Longest Thread!

[pete0]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/28/mp-council-housing-labour-mp-kate-osamor-social-tenant?fbclid=IwAR1rfKTGa1p5IkGoT4or_rgJjdd2sVSUfzY2dEVE4lH5CYAFWXv2kYEW6U0

[Palfy]

7 hours ago, pete0 said:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/28/mp-council-housing-labour-mp-kate-osamor-social-tenant?fbclid=IwAR1rfKTGa1p5IkGoT4or_rgJjdd2sVSUfzY2dEVE4lH5CYAFWXv2kYEW6U0

A great article with some astounding statistics, I found the figure of 9bn a year going to private landlords and 4/10 council homes sold now in the hands of private landlords shocking, 9bn a year would build thousands of homes for the councils especially when you consider that one of the biggest costs in building a house is the cost of the land, which in most cases would be already in the possession of the councils. 

I’ve also heard that in some areas the councils are buying back council houses they sold under the right to buy scheme for 2,3 and 4 times as much as they originally sold them for, if this is true it’s another injustice to everyone who contributes to a fair society in this country, it’s things like this that have made a few Rich off the backs of many. 

All though there is nothing wrong with the concept of right to buy there are imo flaws with how it should work, and the biggest being when the property is sold what ever percentage of discount you received at the time is the percentage of the profits you give back after the sale, and if in the unlikely of circumstances the value is less than when you bought and the property was kept in good order then the council would reimburse you your losses. 

[MikeO]

About to let off fireworks for my grandson; if you don't hear from me again you'll know why.

[johnh]

33 minutes ago, MikeO said:

About to let off fireworks for my grandson; if you don't hear from me again you'll know why.

Yeah Mike, those sparklers can be pretty dangerous.

[johnh]

On 29/12/2018 at 09:30, Palfy said:

A great article with some astounding statistics, I found the figure of 9bn a year going to private landlords and 4/10 council homes sold now in the hands of private landlords shocking, 9bn a year would build thousands of homes for the councils especially when you consider that one of the biggest costs in building a house is the cost of the land, which in most cases would be already in the possession of the councils. 

I’ve also heard that in some areas the councils are buying back council houses they sold under the right to buy scheme for 2,3 and 4 times as much as they originally sold them for, if this is true it’s another injustice to everyone who contributes to a fair society in this country, it’s things like this that have made a few Rich off the backs of many. 

All though there is nothing wrong with the concept of right to buy there are imo flaws with how it should work, and the biggest being when the property is sold what ever percentage of discount you received at the time is the percentage of the profits you give back after the sale, and if in the unlikely of circumstances the value is less than when you bought and the property was kept in good order then the council would reimburse you your losses. 

Palfy,  we moved from a council house in Walton Hall Avenue to Leeds in 1951, due to my Dad's  work.  I checked on the internet and found out that our old house had been sold for £120k about 10 years ago.  If my Dad had known that the house would, one day, sell for £120k we would never have moved!

[MikeO]

4 minutes ago, johnh said:

Yeah Mike, those sparklers can be pretty dangerous.

I survived. Smell took me back fifty years though, we always had a big firework party (on Nov 5th mind) with our neighbours and I so remember trudging down to the end of the garden in the (usually) freezing cold, loved it. Always had a load to let off though and some spectacular ones, these tonight were great for a five year old but not a patch on what I was brought up watching; probably down to the relative expense now and the rise of the organised big displays. They may be spectacular but they're not a patch on my childhood memories.

[MikeO]

9 minutes ago, johnh said:

Palfy,  we moved from a council house in Walton Hall Avenue to Leeds in 1951, due to my Dad's  work.  I checked on the internet and found out that our old house had been sold for £120k about 10 years ago.  If my Dad had known that the house would, one day, sell for £120k we would never have moved!

House my parents bought for £5,000 in 1960 last sold for £385,000 in 2003 (they moved out in the mid eighties). However there are now four houses built on what was the end of our garden, which was huge, and one of them sold last year for £650,000. Why did they move out?

[MikeO]

97 year old should not not be driving, madness.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46912691

[nyblue23]

21 hours ago, MikeO said:

97 year old should not not be driving, madness.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46912691

That’s what I thought when I saw this.

