True. Because it's all about entertainment. Try... ‘Amusing Ourselves to Death’ - Neil Postman 1985. A prophetic look at what happens when politics, journalism, education, and even religion become subject to the demands of entertainment. Written before the internet as well.
Yeah I think as things stand Tories will incredibly be voted in again!!! All the cuts happened yesterday and then in to the run up to the next election things will look better and Rishi will be able to try and bribe the public with cuts saying how the strength of the nation to get debt under control needs to be rewarded blah blah blah.
I really hope now the realisation has stuck in. And the poorer in society realise what a disastrous 12 yrs of austerity (Irrespective of covid and the war) they've had. They wake up and smell the coffee. It will take a labour or labour/Scottish alliance government yrs to hopefully rectify the situation. Also dare I say it. Another possible vote on Europe if they'd allow us back. I'd be interested to see what the polls would show. I'm aware we are stuck with it now and more than likely no possible return. But never say never. Eg Another vote for Scottish independence isn't out of the question.
If we ended up with a Labour/SNP coalition then they would have to take the opportunity to reform the electoral system.
Thats not happening in the next parliament no matter who gets in. That stable door is flapping in the wind with the horse over the hills and far away Steps to rejoin the single market would be a good start though and that may be more realistic
Very true did people think we could furlough the majority of the country give out grants etc and not have to pay it back...
Worst fall in living standards in recorded history, and non-Covid excess deaths through the roof. Looks like the first in a long list of lockdown and Brexit bills just hit the doormat.
If we can persuade Norway to let us join EFTA, I understand that only countries in EFTA can join the single market (Feel free to correct me if that's not true).
If you leave work to care for kids and therefore get Child Benefit, those years get credited. Likewise if you're registered unemployed, sick or as a carer. A long time ago we had 'married womens conts' which were second rate - but that should no longer affect anyone of working age (I'm coming up to 60 and it affected my mum).
The Pandemic management hit everyone - the war in Ukraine hits everyone - what is the one thing that we have different to our neighbours? Brexit isn't responsible for all our ills; but its the reason we're doing worse than our peers.
Yes, you are correct. But our peers are also fuucked into a cocked hat too. Especially Germany. Just mildly less so. And everyone still got Covid anyway. Twice.
My wife was a teacher for 37 years with only a few months off before during and after the birth of our daughter. In spite of that, she does not receive the full State Pension (teachers nurses servicemen and civil servants paid reduced NI contributions as they were contracted out of the second State pension) So whilst they got the occupational pensions the benefit of that was in part reduced due to teh reduction of the full State Pension
Not true. Vaccines reduced the severity of the virus. Treatment improved. Hospitals retained some capacity for patients.
There were a few years of contracted out pensions (included me for a short time), but we had the option to top up our conts if it’s going to affect the old age pension (personally despite the contracted out years I already have enough years to get my pension at 67 even though it’s 9 years away). And it’s a completely separate issue to the one you raised originally. IIRC married women’s NI ceased to be an option in 1972 (but that’s only ‘remembered’ from talking to my mum about it in the 80’s).
The important thing about people who don’t understand the difference between causation and correlation is that they die.