Politics

[The Fish 9233]

 

tut tut

... You can't possibly be this stupid.

[Andrew 4263]

[Christmas Tree 4003]

... You can't possibly be this stupid.

Damn, I can

[Christmas Tree 4003]

... You can't possibly be this stupid.

See what I have to work with

[The Fish 9233]

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3279]

Not really, next biggest force is Strathclyde, but even that doesn't need anything like the support.

 

Nah, it'll be a career change, but that's ok, I've been there 5 years, time for a change. I here they'res no poverty to worry about.

You should give System Testing a shot if you can't find anything else.

[The Fish 9233]

You should give System Testing a shot if you can't find anything else.

 

Maybe, I was giving Bull Fighting a lot of consideration...

 

I just think I have the hands that would really "pop" when holding a muleta

[Happy Face 29]

See my starting point is after 5 years I would personally feel uncomfortable running around calling people liars. Maybe that's just me or the way I was brought up.

 

Putting that to one side, the link you asked about today had a poverty line showing at around £23,000. I have 2 kids under 14 and 2 kids over 14. (I didn't include 1 because she lives elsewhere).

 

My mortgage is £220 approx

 

I don't have a season ticket

 

I will try and cut down on the Asda 3 cheeses for £3, stop my elder daughter buying too many Tassimo flavours, insist no one buys me a gift voucher for the Maften on my next big anniversary or try and stick to more pasta and frozen veg instead of the occasional treat curry (which tbf was a lot cheaper than a takeaway).

 

So, you can either continue to think if me as a liar

 

or

 

understand why I find it wrong that people around my family income are described using the words poverty.

 

 

I never called you a liar.

 

Our first discussion on here was about the low income a taxi driver receives. With my dad on the taxi's I know full well how tight things are in that line (you were arguing it's an excellent income back then like so we'll ignore that).

 

My view was only shaped by your posts. I found it remarkable that you could be in the lowest 10% of earnrsand give a running commentary on purchases - aquarium, home gym, expensive teas and coffees, gym membership, iphone, sky tv, pub meals, hotel meals and stays etc. My assumption was that you must have savngs or other income that was enough to make you comfortable as a man of leisure.

 

This assumption was cemented by your enthusiasm for Tory governance. I guess your personal situation has worsened since the tories got in if you could afford a season ticket but you can't now. Even more confusing that you'll staunchly argue against your own interests.

 

As someone lucky enough to have built enough equity to restrict yourself to a £220 mortgage on a property that houses 5, you're clearly not someone the minimal criteria of the calculator is aimed at though are you? Housing usually costs much more than £10 per person per week, and the "poverty line" is based on an assumption that housing costs will be several times that for a family with no savings/property to their name.

[Renton 18044]

Clearly CT's intention is to claim he is statistically impoverished and thereby belittling the very real problem of poverty that many people are facing. I think that's canny low personally, and yet I'm the classless cunt apparently. Typical Tory.

[Park Life 71]

Although I count myself as 'on the left' I think both sides have become pretty much indistinguishable over the last couple of decades. The real enemy is 60yr olds doddering around Kensington with a few hundred million in the bank with no fear of having their throats cut notwithstanding the high level of anxiety hereabouts.

[Christmas Tree 4003]

 

I never called you a liar.

 

Our first discussion on here was about the low income a taxi driver receives. With my dad on the taxi's I know full well how tight things are in that line (you were arguing it's an excellent income back then like so we'll ignore that).

 

My view was only shaped by your posts. I found it remarkable that you could be in the lowest 10% of earnrsand give a running commentary on purchases - aquarium, home gym, expensive teas and coffees, gym membership, iphone, sky tv, pub meals, hotel meals and stays etc. My assumption was that you must have savngs or other income that was enough to make you comfortable as a man of leisure.

 

This assumption was cemented by your enthusiasm for Tory governance. I guess your personal situation has worsened since the tories got in if you could afford a season ticket but you can't now. Even more confusing that you'll staunchly argue against your own interests.

