On topic, maybe some polling on whether people are bothered about the personal background of the leading politicians?
Privately educated vs State, admitted drug taking, married, for instance?
Has there been a poll asking directly whether people would consider voting tactically to keep out a party?
@tim I thought you had said we should have armed the rebels? I can't go through 5,000 posts to find the quote though! If you say you didn't then fair enough ill take you word for it
Arming the Syrian rebels is a tactical option.
Resolving the Syrian conflict is a strategic and global imperative.
The only sensible option is to increase MPs pay to bring it into line with most other countries. Otherwise only rich people will become MPs in the future.
We certainly have plenty of applicants, but in general of pretty indifferent quality.Possibly paying more may attract a higher calibre.
Mind you Kenyan politicians are amongst the worlds best paid, not noticeably improving the quality of politics there!
The only sensible option is to increase MPs pay to bring it into line with most other countries. Otherwise only rich people will become MPs in the future.
The sensible option would be to make MPs salaries proportional to the average salary in the UK ( I'd say double the average salary ) , so that they'd be properly motivated to increase the wealth of the people.
Are there any markets for when we'll get the first hosepipe ban of the year? After all the gnashing about there not being a summer it looks like we are about to head into a period of extended below average rainfall and warm temperatures. Given the general crapness of the water companies expect scare stories sooner rather than later.
The only sensible option is to increase MPs pay to bring it into line with most other countries. Otherwise only rich people will become MPs in the future.
We certainly have plenty of applicants, but in general of pretty indifferent quality.Possibly paying more may attract a higher calibre.
Mind you Kenyan politicians are amongst the worlds best paid, not noticeably improving the quality of politics there!
Leaders of political parties use MPs pay in the same way that they use their children, to make them appear like other people, it's as wanky as Daves pasty.
Is Daves remembered Pasty at Leeds station like the ones Miliband buys at Greggs?
Leaders of political parties use MPs pay in the same way that they use their children, to make them appear like other people, it's as wanky as Daves pasty.
MPs gave up any hope of a pay rise when they refused to adopt the new constituency boundaries.
Public sector pay rises above the inflation cap, when they do become available to implement, will have to be productivity and performance linked.
Mark Senior - Because it would mean France and the UK (2/3 of Europe's largest nations) have an anti-EU majority amongst their MPs. With a German eurosceptic party also emerging that would have an impact in terms of votes, budgets etc
What emerging German eorosceptic party ? 2% in the latest polls
I doubt if AfD will do well for the Bundestag election but they might get a few more votes at the Euros
What I think will be interesting will be the results across Europe as a whole.
At the moment there are 736 MEPs.
There are 54 in the Eurosceptic ECR (inc. Tories) There are 32 in the BOO EFD (inc UKIP) There are 27 non inscrits which are mostly from parties seen as racist (presumably they are BOO)
So about 100 sceptics of various shades. A minor irritant to the pro-European parties.
Now/ at next year's election that figure seems likely to increase but the question is how much? 150? 200? If you get nearer the latter figure then it becomes much harder to pass new legislation.
The only sensible option is to increase MPs pay to bring it into line with most other countries. Otherwise only rich people will become MPs in the future.
The sensible option would be to make MPs salaries proportional to the average salary in the UK ( I'd say double the average salary ) , so that they'd be properly motivated to increase the wealth of the people.
Good idea. I was thinking something similar the other day about how public sector pay could be pegged to average private sector pay. Say for example you had 10 public sector grades in a fixed relationship and grade 3 or 4 was pegged to average private sector pay in the previous year so the whole thing went up or down.
Sky News now screening the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo being firebombed by protestors with no police or military presence on the street.
Tim Marshall reporting that Muslim Brotherhood security in building have been shooting at protestors but no evidence of this happening in Sky footage being screened.
Still, it is better than a live beheading I suppose.
Leaders of political parties use MPs pay in the same way that they use their children, to make them appear like other people, it's as wanky as Daves pasty.
