Is Ed Miliband living on borrowed time?

First topic message reminder :

Tonight’s YouGov poll for the Sun has topline figures of CON 41%, LAB 39%, LDEM 10%, Others 10%. This is the first time that YouGov have shown a Conservative lead since December 2010. It certainly looks as though the Conservatives have recieved a boost from David Cameron’s veto at the European summit. There is also a new ComRes poll out tonight for the Independent which has topline figures of CON 38%(+1), LAB 38%(-1), LDEM 12%(+2) – also showing the two main parties effectively neck-and-neck. How is it that the tories can be level or ahead in the polls when they are having to make some very difficult and painfull decisions to try and bring down the deficit, the umemployment figures are the worst for 17 years. We have had strikes, pension reforms, VAT rises and the veto in Europe etc.......

It looks like Ed Millaband is not liked or trusted by many of the elecorate. In my opinion he looks weak, sounds weak and has no policies to speak of....Everytime he tries to get the better of Cameron in PMQ'S he ends looking like a fool with Cameron destroying him. Ed Balls is no better...he comes across as an odious man with no substance, who would probably stab his own wife in the back if it meant he gained more power.

Labour missed a trick in not voting in Eds brother David into the leadership role. David would have given Cameron a better run for his money and I believe he is a better politician than Ed too. With the two Eds at the helm I believe Labour are not a viable opposition right now and one or both could be dispatched by the party sooner rather than later

OW wrote-- "Quite so, and there is the root of the trouble. They don't really expect to be re-elected to serve a second term, so every last breadcrumb of Tory Dogma is being forced down the Parliamentary throat while they can still do it."

There has never been a more accurate anaylisis of this Tory led so called government.

astra wrote:

Wee Georgie Osborne's latest wheeze is to deduct 20% income tax from Pensions before paying them.

Shirley (er dunnit again!!) Surely, this will not affect pensioners under the tax threshold?

First, the pensioners under the tax threshold will need to complete Form IR 96b declaring that they have no other income, and then submit to a polygraph lie-detector test to verify such an unlikely state of affairs. Assuming the Independent Commission for a simplified tax system receives the appropriate forms before the Pensioner dies, then they will receive a TAX CREDIT certificate which may be used to satisfy any debt which arises from Inheritance Tax.

We're all in it together, you see.

oftenwrong wrote:

astra wrote:

Wee Georgie Osborne's latest wheeze is to deduct 20% income tax from Pensions before paying them.

Shirley (er dunnit again!!) Surely, this will not affect pensioners under the tax threshold?

First, the pensioners under the tax threshold will need to complete Form IR 96b declaring that they have no other income, and then submit to a polygraph lie-detector test to verify such an unlikely state of affairs. Assuming the Independent Commission for a simplified tax system receives the appropriate forms before the Pensioner dies, then they will receive a TAX CREDIT certificate which may be used to satisfy any debt which arises from Inheritance Tax.

We're all in it together, you see.

That is one quote I never believed.

No thinking person can look forward to repeats of the last General Election, in which the will of the People was circumvented.

The lesson is for all sensible people to vote LABOUR, regardless of the personalities involved. Unless you like being a Serf.

oftenwrong wrote:No thinking person can look forward to repeats of the last General Election, in which the will of the People was circumvented.

The lesson is for all sensible people to vote LABOUR, regardless of the personalities involved. Unless you like being a Serf.

I doubt OW that you have ever said a truer word, or written a truer post.

Really??? What was the will of the people then?

You would have to ask them. The indecisive result clearly declared, "A Plague on all your Houses" but that was about as effective as writing rude remarks on the ballot paper. Although it probably was "Time for a change" in February of 2010, public apathy indicated an overall mistrust of all Politicians.

An apprehension fully supported by the outcome. That apathy has resulted in a right royal stitch-up, and we have nobody to blame for it but ourselves.

oftenwrong wrote:You would have to ask them. The indecisive result clearly declared, "A Plague on all your Houses" but that was about as effective as writing rude remarks on the ballot paper. Although it probably was "Time for a change" in February of 2010, public apathy indicated an overall mistrust of all Politicians.

An apprehension fully supported by the outcome. That apathy has resulted in a right royal stitch-up, and we have nobody to blame for it but ourselves.

