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Post by eor on Aug 21, 2023 23:50:37 GMT
While ScotGov imposed a rent freeze on existing private rental agreements, it didn't apply to new contracts - where the rates seem to have shot up. Uncanny. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2023 0:03:27 GMT
That is a very naughty headline tbf - not having a full month's rent in savings that could be drawn upon needs about five layers of translation to get to "one paycheque away from losing their home", which is a spectre that surely isn't real anyway? Can you really be evicted for going into partial arrears on a single rent payment? (I appreciate if the answer is actually "yes" then I've played straight into the bubble you referenced in your first line!) I think you may be diminishing what could be a very real worry for some people, even if the timing may not be literally as you suggest. I think my comparison with the average UKPR2 contributor remains valid. |
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oldnat
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Post by oldnat on Aug 22, 2023 0:10:13 GMT
While ScotGov imposed a rent freeze on existing private rental agreements, it didn't apply to new contracts - where the rates seem to have shot up. Uncanny.
It's a hugely difficult problem, and none of the UK governments (or probably any others) have a solution. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2023 0:11:25 GMT
I wonder why the BelTel did an article on private renting in England. Probably just filling space by regurgitating a feed from a news agency.
Its readers would likely have been more interested in whatever the situation is in NI, though that would have meant the paper actually hiring enough journalists to do the research, and without a functioning Executive there would be no need to attack it for whatever they had or hadn't done.
Still, it's an interesting example of why UK residents outwith England are better informed about matters in that polity than the reverse - or why it's so hard to get news about matters in other parts of the UK than England, or one's own polity.
While ScotGov imposed a rent freeze on existing private rental agreements, it didn't apply to new contracts - where the rates seem to have shot up. As will be noted from the link below, they regularly produce often thought-provoking articles outwith their 'expected' sphere of influence. www.newsnow.co.uk/h/UK |
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steve
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Post by steve on Aug 22, 2023 5:55:39 GMT
oldnat Clearly it was too much to ask for you to have a sensible conversation about the realities of European union membership. Instead you reverted to secessionist talking points and insults, shame that You can do better. You are the ghost 👻 of Winnie Ewing and I claim my Edinburgh issued £5 note.
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neilj
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Post by neilj on Aug 22, 2023 5:58:16 GMT
The 16% pay rise for FTSE100 Chief Executives compares to a 6.5% payrise for the ordinary worker. Their pay increased to 118 times the median wage of a full time UK worker, up from 108 times the average rate a year earlier. Just waiting for the Government and the Bank of England to call out these inflation busting pay rises... www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/22/ftse-100-bosses-given-average-pay-rise-of-500000-in-2022'The bosses of the UK’s 100 biggest listed companies collected an average £500,000 pay rise last year, while many of the millions of people working for them saw their pay growth fail to keep up with soaring inflation. FTSE 100 chief executives received an average pay rise of 16% last year, taking their median pay to £3.9m, up from £3.4m in 2021' |
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steve
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Post by steve on Aug 22, 2023 6:01:43 GMT
The traitors demand for massive protest following his charging was the dog that wouldn't bark, which is positive , the fact that this doesn't stop his more deranged cult followers from planning individual acts of violence less so. But it does look that the U.S. will be able to lock the traitor up without the civil war he wants. youtu.be/7TovgP-I1X0 |
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Post by pete on Aug 22, 2023 6:07:18 GMT
That is a very naughty headline tbf - not having a full month's rent in savings that could be drawn upon needs about five layers of translation to get to "one paycheque away from losing their home", which is a spectre that surely isn't real anyway? Can you really be evicted for going into partial arrears on a single rent payment? (I appreciate if the answer is actually "yes" then I've played straight into the bubble you referenced in your first line!) That's OK then. Even if you can't be kicked out straight away the fear and mental pressure people will be under if they start to fall behind in paying rent. You can't just do a couple of hours extra work and catch up on yourself. People on here really do live different lives. |
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Danny
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Post by Danny on Aug 22, 2023 6:32:50 GMT
I am aware of a growing number of people who are declining to be vaccinated anymore because of a combination of side effects and the mixed messaging that covid is both harmless yet essential to be boosted against. I wonder if thats because authorities are no longer offering the vaccines? Dont seem to think it is worthwhile? All infections stimulate the immune system and therefore tend to ward off other infections. I'd remind you however that human immunity works on an annual clock cycle and wanes in the autumn as sun exposure lessons. This happns all over the world regardles of absolute amount of sun exposure. In other words, we incite infections in the autumn/early winter. Do you have suggestions why that is an evolutionary advantage? The one I could think of is its a good time of year to get infected and top up our immunity. Food is still plentiful but harvest over. I agree thats interesting, but you need to distinguish between deaths from the illness and deaths from the disruption. And then in particular which elements of disruption were caused by covid, and which by our reaction to covid. We quite deliberately took steps to make this epidemic last longer and we certainly succeeded. But in the process did we save any lives at all, and did we increase the disruption to normal health services which as a result is killing more people now? |
