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London
Dec 30, 2023 23:16:42 GMT
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 30, 2023 23:16:42 GMT
I would say that the figures claimed are very heavily assisted by the Covid lockdowns and the fact that incredible numbers of people simply weren’t going anywhere across 2020 and 2021. I wonder if the more detailed figures in 2024 will highlight that 😉 That doesn’t make sense though. The article says more toxic air pollution has been averted by London’s ultra-low emission zones than is produced by the capital’s airports or its river and rail transport combined. Covid impacted all modes of transport in London. Not just planes and trains.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 29, 2023 17:07:56 GMT
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 28, 2023 18:25:27 GMT
What an excellent idea. I wonder who will benefit most from this? Any ideas? I personally don’t like the idea of inheritance tax to be honest. Work hard for your family, pay tax on that income and then pay more tax on it at death when giving it to loved ones. If they shored up methods for collecting taxable income on other matters, I don’t think it would be unreasonable to remove this entirely. If you organise your affairs in accordance with the rules, you won’t pay IHT on the first £1M of your estate. So it is a tax for only the very wealthy. It is the exact type of taxation we need. Although I agree tax on income, but more so on capital, should be adjusted and made simpler to make sure the rich pay the greatest percentage of their total wealth to the tax man rather than the poor/middle which is the case at the moment.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 28, 2023 14:35:48 GMT
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 26, 2023 15:59:12 GMT
Never heard of them. Just done a search and they look very stylish. Mine are generally from Crew Clothing. They’re very good if I can keep them together I had 5 pairs of DT crew socks wore them to work every day for seven years. Still had life in them but were looking a bit tatty. Claimed in the life time guarantee and got 5 pairs replaced. I’ve got their mtb and a couple of running socks. and no show socks too for the summer. Quality items worth paying extra for I’m a sock connoisseur Interesting. I endlessly wear through socks (even though I hate the things and always prefer bare feet when I can). Would you describe them as keeping your feet warm, keeping them cool or about average? I hate warm socks as my feet get so hot.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 24, 2023 12:08:13 GMT
Have a google of the Equalities Minister, Kemi Bandenoch, and her views on gender. She essentially disregards all independent expert reports and calls transgender children an epidemic, as if it is a disease that can be cured (and she still won’t legislate against conversion therapy). It is part of her beloved culture wars. Well I wasn’t aware of it and I doubt very much whether your average teenager would be either. I think you have to look elsewhere to look for the reason for tragedies like this than comments made by one government minister. I’m sure that social media has far more of an impact on the young than the government. I agree. Who has the power to pass laws and regulate social media and protect our children? Our equalities minister should be looking to make society more equal. Rather than stoking hatred and division, fuelled by a foreign owned right wing sensationalist press.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 24, 2023 11:05:51 GMT
IMO sometimes the spectrum is an excuse for just being a cunt Couldn't agree more there is an excuse for fucking everything nowadays. Its about time folk realised its all bullshit and enabling poor behaviour. Mental health or learning difficulties are not “all bullshit and enabling poor behaviour “. I suggest you read the “It’s ok not to be ok thread”.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 24, 2023 11:01:15 GMT
I agree. It would help if our press and leaders would stop intentionally stoking devision and hatred and blaming to all of society’s problems on those deemed “different”. Understanding and education would be better for all. The most awful of cases and I am sure more information will come out about what led to this terrible crime. I think an analysis of whether Brianna’s use of social media had an influence on her reported anxiety is important. Also the murderers use and access to illegal websites needs to be thoroughly investigated. Two very troubled individuals, one self harming at 12 and both autistic. Why weren’t their supposed well to do families not aware of or doing anything about their darker issues? Did cuts to local services mean they were ignored because