What made you 'Shake your Head' today?

[C8RKH]

Wow. Just wow.

Shows just how fecked up we are here in the UK and how we just tie ourselves in knots all the time. Beggars belief but if Germany goes ahead some serious questions have to be asked of Starmer and the new Government as to why it is OK in Germany, but not here, and why we did not push on given the investment we had already sunk into this.

https://news.sky.com/story/germany-considers-sending-migrants-to-rwanda-after-uk-ditches-same-idea-13210359

[Chillidoggy]

The Rwandan government must be cock-a-hoop. Cartloads of cash from the U.K., the infrastructure already in place paid for with said cash, and now they have a ready-made solution to Germany’s problem, which, if it goes ahead will not only net them even more, but will raise questions about U.K. Government policy.

[C8RKH]

It's typical, we have all the best ideas, but others always profit from them.

[pete]

Ok for labour considering sending prisoners to Estonia. How about sending all the foreign prisoners back to their own country to serve their sentence

[C8RKH]

Your problem @pete is that you have too much bloody common sense. Why send them back, when we can keep them here. Clothe them. Feed them. Etc?

The looney left wing wokey dokey middle classes will be bashing your down if you continue with this common sense approach.

Oh and by the way, when we send them back, they are permanently "barred" from re-entry to the UK, for life. No right to stay. No right to work. No right to claim benefits.

[ChrisJ]

Instead of a holiday in Rwanda (as it is a nice country) I'd ship them to Grytviken (other ex-whaling stations are available) on South Georgia for processing. I wonder how many would take the option of returning to their home country, or face a 2-3 year wait for processing.

[Chillidoggy]

I can see a legal challenge from lawyers for that well-known NGO “People Against Whale Processing Plant Disturbance”.

[Chillidoggy]

Actually, I’m thinking it won’t happen because they’ll be an outcry about prisoners not being able to see their relatives. Either that, or the Government will end up paying for them to visit Estonia.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Just took my Evora out for a quick drive. Nothing crazy. Noticed that the dashboard clock was wrong, so scrolled through the functions on the stalk and discovered that I have been doing 16.8mpg.

[exeterjeep]

Never worried too much about the dashboard clock, the sat nav has the correct time. But I do leave the display showing my average mpg, sometimes over 30.

[Escape]

On our way back yesterday part of the A23 was flooded. The repair van on the left shoulder had water up to bumper height and it stretched all the way to the center barrier, though luckily less deep. Naturally, traffic slowed down to a crawling pace as everyone merged into the right lane. Being in the Elan, I took it slow and steady and as close to the center as possible. Some PU didn't feel like waiting and proceeded to undertake everyone splashing through the deeper part. Properly dangerous, not only did visibility reduce to almost nothing because to the spray, I could actually feel the weight of the water front pushing the little Elan towards the center barrier! With some water making it passed the tired door seals, spooking my better halve. In a LHD car that could have triggered an unwanted steering input. 😠

I must admit I did think to myself I could have just driven straight on had we been in the Range Rover, but would have done so at the same low speed as the right lane, just avoiding the need to merge.

[Bibs]

What a great addition to our society this psycho will be

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c36n944p7lwo

[tim_marra]

Meh, it frees up some valuable space for a rioting greggs pasty thief  

[Barrykearley]

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/man-spared-jail-stabbing-pub-city-of-london-police-b1180660.html
 

so the courts, politicians and police say they are tough on knife crime. He’s free to walk the streets where as others have been jailed for the great sausage roll heist of 2024

[910Esprit]

What about the teen Machete killer being freed after 6 months....?

[Chillidoggy]

I’ve never understood the sentencing of criminals. To me, if the judge says “10 years”, then that’s exactly what it should mean. Time off for good behaviour? Seriously? What’s that all about? What’s the point if the judge is jailing someone for a period, when it gets undermined?

[eeyoreish]

To my mind, all this policy is going to do is convince every shoplifter, mugger and other 'petty' criminal that they can reoffend as much as they like and never face a jail term. Long term surely that just leads to them committing crimes of ever increasing severity until eventually they cross the line into something that does get them put behind bars.

If we don't crack down on the small stuff, we're just kicking a bigger problem down the road for a few years.

Perhaps some of the existing inmates could be reskilled in construction and get busy building some more prisons. Then when they do eventually get out they can help to build some affordable homes on the greenbelt. Win win, no?