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steve
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Post by steve on Aug 22, 2023 6:35:25 GMT
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Post by jib on Aug 22, 2023 6:48:38 GMT
oldnat The influence the constituent members of the United kingdom would have in the European union as separate entities would be diminished. I assume you would accept that Croatia doesn't have as much influence as Germany in terms of economic and social policy or in the European parliament.Similar circumstances would apply to a separate Scotland which could expect to exert similar influence to perhaps Denmark, Wales would be akin to Cyprus. A independent England has a similar population to Italy and a GDP close to France so presumably would be a significant member state. This isn't a criticism of smaller states membership they play an important role and benefit massively from membership but it's naive to think that they are the driving force behind European union policy. The only exception to this might be northern Ireland ,given their semi detatched status from the rest of the UK already. If following a border poll they united with the Republic of Ireland they wouldn't actually have to join the European union, as they would already be members. This option clearly isn't open to the rest of the UK.
Of course, an independent England would have greater influence than Scotland or Wales - just as Germany has greater influence than the Netherlands. To the extent that there is any logic in your argument, the Netherlands would gain greater influence by becoming a Land in the German Federal Republic. (Spoiler : there is no logic in your argument - just self-interest)
Happy that you accept that your original suggestion that NI would be "diminished" in the EU was rubbish. That's a big problem with you BritNat conservatives. You are so attuned to thinking of the UK as Greater England, that you don't work out what it means for those of us who live in what you think of as Lesser England.
You are Rishi Sunak, and I claim my 5 million rupees.The Lib Dems are just an inferior but subservient branch of the Tory party. Anyway, I'm sure pointing that out made him spit out his crunchy nuts. |
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Danny
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Post by Danny on Aug 22, 2023 6:58:08 GMT
the idea that a pathogen pops up, we catch it a few times, and then it becomes like a harmless common cold, is just wrong, as is the idea that we need infections to 'exercise' our immune system. Its funny then that doctors have consistently said in recent years that catching diseases boosts future immunity. Its said kids should catch diseases so they will be protected for life. In fact that pattern is what we see historically, big numbers of deaths from illness in childhood but then not in later life. You can argue its a tough way to obtain immunity because of the deaths on the way, but it does suggest the survivors once they had the diseases stayed safe for life. A pharmaceutical may act to kill an invading bug which has no impact on future immunity. However all a vaccine does is mimic infection and create immunity which protects us in the future. If being infected did not create protective immunity for the future, then vacines could not work. Are you again suggesting vaccines do not work? or is this your usual attempt to have it both ways, we acquire immunity against foreign introduced proteins when it suits you and not when it doesnt? I just explained that the historical record does indeed show this is exactly what happens. You skate over the 'physical methods' earlier but the big change was the industrial revolution, which was made possible by exploitation of fossil fuels. Shame about the pollution, but it hugely boosted our food and clean water supplies, gave us decent homes. The bottom line is that covid was defeated by our natural immune systems, with a few tweaks with technical interventions which helped some survive until their immunity had time to work. Most people seriously ill with covid would already have been long dead before the disease struck without our technological base, and those at extra risk from being overweight would not have had the luxury to become overweight. Thats easy to see comparing the UK with developing countries not filled with geriatrics.
There is some argument about why humans changed from hunter gatherers to farmers, and again, it seems likely it was because it allowed them to obtain more and more reliable food. It seems likely this was accompanied by a step change upwards in human population as resources expanded. And then once again as the industrial revolution created many more resources and we were able to expand population again.
However there seems room for debate whether humans have a built in instinct not to have too many children, assuming technology allows. We stress the importance of availability of birth control, but it is possible to do this, albeit imperfectly, using natural methods. So it has always been an option. The industrial revolution created conditions for more children to survive and so we saw a surge in population, but we have all been cutting family size ever since. Go look at some victorian genealogy with family sizes of ten or so. Then my parents had three, my siblings two and the rate they are going the next generation down will be lucky to have one.