MPs gave up any hope of a pay rise when they refused to adopt the new constituency boundaries.
Public sector pay rises above the inflation cap, when they do become available to implement, will have to be productivity and performance linked.
Given how many peers Cameron has created I wouldn't push that one
Peers are not snobs. They are paid piece work not salaries.
The problems with Syria is that we let the French rule Syria after World War I, we should have taken control of Syria, they wouldn't have these problems today, if it had been a British Mandate.
British forces also entered Syria and Lebanon in WW2 to oust the Vichy forces based there.
Twitter Tom Harris @TomHarrisMP 4m The Telegraph reports a problem with the EU referendum Bill almost as if it didn't already know it ... http://tmi.me/10jJEs
Hi @Me_, its great to see you back posting on PB. What was causing the trouble around the stadium tonight?
It's great to be back!
Well, everything actually. I went to the two biggest protests in Rio and it was amazing. I think people are finally waking up to the fact that we pay a lot of taxes and we don't have a health and education system of quality. With the Cup, people saw a lot of money being spent and stolen by our politicians.
Most of the violence is coming from the police and it's making people even more angry. Tomorrow we have another one. Let's see how it goes.
Hi @Me_, its great to see you back posting on PB. What was causing the trouble around the stadium tonight?
It's great to be back!
Well, everything actually. I went to the two biggest protests in Rio and it was amazing. I think people are finally waking up to the fact that we pay a lot of taxes and we don't have a health and education system of quality. With the Cup, people saw a lot of money being spent and stolen by our politicians.
Most of the violence is coming from the police and it's making people even more angry. Tomorrow we have another one. Let's see how it goes.
Hi @Me_, its great to see you back posting on PB. What was causing the trouble around the stadium tonight?
It's great to be back!
Well, everything actually. I went to the two biggest protests in Rio and it was amazing. I think people are finally waking up to the fact that we pay a lot of taxes and we don't have a health and education system of quality. With the Cup, people saw a lot of money being spent and stolen by our politicians.
Most of the violence is coming from the police and it's making people even more angry. Tomorrow we have another one. Let's see how it goes.
@Me_ I was following the protests in Egypt tonight, only heard about the protests in Brazil later. How on earth are the politicians going to justify the money being spent on both the Olympics and the World Cup over the next few years if the electorate is protesting now about lack of funding for decent health care and education? Has there been any serious attempts to address the poverty in Brazil?
Hi @Me_, its great to see you back posting on PB. What was causing the trouble around the stadium tonight?
It's great to be back!
Well, everything actually. I went to the two biggest protests in Rio and it was amazing. I think people are finally waking up to the fact that we pay a lot of taxes and we don't have a health and education system of quality. With the Cup, people saw a lot of money being spent and stolen by our politicians.
Most of the violence is coming from the police and it's making people even more angry. Tomorrow we have another one. Let's see how it goes.
@Me_ I was following the protests in Egypt tonight, only heard about the protests in Brazil later. How on earth are the politicians going to justify the money being spent on both the Olympics and the World Cup over the next few years if the electorate is protesting now about lack of funding for decent health care and education? Has there been any serious attempts to address the poverty in Brazil?
Our president, Dilma, is saying there’s no federal money on it. Which is a blatant lie and everybody knows it.
In the last ten years, more than twenty millions have left poverty, but now these people, of course, want better services (education, transport and health are in a very poor shape). These twenty million now pay more taxes and use these public services or have to pay for the private ones, which are getting to a point where they no longer can cope with the increase of the clients. (and the government also does nothing about this)
People we’re quite patient with Dilma, but she’s doing nothing, no reforms, and she doesn’t have Lula charisma. The latest poll shows a drop of 20% in popularity and her reelection is endangered.
"In the last ten years, more than twenty millions have left poverty, but now these people, of course, want better services (education, transport and health are in a very poor shape). These twenty million now pay more taxes and use these public services or have to pay for the private ones, which are getting to a point where they no longer can cope with the increase of the clients. (and the government also does nothing about this)"
Me_, that is a very potent mix of discontent facing the Government, and it can surely only get worse unless they come up with and implement some serious infrastructure and welfare policies and reforms very fast.