they were from well to do families? Children must be protected and lessons learned from this. I’m not sure that the government do though do they around sexuality / gender. As a casual passing reader / viewer the only division I could accuse them of spreading is around immigration and the Israel / Palestine situation. I don’t remember them or the press targeting gender assignment that for me is stoked by social media and comes from those pushing very strongly on both sides. I think if people were happy to live as who or what they want to choose to be the world would be a better place but the world and those on the furthest side of the spectrum won’t allow that. In cases like this I always ask why? There’s a lot of hate in the world at the moment it just feels like people want to take their opinion and force it through violence more than ever. Lockdown has definately been a factor in relation to mental health and behaviour in the young. Have a google of the Equalities Minister, Kemi Bandenoch, and her views on gender. She essentially disregards all independent expert reports and calls transgender children an epidemic, as if it is a disease that can be cured (and she still won’t legislate against conversion therapy). It is part of her beloved culture wars.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 24, 2023 10:38:58 GMT
I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank the Oatcake fraternity for voting for me, I’m absolutely blown away by your support. As you know I’m a man of very few words so I’ll keep this very brief. Of course I’d like to thank everyone who made this award possible, there are too many to mention but particularly Rednwhitenblue, Prestwichpotter, Huddysleftfoot and of course the ever reliable Oggyoggy have done and said so much over the last 12 months to make this award possible and all the more meaningful to me. Thank you all and have a lovely Christmas. Do you think anyone will guess we are the same person?
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 24, 2023 10:38:14 GMT
I never got around to voting! Google wouldn’t let me submit answers for some reason and then I was too busy. I have a feeling that Badger would have been ahead of me for snowflake of the year had I been able to vote.
Congrats to all the winners. Second place is the first loser (except when you come runner up in the championship of course).
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 22, 2023 13:32:07 GMT
People being on the spectrum should not be an excuse for bad behaviour. But it may play a part in explaining it and, personally, i think that means that as a society we may be able to reduce the chances of future terrible crimes by better supporting those with those issues. At least it may make those children happier. Do you disagree? Do you not think that children with mental health problems or learning difficulties should be better supported, just because most of them don’t commit murder? everyone should be supported with mh or learning difficulties. things like ADHD being labelled just does not excuse some people from their behaviour. these kids knew that stabbing someone to death is wrong We are in complete agreement then. No need to have mentioned a horse.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 22, 2023 13:10:38 GMT
I think there is a tremendously strong link between learning difficulties and poor mental health, and an even stronger link between poor mental health and criminal behaviour. What does that mean? Throw the book at the perpetrators, who should bear full responsibility for what they have done. But at the same time learn from what happened and ensure children in particular who have learning difficulties or poor mental health have lots of support (which obviously includes the victim who suffered from anxiety by the sounds of it). That way it may prevent a future case or it may make it less likely to happen again. At the very least it will help make children happier and healthier, which cannot be a bad thing. But that will require money and resources supporting the vulnerable. Those funds have been decimated in recent years. get off that high horse i said "sometimes" someone being on the spectrum is just an excuse to explain bad behaviour most people on the spectrum do not go around stabbing people to death People being on the spectrum should not be an excuse for bad behaviour. But it may play a part in explaining it and, personally, i think that means that as a society we may be able to reduce the chances of future terrible crimes by better supporting those with those issues. At least it may make those children happier. Do you disagree? Do you not think that children with mental health problems or learning difficulties should be better supported, just because most of them don’t commit murder?