 

As someone lucky enough to have built enough equity to restrict yourself to a £220 mortgage on a property that houses 5, you're clearly not someone the minimal criteria of the calculator is aimed at though are you? Housing usually costs much more than £10 per person per week, and the "poverty line" is based on an assumption that housing costs will be several times that for a family with no savings/property to their name.

So you ask me this morning to take the test and NOW tell me I don't fit the criteria

 

As for the Tories

 

They've frozen council tax (doubled under Labour).

 

Got rid of Labours petrol hike escalator (that would have me paying far more for petrol).

 

Raised income tax thresholds (allowing me to earn more before paying tax).

 

Kept interest rates low (saving me a fortune on my mortgage).

 

 

[Park Life 71]

You realise this is all window dressing CT so they can win elections right? They are doing what they always do and that is protecting their backers ie big finance/business. Not you.

[Christmas Tree 4003]

Although I count myself as 'on the left' I think both sides have become pretty much indistinguishable over the last couple of decades.

Of course they have. Following Thatchers electoral success, none of them dare stray to far from the populous centre path. Each side throws their clapping seals a few fish, but generally it's steady as she goes.

 

We are stuck with flipping from Labour to Conservative and you just have to hope those lovely swing voters can spot which party has the talent at that time. Clearly Labour have no talent around the front bench, (which is only natural after 13 years in power), and should be nowhere near the levers of power.

 

Another election loss should see the dross sent packing and a younger new (toontastic inspired) generation come through.

 

By that time the Tories will have restored financial stability just in time for Bridget and her pals to come in and spend, spend, spend

Edited December 20, 2013 by Christmas Tree

[Christmas Tree 4003]

You realise this is all window dressing CT so they can win elections right? They are doing what they always do and that is protecting their backers ie big finance/business. Not you.

Great minds

[NJS 4006]

My councol tax hasn't changed since 1997 and you do realise that the threshold changes amount to about a tenner a week.

[Christmas Tree 4003]

My councol tax hasn't changed since 1997 and you do realise that the threshold changes amount to about a tenner a week.

Bearing in mind over the same period South Tyneside has gone from £640 to £1290 ish, I'm struggling to understand yours not altering.

 

Which council?

[Meenzer 14136]

My councol tax hasn't changed since 1997 and you do realise that the threshold changes amount to about a tenner a week.

The latter being a Lib Dem policy anyway and one that the Tories would have gone nowhere near if it hadn't been for the coalition.

[NJS 4006]

Bearing in mind over the same period South Tyneside has gone from £640 to £1290 ish, I'm struggling to understand yours not altering.

 

Which council?

Chelmsford - always been 1300ish since I moved here in 96.

 

(Swings between tory and lib before you ask)

[Christmas Tree 4003]

Chelmsford - always been 1300ish since I moved here in 96.

 

(Swings between tory and lib before you ask)

 

 

Well I could be reading it wrong, but according to this, yours has doubled as well.

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AonYZs4MzlZbdGtNY210UUk4RzJyUkRvYzliOEp2Nnc&hl=en_GB#gid=0

[NJS 4006]

 

 

Well I could be reading it wrong, but according to this, yours has doubled as well.

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AonYZs4MzlZbdGtNY210UUk4RzJyUkRvYzliOEp2Nnc&hl=en_GB#gid=0

Fair enough - I realise this is going to sound crass but I guess that a difference between £50 and £100 pm on DD makes it seem like "the same" to me (I get the 25% single discount)

[Meenzer 14136]

Mine has increased by no more than a few quid since 2006 (I was in Germany before that), but they've achieved that by closing half the libraries and not cleaning the dogshit off the streets any more.

[Christmas Tree 4003]

Fair enough - I realise this is going to sound crass but I guess that a difference between £50 and £100 pm on DD makes it seem like "the same" to me (I get the 25% single discount)

 

Only if Id said it

[Meenzer 14136]

You're below the poverty line, though, so it's natural you'd notice the difference.

[desmondTUTU 0]

Fair enough - I realise this is going to sound crass but I guess that a difference between £50 and £100 pm on DD makes it seem like "the same" to me (I get the 25% single discount)

You can argue black is white chap

[Meenzer 14136]