The UK population in mid-year 2022 was estimated to be 67.6 million, with approximately 54.38 million people eligible to vote. As of mid-2022, there are approximately 21 million people aged 50 and over in the UK, which leaves 33.38M.
In the last General Election, held on December 12, 2019, the Labour Party received 10,269,051 votes. Even if we say that figure could be doubled for the coming GE, 20,538,102, that still leaves over 12M votes for the 50+ age group. Of course, not everyone votes, and yes, there are all the other parties plus idiots who'll "Spoil their papers" or just not vote, but 12M is a lot of influence.
This election is going to be interesting. The Tories are predominantly targeting the 50+ age range, while Labour seems to be appealing to the young first-time voters.
Bringing back National Service is going to be very popular with the 50+ voter especially the Community Work element for those who refuse. This is already happening for people looking to stay in the UK, with work visa applicants who are looking to extend their 12-month work visa being made to do X amount of hours 'Carer' work as a pre-requisite to extension or find an employer willing to sponsor them.
Oh, and as a side benefit, it'll slash unemployment. That's nice. 🙂
news.sky.com/story/sunak-says-…
#politics #NationalService #CommunityService
Rishi Sunak says he will bring back National Service if Tories win general election
The prime minister unveils a plan that would see 18-year-olds given the choice of a full-time military placement for 12 months or a scheme to volunteer for one weekend a month for a year.Rob Powell (Sky News)
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So the two-horse race for the #generalelection2024 has started and already Rishi Sunak has made two mistakes. I have to agree with @peston's first prediction of a November election this would have given more time for interest rates to come down along with fuel and food. There would have been more time for more than just one person to enjoy the scenery of Rwanda. Secondly, why didn't he wait for 8 or 9 am this morning when there was less chance of looking like the gods were pissing all over him. #politics
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bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-6904…
#Palastine #Israel #Gaza
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I'm not convinced people realise just how serious this is.
bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-6902615… IMO, the advice is cursory at best: "Boil the water." The parasite is in the supply, which means any water out of your taps in the kitchen and bathroom, including the toilet.
Even when you do get the "ALL CLEAR," it'll take a good few days of running your taps and flushing the loo to clean the system out.
I love this: "Likely cause...." personally, I don't believe a word of it. The wording is 'get out of jail'. For starters, it gives them an opportunity later to say, "We did say likely, you know."
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The m̶a̶n̶ woman who would be king.
order-order.com/2024/05/16/ray…
Rayner Comes Out of Hiding for Pledge Card Launch – Guido Fawkes
Rayner's chosen an easy enough crowd primarily made up of Labour Party employees to grace TV screens again. Rayner says Labour is presenting "tangible,Max Young (Guido Fawkes Organisation)
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Watched the Asley Maddison documentary on Netflix last night.
netflix.com/gb/title/81602884
TBH, I wasn't all that interested in the salacious side of the story and yet was also slightly disappointed at the cursory attention by the programs producers in relation to the actual hack. the two 'experts' Joel Eriksson and André Catry employed by Ashley Maddison to basically lock the door after the horse had bolted was strange. Any Security expert worth their salt would have immediately informed the customer that the data was already copied to another location and so therefore preventing release was pretty much impossible.
What wasn't explained, which was disappointing, is how the hackers managed to gain the breadth of information. Most business would have the data spread over a number of servers for the very reason of a breach. It's almost like Ashley Maddison only had one server that not only held the website backend database but also the company and staff data too!
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It seems Tory promises are pretty worthless. I suspect there are various issues with running the NHS, but driving people to private care is not the answer, unless you are earning from that.
I know it's not just a money problem.At least they ought to get less smokers with trashed lungs eventually. I'm amazed Sunak was allowed to do that by the tobacco lobby.
Please don't promote Reform as serious politics. They don't care about the country.
If you'd bothered to read what I wrote properly rather than thinking, "AHA! Another thing I can kick Cannon's bollocks for." you would see that I was, in fact, deriding that policy. The only bit I agree with is tax relief on private health care. Seems like a sensible idea to me. Taxing private healthcare is a typical Labour reaction: "Oh, we're not having anyone getting better healthcare even if they have paid for it!" that's the same mentality they have towards education. "We do not want grammar schools whereby some children have a better advantage than others; we want everyone to be equally thick!"
As I said, if we manage to reduce demand on the NHS, then Labour, especially, would probably look to cut NHS spending to help give the Train drivers a Porsche each.
