The Labour Government

BrianW said:
I'm surprised it's as low as that.

Most public services are people-heavy by their very nature. For example, who wants their kids taught by a robot? Who wants their gran's arse wiped by a robot? Who wants hospital wards staffed by robots? Even if such technology existed.

There simply isn't the same scope for automation as in manufacturing.

Where jobs can be automated they largely have been. When I started at the Council in 1971 there were legions of clerks. One guy, for example, kept the accounts in a massive ledger, all done with pen and ink. There were vast typing pools. All those kinds of jobs have gone. They were gone 20 years ago and had been for years. I'm pretty certain that the Civil Service, NHS and any other organisation you can think of will have done the same.
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I think nobody has a problem with the direct patient/client facing roles, it's the tiers above them that have multiplied without justification and they are of course positioned to cushion themselves when those beneath are often under threat (and underpaid).
 
Blue and true said:
I agree there is a limit to how much we should interfere with people's liberties. But stopping them smoking in beer gardens is hardly authoritarian tyranny; banning smoking altogether? That shouldn't happen. Nor should banning alcohol consumption, despite the almighty strain it puts on the health service. Smokers can still enjoy their cigarettes without needing to light up next to others who don't want to destroy their lungs. I don't have children, but if I did and someone lit up next to them while they were eating their lunch I'd consider that person to a thoughtless wanker.

My gran, bless her, used to smoke two packs a day; but she would always go into the garden to smoke away from her grandkids.
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Just not a beer garden I guess:-)

How big do people want this exclusion zone? Is it wind dependant?

Anyhow I haven't noticed this new phenomenon of people running up to kids just to light a fag.
 
johnny crossan said:
I think nobody has a problem with the patient/client facing roles, it's the tiers above them that have multiplied without justification and they are of course positioned to preserve themselves when all beneath ae under threat (and underpaid).
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I think the NHS is astonishingly efficient.

The US of A spends twice the amount of GDP on health as we do. Their GDP is larger, but for all that they don't get universal health care.

You will find that most comparable countries spend a greater proportion of GDP on health than we do.

When you have an organisation as large as the NHS it is going to take a lot of managing. And some of those guys and girls are going to be on big bucks compared to most of us. (Although not necessarily when compared to private sector equivalents.)

That's not to say that there is no waste. I'm sure there is. That's not to say that all NHS managers are top-notch either.

The one very senior NHS manager I had dealings with was clueless. OK, it's anecdotal, but that's how she came over. It doesn't change the fact that managing the NHS is no easy task.
 
BrianW said:
I think the NHS is astonishingly efficient.

The US of A spends twice the amount of GDP on health as we do. Their GDP is larger, but for all that they don't get universal health care.

You will find that most comparable countries spend a greater proportion of GDP on health than we do.

When you have an organisation as large as the NHS it is going to take a lot of managing. And some of those guys and girls are going to be on big bucks compared to most of us. (Although not necessarily when compared to private sector equivalents.)

That's not to say that there is no waste. I'm sure there is. That's not to say that all NHS managers are top-notch either.

The one very senior NHS manager I had dealings with was clueless. OK, it's anecdotal, but that's how she came over. It doesn't change the fact that managing the NHS is no easy task.
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the long term failure of the NHS to put in place adequate IT systems is simply appalling management.
 
hilts said:
Just not a beer garden I guess:-)

How big do people want this exclusion zone? Is it wind dependant?

Anyhow I haven't noticed this new phenomenon of people running up to kids just to light a fag.
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I think less people are smoking these days, it will eventually die out as each generation is taught the dangers early on in life.
For now, those who aren’t able to stop due to smoking for decades should be given space in a beer garden to smoke. It can’t be that hard to build a decent smoking area away from families etc.
 
kaz7 said:
When smoking was banned indoors we had this crap about every where shutting down , it is nonsense
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Nearly 2 months of a Labour Govt and still no mass exodus of billionaires - its like that was another lie we were told if we sought to change anything

However in other news byyyyyeeeeeee

 
Phil1 said:
I think less people are smoking these days, it will eventually die out as each generation is taught the dangers early on in life.
For now, those who aren’t able to stop due to smoking for decades should be given space in a beer garden to smoke. It can’t be that hard to build a decent smoking area away from families etc.
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its down to just below 13% of the adult population and predicted to be 10% by the end of 2025
 
bluethrunthru said:
its down to just below 13% of the adult population and predicted to be 10% by the end of 2025
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Which kinda reinforces my point. Most older people who smoke do so because it was advertised as being cool and healthy back in their day.
Let them crack on with a bit of dignity instead of making them out to be pariahs of society.
This problem will resolve itself eventually.
 
johnny crossan said:
Have you noticed the civilized way smokers are accomodated in Germany, France, Italy Spain etc?
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I have no interest in how other countries deal with smoking

My dad, mum and brother all dead now all from cancer , all smokers, i was born at home in 1961, my mum and dad were each on sixrty a day and my first breath was pure smoke , until i was 17 i had to live in that fucking house , my brother died last year , i am the youngest , is cancer coming my way too ? A non smoker but was forced to breath it in and that was just at home , every pub / club was drowning in smoke , i fucking hate it , the world has moved on and it is time to ban them for good

Rant over
 
Starmer has made such a catastrophic start to his premiership, I am seriously starting to think he will be booted out by the Labour party and will not be PM by the time the next election comes. No doubt the devout foilowers on here will scoff at that idea, but they can bookmark this and we will see.

He's shown - if it was in any doubt - to be untrustworthy (downright dishonest in fact), blinkered, dogmatic and unlistening, and politcally inept. I cannot see him lasting 5 years.
 
Phil1 said:
I think less people are smoking these days, it will eventually die out as each generation is taught the dangers early on in life.
For now, those who aren’t able to stop due to smoking for decades should be given space in a beer garden to smoke. It can’t be that hard to build a decent smoking area away from families etc.
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I can honestly say I've never heard a complaint about how it is now tbh. But there go.
 
Bluemanc100 said:
It's a fucking disgrace... You can hate the woman for her politics, her actions or her principles but she has every right to have a portrait hanging in No.10... Taking it down is a mark of the man or he's trying to point score
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I assume you're joking. A disgrace? Maybe he's moved it to a more appropriate place-like the cellar-oh no the wine may go sour.
 
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