"In the last ten years, more than twenty millions have left poverty, but now these people, of course, want better services (education, transport and health are in a very poor shape). These twenty million now pay more taxes and use these public services or have to pay for the private ones, which are getting to a point where they no longer can cope with the increase of the clients. (and the government also does nothing about this)"
Me_, that is a very potent mix of discontent facing the Government, and it can surely only get worse unless they come up with and implement some serious infrastructure and welfare policies and reforms very fast.
The problem is that the government doesn't seem to have the capacity to do that. Our bureaucracy isn't an easy one, and the Congress doesn't like Dilma's style of governing.
Let's wait to see what will happen, but if in a year time nothing changes, the World Cup will be marked with these kind of protests and the election, the presidential one and for the Congress, will be one of the most unpredictable since 1989.
Comments
Resolving the Syrian conflict is a strategic and global imperative.
Mind you Kenyan politicians are amongst the worlds best paid, not noticeably improving the quality of politics there!
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/10476388
http://m.guardian.co.uk/politics/video/2012/mar/28/ed-miliband-sausage-rolls-greggs-pasty-video
Two cheeks of the same arse.
Public sector pay rises above the inflation cap, when they do become available to implement, will have to be productivity and performance linked.
What I think will be interesting will be the results across Europe as a whole.
At the moment there are 736 MEPs.
There are 54 in the Eurosceptic ECR (inc. Tories)
There are 32 in the BOO EFD (inc UKIP)
There are 27 non inscrits which are mostly from parties seen as racist (presumably they are BOO)
So about 100 sceptics of various shades. A minor irritant to the pro-European parties.
Now/ at next year's election that figure seems likely to increase but the question is how much? 150? 200? If you get nearer the latter figure then it becomes much harder to pass new legislation.
http://m.digitaljournal.com/article/317764
Tim Marshall reporting that Muslim Brotherhood security in building have been shooting at protestors but no evidence of this happening in Sky footage being screened.
Still, it is better than a live beheading I suppose.
http://www.corriere.it/english/12_gennaio_04/senate-stenographer_68d6317e-36e8-11e1-9e16-04ae59d99677.shtml
It isn't just the politicians , it's the whole corrupt enviroment they inhabit.
We currently pay the 8th highest basic salary in the EU
It's expenses which confuse the issue.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17258397
(although the partition it mentions might be the best outcome)
Tom Harris @TomHarrisMP 4m
The Telegraph reports a problem with the EU referendum Bill almost as if it didn't already know it ... http://tmi.me/10jJEs
Well, everything actually. I went to the two biggest protests in Rio and it was amazing. I think people are finally waking up to the fact that we pay a lot of taxes and we don't have a health and education system of quality. With the Cup, people saw a lot of money being spent and stolen by our politicians.
Most of the violence is coming from the police and it's making people even more angry. Tomorrow we have another one. Let's see how it goes.
In the last ten years, more than twenty millions have left poverty, but now these people, of course, want better services (education, transport and health are in a very poor shape). These twenty million now pay more taxes and use these public services or have to pay for the private ones, which are getting to a point where they no longer can cope with the increase of the clients. (and the government also does nothing about this)
People we’re quite patient with Dilma, but she’s doing nothing, no reforms, and she doesn’t have Lula charisma. The latest poll shows a drop of 20% in popularity and her reelection is endangered.
Me_, that is a very potent mix of discontent facing the Government, and it can surely only get worse unless they come up with and implement some serious infrastructure and welfare policies and reforms very fast.
Let's wait to see what will happen, but if in a year time nothing changes, the World Cup will be marked with these kind of protests and the election, the presidential one and for the Congress, will be one of the most unpredictable since 1989.
I'm sure I wasn't alone in hoping to read his views on the news from Brasil.