Bolitics The New Condem Government

[chrisp65]

 

there is no lack of water in the UK

there is a lack of incentive (easily gained short term profit) for private water companies to bother upping their game

 

Just wondering where you got your information from? 

 

 

my own gut feeling initially, but 2 minutes on google got me the Guardian from 2012 and an OFWAT report October 2012:

 

From the Guardian, May 2012:

Don't be too impressed with the water companies when they say they have been working hard to plug the holes in their pipes. I wrote my first news article about water leaks back in 1980 for a long-forgotten magazine called Municipal Engineering. A study published then – I still have it – put the national water leakage rate at 24%. And nothing has changed. The latest statistics for the four biggest English water utilities show Severn Trent losing 27%, Thames Water and United Utilities (supplier to northwest England) 26%, and Yorkshire Water 25%. In the case of Thames Water, which serves drought-plagued London, that is almost 200 litres, per customer, per day.

Ofwat, ever the industry's apologist, claims leaks have been cut substantially since the mid-1990s. Which is true – but they rose before that, during and after privatisation of the old water authorities in 1989. And recorded losses today are marginally high than they were a decade ago – about 3.4 billion litres a day. That would fill quite a few hosepipes.

 

I wouldn’t be so naïve as to expect a newspaper to have facts, but it is backed up by OFWAT’s own commissioned report here: http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/sustainability/waterresources/leakage/

This October 2012 report suggests that whilst leak rates were getting better through the early 2000’s, by 2009 they’d fallen back to where they were 10 years earlier.

Briefly, to paraphrase, there's a formula to work out if it's worth fixing leaks, most water companies usually have no supply issues so don't even bother doing the formula.

 

Whilst not bothering to calculate your leak rate contradicts the 'evidence' in the newspaper that quotes per centages, for the purposes of a footy chatroom, it must be sufficient evidence.

 

Plus, I drive around a lot and for the last 2 years everything has either been very green or under water.

[colhint]

Yes leaks are a major problem, but against that several water companies are applying to build reservoirs. There is a small one being built in London and planning applications for a huge one in Oxfordshire. Doubt it will go through though. Most of the other water companies are doing the same, Without massive resource going into these we haven't got much of a chance.

[chrisp65]

Yes leaks are a major problem, but against that several water companies are applying to build reservoirs. There is a small one being built in London and planning applications for a huge one in Oxfordshire. Doubt it will go through though. Most of the other water companies are doing the same, Without massive resource going into these we haven't got much of a chance.

 

that's essentially what several of the reports say that I've read

 

they could fix the leaks, which is on going un sexy and a pain in the nuts, or, they can just build another reservoir and catch 60% of the water there to pipe around

[Kingfisher]

A UCL report has found immigration has made a 'remarkably strong' contribution to the UK economy since 2000.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24813467

Poor Ed , he just U-turned and apologised to the country for his party allowing too much Immigration and now he has to U-turn again and say that actually his party were right all along and immigrants are wonderful

but before we hail professor Dustbin as the new Mehdi Hasan and saviour of the left , it should be noted how spectacularly wrong he was in his 2003 study

Well, whether one chooses to believe academic study or not is up to them, I'm not quite sure what else we can form opinions from, although they of course can be wrong.

On the issue, Ed Milliband dig aside (you're obsessed man!), it seems to me that immigration really isn't the big problem it is portrayed to be by those generally on the right of politics. There are negatives to be tolerated, outweighed by positives we can benefit from. Of course it needs to be monitored, and assessed on an ongoing basis, but I'd rather politicians worried themselves about the big issues of the day.

[tonyh29]

A UCL report has found immigration has made a 'remarkably strong' contribution to the UK economy since 2000.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24813467

Poor Ed , he just U-turned and apologised to the country for his party allowing too much Immigration and now he has to U-turn again and say that actually his party were right all along and immigrants are wonderful

but before we hail professor Dustbin as the new Mehdi Hasan and saviour of the left , it should be noted how spectacularly wrong he was in his 2003 study

Well, whether one chooses to believe academic study or not is up to them, I'm not quite sure what else we can form opinions from, although they of course can be wrong.

