The Politics Thread

[William the White]

Ha, no traps planned here!

I admit I find it confusing that this thing called 'the ruling class' is at once confident and embarrassed on the same issue, but I suspect you mean it as a stirring rhetorical flourish and nothing more.

Not at all. The ruling class is no more a monolith than the working class... As Red John major showed last week. That doesn't mean it doesn't attempt to pursue its class interests and create a world in which its power and wealth is consolidated.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

The people whom you would describe as the ruling class... aren't they overwhelmingly concerned with feathering their own nests, rather than having any broader world view like that at all?

[William the White]

The people whom you would describe as the ruling class... aren't they overwhelmingly concerned with feathering their own nests, rather than having any broader world view like that at all?

Feathering their own nests is their world view. In order to do that they have to ensure the continuation of their dominance - crucially economically, but also culturally, politically and ideologically. The current cabinet is a nice bunch of enablers of nest feathering, overwhelmingly from nest feathering background, and will certainly be rewarded for their efforts as they move on. (Witness Blair's accumulation of the readies since leaving politics).

[Hoboh]

The people whom you would describe as the ruling class... aren't they overwhelmingly concerned with feathering their own nests, rather than having any broader world view like that at all?

Feathering their own nests is their world view. In order to do that they have to ensure the continuation of their dominance - crucially economically, but also culturally, politically and ideologically. The current cabinet is a nice bunch of enablers of nest feathering, overwhelmingly from nest feathering background, and will certainly be rewarded for their efforts as they move on. (Witness Blair's accumulation of the readies since leaving politics).

Leaving out the culure bit Will, I broadly agree with you.
(Now go sit in a dark room until the shock wears off ).

The health of the country as a collective is the be all and end all, there will always be rich folk and poorer but the gap and asperations should not be as far apart as they are becoming.

[Harry Genshaw]

Another clash between Cameron & Milliband in the commons today on Energy.

Cameron goaded Milliband for switching his suppliers after previously rubbishing the idea that it could help.

How the feck did Cameron know that? Not US spies surely?

[thebish]

meanwhile...

Immigrants to the UK since 2000 have made a "substantial" contribution to public finances, a report says.

The study by University College London said recent immigrants were less likely to claim benefits and live in social housing than people born in Britain.

The authors said rather than being a "drain", their contribution had been "remarkably strong".

full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24813467" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Hoboh will be thrilled - one less thing to be angry about...

[Hoboh]

meanwhile...

Immigrants to the UK since 2000 have made a "substantial" contribution to public finances, a report says.

The study by University College London said recent immigrants were less likely to claim benefits and live in social housing than people born in Britain.

The authors said rather than being a "drain", their contribution had been "remarkably strong".

full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24813467" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Hoboh will be thrilled - one less thing to be angry about...

In theory, migrants who are young, skilled and doing highly-paid jobs are likely to make a more positive net fiscal contribution than those with low skills and low labour market participation rates.
For the UK (and most other countries), the majority of studies conclude that the overall net fiscal impact of immigration is positive but small. However, results are subject to key assumptions such as the allocation of dependent UK-born children of mixed parents (i.e. a UK-born and foreign-born parent) to the UK-born or migrant group and to the sectors that are taken into consideration.
The evidence suggests that in the four fiscal years following EU enlargement in 2004, migrants from the A8 countries made a positive contribution to public finance in the UK. While A8 migrants work mostly in lower wage occupations, they tend to have high labour force participation rates and employment rates.

Immigration may, in the short term, help decrease the dependency ratio – the ratio of those not in the labour force (the dependent group) and those in the labour force. However, this effect is likely to diminish over time as migrants who stay in the UK will become older and retire.

Or I suggest become ill?
And none of this takes into account benefits paid out to jobseekers who cannot get jobs when they are being advertised in Romania!!

[mrkint]

Meanwhile, in Canada...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24947207" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There's loads of this as well. from this guy.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/201 ... -like-his/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

O Canada indeed.

[Prufrock]

The Canadian Football League team said in a statement: "These latest remarks, while wearing our team's jersey, are particularly disappointing."

Loooool

[Montreal Wanderer]

Meanwhile, in Canada...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24947207" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There's loads of this as well. from this guy.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/201 ... -like-his/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

O Canada indeed.

Hang on, Kinty, this is a Toronto issue not a Canadian one. Do we blame Britain in general if Fiona Woolf says something silly? Although I suppose Ford has grabbed international headlines and made the world laugh at us.

[seanworth]

Meanwhile, in Canada...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24947207" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There's loads of this as well. from this guy.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/201 ... -like-his/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

O Canada indeed.

Hang on, Kinty, this is a Toronto issue not a Canadian one. Do we blame Britain in general if Fiona Woolf says something silly? Although I suppose Ford has grabbed international headlines and made the world laugh at us.

