News on the domestic front

LizzieDrip

Why abstain?

If MPs don’t support the bill, and it’s a free vote, then vote with their conscience / beliefs - vote against the bill.

Why sit on the fence?

I agree, abstaining is fence sitting.
If his religion makes him feel that he must vote against assisted dying then I would respect his decision as I respect all decisions on this subject whichever way they go.
So its a political decision not to offend any voters.

It is a free vote for MPs of all parties and it's not unusual for MPs to choose to abstain if they have religious reasons for not supporting a bill which they know has the support of the those who do not share their religion.

So they don't think it right to vote according to their conscience if they oppose a bill, for whatever reason, religious or otherwise?
If he believes it to be wrong he should vote against it.
It is called integrity.

Re the grab bag- it’s a sensible idea if you stop and think.
Look at recent events- wildfires, floods, extreme weather events. In the event of some sort of civil emergency, such a bag makes sense.
We live in central France, our area wasn’t affected thankfully but remember the news reports?
As my husband said- do you want to be standing in line for a bottle of water after an emergency? We put all our important documents (house deeds, passports, identity cards, bank details, insurance papers) together in a bag, plus another containing a change of clothes (underwear, socks, a jumper, tshirts) toothbrush, wet wipes ) and a final one which we left in a cupboard near the door- water, some ring pull tins of food, biscuits and a couple of plastic plates.

Overkill? Maybe. But better a few sniggers than being left with nothing should the worst happen.

There seems to be an assumption that AB would vote against the Assisted Dying bill, no one seems to think his reason might be because he doesn't want to vote for it because it is against Roman Catholic teaching but his personal belief is that an individual has the right to choose when to end his/her life. We don't know which way AB would vote but if he did, it's absolutely certain that it would be headline news whichever way he voted. I had to look up which way my MP voted and why, I'm sure I'm not alone in that! Interestingly, AB's voting record on abortion and reproductive rights don't align with the standpoint taken by the Catholic church so he might vote either way!
"Andy Burnham has a long-standing parliamentary voting record of supporting fewer obstacles and broader access to abortion rights, aligning closely with reproductive rights positions" AI gen

That is interesting foxie thanks

Foxie yes, as you say, none of us know which way AB would vote and TBH I don’t mind.

If his religion or other belief means he disagrees with assisted dying then I would expect him to have the courage of his convictions and vote against the bill. I would respect him (or any MP) for doing so.

Yes, it may be headline news, whichever way he votes - but that’s no reason to ‘opt out’. I’m afraid headline news comes with the job!

IMO this looks like he’s trying not to offend either ‘side’. He can’t keep doing this - being PM is not a popularity contest!

I think the statement he made about palliative care/ assisted dying recently was an indication though.

Galaxy

I think the statement he made about palliative care/ assisted dying recently was an indication though.

Perhaps but I think many of us support assisted dying because we fear the nature of our death rather than the death itself and better palliative care might take some of that fear away. I support the right to an assisted death if someone really wants to end their life that way but I also strongly support better access to good palliative care as a way of enabling people to have a better death. One of my closest friends died in her early 50's, her suffering was difficult to witness and went on for several months. TBH I wished I could have given her a much quicker death and I'm glad she never asked that of me. I don't know if she would have chosen an assisted death but I would have wished her to have the choice.

Galaxy

I think the statement he made about palliative care/ assisted dying recently was an indication though.

But didn't he make it to a Catholic newspaper?

I could be wrong but I'm fairly sure...

Andy Burnham’s father has some form of dementia. Assisted dying may well be something he and his family are actively discussing. It may be something he wants to avoid public discussions about currently

Iam64

Andy Burnham’s father has some form of dementia. Assisted dying may well be something he and his family are actively discussing. It may be something he wants to avoid public discussions about currently

Unfortunately, by his recent declaration, he will be the subject of public discussions. QED

Oreo

greyfur16

I don't understand this grab bag thing. Grab it and go where? To a local Sports Centre when we are invaded or what?

It’s just nonsense isn’t it?

In the light of climate change, people have had to evacuate their homes in a hurry under huge stress during wildfires, because of subsidence, floods. Imagine doing that in the dark; at high speed and no notice.

We've maintained a grab-bag for 40 years since living in a rural house with no mains water.The rural "retained" fire service's "free home safety survey" advice was "If ever you have a domestic fire here, high risk of total burnout. We'd arrive too late with a limited supply in the tank. Just get out fast and do NOT go back in the building" The grab bag contains a zipped plastic file with photocopies of insurance policy, banks, assets, lawyers, birth certs and passports,list of medications, important contacts.

Also from living in the sticks/ miles from shops/on a small island/ with the frequency of winter road closures, long power cuts, no ferries, frozen or broken private water supply, we always have a stash of basic supplies; tinned food, first aid. Candles, battery lights and radio, camp stove, buckets, thermal clothes;some cash.

Remember the farmers oil blockade; no petrol, empty supermarkets. Or rollimg power cuts ; mains water failures; lockdown. It's all happened before.

PC Harper’s killers will not be released under the early release scheme. The law has been tweaked.

Just heard that on the news, the right decision! No prisoners being held for manslaughter will be released early, I can’t believe they were even thinking that it would be right to release them in the first place.

Butterandjam you must live somewhere really remote and maybe near a river so at danger of floods or somewhere in danger of wildfires, unlike most people in the UK so it makes sense for you do that.
It always is a good idea for all of us to keep torches/camping gas stoves/ and tinned goods in the house for power cuts but for the vast majority of us we do not require grab bags and never have done.

I am concerned about who will be released in their stead.

The reason for all these early releases is that there is insufficient accommodation for all the prisoners currently held, so, who will be released to make space?

eazybee

I am concerned about who will be released in their stead.

The reason for all these early releases is that there is insufficient accommodation for all the prisoners currently held, so, who will be released to make space?

We don’t know that, that will be the case. That is supposition.

I read somewhere that those in prison for manslaughter amounted to a total of 150 - not an impossible number to accommodate I would have thought.

Our prisons are at 98% capacity source BBC this morning, news)

After airing the interview with Andy Burnham, there was another expert who said that this will now mean less people convicted or another group of offenders put forward for early release.

I understood that the lack of prison staff is why in some places we have empty prison beds.
Is this wrong?

There has been understaffing in prisons for years.

Without the power of the press- largely the DT - this u-turn would never have happened. Momentum was gathered through good journalism (several newspapers).

NotSpaghetti

I understood that the lack of prison staff is why in some places we have empty prison beds.
Is this wrong?

There has been understaffing in prisons for years.

There are also 1,000’s of prison cells empty due to maintenance issues according to AI.

When you add in inadequate staffing levels, you get to the current issues with the prison service.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Without the power of the press- largely the DT - this u-turn would never have happened. Momentum was gathered through good journalism (several newspapers).

Yes the press were instrumental in this decision along with a U.K. population now ready, willing and able to voice its displeasure at Government (any government) and its decisions.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Without the power of the press- largely the DT - this u-turn would never have happened. Momentum was gathered through good journalism (several newspapers).

😄😄

Pity they didn’t speak out when it was becoming ever more clear during the Tory government that prison spaces was a crtitical issue!