What on earth is it with the Tories!?

Oreo

MayBee70

Well, Scotland have no tuition fees so it can be done.

Only cos of Scotland having a very small population, and the even tinier amount of teenagers in Scotland attending universities there.Couldn’t be done in England with the best will in the world.

Yes, it could (whether it would be desirable is another matter). The money being paid to universities via fees is borrowed money. The government could borrow that money to pay universities. The difference is that it is the students themselves who are repaying the loans rather than the Treasury.

Farage should be questioned far more searchingly by the media. I can never understand why he is always on news programmes and the Greens,Lib dems and SNP who are way more successful are not as prominent.His answer to everything is downto immigration.He is a mean spirited Fascist who stirs hate and dissent.My late dad and his contemporaries fought for our freedom , they must be turning in their graves to see that people are supporting what is realistically a Nazi party.

ronib

What has happened to the extended family in the Uk? As a granny, my daughter in law will ask me to cook occasional meals when time constraints are tight. As a granny, I don’t mind. As a granny, I would help as much as possible to ensure that my grandchildren have enough food and clothing. In fact, recently I have found EBay a good source of children’s clothing. I know that childhood deprivation is a terrible experience but where’s the family in all of this?

The extended family are suffering from the same cost of living crisis. You’re lucky if you can afford to help a lot of us can’t. I have two grandchildren who luckily don’t need help from food banks but I have been a lone parent of a son with autism for over thirty years. I had a successful business ironing that I had to give up due to sacroiliac joint pain. During lockdown I set up EBay and Etsy accounts to sell knitting paraphernalia which was really lucrative during lockdown but has now dwindled due to less people at home and having to increase prices because of the increase in postage costs.

The type of extended family you are describing disappeared decades ago. Families simply largely do not live in such close proximity anymore, were it easy to provide support any more. Of course where it is possible one does, but so many families now live miles apart.

Annma

Farage should be questioned far more searchingly by the media. I can never understand why he is always on news programmes and the Greens,Lib dems and SNP who are way more successful are not as prominent.His answer to everything is downto immigration.He is a mean spirited Fascist who stirs hate and dissent.My late dad and his contemporaries fought for our freedom , they must be turning in their graves to see that people are supporting what is realistically a Nazi party.

Oh for goodness sakes, your little clique may not be worried about immigration at the levels we have, but many are. Yes we need some immigration, but not at the levels we are experiencing, and certainly not taking hundreds in every day, who we do not know from where they are from and why they are coming here.
So go ahead, call people racist for being concerned about unprecedented immigration. My Grandfather and father both fought in the wars,to let us have freedom, the freedom to say how we feel without being label racist. As for Mr Farage why has he not been arrested if he's rascist.

So that accounts for up to 10k a year.

What about the rest of the 700k?

Responding to MayBees post, you're right, the Tories seem to have lost a few analytical braincells and are trying to promote the idea that if it's a good catchphrase they'll use it as someone's surely thick enough to swallow it whole. If 'every family is going to be 2K worse off under labour' it isn't at all clear what this means and it needs deconstructing and explaining before anyone should take it seriously. It can't apply to 'every family' full stop as every family is different. What is the current definition the Tories are using to describe what constitutes a family? What I consider to be 'my family' would hardly notice us being collectively worse off by 2K as there's simply dozens of us, most in work. If you count a family as just a single OAP with only a SP in a rented flat it seems a bit impossible to take any more money off them (my 76 year old friend is in this position and is still having to work despite being registered blind and in constant pain). So, by family, do they mean married couples/civil partners and children? Or those 'living together' - if theres no shared genes or legal contract, are you a family? As a woman I appreciate very much not having to share my liability for tax with a man! So, if it was to be true, I can only assume it's an average, so wealthy people (not families) pay considerably more tax and the poorest pay less or none. Also, going back to what they might mean by a 'family' - how do they compare a couple with 4 small children and a group of, say, 6 working adults who are a mixture of parents children and their various girl/boyfriends all living together in the same house and all on good salaries? Anyway, to say 'every family will be worse off by 2K' is a meaningless comment and makes the Tories look even more stupid than they are - if that is possible.

Whitewavemark2

The type of extended family you are describing disappeared decades ago. Families simply largely do not live in such close proximity anymore, were it easy to provide support any more. Of course where it is possible one does, but so many families now live miles apart.

Also, families now need to have both parents working and people are having to work for many more years before they get their pension. So how does that allow them to look after other members of the family who may need help?

Annma

Farage should be questioned far more searchingly by the media. I can never understand why he is always on news programmes and the Greens,Lib dems and SNP who are way more successful are not as prominent.His answer to everything is downto immigration.He is a mean spirited Fascist who stirs hate and dissent.My late dad and his contemporaries fought for our freedom , they must be turning in their graves to see that people are supporting what is realistically a Nazi party.

