Less well-off people voting Tory is an absolute mystery to me
Talk to a few of them and you will solve your mystery. To sum up;
They believe what they are told / read in Daily Mail/ hear from mates / read on Facebook.
I see Farage has poked his head over the parapet and criticised the government on this.
Accepting that even broken clocks are correct twice a day, I'm a little concerned at him sticking his oar in and jumping on a genuine populist cause, after the shitstorm he created with Brexit.
Smacks of opportunistic headline grabbing, he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who has the best interests of ordinary people at heart.
Talk to a few of them and you will solve your mystery. To sum up;
They believe what they are told / read in Daily Mail/ hear from mates / read on Facebook.
Very much this. The problem with social media - and real life - is that you gravitate towards your "own kind" and rapidly lose touch with the thought processes of "others". Which leads to the kind of complacency that leads to 80 seat Tory majorities.
But I'm realising now how attractive "Get Brexit Done" sounded to people with little interest in politics. It had dragged on for years, dominated the news and divided friends and families. Voting for the party who were suggesting it just needed finishing and it would go away must have sounded attractive at a surface level.
And that Brexit Fatigue is now being replaced with Covid Fatigue as people are being ground down by restrictions and economic hardship.
Talk to a few of them and you will solve your mystery. To sum up;
They believe what they are told / read in Daily Mail/ hear from mates / read on Facebook.
What a patronising answer. There have always been a lot working class Tories, they identify with hard work and are proud to support themselves and not rely on others. This is often interpreted as I'm alright Jack, they would see it as taking responsibility for themselves and their families. Nothing boils their urine more than people they grew up with seemingly no worse off than they are despite predominantly living on benefits.
If you want to have a go take a look at the red wall who changed allegiance to get the foreigners out.
Anyway the current government aren't Tories, they are corrupt, self serving scum purely in it for themselves. Real Tories do have a valid ideology in the same way Corbyn and co did, you may not like it but its a legitimate position in a democracy. A lot of people do identify with these policies as shown by the number of Tory vs Labour governments over the last 60 years. If it's of any relevance I voted Corbyn last time around as the current shower are so far from proper Tories I'd rather have had Corbyn running the country.
So maybe if you don't understand why working people on low wages vote Tory you might want to educate yourself rather jumping to lazy stereotypes and assuming they are incapable of thinking for themselves just because you dont have the capability to think beyond your view of the world.
It's not surprising a lot of Tory voters don't advertise their allegiance as people who dont like Tories immediately accuse them of being selfish nasty people rather than engage with the policies, playing the man is not a good way to change someone's mind.
There have always been a lot working class Tories, they identify with hard work and are proud to support themselves and not rely on others. This is often interpreted as I’m alright Jack, they would see it as taking responsibility for themselves and their families. Nothing boils their urine more than people they grew up with seemingly no worse off than they are despite predominantly living on benefits.
I get what you're saying and it's a valid view but the trouble is that this world view is often provably based on prejudice not reality. I'm always posting the 'british public wrong about nearly everything' survey but it shows quite clearly people think there are massively more benefit cheats, immigrants than there really are, and that benefits are more generous than they really are etc etc
If we are saying we need to listen to how these people feel, regardless of whether it's fair or justified, well...
And while they may have a genuine desire for people to be more independent, this is very easily manipulated into blaming the wrong targets, when the people they are voting for are really the problem.
Anyway the current government aren’t Tories,
They are.
I'm very impressed by Marcus rashford. A young man that is grounded, honest, compassionate, understanding. He is arguing
Articulate and presenting this issue really simply and clearly. By doing so he's running rings around the politicians. As a top footballer he could so easily be very different and remote from reality. Top marks Marcus! Top marks.
