| Evette Cooper 08:03 - Oct 10 with 9614 views | onceablue |
What an idiot
Are Taylor swift tickets really that elusive that you arrange a police escort normally only given to the Royal family
And she is married to Ed Balls - Norwich Scummer
This Labour Party are really doing themselves proud!!!!!!!
This post has been edited by an administrator |  | | |  |
| Evette Cooper on 15:39 - Oct 10 with 1937 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
You haven't read your own link properly. "People with roots in the Chagos Islands." They're not inhabitants, but their ancestors may have been (whether they should have been removed 50 years ago is another matter). The islands are largely uninhabited and have been for 50 years (other than the military base). |  |
| Trust the process. Trust Phil. |
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| Evette Cooper on 15:45 - Oct 10 with 1913 views | Europablue |
| Evette Cooper on 14:39 - Oct 10 by DJR |
Germany certainly has its issues but according to my sister-in-law there, who has seen the NHS upfront recently when visiting her mother, this does not include its health service, something which appears to be backed up by international comparisons.
I was wondering if you're registered to vote here, and did vote in July? My sister-in-law and a friend in Paris both took advantage this time of the removal of the 15 year limit. |
The health service is under severe strain, but it would be unkind to compare it to the NHS, which is a national embarrassment. The system in just about every European country is superior to the NHS. I only moved a year ago, but it was easy to get a dentist and my wife has had no problem getting appointments for her and the kids. I haven't used the service yet (even though I'm contributing a lot to it, that's actually fine by me, it's very good fortune to pay for healthcare and barely need it). Of course it depends on the region. My wife knows some people in Berlin and services are incredibly stretched, I'm not sure if that included the health services, but I'd imagine so.
I am a little torn on voting in the UK. On important issues that effect me directly, like Brexit, I did/do vote, but I feel like I shouldn't vote if I don't contribute, so I don't vote in the UK. However, if you don't vote there may be a person coming into power who could damage the UK and that has consequences for my family members who live there, and my children who may want to live there in future. I take comfort in knowing that me and my vote are incredibly insignificant, so not voting changes nothing. | | | |
| Evette Cooper on 15:50 - Oct 10 with 1893 views | Clapham_Junction |
| Evette Cooper on 11:26 - Oct 10 by Europablue |
The worst things that Starmer has done is give away the Chagos Islands without even asking the people living there, the winter fuel payments disaster, giving in to huge public sector pay demands, private school tax, and generally chasing off high-earners amongst other things are the worst things that the Labour government have done in a very short time. |
The UK was ordered to give the islands to Mauritius by an international court. And while the last government were quite happy to ignore international law when it suited them, they were the ones that started the negotiations and presumably advanced them quite significantly (I doubt the incoming government had a huge amount of input given the time it would take to negotiate such a complex issue). |  | | |
| Evette Cooper on 15:58 - Oct 10 with 1874 views | Europablue |
| Evette Cooper on 15:25 - Oct 10 by DJR |
China is the line that the right wing media are pressing but it doesn't stand up to scrutiny.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/03/statemen
I suggest you read Biden's statement in full, but this appears to be the key paragraph.
Diego Garcia is the site of a joint U.S.-UK military facility that plays a vital role in national, regional, and global security. It enables the United States to support operations that demonstrate our shared commitment to regional stability, provide rapid response to crises, and counter some of the most challenging security threats we face. The agreement secures the effective operation of the joint facility on Diego Garcia into the next century. [Post edited 10 Oct 2024 15:26]
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Once you lose control, you can't guarantee anything.
Just look at Hong Kong.
It's a difficult situation, and I agree that it might have happened whoever was in charge. It feels like Biden's disastrous implementation of the withdrawal from Afghanistan in that it signaled American weakness to the assorted despots. Gibraltar and the Falklands are different cases, but the weak assurances from Starmer seem to be inviting Spain and Argentina to try their luck. Spain still has enclaves in Morocco, and yet Madrid still seems to try and take the moral high ground. Argentina only cares about the Falklands as a distraction from the disastrous economy and the potential value, rather than any real claims. | | | |
| Evette Cooper on 16:04 - Oct 10 with 1845 views | Horsham |
| Evette Cooper on 15:58 - Oct 10 by Europablue |
Once you lose control, you can't guarantee anything.
