UK General Discussion

[MaxQue]

In case of UK, competition is competition between schools.
More or less, private schools, which is bad.
Private schools shouldn't be funded by the government.
And comparing notes between schools is a bad idea because private schools can just exclude someone for having too low marks, so the averages are biaised. Here, in Quebec, we had a scandal because some school were giving answers of government exams or inflating notes to be well ranked in rankings.

[MaxQue]

In case of UK, competition is competition between schools.
More or less, private schools, which is bad.
Private schools shouldn't be funded by the government.

Why not? Ours are 80% government funded which works well. It gives the parents a real choice, even if they are not wealthy.

(sorry, for going off topic... Wont give reply back if he answers - just curious)

Well, here, they are funded at 60%, yet, most are really expensive, while the public system has problems because it gets cuts after cuts after cuts.

[MaxQue]

In case of UK, competition is competition between schools.
More or less, private schools, which is bad.
Private schools shouldn't be funded by the government.
And comparing notes between schools is a bad idea because private schools can just exclude someone for having too low marks, so the averages are biaised. Here, in Quebec, we had a scandal because some school were giving answers of government exams or inflating notes to be well ranked in rankings.

Competition between schools is good, and comparing notes is good, too, because it motivates schools that do poorly to do better or face cuts. That said, no way should private schools be government-funded.

The problem is than private schools have better marks, because they choose the better students.
Marks aren't saying anything about the quality of their teaching, but about the quality of their method of selection.

[MaxQue]

Well, she is right on that, but that's rather strange to attack your own leaders.

[MaxQue]

From The Times:

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I sometimes feel that Hammersmith and Fulham is the Tory's answer to Liverpool Militant.

Well, I don't understand why social housing shouldn't be reserved to people needing it if there is waiting lists.

[MaxQue]

Oh, the "social mixity".

True than UK built large council estates. I personally think than social housing spread through the city, among private housing is a way better way to achieve it.

Or making like some French cities, forcing new developpments to have 20% of social housing, which enforce mixity.

[MaxQue]

The GMB will be submitting a resolution at the Labour Conference in September to outlaw Progress. 
OMG OMG I hope this works, though I have a gut feeling it won't. 

It's like they want all out party civil war.

Well, with me being me, I really hope they at least force the party to reverse their support of the wage freeze and Ed Balls's statement that he won't guarantee that any cuts will be reversed.  But I really would like to see the Blairites forced out of the party.  It'll get the Labour party back to being an actual social democratic party again.  I also hope that if they can't ban it, then they can at least break Progress's grip on the party (especially when it comes to selection of prospective parliamentary candidates.  And policies, too.)

This makes me happy, so happy. Deranged Labour left wing trying to make itself unelectable again. Why don't they go the whole hog and install Neil Kinnock as leader again, that'll make Cameron look competent.

One more thing. You do realize its a wage freeze. Not a cut a freeze. Do you understand that there are some people who work outside the great god the public sector. That they might enjoy an easing in the burden of taxation that goes to pay for the salaries of greedy, wasteful shysters public sector workers, who think they are somehow hard done by. I mean at least you could sympathize with the miners for doing a hard, unpleasant job. These people are just a total rip off.

How is a public sector worker any less worthy than someone who works in a business? Typical Tories. And a wage freeze amount to a cut when you consider inflation and all that.

Would you tell your doctor or your child's teacher that they're not worth the money they're paid?

Because the public sector is lazy and bloated, whereas, whatever the Guardian tells you, business is not. Also, these people are overpaid anyway, so its about time they felt the pain.

Also I'm with Bupa, and my kids go to private school. So I don't rely on the state for my health or my child's education (good thing to, considering they would get brainwashed by socialist propaganda otherwise).

Indeed, your child aren't brainwashed by the socialist propaganda, they are by the ultra-liberal propaganda of private schools, which isn't better in any way.

[MaxQue]

I just have a question.
You say than needy people should earn their money. By working, I suppose.
There is a problem. There isn't jobs for everybody. How they do?
(And don't say the magical "if there was less taxes, there would be full employment", because that's a dubious claim)

[MaxQue]

Cameron called the government "strong and united" today at PMQs. Brought on a good amount of laughing from myself.

Oh, he is inspired by Harper.

[MaxQue]

Not quite sure what's gonna come of this...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/9685693/Conservatives-hire-Boriss-campaign-guru-for-2015-election.html

A majority.

So, no gay marriage before 2019?

[MaxQue]

The long-lasting rumours about Cyril Smith have been confirmed.