I get what you’re saying and it’s a valid view but the trouble is that this world view is often provably based on prejudice not reality. I’m always posting the ‘british public wrong about nearly everything’ survey but it shows quite clearly people think there are massively more benefit cheats, immigrants than there really are, and that benefits are more generous than they really are etc etc
Equally though, remember when you're discussing this with someone that it can be their own experiences, rather than prejudice. Obviously there is prejudice everywhere. (look at the traveller threads on here, for example!). IMO simply dismissing peoples experiences makes it much more difficult to engage with them on a much broader range of issues. Because you've read the stats and look to the overall impact, doesn't mean that immigration, for example, hasn't been an issue for some individuals. I guess I'm hoping there's a path that means you can acknowledge that issues exist but also point to the successes and suggest where things can be improved.
johnson's new slogan...starve a kid to save a quid.
I get what you’re saying and it’s a valid view but the trouble is that this world view is often provably based on prejudice not reality. I’m always posting the ‘british public wrong about nearly everything’ survey but it shows quite clearly people think there are massively more benefit cheats, immigrants than there really are, and that benefits are more generous than they really are etc etc
Thanks Grum, not quite the response I was expecting here but if we ever need a response that engages with the argument rather than being personal you've just provided a great example.
I also think you're right regarding public perception, it is usually skewed to one extreme or another. I actually agree the number of people actively gaming the system is pretty small, theres a much larger proportion on benefits because they've given up hope, just dont have the life skills to hold a job down or make little effort to get off benefits. There's also a big proportion who are temporarily on benefits between jobs, who despite the soul crushing lack of support get them selves back into work. These people are not benefit cheats or actively choosing to live on benefits, but for other people who've pulled themselves out of that vicious cycle i can see their point. Yes some of it will be based on prejudice but a lot of it is if i can do it why cant they and why despite the effort I put into life is my my lifestyle only marginally better.
I'll also admit this place has changed my perceptions on this, if you'd asked me 10 years ago I'd have lumped everyone into the useless ****ers category, shared experiences on here have proved that view wrong, but some posters here also seem to default to everyone on benefits are victims of society whilst people who work hard and support themselves are selfish me first Tories. Like everything in life its way more nuanced.
Equally though, remember when you’re discussing this with someone that it can be their own experiences, rather than prejudice.
or it can be their own prejudiced experience. My father always accused me of laziness etc when I left school in the mid 80's and couldn't get a job. He related it to his experiences in the 60's when you could just walk up to a factory and choose from a list of vacancies. He didn't realise the world had changed and bought the tory propaganda rather than listening to my experiences.
whilst people who work hard and support themselves are selfish me first Tories.
The problem is, most people work hard. IME there is little link between hard work and success. So it is the claim that "I work hard to support myself and my family etc" as an argument that therefore anyone who can't support themselves must be lazy, brings about the accusation of selfish tory. There are those who work hard, understand they have had the opportunities to turn that hard work into success and still have compassion for those less fortunate, such as Markus Rashford.
"one school in Mansfield 75% of kids have a social worker, 25% of parents are illiterate. Their estate is the centre of the area’s crime. One kid lives in a crack den, another in a brothel. These are the kids that most need our help, extending FSM doesn’t reach these kids.”
"£20 cash direct to a crack den and brothel really sounds like way forward with this one”, writing: “That’s what FSM vouchers in the summer effectively did …”"
Quote from MP
Seems like the tories have lost their appetite for the culture war they started and fuelled.
https://twitter.com/joncstone/status/1319769192858529793?s=20
Ah these soft millennials that can't take a bit of banter.
/s
The letter also says please stop asking us nasty questions about why we keep cocking up everything whilst siphoning off public money
Am I the only one who read the 2nd comment about Rayner that she did behave like an MP?
"...nor the first time she had behaved with the standards expected of a Member of Parliament"
So basically she's expected to be raucous, judgemental and rude towards gobby shysters?
Theres a much larger proportion on benefits because. . .
they are underpaid by their employer or don't have enough hours to live on, or they are of pensionable age.
This is where the majority of benefit spending goes. Of the two the subsidy to employers should be ended as the mark of a civilised people is that they look after their old and young.
EDIT @dazh The put-upon MP's have forgotten that if you're going to throw you've got to be able to catch. My MP is amongst that festering pile of scum that signed the letter.