I have no intention of "Promoting" Reform UK. They're too far right for me, but they do have one or two ideas in the manifesto that warrant consideration.
Steve likes this.
I'm really not out to always put you down.If one issue is with getting people to work in that industry then how does making it private help? Some people just can't afford to go private, so make the public services better.
And I'm still not a Labour guy, but I can vote tactically.
If you can afford private, you should, but the effect on NHS demand would be unnoticeable. We'd be talking about four, maybe five thousand people in terms of reduction. We're talking about ten to twenty thousand increases every year for the NHS.
I want to see a third option. We need to speed up those 40 hospitals we were promised. If I had my way, I would build NHS hotels and ship out recovering patients to them or at least those who have no immediate threat to life. Where we (in your view, the government) went wrong was to close all those nightingale hospitals. They should have said to the likes of the NEC, "Bollocks! You're not having it back until we are good and ready." They were all kitted out and ready, perfect for what I envisaged and yet we threw away £66M and the opportunity to not treat patients in corridors.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHS_Nigh…
I wonder how many doctor's phone lines are jammed this morning after seeing this on the news?
#WeightLoss
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd188m…
Weight loss jab could reduce heart attack risk, study finds
The jab could reduce heart attack and stroke risks regardless of the amount of weight people lose.Thomas Mackintosh (BBC News)
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For crying out loud! I wish I'd kept my mouth shut!
So I see the binman lift the lids on our bins and walk away. It would seem obvious to me, without looking at the bins myself, that they are either empty or not worth lifting. I rang our Admin and said to make a note that they have not done a lift and to check the invoice when it comes in. Admin asks me to check the bins. "But it's obvious they're empty or not worth it; he's hardly likely to walk away from a bin that's full!" It turns out the Recycle is empty, and the General has hardly anything in it. The next thing I know, the binman is back and lifts the empty bin!
I ring our Admin. "The bloke has come all the way back and lifted an empty bin!"
The admin waffles on about paying in advance, and they have to record a lift. Do I want to reduce collections to fortnightly? I wish I hadn't bothered.
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bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lond…
Magna Carta case damaged by Just Stop Oil protesters at British Library
The Just Stop Oil protesters, both aged in their 80s, target the historic work at the British Library.By Harry Low (BBC News)
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-689…
#politics #GeneralElection
New Labour MP Natalie Elphicke accused of lobbying over husband's sexual assault case
The new Labour MP is accused of asking the then justice secretary to help move the date of the case.By Nick Eardley (BBC News)
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There always has to be one nosey git, hasn't there? I've bought some Kopparberg cider for the misses and put it in the fridge so that they should be reasonably cold when I get home. I just had the go-for come to my door (Mr "Have you got a clipboard?) and say: "Did you want the last cider in the fridge? I like cider."
FFS
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Sir Luke :verified: likes this.
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I've read the book a couple of times before! I must have more money than sense?
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Arp Laszlo • Comics • ADHD likes this.
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I have eaten the Chicken Big Mac, large fries 5 cheesy bites and an orange juice.
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Yes, they do; you refuse to accept that. And your statistics are typical flawed data in an attempt to demonstrate some point.
David Cameron: He fucked off like the spoiled brat he is because he didn't get his own way.
Theresa May: While seeming to hold the reins, at least, was unable to make the horse go anywhere.
Boris Johnson: He was actually worse than I thought he would be. There were a lot of people willing to forgive his shortcomings, given his flamboyant personality and the lovable buffoon persona; however, while we knew he was a bit dim, we didn't realise he was an absolute dumb fuck.
Liz Truss: She was a great disappointment, but I'm not sure we can judge her fairly. I have a feeling others threw her under the bus. Even so, I'm not convinced she's PM material.
Rishi Sunak: He basically picked up the poisoned chalice when he became PM; I'd have given him a fifty-fifty chance of turning things around. The problem was that once boils, such as the COVID inquiry, were lanced, all the puss came out, and the slippery slope could not stop.
Unless we get a Tony Blair-type administration, there's going to be a lot of first-time voters in for a shock.
I await your regular disagreement. 🤣
Steve likes this.
@Steve
I'll agree with you while disagreeing.
They fucked up over and over again luck had nothing to do with it. I suspect the party chiefs had the same attitude that Camron had, "Nothing to worry about." Total arrogance and complacency was their downfall.
Oh, I could say loads.