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steve
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Post by steve on Aug 22, 2023 7:02:06 GMT
jib You should never spit out your crunchy nuts, didn't your mummy teach you the importance of good table manners, or couldn't she pull you away from your Danny Alexander comic. I am sure you are familiar with the true nature of the Tory party as you're one of their most devoted apologists and enablers.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2023 7:09:20 GMT
Screw Putin’s ‘red lines’. He has no right to them, anymore than Milosevic or Bin Laden did. In banging on about them all we do is aggrandise him and encourage him to make threats he knows many in the West will get knock-kneed about. A direct military confrontation with Russia would make me nervous but I would welcome it because it would be the right thing to do and I know the Russians who are good at talking but not doing would fold like a crumpled piece of paper. It would set a precedent for the future that this sort of international anarchy and state terrorism will not be tolerated from anyone, anywhere including China.They will not use nuclear weapons as they’re not suicidal and are too unprincipled to risk Armageddon. They are in reality cowards who rely on our fear to continue their crimes. Many still seem to have some latent respect or awe for the Russian state as if it were actually the successor to the Soviet Union. It is no such thing. It’s nothing but a criminal organisation writ large and appeasing it’s nihilistic crimes is to appease the worst in humanity. Very well said. We need to wake to reality. Russia is not interested in cosy relationships with USA/Europe. It has other pals and plans. economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/how-brics-was-born-how-it-overtook-g7-and-where-it-is-headed/articleshow/102913989.cms?from=mdrwww.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-66562999www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230820-strong-enough-now-brics-nations-eye-global-geopolitical-shiftFor those worrying about nuclear war they should be looking a bit further east than Russia . |
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domjg
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Post by domjg on Aug 22, 2023 7:09:54 GMT
That is a very naughty headline tbf - not having a full month's rent in savings that could be drawn upon needs about five layers of translation to get to "one paycheque away from losing their home", which is a spectre that surely isn't real anyway? Can you really be evicted for going into partial arrears on a single rent payment? (I appreciate if the answer is actually "yes" then I've played straight into the bubble you referenced in your first line!) That's OK then. Even if you can't be kicked out straight away the fear and mental pressure people will be under if they start to fall behind in paying rent. You can't just do a couple of hours extra work and catch up on yourself. People on here really do live different lives. For some trying to show us how clever they are appears to be far more important than having any principles. |
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steve
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Post by steve on Aug 22, 2023 7:12:28 GMT
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steve
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Post by steve on Aug 22, 2023 7:18:04 GMT
pete While of course Danny is wrong , don't understate the seriousness of the common cold , tens of thousands die each year world wide as a result of complications and secondary conditions related to catching the common cold.
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Danny
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Post by Danny on Aug 22, 2023 7:27:00 GMT
Hope everyone is well this morning. In terms of the next GE, while it is rare these days to find someone who doesn't think Labour will win the next GE, it seems equally so in regards to finding people who think a Labour govt will be able to change things for the better. Just as well to manage expectations, perhaps. Much better chance whatever they do in a first term will be seen as a success leading to a second. I do wonder whether the parties' strategy is to discourage people from voting. Makes the results more predictable. I agree we joined the EU in the first place because there wasnt any real alternative, and that has not changed. However, an associate membership of some sort seems quite possible quite quickly if there was political will. We could easily and quickly reverse various changes creating trade barriers with the EU, and we are even already doing so. For example, the independent UK standards organisation is being quietly shelved and the UK staying on European standards is a useful step. Its interesting perhaps that the US also adopted a two tier approach to membership, creating 'territories' which are not full member states. |
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Danny
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Post by Danny on Aug 22, 2023 7:30:29 GMT
pete While of course Danny is wrong , don't understate the seriousness of the common cold , tens of thousands die each year world wide as a result of complications and secondary conditions related to catching the common cold. Some common colds are also caused by coronaviruses related to covid. Its just a generic name we give to minor respiratory infections which has no rleationship to how serious those same pathogens might have been in the past before we adapted, or how serious they still might be to those of us especially vulnerable. We all had many corona virus infections before covid came along, and those did create some immunity to covid. |
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Danny
