Renovations and Repayments.

pavlovs_dog

I'm sure it will all be fine...

So long as you don't want a free-at-the-point-of use public health service that is adequately resourced to treat you.

Or an education system that is sufficiently funded to shepherd children along the learning "flight path" (because it is a well known fact that we all learn in exactly the same way at exactly the same speed :cool: ).

So long as you have no future plans on ever needing a plumber/electrician/builder/hairdresser etc. Vocational subjects are the root of ALL that is wrong with education at the moment and must be stopped post haste.

As for those pesky humans rights, I've always thought they were a bit of a pain in the !!! too. No worry, they'll be gone soon too.

edinburgher

I don't think the Tories are monsters and I generally support the ideas of small government and all that entails.

At the same time, they are very evidently the party of inherited wealth and privilege and have no idea how to bring about positive change to the welfare state. The way to make people more responsible is to make it worth their while by supporting worker friendly policies (a living wage, family friendly policies etc.), not by kicking the metaphorical crutches out from under them.

Someone who is rich because their parents were rich is every bit as much a 'benefits' dependent as someone taking £100/week off the state

maman

My feeling is that Tories might as well adopt Gordon Gekko's famous slogan as their party mantra. I'm 100% behind enterprise, wealth creation and working hard but what's anathema for me is how that wealth is jealously guarded by the greedy few, many of which are Dave's mates. Martin Sorrel, for example, is reputed to earn 1200 times as much as his most lowly paid employee. I'm sure bringing back slavery would be popular with many on the right.

edinburgher

Martin Sorrel, for example, is reputed to earn 1200 times as much as his most lowly paid employee.

I loved a recent newspaper comparison between his salary and that of the world's most highly paid boxer!

I'm sure bringing back slavery would be popular with many on the right.

Now I can't agree with that, I feel we're maybe getting a bit hyperbolic

Alchemilla

Just invading your diary to agree with Pavlovs!

AlexLK

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

I'm sure it will all be fine...

So long as you don't want a free-at-the-point-of use public health service that is adequately resourced to treat you.

I don't understand where people have got this one from? Cameron has bleated on and on and on about giving more money to the NHS and over his last five years in government hasn't made the NHS a service the public pays for.

Evidence, please?

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

Or an education system that is sufficiently funded to shepherd children along the learning "flight path" (because it is a well known fact that we all learn in exactly the same way at exactly the same speed :cool: ).

Do you have any evidence this is the case apart from the inevitable Labour propaganda?

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

So long as you have no future plans on ever needing a plumber/electrician/builder/hairdresser etc. Vocational subjects are the root of ALL that is wrong with education at the moment and must be stopped post haste.

If this is relating to such subjects being taught in schools, I think that should be stopped as pupils wishing to become builders or hairdressers can do so after school, via an apprenticeship.

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

As for those pesky humans rights, I've always thought they were a bit of a pain in the !!! too. No worry, they'll be gone soon too.

I believe the reasons behind this are to stop terrorists that have been deported from appealing in Strasbourg?

Alchemilla wrote: »

Just invading your diary to agree with Pavlovs!

Not a problem.

edinburgher wrote: »

I don't think the Tories are monsters and I generally support the ideas of small government and all that entails.

At the same time, they are very evidently the party of inherited wealth and privilege and have no idea how to bring about positive change to the welfare state. The way to make people more responsible is to make it worth their while by supporting worker friendly policies (a living wage, family friendly policies etc.), not by kicking the metaphorical crutches out from under them.

In an ideal world, I'd agree. However, it seems there are an awful lot of !!!!less individuals intent on abusing the system.

edinburgher wrote: »

Someone who is rich because their parents were rich is every bit as much a 'benefits' dependent as someone taking £100/week off the state

That seems a bit harsh.

AlexLK

maman wrote: »

My feeling is that Tories might as well adopt Gordon Gekko's famous slogan as their party mantra. I'm 100% behind enterprise, wealth creation and working hard but what's anathema for me is how that wealth is jealously guarded by the greedy few, many of which are Dave's mates. Martin Sorrel, for example, is reputed to earn 1200 times as much as his most lowly paid employee. I'm sure bringing back slavery would be popular with many on the right.

I cannot see how Martin Sorrel earning 1200 times the amount of his most lowly paid employee is relevant? For all you know his employee could be more than happy with their position, one likely without the burden of responsibility.

edinburgher wrote: »

I loved a recent newspaper comparison between his salary and that of the world's most highly paid boxer!

Link please.

edinburgher wrote: »

Now I can't agree with that, I feel we're maybe getting a bit hyperbolic

I'll second that.

AlexLK

Sunday 10th May, 2015.

Dear Diary,

Unfortunately, I've failed to do any work on the house this weekend, despite the weather being OK today. On the positive side, I've put the usual £30 into my savings. My total is now at £5,509 and I am starting to consider what to do with the money, though today's thoughts have not been particularly sensible as I did consider buying myself a nice watch over investing the money or using it to overpay the mortgage. Guess old habits die hard.

Yours Faithfully,
Alex.

pavlovs_dog

AlexLK wrote: »

Do you have any evidence this is the case apart from the inevitable Labour propaganda?

I teach.. or at least I try to, in between all the excessive bureaucratic nonsense that pervades my job. The job has changed beyond all recognition in the past 5 years.

Traditionally, the school where I work has run vocational courses in conjunction with the local college. They will not be offered from the 2015 academic year due to budget cuts. We do not have the funds or the training to offer a suitable, alternative curriculum in school for the pupils who would normally attend college. These kids are being condemned to sit GCSEs that they are not academically able to pass. Normally they would at least have the support of a teaching assistant in lessons to help them, however again due to budget cuts we've had to let a large number of them go. These same pupils will not be offered work experience due to cuts to the Welsh careers service.

Apprenticeships? What apprenticeships? A significant proportion of positions being advertised are essentially replacing zero hour contracts in tertiary industries. The handful of positions for trades let the apprentice go at the end of the contract; it is cheaper to replace them with another apprentice than offer them an employed position.

I'll come back to you with evidence of the closet attacks on the health service, it is past my bedtime and I'll be up early doors to do more marking.

maman

AlexLK wrote: »

I cannot see how Martin Sorrel earning 1200 times the amount of his most lowly paid employee is relevant? For all you know his employee could be more than happy with their position, one likely without the burden of responsibility.

Of course I understand that Martin Sorrel should be paid more for taking responsibility, risk, ideas etc. but 1200 times more is a bit rich, if you pardon the pun.;) And I've yet to meet anyone on minimum wage who is happy with their lot and I'm definitely not happy as a tax payer subsidising employers with in-work benefits.