The Politics Thread

[Hoboh]

Well quite. Due to a disgraceful lack of funding in a large part enabled by our tabloid press.

Well actually, as you'd probably expect, I'd lay the blame at a lack of places in barren, bleak prisons, the length of any sentence that actually gets served and judges far to influenced by decades of liberal/human rights interference, something I lay the blame fairly and squarely at the feet of some members of your profession.

[Prufrock]

I mean, again, read the book.

[Hoboh]

To try answering two posts in one,Firstly, I really haven't a clue who to vote for because I trust none of them. When a party emerges that seems to answer a sensible way to run the country that suits everyone...well, will that even happen? As for the other points, I'm not having a go at the law, but how the country allows it to operate(or not as the case may be).Ther policing situation is a joke and getting worse. Crime is a major cost issue and to pretend that shyster lawyers don't exist is as bad as stating all law is that way and that drugs are only a minor irritation. Basically, the systems are a screw up because of the government, but Insaney's ideal world pipe dream "let's all pull together" attitude will never happen. Facts and figures are fine (well, they would be if they were'nt all contradicting one another) but the reality is all around us in losing facilities and , not on forums and investigations. "Home is where the heart is", isn't just a threadbare old adage (didn't your last signature stress that every man wants what's best for him and his?) The world's a very changed place from thirty years ago, and not for the best. My era is over, but my kids and grandkids isn't. Age has made me brave enough to admit I just don't know the answers to todays problems, but to pretend they don't exist and aren't improving is as obvious as Bolton Wanderers aren't Real Madrid.

The problem here is, the FACTS don't tell the story you want them to.

What you've posted there is basically just a lot of hot air. The only thing I can agree on is that there are no easy answers and nobody has them. However, immigration may cause many issues, but we have to realise that factually we are reliant on it to a degree, and factually there are far bigger drains on our public purse (it is debatable whether immigration is even a drain or a net contributor). Even if you take the worst case scenario its still a drop in the ocean compared to the big issues facing us.

And those issues become infinitely worse if you suddenly reduce the influx of working people and bring the NHS to its knees by restricting foreign workers. Its all about delicate balance but I feel that isn't sexy enough for a generation where everything is extremes.

Gone all Tory BWFCi? Blaming the public purse, now't at all to do with actual physical numbers of people needing to be locked up, see a Doctor, have an operation etc. Every other member of the public cannot work for the NHS even if you could afford it.

There seems to be a rather sinister undertone to all you mild, socialist, Corbynista's slowly creeping through, blame the elderly.
Will you be happy to attend the Euthanasia of your elder relatives, displacement into government institutions for their own good, blame them for owning property as the lackeys of capitalism who deserve what they get and they've had their live anyway.
Welcome to Stalinist Britain c/o Corbyn and the blind fools who follow him.

[Hoboh]

I mean, again, read the book.

Actually after reading this little sample I don't know why I should given this little God sticks his nose into areas of no concearn and certainly now't to do with him.

“I’m a barrister, a job which requires the skills of a social worker, relationship counsellor, arm-twister, hostage negotiator, named driver, bus fare-provider, accountant, suicide watchman, coffee-supplier, surrogate parent and, on one memorable occasion, whatever the official term is for someone tasked with breaking the news to a prisoner that his girlfriend has been diagnosed with gonorrhoea.”

Welcome to the world of the Secret Barrister. These are the stories of life inside the courtroom. They are sometimes funny, often moving and ultimately life-changing.

[Hoboh]

Thanks Pru but having just spent 15 mins reading his blogg pages, I give it a pass, sarcasm springs to mind.

[TANGODANCER]

I've not read the book (I may catch it somewhere along the line) but not the best way to present a case for the profession. An autobiography from anyone is always likely to be somewhat self-serving, and there must be multi-thousands of people who could make his adventures (how much of it is actually his work within the law profession?) look like Enid Blyton. I do know a little of the -shall we say- "industry", having until recently had a degree-holding daughter as a long-serving employee to a defence lawyer firm. (She eventually got fed up of being called out at all sorts of crazy hours regardless of day, week, sunshine or moonlight by the dregs of society, and left for other work. ) As I said, I don't blame the profession so much as the rules and regulations they operate under from the aunties at Westminster.

[Prufrock]

To be fair he/she recognised that and deliberately wrote the blog (and then book) in secret. There is no self-promotion or self-aggrandising.

It tries to be light hearted where possible but on the whole it's a rigorous evidence-based analysis of how the current Crim Justice system works and how the legal aid cuts have caused untold harm.

Large parts focus on the good work many (such as your daughter) have done and do. The system currently runs on the goodwill of many people working for free (and at the same time being tarred with the brush of "fat cat lawyers"). Many of those people have had enough and have packed or are packing it in.

Hoboh is beyond saving but think you would get a lot from it (especially with your daughter). Put it on your birthday list

[Hoboh]

Labour party members

Minutes silence

Tessa Jowell

The new caring face of the labour party the party for the many what a fcuking joke!

