Current Affairs

[towny44]

Mind you she's had added pressures I'm sure.

Every time I see her at the moment she looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights!

And I do wish she would learn the correct protocol of curtsying rather than giving a nod of the head

Having seen her attempt at a curtsey, I think a simple bow of the head is far better.

[Mervyn and Trish]

In these modern politically correct times I believe a bow of the head is considered acceptable for any of the several gender options available/or none.

[Kendhni]

Mind you she's had added pressures I'm sure.

Every time I see her at the moment she looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights!

She has always had that look about her

[Kendhni]

Mind you she's had added pressures I'm sure.

Every time I see her at the moment she looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights!

And I do wish she would learn the correct protocol of curtsying rather than giving a nod of the head

Having seen her attempt at a curtsey, I think a simple bow of the head is far better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUeWiGXurE0

[Stephen]

She could do with a bit of sun on her bones as well. Dulux brilliant white has more colour.

[Onelife]

Mind you she's had added pressures I'm sure.

Every time I see her at the moment she looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights!

And I do wish she would learn the correct protocol of curtsying rather than giving a nod of the head

Having seen her attempt at a curtsey, I think a simple bow of the head is far better.

Considering her upbringing I wouldn’t have thought curtsying or nodding would come naturally to her…as for swearing allegiance to the crown she had no choice if she wanted the job.

[david63]

Considering her upbringing I wouldn’t have thought curtsying or nodding would come naturally to he

Possibly not - but it is the role that she is in and she has to do it.

It is no problem to Theresa May to curtsey, not Jacob Rees-Mogg's wife

[Kendhni]

And so it begins
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/will-the-trip ... 54450.html

You could almost set your watch by a story about a terrible winter or the NHS in crisis.

[david63]

Whilst I can understand the logic behind Liz Truss's plan to remove the cap on bankers bonuses I do think that the timing of suggesting it is, to say the least, a bit out. There are many who will be struggling to put food on the table who will see this as a red rag to a bull.

This woman is totally out of touch with the majority of people in this country and is pandering to the Tory members - unfortunately only half the Tory members are supportive of her.

[Ray B]

And so it begins
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/will-the-trip ... 54450.html

You could almost set your watch by a story about a terrible winter or the NHS in crisis.

Our Hospital is full, with ambulances queuing to discharge patients, and we haven't started the winter yet.
It's mainly down to 'bed blockers', one in seven blocking beds are there until they can be safely discharged.
We are paying the price of building a new hospital with two hundred less beds than the old one, and closing the convalescence hospitals which use to free up beds in the main hospital.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Yes, us too. But contrary to the ill informed hysteria that abounds ours was planned while I worked at its predecessor and it was that nice Mr Bliar's government that decreed it should have 200 fewer beds than the health experts said were needed.

[david63]

I don't believe that the number of beds in any hospital is really the problem. The number of beds in any hospital is a finite number and when they are full they are full. You can increase the number of beds but yet again that becomes a finite number and when they are full they are full - it is just going round in circles.

The major issue that has to be addressed, not just by government but by the population, is what do we want from our health service, as opposed to what we expect, and who/how are we going to pay for it. Until that question is resolved the NHS will continue to go from crisis to crisis because there is no plan.

Politicians seem to think that throwing a few more £billion at the NHS will solve all the problems - it won't, that money will just get swallowed up and make very little difference. I doubt for one minute anybody knows how much it costs to run the NHS - yes we all know how much is being spent on it but that is not the answer to the question.

[Kendhni]

I don't believe that the number of beds in any hospital is really the problem. The number of beds in any hospital is a finite number and when they are full they are full. You can increase the number of beds but yet again that becomes a finite number and when they are full they are full - it is just going round in circles.

The major issue that has to be addressed, not just by government but by the population, is what do we want from our health service, as opposed to what we expect, and who/how are we going to pay for it. Until that question is resolved the NHS will continue to go from crisis to crisis because there is no plan.

Politicians seem to think that throwing a few more £billion at the NHS will solve all the problems - it won't, that money will just get swallowed up and make very little difference. I doubt for one minute anybody knows how much it costs to run the NHS - yes we all know how much is being spent on it but that is not the answer to the question.

I have said for ages that the NHS needs to move towards a co-pay system. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that it will happen, it just needs a prime minister with the guts to do it. it is the only way I can see the NHS surviving in its current form. The only other solution is to go to an insurance based system ... I don't think anybody in the UK wants that.

They also need a major review of pricing and NHS supply chains ... they are being ripped off left, right and centre because suppliers see them as a desperate bottomless pit of money and the internal management do not seem to want (or be capable) to do anything about it.

[Kendhni]

Whilst I can understand the logic behind Liz Truss's plan to remove the cap on bankers bonuses I do think that the timing of suggesting it is, to say the least, a bit out. There are many who will be struggling to put food on the table who will see this as a red rag to a bull.

Similarly with proposals on capital gains and stamp duty .. there does not seem to be any logic in such actions at this time ... apart from pandering to wealthy tory party funders. At the minute the plan seems to be to borrow our way out of debt.