That letter is nothing more than an attempted distraction tactic; divert attention away from the increasing problems that johnson and his clown circus have and are incapable of managing but it's a failure.
Test, track, test, isolate - failed.
Brexit transition - failing.
Litigation for unfair contract awards - PPE and others; in progress.
Rejecting children in poverty.
Coronavirus management plan - non existent.
johnson - a failed leader with an increasingly fractured personal life.
johnson no longer the useful idiot needed by cummings and gove - now a useless idiot.
What I find most depressing about this whole thing is how quickly it has degenerated into an argument about the deserving vs undeserving poor. A lazy trope which previously was consigned to Victorian times but Boris and co appear to have brought back to us with gusto.
My local MP is Tory and to his credit one of the few who voted against this despicable and cowardly government.
It's funny how it's ok to openly and repeatedly use words like traitor, surrender, betrayal etc which get used to abuse Labour MPs (who lets not forget have been actually murdered in recent memory for their views), but saying 'scum' under your breath about people voting to starve poor children, then apologising is apparently crime of the century.
But it's the left who are the snowflakes.
My MP, a tory, also signed the letter; Dr caroline johnson, number 61 on the list.
She is a consultant paediatrician so I would expect her to have some understanding of the effects poverty and under-nourishment have on children.
That is something else to email her about.
Her response will be the usual bland form of words reflecting her toeing the party line.
Less well-off people voting Tory is an absolute mystery to me
Nothing new here. As Nye Bevan said a long time ago:
How can wealth persuade poverty to use its political freedom to keep wealth in power? Here lies the whole art of Conservative politics in the twentieth century.
grum
Free MemberIt’s funny how it’s ok to openly and repeatedly use words like traitor, surrender, betrayal etc which get used to abuse Labour MPs (who lets not forget have been actually murdered in recent memory for their views), but saying ‘scum’ under your breath about people voting to starve poor children, then apologising is apparently crime of the century.
Parliament innit. Lying- fine as long as you can get away with it, which in practice just means tell another lie quickly so that the first one can't be called out in time. Call someone a liar? UNPARLIAMENTARY. Act like scum? Fine. Actually be scum? Fine. Destroy people's lives because you're scum? Fine. Call someone scum? UNPARLIAMENTARY.
It’s funny how it’s ok to openly and repeatedly use words like traitor, surrender, betrayal etc which get used to abuse Labour MPs
I don't think Labour have a monopoly on being violently insulted, if anything it's deemed more acceptable to be highly abusive of Tory MPs in this place.
That said the current government do rather deserve it but its still not right, especially in the house. Personally id like to see the same high behavioural standards applied to lying to the house etc. That's what brought Profumo down, lying to the house was way more serious than sleeping with Keeler and betraying his wife.
You'd think they'd want to keep a low profile after this week. Instead they're all over twitter going on about how hard it's been.
https://twitter.com/JohnnyMercerUK/status/1319683555052716034?s=20
This is brilliant - my MP whining about tories being called scum and also apparently revealing how his constituents swap food parcels for drugs... And then getting owned.
https://twitter.com/markjenkinsonmp?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
The responses are class and have restored my faith in my local area 😀
It’s great to see folk standing up for those poor Tory MPs. They’ve had a tough week of it really.
The responses are class
The one of the guy holding the jar of pasta particularly caught my eye. 😂
What I find most depressing about this whole thing is how quickly it has degenerated into an argument about the deserving vs undeserving poor. A lazy trope which previously was consigned to Victorian times but Boris and co appear to have brought back to us with gusto.
Let's not forget that Iain Duncan Smiths entire motivation for setting up the ongoing disaster that is Universal Credit was as an instrument to punish the 'undeserving' poor
Thought I'd have a quick look at how much Mark Jenkinson MP has been claiming in expenses whilst working hard for his constituents (it's presumably hard work doing exactly what Boris tells you to):
Not bad - only £61197 in the FIVE months between being elected in Dec 19 until May 20... We really need to make sure bloody scroungers kids go hungry to ensure MP's expenses can be afforded.
