General Election - 4th July 2024

[Kompany Car]

The argument regarding proposed national service for those over 18 "to increase social cohesion" fails immediately when you get to the line where it says its for those who aren't in full time education or employment.

Im completely against the idea, but if you must, you do it for everyone regardless of being wealthy or poor, academically brilliant or thick as pig shit and all physical abilities. If not, you end up with even less cohesion by singling out a section of the population that I would say society has already failed since they were born.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

The argument regarding proposed national service for those over 18 "to increase social cohesion" fails immediately when you get to the line where it says its for those who aren't in full time education or employment.

Im completely against the idea, but if you must, you do it for everyone regardless of being wealthy or poor, academically brilliant or thick as pig shit and all physical abilities. If not, you end up with even less cohesion by singling out a section of the population that I would say society has already failed since they were born.

Absolutely, K. And the ones who end up 'conscripted' are likely to be the least inclined to grasp their chance of some 'social cohesion'. Another 'spiffing wheeze' from an already tiresome campaign.

 

[Kompany Car]

Quite like the idea of getting pensioners out on the streets and picking up litter. Make ‘em work for their money I say. Lazy fuckers. Always banging on about the state of the country. Time they get off their arses and made a positive contribution.

You say that, where I live there's an entire army of retired people who have never been forced or asked, going out and picking up the shit people lob out of their car windows. But they are proud of their village. But if your town or village has been left to go to shit after years of underinvestment, I can understand people thinking that it will make bugger all difference.

 

[hilts]

Being an MP is the best part-time job in Britain, and possibly the world.
Decent salary.
Huge expenses
Subsidised bars and restaurants.
Long holidays.
Amazing pension.

Much of the work is dealing with constituents' problems. This is largely an administrative task. You send a copy of their grievance to the relevant authority with a cover letter and then send the response back to the punter. Any Town Hall clerk with a year's experience could do that.

Committee work? Mainly mumbling agreement or disagreement. If there's something you really object to, you can say so.

Chamber work? Mainly voting in accordance with the Whips' instructions and shouting 'hear hear'. You can, of course, catch the Speaker's eye from time to time and make a speech or ask a question, but no one expects you to be Cicero. Certainly not in this day and age when most of them can barely frame a coherent paragraph.

When I was 40 I could have done all that without breaking sweat. Talk about a 'Bobby's job.'

Some people actually want to pay them more

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Quite like the idea of getting pensioners out on the streets and picking up litter. Make ‘em work for their money I say. Lazy fuckers. Always banging on about the state of the country. Time they get off their arses and made a positive contribution.

We did work for our money. I worked for sixty fuckin' years for my council, and the bastards only paid me for 42! Oh, and the litter. I used to, and plan to continue, cycling down the Rochdale Canal pickin' up the empty cans the feckless lob to the ground when they've finished with them. Covid put a stop to it, but I shall pump up the tyres on the trailer and recommence my public good works.

 

[hilts]

Its now a minimum 10p but most charge 25 - 35p in my experience. Never ceases to amaze me what people do to avoid a small charge. Laughed my head off about 3 weeks ago when I saw a guy struggling to hold onto arms full of shopping rather than buy a bag and he didn't drop the rice, he didn't drop the loaf and he didn't drop the veg ....... no he dropped the gin ..... £15 worth of booze sacrificed for the sake of a 25p bag - he was really sticking it to "the man" until that point

They should be banned not charged for, we can't do anything right in this country.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

You say that, where I live there's an entire army of retired people who have never been forced or asked, going out and picking up the shit people lob out of their car windows. But they are proud of their village. But if your town or village has been left to go to shit after years of underinvestment, I can understand people thinking that it will make bugger all difference.

Would they still do that if they were forced though?

By making something compulsory it takes away some of the good spirit doesn't it?

Would make more sense to turn these young people into an army of public space enforcement officers rather than picking the litter up themselves. More likely to create a culture change if people can be fined for it and it would actually upskill them and give them an income.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Some people actually want to pay them more

I think the people who want to pay them more are the very people who are in receipt of the salary, expenses, sinecure, etc. MPs will never be lost for a reason for a pay hike, particularly when one or two of their 'other jobs' have dried up!

 

[Bluemoon dan]

The argument regarding proposed national service for those over 18 "to increase social cohesion" fails immediately when you get to the line where it says its for those who aren't in full time education or employment.

Also, where do you draw the line on this not being in education or employment criteria? My eldest daughter turns 18 in the next week, she will have completed her final exam at College by then and has a place at Uni lined up for September. Would she be conscripted? What if she decides she wants to have a gap year and defer her place to the following year and go travelling? Or if she changes her mind and goes for an Apprenticeship but the employer can't start her till the November. It's a nonsense and unworkable idea.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Its now a minimum 10p but most charge 25 - 35p in my experience. Never ceases to amaze me what people do to avoid a small charge. Laughed my head off about 3 weeks ago when I saw a guy struggling to hold onto arms full of shopping rather than buy a bag and he didn't drop the rice, he didn't drop the loaf and he didn't drop the veg ....... no he dropped the gin ..... £15 worth of booze sacrificed for the sake of a 25p bag - he was really sticking it to "the man" until that point

I could open a shop with the supermarket bags I've got in my car - Asda, Sainsburys, the Co-op, insulated bags, jute bags from the sweat dens of Fife, M&S Peppa Pig. Even got a couple from Auchan and Leclerc. I've got one adverticisng Racing Lens. Naturally, I have a fold up one that fits in it's own tidy 'sac' with a fuckin' great City crest!