Why the reluctance to answer questions and face the real electorate ?

No jalima poverty is a result of poor wages.

The actual percentage of very rich is how you chose to define it Jalima. You could talk about 'the richest 5%' or 'the richest 1%' or even, if it was relevant to your discussion the richest 50%.

What is more important is the comparative wealth - the gaps between the richest and the poorest.

For instance the richest 1% own as much as the poorest 55%. That may be relevant in some discussions.

Then there is the distribution across the country. Which may be a figure you need when it comes to investment from taxation, infrastructure, etc. (Map to help)

"Wealth" is just a word until you compare it and even then it will vary depending what you hope to show or achieve.

I am irritated by the constant posts attacking people who earn a high Salary, more so when the same support free school meals for the children of doctors,teachers,,accountants , dentists , MP's, Solicitors , Arned forces, .police officers , or do they all depend in food banks

Not attacking high salaries per say just ensuring that the level of tax paid by high earners is fair

Surely money is never actually lost; ok my grandchildren had the free school meals which DD could afford to pay for. But the money she saved by doing so didn't just disappear..she would have spent it on something else and it would have worked it's way back into the economy.

tegan right on!!

And, on the subject of family breakdowns causing poverty, there are a lot of women, such as myself, who find themselves in straightened circumstances in old age due to divorce in later life. Thankfully I have state pension plus a very tiny pension that was part of my divorce settlement but losing the winter fuel allowance [I will probably lose that as I'm not on benefits] and the end of the triple lock on my pension are very worrying to me.

The rich are those who earn over £80,000, who will pay a bit more tax on earnings over £80,000.

I don't actually know anyone who earns that< I don't think.
I know families who earn more than that with both parents working full time.

If you give all children free school meals, even to those earning over £80,000, the costs will come back in tax paid. That sounds okay to me as a socialist.

Labour party are now saying that if they get enough of an income tax take, they should be able to reduce VAT in the future, which will benefit the poor as much as the rich.
Osborne put it up in 2010, despite saying he wouldn't in the manifesto. Tory cons again. You can't trust a Tory with your money.

That's a depressing map, GracesGran.
Hard to believe we are on the same coastline as the south east. Median there more than twice that of up here.

Is it not wrong to apply for free school meals when one can afford to pay for them ?

It is Jen. But very relevant when you are thinking about "richest".

If they get ! That is the worry, all those promises - if they get

Just to answer the second of Jalima's questions, earned relates to work. Therefore earned income, either cash or in-kind benefits, received in exchange for work or service.

Whitewave, I shouldn't worry, it's just our favourite Tory complaining about something which hasn't actually been said - AGAIN

I've just been snet this email, about the link with TM and DM.

mailchi.mp/hackinginquiry/new-allegations-levelled-against-the-daily-mail-pressure-mounts-2z6j0nl60z?e=b6dad0678f

Is it not wrong to apply for free school meals when one can afford to pay for them ?

Annie, please. Where have you been the last few years? All children in Early Years and KS1 (England) have had free school meals since 2014. Tegan's DD couldn't have paid for them even if she'd wanted to.

Round and round we go. As usual getting nowhere. Whatever the outcome next week the UK will be the loser.

Have you decided not to vote then Jane? You do sound as if you can see no point in democracy.

We will certainly be the loser if Hard Brexit wins the day. Untold damage will occur.

The untold damage already happened due to the brexit vote. Democracy though.
Of course I'll vote. Women died to get us the vote.

Most older people vote, and probably middle aged, just the young voters of which many don't bother to.
Though you couldn't get a more interesting GE than this one.....whichever flavour politics you prefer.

This has been a very depressing and dispiriting election, quite apart from the two dreadful terrorist incidents.

The assumption from the start was that TM would win (and I am sorry to say I think that is still true), in spite of her proving to be anything but "strong and stable", says so much about the limitations of our democracy when so much influence is in the hands of the foreign billionaires who own so many newspapers.

She has made numerous about turns, from remainer to leaver to hard brexiter, no election to calling a snap election, umpteem policy u-turns, and she has behaved like some unassailable dictator who refuses to debate with opposition politicians.

Meanwhile Jeremy Corbyn, so lampooned by the Tory press, has come over as someone who is at least honest and consistent, even if you don't agree with his policies, you have to admit that he has had a good campaign, in spite of being let down by some of his team (especially the truly dreadful DA).

Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats, whose party, according to The Economist, has the best costed manifesto (Tory manifesto is not even costed at all!), is largely marginalised and ignored by the vested interests of the media. So we seem to be back to confrontational two party politics which has been so damaging for this country over the years.

This is all made worse by the absurd undemocratic FPTP sustem of voting and the fact that Corbyn chose to do the same about turn as May and impose a three line whip to get his MPs to vote for article 50 - which half the country do not want.

Apart from campaigning for the Liberal Democrats (I have already voted for my LD candidate) what more can I do? I despair for the future of our country, especially for my children and grandchildren who will almost certainly have to suffer the consequenses of this brexit madness.

Varian you have gone above and beyond in your unflagging support for the Lib Dems.You can't do any more, but then none of us can, one vote is all we have.
The thing to remember is that we don't all think alike on the subject of politics, and whatever happens , whoever wins the GE it's democracy and I shan't be complaining, even if Corbyn wins it, not happy but not whinging about it either.You can bet on that.

But roses, if Corbyn wins and he does things that you dislike then you SHOULD whinge; that's the whole point of elections and political parties and democracy.Tony Benn said to me years ago 'be critical, not cynical' and that is how we should all be. If Corbyn does things that annoy then say so and don't be surprised if, quite often, us Labour voters agree with you....

^No jalima poverty is a result of poor wages.

Yes whitewave but two lots of wages coming into a household are better than one - and we know that, despite so many advances, women's wages are still behind those of men. You cannot deny that a single mother whose partner has scarpered or is only paying the very minimum he can get away with is not suffering because of his fecklessness and irresponsibility.