Current Affairs 2023

[Mervyn and Trish]

I agree with Screwy about the convalescent hospitals. When our new acute hospital was built with fewer beds (a decision of the Blair government) we were promised more convalescent care in the community, which never happened. We have an excellent community hospital in our town that provides a number of outpatient services that also has two wards of inpatient beds standing empty while the acute hospital can't get recovering patients out. It's nonsense.

I don't agree about privatising all of the NHS. There lies a slippery slope to the sort of overpriced two tier service the USA has. I do, however, find that the outsourcing of some non emergency services to private companies works well, such as my recent very positive cataract surgery experience.

[Onelife]

Well, the first thing I would suggest to achieve an alternative would be the thing that is stopping it…Move towards getting rid of the Monarchy as there can be no alternatives until this has been achieved.

That is an irrelevance. Other than ceremonial the Monarchy has no involvement in government.

a committee of our most learned academics could work towards creating a new political system that is void of the sleaze and corruption that has been allowed to infect our present political system

That is impossible to achieve as there is no political system in the world that is devoid of sleaze and corruption to a lesser or greater extent. Whilst our system is not perfect in this respect it is better than many.

I would look towards a Representative Democracy

Which would inevitably result in coalition governments which have been shown to be the least effective style of government (look at Germany and Israel as two prime examples)

the proviso that all prospective candidates are drawn from those who have been educated to a standard of political competence

Whilst a good idea in theory, and one I would not disagree with, it would never be accepted and would in fact be a backward step as it would become elitist.

Do you have a plan B?

That’s a bit rich David, you ask for my opinion then you use it as means to poo poo everything I have said ….I shall think twice before I fall for that one again ...btw...that's my plan B

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'm inclined to agree with most of what David says, especially his first point. The Monarchy really is irrelevant to the problem you're trying to solve. You've only included it because of your personal feelings towards it. I bet if Diana had been Queen and H&M had been happily living in Frogmore Cottage you wouldn't have suggested it. Without that element the rest of what you say is at least worthy of debate.

[Onelife]

I'm inclined to agree with most of what David says, especially his first point. The Monarchy really is irrelevant to the problem you're trying to solve. You've only included it because of your personal feelings towards it. I bet if Diana had been Queen and H&M had been happily living in Frogmore Cottage you wouldn't have suggested it. Without that element the rest of what you say is at least worthy of debate.

With respect Sir Merv The Monarchy and all it represents is very relevant to how we find ourselves with a political system not fit for purpose…I will explain tomorrow as I’m off out to a party.

[towny44]

I'm inclined to agree with most of what David says, especially his first point. The Monarchy really is irrelevant to the problem you're trying to solve. You've only included it because of your personal feelings towards it. I bet if Diana had been Queen and H&M had been happily living in Frogmore Cottage you wouldn't have suggested it. Without that element the rest of what you say is at least worthy of debate.

With respect Sir Merv The Monarchy and all it represents is very relevant to how we find ourselves with a political system not fit for purpose…I will explain tomorrow as I’m off out to a party.

I wouldn't bother Onelife, your views on the monarchy are so wildly at variance with public opinion that they are not worth posting.

[Gill W]

So it appears that Raab did nothing wrong It's timid civil servants who don't like being shouted at making an almighty fuss about nothing. So why did Dominic Raab find it necessary to resign? and where's Sunak in all of this? Why is he so quiet and why hasn't he come out and defended his deputy?

Perhaps there's some truth in the accusations after all.

All of the muck slung at the civil servants came from Raab himself, in the TV interview.

So it's not exactly from a unbiased source, and therefore is unreliable.

But it doesn't stop people eagerly seizing on it as the truth !!

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'm inclined to agree with most of what David says, especially his first point. The Monarchy really is irrelevant to the problem you're trying to solve. You've only included it because of your personal feelings towards it. I bet if Diana had been Queen and H&M had been happily living in Frogmore Cottage you wouldn't have suggested it. Without that element the rest of what you say is at least worthy of debate.