[C8RKH]

28 minutes ago, eeyoreish said:

If we don't crack down on the small stuff, we're just kicking a bigger problem down the road for a few years.

This is the key point.

Since the pandemic and lockdowns, society has become ever more insular and intolerant, as people spent long periods either on their own, or in small social bubbles.

Basic societal skills have been lost. People have become more intolerant, at the same time, as they have become more entitled. A sure fire recipe for chaos, assaults, murders etc.

Little things like littering. Entitled behaviours driving arguments. Poor social behaviours causing upset. Are not being picked up on. Increasing, people push the boundaries further as to what is acceptable, often way beyond what is really acceptable. And still, nothing is done about.

If you don't nip the little, easy stuff, in the bud. If you just accept and tolerate it. It becomes the new norm. The boundary between what was, and now is acceptable, has been stretched. And so it moves on.

Our Politicians are so far removed from reality that it scares me. Their focus is on making a name for themselves, not necessarily on fixing what needs to be fixed.

[Chillidoggy]

Remind me how much we are spending on overseas aid, whilst our own pensioners choose between heating, or eating?

[C8RKH]

I've got no issue with the "heating support" being means tested to be honest. There are plenty of Pensioners out there, mostly ex Public Sector, with very healthy incomes and saved wealth who can well afford to pay their own heating costs fully. In fact, I think it is insulting that they can receive this.

But then here in Scotland I feel the same way about say, free prescriptions. Why should someone who is being paid £100k a year, or more, receive "free prescriptions"?  They can afford to pay, and so should pay.

I was listening to Diane Abbott on Radio 4 last night, on my way from the Airport after a day out in London. She was actually very lucid and presented a very strong argument against what Reeve's is doing here. She also made it clear that she was not happy about being "bullied" by the Party and the whip the way Labours MPs are. Basically, even if they don't vote against the bill, but abstain, there is a very real risk of losing the whip. Labour's approach was likened to that of student unions who bully students to accept stuff.

Personally, I'd have more respect for Labour if a lot of their MPs abstained on mass. It would be only the way to stop the bullying, as what would the Whip do, remove it from 100, 200, or more Labour MPs?

I think our Political environment is turning darker.

[PaulCP]

3 hours ago, C8RKH said:

 

. She also made it clear that she was not happy about being "bullied" by the Party and the whip the way Labours MPs are. Basically, even if they don't vote against the bill, but abstain, there is a very real risk of losing the whip. Labour's approach was likened to that of student unions who bully students to accept stuff.

Personally, I'd have more respect for Labour if a lot of their MPs abstained on mass. It would be only the way to stop the bullying, as what would the Whip do, remove it from 100, 200, or more Labour MPs?

I think our Political environment is turning darker.

Fully agree 👍

I thought we lived in a democracy but MPs aren’t allowed to vote for what they, or their constituents may think for the fear of the whip being taken away or expelled from the party.

What is democratic about this

[C8RKH]

Just now, PaulCP said:

What is democratic about this

Nothing. Abbot gets a lot of stick. I've given her a lot of stick. But last night on R4, she was absolutely spot on. Red hot. Clear and focused. Credit where it is due.

I said this at the time of the election. Such a huge majority, whatever the Party, is the worst outcome for this country. It means that crap and ill thought out Policies can be forced through without proper scrutiny and little challenge and that leads to "lazy", lackadaisical, arrogant, and conceited, Government.

A small majority means that things get challenged much harder. There is much more scrutiny and more chances of bad legislation being thrown out, before it becomes a problem.

[PaulCP]

My main point Andy @C8RKH is that in a real democracy MPs would be free to vote as they wished & not be controlled by party whips with threats of expulsion if they voted against a Govt motion.

We do not live in a democracy & it is high time that our political system was overhauled, it is decades out of date.

If you haven’t yet, look into Starmer’s past. A guy who, when he was younger, resented his father for running a successful business & making millions but a guy who now sits on those millions and reaps all of the rewards that his wealth brings.

https://skwawkbox.org/2022/09/01/starmer-claims-he-knew-poverty-as-child-his-dad-owned-a-factory/

[C8RKH]

I thought this was a "joke". Apparently not. I truly despair at the stupidity of people in the UK and bet everyone who has bought one of these whinges like fcuk about the cost of living. 

Please someone tell me this is really just an early April's fool joke.

https://www.greggsbakedingold.co.uk/?lid=ei478038a4a5

[Sparky]

Haha, even a vegan option.