Politics

[spongebob toonpants 5170]

7 minutes ago, Renton said:

So says the man who can hypnotise lasses to grow bigger tits.

Something and nothing, the Greens deserve better than you parroting right wing attacks

 

Polanski hypnotherapy" refers to an incident in 2013 involving Zack Polanski, who has recently become the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. At the time, while working as a hypnotherapist, he took part in an experiment with an undercover journalist from The Sun newspaper where he attempted to increase her breast size through hypnosis. 

 

Key Details and Clarifications

• It was an experiment, not a standard service Polanski has consistently stated the session was an experiment requested by the journalist, not a service he normally offered or charged for. The newspaper article inaccurately published the costs of other services offered at his clinic, implying that was the price for breast enlargement.
• Focus on body image Polanski claims the intention of the session was to help the woman with her body image and self-confidence, rather than literal physical enlargement, though the original article suggested he did aim for a physical change.
• The journalist's account The reporter for The Sun wrote that her bust measurement increased for several days after the session before returning to normal. Some studies suggest hypnotherapy with specific suggestions can influence hormonal responses and blood flow, which might explain a temporary physiological change, though physical breast enlargement is not an established use of hypnotherapy.
• Apology and context Polanski has repeatedly apologised for his involvement in the article, saying it was a mistake he regrets and would not do today. The story has resurfaced in recent years as he has gained political prominence, particularly during his leadership bids, used by political opponents as an attack line.

[Renton 27739]

I really dislike quack practitioners Spongebob, I'm no right winger though. It underlines his non serious (at best) credentials. He's a popularist, plain and simple. 

[Rayvin 8295]

I'm not sure why we're discussing Polanski like he's got any chance of winning. The reason the Greens are surging is because Labour have completely fucking failed the left. The reason to vote Green is to make chasing Reform voters so painful to Labour that they have to stop. It is a bid to not be taken for granted by the centre. They're Reform, but on the other side.

[wykikitoon 28478]

24 minutes ago, Renton said:

 

I stopped listening to it regularly, but Oh God What Now is worth a listen this week about how the tech bros are screwing us over and creating a complete shitocracy. 

 

Only solution I can think of if for Europe to somehow get uts act together and become self sufficient from the US and China.  UK is far too small to go this alone. More likely is we are heading for a new era of dystopia and servitude imo. 

 

Its going to end up like Running Man

[Renton 27739]

2 minutes ago, wykikitoon said:

 

Its going to end up like Running Man

 

Haven't seen the new one but we're definitely in "I'd buy that for a dollar" territory already. The World seems surreal with Trump as POTUS.

[YorkshireExile 69]

Quote

It's shit, but the amount of times I've heard people on here say they'd be happy to pay more tax if it went on services, and then they actually get taxed and moan like fuck. 

 

Got no problem paying more tax if it goes on services, but is it? From what I can see it's going on filling a fictional 'black hole' which is a product of Reeves stupid promises to balance the books and the OBR's dodgy forecasting. Also come and ask me for more tax when all the billionaires and other wankers are paying as much as a proportion of their wealth as I am. 

Solution: Get rid of the OBR, massive (as in 90%) inheritance taxes on anyone with an estate worth more than 50 million (no one needs more than that), CGT equalised with income tax, exit taxes on rich cunts leaving the UK, and bring the Bank of England back under democratic control so it's powers can be used in the interests of the whole country rather than bond traders and spivs in the city.

[YorkshireExile 69]

Quote

Its going to end up like Running Man

 

We're 99% of the way to Demolition Man. All we need to make it 100% is a VR sex machine with a Sandra Bullock programme. 

[Ayatollah Hermione 17219]

26 minutes ago, YorkshireExile said:

 

Got no problem paying more tax if it goes on services, but is it? From what I can see it's going on filling a fictional 'black hole' which is a product of Reeves stupid promises to balance the books and the OBR's dodgy forecasting. Also come and ask me for more tax when all the billionaires and other wankers are paying as much as a proportion of their wealth as I am. 