Does Cyril Smith was the rather "large" Liberal MP?

[MaxQue]

i can't see canada 1993 happening here. the british are far too forgiving of bad governments.

Well, the Tories weren't polled so badly at the beginning of the 1993 election. They were on course of losing, yes, but they were still 2nd.
Their horrible campaign doomed them, through.

[MaxQue]

Lewis is right. Parents are obviously hoping than their kids will be straight.

[MaxQue]

So, UK Catholics are real Catholics, not nominal, secular ones like the ones we have in Quebec?

[MaxQue]

The big news tonight comes from Moodys. They've downgraded the credit rating.

All the cuts and the credit rating still gets downgraded. I though this government would deal with the deficit at huge social cost... and they can't even do the former.

Well, the press release doesn't complain about cuts. It's mainly than the economy is shrinking and is showing no hint than it will go back in the other direction soon.

Which, in my opinion, is due to the cuts.

[MaxQue]

Nothing unusual for Farage there, I think.

[MaxQue]

That man is a hero.

That man is an alcoholic, who really need help.
Alcoholism isn't fun or anything, it's a disease.

[MaxQue]

It's the Commons?
It looks empty, small and has no tables.

[MaxQue]

EdM announces tax breaks for companies who'll pay the living wage.

What is "the living wage"?

It's defined as the wage for a person working 40 hours/week, which allows it to meet all its basic needs.

One can suppose it's like the Canadian proposal of eqailising the minimum wage to the poverty threshold.

[MaxQue]

Terrible press for the gays while gay marriage still didn't pass the Lords.

[MaxQue]

UKIP gain in Ribble Valley?

If Labour can return to their 2005 result of 30% surely they have a chance of nipping between the middle?

If UKIP looks anything like a possible winner, Labour's vote'll be down.

36 Con (-14)
17 Lab (-5)
5 Liberal (-15)
35 UKIP (+29)
5 Others

Something like that?

How did things go here on Thursday?

A more accurate name would be Ribble Valley and South Ribble North

2005: 3 Con, 2.25 Lab, 1 LD, 1 Idle Toad (there is the 1/4 of Penwortham North in it)
2009: 5.25 Con, 1 LD, 1 Idle Toad
2013: 6 Cons, 1.25 Lab.

More details:
Longridge with Bowland: Cons 70, Lab 23, LD 7
Ribble Valley North East: Cons 54, UKIP 23, Lab 16, LD 7
Ribble Valley South West: Cons 73, Lab 19, LD 8
Clitheroe: Cons 31, Ind 30, LD 28, Lab 11
Farington: Cons 39, Lab 38, UKIP 20, LD 4
Bamber Bridge and Walton-le-Dale: Lab 40, Cons 39, UKIP 21
South Ribble Rural East: Cons 43, Lab 21, UKIP 19, Idle Toad 17.
Penwortham South (1/4): Lab 41, Cons 25, UKIP 20, LD 4.

UKIP is very much around 20 (23, 20, 21, 19 and 20).

[MaxQue]

If UKIP looks anything like a possible winner, Labour's vote'll be down.

36 Con (-14)
17 Lab (-5)
5 Liberal (-15)
35 UKIP (+29)
5 Others

Something like that?

Labour didn't fall in Eastleigh, and they're more competitive in Ribble Valley. If Labour fell from 2010 and didn't get any benefit from Liberal collapse, questions will start being asked of Ed.

Well, they aren't competitive in the proper Valley, they weren't close in any of the county seats in the Valley, nor in the district elections (1 seat in a Clitheroe ward in 2003, no candidates at all in 2007, and they weren't close of winning one except in one case in 2011). If they are compettive in the seats, that's because of the South Ribble parts of the misnamed Ribble Valley seat.

[MaxQue]

https://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/77735/

Cameron being urged by leading Conservatives to scrap the Same Sex Marriage bill. I doubt he'll do this, though, we'll see. The party has been ripped apart by it.

This would be useless.
Damage is already done.

[MaxQue]

I would say Clitheroe and Bamber Bridge, since I doubt people in Bamber Bridge feels any link with Clitheroe. We are in Preston urban area there, not rural Ribble Valley.

[MaxQue]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/481781_602553116423307_1092879202_n.jpg

This pic doing the rounds on facebook. I fear more riots. 

What the heck ever happened to the BNP? You'd think they'd be all over the press/surging in the polls in the wake of this.

They collapsed due to internal problems. It's quite common on the fringes, everyone wants to leads and that's getting bloody.