MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Have you seen the greens defence policy ?
Have you seen when it was last revised, and the fact that it's being looked at again at the Spring conference in 2 weeks time, and that will be the basis of the manifesto for the May election? [url= http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/jan/16/trident-is-20bn-waste-say-generals ]Even non-hippies, like former head of the armed forces Field Marshal Lord Bramall, think Trident is a waste of money[/url].
The discussions I've seen online among those* redrafting the policy have been very sensible.
(*Green policies are written and approved by members in the open, rather than by a bunch of MPs in secret.)
In the interests of openness: I'm standing for the Greens in May.
I thought the demographic was interesting. Somewhat predictably - a bunch of pensioners.
I doubt UKIP has much support in the younger age group. Who are generally more liberal and tolerant.
The irony being, I don't know who the UKIP voters think is going to make up the tax base that will keep them in their free TV Licenses, bus passes, and winter fuel payments, that Dave has reassured them only this morning that they'll all be keeping
They have said this is a long term aim. It won't be just a case of putting 2p on beer and getting Jimmy Carr to pay his tax. Unfortunately long term is tricky with UK politics.i see what you mean about Watermelon.. 280 billion? I'd like to see that costed.
In the interests of openness: I'm standing for the Greens in May.
How much influence will a fiver buy me 😉best of luck
They are as close to communist as you'll get in today's political landscape.
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You are Sarah Palin and I claim my tea bag
[img] http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef01157021d859970b-500wi [/img]
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How much influence will a fiver buy me
I'm standing for the council election, so if you need a pothole reporting in the Haughton and Springfield ward of Darlington, I'm your man!
Ernie if I'm Sarah Palin you're Russell Brand.
I doubt UKIP has much support in the younger age group. Who are generally more liberal and tolerant.
Can't decide if that is a tongue in cheek comment or not. I think you're confusing the STW group with the younger age group - like those nice tolerant Chelsea fans?
Are there any young people on here? I doubt it. I thought that as a mid-40's bald, cantankerous old biffer, I was fairly representative of the STW demographic. And I'm virtually a marxist compared to a lot of people on here.
My point is that all those UKIPers spouting their racist bilge all looked retired. I reckon the further down the age range you go, the less support they have. I can't see many people under 25 voting UKIP.
Which is why I raised the question: without immigrants, who on earth do these retired boomers think is going to provide the tax base to keep them in the cosseted lifestyle to which they're become accustomed?
If the boomers are indeed living a comfortable life then they will not be reliant on a state pension. They'll have private and/or final salary schemes that once drawn down won't change. They will be just fine. It's everyone else born after 1960 or thereabouts that's screwed.
True. But its an inherently contradictory position for them to take. I want my state pension, NHS, free care, my free TV license, bus pass, winter fuel allowance etc, etc, etc, and the only way they're going to be payed for is by an increase in the work force. As we all know that without that the whole ponzi scheme collapses.
But I don't want any immigrants. And as a member of the gilded, sense-of-entitlement generation, I always get what I want. Then everyone else gets to pay for it! 😀
Well put Binners.
Which is why I raised the question: without immigrants, who on earth do these retired boomers think is going to provide the tax base to keep them in the cosseted lifestyle to which they're become accustomed?
you think low wage semi and unskilled migrants (the ones UKIP have a problem with and want to stop) are net tax contributors?
There's no reason to suspect they aren't. I would be amazed if they weren't. When we had a massive influx of poles post 2004 their economic contribution was huge, far more than just tax. By keeping prices for the services they offered competitive they stimulated demand which drove the economy. Contribution through the tax system is only one economic benefit. There are others.