Maybe its been a lesson worth learning for the UK and now they know after there apathy and mistrust of politicians, exactly what not to do the next time.

Problem is, most people don't want the same government forever (me included), so even if people are more decisive in their vote next time, and the time after, they will end up in the same quandry again eventually.

Is there any way in which other parties can grow large enough to win an election? Surely it can't be a choice of Conservatives or Labour forever?

The problem we have is that most people are a bit right-leaning in general, so we end up with the Conservatives the majority of the time and Labour in small doses (except Blair). The Conservatives mess up the economy for a while. Labour then comes in and tries to clean it up but never has long enough. The saga has played out for yonks and I don't see an end to it.

Surely it can't be a choice of Conservatives or Labour forever?

I'm afraid that's the see-saw we're stuck on. It seems british apathy knows no bounds.

I believe that the system of elected representatives is well past its "best-before date" already. Although most MPs do a conscientious job for their constituents, they have absolutely no discretion beyond the purely local level, and have to vote as they are told to by the Party Whip, if they have any ambition. Tony Blair displayed total indifference to his back-benchers, and made most decisions without reference to either them or Parliament.

Which suggests that we too could manage without a Parliament. Apart from the Admin staff who would still be required, every single voter is now capable of reaching a truly representative decision on any matter through access to the internet.

You can already vote for Singers, Dancers and Entertainers so how difficult can it be to arrange a plebiscite of the People on matters requiring a decision. Password-protected, we could actually rule ourselves and save a lot of very generous salaries together with elastic expenses claims.

Apart from the Admin staff who would still be required.....

LOL. Shirina and I are very pleased to hear that!

I'm NOT criticising OH NO NO NO!

But I feel sure OW owes you now a great big pint of something cool and heady - Theakston's "Black Sheep", Ruddles "Old Fart" or Orkney Ales "Dark Heavy"

OW you are now Delicate, Refined, even elegant!!!

Mustave been a Senior Moment, Ivan. So glad others suffer this confusion!


Sorry Fellahs (and Shirina) just could not resist the opportunity!

Nurse! The screens, please.

If you want luxuries like screens the Cameron-inspired NHS will have to see the colour of yer cash first...

Phil Hornby wrote:If you want luxuries like screens the Cameron-inspired NHS will have to see the colour of yer cash first...

Also be prepared to be turfed out anytime between 11pm and 6am because they need your bed for a private patient.

AND - well, the bed HAS to be warm for them :affraid:

astra wrote:AND - well, the bed HAS to be warm for them :affraid:

Just to let you all know its just as bad here in Scotland with the NHS, my own experience you phone at 8.30am for an appointment for GP tried from eight thirty until 8.50am before I got through to find no appointments left the first appointment is Tuesday at 11.10am just as well Im not seriously ill that is because our GP prefers his private work to his NHS patients so the SNP Gov't in Scotland are no different from Scam..er..on down south.

Over time, all threads become the same thread. This is because everything wrong with our Country has been provoked by one malevolent influence, the Coalition government.

In previous "Austerity Governments" - of which there have been more than a couple since WW2 - there has been at least a pretence of taking unpleasant medicine for a better future, but now there is a distinct impression of us being punished for their thirteen years in Opposition.

To which there can only be one sensible response from the electorate. ETERNITY in Opposition for the Tory Grandees.

oftenwrong wrote:Over time, all threads become the same thread. This is because everything wrong with our Country has been provoked by one malevolent influence, the Coalition government.

In previous "Austerity Governments" - of which there have been more than a couple since WW2 - there has been at least a pretence of taking unpleasant medicine for a better future, but now there is a distinct impression of us being punished for their thirteen years in Opposition.

To which there can only be one sensible response from the electorate. ETERNITY in Opposition for the Tory Grandees.

Well if they do not get back in again until the 12th of never will be too soon for me.

Redflag wrote:

astra wrote:AND - well, the bed HAS to be warm for them :affraid:

Just to let you all know its just as bad here in Scotland with the NHS, my own experience you phone at 8.30am for an appointment for GP tried from eight thirty until 8.50am before I got through to find no appointments left the first appointment is Tuesday at 11.10am just as well Im not seriously ill that is because our GP prefers his private work to his NHS patients so the SNP Gov't in Scotland are no different from Scam..er..on down south.