They finally closed the Brexit deal.
They spent nearly a Billion during the pandemic. The problem is that Boris and his team cancelled all of that of their behaviour.
NI has come down.
There are loads, but I'd be wasting my breath because, on social media, the attitude is pretty much "Four legs are good, two legs bad." (Labour Good Tories Bad!) As I keep saying, that is no way to vote in any government.
I'm also modifying my opinion about a GE. I'm now wondering whether it will be November, as some are predicting. I'm wondering what, with ASLEF etc., the Tories might cut their losses and say, "Fuck it." 🤷♂️
#politics
Our politics is a mess (as it is elsewhere) and needs to improve.
It seems some Tories share my opinions :)
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
Tories must face hard truths: Reform-lite wreckers like Braverman are why the public just don’t like us
The PM has danced to their tune and the dreadful election results were the inevitable outcome. The solution can’t be more of the same, says the former Conservative MP Justine GreeningJustine Greening (The Guardian)
#politics #mayoralelections #localelections2024
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There's a bit of a bottleneck on my way to work. Residents park outside their houses, yet the road isn't wide enough for parked cars and traffic. A cyclist dressed like he was on the Tour de France came hurtling up behind me even though he could see a line of stationary cars waiting to get past. Refusing to wait like the rest of the road users, he mounted the kerb and gave me a filthy look because he couldn't get down the inside of my car, rode past the parked cars, and, I presume, rejoined the road further down.
This is why motorists dislike cyclists. The attitude of entitlement they seem to have is so annoying.
What have I told you about trying to cater to everyone's preferences? It's impossible. The only solution is to have a one-size-fits-all narrative. 😛
I had a Honda 70 back in 1983, rode it all the way to work in the snow and ice, all the way home in the snow and ice, went to get off it, and the dam thing fell on me and broke my leg! I hate bikes.
Steve likes this.
You should work for a tabloid 'newspaper'. Nuance is forbidden!
I rode my motorbikes in all weathers. It could be horrible. So much happier now I hardly drive. It's easier to get to work on the train.
Just wondering how @VetsforPetsUK can justify £25.00 for emptying a dog's anal glands? Especially when it's not even a vet who does it? It takes four to five seconds to complete the procedure, and what if they're empty?
Oh, and then turn around and say: "You might need to bring him back in four weeks." That's £1200.00 a year based on every four weeks!
stannard likes this.
It sounds worse than ordering a laptop.
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So, apparently, the first removal to Rwanda has happened. Not exactly in the way some folks would like to see it implemented, with an illegal crying and pleading while being dragged up the staircase by two big, burly Border Force officers.
According to the report, the illegal happily jumped on a plane with £3K in his back pocket. The thing is, I'm not sure that's a deterrent. Remember, supposedly, boat people have nothing, which is why they want to get to the UK. So we're giving them a roof over their heads and three square meals a day plus £3K, and you wonder why the Government is cutting back on PIP.
order-order.com/2024/05/01/kem…
Kemi Badenoch Celebrates First Rwanda Removal – Guido Fawkes
The Sun revealed that on monday the first Rwanda removal was carried out with a failed asylum seeker agreeing to fly to Kigali voluntarily. Under a schemeMax Young (Guido Fawkes Organisation)
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Given that supposedly the reason lots of people voted "Leave" was because of all "The foreigners", I wonder if those same people will vote Tory, given it looks like they've kept their promise?
I saw a news report last night (Although I'd already heard what was going on) that Border Force is rounding up illegals as they report to signing-on centres like they're supposed to and shipping them to holding centres ready for flights out.
The leave vote was based on other lies. The Rwanda thing is a ridiculously expensive diversion that won't solve anything. People know how crap the Tories are. Labour have failed to capitalise on this, but may win anyway.
Can you honestly say you are proud of this lot? We deserve better, but they sold out.
I'm not sure anyone is proud of their government throughout the world.
I'm almost at the point of hoping Labour does win so that those who have never known a Labour government can get a taste of how badly they will take the country down. And as for clueless people who think there's going to be an election before January, there's your average deluded voter right there.
I read with interest that Kier Starmer has stated he fully intends to investigate privatisation opportunities within the NHS, particularly cataract operations. I thought they were the NHS saviours, and it was only the wicked Tories who wanted to sell off the NHS?
If only there were a Utopia that catered for each and every person's needs and quirks.