Just look at Hong Kong.
It's a difficult situation, and I agree that it might have happened whoever was in charge. It feels like Biden's disastrous implementation of the withdrawal from Afghanistan in that it signaled American weakness to the assorted despots. Gibraltar and the Falklands are different cases, but the weak assurances from Starmer seem to be inviting Spain and Argentina to try their luck. Spain still has enclaves in Morocco, and yet Madrid still seems to try and take the moral high ground. Argentina only cares about the Falklands as a distraction from the disastrous economy and the potential value, rather than any real claims. |
Didn’t Starmer give a strong assurance re the Falklands citing that it’s a matter he takes personally? |  | | |
| Evette Cooper on 16:14 - Oct 10 with 1816 views | jontysnut |
| Evette Cooper on 15:45 - Oct 10 by Europablue |
The health service is under severe strain, but it would be unkind to compare it to the NHS, which is a national embarrassment. The system in just about every European country is superior to the NHS. I only moved a year ago, but it was easy to get a dentist and my wife has had no problem getting appointments for her and the kids. I haven't used the service yet (even though I'm contributing a lot to it, that's actually fine by me, it's very good fortune to pay for healthcare and barely need it). Of course it depends on the region. My wife knows some people in Berlin and services are incredibly stretched, I'm not sure if that included the health services, but I'd imagine so.
I am a little torn on voting in the UK. On important issues that effect me directly, like Brexit, I did/do vote, but I feel like I shouldn't vote if I don't contribute, so I don't vote in the UK. However, if you don't vote there may be a person coming into power who could damage the UK and that has consequences for my family members who live there, and my children who may want to live there in future. I take comfort in knowing that me and my vote are incredibly insignificant, so not voting changes nothing. |
While the NHS is stretched due to decades of underfunding failing to match population growth, successive governments not dealing with social care, an ageing and longer living population with multiple conditions, NHS activity has increased to an average of 2.5 million interactions with patients every 36 hours, or a million interactions every 15 hours - all free at the point of need. Things could, and should be better but hardly a national embarrassment. |  | | |
| Evette Cooper on 16:29 - Oct 10 with 1769 views | DJR |
| Evette Cooper on 15:58 - Oct 10 by Europablue |
Once you lose control, you can't guarantee anything.
Just look at Hong Kong.
It's a difficult situation, and I agree that it might have happened whoever was in charge. It feels like Biden's disastrous implementation of the withdrawal from Afghanistan in that it signaled American weakness to the assorted despots. Gibraltar and the Falklands are different cases, but the weak assurances from Starmer seem to be inviting Spain and Argentina to try their luck. Spain still has enclaves in Morocco, and yet Madrid still seems to try and take the moral high ground. Argentina only cares about the Falklands as a distraction from the disastrous economy and the potential value, rather than any real claims. |
Leaving aside the fact that the withdrawal from Afghanistan was started in motion by Trump, so long as the US remains a major military power, and so long as it considers a strategic base, there's no chance of it giving up Diego Garcia.
The US's major focus these days is on China, and the following snippets from a recent New York Times article shows that under Biden the US is expanding its military presence in the Pacific.
A New Pacific Arsenal to Counter China
With missiles, submarines and alliances, the Biden administration has built a presence in the region to rein in Beijing’s expansionist goals.
U.S. officials have long seen their country as a Pacific power, with troops and arsenals at a handful of bases in the region since just after World War II.
But the Biden administration says that is no longer good enough to foil what it sees as the greatest threat to the democratic island of Taiwan — a Chinese invasion that could succeed within days.
Since the start of his administration, President Biden has undertaken a strategy to expand American military access to bases in allied nations across the Asia-Pacific region and to deploy a range of new weapons systems there. He has also said the U.S. military would defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion.
The Pentagon has gained access to multiple airfields and naval bases in the Philippines, lessening the need for aircraft carriers that could be targeted by China’s long-range missiles and submarines in a time of war.