Solution: Get rid of the OBR, massive (as in 90%) inheritance taxes on anyone with an estate worth more than 50 million (no one needs more than that), CGT equalised with income tax, exit taxes on rich cunts leaving the UK, and bring the Bank of England back under democratic control so it's powers can be used in the interests of the whole country rather than bond traders and spivs in the city.

 

My man 

[Craig 12321]

3 hours ago, Renton said:

 

Its not like fiscal drag is something new. It's shit, but the amount of times I've heard people on here say they'd be happy to pay more tax if it went on services, and then they actually get taxed and moan like fuck. 

Basically it comes down to whether you believe fiscal responsibility (balancing the books) is important  or not. As we as a country spend more now on debt interest than education, I'd say it was quite important whatever Polanski has us believe.

Aye, fiscal responsibility IS important. I’m going to be personally worse off as a result of the budget but I’m accepting of it because it’s necessary. 
 

And it’s purely because of the Tories that were in this fucking mess so Badenoch can go fuck herself, stupid bitch.

[Dr Gloom 26308]

2 hours ago, Renton said:

I really dislike quack practitioners Spongebob, I'm no right winger though. It underlines his non serious (at best) credentials. He's a popularist, plain and simple. 

A wealth tax, which only targets the super rich, could create significantly higher receipts than freezing income tax thresholds - a stealth tax on rich and poor.

 

You say Polanski is a populist but do you also think a wealth tax is a populist policy? And can you explain why Labour’s move to punish people on lower incomes is preferable?

 

Labour don’t need the Greens to help pave the way for a Reform government. They’re perfectly capable of doing it alone. 

[Renton 27739]

35 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

stealth tax on rich and poor.

 

Not really a stealth tax when Labour are upfront it's a tax rise, introduced by the tories of course.

 

36 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

can you explain why Labour’s move to punish people on lower incomes is preferable?

 

Where's this from? Labour claim it will only make the top 10% worse off. On the BBC  news today, they got tax specialists to see how the budget affected some low income families and singles. After everything was taken into account, they were better off. Not hugely but definitely net beneficiaries. 

 

40 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

do you also think a wealth tax is a populist policy? 

 

I think it's a hugely populist policy. Why don't Labour do it? Do you think it's because they are backed by the super wealthy, or do you think they think it just won't work when these people can offshore their wealth with ease? 

[Rayvin 8295]

 

This graph is where Labour voters are now. In January 70% were still in Labour. Now 18% are in the Greens. 30% between LDs and Greens. But let's keep chasing that 7% of Reform because we know we can 'scare' the lefties into voting for us at the last minute.

 

Greens are at almost 50% on young people.

 

And overall we're at this:

 

Reform: 26%

Labour: 18%

Conservative: 18%

Green: 16%

LD: 14%

 

When will the centrists realise they're actually going to have to be bolder... I mean that's currently 2/3 of the electorate that doesn't want either of the two standard governing parties. Maybe they can go into coalition with each other though, given how similar they are...  

[Dr Gloom 26308]

24 minutes ago, Renton said:

 

Not really a stealth tax when Labour are upfront it's a tax rise, introduced by the tories of course.

 

 

Where's this from? Labour claim it will only make the top 10% worse off. On the BBC  news today, they got tax specialists to see how the budget affected some low income families and singles. After everything was taken into account, they were better off. Not hugely but definitely net beneficiaries. 

 

 

I think it's a hugely populist policy. Why don't Labour do it? Do you think it's because they are backed by the super wealthy, or do you think they think it just won't work when these people can offshore their wealth with ease? 

they’re terrified of capital flight but there are measures that can be introduced to mitigate that. And if the super rich don’t want pay a fraction more, maybe they should fuck off somewhere else? 

