uk issues

A rare piece of good news from Tory Apocalypse UK: Back-to-work scheme breached laws, says Court of Appeal

I'm not one to have much praise for the Queen but seeing this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18552221 I do have to say "good for her". I'm not sure if one of my family had been killed by the IRA I would agree to "shake hands" with one of the scum who murdered them. This...

Okay - the docs in the UK are going to strike for the first time in nearly 30 years (1975 last time apparently).... 2 questions: 1) should doctors be allowed to strike? 2) do you agree with this particular strike (over pensions) Discuss :)

Osborne ‘shocked’ by rich tax dodgers I'm shocked that the nation's chancellor would be shocked to discover this. But to be fair, he plans to do something about it: Sounds like a good idea to me. I wish that something like the Buffet rule would pass in the US, but I have less confidence...

Will Osborne's 2012 budget help UK Ltd. come out of the recession? I was impressed with the push for R&D and science. But what about the rest? I hate to say it, coz I have never waved the blue flag, but there seemed to be a lot of common sense. Would love to hear other thoughts. BT

How do British skeptical/atheist/critical thinking-types feel about the the royal family? Do you get upset and defend them when foreigners trash them? Do you say "God save the king/queen"? Will you support the next monarch when Elizabeth passes away? Do they serve a purpose? I'm American so...

Just listened to a snippet of our most successful social security scrounger giving one of her many public speeches. This woman has probably given more public speeches to more people than anyone in history - and yet her delivery is still absolutely crap! How?!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-15973327 I just heard on the news that he won the case. No more prayers to start council meetings.

Do we want someone convicted of perverting the course of justice, and lying to avoid a criminal conviction, as a member of parliament? Chris Huhne quits cabinet over speeding points charge Rolfe.

At the moment there is a move to cap the maximum amount of benefits a family can receive. The move has public support but some groups (including those who campaign against child homelessness and the church) are fighting against these moves on the grounds that it may increase levels of child...

If the Daily Mail and Michael Gove have their way. To be fair, they're not suggesting the taxpayer pay for it; individuals and corporations might like to make a donation. Cost estimated at £60/80 million, which is a drop in the ocean compared to the money that's being spent to build and then...

The BHA (British Humanist Association) is claiming victory in a campaign to ensure that free schools are not allowed to teach ID or creationism as an alternative to the theory of evolution in science classes. ETA: Here's the full press the release from the BHA.

OMFG. Let's hope that sanity prevails; the article seems fairly even-handed, though the way it was being reported on TV suggested it was likely that the trial would be extended. (The original Times article is behind a pay-wall.) ETA: I did find this article from two years ago, on a related...

Nic Clegg has just hit out a the coalition partners proposals to introduce tax breaks for married couples. http://web.orange.co.uk/article/news/clegg_attacks_tories_married_tax_breaks_plan So what are the thoughts on this piece of social engineering by the Tories? Why should I be penalised...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16224394 I remember Barrack Obama saying the USA isn't a Christian country. Never thought I'd be envying the USA about this type of thing. Also, I'd have thought it far more likely the "moral collapse" in the UK is due to the astronomical wealth...

So says British Prime Minister David Cameron. Conservatives: Is he right?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15140742 The Human Rights Act 1998 is the incorporation into UK Law of the European Convention on Human Rights, which was first drafted in the early fifties. The HRA was designed to allow British citizens to bring cases which would fall within the scope of...

4,300: How Labour has created a new crime every day since 1997 This kind of unrestricted legislation means every citizen breaks some law pretty much every day. When combined with electronic surveillance, it means every citizen can be prosecuted for something every day -- most likely something...

Another manufacturing firm in the UK starts to cull its workforce. It'll be a real blow in Yorkshire and Lancashire, not only for those directly affected but for the suppliers and support industries as well as retailers in the area. My reason for the post, however, is this little tidbit from...

the recent riots in britian, and the increasing unrest of umemployed youths the world over, are symptomatic of deeper problems. http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20110813110405707 from the article: One of the many things that we hear repeated ad nauseam in the context of the present...

So, it looks like the recent UK government cuts aren't enough: (Summary from the Telegraph:) The independent fiscal watchdog thinks that the Government is on track to have the public sector net debt falling in the medium-term, but that the burden will later swell again as spending soars to...

Ed has been caught out using the same response to different questions in an "interview". It's actually revealed a practice which has been going on for some time now. Politicians will provide a soundbite for use as a short clip which may be used on a number of different news/current affairs...

Strikes among public sector workers begin As strikers don't get paid I am glad to see the public sector is finally doing something to address the deficit. I don't believe these strikers have popular support. In a somewhat biased and unscientific poll in my office I found 5 against this...

Well, if Israel can have their own thread, and the USA their own subsection, why can't us Brits have something....we did used to rule the world after all..... ;) As the name suggests, a general thread for general political discussion on anything to do with the UK, Great Britain, England, Norn...

Interesting story about the number of CCTV cameras in use in the UK. It's often claimed that there are 4.2 million CCTV cameras in the UK, although many of us have often rejected that claim and pointed out the flaws in how that number was estimated. And it seems that the figure is a lot lower...

So I keep hearing that this is the end of the NHS and that it is the biggest reform ever. Can someone explain to me what it's all about?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11989225 What could possibly go wrong with a free market in forensic science? :boggled:

Not my words, but that of then shadow chancellor George Osborne in 2006. Hmm.

"People will always be better off in work than on benefits" This seems to have become a mantra for the coalition politicians - but none of them ever explain why this is the case or are asked why in interviews. I find this seemingly complete acceptance that this is a fact very strange. Surely...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11704765 Yep - lets get all these hundreds of thousands of lazy good for nothing scroungers (currently JSA claimants around 1.5 million, current official job vacancies about half a million - you do the maths) into forced labour. They can do all the jobs...