Current Affairs 2025

[Onelife]

I read this morning that Sir Keir has suspended four of his welfare reform rebels. This being the case it shouldn’t be long before the “whispers in corridors” start and new rebel alliances are formed. Nothing changes does it?

I would have thought that you would have applauded Keirs action in suspending the leading rebels, showing that he is being a strong leader.
As for rebel alliance's forming isn't your idea of a PR system a guarantee that this would be a major issue with any coalition govt.
As for the .Monarchy, I believe that King Charles has already started the process of opening many more royal residences, and wants to ensure that they become self sustaining, and has slimmed down the active Royals, reducing any perceived drain on the public purse.

I think Keir has demonstrated what has been lacking in most of previous short lived x PM’s e.g. a strong Authoritarian approach which will now be his downfall…isn’t that the way our present system works?

Should he however succumb to the tribal attacks he could always put himself forward as our next elected head of state (he’s a closet anti royalist after all) or failing that he would be a good candidate to chair the next coalition Government.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Don't worry. Rachel from Accounts has it all under control.

Oh actually, do worry. That's the next thing going wrong right there.

[Portsmouth]

I think Keir has demonstrated what has been lacking in most of previous short lived x PM’s e.g. a strong Authoritarian approach which will now be his downfall
[/quote]

You have to be joking.....haven't you realised he is missing something that's absolutely crucial for overall health and functionality.
in case you haven't worked it out.....Its a spine
A real leader would have sent out what little navy we have and turned those mainly men back to France...dump them futher away like Le Havre
And when Marcon protests ....tell him we are not going to put up with it anymore
I'm not completely against immigraion we just want those who come to work & not milk the system. Our NHS needs more nurses etc

[Stephen]

Not looking good. A major cock up somewhere.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c706jdlr934t

[Onelife]

I think Keir has demonstrated what has been lacking in most of previous short lived x PM’s e.g. a strong Authoritarian approach which will now be his downfall

You have to be joking.....haven't you realised he is missing something that's absolutely crucial for overall health and functionality.
in case you haven't worked it out.....Its a spine
A real leader would have sent out what little navy we have and turned those mainly men back to France...dump them futher away like Le Havre
And when Marcon protests ....tell him we are not going to put up with it anymore
I'm not completely against immigraion we just want those who come to work & not milk the system. Our NHS needs more nurses etc
[/quote]

Hi Pompey…. I think more seasoned members generally know when I am joking or not. I have no idea as to Keirs medical conditions but I do believe he has a better understanding of the situation re: illegal immigration than either you or I have. I like many others on the forum would advocate what you are suggesting but in reality, it isn’t as simple as capsizing their boats and letting them swim back to Le Have. We, whether we like it or not have signed up to such things as the UN Convention for Refugees which legally binds us to uphold the rules within. I personally would favour the tally-ho approach and ship them all back by whatever means possible BUT I don’t have the legal understanding as to the implications that would befall us should we take this approach…. I reluctantly have to bow to Keirs better understanding of the situation… despite being as frustrated as we all are.

[Onelife]

Not looking good. A major cock up somewhere.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c706jdlr934t

Monumental!!….one can only presume those, especially our own forces haven’t been kept in the dark and that further measures for their protection have been implemented.

[Mervyn and Trish]

This should make it even quicker for the migrants to get here

BBC News - Plans for direct train to Berlin in new UK-Germany treaty - BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq6m10g7e35o

[Stephen]

Not looking good. A major cock up somewhere.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c706jdlr934t

Monumental!!….one can only presume those, especially our own forces haven’t been kept in the dark and that further measures for their protection have been implemented.

Old news really as this apparently happened back in 2022.

[david63]

I see Israel has run out of hospitals to bomb and children to target in Gaza and have now turned their attention onto churches.

Words fail me.

Oh and just for good measure they are sticking their noses into Syria

[towny44]

Not looking good. A major cock up somewhere.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c706jdlr934t

Despite the super injunction, I am fairly certain that I remember reading or hearing about this back in 2022.

[Onelife]

This should make it even quicker for the migrants to get here

BBC News - Plans for direct train to Berlin in new UK-Germany treaty - BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq6m10g7e35o

I can’t see anything wrong with this treaty other than the train stops and starts from London.

The London centic bubble needs bursting.

[towny44]

This should make it even quicker for the migrants to get here

BBC News - Plans for direct train to Berlin in new UK-Germany treaty - BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq6m10g7e35o

I can’t see anything wrong with this treaty other than the train stops and starts from London.

The London centic bubble needs bursting.

If you sell your countryside pile, you could maybe start a fund to build a new station and train line in Shropshire to handle this new service. They could call it the Onelife line.

[Onelife]

This should make it even quicker for the migrants to get here

BBC News - Plans for direct train to Berlin in new UK-Germany treaty - BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq6m10g7e35o

I can’t see anything wrong with this treaty other than the train stops and starts from London.

