General Election - 4th July 2024

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Perhaps the Tories can bring back rationing to help with the cost of living. In addition to spending billions on border controls and infrastructure to limit the food that we can get, imposing a three eggs a week ration will make your dwindling income stretch further and overcome self-inflicted shortages. It’s a win-win.

My sources are suggesting energy blackouts is a week 4 Tory policy.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

Yes, it’s a totally valid point about prospects and one my girlfriend made in relation to the housing ladder.

That doesn’t invalidate the point about the negative impact social media and smartphones are having on young people.

It wasn't meant to invalidate your point but put into context. Social media obviously does have a huge negative influence. It amplifies the reach of misogynistic and violent culture among young men and boys.

I just don't think it's the principal cause.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

If I were 18 again, I would literally go to jail before being coerced into anything. The idea that the state has some right to your time is unconscionable to me.

I said to Mrs Ewing that when I heard the volunteering one fortnight a month 'What would 18yr old ST holders end up doing - juggling which weekend City were at home?

 

[bluethrunthru]

The money will come from the levelling up fund designed to help regions and communities. Far better to spend this money on rounding up 18 y/o’s to sit in a nissan hut for a year in the Outer Hebrides.

I have just seen that the only paid option will be the military - the rest will be purely voluntary. And they think that will work. Commentator on SKY News just said that "this has not been militarily thought through. If just 10% of those called up choose the Armed Forces that doubles the size of the Army overnight and any thoughts you have about getting into mechanics or web designing are pie in the sky, you'll be in the Infantry"

Well I suspect thats getting the youth vote out then - just confirmed Labour will win that

 

[BobKowalski]

My sources are suggesting energy blackouts is a week 4 Tory policy.

You jest, but this is so happening :)

 

[Mike N]

National Sevice? The Tories are just taking the piss now!

 

[PragueBlue]

National Sevice? The Tories are just taking the piss now!

They can say/promise what they want as they know they aren't getting in anyway.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

I love how the strongest calls for National Service always come from people who never did it themselves.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

This National Service idea isn’t necessarily a terrible one per se, if it was non-military and applied universally.

Yep. 1960 was the last time we had national service. That means, presumably, that the last person to do it was born in 1942 and is now 82 years old. So start with the 81 year-olds and work our way down from there. Wouldn't want anyone to miss out, would we?

The problem is that nothing works in this country anymore- transport, the courts, the health and education systems - so the reality is that this will be no different- and what sort of mug would believe that these cunts would keep their word and implement it anyway? There is absolutely fucking zero chance of that. Anyone who actually believes that is a stupid ****.

It would very quickly be used as a way to subsidise the workforce of some private business if the Tories were left in charge.

 

[give it to gordon]

If I were 18 again, I would literally go to jail before being coerced into anything. The idea that the state has some right to your time is unconscionable to me.

Agree I thought this was a free country and you could decide what you wanted to do.

 

[Kompany Car]

Social media or reality? What prospects are there for young people in general? I'm not saying there aren't any, but they are immensely shitter than just a few years ago.

Well social media does have a part to play. Whilst it's kind of off topic there was a discussion on Radio 5 live around young offenders saying that even though in some cases they were offered jobs, they couldn't afford the lifestyle they wanted, it was much easier to go out and rob a pair of expensive trainers or a designer hoodie than save up for them like most people.

The whole culture of wanting instant gratification without the effort is a problem in general.

 

[bluethrunthru]

 

[bluethrunthru]

 

[I'm With Stupid]

 

[SkyBlueFlux]

National Service might be a good idea in some countries in certain contexts and with specific parameters, but here it’s a non-starter.

For a start it will cost billions to implement (money we’re getting from where exactly?). And what will we get for that? A load of 18 year olds doing things they don’t want to do, a handful of which will probably cause more harm than good through disruption. The conscientious ones that wanted to give it a go would have to be babysat by the armed forces or whoever they’re volunteering for. These are people with limited skills and zero experience. Can you imagine the time it is going to take from qualified staff to do that?

Then you have the idea of enforcement. If people don’t do it, what then? A fine? In which case it just becomes yet another thing to add to the list of things separating rich and poor people in this country.

And finally, this is just adding an extra obstacle that young people have to navigate that older people never did. You’re taking time away from them that can be used for more value-add pursuits. Older people didn’t have to deal with Brexit, had free or cheaper university, didn’t get set back by COVID, have to navigate impossible house prices, drop in the real-terms value of wages… the Tories seem hellbent on making life as hard as possible for the younger generations who already have a hell of a lot to overcome to have anything resembling a successful life.

In short it’s another stupid idea from a fundamentally stupid party. It will satisfy the usual tub thumping segment of society who likes the sound of things like this without ever actually thinking them through.

 

[bluethrunthru]

Ian Dunt sums him up here

 

[SkyBlueFlux]

If anybody for a second thinks this is a good use of £2.5Bn when we have people using food banks, have a huge backlog of asylum claims to process and a health service that is literally crumbling to the ground then they are beyond saving.

 

[bluenova]

If anybody for a second thinks this is a good use of £2.5Bn when we have people using food banks, have a huge backlog of asylum claims to process and a health service that is literally crumbling to the ground then they are beyond saving.

It's probably a Possum plan

They are so resigned to losing that they're going to focus only on desperate policies. They're hoping the voters will say, 'no need to vote Labour, as the Tories are already dead'.

 

[CTID1988]

If I had kids I'm pretty sure I would resort to violence to avoid them doing national service. Fuck that shit

 

[I'm With Stupid]

National Service might be a good idea in some countries in certain contexts and with specific parameters, but here it’s a non-starter.

For a start it will cost billions to implement (money we’re getting from where exactly?). And what will we get for that? A load of 18 year olds doing things they don’t want to do, a handful of which will probably cause more harm than good through disruption. The conscientious ones that wanted to give it a go would have to be babysat by the armed forces or whoever they’re volunteering for. These are people with limited skills and zero experience. Can you imagine the time it is going to take from qualified staff to do that?

Not to mention the fact that anything anyone is effectively being coerced into under threat of criminal sanctions is ripe for abuse. Imagine if your boss could get you thrown into prison ffs.