Westminster Politics

Mart1974 said:
I was a contractor working for Central government at the time. HMRC didn't have enough established tax experts so they used Deloitte, KPMG, PWC and Accenture to provide support. Those companies helped draft the IR35 legislation which left HMRC short of people with key skills as the contractors there were forced out. Who filled those spots? People from Deloitte, KPMG, PWC and Accenture on much more expensive day rates.

Same across government in other departments. I genuinely don't believe IR35 changes made any difference at all to available funds. The tax take may have gone up, but the cost of delivering government services also went up.
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The cost of delivering all services went up. Temporary, skilled staff are critical in engineering in particular. In the design and development phase of producing a car for example, you need more people and different skills than what you need once you're in production. Contractors used to provide that but a lot of companies are shit scared of hiring any now, and hiring and firing employees in the same way as you could contractors is a lot more expensive and time consuming.

I think it could well be contributing to the poor state of the economy, but in the faecal hailstorm of economic idiocy that has been the last 14 years it's really quite hard to pick it out!

Anyway, it's by the by, rich people don't pay enough tax which means ordinary employees have to pay too much, and it became pretty clear to me after having been a contractor.
 
Over 200k at today's London pro Palestine march. Lots of respect and solidarity given to the US university students (and teachers apparently) holding freedom up for the rest of us.

Along with the regular protest attendees like Corbyn you had Clare Daly, Irish MEP, giving both barrels to Biden and Sunak again. She's no shrinking violet. :lol: And Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neil.
 
Surely the largest protest since just before the Iraq invasion? A million or so at the No Iraq War protest.
 
neverdie said:
Surely the largest protest since just before the Iraq invasion? A million or so at the No Iraq War protest.
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Other London protests have been similar sized or slightly larger. But its still huge numbers considering there is zero coverage and you're not even allowed to talk to work colleague about it at the coffee area in case Big Brother is listening.
 
Yeah, not to mention the 11th November Palestinian solidarity march (800k~).

Just indicative of how absolutely terrible modern day reporting is (the Brexit stuff is just down to my own memory).
 


GML7eBtW8AAePWG
 
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Oh look. Positive news about Labour. Time for Sweet Square to do his usual thing.
 
Mr Pigeon said:
Oh look. Positive news about Labour. Time for Sweet Square to do his usual thing.
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This is only positive news for the people on here who agree with Tory policy but dislike the Tory party.
 
Giggsyking said:
Can I ask people here what is your opinion about NHS doctors striking?
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It’s for the greater good. They’re not striking out of “personal greed”, they’re striking because working conditions and pay have become so poor there is already a major shortage in staff and that effects the NHS 365 days of the year. So to strike a handful of days might get the headlines and give Tory MPs the ammo they need to throw them over the bus, the reality is that the NHS is grossly understaffed all year round and that has a much worse overall impact compared to the occasional strikes.
 
Pexbo said:
It’s for the greater good. They’re not striking out of “personal greed”, they’re striking because working conditions and pay have become so poor there is already a major shortage in staff and that effects the NHS 365 days of the year. So to strike a handful of days might get the headlines and give Tory MPs the ammo they need to throw them over the bus, the reality is that the NHS is grossly understaffed all year round and that has a much worse overall impact compared to the occasional strikes.
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I have about 10 friends who work for the NHS (physicians and dentists) none of them like working for the NHS. Their main complain when I hear them discuss the NHS is almost always financial. But they also talk about the working conditions. I was wondering if the public acknowledge their complain.
 
Giggsyking said:
I have about 10 friends who work for the NHS (physicians and dentists) none of them like working for the NHS. Their main complain when I hear them discuss the NHS is almost always financial. But they also talk about the working conditions. I was wondering if the public acknowledge their complain.
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Personally… absolutely, and support their right and motivation to strike.
 
Balljy said:
He's only joined for the seat and is standing down around the GE though.
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Labour is almost word for word copying the Cameron/May Tory party on how it talks about the economy - magic money tree, household budget = national budget, etc.

The current Shadow Chancellor is someone who not only fully agree with David Cameron on austerity but wanted to go further. And now they are openly celebrating a MP has consistently voted to implement austerity. Tbh a lot of bad signs about what a incoming Labour government will do in office.

I also imagine him standing down in the GE means he has got a consulting job lined up with a Starmer government.

Giggsyking said:
Can I ask people here what is your opinion about NHS doctors striking?
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Imo doctors should have the ability to go on strike. Striking should be a fundamental basic right.
 
Giggsyking said:
Can I ask people here what is your opinion about NHS doctors striking?
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What’s happened to the NHS over the last 15 years (or pretty much any public service) is a scandal.

NHS has been finished since Covid really, and things are only going to get worse, much worse is my feeling. The government have done an amazing job alongside the media to give the impression that doctors (particularly GP’s) are absolutely loaded, when in fact they get paid a fraction of what their counterparts in USA, Canada and Australia get paid.

There’s been a shortage of GP’s since 2015, and this has continued despite promises to increase numbers. You know what’s happening now? The government are effectively replacing GP’s with PA’s and ANP’s (non doctors). They’ve reduced the funding for primary care significantly over the past few years, hence why so many surgeries are closing as its not feasible to continue. However, they have created a pot of money that can only be used for additional staff (ARRS scheme) but can’t be used to employ doctors- hence surgeries then can’t afford GP’s but can employ other staff as they are effectively ‘free’ to them.

