Labour policy - no immigration caps, open borders and free movement.

'you are very funny........do you write professionally?'

is that the new official response then?

My JRT did once growl at Prince Charles, said dog, whose name is Archie is a firm favourite

I have to be careful walking the dog in Aug/Sept for fear of bumping into a Royal who is climbing, stalking or shooting something. Never felt the need to prostrate myself let alone doff my cap.

pinkquartz how kind I like to think we're all "professional" something or other here on GN, why just look at the breadth of threads and that's just on one subject............and then draw your own conclusions

I'm going to get under my virtual table with my tin helmet on now before Paddyann returns !

terriBull

you are very funny........do you write professionally?

I can just see Jez and Di on the bike going into E Germany [smile}

Hi Paddyann, hate to tear you away from that lovely heart warming Royal thread, where I can't help feeling you are just an incy wincy bit biased.

However, addressing your assertion of my own bias, surely not I too live very near water, The River Thames to be precise, sadly not the clear crystal waters of your nearby Loch but dark dangerous and murky containing God knows what, so whilst we have the odd wee boat, they don't appear to be used to catch a wee fish or two given the amount of how can I put this delicately, actual wee and worse floating about in my part of river. Heaven knows Westminster is a mere 11 miles upstream and as you constantly remind us, a loathsome place where not only verbal shit vitriol is much in evidence, but well dare I say it, a fair amount of Westminster virtual effluence ends up in the river, so ask yourself with that in mind would you be putting your wee boat out in such dubious waters to catch something, well catch something you may, but suffice to say it won't be nice. So yeah! because the boats round here don't appear to be doing much in the way of fishing, but mere floating pleasure vessels for the hoi polloi, cruising the Thames on sunny days. A sunny day now that is always a hard concept to explain to a native of Scotland, but well lets just say we have many of them and at such times these useless people are found cruising up and down the Thames quaffing Prosecco/Champagne and the like although God knows what they'll imbibe after Brexit. However I digress, on balance I'd say, sailing, cruising, boating, rowing, is very much the pursuit the bourgeoisie. I can't speak for Comrade McDonnell up there on the Norfolk Broads, he did specify his hobby was "sailing" rather than fishing, the latter to my mind implies a kind of -affluence

However what I can share with you is that several times since I've lived where I do The Royal Barge, "The Gloriana" has floated past, once in 2012 I might add with Her Maj on it and being of the plebeian class, we not only doffed our caps but threw ourselves prostrate on the ground in deference as plebs generally do down here. Anyway no doubt, as a closet Royalist you'll be pretty green about that. I might add that the Royal Barge is very gold and blinged up like King Tut's burial chamber, so eat your heart out cos I doubt whether you'll see anything like that floating on your nearby Loch anytime soon

I guess you can always console yourself with the fact that we may have the Royal family down here but you can at least lay claim to 50% of Donald Trump courtesy of his mother. You lucky people

Don't get me started on golf, I live with it

I have no problem with immigration (my husband was an immigrant), however, I also don't have a problem with there being a vetting procedure - anyone wishing to come here should have a skill which would be advantageous to the country.

I have read England is the most densely populated country in the EU. Even now we have been told that many young or even not so young, people have never seen a cow or been out in the countryside. Does this matter? It would to me but they don’t miss what they’ve never had. On the other hand, I think it is good for our mental health and appreciation and understanding of the cycle of life, the effects of pollution and a lot of other things, to see as much of the world as possible - and, like charity, it begins at home.
Apart from and in addition to opening our borders we should be more vocal and take action (eg sanctions) against all the wrongs in the world caused by oppressive regimes, we should deal with our own rubbish and not send it to pollute poorer countries, and make wise and lasting overseas investments where it will help people to help themselves.
Meanwhile I await with bated breath to see what else Mr Corbyn will come up with in order to avoid becoming PM!

It's interesting though that a confirmed Marxist like McDonnell - he wrote "The Significance of Marxism in the 21st Century" enjoys the pricey Norfolk Broads. As a man who earns £90000 a year the price of property and sailing boats won't worry him.

Does he use the NHS? Does he have a chauffeur? Is his boat going to be rented out, and his second home on the rentals market, as well as 11 Downing Street when he occupies it?

We'll see. We will have plenty of time on our hands to examine his lifestyle as we sit in traffic jams and queue up to see a doctor.

There used to be a saying - you cannot fit a quart into a pint pot, meaning you cannot fit something too big into a small space, or that you are trying to do something impossible.

No one objects to diversity or multiculturalism, but we are a small and fairly mountainous/hilly island. There are places where you cannot build new towns and cities. Snowdonia anyone? Many will object to all our green belt vanishing and our infrastructure being put under so much pressure that life becomes harder and more expensive and difficult for everyone, when services are at a premium. Are there Labour plans to build more reservoirs or power stations? Labour has plans to build more hospitals, schools, build more buses and ensure there are new train tracks over the UK I presume?

It is a stupid and dangerous policy, but we must remember that Corbyn doesn't give a fig for the UK, for patriotism, our armed forces or for anyone earning a wage.

In Corbyn's UK we'll (yes us pensioners too) pay for his idiotic policies - physically (in a tightly packed UK) and financially as we see our taxes rise to provide for his completely stupid open door immigration plans.

Deep joy. Bet we are all looking forward to this.

my goodness terri you are a bit biased.I live in a very working class area ,an area of high deprivation .There are many people who have wee boats on the river and Loch and have had those wee boats for generations .Nothing bourgeoise about them,just folk who like being on the water and catching a few fish .Maybe where you live the things we take for granted are kept for the wealthy ,around here a wee boat or a game of golf has never been a "class" thing ....