[Dr Gloom 26308]

@renton don’t take my word for it. Here’s Reeves admitting as much herself 

 

https://news.sky.com/video/chancellor-questioned-by-sky-news-on-breaking-manifesto-promises-in-budget-13475819

[Renton 27739]

Well fair enough. Either Labour are right, or the Greens are. I think most economists, by no means all, but most, would be more supportive of Labour's approach. I'm more inclined to trust experts over hypnotherapists. 

We've got two huge issues, wealth inequality and a looming demographic crisis. We all I think want the same thing. If we're honest, none of us no how to solve it.

[Renton 27739]

1 minute ago, Dr Gloom said:

@renton don’t take my word for it. Here’s Reeves admitting as much herself 

 

https://news.sky.com/video/chancellor-questioned-by-sky-news-on-breaking-manifesto-promises-in-budget-13475819

 

Nobody had heard of fiscal drag when the tories introduced it. Now Labour continue it, well.

Endless weeks of news on Raynors mortgage arrangements. Russian stooge and Farage friend Nathan Gill? Nada.

[wykikitoon 28478]

Just seen this on a mates FB convo

 

The old age pension should not count towards the personal tax allowance. Why would you twist that?

 

He replied and then they said

 

my old age pension is paid for by my National Insurance Contributions. I was promised it at 60, and now having to wait until 66 and 10 months. There is no way I should have to pay tax on that. I'm from a generation which lost out on many things which were mis sold like Endowments, didn't get the maternity benefits of nursery assistance parents get today etc etc so I shouldn't pay tax on my bloody pension !!!!!!!

[Renton 27739]

26 minutes ago, wykikitoon said:

Just seen this on a mates FB convo

 

The old age pension should not count towards the personal tax allowance. Why would you twist that?

 

He replied and then they said

 

my old age pension is paid for by my National Insurance Contributions. I was promised it at 60, and now having to wait until 66 and 10 months. There is no way I should have to pay tax on that. I'm from a generation which lost out on many things which were mis sold like Endowments, didn't get the maternity benefits of nursery assistance parents get today etc etc so I shouldn't pay tax on my bloody pension !!!!!!!

 

Ahh, you're mates with Toonpack outside of here?

 

You're mate is wrong on so many things. First, the state pension is not paid by his NI contributions, it's paid from current tax payers, mainly PAYE. Those current tax payers will have to wait even longer for their pension which will be less, if they receive it at all.

 

I had an endowment mortgage which never paid out, whats his point? There were never any guarantees, it wasn't hidden in the small print. Maternity pay, fuck off man. Never been harder to raise a child than now, which is one reason for the declining birth rates.

 

He probably won't need to pay tax on his state pension unless private pensions or other income takes him over. He does sound like a typical entitled boomer to me. Tell him he's a tax dodging scrounger who can get fucked.

[Craig 12321]

They’ve missed a trick with this ‘Mansion Tax’. For starters it’s a flat rate charge rather than a percentage charge.

 

Anything valued over £2m will be subject to a surcharge of £2,500 p.a. rising to £7,500 p.a. for those valued over £7,500. It’s estimated to generate £400m p.a. from 2028.

 

What’s the implementation costs of this going to be? There’s around 140,000 properties needing to be valued. One the implementation costs are taken into account I’m not sure it’s going to raise much in its first few years of operation.

 

My cynical brain tells me it’s a ‘soak the rich’ measure designed to appease the rank and file of the Labour Party, particularly the back benchers.

[scoobos 388]

8 hours ago, Rayvin said:

I'm not sure why we're discussing Polanski like he's got any chance of winning. The reason the Greens are surging is because Labour have completely fucking failed the left. The reason to vote Green is to make chasing Reform voters so painful to Labour that they have to stop. It is a bid to not be taken for granted by the centre. They're Reform, but on the other side.

Not for me they are not. I've voted Green many times .Their manifesto made a lot of sense in the last GE. They are a legitimate polital party - it's pretty wrong to say they are reform on the other side - reform are utter utter inept shits who are playing populist.

That said , as much as people like to say that Labour are "just like the Tories" - they really aren't imo. They should be more left but they'd get destroyed in this climate because the neo-lib lobbyists own everything. 