On the issue, Ed Milliband dig aside (you're obsessed man!), it seems to me that immigration really isn't the big problem it is portrayed to be by those generally on the right of politics. There are negatives to be tolerated, outweighed by positives we can benefit from. Of course it needs to be monitored, and assessed on an ongoing basis, but I'd rather politicians worried themselves about the big issues of the day.

You think I'm obsessed you should see the nutjobs in here with Duncan Smith

But recent policy , apologies and noises suggests immigration isn't the sole preserve of the right , assuming one still takes the view that Labour is a left wing party

[drat01]

I see ahh but labour is back from its short sabattical . I think obsessed is a fair summing up. Heaven forbid the actual topic be discussed ......

Getting back to the topic of the thread interesting that yet another gvmt minister has to apologise for quoting inaccurate figures re HS2 this time. Is the policy just to make things up on the spot now?

[tonyh29]

You mention the nutjobs and then they appear Talking of HS2 , Balls seems to have suggested to the CBI today that labour would go ahead with the plan now ... I hope their policy writer gets paid overtime for all this u-turning and rewriting Edit : replying to a point a poster made is actually discussing the topic is it not

Edited November 5, 2013 by tonyh29

[blandy]

My belief is it not just about the economy though, its about the resource. We are dependent on imports for our energy, we are not building hospitals to reflect the population growth, and most importantly we have had a water shortage in 9 of the last 10 years. So as much as I welcome people into the country, unless these issues are resolved we are heading for a problem.

Leaving aside the specifics of the water thing, I think it's true that the population numbers and density have an effect. Demand for housing and resources has a profound effect on society. Infrastructure takes ages to build up, and it's hard to predict so far in advance whether a town will need a new hospital/school/housing estate.

Food production, energy, water, transport, education, health, social services, digging up green-belt, chopping down trees, sewers.....all these things are affected by or consequences of poulation increases. As is quality of life. And the effect on the environment.

 

If the discussion is restricted to net economic benefit, then there's about 95% of the consequences ignored.

[drat01]

Tony i hope your insult was not aimed at me .

Re u turns i notice you fail to mention the many that cameron et al have performed while in power, i wonder why that is? Also no mention of the making up stats again by the gvmt? The tory party continues its stumble into a totally disjointed gvmt with little in the way of any sort of direction. I wonder if cameron already admits defeat either through the ballot box or by association with those he has trusted but are now seen to be somewhat less than trustworthy

[tonyh29]

So seeing as yesterday that the CBI came out and said that the EU was worth approx £3k to every person in the UK per year

Did they explain how they came up with that figure or did you just accept it because it suited your side of the argument ?

It's my understanding that the 3k figure was achieved by them making an assumption that there would be a dramatic loss of trade with the rest of Europe were we to withdraw ... Which is of course complete bollocks

[MakemineVanilla]

It has to be pointed out that the Institute of Directors are not quite so sanguine about the UK's membership of the EU as the CBI.

 

57% agree with Cameron's renegotiation and 15% want to leave entirely.

 

They, as might be expected, want further deregulation of employment law and corporate governance.

 

I am not sure why any hourly-paid employee would want that, though. 

[mockingbird_franklin]

Seems this government, especially the DWP has a systemic problem which means they keep making unlawful decisions,

 

6 November 2013 Last updated at 10:07

Disabled people win living fund case

 

Five disabled people have succeeded in a legal challenge to the government's decision to abolish the Independent Living Fund.

The ILF currently provides support enabling nearly 20,000 severely disabled people in the UK to live independent lives in the community.

The High Court ruled in April that the closure decision was lawful.

But the five argued that the court had gone wrong in law and there had been a lack of proper consultation over the changes.

The closure decision was taken on 18 December last year.

Appeal judges Lord Justice Elias, Lord Justice Kitchin and Lord Justice McCombe allowed the challenge, quashing the original decision.