With respect Sir Merv The Monarchy and all it represents is very relevant to how we find ourselves with a political system not fit for purpose…I will explain tomorrow as I’m off out to a party.

I wouldn't bother Onelife, your views on the monarchy are so wildly at variance with public opinion that they are not worth posting.

I saw this in a bookshop today. I've ordered you a copy OL

Screenshot_20230422-163628_Chrome.jpg

[Gill W]

Well, the first thing I would suggest to achieve an alternative would be the thing that is stopping it…Move towards getting rid of the Monarchy as there can be no alternatives until this has been achieved.

During this time of transition, a committee of our most learned academics could work towards creating a new political system that is void of the sleaze and corruption that has been allowed to infect our present political system {whilst accepting all political system are suseptable to human failings)

So, you ask what alternative…Well, always being one who is willing to compromise I would look towards a Representative Democracy with the proviso that all prospective candidates are drawn from those who have been educated to a standard of political competence…not like what we have now.

I do have another alternative but as they will never be allowed the political/media platform to push forward an alternative, there has to be a compromise, one which I would be willing to make for the country I love.

I think there would have to be an alternative in place if the monarchy was to be overthrown. I mean, what sort of country does something on a whim and then doesn't know how to achieve what comes next - it smacks of 2016, and we should surely have learned from that !!

I'm not a staunch monarchist, and a most of my feelings for the crown stem from my respect and admiration for the late Queen, who was a constant part of my life for as long as I could remember, I've no strong feelings either way for Charles, but, my gut feeling is that him as King is better than us being a republic, with all the hoo-hah of having to have presidential elections every 4-5 years, and, as we are not good at elections in this country, getting saddled with ever worse presidents each time it came to a vote.

It's possible to be a perfectly sensible country and still have a monarchy, I'm thinking of the likes of the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway. I was hoping that Charles would move towards that style of monarch, less grand. But it doesn't look to be the case.

But, all in all, I would stick with the current monarchy, and not have even more chaos that would be involved with the huge constitutional change to a republic.

[Ray B]

Gill W. Not counting Onelife, I think a few on here would agree with you, I certainly do.

[Stephen]

God save the King.

[Onelife]

I'm inclined to agree with most of what David says, especially his first point. The Monarchy really is irrelevant to the problem you're trying to solve. You've only included it because of your personal feelings towards it. I bet if Diana had been Queen and H&M had been happily living in Frogmore Cottage you wouldn't have suggested it. Without that element the rest of what you say is at least worthy of debate.

I thank you for your last comment


Any suggestion that the monarchy doesn’t influence politics is quite frankly ridiculous…It’s his government, as are all the other branches that fall under “His Majesty’s government”.

The monarchy, and those within have been lobbing senior ministers for years (fact) I can produce articles that supports this claim if you so wish.

If you, David and any other of the forum Monarchists think the PM’s weekly visits to the King are to sip Earl Grey while talking about the weather then you are sadly mistaken. The little red box (or other) that the PM takes with him doesn’t to my knowledge contain marmalade sandwiches or Winnie the Poo teddy bears, it is widely acknowledged that it contains briefing papers which the King can comment on... and have in the past influenced certain outcomes of government decision making. (fact)

The Monarchy operates a hierarchical stepping stone for those who wish to be seen in those circles, Marquess, Marchioness, Earl, Countess, Viscount, Viscountess, Baron, Baroness and of course the Lords (House of Lords) they all need his seal of approval which are returned with undevoted loyalty for the status and privilege that takes those who seek it to the next levels of… us and them.

With regard to Diana I can only say this…I will never forgive those who conspired to do what they did to this young lady.. End of.

[Onelife]

I'm inclined to agree with most of what David says, especially his first point. The Monarchy really is irrelevant to the problem you're trying to solve. You've only included it because of your personal feelings towards it. I bet if Diana had been Queen and H&M had been happily living in Frogmore Cottage you wouldn't have suggested it. Without that element the rest of what you say is at least worthy of debate.