So you're not proud of them :)
Politics tends to be a 'least worst' game, but the Tory lurch to the right has been extreme. They got rid of the smart/moderate ones. Labour are not the lefties of old. Starmer is treading a tightrope and compromising on various things. I would like to see him be more radical.
Nobody expects 'utopia', but they do hope for competence and compassion.
bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotlan…
#politcs
Humza Yousaf resigns.
Scottish National Party leader Humza Yousaf quits, triggering a search for a successor.www.bbc.co.uk
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bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotlan…
This will give a good indication of voting intentions for #GE2025.
We need to see how well #Labour does.
#Politics
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Birmingham City Council signed off on a two-year £300M cut last night; they're skint. Broke, the cashbox is empty!
Like it or not, it's due to poor management, two binmen strikes, hosting the Commonwealth games, investing in a shite IT system that cost more than its worth. Being found guilty of underpaying women for years, and yet a union guy was threatening further strike action while others seemed to think there was a magic wand or a printing press in the council basement that was able to continue haemorrhaging money.
What was the total bollocks stock answer that's always given: "Central Government caused this." 🤦♂️
#cuts #BirminghamCityCouncil
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It's a pretty clever ploy by the Tories to give everyone a tax cut, hopefully, to buy votes for the General Election, and if that doesn't work, then Labour will look the villain of the part if they win and have to put taxes up to pay for their ideas.
If only we could get one of these on the Moon or Mars, we'd really be able to get the ball rolling. #Colonalisation
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I do think some of them really care about improving matters, but they are all just human. Money is a powerful motivator.
𝗜𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗶𝘁 "𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁!"?
A third Labour politician was involved in the Antisemitic furore.
#politics #labour #Antisemetism
news.sky.com/story/third-labou…
Labour antisemitism row deepens as third politician 'spoken to' over meeting
Sky News understands Hyndburn councillor Munsif Dad was also at the gathering of activists where Azhar Ali and Graham Jones allegedly made antisemitic remarks.Jennifer Scott (Sky News)
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expressandstar.com/news/local-…
Walsall woman finds heart-shaped spud in her shopping on Valentine's weekend
A Walsall woman had a love-ly surprise when she found a heart-shaped potato in a bag of Tesco spuds on Valentine's weekend.www.expressandstar.com
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news.sky.com/story/rochdale-by…
Rochdale by-election: Why Labour can't replace Azhar Ali - and what happens if he wins
Despite withdrawing support for Azhar Ali, he will still appear as the Labour candidate when voters look at the ballot paper on polling day. Sky News explains why that is, and the challenges still facing party leader Sir Keir Starmer.Faye Brown (Sky News)
cybervegan (moved)
in reply to dick_turpin • • •dick_turpin likes this.
dick_turpin
in reply to dick_turpin • •Yep, it's pretty clever; it'll appeal to a wide range of people, not just old farts, and if it's presented in the right way, as it appears to be, people will lap it up:
"Don't worry; little Johnny won't have to fight in the front line; he can learn how to kill people with drones from the safety of Mildenhall."
"Knife crime? What knife crime? They're off the streets and in the base learning how to shoot people!"
"We've slashed unemployment! Plus, there are more jobs for middle-aged to more senior people now that all the youth have been removed from the job market. Plus, there's an unforeseen bonus: all these National Service youth will be fully trained and able to read and write when they hit the job market after leaving the forces and not head straight for the dole queue."
Fook me! I should apply to do Tory marketing. 🤣
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Neil Darlow :gotosocial: :silverblue: :xmpp:
in reply to dick_turpin • • •I think Sunak has miscalculated here. The grey voters may lap this up (I personally won't) but the young voters will vote Labour because they don't like the idea of this.
Upon hearing of this, my 21 year old son said "Well, he's royally f*cked his chances there!".
dick_turpin
in reply to dick_turpin • •And that's the thing. The only ones it will affect are currently 14!!! And that's assuming the Tories can implement it within four years. Current 16-year-olds that Labour is chasing with their "We're going to lower the voting age." won't be affected; hell, they'll probably be 18 or 19 by the time Labour gets their insane idea implemented.
Think about it: Labour is going to give the vote to people who cannot buy alcohol, cigarettes or vapes. They cannot marry without parent's consent. The age for Homosexual consent is 18. The list just goes on and on, and yet Labour wants them to make the important decision as to who should run the country. There is only one reason why this is in the Labour policy, and that is to scrape extra votes from a class that has not even started to gain life experience.