Ed Miliband

[Jairzinho]

She's about as much of a feminist as Peter Hitchens.

[Vincent Vega]

The reason for my original post was the lack of balance on the show, why have three right wing Londoners who will all probably be affected by this tax, even though it will barely dent their vast finances. Why on a show of four pundits is the shadow leader able to be hijacked in such a manner? Why was there not somebody on the panel more sympathetic to the tax to provide some balance? Bradby to be fair to him did at least bring up the bedroom tax, but the other three on the panel weren't interested.

 

As for Myleene Klass supposedly running roughshod over him, I don't think she did, she simply wouldn't shut the fuck up and let him have a response and kept talking over him when he tried to defend the policy, and the press would undoubtedly have hung him out to dry if he had tried to put her in her place.

 

See for yourselves, skip to about 1 minute 40 seconds:

 

[Reacher]

What an awful programme that has turned into, absolutely no balance in it what so ever. It's three on one the whole way through and the anchor should be doing his job and telling people to shut the fuck up when they want an answer.

[Rotpeter]

The reason for my original post was the lack of balance on the show, why have three right wing Londoners who will all probably be affected by this tax, even though it will barely dent their vast finances. Why on a show of four pundits is the shadow leader able to be hijacked in such a manner? Why was there not somebody on the panel more sympathetic to the tax to provide some balance? Bradby to be fair to him did at least bring up the bedroom tax, but the other three on the panel weren't interested.

 

As for Myleene Klass supposedly running roughshod over him, I don't think she did, she simply wouldn't shut the fuck up and let him have a response and kept talking over him when he tried to defend the policy, and the press would undoubtedly have hung him out to dry if he had tried to put her in her place.

 

It's good for Ed to be on unbalanced shows like that.  It allows him to differentiate himself from the right, which he needs to do.  Yeah, he could have done with a Churchillian put-down, but as it is anyone engaged beyond the level of pantomime will have seen unruffled politician vs. hysterical, self-important gobshite.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

The problem I have with somebody like Klaas being on there is that she is out of touch with the common man.

 

Her and the other three bemoaning about the mansion tax just re-iterates the Thatcher mantra of 'What's in it for me and my greed?'

 

Get a man off the street to fire questions at Ed and he would have looked a lot better, and possibly gained a better profile to help him win the election.

 

But with ITV and the BBC never being allowed to move away from government protocol then he was always going to be a sitting duck.

 

Get him on RT and watch him schmooze the hotties.

[Jairzinho]

He'd never go on RT for fear that he'd be labelled a communist.

[stringvest]

Perhaps he can go on Pointless, or that programme where you have to adopt a strange shape to avoid being pushed into the swimming pool.  Or perhaps he can learn to articulate his proposition in a manner that the electorate can understand and see the value in.  Might just be worth having a go.   

[VladimirIlyich]

I have no idea what this debate is all about other than some modern 'celebrity' has uttered some ridiculous remarks that have no bearing on about 95% of the population.

If Miliband cannot point out to viewers the irony of a multi millionnaire complaining about not being able to buy much with £2 million then he is fucked. He could easily have turned the conversation to make those comments seems as laughable as they really are but seems to be like most politicians when something off the brief is mentioned.

 

[Jairzinho]

I have no idea what this debate is all about other than some modern 'celebrity' has uttered some ridiculous remarks that have no bearing on about 95% of the population.

If Miliband cannot point out to viewers the irony of a multi millionnaire complaining about not being able to buy much with £2 million then he is fucked. He could easily have turned the conversation to make those comments seems as laughable as they really are but seems to be like most politicians when something off the brief is mentioned.

 

The reaction of the general public is quite worrying though. Thousands of people commenting "Yeah, good for you, Myleene, you tell him". Like that speech that Mitt Romney did about America's version of mansion tax, and their's has a threshold of about $5m or something, Mitt managed to get a gang of hillbillies with about a tenner and half a cheeseburger between them to whoop and fucking holler at "lowering taxes for 'mericuns".

[Kevin D]

Sorry if I came across all whoremoanal feminist, I only read snippets of what was said in the paper so I can't agree or disagree in any depth, apart from to say that I believe we should be taxed solely on our incomes and not fixed assets (until they're sold), whether that be a mansion, a bedroom or a potted plant. I disagree with the mansion tax because I feel it's unfair, but it certainly doesn't evoke the same anger in me as the bedroom tax.

 

It just shocks me that people react so incredulously that a woman with a pretty face could actually hold her own valid opinion against a man. Obviously the first reaction of the mysoginists is to call her a bint.

I'd wreck her cunt.

[Teasmaid]

I'd wreck her cunt.

Cunt-wrecking is fine, just don't go calling us thick just because we've got one.

[VladimirIlyich]

Cunt-wrecking is fine, just don't go calling us thick just because we've got one.

My argument is more that, although she is a woman,those comments she made are about as relevant to the vast majority of women as diseases of the prostate.

[Teasmaid]

My argument is more that, although she is a woman,those comments she made are about as relevant to the vast majority of women as diseases of the prostate.

