Westminster Politics

[Paul the Wolf]

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Celebrating something we already had.

An EU negotiated agreement which is actually a temporary measure but both countries hope to start negotiations next year for an actual real UK/Canada trade deal which Justin Trudeau hopes to finalise within a few years. More in Canada's interest as they export almost double to the UK as to what the UK exports to Canada.

 

[DavidDeSchmikes]

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[FireballXL5]

Eat your heart out Marcus...

Hancock defends health department's £50k spend on Bong Bong's Manila Kanteen takeaways

https://news.sky.com/story/health-s...epartments-16350k-spend-on-takeaways-12140127

 

[DavidDeSchmikes]

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[Mr Pigeon]

This lot are lucky coronavirus came along because they can preempt their Brexit related issues for the next few years.

Boris said that it's right to value key workers by also highlighted that they all got a pay rise in July, so this will be sketchy...

But Sunak is freezing pay again for public sector workers. "Ensuring fairness?" It's not a race to the bottom, but it seems fairness is only brought up when they want to get people fighting one another.

 

[Mr Pigeon]

But, yeah, spend more money on the armed forces. Let's wave our giant British meat around and show the world how important we are. Sure, more people might be thrown into poverty as wages are frozen, jobs are lost and the cost of living rapidly increases again (much like the majority of the last ten years) but we can have some shiny new toys that will cover all that up!

Don't vote Tory. Never vote Tory. This isn't a one off.

 

[Berbasbullet]

How are we justifying spending more on armed forces? It’s not like we’re close to a war? I know best to be prepared but I mean what exactly is the point other than to appease the flag shaggers?

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

How are we justifying spending more on armed forces? It’s not like we’re close to a war? I know best to be prepared but I mean what exactly is the point other than to appease the flag shaggers?

they have been under invested in for a decade. A great deal of kit is at the end of life, or been extended many times. I believe the additional investment is for new or newer areas like cyber and space.

 

[Jippy]

So they are cutting the foreign aid budget. I thought Cameron had enshrined that in law, but I must be missing something? It's only a passing reference in the FT blog.

 

[Berbasbullet]

they have been under invested in for a decade. A great deal of kit is at the end of life, or been extended many times. I believe the additional investment is for new or newer areas like cyber and space.

Aaah I see, doesn’t seem like an appropriate time to focus on that but what do I know.

 

[RedSky]

How are we justifying spending more on armed forces? It’s not like we’re close to a war? I know best to be prepared but I mean what exactly is the point other than to appease the flag shaggers?

Who the feck knows, it's absurd. They struggled to find the money to feed starving children but fling billions at the military. Tories being Tories.

 

[redtilded121]

So they are cutting the foreign aid budget. I thought Cameron had enshrined that in law, but I must be missing something? It's only a passing reference in the FT blog.

i thought so as well but with an 80 seat majority a new act will pass

 

[Jippy]

they have been under invested in for a decade. A great deal of kit is at the end of life, or been extended many times. I believe the additional investment is for new or newer areas like cyber and space.

It was obviously the Tories that underinvested in the armed forces during that decade, so for them to expect credit for reversing that is a bit much.
Also, I can well believe increased funding is needed there, but the accompanying jingoism about having the best navy in Europe is tone deaf when so many people are facing financial hardship.

 

[Jippy]

i thought so as well but with an 80 seat majority a new act will pass

The law, unsurprisingly, is not water-tight it turns out.

In practice the law only requires the foreign secretary to provide a report to parliament explaining why the target has not been met.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-...k-foreign-aid-budget-cut-chancellor-announces

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

It was obviously the Tories that underinvested in the armed forces during that decade, so for them to expect credit for reversing that is a bit much.
Also, I can well believe increased funding is needed there, but the accompanying jingoism about having the best navy in Europe is tone deaf when so many people are facing financial hardship.

im not giving them credit. I’m just saying why they are investing. 10 years ago they started the process of reducing the military by tens of thousands, the army was planned to go from about 107k to 82k, but got as low as about 79k.

the navy is an interesting one, again underinvested in for a long time, but the carriers are so ridiculously expensive, and keep going over time and budget because of changes in spec, personnel, government and budget. These are 20/30 year projects that keep getting tweaked with.

*disclaimer, I’ve not read what the government has said/ claimed about the investment - so can’t comment on that.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Aaah I see, doesn’t seem like an appropriate time to focus on that but what do I know.

it’s one of the ways a government can boost the economy by investing in the public sector. It would probably have been better to invest in a few hospitals one might suggest.

