No money in Government coffers - really?

Joseanne

Whitewavemark2

Isn’t that down to Cornwall?

Ha ha! On the map it is probably west of me, and a titchy bit north too. So up? (But cartography isn't my strong subject!)
It certainly feels "up" climbing to the house in Port Isaac from where we have gorgeous high up views.
That's weird, in East London I used to say I'd get the tube up West into town and yet it was totally flat.

My relatives all come from Port Isaac, Delabole and Lanteglos, well dotted all around that area really.

maddyone

^What pains in the asses the U.K. is^

There are so many things wrong with the UK but I’d still rather live here than elsewhere. This has been reinforced for me because we have just returned from a two month visit to New Zealand. We had some lovely times and some less so, but I was excited to be returning to my home. I’m an English girl born and bred, and although I love to travel and have been lucky enough to travel widely, I still love my homeland. Governments come and go, they do good and bad and the situation here at the moment is not great, but I dislike all the hatred expressed on Gransnet for our homeland. The UK is still a good place to live despite all. After our long flight my husband had a suspected DVT. He was seen and checked at the hospital the same day. Luckily it turned not to be so.

I'm not sure who, what, or where you see hatred expressed for the UK, maddyone. Perhaps use of the word homeland tells us something about how you see it.

For many, the UK is not still a good place to live, but despite that, most would not change the country, merely those supposed to run it. For you, it is a good place, but you would change their right to express their views - or have I got that bit wrong.

MaizieD

^ I don't revere the much-vaunted English countryside, I think most of it brown and muddy and beaten into submission by chemicals and overbred, overspecialised crops and livestock.^

Goodness me, HPQ. Have you never been to the North East of England? Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Co Durham, Northumberland? Or the West country?

In fact, just what bit of England/Britain are you talking about?

I think it was LadyHonoriaDedlock who posted that description, MaizieD, not HousePlantQueen.

As somebody who loves city living I also find it ironic that a country that grew immensely wealthy on industry should hide or remove its industrial legacy, preferring instead to project a bucolic hobbit-like idyll that probably never really existed.

You say you are a city dweller, LadyHonoriaDedlock, and obviously one of those who thinks their food arrives in the shops as if by magic. Of course some of the countryside is taken over by the businesses that are farming, to feed those city-dwellers who never give a thought as to how it is produced but just complain when the prices go up.

There is, of course, still a lot of countryside that is not given over to farming.
Farmers are not just producing your food, they are custodians of the countryside and many are involved in preserving wildlife too.

or President Dench doing a stint
Please no! Just no.

As for Sir David Attenborough - he's 96, give him a break.
Anyway, he's still intent on getting his message across to try to save the planet before it's too late❣

"I dislike all the hatred expressed on Gransnet for our homeland. " posted someone describing herself as "an English girl born and bred"

I have never ever seen "hatred for our homeland" expressed on Gransnet.

Justified criticism of our appalling, corrupt and incompetent right wing government is not the same as hatred of our country.

I think it was LadyHonoriaDedlock who posted that description, MaizieD, not HousePlantQueen.

Oh dear. You are correct.

The profusest of profuse apologies to HPQ

Thought I'd better point it out as it was quite a strange assertion, not to mention unintentionally very funny.

Yes, when it rains, the brown earth can get wet and consequently a bit muddy, compared to a concrete city.

MaizieD

^ I don't revere the much-vaunted English countryside, I think most of it brown and muddy and beaten into submission by chemicals and overbred, overspecialised crops and livestock.^

Goodness me, HPQ. Have you never been to the North East of England? Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Co Durham, Northumberland? Or the West country?

In fact, just what bit of England/Britain are you talking about?

wasn't me! I haven't said anything on this thread (until this). Before we know where we are, this will be read out in HoC and my name will be forever tarnished

Just seen your apology Maizie, it is accepted!