With respect Sir Merv The Monarchy and all it represents is very relevant to how we find ourselves with a political system not fit for purpose…I will explain tomorrow as I’m off out to a party.

I wouldn't bother Onelife, your views on the monarchy are so wildly at variance with public opinion that they are not worth posting.

And your comments John are so wildly at variance with how a forum such as this works…keep smiling!

[Ray B]

So you deicide on a day at Bannau Brycheiniog. Trouble is you can't pronounce it and no one know where it is let alone heard of it.
So you decide on going to the Brecon Beacons.

[towny44]

So you deicide on a day at Bannau Brycheiniog. Trouble is you can't pronounce it and no one know where it is let alone heard of it.
So you decide on going to the Brecon Beacons.

Agree totally, why would any country want to reduce their use of English which is so prevalent worldwide, in favour of something spoken by only a few hundred thousand, if that.

[Manoverboard]

Is it the place at the end of the line when travelling from Porthmadog on the Festiniog railway ?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Only if the train overshoots the platform.

I can understand them wanting to keep Welsh alive but what was wrong with using both the Welsh and English names?

[Ray B]

We have to tread carefully here, don't want to get Janis coming after us.

[Jan Rosser]

We have to tread carefully here, don't want to get Janis coming after us.

Hi Ray I don’t usually read this topic - it’s always so boring - no names but honestly life’s too short to be so argumentative - I ask myself “why”

Well the comment about the name change for the Brecon Beacons caught my eye - we have bilingual signs everywhere so just don’t notice it. Snowdon is now known as Yr Wyddfa but we still say Snowden and the same will probably happen with the Beacons.

If you are not Welsh then I can’t explain what it means to me and although I don’t speak Welsh it is still important to preserve the language. Good luck with trying to pronounce these name changes

[Mervyn and Trish]

I can actually, after a lot of practice, pronounce Llanfair....... etc. Not that any true Welsh speaker would recognise my pronunciation!

[Jan Rosser]

I can actually, after a lot of practice, pronounce Llanfair....... etc. Not that any true Welsh speaker would recognise my pronunciation!

That’s my party piece Merv - lots of “ll’s” and “ch’s” - well done for even trying

[Onelife]

HI Kaymar, did you see it last night? (Aurora borealis) They did in Church Stretton which is 7 miles from where we live in Ludlow…Funny thing is my wife beckoned me to the window at about 10.30 saying something was happening in the sky…I did reluctantly get up to have a look but saw nothing other than the moon and the bright “evening star” (Venus) which sits just below the moon. Listening to the news this morning there is a good chance that stargazers have a realistic chance of seeing it again tonight, so wrap up warm and get out on your balcony.

[Manoverboard]

I can actually, after a lot of practice, pronounce Llanfair....... etc. Not that any true Welsh speaker would recognise my pronunciation!

That’s my party piece Merv - lots of “ll’s” and “ch’s” - well done for even trying

When the boys were small we used to rent a house on the Llein peninsular, Llanbedrog-ish look you.

If Mrs Jones spied us she would ask where we had been that day. Mostly it was to the beach but one day I had a shot at telling her that we'd been to Tudor-Willy-Og. I can still picture her laughing.

[Onelife]

I can actually, after a lot of practice, pronounce Llanfair....... etc. Not that any true Welsh speaker would recognise my pronunciation!

That’s my party piece Merv - lots of “ll’s” and “ch’s” - well done for even trying

Hi Jan, I’m fluent in Welsh as my pronunciation of “Machynlleth” is spot on… it should be the number of times I’ve passed through it, I do however struggle with Dolgellau…as does my BIL who pronounces it as Dog-a-lou which no doubt would be a bone of contention with the Welsh.

[Stephen]

Anyone that can't pronounce bacon butty without spitting everywhere aint worth knowing

[oldbluefox]

Try putting llwybr cyhoeddus into your satnav. If you find it let me know.