news & politics:discussion

[lazyred]

3 hours ago, Crazyfool01 said:

I do have fears over the way the nhs would go under a Labour govt and think that them going strongly against privatisation is a vote winner …. But sadly that route isn’t what they seem to be taking @Ozanne @steviewevie do you not fear for the nhs under Labour and Starmer ? 

The last Labour govt didn't privatise the NHS. I don't think the next one will either. The NHS is the service that sums up what Labour stands for. 

[lazyred]

2 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

The decision not to let Corbyn run probably (nationwide) gains more votes than it loses. Letting him run just means dealing with all the crap they are trying to move on from. He may well win as an independent, but that’s not going to really impact on when he supports labour and when he doesn’t.

They are also extra votes in the right places. Labour don't need more votes in North London they need them in the Midlands and other Red wall seats

[lazyred]

1 hour ago, lost said:

Really I just googled it and it says defined benefit pension schemes still exist in the public sector.

Local authority pensions are paid out of a fund not from current taxation like civil service or NHS pensions. LA pensions are defined benefit but they area now a care scheme not final salary

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Neil]

juust been reading some of the comments at wings over Scotland about gender recognition, looks like there's a lot of anger about how people don't think holyrood represents the people of Scotland. looks like holyrood really fucked up there.

[lost]

6 minutes ago, lazyred said:

Local authority pensions are paid out of a fund not from current taxation like civil service or NHS pensions. LA pensions are defined benefit but they area now a care scheme not final salary

But the fund needs to be topped up by council tax here:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6288693/Council-workers-pensions-cost-taxpayer-500-year-cost-retirement-scheme-rocket.html

Quote

Council tax payers are forking out about £500 a year for town hall workers’ pensions after the cost of their retirement schemes rocketed 27 per cent in a year.

Local authorities had to contribute £9.5billion in the last financial year towards pensions for two million staff. 

In 2016-17, the contribution was £7.4billion.

This means almost a third of all money raised in council tax goes towards pensions, equivalent to £500 for an average Band D taxpayer. 

So yes about 30%.

Edited February 16, 2023 by lost

[lazyred]

1 minute ago, lost said:

But the fund needs to be topped up by council tax here:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6288693/Council-workers-pensions-cost-taxpayer-500-year-cost-retirement-scheme-rocket.html

 

There is an employer contribution usually  about 15 to 20 percent 

[Punksnotdead]

9 minutes ago, lost said:

But the fund needs to be topped up by council tax here:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6288693/Council-workers-pensions-cost-taxpayer-500-year-cost-retirement-scheme-rocket.html

So yes about 30%.

Compensation for our fucking paltry salaries. Of course the Daily Fail doesn't mention that 🙄 

[lost]

2 minutes ago, Punksnotdead said:

Compensation for our fucking paltry salaries. Of course the Daily Fail doesn't mention that 🙄 

And that's fine but the conversation was about a cost the public sector has that the private doesn't. Public sector pensions tend to be alot more generous and expensive so maybe Starmer using the private sector for certain things can save money.

Edited February 16, 2023 by lost

[steviewevie]

Centrica's doing very nicely thank you very much.

[DeanoL]

2 hours ago, Neil said:

juust been reading some of the comments at wings over Scotland about gender recognition, looks like there's a lot of anger about how people don't think holyrood represents the people of Scotland. looks like holyrood really fucked up there.

Wings Over Scotland went full on Glinner a couple of years ago and is now more interested in attacking trans people than campaigning for Scottish independence, so I'm not sure how much faith I'd put in that. 

(Indeed, if you look at the survey in the article, the SNP are massively ahead of the other parties for "yes, we believe this party represents the views of the people on this issue" - even if it's still under 40%) 

[steviewevie]

just listening to John McDonnell on lunchtime news. He's the guy from the left that Starmer should be bringing into the fold if he wants a broad church Labour govt.

[fraybentos1]

3 hours ago, Neil said:

i'm not saying they're not available, just that they're not as widespread now as they used to be.

 

3 hours ago, Neil said:

yep, but they're not really available anymore.

Not what you said at all. Not really available anymore and not as widespread as they used to be aren’t the same thing or even close 

[Neil]

44 minutes ago, fraybentos1 said:

 

Not what you said at all. Not really available anymore and not as widespread as they used to be aren’t the same thing or even close 

ok , you got me. 🙂 

[Neil]

1 hour ago, DeanoL said:

Wings Over Scotland went full on Glinner a couple of years ago and is now more interested in attacking trans people than campaigning for Scottish independence, so I'm not sure how much faith I'd put in that.

it wasn't wings i was reading, but user comments under a wings article, those types have normally drunk the indie kool-aid, so  me seeing such sharp criticism is unusual

[DeanoL]

57 minutes ago, Neil said:

it wasn't wings i was reading, but user comments under a wings article, those types have normally drunk the indie kool-aid, so  me seeing such sharp criticism is unusual

Most of the sane readers left a while ago!

[Neil]

32 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

Most of the sane readers left a while ago!

If they were sane they wouldn't have been reading wings. Or supporting indie. 

[Guest]

The Tories are ruining the health service. 

[Neil]

9 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

the Tories are ruining the health service. 

WHO KNEW? 

[DeanoL]

1 hour ago, Neil said:

If they were sane they wouldn't have been reading wings. Or supporting indie. 

Well put another way: all the pro-indie, pro-trans rights folk left Wings a while ago given how hard Stu went on that issue, leaving just the pro-indie, anti-trans rights folk left.

(The whole thing made me very sad, as I grew up reading Stuart Campbell's video games journalism and he was quite brilliant. Guess similar to how many feel about Linehan now)

[Neil]

if they'd have been sane they'd have pulled the indie offering apart to know it was a crock of shit, and would have dropped their support for indie. 

[steviewevie]

sexy starmer is in ukraine for some photo ops...

[steviewevie]

(or he's gone to support that fascist zelensky and the nato imperialists).

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Ozanne said:

The Tories are ruining the health service. 

Even more strikes have been announced. 

[steviewevie]

and dishi rishi is off to belfast...maybe a deal is getting close...

[steviewevie]

yay