PS The bawbag instagram is top class 🤣
I see Selaine Saxby has joined the condemnation of supporting businesses FFS
It’s like an episode of The Thick of It.
So this morning Handcock comes out and says the PM and Rashford have been talking on BBC news (in regards to a u-turn) only for Rashford to tweet a gew hours later they haven't spoken since june! the rate at which this gov' lies is truly shocking. Its like they don't even care when they get found out.
I genuinely think that as far as Boris is concerned, theres no distinction between truth and lies. 'The truth' is just whatever he'd prefer it to be at any given time to make his life easier.
The comments I've read and heard from Tory MPs over the weekend have been truly staggering.
They've doubled down on the 'all poor people are scroungers' rhetoric, obviously, but then also that all poor people are crack-whores, and then somewhat unbelievably gone on to say how some businesses generosity is somehow proof of economic recovery.
They just judge everyone by their own standards, and the idea of helping anyone less fortunate then themselves, even when you're maybe not doing great yourself, is something that they simply cannot comprehend.
They’ve doubled down on the ‘all poor people are scroungers’ rhetoric, obviously, but then also that all poor people are crack-whores, and then somewhat unbelievably gone on to say how some businesses generosity is somehow proof of economic recovery.
The myth that everyone on benefits is either a scrounger or addict (I know you're not saying this) is truly disgusting. The other one of oh don't have kids if you can't afford them is also shocking, like yeh because everyone thinks I wont have kids because in a few years time I might be hit with really tough time where I can't afford to eat. It must be nice for them up in that ivory tower. It drives me absolutely mad to the point of rage. Im getting to the point where I can see the logic of people cheering when Thatcher died.
When pressed further, he said: "I understand that there has been communication but I'm obviously not in charge of the prime minister's correspondence. If there hasn't been, I'm sure that that will be followed up."
Hancock's actual quote looks more like "of course we've spoken to him. Haven't we? Oh ****, I bet we haven't. But we should"
The other one of oh don’t have kids if you can’t afford them is also shocking
Particularly coming from a government headed by a PM who has fathered an undisclosed number of kids, the exact number of which remains a mystery
The other one of oh don’t have kids if you can’t afford them is also shocking, like yeh because everyone thinks I wont have kids because in a few years time I might be hit with really tough time where I can’t afford to eat.
Unless I'm reading it wrong, that implies or accepts that you shouldn't have kids if you're already know you're struggling financially. Better to say that we live in an extremely rich country, where everyone should have enough wealth to be able to support a family?
Particularly coming from a government headed by a PM who has fathered an undisclosed number of kids, the exact number of which remains a mystery
Which I presume he supports them and isn't claiming off the tax system - i am not sure that is of any relevance, is it?
There does seem to be a huge issue in society that a certain sector of the population are not able to support of feed their kids properly. And hence that needs to be fixed - by all sides working together to address the issues. Like education and health, it would be great if some sort of cross party group could be formed . But with current partisan politics that isn't going to happen.
I cannot believe that holding back getting support to this that need it, is any parties interest. So local authorities would appear to be getting money that is not getting to the front line - or there needs to be a short term solution.
But if it is a chronic problem , then the system of funding has to be looked at.
Which I presume he supports them and isn’t claiming off the tax system
You presume so, do you? Presume away. We're all just guessing because the prime minister won't actually disclose how many of his offspring are out there in the world, never mind whether he supports them financially or not. If he won't publicly acknowledge them, I doubt he's having an awful lot to do with their upbringing.
Let's not forget that this is a man recently looking for sympathy for having to 'make do' with his paltry £150,000 salary and described his £250,000 Daily Telegraph salary as 'chickenfeed', so thats quite a presumption you're making there.
i am not sure that is of any relevance, is it?
Not relevant, you say? I think it's very, very relevant when you're head of a government who are accusing others of being lazy and ****less, and are lecturing those very people on both morality and personal finance. People in glass houses and all that...