The pay is shocking for the amount of training, responsibility and workload doctors have. Most doctors now come out with £100k+ of debt, and get paid £14-15 pounds an hour in the first 2 years. This increases to £25-28 an hour when they are 4-8 years in. Just to be clear, they are named junior doctors but they work as doctors with all the responsibility.

The media and some public keep banging on about how great consultant pay is or the amazing pension- but is it really? Most consultants now start on a wage of £85k (can take 8-10 years to get here) and then pension scheme is significantly worse than older iterations of it. Also why does a pension matter when you’re getting screwed for almost all of your working life.

Now we know the pay is shit, but you know what’s worse? The actual work conditions. Honestly the stories you and what you come across is a disgrace for a country like the UK.

Pretty much everyone I know is planning on leaving the profession or going abroad. It’s actually scary how many have left and will leave soon.
 
Giggsyking said:
Can I ask people here what is your opinion about NHS doctors striking?
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I have been waiting since the beginning of September for an appointment at the clinic for my hip.

So right now, I'd like to see them all ridden down with horses like they did my uncle over pit closures.

( Not really )
 
I have zero respect for MPs defecting between the two biggest parties. They obviously believe in absolutely feck all.
 
Habs said:
What’s happened to the NHS over the last 15 years (or pretty much any public service) is a scandal.

NHS has been finished since Covid really, and things are only going to get worse, much worse is my feeling. The government have done an amazing job alongside the media to give the impression that doctors (particularly GP’s) are absolutely loaded, when in fact they get paid a fraction of what their counterparts in USA, Canada and Australia get paid.

There’s been a shortage of GP’s since 2015, and this has continued despite promises to increase numbers. You know what’s happening now? The government are effectively replacing GP’s with PA’s and ANP’s (non doctors). They’ve reduced the funding for primary care significantly over the past few years, hence why so many surgeries are closing as its not feasible to continue. However, they have created a pot of money that can only be used for additional staff (ARRS scheme) but can’t be used to employ doctors- hence surgeries then can’t afford GP’s but can employ other staff as they are effectively ‘free’ to them.

The pay is shocking for the amount of training, responsibility and workload doctors have. Most doctors now come out with £100k+ of debt, and get paid £14-15 pounds an hour in the first 2 years. This increases to £25-28 an hour when they are 4-8 years in. Just to be clear, they are named junior doctors but they work as doctors with all the responsibility.

The media and some public keep banging on about how great consultant pay is or the amazing pension- but is it really? Most consultants now start on a wage of £85k (can take 8-10 years to get here) and then pension scheme is significantly worse than older iterations of it. Also why does a pension matter when you’re getting screwed for almost all of your working life.

Now we know the pay is shit, but you know what’s worse? The actual work conditions. Honestly the stories you and what you come across is a disgrace for a country like the UK.

Pretty much everyone I know is planning on leaving the profession or going abroad. It’s actually scary how many have left and will leave soon.
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It’s utterly mental at how easy this is to change.

On Day 1 of Labour they can simply;

- Change the designations. Call them ‘Doctors’ and ‘Senior Doctors’. With internal grades against each as they do across the civil service. (Better naming and grading suggestions from better minds than mine)
- Put a chart up showing pay scale of doctors across similar countries.
- Put their pay up as a one time show of goodwill. Very pointedly show that Tories have deliberately taken advantage of doctors for 14 years and Labour are putting them at the forefront of an NHS rebuild.
- Tie future pay rises to NHS and economic performance.
- Offer resettlement bonuses for Uk doctors overseas.
- Make it abundantly clear that if we don’t do this, the only option is to import a workforce from overseas (to mitigate the gammon voices about Labour caving to unions etc).

Day 1. Just do it. Not for politics but for the health of the country. If the Tories get back in, they can’t cut those pay restorations.

It’s such an easy win.
 
Sweet Square said:
Imo doctors should have the ability to go on strike. Striking should be a fundamental basic right.
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Well in Sweden we do not have the right to go on strike. Nurses, physiotherapists, technicians, any health care worker have, but not doctors.
 
Don't Kill Bill said:
I have been waiting since the beginning of September for an appointment at the clinic for my hip.

So right now, I'd like to see them all ridden down with horses like they did my uncle over pit closures.

( Not really )
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Sorry to hear that. Believe me it's the same waiting times in Sweden despite the smaller population.
 
Habs said:
Honestly the stories you and what you come across is a disgrace for a country like the UK.

Pretty much everyone I know is planning on leaving the profession or going abroad. It’s actually scary how many have left and will leave soon.
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Agree, it's really a disgrace, once one of the best health care systems collapsing like that. Yes as I mentioned two my friends already moved, and another one already planning to do the same.
 
Giggsyking said:
Well in Sweden we do not have the right to go on strike. Nurses, physiotherapists, technicians, any health care worker have, but not doctors.
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Oh wow. Then, if the doctors decides to go on an official strike what hsppens?
 
Giggsyking said:
Well in Sweden we do not have the right to go on strike. Nurses, physiotherapists, technicians, any health care worker have, but not doctors.
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Oh cheers had no idea about this. I sort of get the logic of it but imo it’s essentially punishing workers for having a important job.

I think in the UK it’s illegal for the police to go on strike.
 
4bars said:
Oh wow. Then, if the doctors decides to go on an official strike what hsppens?
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They can't. The doctors union does not allow for public serving doctors to strike according to the collective agreement between the state and the union. If the doctors decides to go with it without the permission if the union, they need to then pay compensation for the damage and will not be receiving their salary.

Private sector doctors (limited sector) can strike without union permission (but why would they? most probably they have better financial deals).
 
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