jimsleftfoot Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 The expenses regime is quite tight these days. The main thing is MPs can claim only for rent rather than mortgage interest, meaning no London property entry at the taxpayers' expense. I don't even mind the pensions. Everyone gets pissed off about civil service pensions but it's the meanest and most stupid criticism of anything ever. The fact is that the civil service standard should be the general workplace pension standard. It isn't the general workplace standard because most employers are mean and short-sighted, resulting in massive company cash reserves and a ludicrous false economy in pensions and financial services. Generally though, if you want representative democracy to work, you have to pay for the punters who do the representing. Otherwise you get total bellends working a fourth-rate trade, which currently describes too many MPs. Yes quite agree re. public sector pensions. They are a bit like teachers holidays, people complain about how good they are, but you don't often here them say, I wish I was a teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Yes quite agree re. public sector pensions. They are a bit like teachers holidays, people complain about how good they are, but you don't often here them say, I wish I was a teacher.You don't often hear people say they wish they were a traffic warden or an office administrator or a plumber or a solicitor either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 You don't often hear people say they wish they were a traffic warden or an office administrator or a plumber or a solicitor either. You also don't hear people thinking about how amazing NHS pensions are 'I wish I worked for the NHS'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 The candidates standing are: Jim McMahon (Labour), John Bickley (UKIP), James Daly (Conservative), Jane Brophy (Liberal Democrat), Simeon Hart (Green Party) and Sir Oink-A-Lot (Monster Raving Loony Party).The rarely-wrong Chron understands that the BNP attempted to nominate a candidate, but sources say the necessary paperwork was not completed in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24hoursfromtulsehill Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 The rarely-wrong Chron understands that the BNP attempted to nominate a candidate, but sources say the necessary paperwork was not completed in time. I almost can't bear the implied struggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 If he stood for Labour he'd pretty much get the same number of votes as McMahon will.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24hoursfromtulsehill Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 If he stood for Labour he'd pretty much get the same number of votes as McMahon will.... But is he a Corbynite or a Red Tory? What happens under a proportional representation system when a representative dies? Anyone know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 But is he a Corbynite or a Red Tory? What happens under a proportional representation system when a representative dies? Anyone know? What do we win for the right answer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 But is he a Corbynite or a Red Tory? Is McMahon being a "Red Tory" all your own work/opinion or is that how he's viewed by other party members? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBlue Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 (edited) Sir Oink-A-Lot (Monster Raving Loony Party). His lost deposit was well-worth just seeing you type that, Diego It's a shame McMahon has gone, as he seems to be have done a decent job as councillor. Assume he'll be campaigning against further council cuts as MP, unless it's based off of a formula Edited November 11, 2015 by NewBlue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24hoursfromtulsehill Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 What do we win for the right answer? :censored: all, as per. I genuinely don't know. Is McMahon being a "Red Tory" all your own work/opinion or is that how he's viewed by other party members? It's defo not my view. He's a local man who's too smart to get involved in all that London-based nonsense. He's interested in what works rather than faithfulness to the doctrine. He's probably going for the wrong job. He'd achieve more as Mayor of Manchester. The Blairite parliamentary Labour party will claim him as one of their own and a sign that Corbyn is weak, defeated etc. The Corbynistas will claim it doesn't matter, which is probably nearer the truth of the position. What the Blairites don't want is a resounding victory being taken as a vote of confidence in Corbyn, which is also fair enough because it's a vote of confidence in Labour as a whole and McMahon personally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 It's defo not my view. He's a local man who's too smart to get involved in all that London-based nonsense. He's interested in what works rather than faithfulness to the doctrine. He's probably going for the wrong job. He'd achieve more as Mayor of Manchester. Would he have got in as Mayor of Manchester though? This is a shoo-in. He might've had more competition for Mayor? (I say this from a position of having no idea whatsoever). Do you reckon he's destined for a cabinet position at some point? (if you ever get back in of course. which, hopefully you won't ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24hoursfromtulsehill Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Would he have got in as Mayor of Manchester though? This is a shoo-in. He might've had more competition for Mayor? (I say this from a position of having no idea whatsoever). Do you reckon he's destined for a cabinet position at some point? (if you ever get back in of course. which, hopefully you won't ) I genuinely don't think he'll like being an MP. It's a really :censored: job. Preferment depends on things no one really understands or controls. As for Labour ever getting back in...don't you just prefer a Labour party with recognisable and predictable principles? People claim they've been crying out for that for years, then complain when it happens. It's your party as much as it's mine, by the way, even if you have turned your back on it somewhat. There'll be lots of competition for Mayor, but he'd be among the favourites given his youth and record of civic leadership. He'd probably get paid more and have more power, and he wouldn't have to faff about working away from home 34 weeks a year. Not sure what the rules are on double jobbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted November 11, 2015 Author Share Posted November 11, 2015 The UKIP candidate seems to think if he wins he'll also become Leader of the Council and have the power to scrap the Town Hall cinema project. http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/95149/cut-ukip-wants-to-scrap-cinema-project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 It's your party as much as it's mine, by the way, even if you have turned your back on it somewhat. I'm 40 and have lived all of my life in Oldham, Bristol & Newcastle. I've never quite managed to pay higher rate tax. It's never been my party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 The UKIP candidate seems to think if he wins he'll also become Leader of the Council and have the power to scrap the Town Hall cinema project. http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/95149/cut-ukip-wants-to-scrap-cinema-project He's arguably right about the cinema but a lot of people do spend money on rubber chicken and the like in the chain restaurants that will also be in there, for some reason... Either way, it's better than it being empty. But maybe not as good as the "tech hub" he proposes. The question being whether that would be deliverable & sustainable. A cinema & some chain restaurants is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 I'm not sure that spending 30 million on a cinema is that clever if the building is still empty. But an empty tech hub wouldn't be great either. Which if either would work? I don't know and neither do they. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24hoursfromtulsehill Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 I'm 40 and have lived all of my life in Oldham, Bristol & Newcastle. I've never quite managed to pay higher rate tax. It's never been my party. You'll come round eventually. The UKIP candidate seems to think if he wins he'll also become Leader of the Council and have the power to scrap the Town Hall cinema project. http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/95149/cut-ukip-wants-to-scrap-cinema-project I'm getting the popcorn out for the UKIP meltdown during this election. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 You'll come round eventually. Unlikely but, I am in a tiny, tiny minority of people in this country who'd never say never. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Paul Nuttalls of the UKIPs is speaking on why we should leave the EU at Chaddy Reform club tonight. Anyone going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Paul Nuttalls of the UKIPs is speaking on why we should leave the EU at Chaddy Reform club tonight. Anyone going? Only round the corner for me but I already know why. I suspect he'll be coming at it from a slightly different angle to me though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Only round the corner for me but I already know why. I suspect he'll be coming at it from a slightly different angle to me though. I should have gone really. Politicians actually engaging with voters in Oldham as opposed to taking them for granted and laughing all the way to their next landslide. I could have filtered out the pertinent stuff from the :censored:e, I think... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Only round the corner for me but I already know why. I suspect he'll be coming at it from a slightly different angle to me though. Tell me why. I think you have before but I've forgotten... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Tell me why. I think you have before but I've forgotten... I see a country free to trade with the whole world, rather than locked into the sick man of the world economy and pushed towards making ourselves as sick as them so as not to be unfair. I suspect he talked about immigration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24hoursfromtulsehill Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 I see a country free to trade with the whole world, rather than locked into the sick man of the world economy and pushed towards making ourselves as sick as them so as not to be unfair. I suspect he talked about immigration. Has Cameron asked for free or freer trade in his negotiations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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