I think the electorate need to understand firstly, that it isn't free and secondly, manage their expectations.

I am still shocked that you think you are a centrist from reading your posts. That's up there with me thinking I'm a size 10.

I personally think there is a very skewed perspective on here. I'm far from left wing but then people on here genuinely think the Lib Dems were left wing. Scary.

 

I don't like the nanny state and believe people need to take more control over their lives. I've also mentioned that like you I am far from keen on child benefit being an automatic right. State subsidies babies doesn't sit well.

 

But I'm fundamentally against NHS privatisation. We need to decide whether we want to pay for the NHS or whether we'd rather have less support from it.

 

I don't like serial welfare claimants who have no interest it work but also can see that there is a big danger of just tarring everyone on benefits with the same brush. I can also see that it is easy for folk to blame them for our issues. Yet the proposition of money they cost is minuscule in comparison to multinationals who aren't paying their tax.

 

I don't think the free market is the answer to all our problems, the last recession showed that. I also don't think it is the route of all evil and I believe that strong public services can co-exist with a strong economy.

 

As I've said before that probably makes me a commie on here but in reality that is pretty much in the middle.

I personally think there is a very skewed perspective on here. I'm far from left wing but then people on here genuinely think the Lib Dems were left wing. Scary.

 

 

I wasn't going to bother, but here goes.

 

Lib Dems 2015, the losing version, positioned themselves in the middle.

 

Lib Dems 2010 were farther to the left than Labour. Mansion Tax, deluded, daft energy policy, cut tax relief on pensions to basic rate, increase the minimum wage, scrapping our next nuclear deterrant

 

They were the archetypal "yogurt knitters", but the myth had them somewhere in the middle.

 

After their power share, they have time to consider

I wasn't going to bother, but here goes.

 

Lib Dems 2015, the losing version, positioned themselves in the middle.

 

Lib Dems 2010 were farther to the left than Labour. Mansion Tax, deluded, daft energy policy, cut tax relief on pensions to basic rate, increase the minimum wage, scrapping our next nuclear deterrant

 

They were the archetypal "yogurt knitters", but the myth had them somewhere in the middle.

 

After their power share, they have time to consider

I was talking Lib Dems 2015.......

I was talking Lib Dems 2015.......

Not sure how scientific this is but it confirms your opinion.

http://liberalconspiracy.org/2015/05/10/memo-to-labour-david-cameron-did-not-win-this-election-from-the-centre/

I was talking Lib Dems 2015.......

 

 

Perfectly reasonable position for Nick Clegg to take

George Galloway. What a horrible human being he is.

George Galloway. What a horrible human being he is.

 

What is the lover of Sharia law said that makes you upset?

What is the lover of Sharia law said that makes you upset?

I'm just reading about what a sore loser he is. Democracy is clearly a dirty word to a wanker like him.

Perfectly reasonable position for Nick Clegg to take

Not disagreeing, didn't work for him though. Labour need to tread a very fine line between reverting back to outright Blairism but also coming back towards the centre. They need to be a clear alternative without being loony.

Not disagreeing, didn't work for him though. Labour need to tread a very fine line between reverting back to outright Blairism but also coming back towards the centre. They need to be a clear alternative without being loony.

I dint think Labour agree with you. I've been listening to their MPs wanting to appeal to the aspirational middle class who shop at John Lewis. They admit they should've focused more on the people who create wealth as they create job rather than the rich being bad v the poor being good.

Sounds like Blair like Labour to me.

NHS underfunding?

 

What about the £12 billion wasted on the scrapped centralised patient data programme

 

And the scores of Managers and Analysts created in the early 2000's that sit on a good wage and great pension doing fuck all that in a non unionised environment would be gotten rid of

 

Little accountability and no ROI is a real issue for NHS management; I know personally of a Director who must be on 6 figures that genuinely does fuck all but attend the odd meeting and then literally (as it's meant not as th kids say it) hides in her car. They have to pay another guy the same, to be a joint Director to do her work. It's fucking mental. And anecdotally she is far from unique, in what is a criminally mismanaged beast of an organisation.

 

And by ROI I don't mean a profit return but any positive return for the organisation.

I dint think Labour agree with you. I've been listening to their MPs wanting to appeal to the aspirational middle class who shop at John Lewis. They admit they should've focused more on the people who create wealth as they create job rather than the rich being bad v the poor being good.

Sounds like Blair like Labour to me.

There are ways of doing that without outright Blairism. I agree with their analysis that you cannot just talk about the top 1% and the bottom 10%. And it is clear that they made that error.

 

I still think they need a point of difference otherwise why bother? It's a tough balance that is for sure. If someone like Liz Kendall gets the gig you could be possibly seen to have a choice between the actual Tories and the red Tories which I'm not sure puts them in much of a better place.

Blair furthered the road towards privatisation of the NHS with PFI contrasts and increasing internal market competition. And there was outcry.

