General Election 2024

[Stephen]

Head North ……

[oldbluefox]

My sister in Leicestershire gets excellent service, sees a doctor on the same day without fail.
We have to phone in for a triage with the receptionist and are granted a telephone appointment. We don't seem to have our own doctors any more, usually it is a locum and sometimes it is difficult to understand them. If we do manage to see them be joyful for you will never see them again. If you go into the surgery for an appointment you will be directed to a physician associate. We used to have great surgeries but alas not any more.

I'm moving down to the Midlands.

[Onelife]

Here in lovely Shropshire if we have to wait longer than a day the doctor brings a get-well card when doing her house visits.

[towny44]

I managed to get a same day appointment last week, but only after undergoing the Spanish inquisition, and claiming I could not understand their e-consult system.

[screwy]

We seem to have a good surgery, we can normally get an appt same day, it might be with the Nurse or the Doctor but hey ho.

[david63]

Well it has not taken long for Labour to revert to type.

According Rachel Reeves this morning Labour want to raid pension funds again to finance their policies. I don't have a problem if it is a "loan" which will yield as much, if not more, interest than the trustees of my pension fund are getting now but if not then they can get their grubby mitts off my money.

[Onelife]

Its just as well I don’t understand all this pension fund stuff because if I did, I’m sure I would be very worried about a government, especially a labour government raiding pension funds with the intention of reinvesting to invest in a brighter future…their track record doesn’t install confidence but reading the views of those who should know what they are talking about it appears to be the way to go.?

[david63]

Oh surprise, surprise we did not know how bad the economy was https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c724g07qwdwo

[Mervyn and Trish]

The usual script! And largely debunked in a BBC analysis.

[david63]

Well that's the winter fuel payment gone - just have to freeze this winter. Daft thing is no mention of scrapping the £10 Christmas bonus

[Stephen]

You only got £10. Who have you upset in government David. I got £50

[Ray B]

May have to nip down the road the Stephens this winter to see if he can spare me a log.

[Stephen]

May have to nip down the road the Stephens this winter to see if he can spare me a log.

Bring your credit card Ray and I’ll see what I can do.

[Onelife]

Not before time scrapping the winter fuel allowance for well off folk like us, hopefully they’ll do the same for the Christmas bonus and if they want to make some real saving they should stop child benefit... for all but those who really need it.

[Mervyn and Trish]

The winter fuel payment is neither here nor there. What is of more concern is the scrapping of the planned cap on social care costs. That could cost those of us who've been prudent and not squandered every penny tens of thousands of pounds if we need care in our latter years. While the great unwashed idlers get looked after at our expense. If that one had been in the manifesto it would have swung a fair few votes.

[Onelife]

The winter fuel payment is neither here nor there. What is of more concern is the scrapping of the planned cap on social care costs. That could cost those of us who've been prudent and not squandered every penny tens of thousands of pounds if we need care in our latter years. While the great unwashed idlers get looked after at our expense. If that one had been in the manifesto it would have swung a fair few votes.

I’ve told my wife that if I ever find myself in the position where she needs to shove me into a nursing home, I’d rather top myself…can you imagine what it would be like for the other residents having me there

[Mervyn and Trish]

I reckon you'd get along fine, so long as they weren't wearing their crowns.

[barney]

I’m just pleased that it appears that after a long time, grown ups have finally taken over the finances of the country.
Some may not like the fact that things they have grown used to are taken away, but long term, the country will benefit.
I’m interested to see what happens in October budget.

[Stephen]

Just don't move the retirement pension goal posts again. Mrs S will not be happy.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'm prepared to give them a chance but implementing the social care limit was a pre election pledge and to abandon it is a u turn slap in the face and to try to blame it on the Tories is a disgrace. That's not remotely grown up.

[david63]

I'm prepared to give them a chance but implementing the social care limit was a pre election pledge and to abandon it is a u turn slap in the face and to try to blame it on the Tories is a disgrace. That's not remotely grown up.

Just wait for the budget - Inheritance tax will almost certainly rise and how about a tax on the profit from selling your house plus numerous others that will affect those who have done the "right thing" all their lives.

[Ranchi]

There are no votes in ‘those who have done the right thing all of their lives’. A significant number of those won’t vote in 5 years time.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I fully intend to be around in 5 years. And if by then my house has been sold so I can pay throuhh the nose to live in a care home among scroungers paying bugger all you can guess who I won't vote for!

[barney]

I fully intend to be around in 5 years. And if by then my house has been sold so I can pay throuhh the nose to live in a care home among scroungers paying bugger all you can guess who I won't vote for!

Every previous government has had the opportunity to do something about this. Johnson actually had it as part of his manifesto in 2019 then, as usual, did nothing.
My wife’s mother passed recently but before she did, she had paid over £300 thousand in care home fees.
Obviously, they didn’t buy their house with the intention of paying it all to a care home but that’s how it worked out.
There is a way to mitigate this.
We made provisions years ago.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Yes you're right. It's been an ongoing issue for years, constantly kicked down the road. My anger is Labour gave a very specific pledge to implement it by October 2025 during the election and it's taken them less than three weeks to bin it. As bad as Bojo.