Ain't life grand

[ValA.]

I've just received my monthly NHS Pension statement and was over the moon reading that we'd had a 3.1% pay rise from 11.4.11.
It didn't last though. Comparing it to my last statement my tax number is lower and surprise surprise, I'm now getting £41 per month less than before the pay rise

If I had a choice I'd tell them where to stick the rise. Why give us a pay rise to start with? Just cut out all the middle crap and give it straight to the exchequer. Still, at least I should be happy that it's going to a good cause like increasing our payments to the EU, bailing out other countries, financing Baroness Ashtons diplomatic corp, paying for missiles in Libya, supplying some poor immigrant with a multi-million home in London, paying a nice human rights lawyer to fight to stop an illegal getting deported, financing a different voting system for no-hopers who have delusions of grandeur.
There, I knew I'd feel better after that

 

[butler1]

Hi Lord B, I think more and more of the country are also becoming increasingly disgruntled at the very issues you raise. I think our welfare system is hugely attractive to a lot of immigrants. Not for nothing are we known as 'Treasure Island.' Also, hearing that the British Army were acting as advisers in Libya sent a shiver up my spine. Isn't that how the Americans became involved in Vietnam? Butler

 

[brightmore]

I agree Brakey.........but its still better 'n' werkin' init

 

[Dustydog]

Look on the bright side LB, you've still got your free bus pass; haven't you?

 

[emmerson]

Hey,m this is me just back from three weeks away, and I've just treceived the joyous news that my Company pension has gone up by a whole £6.51 per month! I'll try not to let it affect my life too much, but as it's the first rise for two years, it might go to my head!
Btw, we stayed for nine nights at Mossyard, Gatehouse of Fleet. Great site, right on the beach., If you've got kids, this is the one for you, but you need to book well in advance.

 

[Clive-Cardiff]

For the last few years whenever there was a comment like LB's many people would say, "roll on the next tory government".
Has it made a difference?
No!
Same old, same old.

 

[Parksy]

While I'm not trying to encourage a political rant I have to say that it appears to me that no matter what party or combination of parties is elected by the few who bother to vote the wishes of the electorate are casually and routinely ignored by all politicians.
I can't help wondering if a vote for the AV system wouldn't make one or two of the time servers in safe seats start to look over their shoulders a bit more often if they thought that a candidate from a minority party such as UKIP might be snapping at their heels and threatening their place at the trough.
Voting in this country ought to be made compulsory anyway.
We are causing widespread death and destruction to innocent civilians in Afghanistan whilst the best of our young people are being sacrificed in an unwinnable war which will go on for years and now this country is starting to exceed the UN mandate in Libya by increasing our involvement, again without our consent.
Somethings got to give

 

[SpudDog57]

If Poms vote for AV you all need certifying.
Back home in Oz it was supposed to increase the numbers of people voting, that failed so they brought in compulsory voting. Australia would be a far better place with first past the post. AV, proportional representation is a license for lack of direction in government. First past the post has served you well for hundreds of years, stick with what you know and understand.

 

[Mel]

It don't matter who wins the election, its always the government who get in.
mel

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

If Poms vote for AV you all need certifying.

Here's one that wont need certifying Spud.
I agree with Parksy that it would be nice to see UKIP come more to prominence but the fear of letting the LibDemWets in terrifies me and that is what's most likely to happen. They are even more politically correct and pro Europe than the last lot of apologists. This is why they are the only party except the Greens who are pushing for it. It's people like the Clegglet and Cable who are holding the country back at the moment. I'd be prepared to pay even higher taxes just to see the back of them in the coalition.

 

[Dustydog]

History tells the truth.
The dark days of the 70s will be remembered for the candles shortage of fuel. The only good thing about the 80s was our soldiers beat the Argies, not Thatcher.
Looking back there hasn't been one government in the last 40 years that has been any good for me, Mr Average.
We have a coalition government now because first past the post didn't work.

So just for the sheer devilment factor I'm going to give AV a go.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

So just for the sheer devilment factor I'm going to give AV a go.

The only other countries who use AV are Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. As the Aussie said above, it doesn't work for them, so I cannot see how it will work for us. Once it's changed there will be no going back for years to come. The only consideration I would give to voting for AV is if UKIP was guaranteed to form a government but that's not going to happen. Besides, clowns like Eddie Izzard who are supporting The Clegglet are enough to put me off. I think Joanna Lumley must be ill because she's the only AV supporter who I normally consider sensible

I should add that the Irish use this system to elect their President. 'Nuff said

 

[Dustydog]

So just for the sheer devilment factor I'm going to give AV a go.

