General Politics Thread

[NotThePars]

3 hours ago, Jmothecat2 said:

 

I think things like this will happen more and more often. People say stupid things and put stupid things online, with the nature of the Internet those things are out there forever. With this one it's a balance between whether someone can make a mistake and it not impact their public life this much, and the fact that she has to be held to a very high standard due to the nature of her profession. On a wider view of the general issue I worry this will play into the hands of the elite, made for politics types that the UK and Tory Party in particular love. I am sure places like Eton are actively telling pupils not to post anything controversial on the internet if they want to become a politician and it will be normal people who post stupid things who will be most impacted, acting as a further barrier for real people getting into positions of power.

 

 

Mhairi Black said stupid things which you could easily chock up to being a wee lassie who was saying the sort of shit any of us would when when we were teenagers. I think people are still figuring out where to draw the line but I don't think Martin's comments about college bosses' obsession with minority students is something a Minister for Higher Education and Further Education should be saying in a party that purports to be on the left.

1 hour ago, sparky88 said:

The precedent has been set, Toby Young got binned, Jared o Mara got binned. I didn't hear any SNP figure defend their right to free speech.

This was always going to happen when the SNP push the 'progressive line when they have folk like John Mason sitting in Parliament. 

Toby Young has repeatedly given away the fact that he's a fucking idiot who should be nowhere near a government role involving universities, Jared O Mara was partly suspended for an alleged aggressive confrontation with a woman in a nightclub where he called her "an ugly bitch" the same year he was elected. 

[DublinMagyar]

Toby Young has repeatedly given away the fact that he's a fucking idiot who should be nowhere near a government role involving universities, Jared O Mara was partly suspended for an alleged aggressive confrontation with a woman in a nightclub where he called her "an ugly bitch" the same year he was elected. 

Pics or GTF

[Detournement]

32 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

 

Maybe if politicians weren’t quite so scared of minority groups

 

What politicians are scared of minority groups?

[NotThePars]

Pics or GTF

I don’t think The Sun haven’t obliged so I think you’re out of luck.

[Detournement]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jun/29/nhs-wields-the-axe-on-17-unnecessary-procedures

Hunt's attack on the NHS continues.

They can't get rid of the NHS so they are restricting it to purposefully push people towards private health care. The next step is creating a direct NHS tax which they have been talking about for a while. And after that I predict that calls will start for people to be allowed to opt of the NHS entirely firstly by allowing private health insurance to be deducted from the NHS tax then probably making the NHS opt in.

[Scary Bear]

What politicians are scared of minority groups?

The majority of them seem to be. They have to play up to every one of them to avoid any sort of controversy. If they do court any sort of controversy the media and their own spineless parties then hound them out of any prominent roles they have. This has become worse since social media became a thing.

[NotThePars]

The majority of them seem to be. They have to play up to every one of them to avoid any sort of controversy. If they do court any sort of controversy the media and their own spineless parties then hound them out of any prominent roles they have. This has become worse since social media became a thing.

Not really considering minority groups are disproportionately affected by the bulk of government policy. It’s the “white working class” who are mythologised and appealed to by more and more politicians.

[Scary Bear]

Not really considering minority groups are disproportionately affected by the bulk of government policy. It’s the “white working class” who are mythologised and appealed to by more and more politicians.

Which policies are you referring to?

There have been cuts to benefits which have affected various minority groups, but cuts affect all of society. What else?

[Scary Bear]

Actually, I don’t really care that much and it gets away from the general point I was making which is that politicians in general don’t dare offend anyone if they want to get on in politics.

[NotThePars]

Off the top of my head I can think stop and search procedures, the hostile environment including but not limited to forcible deportations of vulnerable people, raising the minimum threshold for foreign spouses to live here and targeting people with the legal right to stay with the threat of imprisonment and/ or deportation.

Cuts are a large part as well though and shouldn’t be dismissed. The closing of women’s refuges or the gutting of Legal Aid affecting the poor in general but meaning that discrimination cases become increasingly difficult to challenge.

