It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

Primrose

Big Mamma - quite agree with you. I saw the suggestion in a paper today that Parliament should buy a number of serviced flats for MP's in the Westminster area and force them all to stay in them when they are attending parliament. Then there would be no issue about any of them having to maintain a second home. Alternatively, each parliamentary constituency should allocate a Council House somewhere in the area for their Member of Parliament (& family if necessary) to stay in when they need to be in their constituency. . MP's could choose one option or the other. This would do away with a lot of this nonsense about claiming for two properties. I've no issue with them having somewhere to stay in London but allowing them to buy properties with taxpayers money and then sell them at a vast profit is simply not acceptable. Many of them have been milking the system for years and I agree with David Cameron and Nick Clegg that the issue needs to be resolved once and for all NOW. The whole business is bringing democracy and our MP's into disrepute. And they should freeze their salaries too. Many other people have either had their salaries frozen or even worse, lost their jobs. MP's need a stiff dose of reality and FAST.

ceridwen

..and on the recent topic of barter - there's a post of interest on a blog I follow re this which may spark off a few ideas:

http://thirtyfivebyninety.blogspot.com/2009/03/generating-bartering-opps.html

Patchwork_Quilt

A friend of mine saves all her newspapers for us, since we have a stove and I also peel all my veg into them. In return for a Quality Street tin for her bird food and a little bit of advice about their proposed veg list, they saved us all the offcuts from the raised beds they are making and gave us their excess seed potatoes. I was very grateful.

It does seem worth saving things we don't use, just in case someone else can. Equally, it does seem worth asking (as I did for the paper). It's not cheeky if it's going to go to the tip/in the bin anyway

fedupfreda

BigMummaF wrote: »

Bring on the Revolution sez I! It is time these "public servants" were held accountable for the way they abuse the trust we bestow on them by election to Office, without the wages WE have to pay. If I thought it would make any difference, I would start a petition for everyone to refuse to vote at the next Election. Or how else can we make them see enough really is enough this time?

Don't think refusing to vote would make a ha'porth of difference - look how many actually voted for the current rabble, and they still got in :mad: . Just a shame there is no credible alternative - IMO they are all the same once they get their noses in the trough. Only thing you can guarantee with any political party is that the first thing they will do when they get in is vote themselves a whacking great pay rise, on top of an already very good salary - wish the rest of us could be paid the same :mad: .

I've always believed they should have a reasonable basic salary and not be allowed to hold any other jobs - they should concentrate on the job in hand not on lining their pockets. After all how many other jobs offer security of tenure for 5 years, regardless of how badly you perform??? Mind you, the day this happens, we shall see a squadron of pink fluffy pigs flying over the houses of parliament....:D

Personally I'd like to see this lot sacked and have government by referendum.

kidcat

BigMummaF wrote: »

Bring on the Revolution sez I!

Looks like it may have started

http://news.sky.com/skynews/

ceridwen

kidcat wrote: »

Looks like it may have started

http://news.sky.com/skynews/

Hmmm....well amongst the advice to employees there it would certainly have helped if they had been told not to go in for provocative behaviour (ie waving £10 notes out of the window). That was plain stupid and distinctly nasty behaviour to indulge in.

Personally - I wish to see a stable/peaceful society. I do not believe in revolution - or owt of that ilk - for the sake of it. I have been a "campaigner" for long enough (literally decades) that I have encountered people from every possible point on the political "spectrum" by now. I do NOT believe in "throwing things up in the air" and seeing what way they come back down again. On the other hand - I am surprised that it took as long as this for "unrest" to surface. Looking back over the last 20 odd years - I have watched a steady "procession" of cutbacks in income to "the ordinary person in the street" on the one hand (benefits if they become unemployed on the one hand/pension provision on the other hand) and seen the rich become steadily richer and a lot of "our" money spent on a succession of wars on the other hand. Internal conflict in our society was inevitable - given these factors.

I do not anticipate this will be anyone's definition of an "easy" summer unfortunately. I do hope that we can all come through this in a peaceful way - and with a peaceful/constructive way forward to get out of this mess we are undoubtedly all in at the moment.

Churchmouse

ceridwen wrote: »

Hmmm....well amongst the advice to employees there it would certainly have helped if they had been told not to go in for provocative behaviour (ie waving £10 notes out of the window). That was plain stupid and distinctly nasty behaviour to indulge in.
.

ceridwen, I've been searching for evidence to support this claim that I've heard made a few times. Do you have any links to the inevitable photos or video there would surely be? I think any who can be shown to have behaved like this should be punished for it.

I wonder about the dreadful provocation to the police. Taunting, goading, the bully wielding the big stick or suchlike who managed to hit a policeman over the head. And as for the idiot with the stage-managed "blood" coming down his head onto his kerchief round his neck :rolleyes::rolleyes: It was there at 11 am this morning before anything happened, never oxidised, got worse, or even had a wound to flow from. And it was very shiny:rotfl:

elizabunny

I think it's extremely difficult for many people at the moment to see how they are going to weather the current crisis. Banner waving etc. etc may make the news headlines but in general seems to have little effect on our politicians. Yes it is to be hoped that we can all emerge from this in a peaceful, non-confrontational way, but I think many people are already close to breaking point and can see no other way but to shout as loudly as they can. Yes we can do with out the troublemakers who relish the opportunity to turn peaceful protest into violent confrontation. It is difficult to imagine what the outcome will be to the current situation when so many people are losing their jobs, homes etc. I believe it will take us years to recover. The frightening reality is we don't know where the end will be yet and therefore when the recovery will begin. The prices in the supermarkets are rocketing and the only offers now seem to be on 'junk' food. Sorry but can anyone justify £2.59 for 1 Cauliflower or £3.50 odd for some Rhubarb. I am pleased that the dignitries in our country are able to enjoy a sumptious menu for their G20 summit dinner tonight, however, I am sad for the many, that do not know how they are going to put enough food on the table for their families. How did we get to this? Simple GREED. I can see the funny side of having to dig up half our lawn so that we can grow vegetables, I can even feel a certain cheerfulness at having to make do and mend and make all ends meet (even when they won't), but I really cannot understand why I have to go without and yet still pay the taxes for other people to have 'freebies'. I think the balance needs to be adjusted and pretty quickly before everyone reaches boiling point. A peaceful and stable society can only begin to be realised where there is fairness.

Caterina

meanmarie wrote: »

...we called ladybirds 'god's cows' when I was young which is one such example...
Marie

Ah Marie that reminded me how when we were little we used to call woodlice "St. Anthony's little pigs" - (for the Italians among us: Porcellini di Sant' Antonio) but I never heard anyone else apart from people in my family call them like that!

Edinburghlass_2

Hadly new considering the same violence went on at the G8 summit probably by the same people and when they couldn't get near Gleneagles they took it out on the streets and buildings of Edinburgh.