The Australian government hosts U.S. Marines in the north of the country, and one of three sites in the east will soon be the new home for advanced American-made attack submarines. The United States also has a new security agreement with Papua New Guinea [Post edited 10 Oct 2024 16:32]
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| Evette Cooper on 21:29 - Oct 10 with 1629 views | WeWereZombies |
| Evette Cooper on 16:14 - Oct 10 by jontysnut |
While the NHS is stretched due to decades of underfunding failing to match population growth, successive governments not dealing with social care, an ageing and longer living population with multiple conditions, NHS activity has increased to an average of 2.5 million interactions with patients every 36 hours, or a million interactions every 15 hours - all free at the point of need. Things could, and should be better but hardly a national embarrassment. |
'an ageing and longer living population with multiple conditions, NHS activity has increased to an average of 2.5 million interactions with patients every 36 hours, or a million interactions every 15 hours'
Bloody Facters taking up all the resources... |  |
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| Evette Cooper on 21:38 - Oct 10 with 1627 views | reusersfreekicks |
| Evette Cooper on 11:26 - Oct 10 by Europablue |
The worst things that Starmer has done is give away the Chagos Islands without even asking the people living there, the winter fuel payments disaster, giving in to huge public sector pay demands, private school tax, and generally chasing off high-earners amongst other things are the worst things that the Labour government have done in a very short time. |
Where to start,
VAT for the poor little darlings attending private school. Love how the right talk this up as a hardship.
Paying health care workers decent salaries, how dare they?
Chagos islands process was started by the Tories.
Chasing off high earners!! Nonsense! Have to tax them properly first. [Post edited 10 Oct 2024 23:16]
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| Evette Cooper on 22:56 - Oct 10 with 1586 views | redrickstuhaart |
| Evette Cooper on 12:30 - Oct 10 by DJR |
And the key thing, given the US base there, is that the agreement was welcomed with open arms by Biden and Blinken.
Once again, it is just a non-story. [Post edited 10 Oct 2024 12:30]
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Notably, the lawyer who acted for Mauritius over many many years, is flabbergasted that the tories are criticising it, having actively supported and been involved in the process right up to the change of government.
Anyone would think that they just say what they think might help electorally, regardless of what is true... | | | |
| Evette Cooper on 13:18 - Oct 11 with 1452 views | Europablue |
| Evette Cooper on 16:14 - Oct 10 by jontysnut |
While the NHS is stretched due to decades of underfunding failing to match population growth, successive governments not dealing with social care, an ageing and longer living population with multiple conditions, NHS activity has increased to an average of 2.5 million interactions with patients every 36 hours, or a million interactions every 15 hours - all free at the point of need. Things could, and should be better but hardly a national embarrassment. |
Hopefully you've never had a relative who was killed by the NHS or who was not provided adequate care and subsequently died. The NHS is all about covering their behind. There are some amazing people working in healthcare in the UK, but there are also many incompetent people too.
The really embarrassing thing is that many people love the NHS with religious zeal. The system is the main problem, not the people in the system and maybe not even the level of funding. Many European countries have far better health services.
From what I hear it is very difficult to find a dentist.
Aside from that the scope of expected service has expanded drastically and it should not have done without some kind of public consultation. Are we prepared to pay more for healthcare because you can't have an increased scope without increased funding.
People should understand that criticizing the NHS is not about defunding healthcare or criticizing the general efforts and care of most medical practitioners, it is only about considering whether a less-centralized and less wasteful model would work better. | | | |
| Evette Cooper on 13:36 - Oct 11 with 1434 views | Europablue |
| Evette Cooper on 16:29 - Oct 10 by DJR |
Leaving aside the fact that the withdrawal from Afghanistan was started in motion by Trump, so long as the US remains a major military power, and so long as it considers a strategic base, there's no chance of it giving up Diego Garcia.
The US's major focus these days is on China, and the following snippets from a recent New York Times article shows that under Biden the US is expanding its military presence in the Pacific.
A New Pacific Arsenal to Counter China
With missiles, submarines and alliances, the Biden administration has built a presence in the region to rein in Beijing’s expansionist goals.
U.S. officials have long seen their country as a Pacific power, with troops and arsenals at a handful of bases in the region since just after World War II.
But the Biden administration says that is no longer good enough to foil what it sees as the greatest threat to the democratic island of Taiwan — a Chinese invasion that could succeed within days.
Since the start of his administration, President Biden has undertaken a strategy to expand American military access to bases in allied nations across the Asia-Pacific region and to deploy a range of new weapons systems there. He has also said the U.S. military would defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion.