. The only consideration I would give to voting for AV is if UKIP was guaranteed to form a government but that's not going to happen.

On that I fully agree.
Our prospective UKIP candidate was the only one who spoke any sense at the hustings and wanted us out of the EU.
Unfortunately first past the post here and in other EU countries has lead to coalition governments.
AV may just sharpen up the politicians acts.

All I know about Cleggy is he smokes so must be contributing more than most to the Treasury

 

[Lutz]

Unfortunately first past the post here and in other EU countries has lead to coalition governments.

Can you tell me where else in the EU the elections are run on a first past the post basis?
We have always had a coalition government and the thought of an overall majority frightens most of the electorate here, as they worry about it having the potential of being a democratically elected dictatorship.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

We have always had a coalition government and the thought of an overall majority frightens most of the electorate here, as they worry about it having the potential of being a democratically elected dictatorship.

I can understand your point above Lutz but that is something that is in the German psyche but we haven't really had dictators in the true sense of the word. We are used to having a majority government although that isn't always a good thing considering the mess the last one left us in. Unfortunately this government has had to suck up to the LibDems who are so politically correct and pro EU that they put Herman Van Rumpypumpy to shame.
The simple fact is that more people voted Tory than any other party and now the government cannot keep up it's manifesto pledges due to giving too much ground to a party who would never ever get elected on their own.
Sadly we haven't got a party leader who has a back bone and that includes Cameron. Despite his promises of us getting out of the EU human rights charter he has now conceded to the Clegglet and the idea is now scrapped.
Again due to the LibDems we cannot have a referendum on leaving the EU. Camerons speel now is "it's best to be a member and fight from within"

The man, as well as the other party leaders, know full well that if it went to a referendum it would be a massive majority on leaving. Here lies the rub. Cameron, like others before him, sees a nice little earner for himself in the EU when he's no longer party leader. Maybe that is what is wrong. The people the EU take on are has been failures. People like Neil Kinnock and his wife Glenys, the Prince of Darkness Peter Mandelson and not forgetting the loveable Baroness Ashton who has had no political background. Her highest vocation was as a executive of a hospital trust. Tony Blair is now Ambassador to the Middle East and his sidekick Gordy is lining himself up to run the IMF which is a joke considering he almost bankrupted this country.
Jobs for the boys and they are all out to look after #1.

 

[Dustydog]

Unfortunately first past the post here and in other EU countries has lead to coalition governments.

Can you tell me where else in the EU the elections are run on a first past the post basis?
We have always had a coalition government and the thought of an overall majority frightens most of the electorate here, as they worry about it having the potential of being a democratically elected dictatorship.

Lutz
I thought France's National assembly of 577 members were elected for a five year term in a single seat election directly by their Citizens? My dog brain thought that was basically "first past the post"?
If not and it is not AV what is it?
Is there a third option?

Whatever happens a hung Parliament is certainly not going to be any good for anyone.

 

[Lutz]

Thanks, Dustydog, for filling me in on the electoral system for the French National Assembly, but you did say Europe, not just France. Our system is rather different and it's a combination of first past the post and proportional representation. Everybody has two votes in the national elections, one for the main candidate at the top of the list of each party and one for the party itself. The candidate is also elected on a first past the post basis but the number of seats that each party gets is on the basis of proportional respresentation. As there are more seats in parliament than the total number of constituencies, the second vote is the dominant factor as it determines how many more members of parliament will represent each party in addition to the one voted in by direct mandate. Parties getting less than 5% of the total votes are not represented.
Like I said, we have never had an overall majority of any one party in the national parliament. In one or two state parliaments one single party has the overall majority, but the electorate on the whole is never very happy when this happens as they are afraid that only the wishes of the majority will be respected.

 

[Dustydog]

Thanks Lutz
Clearly there is a third option as you describe.
Just going back to the UK it is noteworthy that no professional qualification at all is needed to become an MP.
Which ever party has been in power over the last 40 years none ever had 50% of the vote.
Thanks to Gordy's greed and heavy taxes on the Company Final Salary Pension Schemes mine went bust. Six years later it has this month been added to the Government's Pension Protection Fund. We all now get a substantial reduction in what we should get and we will never ever receive an annual increase. At least we get something but you can understand why I feel angry that my hard earned Taxes go on the EU, failed Banks and non Brits seeking a free handout and food parcels., never mind free operations on our NHS.

