever reason so it s possible.

Possibly true ,but when the government tells us 2 million people are taken off benefits and told to look for work , that really must mean there a 2 million more people unemployed , or there needs to be 2 million plus extra jobs created  for the level of unemployment to come down .

 

These people can't just disappear (and maybe some aren't signing on) , but for whatever reason the figures aren't showing the true level of unemployment in the UK 

[Rincewind]

There is more part timers and zero contract hour workers and the government does not count them but they are still claiming benefits as are many more low paid WORKERS so it is costing more  to the just above lower paid workers more.

 

Do people really trust politicians to tell the truth?

Edited 18 December 2013 by Rincewind

[Lamby]

There is more part timers and zero contract hour workers and the government does not count them but they are still claiming benefits as are many more low paid WORKERS so it is costing more  to the just above lower paid workers more.

 

Do people really trust politicians to tell the truth?

 

They'll be claiming Income Support (as am I, waiting for my decision letter), so they won't be appearing on the unemployed stats as they're not unemployed. I can't see where they're not counting them though.