Should I vote Labour

Hmm...more like David Cameron, then?

God forbid!!! Like most negotiations, you can start from a high point and come down- but you can never start from a low point and go up!

varian said
Mrs Corbyn will not be appearing with Jeremy on the One Show. Is this good or bad news?

I think very good news. We don't do the First Lady thing here, and Mrs C is not standing for election. Their private life is their own, not ours. If T May wants to parade her husband, that is up to him.

Exactly - it's up to him, not up to her.

Parading? The One Show asked both couples if they would appear on it.Most people are quite interested in seeing a PM's or Leader of the Opposition's OH.

Free hospital parking would be fine but is it the best way to spend money on the NHS?
I think a nominal charge could be made to cover costs of a car park attendant, maintenance etc, but I think it is wrong to make money from charging ill people (most of whom will not have a disabled badge) to attend hospital or for parents to pay extortionate parking charges to stay with a sick child.

Some of the private car park attendants appear to be jobsworths who will charge someone for being a minute over time - hardly their fault if they have to pay in advance and their appointment takes longer than anticipated.

We don't do the First Lady thing here

Well, we never used to, the Prime Minister's wife or husband always kept a very low profile, supporting in the background, until the arrival of Cherie Blair. Sarah Brown stayed as much in the background as possible and I think that Samantha Cameron tried too, but of course, Cherie had opened the flood-gates of the media interest in PM's spouses.

I don't think either Tony or Cherie Blair are good examples.

No, perhaps not, but it is not a coincidence that media interest - frenzy? - accelerated in the days of Cherie and the media always referred to her as 'First Lady'

And Gordon Brown's popuarity went up when Sarah joined him on stage - the precedent had been set...'Ooh look, he's got a supportive wife!'

Another resignation from the Labour party.

twitter.com/SimonDanczuk/status/861606075107336192/photo/1

Thank heavens for that. I am so pleased that the Labour party no longer represents him.

Sarah Brown appeared to be a lovely lady, quietly supportive and very dignified. Compared to the shambles that is now representative of Labour, Gordon was pretty good too, at least he had an air of authority about him and spoke with conviction! Forgive me, but listening to J.Corbyn today has really left me scratching my head as to what he's actually talking about or whether he's ill too?!

You don't mean...the 'd' word, do you nelly?

Maizie, about the expulsions.

skwawkbox.org/2017/05/09/barrister-labour-expulsions-for-nha-pact-support-may-be-unlawful/

Jalima - back to car parking! To disagree with you on this is difficult but I have to say I think the money could be better spent. But that aside, why on earth specifically fund it from a tax on health insurance. Why should people who pay for healthcare because of NHS deficiencies pay for someone else (and possibly wealthier) to park in an NHS hospital? Why not just fund it from normal taxation rather than make things so personal? To my mind this sort of thing is very divisive.

Ana: WELL....?!!

I think forcing those with private health insurance to pay for NHS parking is wrong, same as wanting public school parents paying to feed state school children, too vindictive

Fitzy54
^ But that aside, why on earth specifically fund it from a tax on health insurance. Why should people who pay for healthcare because of NHS deficiencies pay for someone else (and possibly wealthier) to park in an NHS hospital? Why not just fund it from normal^
I agree with you absolutely!

It comes in the category of school dinners paid for by VAT on private school fees

These ideas just will not work in practice because, although the arithmetic may be correct at the time of advocating these policies, it will change drastically because people will opt out of private healthcare because they will no longer be able to afford it. Hence the revenue for parking will drop, probably quite drastically, and the people at present paying for private healthcare will turn to the NHS.

It is divisive.

I agree with you Fitzy it's the way they are saying they would pay for it, rather than the policy.
I have always thought that parking in a hospital should be free but having now thought about it, a few things may spoil that ( on the face if it) good idea.
Any older hospital set within a town or city centre, would attract those who want to park free of charge while they shop or go to work.
Even out of town hospitals could have a problem ( for patients and visitors) as if parking is free, all those who work there , and in a large teaching hospital there are hundreds, who mainly travel in by bus, would then take up most ofthe parking places.
So I think a lesser charge would maybe be the best way to go, rather than free.

I think the hospital itself should be able to issue a parking permit at the very least for parents of children who are in-patients as they may need to have their parents with them at a traumatic time.

I agree with that ( and think that my hospital does.)

I will find out for sure this week.

Most of the hospitals I go to have separate staff and visitor car parks.

There is no reason why the carparks should not have the same ticket barriers. The tickets could be punched by the staff in the hospital to ensure that only those going into the hospital can get out of the car park.
If you need to pay for the system, £1 a visit should be enough. For visitors who go many times the ward staff could give a pass.
It's not rocket science.

There is never enough parking for either staff or visitors though.
When I felt fit we have parked in town and walked the half mile or so to the hospital.

That would put a stop to people parking in hospital car parks and going shopping or even off for the day djen.

It's not so much the money( my hospital only charges at the end of your stay when you put your ticket in the machine) so no running out to put more money in etc.
More the fact that you can't guarantee a parking place!