Chippy Minton

And it seems the poorly informed strutting peacocks in the Health Select Committee, that obviously don't have a clue, have now mouthed off as well ;-) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16690273

Exactly the same experience, no magic advice though! When one of ours was 3 she started to do this and at the time we just couldn't face the fight of getting her to stay in her bed at 3am so we let her get in with us - huge mistake. It took another few years to truly crack it and to get her to stay put and even now we can still get a visit once every few weeks. Moral of the story - it maybe tough, but don't give in. We were much stronger with the subsequent sibling and she sleeps like a dream! Good luck.

Ah...are you organising it then?

In addition to the raising of questions etc referred to in the OP, a national demonstration against the Bill is now set to take place in London on a Wednesday afternoon sometime in early March.

+1 e-dealer If you were a fly on the wall at a Councillor's surgery then you'd really see the crap they have to deal with. Hats off to all of them that do it, I certainly couldn't. I maintain that there's no place for outright abuse on here, but I'm sure James Barber has dealt with a lot worse than a few people on an Internet forum being rude to him.

Bob Crow is. Mick Whelan probably is. No one else in either RMT or ASLEF will be though.

"libel (for written, broadcast, or otherwise published words)?is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government, or nation a negative image. This can be also any disparaging statement made by one person about another, which is communicated or published." Looks like there's going to a hell of a lot of people on the EDF suing each other!

Well, according to the actual figures from the Office of National Statistics http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16535721 Special offers existed long before this current recession, but if you simply can't afford the price in the first place it's irrelevant i.e. if you always brought special offers before the recession, you will still be buying them now but the actual price you pay has increased. And therein lies the crux of the problem - the cuts are hitting those that can't afford it the hardest. For the record, I suspect I'm very much like you - I'm middle class, earn a reasonable income i.e. enough money to buy and do a lot of the things I like to do reasonably often - eat out, to to the pub, go on holiday, treat my kids, drive a car etc without having to worry a great deal about how much it has gone up in price in the last year. Yes, I will always make sure I'm getting the best deal, but I'm lucky enough to know that saving ?1.52 on a bill won't make a jot of difference to me. However, for millions of others in this country, the ideological cuts coupled with inflation are crippling.

Otta - I find it ironic that you make a snide reference to someone using a sound bite and then in the very same sentence use the phrase "held to ransom by the RMT."

2011 - Food up 3.8%; Alcohol and tobacco up 9%; Clothing and footwear up 1.8%; Housing and services up 7.9%; Transport up 5.8%; Communication up 6.6%; Restaurants and hotels up 4.4% I review my energy supplier, mortgage, insurance etc every single time they come up for renewal and then change if necessary, but just because you get the best current deal doesn't mean the price hasn't risen. Are you seriously suggesting that if you use uswitch, moneysupermarket, kelkoo et al, just brought BOGOF offers and got your branded goods from Lidls we'd somehow "beat" inflation?

You're right, it was a flippant comment, although I was kind of trying to make the point that stable and manageable debt doesn't necessarily make a country appealing to live in! I think I've made my view on the government's austerity measures on this forum pretty clear http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?27,618131,618131#msg-618131

El Pibe - err...I thought you'd be the one moving considering it was you that posted the link to the article that noted these countries have more stable and managable debt, but there you go. Loz - help me out then, electricity was up 14.1% and gas 19.8% up last year. My fuel costs also went up by 9.4% and Mrs Minton's season ticket this month has also increased by above inflation. As a smart shopper where would you recommend I find some bargains that buck these increases?

Prices are not down! Inflation is still, and has been for some time, way above the Bank of England's target rate. Bargains maybe had when buying clothes, but generally the cost of living has increased greatly during the last 12 months.

How ironic!

That's a fair enough opinion if you genuinely think that, but if that's the case the logic needs to be extended to everybody employed in every job in every sector i.e. why should anyone get paid a bonus? People are employed to do a job to the best of their ability - why should they be entitled to a bonus as well, right? Remember, London Underground themselves agree tube workers will have increased workloads and pressures and that they want to reward them for that. It's the amount they're haggling over, not whether or not a bonus should be paid.

Blimey, time to move to Mexico, Rwanda or Iran where things are obviously much more stable.

Hilarious as your picture is, the tube drivers aren't involved and have got nothing to do with this dispute - they've already got their bonus agreement in place. And if you think driverless trains will end strikes on the underground you're wrong. The RMT will still represent those responsible for the maintainence, infrastructure, running etc of these trains and will still be able to "hold us to ransom" as this current dispute demonstrates ;-)

Absolutely! The fact that 40,000 + people signed that petition in the last 24 hours to get it over the required 100,000 in time shows both the power of social media and the steadfast support of so many, so many years on. #JF96

Doesn't sentencing consider the emotional response now thanks to "impact statements" ? I did jury service last year, and after a guilty verdict was delivered and the victim impact statements read out (which were absolutely gutt-wrenching to hear), the prosecution barrister actively asked the judge to consider these when passing sentence.

I understand you're trying to bait me Huguenot, but if you can't comprehend how an extra 3 million journeys on the tube a day during the Olympics might increase tube workers' workloads, I think I'll withdraw from the debate with you.

Crucially you are wrong - the RMT states: "RMT today rejected a ?derisory? Olympics pay offer from London Underground and agreed to step up the pressure for a deal that properly rewards the additional work load and pressure that staff will need to carry throughout the Olympics period." I think it's generally recognised that transport during the Olympics is a potential nightmare. It's definitely going to be more critical than queues in shops, extra litter or more bed sheets needing to be changed. The massive increase in passengers will mean demands on tube workers increase significantly - health and safety, security, logistics, scheduling etc. This has already been recognised for London Overground and Network Rail workers and the tube drivers. The same goes for bus workers - Unite is currently negotiating with the bus operating companies for a similar deal. As for the police, I agree. I think they should also be compensated. As for making them key workers who can't strike...dream on...if doctors and nurses have the right to strike, there's no way drivers will lose this.

Loz - fair enough, although bonuses are paid for by the taxpayer - there are plenty of people in the public sector that get them. If you don't believe in anyone, public or private, being paid a bonus then fine, but I haven't got a problem with the concept of bonuses. I just don't see why they should be exclusive to the private sector or tube-drivers should be exempt. Huguenot - ha, ha...no point going over old ground with regard to what you think it takes to be a tube driver, however it's a bonus, not a ransom, and not every one hates them (just the Tories, Lib Dems, Daily Mail, people like you, MM etc oh, and Ed Miliband ;-)). Otta - get over it, car hater.

GS will pay less tax because they are paying more in bonuses so it will cost the taxpayer. Taxpayers pay for bonuses all the time - teachers, in local authorities, the police, the NHS etc. I assume you object to all those as well? Or are you just anti-tube driver?

It's a bonus of a few hundred quid they're asking for when London Underground themselves state: "We are determined to properly acknowledge the contribution they will be making to a fantastic Olympics." As for "bonuses are something you give out when times are good" I assume you completely missed the announcement by Goldman Sachs today that they paid out ?7.4 billion in pay and bonuses last year even though its profits halved.

Wrong! From earlier in the thread: