Current Affairs

[oldbluefox]

Does Foxy live within the Copeland boundary ..... just wondering

No, but they're next door neighbours. It's a real surprise since normally if you put a red rosette on a donkey they'd vote for it. On our local news there was a woman in a chip shop who, when asked who she would be voting for said 'Well Labour are for the working people and me mam and dad always vote Labour so I will!'
Some people shouldn't be allowed a vote.
Big issues were Sellafield which Corbyn opposes, the state of the hospitals (as a consequence of Bliar's PFI initiative which has brought them to their knees) and the state of the infrastructure following years of minimal investment. At last the electorate have woken up to the fact the Labour party care little for the man in the street and is now Metropolitan based.

[qbman1]

Does Foxy live within the Copeland boundary ..... just wondering

No, but they're next door neighbours. It's a real surprise since normally if you put a red rosette on a donkey they'd vote for it. On our local news there was a woman in a chip shop who, when asked who she would be voting for said 'Well Labour are for the working people and me mam and dad always vote Labour so I will!'
Some people shouldn't be allowed a vote.
Big issues were Sellafield which Corbyn opposes, the state of the hospitals (as a consequence of Bliar's PFI initiative which has brought them to their knees) and the state of the infrastructure following years of minimal investment. At last the electorate have woken up to the fact the Labour party care little for the man in the street and is now Metropolitan based.

That brain surgeon was also featured on the national news. It is a worry!

[oldbluefox]

B****y embarrassing. Where do they find these characters? I just hope the chips are hotter than her logic.

[qbman1]

Sadly there are an awful lot of people (of all persuasions) who vote the way they do because "their parents/family always have"

Not sure what happened to free thinking !!

[Stephen]

Sadly there are an awful lot of people (of all persuasions) who vote the way they do because "their parents/family always have"

Not sure what happened to free thinking !!

Got taxed

[towny44]

Not quite current, but I watched Call the Midwife last night and was fascinated by the Cuban missile story-line. Now like most contributors on here my wife and I lived through this, although we had not quite started dating at this time, and neither of us remembered this as being the number one, overriding and deeply concerning issue that the writers portrayed.
Does that mean that Yorkshire folk are insular, uncaring and unfeeling about world crises, or are we just more pragmatic, down to earth and matter of fact about world issues that we have absolutely no way of influencing?
Answers on a postcard to the head of BBC drama.

[oldbluefox]

No towny, it just means news of the Cuban crisis took 6 months to get through to you by which time it had all blown over. However you are right about being 'more pragmatic, down to earth and matter of fact about world issues that we have absolutely no way of influencing?' Why get worked up over something you have absolutely no control over.

Great c**k up at the Oscars last night. Maybe if they spent more time doing what they are 'good' at instead of trying to be smart and political maybe it wouldn't have happened. Interesting point made on Sky News this morning that the constant haranguing of Trump is now bordering on bullying. Certainly I thought the projected image of a Tweet they were sending him bordered on baiting by a load of wealthy, self obsessed, self important and arrogant luvvies who should stick to acting. Not interested in their mothers, their fathers, their pet dog, pet stick insect or any political message they want to share with us. Take your Oscar, say a few words of thanks and then get off the stage and let others get on!!
Personally I am getting fed up with a shed load of films which are coming out with a political message. I don't go to the cinema to be preached at or to come away with a strong moral dilemma. I go to be entertained - something even my football team is not delivering nowadays!!!

16998934_1862841023992306_3329372464579899071_n.jpg

[Mervyn and Trish]

With you entirely on that Foxy. If they want to be politicians they should stand for election. Otherwise get on with the day job and stop preaching. They know no more about the various world issues than the rest of us. And they're hyporcritical. If I hear one more luvvy carp on about global warming when they're just arrived via private jet and limo I'll scream.

[towny44]

With all the dire warnings of funding shortfalls in just about every public service sector headlining the BBC news every night, anyone would think there was a budget due?
Why can't the Beeb realise it is being played by all the left wing politicians and union leaders.

[Silver_Shiney]

and there was me thinking all was well with the world, with global poverty dealt with, various wars finished amicably, the economy stable etc etc.

Well, come on, the only headlines over the last few days, with acres of space devoted to it, was the faux-pas at the Oscars.

[Mervyn and Trish]

With all the dire warnings of funding shortfalls in just about every public service sector headlining the BBC news every night, anyone would think there was a budget due?
Why can't the Beeb realise it is being played by all the left wing politicians and union leaders.

So how are the public services doing round your way Towny, because ours are creaking? I'm the first to point out that the cuts have been needed because Gordon and Towny splashed all the cash and left no rainy day fund to call on when the economics crash came. But it would be ostrich like to say the problems the public sector now face are nothing but a left wing publicity stunt.

p.s. Thought you didn't watch the BBC! Are Sky still flogging the plastic in the sea story?

[towny44]

With all the dire warnings of funding shortfalls in just about every public service sector headlining the BBC news every night, anyone would think there was a budget due?
Why can't the Beeb realise it is being played by all the left wing politicians and union leaders.

So how are the public services doing round your way Towny, because ours are creaking? I'm the first to point out that the cuts have been needed because Gordon and Towny splashed all the cash and left no rainy day fund to call on when the economics crash came. But it would be ostrich like to say the problems the public sector now face are nothing but a left wing publicity stunt.

p.s. Thought you didn't watch the BBC! Are Sky still flogging the plastic in the sea story?

I was merely trying to point out that these funding warnings from unions and the like are their way of trying to influence public opinion ahead of the Chancellor's budget, in the hope that their dept. will benefit.
Not a publicity stunt but the normal way that spin doctors highlight the problems that we all know exist because there will never be enough tax money to satisfy everyone.

[Mervyn and Trish]

The perspective of some is we don't need enough tax money. We can just borrow and spend spend spend. Funnily enough some of these people also thought we should have been thinking about our children when we voted for or against Brefit!

[kaymar]

Did anyone catch the John Bishop interview with Andrew Flintoff last night? Best interview I've seen for years - he's a much more rounded, complex character than he might usually appear to be.

[oldbluefox]

I think I made a big mistake in voting for Brexit. I just hadn't thought of this.
I hope the link works for this woman just sums up where we have all been going wrong. Can I change my mind?
(Question Time last night).

[towny44]

I think I made a big mistake in voting for Brexit. I just hadn't thought of this.
I hope the link works for this woman just sums up where we have all been going wrong. Can I change my mind?
(Question Time last night).

Ah what a shame, Londoners having to do without their morning coffee and pretzels.

[kaymar]

It's all about priorities, obf.

Maybe there is an underlying truth in what she is saying, though - perhaps she just didn't express it very well

[qbman1]

I'm sure we managed before we were ankle deep in Eastern Europeans ?

[Stephen]

Old Norm has the right idea.

https://youtu.be/H793pyynMyI

[screwy]

I dont drink Coffee or eat Pretzels so i dont give a toss...!!!

On another note , Lizz Truzz..less. On Qt last night, With the Prison Service in absolute meltdown, not one Question raised to her. Dont tell me it was just a coincidence.Possibly only agreed to go on the show if the Beeb promised to filter the Audience.

[oldbluefox]

I cannot believe we will send all the Eastern Europeans back who have, by now, settled here. However the Lords have effectively weakened Mrs May's hand by trying to force the issue before she has negotiated what will happen to them and all the Brits living abroad. I hear our European friends are looking for money to pay for pensions and medical care for our elderly compatriots. Perhaps we need to send a bill to our European counterparts for the care of their compatriots.
I'll be glad when Article 50 is invoked when proper negotiations can begin instead of the naysayers running around like headless chickens in a state of self induced panic. We saw Project Fear in the run up to the referendum. It seems they are still at it in a bid to delay Brexit by any means.
Not heard from Gina Miller for a week. Is she on holiday?

[Happydays]

I read yesterday that she is going to return to the courts if the"Lords" are ignored! Of course she is only doing this for our own good. I wish she wouldn't bother. I want out what part don't they understand? All that's happening is weaking Mrs May's and Co negotiating position.
There is another yougov poll "Replace the Unelected House of Lords with a Publicly Elected Body" petition number 170686 over 87,535 votes so far! I might think of that one....

[Mervyn and Trish]

We would be insane to guarantee the Europeans can stay here unless it's a reciprocal deal. Why can't the silly buffers in the Lords see that? Get them abolished and replaced with an elected body a.s.a.p.

[towny44]

We would be insane to guarantee the Europeans can stay here unless it's a reciprocal deal. Why can't the silly buffers in the Lords see that? Get them abolished and replaced with an elected body a.s.a.p.

Totally agree Merv, and this might be an ideal vehicle to test full proportional representation and give seats to any party with more than, say 7.5% of the vote, that way it would be far more representative of public opinion, and of course get rid of the last hereditary peers and those annoyingly liberal bishops.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'd go further Towny (though basically agreeing with you, which is a worry!)

I'd stick to first past the post in the Commons and do full PR in the Upper Chamber, however small any party's vote. Have say 500 members so even if a party gets only 1% of the vote they get 5 seats. Would be a shock to Mrs Krankie though. There'd be more UKIP in there than SNP! Then she'd see how unimportant she is.