When will the real non commies stand up and be counted, take back control for the decent opposition.

[Hoboh]

To be fair he/she recognised that and deliberately wrote the blog (and then book) in secret. There is no self-promotion or self-aggrandising.

It tries to be light hearted where possible but on the whole it's a rigorous evidence-based analysis of how the current Crim Justice system works and how the legal aid cuts have caused untold harm.

Large parts focus on the good work many (such as your daughter) have done and do. The system currently runs on the goodwill of many people working for free (and at the same time being tarred with the brush of "fat cat lawyers"). Many of those people have had enough and have packed or are packing it in.

Hoboh is beyond saving but think you would get a lot from it (especially with your daughter). Put it on your birthday list

Thanks
Oh happy birthday lad

[Prufrock]

ta.

[TANGODANCER]

ta.

Echoed, many of em...

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Of the half a million who arrived here the vast majority are unemployed. Really? That's a pretty damning statistic if so

I suspect its been plucked wildly out of LLS' imagination.

Also, the over-egging of numbers is not necessary. There are 411,000 Romanians. Is that nearly 500,000? Depends how sloppily inaccurate you want to be.

Lets be clear, whatever you think of 411,000 Romanians, it is far from the "millions within a year" nonsense the far right UKIP loonies predicted.

Vive la resistance!

Of course you'd say it's been plucked wildly out of my imagination. You would wouldn't you.
The latest thing I've plucked wildly out of my imagination regards the influx of nearly half a million Romanians (421,000 actually) and the Church of England and modern slavery.
I think it was the Archbishop of Canterbury that launched the latest thing, asking people to look out for 'car wash' slaves. He also mentions Derby (as an example)... and well he might. We had a car wash in Darley Dale, one in Cromford, one in Wirksworth, one in Rowsley, two in Belper, two in Matlock, one on the A6 north of Ambergate. All operating seven days a week, two of them 24 hours a day. Even single person working in them were Romanian. Do you think they came over here, all of them, to wield sponges each and every day, and do you think they made a living wage? Do you??? You're a dick if you do.
Immigration on the scale we are seeing helps no-one, not even the immigrants.

(I put that in the past tense because most of them were raided and closed down last month. But you can bet your entire life savings that the slaves released haven't been put on a bus back to Sofia).

(( oh and by the way, to put the record straight: LLS actually stated that ...the vast majority are unemployed or on benefits while being employed...
Of the 421,000 here less than 1,000 are not claiming benefits of one sort or another)).

[Harry Genshaw]

Have you got a source for that figure Spotty. The last one? Incredible

Even if true, I dont think it would be fair to send Romanians to Bulgaria though

[Prufrock]

Incredible is certainly the word.

I mean, at least make it sound realistic. You could let in 411,000 convicted benefit cheats, with the express purpose to claim benefits, and at any one time there'd be more than 1,000 not claiming. It's less than a quarter of a per cent for feck's sake.

Daily Mail types will believe absolutely anything following the word "immigrant".

[Hoboh]

Incredible is certainly the word.

I mean, at least make it sound realistic. You could let in 411,000 convicted benefit cheats, with the express purpose to claim benefits, and at any one time there'd be more than 1,000 not claiming. It's less than a quarter of a per cent for feck's sake.

Daily Mail types will believe absolutely anything following the word "immigrant".

Actually Pru, the largest problem is those who deny there are no problems what so ever with immigrants and we should welcome them with open arms, tea parties to celebrate cultural diversity and pay them benefits hand over fist, no questions asked.
We have one of those lurking in here from time to time.
Why is there a shortage of home grown workers to fill jobs in places like the NHS should be the question asked, is the education system in Eastern Europe better than ours? Has our youth got so used to having it's ass wiped many cannot be bothered training for these jobs, are we still hiding unemployment under the disguise of further education? Questions like this need answering by the import the immigrant brigade.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Have you got a source for that figure Spotty. The last one? Incredible

Even if true, I dont think it would be fair to send Romanians to Bulgaria though

That would be a bit shit, I agree.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Incredible is certainly the word.

I mean, at least make it sound realistic. You could let in 411,000 convicted benefit cheats, with the express purpose to claim benefits, and at any one time there'd be more than 1,000 not claiming. It's less than a quarter of a per cent for feck's sake.

Daily Mail types will believe absolutely anything following the word "immigrant".

Daily Mail types, kiss kiss. What 'type' are you then chum?
By the way, Types aren't a thing, darling.

[Bruce Rioja]

All sorts of obsequious stuff all over the BBC today commemorating the Suffragettes. How come they're being portrayed as some village green ladies society who took a break from making jam to jolly well stand up for themselves, rather than as a terrorist organisation?

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I'm loving the fact that they keep straying to "ooh you look nice" etc. Nothing like dispelling stereotypes

[TANGODANCER]

^ Equality is what they want, that's all. Only thing is, equality in anything with people involved usually actually means role-reversal. The Mary Magdalene programme I quoted the other night was a prime example. God was a woman, don't you know?