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Post by Danny on Aug 22, 2023 7:34:51 GMT
@lululemonmustdobetter I keep an eye on the YouGov 'lilelyhood to vote' tables, and these support the idea of a low turnout. Overall, around 53% of respondents say that they are "certain to vote", compared to 58% in Summer 2018 - which is the nearest I can get to the middle of the 2017-19 Parliament*. So on that basis, we might expect turnout to be about 5 points down on 2019. Across age and social class cross-breaks, the fall in self-reported likelyhood to vote is fairly even. However, there are wide gaps (10-15%) between 2016 Remainers and Leavers, and also between 2019 Con and 2019 Lab (57% to 73% per the most recent YG). Comparing to summer 2018, Remainers say they are just as 'certain' now as then to vote (c70%), while Leavers are around 8-10% less 'certain to vote'. Not forgetting that yougov political samples severely under represent those who do not normally vote. I dont know, and dont know if there is any published info to tell, whether all opinion polling under represents people unlikely to vote because such people are also unlikely to take part in opinion polling. There was a significant chunk of people who were never voters who however did come out to vote to leave the EU. This may help to eplain the unexpected win. In general there is blind spot if some issue winds up the public enough to get habitual non voters to turn out. |
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Danny
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Post by Danny on Aug 22, 2023 7:37:34 GMT
Further to my post from this mornings news about insolvent local authorities comes a story about growing numbers of potholes. We need to look into these! The interviewee suggested we certainly do, preferably also measures them, photograph them and report their exact locations to the council. Which is then under a duty to fix them which it otherwise is not. The damage to people's vehicles increases remorselessly all the time we do not do this and require them to be fixed. |
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Post by alec on Aug 22, 2023 7:47:47 GMT
Not for the first time. Danny needs a rethink, where he says - "Its funny then that doctors have consistently said in recent years that catching diseases boosts future immunity." I'm just away to post a recent paper on the covid thread which finds that catching Omicron significantly increases your chances of reinfection. It's the complete opposite of the hybrid immunity theory, and isn't remotely surprising, to any of us that have been following the science on this. What Danny says about doctors is true, in that many doctors have false ideas about immunity. It wouldn't be the first time that the medical establishment has got something completely wrong. |
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Danny
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Post by Danny on Aug 22, 2023 7:53:28 GMT
neilj Looking at those polling results on so called "woke" (which in any event will have a personal definition for most who give a response) issues, it seems really odd the UK Gov is doubling down on such matters. Well, what better issues might they talk about? Brexit going well, is it? Prison overcrowding, cant lock anyone else up. Hospital waiting lists growing? Schools massively underfunded and huge shortage of teachers because of low pay and poor conditions? Social care underfunded, cannot get care workers. Council's going bust. Housing shortage, ending of council homes and the right to buy...all leading to that shortage. Lower taxes on the rich...upsetting the poor. Immigration hit another record last year, and it was not because of illegals but deliberately allowing them in. War in Ukraine looks terribly like a stalemate which could swing into reprisals of why didnt we help more. Polluted rivers. Train companies poor performance. Growing resistance to vehicle changeover from fossil fuels. Terible record on installing renewables leading to bigger recent energy price crunch than necessary. Soaring national debt. Massive trade deficit. Incompetent covid handling... Which issues do you suggest they could be concentrating on? |
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Post by pete on Aug 22, 2023 7:57:04 GMT
As a public service, Redwood and Wilton without the tedious trolling. Labour 42% Conservative 27% Liberal Democrat 13% Reform UK 7% Green 6% Scottish National Party 3% Other 1% The Government’s net competency rating stands at -24% this week. Altogether, 23% find the Government competent, while 47% find the Government incompetent. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak receives a net approval rating of -18%. Yesterday’s poll finds 29% approving of his overall job performance against 47% disapproving. Labour leader Keir Starmer’s net approval rating stands at +12%. 39% approve of Starmer’s job performance, while 27% disapprove. Who are these 23% and what the hell do they think this government is 'competent' in? |
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Post by pete on Aug 22, 2023 8:00:47 GMT
pete While of course Danny is wrong , don't understate the seriousness of the common cold , tens of thousands die each year world wide as a result of complications and secondary conditions related to catching the common cold. This may well be true but as a 59 year old the common cold hasn't put me out of action twice (bedridden, both times breathing problems) now neither have I ever had the flu. Covid is more dangerous than the flu/cold. |
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Danny
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Post by Danny on Aug 22, 2023 8:00:57 GMT