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 22, 2023 12:55:45 GMT
IMO sometimes the spectrum is an excuse for just being a cunt I think there is a tremendously strong link between learning difficulties and poor mental health, and an even stronger link between poor mental health and criminal behaviour. What does that mean? Throw the book at the perpetrators, who should bear full responsibility for what they have done. But at the same time learn from what happened and ensure children in particular who have learning difficulties or poor mental health have lots of support (which obviously includes the victim who suffered from anxiety by the sounds of it). That way it may prevent a future case or it may make it less likely to happen again. At the very least it will help make children happier and healthier, which cannot be a bad thing. But that will require money and resources supporting the vulnerable. Those funds have been decimated in recent years.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 22, 2023 12:46:07 GMT
How far does it get or what does it say during the boot up process? Absolutely nowhere lol. It says boot device failed and then just whitescreens. One month left of warranty and currys want to repair it. I want it gone and a refund. This would be twice in for repair. The warranty should mean they must repair or replace the faulty product (it depends on the precise wording). If you are concerned with the repair not resolving the issue and the warranty then expiring, you should write to them and make them aware of your concern and ask for a full refund/replacement product now unless they are willing to confirm in writing that the warranty will be extended beyond the time taken for the repair incase further issues arise or the repair does not work or only works for a short period of time.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 22, 2023 12:28:05 GMT
a terrible case and damning indictment on our society
i think joint venture is the key phrase in this case! Quite so Is it nature or nurture that two 15 year Olds can harbour so much hatred towards someone, who by all accounts had a beautiful soul, but was "different"? Why do people and I don't just mean kids feel threatened by people that are "different" Is it a psychosis or is that far to glib an explanation of an ingrained predudice within Society To be fair UK is a more tolerant Society than most but still feels the need to have pressure groups to advocate on equality of Gender, Sexuality, Colour and various other minority groupings in Society Is it simply that to acknowledge equality of aspiration would somehow diminish our own relative position and face that reality of our lot There are far more malevolent "Demons" to to confronted, Poverty, Education, Class, Meritocracy, Integrity etc 🪜 down from soap box 🎁 I agree. It would help if our press and leaders would stop intentionally stoking devision and hatred and blaming to all of society’s problems on those deemed “different”. Understanding and education would be better for all. The most awful of cases and I am sure more information will come out about what led to this terrible crime. I think an analysis of whether Brianna’s use of social media had an influence on her reported anxiety is important. Also the murderers use and access to illegal websites needs to be thoroughly investigated. Two very troubled individuals, one self harming at 12 and both autistic. Why weren’t their supposed well to do families not aware of or doing anything about their darker issues? Did cuts to local services mean they were ignored because they were from well to do families? Children must be protected and lessons learned from this.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 21, 2023 9:53:13 GMT
As part of the Premier League’s Owners’ Charter agreed in June 2022, clubs said they would not “not engage in the creation of new competition formats outside of the Premier League’s rules”.
Not sure if that would cover a super league (and the rules can always be changed). More important than ever for football to be regulated and for fans to have stakes in clubs by law. They should make football clubs as something other than businesses and pass lws to ensure they are parts of the community etc.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 20, 2023 12:40:39 GMT
Given that the higher rate only applies to earnings over £43k (ie the money earned up to £43k is taxed at the lower rate) a salary sacrifice would indeed reduce the tax bill but it will also reduce their actual take home pay. Reducing your tax just for the sake of it is just petty. Is not better for the money to go towards your own private pension instead going towards a wasteful government? It depends if you want a decent health service and police force etc
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 20, 2023 10:48:40 GMT
I guess it is about taxing the people who can afford to pay more, and not increasing taxes for those struggling the most. The tories tend to tax the poor and middle and not the rich so much. That’s why my average tax rate is higher than Sunak’s (he is infinitely richer than me). Capital taxes are where there should be tax increases as that generally targets the wealthy. Combine that with shutting loopholes and tax very high earners 50%, without differentiating between earned and non-earned income. NI is also a joke as it is effectively another income tax but only applies to income up to a certain level. Regulating energy profits and water costs would be another good way to help. They obviously should be nationalised but that’s unaffordable at the moment. That’s not relevant to the Scottish tax system. I know. I was responding to your comments about the English system.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 20, 2023 9:47:47 GMT