The Pentagon has gained access to multiple airfields and naval bases in the Philippines, lessening the need for aircraft carriers that could be targeted by China’s long-range missiles and submarines in a time of war.
The Australian government hosts U.S. Marines in the north of the country, and one of three sites in the east will soon be the new home for advanced American-made attack submarines. The United States also has a new security agreement with Papua New Guinea [Post edited 10 Oct 2024 16:32]
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It's safer to say the Biden administration because it has been obvious for years that Biden is not mentally capable to run a country, especially not the most powerful country in the world.
As you said Trump sanctioned and started the process for withdrawal from Afghanistan, which was the right decision, it was the way that the Biden administration handled the withdrawal which was the disaster.
I take the point that Starmer is probably just the person in the hotseat when it was time to make the decision, so maybe I shouldn't judge him as harshly. You do seem to have researched well. I'm very disillusioned by the choices for leaders in the UK and the US. I wouldn't want to vote for any of them, so it leaves you with a choice of voting for the least bad option. | | | |
| Evette Cooper on 13:39 - Oct 11 with 1430 views | soupytwist |
| Evette Cooper on 13:18 - Oct 11 by Europablue |
Hopefully you've never had a relative who was killed by the NHS or who was not provided adequate care and subsequently died. The NHS is all about covering their behind. There are some amazing people working in healthcare in the UK, but there are also many incompetent people too.
The really embarrassing thing is that many people love the NHS with religious zeal. The system is the main problem, not the people in the system and maybe not even the level of funding. Many European countries have far better health services.
From what I hear it is very difficult to find a dentist.
Aside from that the scope of expected service has expanded drastically and it should not have done without some kind of public consultation. Are we prepared to pay more for healthcare because you can't have an increased scope without increased funding.
People should understand that criticizing the NHS is not about defunding healthcare or criticizing the general efforts and care of most medical practitioners, it is only about considering whether a less-centralized and less wasteful model would work better. |
It's easy enough to find a dentist if, like you've done in Germany, you're prepared to pay.
I'm not pretending that the NHS doesn't have its problems, many of which won't be solved merely by chucking more money at it. But this country isn't, for better or worse, going to switch to a privatised healthcare system any time soon. |  | | |
| Evette Cooper on 13:44 - Oct 11 with 1422 views | Europablue |
| Evette Cooper on 21:38 - Oct 10 by reusersfreekicks |
Where to start,
VAT for the poor little darlings attending private school. Love how the right talk this up as a hardship.
Paying health care workers decent salaries, how dare they?
Chagos islands process was started by the Tories.
Chasing off high earners!! Nonsense! Have to tax them properly first. [Post edited 10 Oct 2024 23:16]
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I don't give a damn about the parents or the kids using private schools, I hate that Labour politicians are like University student candidates and they prefer their pure ideals over the actual reality. Private services are a net positive to public services. Everyone pays into the pot for education, healthcare, or whatever, and if they don't use the service that money goes further. The very wealthy will pay the tax and not lose a wink of sleep. The aspirational middle class parents will be squeezed too much and have to send their kids to public schools and stretch the resources and therefore damage the education of every other child in the public system.
Unfortunately the previous government with full support of the current government wasted billions on paying people not to work, so our finances are a mess. It's lovely to pay generously for vital work, but you have to find the funds from somewhere. The problem is that tax revenues go down if the rates are too high. People either lose motivation to earn more or the very wealthy ones relocate their wealth. | | | |
| Evette Cooper on 13:50 - Oct 11 with 1413 views | Europablue |
| Evette Cooper on 13:39 - Oct 11 by soupytwist |
It's easy enough to find a dentist if, like you've done in Germany, you're prepared to pay.
I'm not pretending that the NHS doesn't have its problems, many of which won't be solved merely by chucking more money at it. But this country isn't, for better or worse, going to switch to a privatised healthcare system any time soon. |
I agree that the NHS won't be scrapped. It's just a shame that it won't be.