[MikeO]

37 minutes ago, nyblue23 said:

That’s what I thought when I saw this.

He pulled out from a "drive" on the Sandringham estate and hit a car with two women and a kid in it (I've not seen confirmation of that but it's what the wife tells me) and the press is all full of how good it is that he's not seriously hurt. Fuck him, he could've killed someone but all they care about how he's OK.

[johnh]

A report I read said that he complained that the sun was in his eyes and the report highlighted the fact that the junction 'is notorious for that'.  I can't see Joe Public being able to get away with that excuse.

I'm 82 and still drive.  I find other road users are very courteous  and are quick to keep out of my way.

[MikeO]

3 minutes ago, johnh said:

I'm 82 and still drive.  I find other road users are very courteous  and are quick to keep out of my way.

And so they should! My late father-in-law had his license taken away from him at ninety-odd which pissed him right off but then they randomly gave it back to him without any medical evidence a while later (I was grateful as he was the worst "back seat" passenger ever). My mother-in-law still drives up and down the long private road to her house at 86 (I think) and her little Suzuki is scratched and bumped all over; her sons get annoyed by it but it makes me (and her) laugh, she's never going to hurt anyone.

[nyblue23]

1 hour ago, MikeO said:

He pulled out from a "drive" on the Sandringham estate and hit a car with two women and a kid in it (I've not seen confirmation of that but it's what the wife tells me) and the press is all full of how good it is that he's not seriously hurt. Fuck him, he could've killed someone but all they care about how he's OK.

I got multiple notifications on my phone about it and I don’t intentionally subscribe to most news outlets.

I know for many it’s a bit of a soap opera, but what portion of the British population would you say are adamantly against the monarchy?

[MikeO]

13 hours ago, nyblue23 said:

I know for many it’s a bit of a soap opera, but what portion of the British population would you say are adamantly against the monarchy?

So difficult to say, Diana lifted them to heights while her death and Camilla moving in shifted them to new lows. The two lads have done great stuff (though I don't agree with all of it) for the image and followed their mother though not enough for me. Charles as a next monarch would be a backward nonsense.

[nyblue23]

35 minutes ago, MikeO said:

So difficult to say, Diana lifted them to heights while her death and Camilla moving in shifted them to new lows. The two lads have done great stuff (though I don't  agree with all of it) for the image and followed their though not enough for me. Charles as a next monarch would be a backward nonsense.

I guess I just wonder when it will all end. Is the sense of British pride in the monarchy as a historical monument still strong, or is it increasingly viewed as an outdated relic and waste of money?

[Romey 1878]

10 hours ago, nyblue23 said:

I guess I just wonder when it will all end. Is the sense of British pride in the monarchy as a historical monument still strong, or is it increasingly viewed as an outdated relic and waste of money?

They bring in far more money for the economy than they take out of it, apparently.

Personally, I don't like or dislike them. I don't pay any special attention to them and wouldn't go out of my way to find stories about them.

[Sibdane]

What real powers does the Queen have?

[Romey 1878]

14 minutes ago, sibdane said:

What real powers does the Queen have?

Fuck. All. 

[Matt]

44 minutes ago, sibdane said:

What real powers does the Queen have?

Theoretically quite a lot but itll never get used

https://bmsf.org.uk/about-the-monarchy/the-queen/duties-rights-and-powers-of-h-m-the-queen/

[nyblue23]

9 hours ago, Romey 1878 said:

They bring in far more money for the economy than they take out of it, apparently.

Personally, I don't like or dislike them. I don't pay any special attention to them and wouldn't go out of my way to find stories about them.

Didn’t realize that was the claim economically. Interesting.

[Matt]

2 minutes ago, nyblue23 said:

Didn’t realize that was the claim economically. Interesting.

Massive tourist trap, think I remember reading they’re responsible for £500m a year in tourism alone

[johnh]

Saw a brilliant post on another website.  A photo of Philip's crash, car on its side etc., and superimposed over the picture was a ghostly transparent image of Diana with a big grin on her face.