 

[Mr Pigeon]

it’s one of the ways a government can boost the economy by investing in the public sector. It would probably have been better to invest in a few hospitals one might suggest.

Schools too. Or the police.

This just screams out that it's an easy way to send more money to private businesses*.

*And by that I don't mean the average worker, I mean whoever is punting money Boris's way or is an old school chum/married to a minister.

 

[Drifter]

Foreign Office minister resigns over plans to slash aid budget

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Great news for those Brexiteers who are always talking about looking after our own. Just like they did when Rashford came calling.

 

[Jippy]

im not giving them credit. I’m just saying why they are investing. 10 years ago they started the process of reducing the military by tens of thousands, the army was planned to go from about 107k to 82k, but got as low as about 79k.

the navy is an interesting one, again underinvested in for a long time, but the carriers are so ridiculously expensive, and keep going over time and budget because of changes in spec, personnel, government and budget. These are 20/30 year projects that keep getting tweaked with.

*disclaimer, I’ve not read what the government has said/ claimed about the investment - so can’t comment on that.

Appreciate they're long-term projects, but we've consistently messed them up, eg the aircraft carriers with no aircraft etc...One massive difficulty is the risk of obsolescence with these big projects, eg how much use is a massive navy if you can take it out with long range missiles from the other side of the world? Spending money on cyber defence makes sense when you think about the level of interference in politics from Russia and the like, but not sure how effective that spending can realistically be, given you can't control content on social media and so forth.
I would've thought key infrastructure should be a bigger priority, with two of London's bridges shut to road traffic currently.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Foreign Office minister resigns over plans to slash aid budget

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Great news for those Brexiteers who are always talking about looking after our own. Just like they did when Rashford came calling.

good to tar everyone with the same brush...

It shouldn’t be reduced, out of interest, what has it been reduced too?

 

[UweBein]

How are we justifying spending more on armed forces? It’s not like we’re close to a war? I know best to be prepared but I mean what exactly is the point other than to appease the flag shaggers?

Hey... stop protesting... it‘s good for loads of people who work in that sector.

 

[Fluctuation0161]

Who the feck knows, it's absurd. They struggled to find the money to feed starving children but fling billions at the military. Tories being Tories.

The magic money tree only exists for Tory MPs mates businesses and/or Tory donors.

 

[FootballHQ]

good to tar everyone with the same brush...

It shouldn’t be reduced, out of interest, what has it been reduced too?

Think it's gone down from 0.7% to 0.5%. In these times I actually back that, still give money for disasters that hit worldwide but let's not give quite as much freebies to China and other economically developed countries.

Pretty sure U.K invests more foreign aid than many other similar sized euro countries but could be wrong.

 

[Fluctuation0161]

Schools too. Or the police.

This just screams out that it's an easy way to send more money to private businesses*.

*And by that I don't mean the average worker, I mean whoever is punting money Boris's way or is an old school chum/married to a minister.

Nail on head. Beat me to it.

 

[sun_tzu]

Think it's gone down from 0.7% to 0.5%. In these times I actually back that, still give money for disasters that hit worldwide but let's not give quite as much freebies to China and other economically developed countries.

Pretty sure U.K invests more foreign aid than many other similar sized euro countries but could be wrong.

Your correct
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_development_aid_country_donors
Even at 0.5% will still be more than many as well

 

[McGrathsipan]

Tories conveniently blaming Covid for the economy disaster.

Brexit hidden nicely.

cnuts

 

[Rams]

Think it's gone down from 0.7% to 0.5%. In these times I actually back that, still give money for disasters that hit worldwide but let's not give quite as much freebies to China and other economically developed countries.

Pretty sure U.K invests more foreign aid than many other similar sized euro countries but could be wrong.

Similar sized countries.. which one; France or Germany?

Honesty, some people are soooo ignorant...

 

[Rams]

Using figures is only beneficial if you understand them.. In terms of comparison with countries of similar wealth, the UK still rates about average, even though in my opinion cutting back on aid (particularly when we’re in the middle of a pandemic and Brexit coming up) sends out the wrong message and will be counter productive. As for freebies for China, the irony is not lost on me that the figures show the average Chinese still is still living in relative poverty and large parts of China are still underdeveloped (not mentioning the oppression of large parts of its population).
I find it incredibly frustrating that people’s opinions are formed on half truths & misconceptions.