It's total ****ing hypocrisy!
Unless I’m reading it wrong, that implies or accepts that you shouldn’t have kids if you’re already know you’re struggling financially. Better to say that we live in an extremely rich country, where everyone should have enough wealth to be able to support a family?
Sorry that was poorly worded on my part. (keyboard rage) I basically mean what you said. Personal finance should't dictate if your "allowed" to have kids or not and if people need extra support it should be there no questions asked.
To further add to my rage some moron Tory was on tv this morning claiming the reason he voted the deal down was because of how late Labour put it forwards. Its all some political game to them they are in their parliament bubble of free meals and fail to see the consequences of their actions.
There does seem to be a huge issue in society that a certain sector of the population are not able to support of feed their kids properly. And hence that needs to be fixed – by all sides working together to address the issues.
Don't know if that's possible because the tories are idealogically opposed to the welfare state being supportive enough and the living wage, whilst encouraging things like zero hours contracts.
Has anyone floated the idea that all school meals should be free....?
Isn't this the continuation of Dave's "Big society" where charities and private individuals step in to provide the safety net that Government should be providing?
(Don't get me started on food banks and that they are a part of life in the UK in the 21st century)!
Boris has just answered questions where he wouldn't say whether he'd had any contact with Marcus Rashford (obviously he hasn't then), but is doubling down and refusing to back down on the issue of free school meals.
It seems a very, very odd thing to dig in and take a stand, then double down on in the middle of a pandemic where people are experiencing real hardship. Particularly when the sums involved are relatively trifling and the present optics are absolutely awful.
Then again, maybe it just perfectly illustrates exactly how out of touch with reality him and his chums are.
Don’t know if that’s possible because the tories are idealogically opposed to the welfare state being supportive enough and the living wage, whilst encouraging things like zero hours contracts.
Zero hours contracts should be made illegal. I have never understood how it is for the good of the country / workforce for them to exist.
Boris continues to not be able to see the big picture of anything. If the government feel they are doing what they need to, and local authorities are the issue, then they need to communicate it.
If not , then they need to come up with a strategy which works to address the issue.
Boris is proving to have awful management skills and no leadership qualities..
Boris is proving to have awful management skills and no leadership qualities..
Indeed. It's not just Boris. It's the lot of them. They're just aimlessly drifting along, at the mercy of events they should have been on top of
With free school meals, they've already been here once. They had to embarrassingly backtrack and U-turn then. They knew the school holidays were coming up this time. They knew they would be faced with the same demands this time too. Yet here we are again. Like groundhog day.
What do we think is going to happen at Christmas? Exactly the same.
I heard that odious little turd Hancock on R4 this morning with his awful, oily little voice praising Rashford as only a totally insincere and patronising person could.
You could almost hear him rolling his eyes at having to say nice things about Rashford and then the cynical grin as he remembered that it is only another lie that he needs to tell to get through another day.
It seems a very, very odd thing to dig in and take a stand, then double down on in the middle of a pandemic where people are experiencing real hardship. Particularly when the sums involved are relatively trifling and the present optics are absolutely awful.
Despite the fact that its an astonishing act of political self-harm, they just can't help themselves because class war is in their DNA. They have zero empathy or compassion for anyone who might need help. They've had periods when they managed to hide it under Major and Cameron, but in times like these when they have unchallenged power, they mask drops. The other element to this is racism. They're not going to be told what to do by a working class black man who grew up on an estate.
They’ve had periods when they managed to hide it under Major and Cameron, but in times like these when they have unchallenged power, they mask drops.
Bloody worries me when you say they managed to hide it under Cameron! It's all relative I suppose, but aren't we here in some part because of the austerity measures put in place by the Tories under Cameron?
Children of all ages living in households on income-related benefits may be eligible for free school meals.
In England, about 1.3 million children claimed for free school meals in 2019 - about 15% of state-educated pupils.
Analysis by the Food Foundation estimates a further 900,000 children in England may have sought free school meals since the start of the pandemic.
