DJKillaQueen

I agree on Matt Ed. But I too also think Cher was strongest last night. I've said it before but she stands out because she's current.

But if you are a freelance worker....whose work is contract based you CAN claim benefits between contracts (providing any savings you have are not above the allowed threshold).

Also the inland revenue has done mystifying deals with the likes of Al Fayed etc effectively allowing them to pay less tax. And just because something is technically legal, doesn't make it moral. PAYE employees pay proportionately more tax than the self employed for example, who can offset expenses against tax (an area vastly abused) and pay less national insurance too. The argument of the very rich is often that the gross amount of tax they pay is so large that they should somehow pay a smaller percentage of their income as tax than the PAYE employee.

Joanna Lumley? Why should she retire? She's an actress (not a singer or in a band). In fact why should anyone retire if the work is there? I think this thread is an example of ageism tbh.

That's what I heard then (I live on Peckham Rye).

Labour vacated the populist middle ground and lost the people. This I agree with. The party that occupies this ground is usually the party that wins elections. But I also wouldn't say that the Coalition are sitting there either at the moment...so plenty of opportunity for Labour if they take it. I take Sean's point about 'electoral poison' and that Labour may need to be patient and ride out current unpopularity. However, they didn't 'lose' the election...it was hung and that's not the same as losing to a majority. Things aren't as bleak as some would care to suggest. People who would have gone either way in the past. On this, I know lots of people who have gone back to Labour because of what the Coalition are doing so I don't buy the suggestion that people are generally happy with the coalition based on conversations any individual may have with a few people they know. I think the coalition has polarised some of the floating electorate and perhaps sent traditional supporters back to either the conservatives or Labour. We also have yet to see the effects on jobs of the coming cuts and tax rises, which haven't come into effect yet. People ARE going to lose their jobs. The rise in VAT in the new year will be the first of those measures.

On 20k I NEED to pay less tax to get by. Why does someone on billions or even millions feel the same need. I will never ever ever ever ever get this I couldn't agree more....but would say the reason why some get obscenely wealthy in the first place is because they have an addiction to money....just like an alcoholic, no amount is ever enough.

After which they grow to the size of a rhino!.....saw it in a movie somewhere.......so it must be true ;-)

LOL.....

I just heard loads of sirens (about 10 mins ago)....are they going to CPR?

Puff Adder.

I think there were a few nerves tonight but no way was Rebecca a worst act. I think Mary will go...and I think Matt didn't have a good week for him but he'll make the final with OD, Cher and Rebecca I think and on balance they are the four acts that most deserve to be there. The bookies have odds shortening on Mary to go. For the final they have Matt to win, OD second and Rebecca third but Matts odds are drifting after tonight's show. OD's odds are shortening and Rebecca is shortening with some and drifting with others.

Katie's point on paternity leave is a good one too, and as paternity leave for father's was a Labour initiative then it would also have I think, sent the wrong message for him not to have taken it.

I think the country is still behind the government at the moment. You base that on what exactly? Can't think of a single opionion poll that shows any significant movement either way from the split elecotrate that returned a hung parliament. You might be right on the long game thing (and on the opposition for opposition's sake point) though.

He only has himself to blame for media under representation. If you go AWOL there's not a lot the media can report. I think Labour should be openly challenging the government on some of the balmy and unfair aspects of their proposed policies, at all times, because that's what forms debate. At the moment we have no opposition.

That's also because the only person we hear from is Cameron!

:)) Oh bog off I'm drunk LOL......

All seated on the ground.... An angel of the death type came down And put a sock in it of everyone around!

Bah humbug...I'm trying to sleep here!

Yes but that's the particaluar nature of a capital city. Go outside of London and you'll find the socio-economic diversity to be less mixed in equal measure and in some towns you'll find one type of socio-economic background dominates in the main. We live in a bubble in London. It's not repressentative of the rest of the country.

This is why the length of time taken to elect a new leader was a huge mistake (and I'd say the mistake was made as soon as Brown's ego was put before the party - they knew how unpopular he was with the electorate and then buried their heads in the sand). It gave the coalition an unchallenged head start......so as you say...anything that Labour propose now has lost any benefit of the initiative to claim as their own. All that is left is to oppose.....but that's a minefield because all parties were campaigning that cuts had to be made. The Labour party needs to wake up ....and fast.

LOL oilworker....yes, a not so bright kid in a public school statistically will still do better than many brighter chidren in the state system.....like I say...not a level playing field. I just watched Question Time on iplayer. The point made was that 'right to but' had offered upward social mobility to many people in the 80's. Of course it also beautifully makes the point that those at the bottom still needed a leg up (in this case by giving massive discounts on the purchase of their homes, which was instant money for many buyers)...used mostly to trade up and escape the estate lol.....

Frosty the Adverse Weather Conditions man Was a jolly happy soul With a corncob pipe and a button nose And two eyes made out of coal Frosty the Adverse Weather Conditions man Is a fairytale they say He was made of Adverse Weather Conditions But the children know How he came to life one day Frosty the Adverse Weather Conditions man Was alive as he could be And the children say He could laugh and play Just the same as you and me Frosty the Adverse Weather Conditions man Had to hurry on his way But he waved goodbye Saying don't you cry I'll be back again some day Thumpety thump thump Thumpety thump thump Look at Frosty go Thumpety thump thump Thumpety thump thump Over the hills of Adverse Weather Conditions

I think Sean has it right. If we keep rubbishing Blatter and his cohorts then how can we ever expect them to support a bid from us?

I grew up on an estate in the north and education was definitely my ticket out. My parents simply wanted me to have a better life than they did (even though they didn't have the financial means to make that happen) and so you have to take what you can from what comes for free. That's fine if your local comprehensive happens to border a middle-class area (as mine did) and can get a good education....it's not so great if your school is a school full of poor teachers and/ or disruptive pupils who don't want to learn, or if you have parents that give you no aspiration to learn. And I personally don't think that social mobility is all about money either. I don't really own anything more than my parents ever did (don't own a home etc) apart from a car.....but what I have had, is a far more enriched and rewarding life because of the worlds that have opened up to me (and the opportunity given to me to come and live and work in London). I have experienced many more things than may parents ever could have hoped to. Those things have come because of (totally free) education that fortunately I was able to take advantage of.