To look at another area of policy that Labour has been debating this week has been that Britains employed persons work the longest hours per week than any other European member state, but despite that have the lowest productivity output per employee in the same. Therfore, change is obviously required and shorter working hours could well be a solution.

Reducing the employee working hours for the same salary or wage would, at first glance to many, seem to be a very large on cost to business. However, industries such as the Distribution industry have proven that does not need to be the case.

By example to the above, A thirty six hour five day week as worked now can be carried out over four days of nine hours working rather than five days of seven and a quarter hour working.

The above has proven popular among employers and employees in the Transport industry as four days on followed three days off can more easily incorporate flexible working inclusive of weekend shifts in Britains ever growing twenty four hour, seven-day commercial environment.

The above can mean that better wages and salaries can be paid to employees, and the achieved flexibility can reduce childcare costs in families with one parent being at home three days in the working week and then the other parent being at home an alternate three days. The above can also cover parents working at the weekends. In that, one parent is always at home when the children go off to school and come home or when they are at home for the day at least six days per week where both parents work such schedules.

As stated for the employer it can bring forward far greater flexibility which again brings forward reduced overhead costs as those are spread over a greater time scale in trading.

The above is just an example of how greater employee satisfaction can be obtained along with increased productivity from an existing workforce.

To bring about such working environments means "thinking outside the box" in many companies with employees being consulted and involved in the planning stages of such changes.

My own company has in recent months been bringing forward such working routines and schedules which as stated is proving popular with staff who are now working such routines, with more to follow.

I have not had to much time to view the Labour Conference, but I would imagine such working practises as the above have been in the fore of their debate on work, wages and hours.

Could it be any worse than what we have now ?

Whitewave thank you! but I don't do "intelligent sense" which is why I don't go on the political threads hardly ever, I just dipped my toe in cautiously. However, I think I'm very good on say the really important stuff like "eyebrows" I made a contribution there today. Those are my people, never underestimate the power of the eyebrow. Roger Moore's for example earnt him squillions, sadly it seems his eyebrows turned him into a filthy capitalist what more can I say!

Was terribull making the first paragraph up then? I don’t follow party conferences but heard about those things he quotes so who do I believe?

Sometimes I think that we can have a sensible debate about policy, no need to agree, just to debate. Time and time again I am disappointed. Sorry, Day6 it could have been an interesting thread.

terribull?? I bet you had fun writing that bit of fantasy.

I’m sure if you try hard enough you could come up with an argument that makes intelligent sense.

It'll be ok cos they're going to build 2 million extra council houses and then of course there's number 11, courtesy of the magnanimous John McDonnell, stuff a few more in there, and like all good socialists he's got his second home up in Norfolk, although to be fair it's not that posh but allegedly it's on The Broads cos he likes sailing how damn bourgeoise is that! Oh well he's only human he's got to unwind somewhere. The rest they can requisition from greedy bastard landlords, or anyone who happens to leave properties lying empty. Make sure you sell your mum and dad's place quickly as and when they expire or they'll have their hands on their properties before you can mutter "comrade" under your breath.

I expect Jezza was much inspired by the ethos of East Germany when he went there on his motorbike with Diane riding pillion, completely missing the fact that most were trying to get out, whilst he was trying to get in. He was going to write his own version of the "Motorcycle Diaries" but sadly Che had that covered and anyway Jezza didn't look so good in a beret, so what would be the point

Dictatorship anyone?

newnanny what a pity that your niece and her family can't live in whichever country they choose.
I am thinking for instance about fruit or vegetable pickers. No one is going to pay them over £30,000, because the fruit or veg would then cost too much to be a viable crop. There will have to be a different arrangement for those workers if we are to continue to have fruit and veg in the shops, at least until robotics is more advanced.

The same for care workers, another badly paid profession.
That's why I think the level was set unrealistically high.

We will never get to the top of a NHS hospital waiting list as nurses and doctors will only be working for 4 days each week

Who is the * we*.....the nurses and doctors will be those pesky immigrants.

@ILovecheese I think the £30k earning policy was to ensure new immigrants do not claim benefits from a system they have not contributed to. My dh has a niece who married a man from Turkey. They have one child but both work full time in Turkey. They would love to come back to UK to live but can't as they have a child they have to show they can earn even more, I think it was £32k. They can only earn about £27k. They have both lived in Turkey for 6 years. He speaks perfect English so language not an issue but they expect they will never be allowed to live together in UK, but his niece says she would rather live in Turkey with her dh than in UK without him. She comes from NE where cost of housing is lower and thinks they could manage on £27k and would agree to not be eligible for benefits but still can't get approval.

Whilst immigration should not be a problem.
Water is a finite resource, waste disposal is a massive environmental issue as are utilities. Food needs are greater, more animals needed to meet the need. More sewage to dispose of, more cars on the roads, more school places more patients for fewer doctors appointments. More building on green belt. Fewer jobs for more people (especially with the implementation of AI).

Day6 you asked for people's thoughts and I gave you mine. Some people see immigration as a good thing, other people see it as not so good.

Just differences of opinion, not unthinking foolishness.

The very people who want an open door policy will be the first to complain about not being able to get a doctors appt, not being able to get their first choice school, no affordable housing and the damage over population is having on climate change in the UK.

We will never get to the top of a NHS hospital waiting list as nurses and doctors will only be working for 4 days each week, and with millions of new people to treat with open immigration, the queues will be endless. All countries need a sensible immigration policy.