The Political Thread

[Frank]

It's the majority of the system we use at this moment in time. Until we adopt the Libs version then that is how the vote will always be.

It's the false sense of public confidence and perceived democratic mandate which that perverse system encourages which leads Prime Ministers to rule like US Presidents (who are directly elected) and make disastrous decisions like the Poll tax and the Iraq War - disastrous and unpopular decisions which would never have passed a public vote.

[Dredd Head]

The story of our country, Don't work, Have kids, Go on holiday. Meanwhile all working tax payers pick up the slack.

The majority of the welfare bill goes to pensioners and child tax credits (which all working families received until recently):

20.3 million families receive some kind of benefit (64% of all families), about 8.7 million of them pensioners. For 9.6 million families, benefits make up more than half of their income (30% of all families), around 5.3 million of them pensioners. The number of families receiving benefits will be between 1 and 2 million fewer now because of changes to child tax credits that mean some working families who previously got a small amount now get nothing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/apr/06/welfare-britain-facts-myths

the thing is that methadone subscription alone cost's around 60 million and I'm not getting started on JSA.

[Charlie boy]

The story of our country, Don't work, Have kids, Go on holiday. Meanwhile all working tax payers pick up the slack.

The simple joy of putting huge numbers of people out of work before turning to those still in work and saying "All our problems are down to this lazy lot". I think it's known as divide and conquer.

[Jim_Campbell]

the thing is that methadone subscription alone cost's around 60 million and I'm not getting started on JSA. Yeah, well, you can prove anything with facts.

FTFY.

Cheers

Jim

[Dredd Head]

The story of our country, Don't work, Have kids, Go on holiday. Meanwhile all working tax payers pick up the slack.

The simple joy of putting huge numbers of people out of work before turning to those still in work and saying "All our problems are down to this lazy lot". I think it's known as divide and conquer.

If they are actively looking for work then i have no problem, but 90% of people out of work are not. I have seen people filling their books in the jobcentre 5 mins before their appointment

[Charlie boy]

90% of people out of work aren't really looking for work?
That's fascinating. Please post the link where this fact of yours can be found.

[Dredd Head]

90% of people out of work aren't really looking for work?
That's fascinating. Please post the link where this fact of yours can be found.

It came from personal experience, Nearly all of the people i know out of work are not looking. Why work 40 hours a week to come away with less money and more effort

[Jim_Campbell]

It came from personal experience

Anecdotes do not equal data, and the people you know are not a statistically valid sample. Stop making shit up and passing your prejudices off as 'facts'.

Gah.

Jim

[Dredd Head]

It came from personal experience

Anecdotes do not equal data, and the people you know are not a statistically valid sample. Stop making shit up and passing your prejudices off as 'facts'.

Gah.

Jim

It was an opinion not a fact, Merely putting my 2 pence in, sorry if i have offended anyone

[Frank]

the thing is that methadone subscription alone cost's around 60 million and I'm not getting started on JSA.

I don't know many junkies or folk on methadone programs who indulge in the foreign travel you were complaining about; for obvious reasons, they prefer to stay near home. The UK has exactly the same rate of unemployment as the booming economy of Deutschland, so that's not the answer:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/oct/31/europe-unemployment-rate-by-country-eurozone

[Dredd Head]

It was in an article in a paper I read a few weeks ago, Foreign travel? 

[Modern Panther]

It would be much easier to allow the unemployed to live in poverty if we would just all buy into the idea that the poor choose to be poor.  They are lazy, well provided for by the state, and will quite possibly kill their children unless their benefits are slashed and they are forced into one of the large number of vacant and well paid jobs available.

Also, the wealthy create jobs, disabled people are just pretending, and North Korea are a genuine threat.  Return to your designated living area.  Your government is in control.

[Jim_Campbell]

It was an opinion not a fact, Merely putting my 2 pence in, sorry if i have offended anyone

Don't be sorry, try not being a prejudiced fuckhead spouting ill-informed crap.

[Frank]

Er, make that Sweden. The figures are really close together, okay!

[Frank]

Foreign travel? 

This, neebs:

The story of our country, Don't work, Have kids, Go on holiday. Meanwhile all working tax payers pick up the slack.