That's from the latest BBC article. From memory, to be eligible you need to be in receipt of some form of income related benefit, or if you're on UC your household income needs to be less than £7400 a year. So according to that it could now apply to 25% of state school pupils 🙁
In June the Trussell Trust wrote...
Then there is the obvious question about how far £63 million will stretch. We suggested that to bring England in line with other UK nations, which already have comparable schemes in operation, annual cost would be about £250m. This money will be used up quickly, then, and must be topped up after a period of three months just to keep English councils in line with others across the UK.
I'm not aware this was disputed by johnson or any of his polyps; 4 months ago it was forecast the £63 million would not last beyond early September but tories are still referring back to that now spent funding.
First Find the Ducking Facts.
Despite the fact that its an astonishing act of political self-harm, they just can’t help themselves because class war is in their DNA. They have zero empathy or compassion for anyone who might need help. They’ve had periods when they managed to hide it under Major and Cameron, but in times like these when they have unchallenged power, they mask drops.
They don't regard it as political self-harm as they are appealing to the artificially generated (via media, social media etc) sense of victimhood of the overworked (but better off for being in a job - just) and underpaid. This is the crowning achievement of this bunch of wreckers. They have nearly totally eradicated any sense of societal cooperation. Instead of "We need a government that works for everyone" the prevailing attitude is "I don't want a government that helps shirkers at my expense".
They have created a 'society' where people are more concerned about someone else getting 'undeserved' help than questioning why we can't all be more equal and (in the majority) better off. "Greed is Good" is more of a motto now than it ever was under Thatcher. Nasty politics designed to appeal to nasty tendencies.
The other element to this is racism. They’re not going to be told what to do by a working class black man who grew up on an estate.
And this. The image I got in my head when the slimy little turd Hancock was patronising Rashford is that he would (given the chance) like to pat Rashford on the head and say "Wow, well done you for bringing this up, but don't worry your footballer's brain with complicated stuff like this, there's a good boy".
The fact that Hancock would have to stand on a step ladder to pat Rashford on the head is the one thing that gives me any amusement at all out of this.
Good old Nige!
As the year 2020 gets yet more and more bizarre, here's the latest 'through the looking glass' moment. The Brexit party launch a campaign to back Marcus Rashfords call for free school meals for poor kids (I presume even the ones who are the wrong colour) and stick the boot into the Tory's, who they stood all their candidates down for at the last election.
https://twitter.com/brexitparty_uk/status/1320648248147795968?s=20
Judging from the comments underneath, it's fair to say they've somewhat spectacularly misjudged their core support. God knows how. It surely must be pretty predictable what the average Brexit/UKIP voter would think about this?
It looks like their experiment with becoming the party of social justice isn't going well
In response to any MP asking why people have children when they cannot afford them, I'd like to know why they became an MP if it wasn't to help the people in their constituency that need it.
They have created a ‘society’ where people are more concerned about someone else getting ‘undeserved’ help than questioning why we can’t all be more equal and (in the majority) better off. “Greed is Good” is more of a motto now than it ever was under Thatcher. Nasty politics designed to appeal to nasty tendencies.
The issue of people being worried about the "undeserving poor" has been round for well over a 150 years as a Victorian concept and probably existed earlier
Vouchers in place of free school meals may or may not be the best long-term answer to the problem of children not getting fed properly. However expecting people who are potentially on less than their previous low income to cope without help isn't really on. In the absence of a better solution it should have been a no brainer to just leave it running until something better was in place.
The current government seems to be myopic about what improves children's life chances, giving the opportunity to succeed seems about as conservative (or any other party) a policy as you can get. You don't do that by abandoning the kids of struggling families, as Rashford says, it's never the kids fault
Binners - I'm loving that Brexit party ad - mainly because my tosser of a tory MP is ex-UKIP and has been vocal with his defence of Boris 🤣
Hopefully Mr Jenkinson is having a really bad week having been owned on twitter about 'poor people swapping food for drugs' and now his ex-paymasters showing how out of touch he is.