Lord Justice McCombe said the evidence upon which the decision had been based did not give "an adequate flavour of the responses received indicating that independent living might well be put seriously in peril for a large number of people".

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24834558

Edited November 6, 2013 by mockingbird_franklin

[drat01]

Like most Tories, they have a disregard for any laws both state and those of common decency  that do not fit in with their own agenda - pretty much the attitude is one of "don't you know who I am" and "We can do what we want"

 

It's a continuation of a long held cornerstone of what they stand for, we all remember the "no such thing as society" as one its clearer examples.

 

There was a lovely example of what drives them and motivates them as people hilighted here

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/10429206/Senior-Conservative-MP-uses-political-contacts-to-further-business-empire.html

 

Interestingly another attack on the Tory party from the Telegraph 

[drat01]

Cameron was obviously pretty shit at his previous "job" in marketing because he seems to screw so many things up

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/10430452/Murderer-in-Downing-Street-will-be-investigated-says-Cameron.html

 

How could such a thing happen?

[MakemineVanilla]

 Is it worth it? A new winter coat and shoes for the wife and a bicycle on the boy's birthday...

 

Does anyone believe that the decision to end ship-building in Portsmouth and continue it in Govan, was entirely a commercial decision?

[drat01]

 Is it worth it? A new winter coat and shoes for the wife and a bicycle on the boy's birthday...

 

Does anyone believe that the decision to end ship-building in Portsmouth and continue it in Govan, was entirely a commercial decision?

I was up in Glasgow yesterday and the the comments up there were very much that it was a politically motivated thing. Obviously its good for those there keeping their jobs but you cannot help feel that if the referendum thing was not coming up soon then they would have closed that 

 

I appreciate its not the same but on more than one occasion I heard the comment along the lines of the differences in attitudes from this Gvmt towards the finance sector (that contributes so much to the Tory party coffers) and the approach taken towards ship building etc

[mockingbird_franklin]

Ah but Labour, oh sorry with the absence of the resident nutjob apologists I thought I'd chip in on their behalf. in being true to them I have nothing else to add of course as I don't feel like making a piss taking quip whilst ignoring any posts that raise real issues and reveal the corrupt nasty nature and incompetence of  members of this Tory Government as I don't really have any answers or counter arguments against these.

Edited November 8, 2013 by blandy

[drat01]

It seems that it's not just those in parliament from the Tory party that are intent on screwing Joe Public. The Tory councils are equally shafting one and all

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24837087

 

Almost a third of all English councils plan to increase council tax next year despite a government cash incentive to freeze it, a survey suggests.

According to the research published by the Local Government Chronicle, Conservative-run county councils are most likely to be considering a rise. ....... more on link

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

Polydicks.

[mockingbird_franklin]

 Is it worth it? A new winter coat and shoes for the wife and a bicycle on the boy's birthday...

 

Does anyone believe that the decision to end ship-building in Portsmouth and continue it in Govan, was entirely a commercial decision?

I think this is the official Tory Party line on the matter

 

BAE announce plans to create 1,775 workshy, feckless, benefit cheats

07 Thursday Nov 2013

Posted by Tom Pride in sarcasm

(satire?)

BAE Systems is to create 1,775 benefits cheats at its yards in Scotland and England and end responsible taxpaying altogether at Portsmouth.

The firm said 940 feckless workshy scum and 170 trashy chavs on handouts will be created at the Portsmouth site, which will retain repairs and maintenance work.

BAE Systems currently employ a total of 4,400 hardworking, taxpaying strivers in shipbuilding in the UK, 1,200 in Portsmouth and 3,200 responsible, middle class, hard-working heads of families across Govan, Scotstoun, Rosyth and Filton.

Some 635 lazy, benefit-cheating, sponging scroungers will be created at yards in Govan and Scotstoun, on the River Clyde in Glasgow with 235 lazy, cigarette-smoking, flat-screen TV watching, lager-drinking, hoody-wearing, council estate living, idle skivers will be created at the firm’s Filton office, near Bristol.