I don't have extra health insurance, I just pay the required amount, so I don't think it is a reasonable comparison you made. In most places you can find a dentist with the basic insurance that you pay separately from general taxes, but isn't much different in the amount paid in the UK. Anyway, the NHS is one reason that I'm thankful that I'm no longer living in the UK! | | | |
| Evette Cooper on 13:55 - Oct 11 with 1407 views | m14_blue |
Which parts of the BBC do you consider to be far-left and please could you give an example or two? | | | |
| Evette Cooper on 14:32 - Oct 11 with 1369 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| Evette Cooper on 13:44 - Oct 11 by Europablue |
I don't give a damn about the parents or the kids using private schools, I hate that Labour politicians are like University student candidates and they prefer their pure ideals over the actual reality. Private services are a net positive to public services. Everyone pays into the pot for education, healthcare, or whatever, and if they don't use the service that money goes further. The very wealthy will pay the tax and not lose a wink of sleep. The aspirational middle class parents will be squeezed too much and have to send their kids to public schools and stretch the resources and therefore damage the education of every other child in the public system.
Unfortunately the previous government with full support of the current government wasted billions on paying people not to work, so our finances are a mess. It's lovely to pay generously for vital work, but you have to find the funds from somewhere. The problem is that tax revenues go down if the rates are too high. People either lose motivation to earn more or the very wealthy ones relocate their wealth. |
"with full support of the current government"
This is just nonsense. | |
| Trust the process. Trust Phil. |
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| Evette Cooper on 15:25 - Oct 11 with 1306 views | Zapers |
| Evette Cooper on 13:44 - Oct 11 by Europablue |
I don't give a damn about the parents or the kids using private schools, I hate that Labour politicians are like University student candidates and they prefer their pure ideals over the actual reality. Private services are a net positive to public services. Everyone pays into the pot for education, healthcare, or whatever, and if they don't use the service that money goes further. The very wealthy will pay the tax and not lose a wink of sleep. The aspirational middle class parents will be squeezed too much and have to send their kids to public schools and stretch the resources and therefore damage the education of every other child in the public system.
Unfortunately the previous government with full support of the current government wasted billions on paying people not to work, so our finances are a mess. It's lovely to pay generously for vital work, but you have to find the funds from somewhere. The problem is that tax revenues go down if the rates are too high. People either lose motivation to earn more or the very wealthy ones relocate their wealth. |
Unfortunately lefties don't see it this way, idealism before reality.
Labour always make the same mistakes, simply because they have to appease the far left. | | | |
| Evette Cooper on 15:32 - Oct 11 with 1302 views | WeWereZombies |
| Evette Cooper on 15:25 - Oct 11 by Zapers |
Unfortunately lefties don't see it this way, idealism before reality.
Labour always make the same mistakes, simply because they have to appease the far left. |
Is there anyone on the far left, perhaps a defender, that you think could do a job as a draught excluder ? [Post edited 11 Oct 2024 15:41]
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| Evette Cooper on 15:55 - Oct 11 with 1261 views | Swansea_Blue |
| Evette Cooper on 15:25 - Oct 11 by Zapers |
Unfortunately lefties don't see it this way, idealism before reality.
Labour always make the same mistakes, simply because they have to appease the far left. |
Do you honestly think this government is appeasing the far left? |  |
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| Evette Cooper on 16:08 - Oct 11 with 1234 views | Blueschev |
| Evette Cooper on 15:55 - Oct 11 by Swansea_Blue |
Do you honestly think this government is appeasing the far left? |
Honestly, how do people come to this conclusion? How far to the right do you have to be to see this government as appeasing the far left? |  | | |
| Evette Cooper on 16:09 - Oct 11 with 1232 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| Evette Cooper on 16:08 - Oct 11 by Blueschev |
Honestly, how do people come to this conclusion? How far to the right do you have to be to see this government as appeasing the far left? |
Zapers is in a world of his own. | |
| Trust the process. Trust Phil. |
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| Evette Cooper on 18:06 - Oct 11 with 1115 views | Zapers |
Yep the real world, something that you have no connection with. | | | |
| Evette Cooper on 19:18 - Oct 11 with 1070 views | reusersfreekicks |
| Evette Cooper on 15:25 - Oct 11 by Zapers |
Unfortunately lefties don't see it this way, idealism before reality.
Labour always make the same mistakes, simply because they have to appease the far left. |
Just such rubbish it hardly deserves highlighting. This govt may be a lot of things but hard left isn't one of them.
If anything it's just right of centre.
Only hard right would say that. | | | |
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