[MikeO]

3 minutes ago, Matt said:

Massive tourist trap, think I remember reading they’re responsible for £500m a year in tourism alone

It's arguable. Tourists would still come to see Buck House, Windsor Castle etc for their "majesty" and history if the royals didn't exist, it's not like they get to have a selfie with Liz is it?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/royal-wedding-family-how-much-uk-economy-benefits-cost-meghan-markle-expense-a8345436.html

I've got nothing against them but I'd prefer something like they have in Holland, can't be doing with all this bowing and scraping bullshit; they're no better or more important human beings than I am (or anyone else is).

 

[markjazzbassist]

4 hours ago, Matt said:

Theoretically quite a lot but itll never get used

https://bmsf.org.uk/about-the-monarchy/the-queen/duties-rights-and-powers-of-h-m-the-queen/

Yeah I was going to say she approves the prime minister and signs them into office or something doesn’t she?  If she decides a not to because she can well that’s a lot of fucking power.  They don’t exercise it per say but it’s not a dog and pony show like most euro Kings and queens who have no power.

[MikeO]

24 minutes ago, markjazzbassist said:

Yeah I was going to say she approves the prime minister and signs them into office or something doesn’t she?  If she decides a not to because she can well that’s a lot of fucking power.  They don’t exercise it per say but it’s not a dog and pony show like most euro Kings and queens who have no power.

If she used it it would be suicide for them, government and the country wouldn't stand for it. She does what she's told effectively, the "Queen's Speech" which opens every new year in the House of Lords at the State Opening of Parliament (she's not allowed in the Commons so the MP's all trundle into the Lords with much pomp and the Black Rod banging on the door to gain them admittance) and sets out the governments intentions for the year is written for her by the party in power, so in fact it's not her speech at all.

She's a functionally powerless figurehead, whatever she can "theoretically" do, that's all.

[Palfy]

23 hours ago, MikeO said:

If she used it it would be suicide for them, government and the country wouldn't stand for it. She does what she's told effectively, the "Queen's Speech" which opens every new year in the House of Lords at the State Opening of Parliament (she's not allowed in the Commons so the MP's all trundle into the Lords with much pomp and the Black Rod banging on the door to gain them admittance) and sets out the governments intentions for the year is written for her by the party in power, so in fact it's not her speech at all.

She's a functionally powerless figurehead, whatever she can "theoretically" do, that's all.

If she does posses any Royal powers she needs to sign a decree that would stop Philip from driving

[pete0]

On 19/01/2019 at 18:39, markjazzbassist said:

Yeah I was going to say she approves the prime minister and signs them into office or something doesn’t she?  If she decides a not to because she can well that’s a lot of fucking power.  They don’t exercise it per say but it’s not a dog and pony show like most euro Kings and queens who have no power.

Would've had a lot more respect for the Queen if she exercised those powers. 

[holystove]

On 19/01/2019 at 19:39, markjazzbassist said:

Yeah I was going to say she approves the prime minister and signs them into office or something doesn’t she?  If she decides a not to because she can well that’s a lot of fucking power.  They don’t exercise it per say but it’s not a dog and pony show like most euro Kings and queens who have no power.

The Belgian King (/Queen) also has a lot of powers.  And I assume other continental Kings and Queens are not all as (constitutionally) powerless as you claim.

However, much like the British Queen, they are not supposed to use their powers.  I remember when in the 80's Belgian parliament legalised abortion, the King refused to sign that particular law (without his signature no law can come into effect).  After he coudn't be convinced to sign it, they just deposed him for a day.  

 

[markjazzbassist]

10 hours ago, holystove said:

The Belgian King (/Queen) also has a lot of powers.  And I assume other continental Kings and Queens are not all as (constitutionally) powerless as you claim.

However, much like the British Queen, they are not supposed to use their powers.  I remember when in the 80's Belgian parliament legalised abortion, the King refused to sign that particular law (without his signature no law can come into effect).  After he coudn't be convinced to sign it, they just deposed him for a day.  

 

haha that's hilarious, too bad they didn't make it permanent

[MikeO]

Getting snowed in down here!

Actually about an inch of the stuff so far but we Brits like to dramatise. I have a 10.30 meeting tomorrow morning which may involve me spending five minutes de-icing the car, life can be a real bitch sometimes.