While the press might like to see Letby in court as it might be of interest to the public unless the victims families have requested it which is a different issue I really don't see that it serves any significant purpose. There seems to be some confusion over the legal position. Some experts seem to think there already is power to compel people to appear, but the consensus has moved to it being better all around if they dont have to if they dont want to, because they will simply cause trouble in court. And the more severe the sentence, then the more likely they will cause trouble because they have nothing whatever to lose. |
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Danny
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Post by Danny on Aug 22, 2023 8:04:01 GMT
This may well be true but as a 59 year old the common cold hasn't put me out of action twice (bedridden, both times breathing problems) now neither have I ever had the flu. Covid is more dangerous than the flu/cold. But nor where you exposed to covid as a kiddie when it likely would have been just another cold, and therebay acquired immunity keeping it at the cold level for most of your life. In terms of immunity, an infection has similar effects to a vaccination. |
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Post by crossbat11 on Aug 22, 2023 8:11:32 GMT
As a public service, Redwood and Wilton without the tedious trolling. Labour 42% Conservative 27% Liberal Democrat 13% Reform UK 7% Green 6% Scottish National Party 3% Other 1% The Government’s net competency rating stands at -24% this week. Altogether, 23% find the Government competent, while 47% find the Government incompetent. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak receives a net approval rating of -18%. Yesterday’s poll finds 29% approving of his overall job performance against 47% disapproving. Labour leader Keir Starmer’s net approval rating stands at +12%. 39% approve of Starmer’s job performance, while 27% disapprove. Who are these 23% and what the hell do they think this government is 'competent' in? The Daily Telegraph readership and circulation may be bigger than first thought. |
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Post by somerjohn on Aug 22, 2023 8:16:17 GMT
Danny: " Its interesting perhaps that the US also adopted a two tier approach to membership, creating 'territories' which are not full member states. "
Ah, yes. Britain as the Puerto Rico of Europe.
Should tick all JiB's boxes.
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Post by lululemonmustdobetter on Aug 22, 2023 8:22:05 GMT
Screw Putin’s ‘red lines’. He has no right to them, anymore than Milosevic or Bin Laden did. In banging on about them all we do is aggrandise him and encourage him to make threats he knows many in the West will get knock-kneed about. A direct military confrontation with Russia would make me nervous but I would welcome it because it would be the right thing to do and I know the Russians who are good at talking but not doing would fold like a crumpled piece of paper. It would set a precedent for the future that this sort of international anarchy and state terrorism will not be tolerated from anyone, anywhere including China.They will not use nuclear weapons as they’re not suicidal and are too unprincipled to risk Armageddon. They are in reality cowards who rely on our fear to continue their crimes. Many still seem to have some latent respect or awe for the Russian state as if it were actually the successor to the Soviet Union. It is no such thing. It’s nothing but a criminal organisation writ large and appeasing it’s nihilistic crimes is to appease the worst in humanity. , apologies but I am far more cautious than you. The hubris and imperial overstretch shown by the US in first two decades of this century show clearly the unforeseen consequences and risks of going to war. Also I really don't think either materially or psychologically western nations/societies are prepared for a war with Russia. It would be very difficult to contain, and the risk of it escalating to some form of nuclear engagement is too high - that's just how nuclear deterrents work and why NATO will not get involved in a hot war with Russia full stop! Personally, I don't want to see my two sons sacrificed in a war with Russia and I guess most parents in the UK feel the same. We are already covertly engaged, which can be denied - but direct conflict is just too risky.
In terms of intervention, one thing I learnt years ago from people in the military, is you really need an exit strategy and long-term occupation of a hostile population is untenable. There is no way we can occupy Russia, and there is no guarantee your intervention will topple Putin's regime (in fact it may have the reverse effect). Military leaders will never support a plan that does not involve knocking out Russian airpower/defences, which means you cant restrict action territorially to Ukraine and will have to strike at assets in Russia. Also, rather than leading to China toeing the line, it will likely lead them to further invest in their military fuelling an arms race.
Many analyst were arguing that this summer offered the the best chance for Ukraine (a window where the Russians would be weaker), where the west fundamentally went wrong was not providing the Ukrainians with means to establish air superiority (they thought missiles would be enough). After 3-4 months of their counter-offensive they have only made modest gains in a couple of sectors, and the Russians don't look like breaking atm. While Russian losses have been high, so have Ukraine's, and when you factor in relative demographics, they are probably at a similar rate. As I have said before, it seems highly likely the war will go into at least a third year. Most likely outcome is probably some form of negotiated compromise. |
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