Great article by Owen Jones today, forget the author of he content is very interesting and gives you a good insight into the psyche of the man https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/a...trapped-britain

 

Btw smoking of course is terrible, I’ve been at a hospice and witnessed people who can barely function desperate to get outside on a bench so they can light up and injest the very thing that has put them there. It’s a tragic thing and obviously years ago nobody knew what they were getting into. There are just ways to do things. I’ve always hated cigarettes with a passion but this isn’t motivated to reduce smoking or improve lives, it’s an attack by a boring man on people with more personality than him which is a constant theme in Keir’s career and life. You have to allow freedom of choice. If finances are that bad there are so many things you can do, even legalise cannabis. How much tax is lost not legalising that? If California can why not the UK? But this is not going to happen. No real solutions just minor adjustments to give a guise of doing something when the only thing that really matters is power.

 

Liz Truss was dumb as a rock but the Bank of England crashed the economy not her, they did it on purpose to get rid of her since her proposals they didn’t like.

Liz Truss being dumb as a rock automatically makes her a crap leader.

 

You seem to be projecting some image on to Starmer that isn’t true and it’s probably because you’re very right wing.

You're a nicer person than me I wouldn't even be polite about it! I think it's incredibly rude to do that in someone elses car without asking!

Same here, no matter how close a friend they were I would take great pleasure in asking them to stop! If they were actually your friend I’d imagine they wouldn’t do it anyway?

I should say that they did ask (mid-way through) and I said yes, tentatively so admittedly.

 

I had very little concept of boundaries back then to the point I was even afraid of voicing things like that to friends. Thankfully that wouldn't happen now.

Same here, no matter how close a friend they were I would take great pleasure in asking them to stop! If they were actually your friend I’d imagine they wouldn’t do it anyway?

 

 

I'd genuinely be really annoyed if a friend, knowing I am a non-smoker, got a cigarette out or started rolling one up in my car. My cousin once came from dinner and asked where I wanted him to go to have a smoke and I said "home." :lol:

I'd genuinely be really annoyed if a friend, knowing I am a non-smoker, got a cigarette out or started rolling one up in my car. My cousin once came from dinner and asked where I wanted him to go to have a smoke and I said "home." :lol:

That's the right answer :lol:

That's the right answer :lol:

 

 

I thought so too :lol:

I should say that they did ask (mid-way through) and I said yes, tentatively so admittedly.

 

I had very little concept of boundaries back then to the point I was even afraid of voicing things like that to friends. Thankfully that wouldn't happen now.

 

 

Midway through - how thoughtful :lol:

Midway through - how thoughtful :lol:

Better than nothing. :D

 

I think apart from anything it scuppers the social element. Hard to really chat with a friend when you don't like being around it, and they go for a smoke every 15 minutes or whatever.

I always thought that too, one guy would go for a smoke outside every 15 mins and be missing for 20 mins esp as he would get more drunk and talk to other randomers.

You have to allow freedom of choice. If finances are that bad there are so many things you can do, even legalise cannabis. How much tax is lost not legalising that? If California can why not the UK? But this is not going to happen. No real solutions just minor adjustments to give a guise of doing something when the only thing that really matters is power.

 

Very much agree on this point. There needs to be freedom of choice and high rates of taxation to price people out of taking up the habit coupled with existing restrictions are a suitable enough deterrent. I'm also all for legalising, taxing and regulating the use of cannabis, something which we lag behind even parts of the US in getting behind and you are right to say is estimated to bring in a significant sum of extra money. A government that places petty restrictions on the usage of tobacco in outdoor spaces couldn't then turn around and introduce such a policy, not that this lot would anyway. Before anyone says it, no I don't advocate the same for some harder drugs and there certainly isn't a one size fits all solution when it comes to that, though we should certainly be seeking and discussing where there may be solutions as what has existed now for decades clearly doesn't work. Drugs won the war on drugs but I digress.

 

Disagree with your minimizing of the lunacy of Liz Truss though. The Bank Of England didn't support her proposals because they were utter tosh and the woman will go down in history as a shining example of what happens when someone horrendously inadequate is allowed to wield great power.

Also, after Liz Truss' recent comments about the state trying to bring her down or whatever, I don't think she can be taken remotely seriously.

I find if Liz Truss says something then there’s a strong chance the opposite is actually true.

Very much agree on this point. There needs to be freedom of choice and high rates of taxation to price people out of taking up the habit coupled with existing restrictions are a suitable enough deterrent. I'm also all for legalising, taxing and regulating the use of cannabis, something which we lag behind even parts of the US in getting behind and you are right to say is estimated to bring in a significant sum of extra money. A government that places petty restrictions on the usage of tobacco in outdoor spaces couldn't then turn around and introduce such a policy, not that this lot would anyway. Before anyone says it, no I don't advocate the same for some harder drugs and there certainly isn't a one size fits all solution when it comes to that, though we should certainly be seeking and discussing where there may be solutions as what has existed now for decades clearly doesn't work. Drugs won the war on drugs but I digress.

 

Disagree with your minimizing of the lunacy of Liz Truss though. The Bank Of England didn't support her proposals because they were utter tosh and the woman will go down in history as a shining example of what happens when someone horrendously inadequate is allowed to wield great power.

 

It’s all well and good advocating ‘freedom of choice’ but I don’t believe this should trump others peoples right to not have smoke blown in their faces, that takes away their freedom to have good health!

I think the new government are in for a major showdown over their policy to cut winter fuel allowance for pensioners. It’s a strange policy given they are increasing the state pension by over £400 pcm. I get they inherited a big while and big mess from the Tories but surely there are other ways which would be better to recoup the money. What is really needed is a fairer and more proportionate tax system where people who earn more, pay more. At the current time, labour just seem to be following similar lines to the Tories by punishing those who are an easy target and least well off.

 

I think the new government are in for a major showdown over their policy to cut winter fuel allowance for pensioners. It’s a strange policy given they are increasing the state pension by over £400 pcm. I get they inherited a big while and big mess from the Tories but surely there are other ways which would be better to recoup the money. What is really needed is a fairer and more proportionate tax system where people who earn more, pay more. At the current time, labour just seem to be following similar lines to the Tories by punishing those who are an easy target and least well off.

 

It should be means tested, but that's also going to cost money to implement. I think they'll backtrack on the policy to some degree, but clearly they're going to get all the hard policies out of the way to start with.

It just seems to be taking in one hand and giving in another. No real policies to address the crisis we face in this country. Our services are in a desperate position and many people are struggling in poverty. While I am glad we have a change of government, I want to start seeing some real change rather than just continuing to blame the previous government for all their mistakes.

It just seems to be taking in one hand and giving in another. No real policies to address the crisis we face in this country. Our services are in a desperate position and many people are struggling in poverty. While I am glad we have a change of government, I want to start seeing some real change rather than just continuing to blame the previous government for all their mistakes.

So do I, but it has only been two months.

It just seems to be taking in one hand and giving in another. No real policies to address the crisis we face in this country. Our services are in a desperate position and many people are struggling in poverty. While I am glad we have a change of government, I want to start seeing some real change rather than just continuing to blame the previous government for all their mistakes.

 

The problem is we obviously have a massive defecit. Any decisions to stop this are going to be unpopular so not really sure what they can do. I think a tax increase across would be the easiest thing to do, but that's not going to be happen and would be wholly unpopular and play right in to Tories/Reform's hand. Think the strategic play here is give Reeve's a load of unpopular policies, and if that gamble doesn't pay off in 2 years Starmer will get rid of her.

A more progressive tax system would be a fairer option.

@ 1833879500435677512

 

Would be pretty hard to poll worse than this