I sympathise because it's a nightmare! But, if you were seriously ill, you'd call an ambulance, go to a walk-in centre (and be seen that day), or get an emergency appointment with the doctor, surely? I don't think you'd be stuck. The NHS works pretty effectively in extreme cases I think.

I expect GPs have the same frustrations that we NHS staff do: most people booking appointments don't actually need them, and they cripple the service. Out of the few times I've visited the doctor, around three or four of those, I needn't have gone as it turned out - and I wouldn't class myself as a hypochondriac.

I seem to be among the lucky ones. I live in a village which has a doctors surgery serving several villages. No appointment systems for seeing the doctor in the am period. Just go and wait. Appointments for nurses etc, and evening surgery for appointments for outstanding problems from morning consultations.

Yes indeed. Speak as you find. Where I live the Group Practice works on similar lines. If you're unwell, just turn up at the surgery between 8.30 and 10.30 a.m. and you'll be seen by a Doctor. They'll do simple tests right there, and there is never any delay in arranging for more complicated examinations at the nearest Hospital if necessary.

I get the impression that our GPs "crack the whip" when instructing the various departments at the Hospital, and fail to see any advantage in going private unless you demand a room to yourself.

Whether that will last ............

The last three posters seem to live in the Tory Utopia, where getting to see a doctor is childs play and I am glad that you have such good service..

But for many the reality is very different....

Blam you yourself said that on the occations which you managed to get an appointment you really didn't need to see the doctor but then again you felt that your 'illness' was causing you enough worry to feel that you did.....

Not every town has walk in centres and if you were to call an ambulance for what turned out to be a minor illness how would you know unless seen by a doctor?

The local town I live near you can get a telephone consultation with the doctor, but only if you phone after 1:30pm and if you happen to phone at 1:40pm you find that all the slots have gone!!!!!....Then you will get a call from the on-call duty GP who may ring you after 6pm..if your lucky........

They even have a 2hour time slot for picking up repeat prescriptions and that is between 9am and 11am a time when most people are at work!!!!!

Were you aware that doctors are limiting the amount of medicines they prescribe and I am not talking about expensive Cancer drugs but also simple things like PoM food suppliments such a Foritips........

Doctors will soon be cutting back on tests as have to pay for each test even simple Culture and Sensativity tests to caheck for infections......

Tory Utopia , sounds like a 70s prog rock outfit , Astradt1 the years to follow are going to be stark to say the least. I feel so sorry for people who have been brought up on easy credit , living for the day and to hell with tomorrow , these people are everywhere , now depressed that they have to knuckle down and pay the credit back , this has to affect working morale up and down the UK and output , negative equity must be an absolute morale killer . I was brought up to earn what you required so watching friends struggle is sad but also slightly detached for me.
I have a big GP surgery where I live and the queue stretches down the road for bookings and phone appointments is pot luck , this in a ulta safe Tory seat in the West Mids.Cameron and co are heading for trouble , the summer will be a litmus test , a barometer of the publics and unions will .

Ladies and Gentlemen. I have a feeling this GP topic belongs on the HEALTH thread, however here is my sixpennyworth.

I have great problems getting through for an appointment at my local surgery. They close early two days per week and it takes 48hrs to obtain a
repeat prescription. If however one has an "emergency" then usually can be seen at some stage, usually late evening. (I am prescription payment exempt due to my age)

When we had some snow this year the pathway to the surgery was very
slippery, not having been cleared. To my pleasant surprise one of the GP's
emerged with a large bag of salt (no doubt paid for by NHS). To my horror the bag of salt was placed in the boot of the GP's car and the path remained uncleared.
Now every surgery and waiting room has had full refurbishment, very swish.
I wondered how they could afford this over elaborate decor etc and I realised that if they make savings on drugs etc they receive bonuses from
government. Hence when sitting in front of his PC my GP asked me for my "symptoms", he then punched the info into Google would you credit to obtain the diagnosis? He then put up the screen to show many many types of tablets, all aparently to suit the complaint. These ranged from £15 down to 60p per box of 20. I give you three guesses as to which box he went for.

A friend of mine has a brother who is a rep for a large pharmaceutical company and he informed me that some GP's get cash backhanders for taking up and prescribing that companies drugs.

What will happen when they have the massive amount of cash control to do what they wish with? Who will benefit? us? Nay!!!!!