I agree, he did next to nothing except to be disruptive when an mep and too many people see what they want to see rather than what he really is. Too easy to ignore the hate speak and see him as just an extreme Tory type politician. People didn't take Hitler that seriously at first.

I don’t think it’s fascist to be concerned about immigration. I’m concerned about the level of immigration and I’m most certainly not fascist.
I suppose the accusation is an easy way to close down discussion.
Why exactly, are many people (who are not fascists) concerned about the level of immigration?

It used to be the case that ex Priministers did not immediately go on to savage prospective new contenders for the role. Not now. Boris Johnson continues to hurl vile personal abuse at Keir Starmmer and, without evidence, accuses him of
planning massive rise in taxes. Is there no professionalism or sense of fair play in these Conservative 'has beens' ?

I am deeply concerned that Reform's leaders, Tice and Farage, are Climate Change deniers.

"The party’s former leader Tice, who will now become its chairman, is a prominent climate science denier. Tice has claimed that “there is no climate crisis”, and has also expressed the view that “CO2 isn’t a poison. It’s plant food”.

Of the £2.5 million that Reform UK has received in donations since the 2019 election, around 92 percent (£2.3 million) of that income has been given by fossil fuel interests, polluting industries, or climate science deniers

Yet "The world’s foremost climate science body, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has stated it is “unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land”, while scientists at NASA have found that the last 10 years were the hottest on record. Earth’s average surface temperature in 2023 was the warmest since records began in 1880.

The IPCC has also stated that carbon dioxide “is responsible for most of global warming” since the late 19th century, which has increased the “severity and frequency of weather and climate extremes, like heat waves, heavy rains, and drought”

They want to abolish any Net Zero policies. Now we probably all have our own ideas how best to mov towards a more climate friendly world but denying the very existence of climate change (to save money in the short term) is a kind of madness in the face of evidence.

www.desmog.com/2024/06/03/nigel-farage-climate-history-record-reform-uk/

We might not face the consequences - but our grandchildren will.

semperfidelis

It used to be the case that ex Priministers did not immediately go on to savage prospective new contenders for the role. Not now. Boris Johnson continues to hurl vile personal abuse at Keir Starmmer and, without evidence, accuses him of
planning massive rise in taxes. Is there no professionalism or sense of fair play in these Conservative 'has beens' ?

The MSM newspapers are currently divided as to supporting Starmer or not, depending on ownership* and other factors, but the D Mail is quite clear in supporting Sunak to win so has recruited BJ to go full out on Starmer any means possible.

*?? on the Sun giving measured support to Starmer for example
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cw88x6ww1p8o

Annma

Farage should be questioned far more searchingly by the media. I can never understand why he is always on news programmes and the Greens,Lib dems and SNP who are way more successful are not as prominent.His answer to everything is downto immigration.He is a mean spirited Fascist who stirs hate and dissent.My late dad and his contemporaries fought for our freedom , they must be turning in their graves to see that people are supporting what is realistically a Nazi party.

I agree Why is he on the TV so much?

Wyllow3

I am deeply concerned that Reform's leaders, Tice and Farage, are Climate Change deniers.

"The party’s former leader Tice, who will now become its chairman, is a prominent climate science denier. Tice has claimed that “there is no climate crisis”, and has also expressed the view that “CO2 isn’t a poison. It’s plant food”.

Of the £2.5 million that Reform UK has received in donations since the 2019 election, around 92 percent (£2.3 million) of that income has been given by fossil fuel interests, polluting industries, or climate science deniers

Yet "The world’s foremost climate science body, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has stated it is “unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land”, while scientists at NASA have found that the last 10 years were the hottest on record. Earth’s average surface temperature in 2023 was the warmest since records began in 1880.

The IPCC has also stated that carbon dioxide “is responsible for most of global warming” since the late 19th century, which has increased the “severity and frequency of weather and climate extremes, like heat waves, heavy rains, and drought”

They want to abolish any Net Zero policies. Now we probably all have our own ideas how best to mov towards a more climate friendly world but denying the very existence of climate change (to save money in the short term) is a kind of madness in the face of evidence.

www.desmog.com/2024/06/03/nigel-farage-climate-history-record-reform-uk/

We might not face the consequences - but our grandchildren will.

Sadly many people now agree with them, including some “people”. It’s like the conspiracy theories around Covid all over again!