Prevent is another strategy aimed specifically at the Muslim community where you’ve had kids targeted for allegedly displaying “extremist views”. I mean neither you or I, I would assume, would have had to worry about that.

[banana]

44 minutes ago, NotThePars said:

Off the top of my head I can think stop and search procedures, the hostile environment including but not limited to forcible deportations of vulnerable people, raising the minimum threshold for foreign spouses to live here and targeting people with the legal right to stay with the threat of imprisonment and/ or deportation.

Cuts are a large part as well though and shouldn’t be dismissed. The closing of women’s refuges or the gutting of Legal Aid affecting the poor in general but meaning that discrimination cases become increasingly difficult to challenge.

Prevent is another strategy aimed specifically at the Muslim community where you’ve had kids targeted for allegedly displaying “extremist views”. I mean neither you or I, I would assume, would have had to worry about that.

Social Justice Warrior Buzzpoint Regurgitation Intensifies

Edited June 30, 2018 by banana

[Crùbag]

The Ferret on the Tories' and DUP's Dark Money funding. One collection of dodgy barstewards.

https://theferret.scot/secretive-trust-scottish-tories-dark-money/

[Suspect Device]

I don't think that NI is used for the NHS, I believe it's just stuck in the treasury purse like all other taxes. Which begs the question why not just abolish it and add it to income tax for employees. Employers contributions would have to be recouped as well. Preferably from a tax which is not so easily dodged like corporation tax seems to be.

[Granny Danger]

7 minutes ago, Suspect Device said:

I don't think that NI is used for the NHS, I believe it's just stuck in the treasury purse like all other taxes. Which begs the question why not just abolish it and add it to income tax for employees. Employers contributions would have to be recouped as well. Preferably from a tax which is not so easily dodged like corporation tax seems to be.

Not sure about corporation tax being easily avoided but I agree with the rest.

My only concern about removing NI is trying to do folk out of their state pension benefits down the road; that aside then yes let’s roll it all up and make it more transparent.

Going back to corporation tax.  The recent reductions to 19% then 18% are indefensible, and I say that as someone who has benefitted.

 

[Suspect Device]

50 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

Not sure about corporation tax being easily avoided but I agree with the rest.

My only concern about removing NI is trying to do folk out of their state pension benefits down the road; that aside then yes let’s roll it all up and make it more transparent.

Going back to corporation tax.  The recent reductions to 19% then 18% are indefensible, and I say that as someone who has benefitted.

 

Tax year 2012/13 I paid more in corporation tax than Facebook. I don't think I made as much money as Facebook so their 'clever' accuntants obviously managed to disguise profits and therefore avoid corporation tax

[Granny Danger]

18 minutes ago, Suspect Device said:

Tax year 2012/13 I paid more in corporation tax than Facebook. I don't think I made as much money as Facebook so their 'clever' accuntants obviously managed to disguise profits and therefore avoid corporation tax

Right I get your point now.

IMO it would be pretty easy for Revenue and Customs to crack down on multi national corporation tax dodgers.  Actually really easy.  

However the political will is not there.  Until it is these corporations will play the system with impunity.

 

 

[Detournement]

3 hours ago, Suspect Device said:

I don't think that NI is used for the NHS, I believe it's just stuck in the treasury purse like all other taxes. Which begs the question why not just abolish it and add it to income tax for employees. Employers contributions would have to be recouped as well. Preferably from a tax which is not so easily dodged like corporation tax seems to be.

Higher rate payers pay a lower percentage of their wages in NI than basic rate payers.

It's regressive and favours the rich therefore it's left alone despite being an anachronism.

[Detournement]

8 hours ago, Granny Danger said:

 

IMO it would be pretty easy for Revenue and Customs to crack down on multi national corporation tax dodgers.  Actually really easy.  

 

 

Not while we are in the EU.

Post Brexit they have no excuse.

[Baxter Parp]

May's extra cash for NHS is not enough, says spending watchdog

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/01/mays-extra-cash-for-nhs-is-not-enough-says-spending-watchdog

NAO’s Sir Amyas Morse warns more is needed to meet needs of a changing population

[John Lambies Doos]

Tier One military power. What does that even fucking mean