I've been much too busy laughing to worry about the rest of the world. This is the most fun I've had following politics ever. Certainly more fun than the xenophobe bill currently going on in Quebec right now which in reality is quite disturbing, and even the Senate scandal and the PM's poorly disguised cover up which I must admit is quite entertaining. Overall it's good times for Canadian politics, which certainly is a change. Sure the local BC politics has paled in comparison of late, but I'm sure that silly woman will come through in the clutch, and pull some boner of sorts in the very near future.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Meanwhile, in Canada...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24947207" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There's loads of this as well. from this guy.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/201 ... -like-his/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

O Canada indeed.

Hang on, Kinty, this is a Toronto issue not a Canadian one. Do we blame Britain in general if Fiona Woolf says something silly? Although I suppose Ford has grabbed international headlines and made the world laugh at us.

I've been much too busy laughing to worry about the rest of the world. This is the most fun I've had following politics ever. Certainly more fun than the xenophobe bill currently going on in Quebec right now which in reality is quite disturbing, and even the Senate scandal and the PM's poorly disguised cover up which I must admit is quite entertaining. Overall it's good times for Canadian politics, which certainly is a change. Sure the local BC politics has paled in comparison of late, but I'm sure that silly woman will come through in the clutch, and pull some boner of sorts in the very near future.

For those not from Toronto there is a certain pleasure gained from the story. I guess they won't call it Toronto the Good any more, though Hogtown still seems appropriate.

[thebish]

hmmmm... the NHS is not being sold off piecemeal? really??

http://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/pau ... glands-nhs

[thebish]

the world according to Boris...

The super-rich are a "put-upon minority" like homeless people and should be protected from any further "bullying" from the public, Boris Johnson claimed today.

Johnson called for an end to "bashing" the richest people in Britain and suggested they should instead receive "automatic knighthoods" for their contribution to the UK exchequer.

"It is my duty to stick up for every put-upon minority in the city – from the homeless to Irish travellers to ex-gang members to disgraced former MPs," wrote the Conservative mayor of London in the Daily Telegraph.

"But there is one minority that I still behold with a benign bewilderment, and that is the very, very rich."

He said the public should instead extend their "humble and hearty thanks" to the super-rich who "now pay 29.8 per cent of all the income tax and national insurance received by the Treasury."

[bwfcdan94]

the world according to Boris...

The super-rich are a "put-upon minority" like homeless people and should be protected from any further "bullying" from the public, Boris Johnson claimed today.

Johnson called for an end to "bashing" the richest people in Britain and suggested they should instead receive "automatic knighthoods" for their contribution to the UK exchequer.

"It is my duty to stick up for every put-upon minority in the city – from the homeless to Irish travellers to ex-gang members to disgraced former MPs," wrote the Conservative mayor of London in the Daily Telegraph.

"But there is one minority that I still behold with a benign bewilderment, and that is the very, very rich."

He said the public should instead extend their "humble and hearty thanks" to the super-rich who "now pay 29.8 per cent of all the income tax and national insurance received by the Treasury."

Hmm, not sure that is right Boris.

[Lord Kangana]

Our Boris? Bloody hell.

[bwfcdan94]

Our Boris? Bloody hell.

You never know.

[mrkint]

the world according to Boris...

The super-rich are a "put-upon minority" like homeless people and should be protected from any further "bullying" from the public, Boris Johnson claimed today.

Johnson called for an end to "bashing" the richest people in Britain and suggested they should instead receive "automatic knighthoods" for their contribution to the UK exchequer.

"It is my duty to stick up for every put-upon minority in the city – from the homeless to Irish travellers to ex-gang members to disgraced former MPs," wrote the Conservative mayor of London in the Daily Telegraph.

"But there is one minority that I still behold with a benign bewilderment, and that is the very, very rich."

He said the public should instead extend their "humble and hearty thanks" to the super-rich who "now pay 29.8 per cent of all the income tax and national insurance received by the Treasury."

Hi bish, would you like to link to the actual column in the telegraph rather than pull selected lines out of context?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/colu ... -them.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Lord Kangana]

Good lord, it started off so well until he mentioned Michael Gove. Then it just got silly.

[thebish]

the world according to Boris...

The super-rich are a "put-upon minority" like homeless people and should be protected from any further "bullying" from the public, Boris Johnson claimed today.

Johnson called for an end to "bashing" the richest people in Britain and suggested they should instead receive "automatic knighthoods" for their contribution to the UK exchequer.

"It is my duty to stick up for every put-upon minority in the city – from the homeless to Irish travellers to ex-gang members to disgraced former MPs," wrote the Conservative mayor of London in the Daily Telegraph.

"But there is one minority that I still behold with a benign bewilderment, and that is the very, very rich."

He said the public should instead extend their "humble and hearty thanks" to the super-rich who "now pay 29.8 per cent of all the income tax and national insurance received by the Treasury."

Hi bish, would you like to link to the actual column in the telegraph rather than pull selected lines out of context?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/colu ... -them.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I didn't see it in the telegraph - I saw it here: http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2013/11/ ... e-homeless

I haven't pulled any lines out - it is as it was written where I saw it...

(though - you are right - I should certainly have put the link - I usually do!)