Farage came out with a good policy today that I totally agree with.
He said it costs around 400k to train a Dr up to consultant level. Then some leave to work in Australia to earn more money. He thinks doctors should have to stay working in the UK NHS for a period of time to pay back for their training, like in the olden days. I think it was called indentured not sure.
But if this was applied to nurses doctors and dentists we wouldn't have the staff shortages in the NHS that we have now. Perhaps with a clause that they could buy themselves out by paying back some of the money it cost to train them which would add money to the NHS.
I like Farage and will vote Reform if they have a candidate in my area. He talks a lot of sense and seems to want to help poorer people where the other parties are more for helping the rich.

Cossy, one reason is that other parties put forward a wider variety of speakers from their party when cross party debates occur.

I can't think of another Reform Candidate featured, I may be wrong, but that doesn't speak well of Reform if no one else can be trusted!

The other reason is obvious, the support from GB news. If you go onto U tube GB news have masses of pro Farage clips - never the ones he makes a mess, of course.

maddyone

I don’t think it’s fascist to be concerned about immigration. I’m concerned about the level of immigration and I’m most certainly not fascist.
I suppose the accusation is an easy way to close down discussion.
Why exactly, are many people (who are not fascists) concerned about the level of immigration?

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having a migration policy, controls in place and even a points system for ALL economic migrants.

In terms of asylum seekers, there’s very good reasons to stop them crossing in dangerous boats and hidden in lorries, it’s highly dangerous, people die and traffickers get rich.

The govt, any govt, needs to ensure that there is a safe legal way into this country for those seeking asylum, then process these claims very efficiently and send them back to a safe country if they are found to be ineligible. Appeals need to be tightened up and again help as quickly as possible.

The entire system is broken currently.

Well hope you will be quite so self satisfied when all the Labour taxes come in such as taxes on inheritance,taxes on selling your main house,road pricing and everything else they keeping quiet .
Perhaps you’ll feel differently then .

sazz1

Farage came out with a good policy today that I totally agree with.
He said it costs around 400k to train a Dr up to consultant level. Then some leave to work in Australia to earn more money. He thinks doctors should have to stay working in the UK NHS for a period of time to pay back for their training, like in the olden days. I think it was called indentured not sure.
But if this was applied to nurses doctors and dentists we wouldn't have the staff shortages in the NHS that we have now. Perhaps with a clause that they could buy themselves out by paying back some of the money it cost to train them which would add money to the NHS.
I like Farage and will vote Reform if they have a candidate in my area. He talks a lot of sense and seems to want to help poorer people where the other parties are more for helping the rich.

In which ways will he be helping the poor? Can you give me specific examples?

Wyllow3

*Cossy*, one reason is that other parties put forward a wider variety of speakers from their party when cross party debates occur.

I can't think of another Reform Candidate featured, I may be wrong, but that doesn't speak well of Reform if no one else can be trusted!

The other reason is obvious, the support from GB news. If you go onto U tube GB news have masses of pro Farage clips - never the ones he makes a mess, of course.

Sorry to be so personal, but I’m sick of seeing his smug face and listening to his voice and yes I do turn him off!

sazz1

Farage came out with a good policy today that I totally agree with.
He said it costs around 400k to train a Dr up to consultant level. Then some leave to work in Australia to earn more money. He thinks doctors should have to stay working in the UK NHS for a period of time to pay back for their training, like in the olden days. I think it was called indentured not sure.
But if this was applied to nurses doctors and dentists we wouldn't have the staff shortages in the NHS that we have now. Perhaps with a clause that they could buy themselves out by paying back some of the money it cost to train them which would add money to the NHS.
I like Farage and will vote Reform if they have a candidate in my area. He talks a lot of sense and seems to want to help poorer people where the other parties are more for helping the rich.

Doctors become consultants in their early 30's.

Yes they have had years of training

but also have worked considerable years as junior doctors for us at rubbish pay and hours and hours every week....and for the first 5 years of medical training they have to pay for student loans like any other student.

The best way to keep consultants is to offer better conditions in the ~NHS. Its not at all about money - its respect, its situations where they feel they can actually help patients instead of current waiting list pressures - ie working conditions that allow them to actually do a satisfying job.

Surely it's obvious that the Tories do not want to win this election? Not sure why, but it's worrying.

Zoe65

Well hope you will be quite so self satisfied when all the Labour taxes come in such as taxes on inheritance,taxes on selling your main house,road pricing and everything else they keeping quiet .
Perhaps you’ll feel differently then .

None of that would bother me in the slightest.

Reform want to raise the personal allowance to 20k before tax, and to 70k from 50k for the next tax bracket. This would help the poor eg pensioners with a small private pension, low earners, people who earn over 50k but have high mortgage commitment or high rent and children/dependants.
This is the example you asked for