[david63]

the NHS needs to move towards a co-pay system

Don't disagree but it is how that is implemented that is the problem. There is no way that any government would get away with telling the population that every visit to the GP would cost them £10 or that staying in hospital would cost them £100 per day.

Might get away with an insurance type of scheme but what would that cost - especially for the elderly?

The main problem here is that the NHS funding was intended to come from National Insurance - but that has never kept pace with the NHS requirements and has just become another source of taxation for the government. Reverting back to using the National Insurance for NHS funding is probably the least politically painful route.

it just needs a prime minister with the guts to do it

Well we have somebody at the helm that keeps telling us that she is not afraid to make the tough decisions - so there is nothing stopping her doing it, other than it will be political suicide and relegate the Tory part into oblivion for the next 50 years.

Also it is pointless exercise in that the next party in government would rescind it on day one thus ensuring that they remained the party of government for the next 50 years.

[Kendhni]

I agree with you that it will be a tough and possibly politically damaging move, so it needs to be done at the beginning of a new governments term so that they have the maximum opportunity to show the benefits that it gives rise to (that works on the assumption that it will be beneficial) ... so I doubt if Truss will do too much tinkering with the NHS in a 2 year parliamentary term (but she could well be someone who would do it if re-elected, however given the magic money tree forest she is relying on, I am not sure even she would do it ... despite support of the idea from several within her cabinet).

At the minute the projections are that the cost of the NHS will double, as a percentage of GDP (approx. 8%-16%), by 2050/2060. So, once the dirty deed is done, I believe subsequent governments will continue with a copay scheme with the only adjustments being as to which services attract a copay and to how much that copay will be. I also suspect that IHT could be used to cover shortfall (either as part of the overall model or as a deferral clawback mechanism to allow people to cover ongoing medical costs).


The fact that NI is capped and some do not/no longer pay NI needs a review. As far as NI is concerned, it should be done away with, and just wrapped up into a simpler taxation system ... i.e. collect it the same way as it is used, part of general taxation. That by itself would save billions (just in the costs of handling and administering NI) and could offer a significant propaganda coup for any government (since it would result in a rise of the lowest tax band, moving many at the lower income end out of paying income tax).

Whatever happens it will be interesting to watch with very mixed opinions.

[towny44]

I have no idea how a co-pay system would work, nor do I think that an insurance scheme would ever be acceptable to a population who have only known free health care.
However one quick way of providing some immediate help to the NHS would be for the govt to increase local authority funding for the care sector, to enable care homes and care providers to pay care workers far more than the current £10 per hour. This should begin to free up hospital beds, reduce A&E waiting times and improve ambulance response times, and the cost should not be too outrageous.
PS and it would not be anywhere near as controversial as making pensioners pay NI direct or via income tax, or reducing the threshold for IHT.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I agree. The problem is not the NHS. The big problem is lack of care settings after hospital treatment.

[Kendhni]

Interesting budget.
It is a new vision and direction based on borrowing and spending our way out of debt and rewarding the wealthy (in the hope trickle down economics, that has failed elsewhere, will work in the UK) ... totally throws away the previous incumbents economic direction ... it is a huge gamble and I really hope it works because if it doesn't we have dug an even deeper hole for ourselves.

[david63]

Can someone please explain how cutting stamp duty is going to help anyone - other than the few who will be buying a house and as far as I can see the few is getting fewer due to the uncertainty with the economy.

[Stephen]

I wish I could a afford private health care.

Example, I slipped on the stairs three weeks ago leaving me with a painful swollen knee and sciatica down the same leg. Normally weeks to wait for a MRI scan although I've been lucky and got an urgent referral for one Saturday week after much chasing up. It's then up to five weeks for the report to come back. Then if I need to be referred to a specialist that'll be months not weeks, and if further treatment is needed then who knows.

Just off to post my application for my disability parking badge

[Kendhni]

Can someone please explain how cutting stamp duty is going to help anyone - other than the few who will be buying a house and as far as I can see the few is getting fewer due to the uncertainty with the economy.

It is one that confuse me as well ... it has been suggested that all it will do is push prices of property up. Naturally different areas are different but at the minute the housing market is very busy in our area (usually 10-20% above asking).

On GMB Kevin Maguire quipped that it might be a pay off for their rich tory chums and donors pushing the prices up allowing them to sell second homes.

[david63]

The problem with this budget financial statement is that the effects from it will take years to filter down to the ones that need help now.

There is nothing in this statement that will help pensioners, there is nothing that will help the low paid - all it has done is hand the Labour Party a "golden ticket".

Liz Truss and her "yes" people are totally out of touch with the country as a whole - for all his faults I say bring back Boris.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I say bring back Boris.

Hope you have a tin hat ready.....

[Onelife]

We can’t have it all ways….I think its quite refreshing that we now have a PM who has decided to look to what we should be doing for the future and not carry on doing what we should have done, but didn’t do in the past.