One of this morning's government mouthpieces let slip the phrase "This government has already been extremely generous..." when pressed on the free school meals issue.
That throwaway line struck me as epitomising everything that's wrong with the Tory mindset. When you're the government, supporting people in need isn't a measure of your benevolence - it's your responsibility to do so.
They just don't see it that way, helping people less fortunate than they are is not why they aspire to govern.
They just don’t see it that way, helping people less fortunate than they are is not why they aspire to govern.
To people like Boris it is their 'born to rule' birthright and entitlement
Like all people who's wealth and privilege have allowed them to have all the odds stacked in their favour from birth, their whole philosophy is that everything is left to 'The Market' to sort out.
This allows them to refuse to acknowledge the hand that they were so extraordinarily lucky in being dealt, and also handily absolves them from any moral obligation to anyone who hasn't had the same huge advantages in life.
That's why, even as they toss their loose change at the poorest and least fortunate in society, they still bitterly resent even that
In response to any MP asking why people have children when they cannot afford them, I’d like to know why they became an MP if it wasn’t to help the people in their constituency that need it.
I think we all know the answer to that...
theotherjonv
Free MemberIn response to any MP asking why people have children when they cannot afford them, I’d like to know why they became an MP if it wasn’t to help the people in their constituency that need it.
Answer, quite often:
"I *ing could afford it when I had the *ing kids, but then you drove the *ing economy off a *ing cliff, twice, and 10 *ing years later I can't just abandon them like the *ing PM did with his, you *ing *-****."
Lolz. The pub owner in Andrea Jenkyns FB post I put a pic up of has just been on look north, with bags of food to donate to kids, saying how bad it is the govt isn’t stepping up...
I think Northwind should stand against Boris at the next election
In response to any MP asking why people have children when they cannot afford them, I’d like to know why they became an MP if it wasn’t to help the people in their constituency that need it.
Surely you'd just flip it around - why have we built a society that provides a barrier to the most basic drive of our species.
I think Boris is prevented from going public about being father of some kids by the legal agreement with the mother. They probably took a cut in money terms in order to avoid the embarrassment.
Guardian front page - sunak pissed off and Treasury saying that williamson didn't request additional funding to cover half-term FSMs...
https://www.tomorrowspapers.co.uk/guardian-front-page-2020-10-27/
Just got back from a holiday with no internet etc...... catching up on what's happened....
WHAT THE ACTUAL ****?!?
If you are a politician and there are children going hungry on your watch, you have failed. End of conversation. It's a knotty issue for sure, but actively voting against putting a (very cheap) sticky plaster over it takes a special type of scumbag.
This really does feel like in-the-thick-of-it at this point - why on earth would you oppose a bill to feed starving kids?! I mean, morality aside, if you (a professional politician) didn't see the red flags sticking out of this thing a mile away, then you have no business choosing your own clothes in the morning, let alone running the country. And, this has already played out once - why on earth did they think this was going to go differently a second time around?!?
As much as I'm incensed by the lack of compassion shown by the people who are supposed to represent the population, and the insight this gives into their character - I'm equally enraged about the complete and almost absolute incompetence of these individuals who have been put in charge of steering the country through one of the most challenging periods in recent history.
Guardian front page – sunak pissed off and Treasury saying that williamson didn’t request additional funding to cover half-term FSMs
Who? Williamson? The name sounds like it should be familiar, but I can’t quite place him...
I sometimes forget that we actually have an Education Secretary. Has anyone seen him lately? Is he ok? He was last sighted at his last entirely-predictable debacle.
Do you think he’ll break cover next time? When we go through all this again at Christmas? Or do you think he’ll manage to stay undercover for a whole year, until next summers totally predictable ‘Exams Fiasco’?
If you are a politician and there are children going hungry on your watch, you have failed.