I do not hate this country, I too feel a warm, secure feeling when we get home from wherever we have been, however much I have enjoyed my trip. I love my home, and the village where I live, and am thankful for the friends and neighbours that share it with me. This is why I sometimes get incandescent with rage at those in power who seem to be trying to ruin this for me, people who are approving the dumping of sh*t in rivers, who are cutting public services to the bone, who lie and lie and lie day after day (looking at you, Johnson) and never get pulled up on it. I get angry with the appalling drop in what was once known as public service, and see it being manipulated by people whose greed makes my eyes bleed. But more than that, more than the venal liars who are doing this, I despise those who support them and think that everything is for the best. I generally find that those who say that charity should begin at home, rarely contribute to that either.

and breathe.....

Criticising the government is not the same as running down the country though the Tories would like you to think so. The Tories have been in power 13 years so where we are now - a real mess - is almost entirely down to their management. And Brexit has had a deleterious effect on that, especially the poorly negotiated agreement with the EU, entirely down to Johnson who lied about some aspects, especially the NI protocol. Discerning Tories may have moved on but there are plenty of others with their heads in the sand or backwoods MPs who thing 'sovereignty' will get us out of trouble or that the pandemic should have been let run its course without locking down. The Tories are self-serving and only interested in getting re-elected.

paddyann54

Grantanow Can I just point out that SNP MP's and MSP's have donated every rise since to charity for over a decade

.The First Minister has has taken her salary at 2008/2009 levels, the rest is donated back into the public pot .
Taxed on her current salary before that payback and this year her donation is in the region of £27000 .I see this information has been significantly missing from this site as is the fact her TAX returns have been published showing that her job as FM is her ONLY job .
I cant see any tory red or blue doing this anytime soon .
THATS the kind of politicians I vote for

That may well be so but my underlying point is that these rises in MPs' already generous salaries set a very bad example. If those who donate their increases to charity were concerned about it they would seek to prevent these ridiculous increases. Not doing so implies they think they are acceptable in principle.

Grantanow, I agree, the Tories (and their press lapdogs) like to paint anyone who criticises the government as being some sort of traitor who hates the country, I remember the flack many of us who voted to remain got on GN. Accusations of being unpatriotic, of hating the UK, all rather silly, but irritating none the less

I think you broke another rule too Maizie. You actually named some of the nicest countryside in this country! It's probably not revered - no "thing" should be, but considering that fewer people now feel financially "healthy" it can certainly add to our wellbeing.

Good post HousePlantQueen* (Sat 12:25:17). I share your incandescence.

Only 6% of our rivers are up to scratch. Our countryside is dying.

Nationalise the water.

HousePlantQueen

Grantanow, I agree, the Tories (and their press lapdogs) like to paint anyone who criticises the government as being some sort of traitor who hates the country, I remember the flack many of us who voted to remain got on GN. Accusations of being unpatriotic, of hating the UK, all rather silly, but irritating none the less

... coupled with "if you hate our country so much why don't you go and live in the EU". Apart from the fact that the EU is an institution that you don't 'live' in - the point was completely missed that Remainers voted to remain because we thought economically we were better off as a nation, apart from anything else.

To be fair though, it was only a certain type of Brexiter who came out with that guff - and it was mostly on Facebook, often from men whom, I noticed, often either had their privacy settings locked - or sported photo's of rather large dogs, unrealistically-sized fish, or high-powered, top of the range sports cars which I think they longed to own rather than did. One was quite aggressive and abusive to me - the mildest rebuke from him (pre-referendum) was "shut the f**k up", and he followed me around from thread to thread - until I blocked him.
However, back to the point. I think we have a long tradition of being critical of our government(s) - and ridiculing them - you've only got to look at old copies of "Punch" to see this. I really don't understand where this idea has come from that criticising government = lack of patriotism. I believe it only emerged after Brexit.

Criticism of the government meant criticism of Brexit which meant 'traitor' in the eyes of some. We must respect the 'will of the people'. We accepted it - there was no other option - but I will never 'respect' it in the true sense of the word. And even less the spurious Leave campaign manipulated by those like Hannan etc, who knew exactly what they were doing and making promises and projections they knew would never materialise. It was a damned confidence trick, and they know it. With all its imperfections, we were better off as a nation, as a member of the EU.
The Pandemic was a disaster in more ways than the effect it had on the nation's health and mental well-being, it clouded the issue of Brexit. If... if only we could have experienced the true effect of Brexit without it being muddied by the complexities of Lockdown, etc.