I guess the question is do you want better public services or not? Do you want the things we all rely on to work better, or not? If you do, you have to pay for them somehow. And you can do that through several ways: increase taxation to fund them, additional borrowing (and therefore increased debt and interest payments on that debt), increasing efficiency and reducing waste. To my mind, both one and three are the way forward. The third one on its own is much the preferred way of Conservative ideology and we can see where that has led us over the last 13 years and, indeed, during the 18 years of the Thatcher/Major governments: a great sell-off of nationalised industries to the point where we are all now paying more for privatised services which are, in many cases, no better or worse than previously and a reduction in the quality of public services through years of underfunding. The Scots appear to be adopting the broadly northern European/Scandinavian model of approaching this issue and rightly so. Whether they'll get it right in practice remains to be seen, their record on many issues is not great. But they won't resolve anything by cutting funding, as is the routine approach in England, no matter how much they think they can do stuff like forcing more work onto already hard-working key workers. We already pay too much tax in England. The 42% in Scotland is bordering on racketeering. I’m also baffled as to why the people saying English PAYE don’t pay enough tax, yet were very quick to slag off Hunt for not raising the income tax threshold, which in effect is a tax rise 🙄 I guess it is about taxing the people who can afford to pay more, and not increasing taxes for those struggling the most. The tories tend to tax the poor and middle and not the rich so much. That’s why my average tax rate is higher than Sunak’s (he is infinitely richer than me). Capital taxes are where there should be tax increases as that generally targets the wealthy. Combine that with shutting loopholes and tax very high earners 50%, without differentiating between earned and non-earned income. NI is also a joke as it is effectively another income tax but only applies to income up to a certain level. Regulating energy profits and water costs would be another good way to help. They obviously should be nationalised but that’s unaffordable at the moment.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 18, 2023 10:57:34 GMT
Special in what way? Maybe it's just me but I find the whole "Led by Donkeys", "Jonathon Pie" "Last Leg" centrist comedy about as funny as a dose of the shits.......... Careful, you know where this led when Badger dissed the last leg. I’ve dissed it in this thread.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 18, 2023 9:57:04 GMT
It is a bastion of nonsense some of the time. The prank on Suella is pretty special, even Badger would surely agree!? But I do not think it is sometimes a bastion of nonsense because it is woke and gives a platform on tv for disabled people. It is sometimes nonsense because it isn’t often funny or entertaining. People seem to watch it else it wouldn’t keep being made. Special in what way? Maybe it's just me but I find the whole "Led by Donkeys", "Jonathon Pie" "Last Leg" centrist comedy about as funny as a dose of the shits.......... I take my hat off to anyone who is able to get Suella Braverman to turn up in person to receive a “Dick of the Year” award.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 18, 2023 9:54:59 GMT
No, i was saying Drakeford has been a far better leader of his government than the recent Westminster leaders. So he hasn’t been all bad. It is about as low a bar as you could possibly set. I am literally saying he hasn’t broken his own laws or presided over corruption and turned the other way, and his MPs are not sexual predators. What should I be? Why are you making it personal? Are you not able to take someone having a different opinion to you? Not at all... And its not personal...I just object to anyone altering my posts to reflect their own views. So you don’t think the Westminster government has been doing a bad job?
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650
Dec 17, 2023 13:55:54 GMT
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gawa likes this
Post by oggyoggy on Dec 17, 2023 13:55:54 GMT
Only if I’m PM, and Huddy is Minister without portfolio. I'd worry about the impartiality of the BBC under your premiership Oggy. You'd need a tight rein on Huddy, he'd need focus otherwise he'd be your loose canon. He's Prescott-lite. He'd be chinning people before you knew it. Don’t worry about that. I’d put Badger in charge of the BBC on the condition the Last Leg is shown weekly. YesWilko and Knype would be my nutters on the backbenches. My John McDonnell and Lee Anderson.
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650
Dec 17, 2023 13:50:03 GMT
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 17, 2023 13:50:03 GMT
Aurelius as the Stop the Boats minister!