Incidentally, the 60p tablets were useless. Had to go back for some more expensive ones. Ha ha!!!

"A friend of mine has a brother who is a rep for a large pharmaceutical company and he informed me that some GP's get cash backhanders for taking up and prescribing that companies drugs."

Yeah, and my cousin knows a bloke down the Pub who's friendly with a Nurse that has a key to the Drugs cabinet, and they have a right old time of it at the weekends.

I suppose it depends who you talk to.

Mel, your refference to bungs been made by Pharmaceutical company’s. You are absolutely correct. My Wife used to be a Regional sales Manager for a leading Pharmaceutical company, and it was common knowledge that bungs where made, so yes, irrespective of what complaint you had or what medication you needed, the first medication tried in many cases, was what, was most profitable to the GP, not necessarily what was best for the patient. Even some disspensers where encouraged by gifts of hair sets etc. This practice will get much worse when privatisation of the NHS really takes hold, as it won’t just be medicines that goes to the company who pays more in bungs, but all clinics will end up very much the same. If you want to make a profit in the new THS (Tory Health Service) just bung a quack or two.

I always ask my doctor if I'm getting the best medication for my compliant, and not just the cheapest. I'm very lucky in that my doctor is lovely and very down to earth and I even call her by her first name. I remember having an awful time years ago trying to get Losec prescribed for my Reflux Oesophagitis, it was a different surgery from the one I'm with now, and he was trying to fob me off with gaviscon which just didn't work. I got it in the end but I didn't half have to make a fuss. And yes, things are set to get a whole lot worse.

Google "Gaviscon" and "Reckitt Benckiser" for the full story how the company overcharged Health Services and got caught doing it.

"The Independent quoted Warwick Smith, director of the British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA): "The sort of evergreening alleged by Newsnight can cost the NHS tens of millions of pounds with no patient benefit."[45] It also quoted a statement issued by the company: "...Reckitt Benckiser is a responsible company and we have therefore instigated an immediate internal investigation and will take action. However, we do not accept much of what has been alleged."

Hello bobby. Quote "You are absolutely correct."

Thanks for that bobby, it would seem that it is not only just depend upon
who you talk to. I apreciate that perhaps not all GP's are tarred with the same brush. However where there is the opportunity to make more cash, especially when it is handed to you on a plate as this stupid government have done, then the temptation for those GP's who are extra greedy wont resist.

Quick melly, check under the bed and make sure there's no nasty reds hiding there!

Hi Adele, Quote"remember having an awful time years ago trying to get Losec prescribed for my Reflux Oesophagitis, it was a different surgery from the one I'm with now, and he was trying to fob me off with gaviscon which just didn't work. I got it in the end but I didn't half have to make a fuss"

My wife takes Losec. She was told it could not be given on prescription by two different GP's at the same surgery. I contacted the Presciptions Department and was told that "it is on the list". My wife asked her GP to look it up and he had to agree and therefore had to prescribe for her.

God help us when they take control of the coffers.

Every move this so called government make is designed to benefit the better off. The problem is that it is at the severe cost to those who have little.

tlttf. What happened this morning, did you have an accident in bed? Far too early for you after your usual booze up on a Friday night with your "mate" (note the singular). I wondered why the pub cleared when you arrived. Must be they cant keep up with your intellectual conversation.

You would no doubt make a good GP, now that it would be worthwhile for you. If you get my drift of course.

Great night last night with my mate melly and thanks for asking. Other than that what are you waffling about?

Hows the cleaning job going?

"Great night out with my mate melly"

Oh!! fancy that, you have a mate called melly.

Shame you cant comprehend much whilst still intoxicated.
Glad you are still able to afford the booze following your beloved
Gideon putting the prices up (again!!!)

Yes indeed I do assist my lovely wife with the cleaning sometimes. I
do it rather than spend all my time wasted down at the boozer like some
I know. At least my liver and kidneys are in good shape.

Gosh! Is cleaning purely woman's work?

Not at all. I keep the car immaculate.

haha!!! Well that's ok then! lol

Adele Carlyon wrote:Gosh! Is cleaning purely woman's work?

AC no its not but this backward Tory Gov't think that we should just be "Ladies that Lunch" and not venture into the world of work, just shows how backward they are and how much they do not know about the real world.