 

[Fluctuation0161]

Not been much fussing over this EHRC report has there?

'Stain on British history': Home Office broke equality law over Windrush scandal, report finds
To make sure the events are never repeated, the government department has committed to an agreement with the EHRC to take action.
https://news.sky.com/story/stain-on...w-over-windrush-scandal-report-finds-12141194

 

[Rams]

Not been much fussing over this EHRC report has there?

'Stain on British history': Home Office broke equality law over Windrush scandal, report finds
To make sure the events are never repeated, the government department has committed to an agreement with the EHRC to take action.
https://news.sky.com/story/stain-on...w-over-windrush-scandal-report-finds-12141194

I love the way Queen bitch blames successive governments over the decades. No it wasn’t, it was your fecking party, your fecking government you were fecking part of you horrible nasty incompetent cow. Now feck off and resign you cheap whore.

..eye for an eye and all that.

 

[Fluctuation0161]

Rashford had to campaign to get £24M to feed hungry kids.

Meanwhile...
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/en...brexit-festival_uk_5fbd33cfc5b66bb88c61b681a1
Brexit Festival: Here’s What Else The £29m Could Have Paid For
The cash for Festival UK 2022 was announced in Rishi Sunak's spending review.

 

[africanspur]

Similar sized countries.. which one; France or Germany?

Honesty, some people are soooo ignorant...

Well.... Actually yes?

I don't want the aid budget to be cut at all, for so many reasons, but their statement is not factually incorrect. In terms of total aid given, only the USA, Germany and China give more. In terms of per capita, only the Scandi countries give more, as well as a couple more like Netherlands and Switzerland etc.

Even at 0.5%, both of those statements will hold roughly true.

Seemingly, the Australiasians and North Americans are not that generous.

 

[Fluctuation0161]

I love the way Queen bitch blames successive governments over the decades. No it wasn’t, it was your fecking party, your fecking government you were fecking part of you horrible nasty incompetent cow. Now feck off and resign you cheap whore.

..eye for an eye and all that.

Absolutely ridiculous that she would even try to get away with blaming "successive governments over the past few decades" for this Tory hostile environment policy.

 

[africanspur]

Rashford had to campaign to get £24M to feed hungry kids.

Meanwhile...
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/en...brexit-festival_uk_5fbd33cfc5b66bb88c61b681a1
Brexit Festival: Here’s What Else The £29m Could Have Paid For
The cash for Festival UK 2022 was announced in Rishi Sunak's spending review.

Is this an actual festival of brexit or just a 'UK festival'?

If its the former, I'm going to actually vomit. I think I'd take unpaid leave from work and just go somewhere with my family where I'm not exposed to this nonsense.

 

[Drifter]

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[FireballXL5]

Not been much fussing over this EHRC report has there?

'Stain on British history': Home Office broke equality law over Windrush scandal, report finds
To make sure the events are never repeated, the government department has committed to an agreement with the EHRC to take action.
https://news.sky.com/story/stain-on...w-over-windrush-scandal-report-finds-12141194

Much fussing? There hasn't been any as far as I can see. Funny that.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Tories conveniently blaming Covid for the economy disaster.

Brexit hidden nicely.

cnuts

you don’t think that Covid is THE biggest reason for the contraction in the economy?

it’s not just convenience, as as close as a fact as you can get.

edit. I’m. Not ignoring Brexit or the impact, but clearly Covid has had an unthinkable impact on the economy.

 

[NinjaFletch]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ovid-test-kit-contract-after-whatsapp-message

Hmm, I wonder what the word is for all this brazen corruption.

 

[11101]

How are we justifying spending more on armed forces? It’s not like we’re close to a war? I know best to be prepared but I mean what exactly is the point other than to appease the flag shaggers?

Because it's desperately needed. For example, we are replacing 13 Type 23 frigates with 8 Type 26s, and we replaced 12 Type 42 destroyers with 6 Type 45s. It's always popular on here to blame the Tories but that was a decision taken by the previous Labour government. The ships are headline projects but it goes all the way down to soldiers on the ground operating with substandard kit, it's past the point of being dangerous by now.

We may not be facing an imminent war but with the Middle Eastern threat past its peak we need to be prepared for what's next. Plus, the ~20b it's costing to build those ships is a shot in the arm for the economy.

 

[sun_tzu]

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Labour left on top of their messaging as ever i see