They say they can get our budget into surplus by 2028 - if they do that , or even break even - I'm voting Labour.

We really need rid of FPTP , but I think we have to wait for the new generation of voters - the oldies dont like change .

Also, I think the budget was much better than expected , the mansion tax , 2 child cap rid of - they are things that conservatives would never do in a million years. And it shows that they are at least listening to some of their left wing members.

An EV tax was coming - I've had one since coming back to the UK and haven't paid a penny in road tax for 8 years now - that's not helping the roads.

Edited November 27 by scoobos

[Rayvin 8295]

11 minutes ago, scoobos said:

Not for me they are not. I've voted Green many times .Their manifesto made a lot of sense in the last GE. They are a legitimate polital party - it's pretty wrong to say they are reform on the other side - reform are utter utter inept shits who are playing populist.

That said , as much as people like to say that Labour are "just like the Tories" - they really aren't imo. They should be more left but they'd get destroyed in this climate because the neo-lib lobbyists own everything. 

They say they can get our budget into surplus by 2028 - if they do that , or even break even - I'm voting Labour.

We really need rid of FPTP , but I think we have to wait for the new generation of voters - the oldies dont like change .

Also, I think the budget was much better than expected , the mansion tax , 2 child cap rid of - they are things that conservatives would never do in a million years. And it shows that they are at least listening to some of their left wing members.

An EV tax was coming - I've had one since coming back to the UK and haven't paid a penny in road tax for 8 years now - that's not helping the roads.

 

My point was more that as far as Labour are concerned, they are a threat on the left in the same way that Reform are a threat on the right. Reform pulled the overton window right and took Labour with it - the Greens are what we need to pull them back the other way by having them hemorrhage voters on that side of them at a greater rate than they're losing out to Reform (not that they really are, but they're certainly acting as if that's their focus).

 

I'm not saying the Greens are equivalent in any other way and agree that Reform are inept and hopeless.

[Toonpack 15507]

10 hours ago, Renton said:

 

Ahh, you're mates with Toonpack outside of here?

 

You're mate is wrong on so many things. First, the state pension is not paid by his NI contributions, it's paid from current tax payers, mainly PAYE. Those current tax payers will have to wait even longer for their pension which will be less, if they receive it at all.

 

I had an endowment mortgage which never paid out, whats his point? There were never any guarantees, it wasn't hidden in the small print. Maternity pay, fuck off man. Never been harder to raise a child than now, which is one reason for the declining birth rates.

 

He probably won't need to pay tax on his state pension unless private pensions or other income takes him over. He does sound like a typical entitled boomer to me. Tell him he's a tax dodging scrounger who can get fucked.

 

I have no issue with much of that, but that highlighted bit is laughable. If nowt else look at child mortality rates. 

 

Christ, if you generalised about ethnic minorities the way you generalise "boomers" you'd be perfect for Reform.

 

This whole "generations" thing is yet more divisive bollocks invented to get folks worked up and divided about something, just in case there's nothing else working to keep the angst bubbling. It's quite frankly pathetic.

 

It's basically slagging someone off because of the year they were born, an event over which they had no control. Those 1975-ers are well dodgy mind.

Edited November 27 by Toonpack

[Gemmill 62971]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/27/mansion-tax-richmond-residents-react-council-tax-rise-budget-2025

 

Tough break for the people of Richmond who live in £2m houses that "aren't mansions". 

 

If you can't afford the council tax surcharge, sell your house and be a millionaire instead. 

[PaddockLad 22422]

They're the same as the farmers. They're complaining about losing a part of their completely unearned wealth

 

 

[Craig 12321]

5 hours ago, scoobos said:

We really need rid of FPTP , but I think we have to wait for the new generation of voters - the oldies dont like change .

This has been said for generations but it’s still there and will continue to do so whilst outright majorities are commonplace. Doesn’t matter who gets voted in none of them are going to be turkeys voting for Christmas.