She wasn't saying it with any feminist agenda though. She was speaking out on behalf of her own. My point was that she's entitled to do that, whether or not she's 'out of touch' with the masses. Being skint doesn't earn you the right to a valid opinion. If an issue affects her, she can kick off about it.

[VladimirIlyich]

She wasn't saying it with any feminist agenda though. She was speaking out on behalf of her own. My point was that she's entitled to do that, whether or not she's 'out of touch' with the masses. Being skint doesn't earn you the right to a valid opinion. If an issue affects her, she can kick off about it.

Mentioning £2 million quid not being enough should make your opinion(in this case at least) pretty stupid and unrepresentative of the vast majority of people.

 

My late father in law always used to say, when stories of these big earners paying higher rates of tax were in the media, 'I wouldnt mind earning what they are if thats how much tax they should be paying.'

Hard to argue with this in my view.

 

 

[Teasmaid]

It's not income tax though is it? A person could be unemployed and not have a penny in the bank, but be forced to leave their home. That's no different to bedroom tax, only the house is in London, and therefore is worth more. If they stopped high earners from dodging income tax, they wouldn't need to introduce unfair taxes like this one.

[VladimirIlyich]

It's not income tax though is it? A person could be unemployed and not have a penny in the bank, but be forced to leave their home. That's no different to bedroom tax, only the house is in London, and therefore is worth more. If they stopped high earners from dodging income tax, they wouldn't need to introduce unfair taxes like this one.

And this is the crux of the matter,tax avoidance.

None of the traditional parties are prepared to tackle it therefore the general population will continue to suffer shortages in their essential services due to the wealthy being able to avoid paying their share.

This is the modern Labour Party's biggest failing and a large part of it becoming detached from its roots.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

It's not income tax though is it? A person could be unemployed and not have a penny in the bank, but be forced to leave their home.

As I understand the proposals, that's not true. Theyd pay when they sold their multi million pound house.

 

That's no different to bedroom tax, only the house is in London, and therefore is worth more.

It's nothing like the bedroom tax, which is only aimed at those receiving housing benefit. Only those meeting a certain level of hardship qualify. So that tax is aimed at only the poorest.

 

Multimillion pound houses would be taxed all over the country, including 10m pound houses owned by billionaires. You seem to be under the illusion that poor, non working people are getting mortgages for multiple millions? This tax is aimed at wealthy people with the funds to afford it. Anybody earning under 42k will have their payment deferred until the property is sold. Those with many, many millions will be charged more than those with 2-3m homes. This is taxing the well off, with exceptions for the few cash poor/asset rich who might get caught, to give to the greater good.

 

It doesn't seem particularly unfair I'm the grand scheme of things.

[Teasmaid]

I've got the wrong end of the stick then. I was under the impression they'd be charged a yearly tax while they were living there.

[Strontium]

I've got the wrong end of the stick then. I was under the impression they'd be charged a yearly tax while they were living there.

 

It'll work like student loans, they won't pay anything unless/until they can afford it. Except student loans are bad, and a mansion tax is good, or something.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I've got the wrong end of the stick then. I was under the impression they'd be charged a yearly tax while they were living there.

Nope, it's a monthly tax based on bands. So I'd your property is worth 10m-12m (for example) you pay more that month than you would if you had a property worth 1-2m. The exception to that is if you happen to be one of these people living in the house since 1934 (again, example) and got it for tuppance ha'penny but don't actually have any money. Then you either pay up when the mega money place is sold.

[Strontium]

Depressing stuff

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30102310

 

EU migrants would wait two years for jobless benefits, Labour says

 

EU migrants would have to wait two years before claiming out of work benefits, under new Labour Party plans.

 

They currently have to wait for three months to apply for income-based jobseeker's allowance.

 

Shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves also wants to end child benefit being sent abroad and to curb in-work benefits paid to EU migrants.

 

The Conservatives said Labour had "no credible way" to make changes, and UKIP called the party "startlingly unaware".

 

Labour said Ms Reeves had already spoken to her counterparts from Europe on the issue.

 

Earlier, the party promised an extra 1,000 UK border guards if it wins the general election.

 

'Absurdity'

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the staff would be funded by a £10 fee for visitors from the United States and 55 other countries.

 

In a speech in London, Mrs Cooper also said Labour would call for an EU Migration Impact Fund within the existing EU budget to help regions that have seen a population rise because of immigration, paying for increased school places, medical staff or housing.

 

"It isn't racist to be worried about immigration or to call for immigration reform," she said.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

It'll work like student loans, they won't pay anything unless/until they can afford it. Except student loans are bad, and a mansion tax is good, or something.

Says the staunch supporter of the party who wanted a mansion tax and to scrap tuition fees. Mansion tax good, student fees bad. Yeah?

[Section_31]

The race to the right. 

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

The way Labour is cowering to the right on certain issues is all wrong. Worrying about migration isn't racist, tackling it like a racist isn't the answer though.

[Strontium]

Says the staunch supporter of the party who wanted a mansion tax and to scrap tuition fees. Mansion tax good, student fees bad. Yeah?

 

A point is being missed here, I think.