The London centic bubble needs bursting.

If you sell your countryside pile, you could maybe start a fund to build a new station and train line in Shropshire to handle this new service. They could call it the Onelife line.

I like the sound of that …I’ll be wanting preferential share options as well

[Ray B]

Nigel Farage has said he will get tough on criminals.
He said "For criminals, I want to put you on notice. In 2029 or whenever that may be"

To help Nigel out, 2029 will follow 2028.

[Onelife]

Nigel Farage has said he will get tough on criminals.
He said "For criminals, I want to put you on notice. In 2029 or whenever that may be"

To help Nigel out, 2029 will follow 2028.

[david63]

Looks as if Rachael from Accounts has got her sums wrong - again. This week borrowing is up

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwygq5plz04o

[Mervyn and Trish]

She's definitely out of her depth. Worse than the Tories she condemns on every front. Stand by for big tax rises. To fill the new black hole she's creating.

[Onelife]

I personally would welcome higher taxes if it meant better public services…perhaps a health tax would be a good starting point?

Don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but I quite like Rachael Reeves

[Mervyn and Trish]

The problem for me is at the moment they're delivering higher taxes without any noticeable improvement in services.

[david63]

Stand by for big tax rises.

The question is - which ones? Labour have pledged not to raise taxes "on the working man" so that rules out income tax and NI - unless they want to break their promise, which would be political suicide. That then leaves indirect taxes which would filter through to affect "the working man"

perhaps a health tax would be a good starting point

We already have that it is called national Insurance - but it has become just part of the general tax pot.

My suggestion would be to isolate the tax required to run the NHS into national Insurance and "ring-fence" that in law for the NHS. Also everybody pays into that (the working man, pensioners, those on benefits) and becomes an easy tax to manage to fund the NHS and is something that the vast majority of the population would accept. It could be implemented almost overnight.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Well as we've already seen the working man clearly doesn't include pensioners. We're fair game.

[Onelife]

Stand by for big tax rises.

The question is - which ones? Labour have pledged not to raise taxes "on the working man" so that rules out income tax and NI - unless they want to break their promise, which would be political suicide. That then leaves indirect taxes which would filter through to affect "the working man"

perhaps a health tax would be a good starting point

We already have that it is called national Insurance - but it has become just part of the general tax pot.

My suggestion would be to isolate the tax required to run the NHS into national Insurance and "ring-fence" that in law for the NHS. Also everybody pays into that (the working man, pensioners, those on benefits) and becomes an easy tax to manage to fund the NHS and is something that the vast majority of the population would accept. It could be implemented almost overnight.

That’s what I was alluding too…and as you say most would go along with it, as suggested by recent polls.

[towny44]

I personally would welcome higher taxes if it meant better public services…perhaps a health tax would be a good starting point?

Don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but I quite like Rachael Reeves

Don't bank on improved public services Keith, any tax increases will struggle to maintain the status quo. Unless we can cull 10 million off the population, without reducing the tax revenue too much, then no govt is likely to improve standards of living.

[Onelife]

I personally would welcome higher taxes if it meant better public services…perhaps a health tax would be a good starting point?

Don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but I quite like Rachael Reeves

Don't bank on improved public services Keith, any tax increases will struggle to maintain the status quo. Unless we can cull 10 million off the population, without reducing the tax revenue too much, then no govt is likely to improve standards of living.

I’m sure you are right John but we could save £1,400.000 by making some of our convicted murders disappear…Habibur Masum being one of them. He murdered his his wife because she didn’t do as she was told. The judge in passing sentence said…” You viciously and mercilessly" attacked Ms Akter, stabbing her 26 times”

I can see no reason why we should foot the bill for this kind of trash and if I had my way he would be sentenced to the harshest of hard labour or have the option of a lethal injection.

Either way he should get a reduced sentence.

[oldbluefox]

It seems to me we are over populated with insufficient numbers actually working since more and more are relying on state benefits to support them when they are entirely capable of working. NHS in meltdown, insufficient water, not enough affordable housing, rising numbers claiming benefit, insuffient school places, lack of doctor appointments, the list is endless.
It concerned me when people on the street were interviewed and asked 'If there was a war would you fight?' Uncomfortably many of the younger generation simply said no they would not and many of our immigrant friends similarly said they wouldn't fight either because 'It's not our country!!!' What sort of population are we building here since it seems to me we are importing and breeding a load of freeloaders which the rest of us are having to support.
Years ago when illegal immigrants started arriving from France we should have had the cojones to deport them straight away. Had we taken such a tough stance we would not have the problems we have today and there would have been scope to have an immigration policy which worked for the immigrants and the country as a whole. As it stands @Smash the Gangs'Starmer' is failing miserably. Meanwhile I detect the citizens of the country are getting rather restless as they see their own culture being diluted only to be replaced by a foreign culture.
Mr Macron was right.............it's our own fault, we are giving the country away.