 

There needs to be a proper debate on the NHS and in my view the electorate needs to be given honest and clear options. I'm fundamentally against privatising it, because I think it will be an absolute disaster. Selling off individual services that currently or at least in theory work together will be a joke. I know we are already part way there, but it has to stop IMO. But there needs to be a full and frank discussion as to what the NHS will and won't pick up the tab for.

 

For example I'm not sure that anymore we can justify the NHS subsidising dental treatment other than in cases where it is medically relevant. For example an im-growing tooth or a wisdom tooth that needs removal. Cavities, crowns, bridges etc are all preventable if people look after their teeth. And if they don't there are private practices where they can pay to get fixed. If they can't pay, then they should look after their teeth properly.

 

It is one way a saving could be made and the service aligned to the economic and physical pressures it is under.

 

 

smokers with lung cancer?

 

pisscans with liver failure?

 

general wasters who see going to the gp as a social event?

Edited May 10, 201511 yr by Casino

Liz Kendall was impressive on The Sunday Politics today.

 

Would personally like to see Burnham in charge but not sure how well he'd do in the Southern marginals where Labour have been wiped out.

 

Very keen to see what the ex para has to say as his background alone is likely to win him support outside of the party's core voters.

Edited May 10, 201511 yr by RoadRunnerFan

Liz Kendall was impressive on The Sunday Politics today.

 

Would personally like to see Burnham in charge but not sure how well he'd do in the Southern marginals where Labour have been wiped out.

 

Very keen to see what the ex para has to say as his background alone is likely to win him support outside of the party's core voters.

 

And he'd take both Dave and Gideon out in an all in wrestling match.

NHS net expenditure - Planned expenditure for 2014/15 is £113.035bn. 

 

Health expenditure per capita in England has risen from £1,712 in 2008/09 to £1,912 in 2012/13.

Edited May 10, 201511 yr by overseas

George Galloway. What a horrible human being he is.

Last time we had the "who are the 3 biggest cunts " thread, I had Galloway & Max Clifford in mine & now they're goners. Coincidence....I think not. Only Piers Morgan to go now.

 

I've now brought that cunt Russell Brand on as a sub, so his days are numbered as well. The cunt.

 

Very keen to see what the ex para has to say as his background alone is likely to win him support outside of the party's core voters.

 

The previous MP for Barnsley Central was jailed for expenses fraud.

So Jarvis was parachuted onto the shortlist.

From 3 candidates the local councillor came top with the other 2 equal, but one had to be eliminated before the final round, so they drew lots and he stayed in, picked up all the votes from the eliminated candidate and won, giving him a rock solid safe seat.

Apparently the main objection to him from the selection committee was that he was from Nottinghamshire (he was 12 at the time of the miners' strike).

Whether the Union voters will recognise that he ticks plenty boxes in a way which other candidates probably won't however....

smokers with lung cancer?

 

pisscans with liver failure?

 

general wasters who see going to the gp as a social event?

Aye it is the thin end of the wedge. But smokers pay the tax on cigs anyhow.

 

And cavities tend not to be life threatening and are more affordable to fix for the individual. And we mostly already pay some towards dental treatment so it isn't as far a stretch in my mind at least.

I did the maths and it seems the NHS costs 309 and a half million pounds per day.

so it costs each person about 4 pounds 82 pence per day?

less those that arent working.

thats 144 pounds per month

 

private health care is between 60 to 80 pounds per month?

Edited May 10, 201511 yr by overseas

I did the maths and it seems the NHS costs 309 and a half million pounds per day.

so it costs each person about 4 pounds 82 pence per day?

less those that arent working.

thats 144 pounds per month

 

private health care is between 60 to 80 pounds per month?

 

But it's not just the current cost.

The ever-growing ageing population will inevitably increase the burden of costs, so it was very good of the Chancellor to allow over 55s to squander their pension savings pronto, ensuring that the overwhelming majority will be utterly dependent on the state by the time they are 80.

I did the maths and it seems the NHS costs 309 and a half million pounds per day.

so it costs each person about 4 pounds 82 pence per day?

less those that arent working.

thats 144 pounds per month

 

private health care is between 60 to 80 pounds per month?

And yet the NHS still ranks first in the world for quality, access and efficiency.

On another note, turnout was good this year, especially in Scotland.

 

Mind you, some people couldn't avoid voting, Jazza had his own polling station...

 

Aye it is the thin end of the wedge. But smokers pay the tax on cigs anyhow.

 

And cavities tend not to be life threatening and are more affordable to fix for the individual. And we mostly already pay some towards dental treatment so it isn't as far a stretch in my mind at least.

Non subsidised dental treatment in NZ. My missus needs a crown and its costing £900. Think it's about £200 in the UK?

But it's not just the current cost.

The ever-growing ageing population will inevitably increase the burden of costs, so it was very good of the Chancellor to allow over 55s to squander their pension savings pronto, ensuring that the overwhelming majority will be utterly dependent on the state by the time they are 80.

 

 

Bit early after the legislation has commenced to arrive at such a sweeping generalisation.

 

Drawdown has been available since 1995 and many of those in Drawdown have used their pension funds, in line with other assets, pretty well.