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 17, 2023 12:20:13 GMT
Dyson!? To offshore manufacturing? Just throwing his hat in , out of the blue, I will have to reconsider.....Having said that over the years most of UK manufacturing has gone abroad.....perhaps Dyson stands out because he has been successful, 5.9 bn , 5th richest man, but I'm not particularly fighting his corner. He has shown good qualities of perseverance and is successful..... Who do you put forward? Martin Lewis is a good suggestion. I’d stay clear of most well known people or celebrities. Running a country should be about competent public administration. Not fame and charisma. To be honest, I’d appoint my wife and get her involved. She’s a government lawyer and she and her civil servant colleagues know the actual nuts and bolts of running a country that most don’t. I’d also want ministers with actual experience in their field. A nurse/doctor to be health minister. A teacher as education minister. A lawyer as AG and justice minister. Perhaps David Attenborough as environment minister (if he were younger!). Torsten Bell as Chancellor (the CEO of the Resolution Foundation). I very much like the idea of MPs having lived in their constituency so they know local issues. Diverse and wide ranging individuals. Easy to say, hard to achieve.
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650
Dec 17, 2023 11:46:16 GMT
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 17, 2023 11:46:16 GMT
Oggy,Wannabee, Bluers and Huddy - The gang of four for the 21st Century. Prestwich is Martin Bell in a soup stained off-white linen suit. Only if I’m PM, and Huddy is Minister without portfolio.
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650
Dec 17, 2023 11:45:11 GMT
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 17, 2023 11:45:11 GMT
There are 650 MPs They don't seem to be doing a very good job. If you could choose anyone ( except Frasier) to run the country ( without elections), who would you pick? My immediate thoughts are; Martin Lewis ( the money saving expert), Richard Attenborough, Denise Coates, Dyson.... They don't have to be famous. Dyson!? To offshore manufacturing?
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 17, 2023 11:06:45 GMT
No, i was saying Drakeford has been a far better leader of his government than the recent Westminster leaders. So he hasn’t been all bad. It is about as low a bar as you could possibly set. I am literally saying he hasn’t broken his own laws or presided over corruption and turned the other way, and his MPs are not sexual predators. What should I be? Why are you making it personal? Are you not able to take someone having a different opinion to you? How about Badger's eloquently stated opinion that The Last Leg is a bastion of woke nonsense? It is a bastion of nonsense some of the time. The prank on Suella is pretty special, even Badger would surely agree!? But I do not think it is sometimes a bastion of nonsense because it is woke and gives a platform on tv for disabled people. It is sometimes nonsense because it isn’t often funny or entertaining. People seem to watch it else it wouldn’t keep being made.
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 17, 2023 9:41:06 GMT
I don’t think they are all as bad as each other. Considering some are sexual predators and others aren’t. And many do very good things for society (usually backbenchers with cross party support over a specific issue). Drakeford wasn’t a sexual predator or a serial liar and he didn’t take us for fools by making the laws and then breaking them like some of the tories in Westminster. He didn’t take billions of taxpayer funds and pay it to his mates either (as far as I am aware). So he isn’t all bad. Perhaps Wales will be a lot better without him, but I imagine it will still be Labour running it after the next election, and better than it was because we are likely to be a Labour Westminster government too and they will work together rather than against one another. The governments of recent years have been the worst ever. Hopefully it will improve after the next election. Ah, you were making a pro labour point by changing my views to suit your own as I originally thought how very high handed of you. you should be one...you'd fit right in.... No, i was saying Drakeford has been a far better leader of his government than the recent Westminster leaders. So he hasn’t been all bad. It is about as low a bar as you could possibly set. I am literally saying he hasn’t broken his own laws or presided over corruption and turned the other way, and his MPs are not sexual predators. What should I be? Why are you making it personal? Are you not able to take someone having a different opinion to you?
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Post by oggyoggy on Dec 17, 2023 8:38:51 GMT
Completely agree. By all means they should talk to people. MPs need to know what businesses are thinking, worried about, needing etc. But it should be recorded, minuted, publicly available. Candidates should also have lived in their constituency as their primary residence for an allotted period of time before being able to stand too in my opinion. Too many mps shoehorned into safe seats for constituency where they have no connection and probably little concern for local issues. It is all about regulating MPs.
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