Phew . Got that off my chest now. Good job I and SWMBO saved a few bob rather than rely on the pension alone.

 

[Lutz]

Regarding practically all the issues which you mention I see that we're really all in the same boat and we aren't that different, after all.

 

[mauron]

Got to admit our Aussie colleague does have a point, tho!
I was quite impressed with the way the Aussies shipped out that career criminal back to us this week....isn't it time we started to apply the same rules?
(Ducks back behind parapet!)

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Got to admit our Aussie colleague does have a point, tho!
I was quite impressed with the way the Aussies shipped out that career criminal back to us this week....isn't it time we started to apply the same rules?

We will if we ever leave the EU, it's human rights laws and it's unelected judiciary. At the moment we take in the worlds riff raff. It's only just been reported that a Somali illegal immigrant as been given right to asylum so he then brings in his wife and ten kids two months ago. At least I now know where my £41 is going. It's helping to pay the £5800 per month (£76000 per year) rent on the big house they've been given in London. Apparently anyone who wanted to buy that house would have to be earning £250,000 a year.
Child benefit for ten kids must also be another nice little earner plus the other benefits like unemployment, incapacity because he will already have been advised by socialist advisors on how to claim and act.
We must be the only country in the world who puts up with it. I'm sure if it happened in France or Italy there would be riots.
And politicians wonder why there's a rise in extremism due to the BNP and EDL

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Ummmmm, I'm not interested in becoming a candidate Lutz. Infact I, along with the majority of the country, want nothing to do with the EU as it stands. We want out.
When we first joined the EEC it was a trading club. Now through many treaties it is on the verge of becoming the United States of Europe. United is something it will never be because just take Germany for example, their own constitution limits what they do militarily and some Eurocrat proped we should have a European army. LMAOOOOO what a joke

We aren't even united fiscally because Germany and France wanted the Euro which has itself proved to be a farce. Our countries aren't economically the same which Greece, Portugual, Eire and soon Spain have found out.
The EU fisheries and agricultural policies are criminal and whoever drew them up should be publicly pilloried. Thousands of good fish dumped back into the sea dead and the British having to substitute poor European farming practices.
We had one of the most efficient and productive fisheries until we joined the EU allowing foreign vessells, who had depleted their own waters, to fish and destroy ours.
Our farmers were years ahead of most European farmers especially the French.
This year our EU contribution is likely to be £10 billion and the greedy b*******ds in Brussels want a 6% budget increase despite our government making unpopular cuts to get back on track. The savings the Chancellor makes this year looks as though it's going straight to Brussels as usual

He did say they aren't getting a penny more but he said that last time and boasted that he'd kept them down to 2.9%. If the Eurocrats want a 6% increase all they do is ask for 12%. Simple.
Now the benefits we've gained from being a member.
I can't think of any just yet so give me a couple of days.
Now back to the prisoners. They lose their rights once they've offended against society but regain them after serving their sentence.
If only we still had the Australian penal colonies

BTW Lutz, I see the Germans are going to start to tighten their borders because of the influx of North Africans. Nothing like our Silvio to make the northern euro countries nervous ... heh! heh! heh!

 

[Lutz]

Oh dear, oh dear. Someone's got a real chip on his shoulder regarding the EU.
Let's just agree to disagree. You aren't going to convince me and I'm not going to convince you.
Happy Easter from a European citizen.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Let's just agree to disagree. You aren't going to convince me and I'm not going to convince you.
Happy Easter from a European citizen.

Spot on Lutz and a happy Easter to you from hopefully a soon to be free Englishman

^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Well I can dream can't I or are dreams also controlled by those in Brussels

 

[Dustydog]

This just gets better and better.
Gordy wanted the IMF job at a starter of £275k. Big Dave Cameron put the brakes on it thank goodness. But Gordys cronies have now given him an "unpaid" job with the World Economic Forum as Chair.

May I please implore the powers that be I am a very clever dog who can do all sorts of tricks and deals and still leave them with the compulsory negative profit

Even Spadders who's a bit flushed at the moment may say he of such tender years could do the job better.

So will some of the real brains out there please tell me with three letter words and big pictures why I pay so much to an EU body I don't like or want???
No more big words please Parksy