Where would you begin if you were the next government?

Sorry that was in response to another post re NHS managers.

Totally agree. The knee jerk of ‘less managers’ is so poor. Would you like the doctors and nurses to do the admin work then? Because someone has to. Gov targets take up SO much admin and meeting time. Looking at why we missed this target or that target or what is a new target. Then you achieve it and they move the goalposts. We need fewer targets - even if only short term until the issues ease off a bit. And less of a blame culture.

Agreed, pascal

Also, means testing it would just mean that as ever, those who are not already poor (in this case because of having saved towards an occupational pension) would become poor. Why would anyone who is never going to be rich bother to contribute? Means testing keeps people 'in their place', and is deeply unfair.

nanna8

Re the pensions: I’m talking about rich people not poor people. The UK is nuts handing it out to everyone. We don’t and no other country does that I know of. Talk about Lady Bountiful. Get real.

I'm well aware that you are talking about rich people but you still don't understand that if rich people have apid NI contributions they are entitled to the retirement pension. It is NOT a benefit..

you don't have to be rude..

In any case, it wouldn't be Number 1 on my agenda for change.

Freya5

growstuff

Mt61

Not these people coming over on rubber boats, that work illegally & don’t pay tax. Some of the best care my dad has received has been from legal immigration

But the people coming over on rubber boats aren't allowed to work, so they can't pay income tax.

No, but they can sure open their hands and take. Then moan and whine about the food, poor wi fi, and destroy the buildings where they live. All provided by us the tax payer. They also have now been given free train journeys. The money runs into billions per day, we can provide for them,who have not, and possibly will not, contribute to any extent,low paid jobs, still claimingbenefits, they're not all brilliant scientist and surgeons. Sorry but wrong priorities.

OK! So invest in efficient vetting, give the those with a right to stay permission, so they can get work and start to contribute and deport those with no right to be in the UK.

Meanwhile, if immigration is the huge problem people claim it is, the country is in control and could limit it. Legal immigrants far outnumber asylum seekers and those who are here irregularly.

Mt61

growstuff

So that's one!

What about the rest?

If immigration in itself causes so many problems (housing, school places, pressure on public services etc), those who enter the country irregularly are only a small percentage of the total.

PS. Until recently a Spaniard wouldn't have been an asylum seeker. He could have entered and worked in the country perfectly legally.

Yes that’s correct, so that is why he told my cousin he was Spanish!

Your post didn't make it clear he wasn't Spanish.

Re the pensions: I’m talking about rich people not poor people. The UK is nuts handing it out to everyone. We don’t and no other country does that I know of. Talk about Lady Bountiful. Get real.

I would attempt to try to simplify the tax system, and then the NHS by taking it out of the hands of MPs of whatever party. From my experience I have found the medical staff to be excellent in every way but the administration/management is abysmal with very often staff over-riding doctors' instructions, I speak from experience of this. I would also try to resolve housing as I think there should be some type of social housing for essential workers so that they do not have to travel long distances to work at unsocial hours. I am not against the right to buy as I think it has improved the housing stock but I would want there to be more stringent rules such offering the property back to the local authority before being allowed to sell, also local authorities must be allowed to use the money from the original sale to build more homes. If tenants do not want to buy their house they should be on full repairing tenancies so that the local authority is not responsible for any or all maintenance and the rent should take this into account.
I would also arrange a cull in the numbers in the House of Lords as there are too many of them.

growstuff

Mt61

Not these people coming over on rubber boats, that work illegally & don’t pay tax. Some of the best care my dad has received has been from legal immigration

But the people coming over on rubber boats aren't allowed to work, so they can't pay income tax.

No, but they can sure open their hands and take. Then moan and whine about the food, poor wi fi, and destroy the buildings where they live. All provided by us the tax payer. They also have now been given free train journeys. The money runs into billions per day, we can provide for them,who have not, and possibly will not, contribute to any extent,low paid jobs, still claimingbenefits, they're not all brilliant scientist and surgeons. Sorry but wrong priorities.

nanna8

Stop paying pensions to the rich and divert the money to the health system. How many other countries in the world pay pensions across the board to those who don’t need them?

You don't seem to understand Nanna8 that paying NI contributions in this country gives the person paying them the right to a pension. It has nothing to do with other countries

growstuff

So that's one!

What about the rest?

If immigration in itself causes so many problems (housing, school places, pressure on public services etc), those who enter the country irregularly are only a small percentage of the total.

PS. Until recently a Spaniard wouldn't have been an asylum seeker. He could have entered and worked in the country perfectly legally.

Yes that’s correct, so that is why he told my cousin he was Spanish!

That’s right, not supposed to work but do in car washes & so on! So who support those that don’t work??

Oh yes & fellas too, forgot about those ha

So that's one!

What about the rest?

If immigration in itself causes so many problems (housing, school places, pressure on public services etc), those who enter the country irregularly are only a small percentage of the total.

PS. Until recently a Spaniard wouldn't have been an asylum seeker. He could have entered and worked in the country perfectly legally.

Not talking about legal immigration, I am talking about illegal immigration, there are thousands that have come into this country illegally.. they land in Greece or France & then take a boat over on to our shores, usually helped by our lifeboats! Some are helped & some disappear into the system ( I know firsthand as my cousin ended up going out with an asylum seeker, he told her he was Spanish & catholic, & that he was well travelled, living in Greece first, she finally got shut when he became a control freak).. it all came out that they had come across on dinghy’s, his brothers had splintered off & settled in Germany.

Mt61

Not these people coming over on rubber boats, that work illegally & don’t pay tax. Some of the best care my dad has received has been from legal immigration

But the people coming over on rubber boats aren't allowed to work, so they can't pay income tax.

Mt61

Doodledog

Why are you so exercised about universal pensions in a country you don’t live in, nanna8? You make so many posts wanting to deny British women our pensions, although our retirement plans are based on what we assumed to be the certain knowledge that they would be ours by right. It seems very vindictive, not to say cruel to want to pull the rug from under us and reduce us to poverty, and I don’t understand your motives.

If us women are denied our pensions when the time comes, how do we live? By claiming pension tax credits or other benefits?

... and men!

Doodledog

Why are you so exercised about universal pensions in a country you don’t live in, nanna8? You make so many posts wanting to deny British women our pensions, although our retirement plans are based on what we assumed to be the certain knowledge that they would be ours by right. It seems very vindictive, not to say cruel to want to pull the rug from under us and reduce us to poverty, and I don’t understand your motives.

If us women are denied our pensions when the time comes, how do we live? By claiming pension tax credits or other benefits?

Not these people coming over on rubber boats, that work illegally & don’t pay tax. Some of the best care my dad has received has been from legal immigration

Greyisnotmycolour

Galaxy62

Campaigners have warned that “procreation has become a luxury item”, after it emerged that the fertility rate in England and Wales had fallen to its lowest level since records began in 1939.

A falling birthday rate in the UK is a fact. How do you think the country will manage without immigration? Your argument is ridiculous., get real. The UK needs immigration to survive. Bury your prejudices and accept reality.

Yes legal immigration for sure, not these people coming ov

Doodledog 👏👏👏

Why are you so exercised about universal pensions in a country you don’t live in, nanna8? You make so many posts wanting to deny British women our pensions, although our retirement plans are based on what we assumed to be the certain knowledge that they would be ours by right. It seems very vindictive, not to say cruel to want to pull the rug from under us and reduce us to poverty, and I don’t understand your motives.

Stop paying pensions to the rich and divert the money to the health system. How many other countries in the world pay pensions across the board to those who don’t need them?

"Where would you begin if you were the next government?"

A lamp post and a rope