It's a remarkably complex issue to fix as the Labour government found when Marcus was growing up
The solution in a pandemic is different to the one in normal times, they should have just done it and worked on improving it as it's going to be at least 12 months before normality
I think the "Gavin never asked for the money" is suspicious, there is a strong likelihood they were informally told not to ask again. The PR for Rishi is prepping for the top job
I’m equally enraged about the complete and almost absolute incompetence of these individuals who have been put in charge of steering the country through one of the most challenging periods in recent history.
All parties constantly trawl for good candidates, you can always raise the standard by becoming one yourself or even stand as an independent
Judging from the comments underneath, it’s fair to say they’ve somewhat spectacularly misjudged their core support.
Out of morbid curiosity I clicked on that Twitter feed. Read the first 5 responses to that post and then had to leave, thoroughly depressed that people in our society are so ignorant
All parties constantly trawl for good candidates, you can always raise the standard by becoming one yourself or even stand as an independent
Exactly, the front bench of the Governmnet clearly shows we are living in a meritocracy where anyone can become leader through intelligence and hard work, and we are certainly not being ruled over by a bunch of thick as pigshit overprivileged Bullingdon bullies whose only achievement was to be born to fortune and opportunity that they ensure only a select few will ever have.
Exactly, the front bench of the Governmnet clearly shows we are living in a meritocracy where anyone can become leader through intelligence and hard work, and we are certainly not being ruled over by a bunch of thick as pigshit overprivileged Bullingdon bullies whose only achievement was to be born to fortune and opportunity that they ensure only a select few will ever have.
Other parties are available
I'm not making any assumptions on the poster's social background, he may fit your description
I think the “Gavin never asked for the money” is suspicious, there is a strong likelihood they were informally told not to ask again. The PR for Rishi is prepping for the top job
We'll never know whether or not williamson put his hand up and said...'please Sir, think of the children...'
It definitely adds to the 'williamson is incompetent' narrative which will see him
re-shuffled out of education - and possibly the clown circus.
As for sunak being groomed for the top job - only if Cummings and gove see him as a useful idiot to replace johnson who's now proved to be a useless idiot to them.
Any sign of independence by sunak and that equates to shitting in his own nest.
Exactly, the front bench of the Governmnet clearly shows we are living in a meritocracy where anyone can become leader through intelligence and hard work, and we are certainly not being ruled over by a bunch of thick as pigshit overprivileged Bullingdon bullies whose only achievement was to be born to fortune and opportunity that they ensure only a select few will ever have.
Troll - or sarcasm; not clear which it is.
They have all sold their principles for a place at the trough.
Intelligence, you say.
Did (and does) johnson not know and understand that he has been used and manipulated by cummings and gove?
One of this morning’s government mouthpieces let slip the phrase “This government has already been extremely generous…” when pressed on the free school meals issue.
The main thing wrong with that is that it is ultimately OUR money, not the governments and if WE want it to be spent on such things as not having starving kids in the country that is what the government that WE elected should be doing. I am sure the MPs would have been judging the sentiment of their constituents on this as they are after all there to represent them...
The main thing wrong with that is that it is ultimately OUR money, not the governments and if WE want it to be spent on such things as not having starving kids in the country that is what the government that WE elected should be doing
That's a fundamental misunderstanding of how parliament works.
Our elected representatives take decisions on our behalf; those decisions do not necessarily represent the views of the majority of their constituents.
I note your ellipsis.
Did (and does) johnson not know and understand that he has been used and manipulated by cummings and gove?
He knows, but the extent probably varies week-to-week. He has used them too. What other circumstances would result in such a ridiculous oaf getting to be Prime Minister?
Boris is basically 'done' now. He now gets to say 'I was PM, you know' for the rest of his days. Ghosted biographies, constant media appearances, a seat in the Lords and (in some quarters) the best chat-up line there is.
Sorted. Job jobbed. He really doesn't give a shit about anyone or anything else.
One of this morning’s government mouthpieces let slip the phrase “This government has already been extremely generous…”
I don't think we can dispute that the government has been very, very generous indeed...
to its mates.
It's lavished upon them billions and billions and billions of pounds of OUR money. Its been a pinchfart when it comes to the rest of us though