Look at the figures. They clearly are net contributors. I know that doesn't fit with the line we're being sold by Farage, his bitter, racist followers, and the Daily Mail, but [url= http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/05/eu-migrants-uk-gains-20bn-ucl-study ]there you go[/url]
Not just that. Theres also the issue of who's going to be changing the sheets in the care home once all the baby boomers are spouting gibberish about coming here when it was all fields, and pissing themselves? You can bet your inheritance tax they'll be eastern european
Gee tee, Yeah, but the question posed was about the tax base
binners, the studies seem to show that (since arrival) the original EU 15 nations migrants have been huge contributors, A8 migrants have been slight net contributors (this would obviously include both skilled and unskilled) while Non-EEA migrants are a net draw.
Saying that migration as a whole, or even EU migration has been a net benefit is a long, long way from a conclusion that low and semi skilled migration or illegal immigration delivers a benefit (especially if you figure in the effects of wage suppression and unemployment in the native workforce)
it's a straw man to claim that all immigrants are either a gain or drain to the economy and society, we already control immigration in many ways, tightening that up by introducing a points based system or expelling those who have arrived here illegally is hardly unreasonable or racist.
Er I hate to admit this, but the first vote my eldest had was to UKIP, she's like her mother, considers Thatcher a pinko lefty, it doesn't worry me all it's done is split the Tory vote and in the council elections the Greens got in as a result.
They, the daughters generation, fight for work in London and face huge competition in the city from what they laughingly refer to as Eurotrash, lads mostly and it's tough as a woman getting any recognition in the financial sector without lots of Euro girly boys as they call them. So their vote is considered, now before you start giving them the racist tag, they date Indians, Muslims, Arabs, Serbians, all manner, were educated in the private sector so exposed to all races from a very early age. They just want withdrawal from Europe and tighter immigration controls and less abuse of the system which is fair enough if you are them.
I hate also to further mention that the ahem discussion we were having this morning was Ghengis Khan strengthening her UKIP resolve in the face of that silly racists woman that I'd pointed out hasn't exactly helped their cause.
I'm afraid the lid to Pandoras box is well and truly open and this is going to be the most interesting election there has been in recent years, all the fault of the idiots currently in control on both sides, Binners had it exactly up there, but it would be a mistake to assume it's just the old that are engaged.
In your opinion. Not in mine.tightening that up by introducing a points based system or expelling those who have arrived here illegally is hardly unreasonable or racist
IMO immigration controls strike me as a fairly left wing protectionist policy, good capitalist right wingers should value open borders.
As long as one differentiates between asylum and immigration, there's clearly a need to have some immigration control. However, whether we have the right amount already is another matter....
Registering to vote is not as easy as it is supposed to be. I was registered last time I got one of the monthly letters from the Council, and in the latest one I've disappeared again.... how odd.
[quote=gofasterstripes said]As long as one differentiates between asylum and immigration, there's clearly a need to have some immigration control.
Some of the posters above ^^^ won't agree with you there.
"......there's clearly a need to have some immigration control"Some of the posters above ^^^ won't agree with you there.
I am not aware of any political party other than the Socialist Workers Party to oppose all immigration controls.
So unless there's a few closet Trots here anyone opposed to all immigration controls will almost certainly be at odds with whatever party they vote for.
Fight! Fight! Fight!
I am voting for entertainment so let's hope none of the parties get any sort of majority. They really need to work hard for their living. If they can constantly put pressure on each other the better this is so that they all get sleepless nights.
It would be proper democracy when you have many parties forming a coalition govt with no majority but that is of no comfort because they will still screw the hard working people with their bureaucratic power.
You lot are screwed!
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they will still screw the hard working people with their bureaucratic power.You lot are screwed!
Thank **** I am so lazy, I will be a winner, hurrah!
MSP - Member
Thank **** I am so lazy, I will be a winner, hurrah!
Nope. They will still screw you as they wish. Oh no ... you are not getting away from the system.
Anybody hear Natalie Bennetts interview on LBC this morning? Bit of a car crash. Some of it's posted up here:
http://www.lbc.co.uk/incredibly-awkward-interview-with-natalie-bennett-105384