National politics

[Ian]

You're talking about a tiny, tiny, part of the population who earns those sort of amounts.

Can I point out that there are over 1.2 million people (ONS) on basic salaries of over £100k in the UK, and that doesn't include those with all the bonuses and inducements that push salary packages over that figure. Nor does it include the businessmen and women who write everything of against tax, such as a very nice chap I know who has his boat in a local marina and an aircraft at a local airfield, both paid for and maintained at his companies expense with the full agreement of the tax officials, 'for entertaining clients' and whose company generates so much cash, he has so much stashed away that he admits that he doesn't know what to do with it, yet on paper his pay is £25k. He is not in the minority of business people; everything is written off against tax. I know a builder who writes his dog food off as he claims his dog is a guard dog and the businesses security. It may not be illegal in avoiding tax, but as that odious being Trump said, "not paying taxes makes me smart", legitimising the whole dubious arrangements. So, I suggest that 1.2 million is a mere fraction of those that actually, in reality, have over £100k a year. That is not a tiny, tiny part of the population. The ONS also suggests over 6,000 people have a salary of over £2,000,000.

As B2R says, we have wealth beyond the dreams of Avarice to the 3rd world, and possibly even, to the previous generation.

Getting back to the London issue: £137k a year when the average price of a terraced house is £650k, it costs several thousand pounds for a railcard just to get to work each year, car insurance is multiple thousands and beer tops £4.20 a pint and you spend hours every day in traffic jams whilst the air quality chokes you, just to be pilloried in the press every day of your life for simply being wrong about everything he says or does doesn't seem worth it......

Some excellent points, there; our youngest earns more than £100k, and he's not wealthy by any definition. He's 'comfortable'.  But very close friends of ours (who happen to be Tory politicians, so meals with them are interesting times :-) are pulling out of politics for the reasons you mention.

[SteveH]

Plans to increase National Insurance levels for self-employed people - announced in the Budget last week - have been dropped.
Chancellor Philip Hammond has said the government will not proceed with the increases which were criticised for breaking a 2015 manifesto pledge.
In a letter to Tory MPs, he said: "There will be no increases in... rates in this Parliament."
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-39278968

[Hugo]

Labour's Jeremy Corbyn said the U-turn showed a government "in chaos"    he might be right in this case but sadly he can't see that's what he's done to his own party.
Politicians, Bankers and Developers have all perfected the art of misleading people or being economical with the truth.

[Bosun]

Labour's Jeremy Corbyn said the U-turn showed a government "in chaos"    he might be right in this case but sadly he can't see that's what he's done to his own party.
Politicians, Bankers and Developers have all perfected the art of misleading people or being economical with the truth.

You can add solicitors and barristers to that list, those that know their clients to be guilty but defend them, make ludicrous compensation or appeal claims on their clients behalf - and are happy to be paid for it, mainly from legal aid.

Alternative truths have become the norm.

[Hugo]

Well said Bosun, and you can add some accountants and some Freemasons to the list too.

[SteveH]

UK PM Theresa May announces plan to call snap general election on 8 June.
She said Britain needed certainty, stability and strong leadership following the EU referendum.
Justifying the decision, Mrs May referred to Brexit, saying: "The country is coming together but Westminster is not."
There will be a Commons vote on the proposed election on Wednesday.
Explaining her change of heart on an early election, Mrs May said: "I have concluded the only way to guarantee certainty and security for years ahead is to hold this election." refBBC

[Fester]

So, the Scots are not allowed an election / referendum...... we don't even want one, but are forced to have one!  Don't you just love politicians.

[SDQ]

So, the Scots are not allowed an election / referendum...... we don't even want one, but are forced to have one!  Don't you just love politicians.

I thought we were supposed to have fixed term governments now???

[Ian]

True, but  Parliament makes the rules...

[Ian]

I assume our MP - Bebb - still lives outside his constituency?

[Nemesis]

So, the Scots are not allowed an election / referendum...... we don't even want one, but are forced to have one!  Don't you just love politicians.

To answer your question........NO !

[Ian]

Local Tory party members weren't allowed to vote on Bebb's nomination.

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/aberconwy-tories-angry-over-denial-12928643

In true style, he wouldn't even talk to the Daily Post about the furore. So it appears that someone even the local party didn't vote for and whose house isn't even in his own constituency might be elected as MP. Who's for democracy, then?

[Hugo]

Perhaps Jeremy will let the voters know exactly what the Labour Party's view is  on immigration , defence, capping benefits, Brexit and Gibraltar and all the other issues before the General election in June


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39683989

[DaveR]

I found this BBC news article amazing, it shows the absolute depths to which Corbyn has decimated Labour Party support:

The Edwards, father and son, told me they'd both been Labour voters all their lives. But could they switch? Mark told me his 85-year-old father had already done so. He said "she is wonderful, best we've had," when he started talking about Theresa May.

Mr Edwards senior told me he had been 'life-long Labour' but that Jeremy Corbyn was "30 or 40 years out of date - he wants to introduce a gimmick, communism".

He was plainly angry about what's happened to the Labour party in recent years, saying it had been led by "conmen". Mr Edwards parting shot was "bye, bye Mr Corbyn"

Another voter, Brian Holley presented his own dilemma, that could be shared by many voters in Wales, where overall, the vote was to leave the EU. Brian told me he'd voted to Leave but his local Labour MP had backed Remain.

That was reason for him to be, as he expressed it, "on the border" between sticking with Labour and voting Tory for the first time.

Sharing a morning cuppa with him was Eira Linehan, who said for the "first time ever" she was considering voting Tory because while she agreed with Jeremy Corbyn's ideas, they wouldn't work in the "real world".

They said "we're all Labour" in their constituency, but they are likely to vote Tory because of Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, even though, "my father will be spinning in his grave".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39713864

[Ian]

The Communist party - for the first time in its history - has decoded not to field any candidates against Labour, apparently because they don't want to damage the possibility of a real left-wing Labour government.