Earl Aelfheah

I think many would pay more tax if it were hypothecated.

Lou, you OK?

... personally, I'd go for option 3.

Loz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I was always a fan of the concept of an extra 1p > on tax to fix the NHS. Then I read the other day > that 1p on income tax would raise about ?4.6 bn. > That, whilst useful, would not go anywhere near > solving any of the current problems. > > I am starting to think the NHS cannot survive in > its current form. But I have no idea what a > different NHS would look like. > > All I do know is that it MUST stay free at the > point of delivery. The NHS is incredibly efficient. That doesn't mean it's the best service, but that it delivers great value relative to what we put in. Really what we need to decide is whether we want (1) a less efficient service, paid partly via taxation, delivering different levels of service, with higher quality care to those willing to pay more. (2) the current system, efficient, cheap, delivering the same service to everyone, but not as high quality as it could be with better funding. (3) similar to the current system, efficient, delivering the same service to everyone, but with higher funding in order to provide higher quality care, paid via taxation. (4) a private system, more expensive, less efficient, delivering only to those willing to pay.

From the King's Fund: "Whatever the flaws of international comparisons, it?s clear the UK is currently a relatively low spender on health care ? as the Barker Commission pointed out ? with a prospect of sinking further down the international league tables. The question is increasingly not so much whether it is sustainable to spend more ? after all, many countries already manage that and have done for decades. Rather, it is whether it is sustainable for our spending to remain so comparatively low, given the improvements in the quality of care and outcomes we want and expect from our health services." source: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/blog/2016/01/how-does-nhs-spending-compare-health-spending-internationally

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > So only immigrants are guilty of "bed-blocking"? Clearly not. It would be good to hear an account of what the real problems are in the NHS, from someone with first hand experience of working there. My guess would be that that lack of funding is the biggest challenge right now. We spend considerably less as a percentage of GDP than the European average and with big cuts to social care, it's not at all surprising that people are getting stuck in hospital.

It's hard to disagree TheCat. I suspect (if those accounts are true) that they're pretty atypical - but maybe I'm wrong. Would be interesting to hear the experiences of others actually working in the NHS themselves who frequent the forum.

'Anchor babies'?* *[EDITED TO ADD] ...just googled this term. I had never heard it before, but seems to be from the US, specifically related to American citizenship and not what is being talked about on this thread https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/21/anchor-babies-2016-election-immigration

Things can only get better 😉

How about some bunting strung over Northcross Road. That'd be nice.

The vets is definitely moving. I spoke to them today

Kellyanne Conway's interview techniques:

IlonaM Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Just been sent this about the checks on > President's tweets: > > http://www.lawfareblog.com/thoughts-strange-day%E2 > %80%94and-very-strange-presidential-tweet Wow.

JJ@260 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Seems a shame to open a vet on a main high street, > would have been a great spot for a new independent > restaurant. It's a shame that they had to move from their current location opposite the park. It'll be much more difficult to take the cat there without parking.

uncleglen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > ...I still think > that because of the contradictions on both sides > people voted Remain or Leave according to their > own personal circumstances and experience, or by > Virtue Signalling Can we please retire the phrase 'virtue signalling'.

Otta Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I am, for the first time in my life, completely > with Blair. > > But because it's Blair, he's probably done more > harm than good. ^this

It's interesting that MPs who campaigned relentlessly for us to leave the EU in the decades following 1975 referendum, now call anyone campaigning against the outcome of last years vote 'enemies of democracy'. @nxjen - I agree that Blair's intervention is probably unhelpful.

Jenny1 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > ...I've just thought of someone else Trump reminds > me of. Chairman Mao. It's that endless anger thing > he's got going on. > > ...edited to add ....and that unshakeable belief > in himself as the sole fount of all wisdom. That's > very Mao. I was thinking of the guy from the tango adverts.

Whilst his intervention is probably counterproductive - what he said is correct IMO. The reaction from Gove et al, is as depressing as it is predictable. The idea that because you've lost a vote, you should stop campaigning, stop discussing the issues, or challenging different views is ridiculous. The idea that failure to 'shut up' is somehow anti democratic is absurd and seems to muddle democracy with autocracy.

Fox reporting that the 'alt-left propaganda media' got a 'historic beatdown' from Trump yesterday: http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/02/16/hannity-monologue-trump-news-conference-epic-beatdown-press The only voice on Fox to break rank: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/17/fox-news-anchor-shepard-smithangers-trump-supporters-attacking/

[cross posted]

Well, that press conference was reassuring. He's been reading about Uranium and thinks a nuclear holocaust would be a bad thing. So clearly he knows what he's doing.

geobz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > ....Its like saying oh why are you > blaming a man that his house got robbed while he > left his front door wide open... There is no > victim here, just a fool person. Just because one sees an open door, doesn't mean it's incumbent on that person to go in and nick everything. I once got home to find that I hadn't shut my door properly (by mistake obviously). Luckily, no one took it on themselves to empty my house but if they had, I would still have been the victim of theft. TBH, I reckon 99% of the time, it's perfectly fine to tie a dog up outside a shop. Personally I feel sorry for the person whose had their dog nicked and angry at the shitbag that took it.

I agree with you Jaywalker that leaks from the security services / permanent state, aimed at undermining an elected official are pretty alarming. Whilst I am far from a fan of Trump (to put it very mildly), these leaks are pretty not acceptable. If they were aimed at anyone other then Trump (say, Obama for example), there would be a lot more people speaking out against them IMO. For the security services to be releasing this stuff points to some real problems.