Bolitics The New Condem Government

[bickster]

I have no problems with cabinet meetings moving around the country

I do. It's an utter load of nonsense. It isn't about moving government out of the South East at all.

It's a shameless PR exercise. It was when Gordo decided to do it and it is now that Cameron has decided to continue it.

I agree. No matter who is doing it, it is a cheap stunt.

Well its a stunt, not sure if its cheap though. I certainly don't think its worthwhile

[TrentVilla]

I have no problems with cabinet meetings moving around the country

I do. It's an utter load of nonsense. It isn't about moving government out of the South East at all.

It's a shameless PR exercise. It was when Gordo decided to do it and it is now that Cameron has decided to continue it.

I agree. No matter who is doing it, it is a cheap stunt.

Well its a stunt, not sure if its cheap though. I certainly don't think its worthwhile

As soon as I posted that I knew someone would have me on that

[Awol]

I simply don't see how that can be achieved with a lower prison population and as was suggested yesterday less police resources due to budget cuts.

There are lots of policeman, the question is how we use them. Maybe take the focus off revenue generation by pursuing everything with four wheels, then direct more resources towards a concerted drive to hammer the heroin supply chain.

Sorry mate but that doesn't make any sense.

The police budgets are being cut, numbers of offices will be cut, time spent on the beat will be cut. There is no getting away from this but you have ignored this and instead made it a point about how police resources are used.

I get the fact that numbers will go down and I'm not ignoring it, what I'm saying is it's a question of policy as to where those resources the police do have are targeted. That comes from the Home Office so if the political will exisited to make drugs a bigger priority then it could be done.

All of this is academic anyway unless it was part of a unified strategy that included the legalisation issue and we both know a Tory government wouldn't be prepared to think that far out of the box.

I still maintain though that if you want to reduce the prison poulation significantly this is way to go.

EDIT: I agree with you about this travelling Cabinet nonsense, rubbish when Labour did it, rubbish now the new lot are doing it. Just get on with the bloody job already.

[TrentVilla]

I don't disagree with you in the principle of what you are saying, I think it would have a dramatic impact on the level of crime no question, although I think it would take some time.

You are certainly right in saying it would need to be a Home Office led policy backed up by legislation and the judicial system in order to make it work and that sadly won't happen.

I think the only point on which we differ is on our ideas in relation to the capability of the police to carry this out at this moment in time and over the coming 3 or 4 years. I simply don't think that they will have the resources required in order to carry out the sorts of operations that would result in the arrest and convictions of drug dealers.

There is little or no point going after the low level dealers, that is akin to cutting the tips of your garden weeds. They need to get the higher level people and to do that takes time and huge resources.

[Richard]

Add to that the announcement of getting rid of 9 RDA's - amazing

Why do you think that is a problem?

[Gringo]

Add to that the announcement of getting rid of 9 RDA's - amazing

Why do you think that is a problem?

Because there's a chronic shortage of TLAs

[kidlewis]

will be please when they bring in the Air Passenger Duty by plane, it will help low cost airlines and probably in the long run help the airlines like BA who have routes where the planes are barely half full.

obviously if you have family who live in some random country then you will probably find it more difficult to get there, but I think this is a good thing for the industry.

the current way APD is calculated is unfair anyway and doesn't bare the cost of the environmental damage anyway. it's way too high.

[Awol]

I think the only point on which we differ is on our ideas in relation to the capability of the police to carry this out at this moment in time and over the coming 3 or 4 years. I simply don't think that they will have the resources required in order to carry out the sorts of operations that would result in the arrest and convictions of drug dealers.

There is little or no point going after the low level dealers, that is akin to cutting the tips of your garden weeds. They need to get the higher level people and to do that takes time and huge resources.

That's all fair comment Ash, so thinking outside of the box a little bit more, how about this..

Heroin addiction is arguably the biggest driver of crime, misery and social disintegration in the UK. It's far more destructive than something like 7/7 for example in terms of lives lost and negatively affected, so given that would we not be justified in using other resources at the government's disposal to reinforce the police?

Our special forces have spent the last ten years identifiying, observing and then neutralising terror networks and criminal gangs in Afghan, Iraq and other places - that's not even including what they did to PIRA. We'll be out of Afghan soon and we'll have a surplus of steely eyed mofo's whose talents could quite easily be turned towards rolling up and eliminating the drug cartels that fuel domestic supply. Ideally they would capture people for prosecution but would many tears be shed if a few died resisting detention?

Once Charlie Two Lines finds out the boys in black kit are hunting him then I reckon quite a few would voluntarily turnover a new leaf and find alternative employment.

[drat01]

and in the whole scheme of things means very little to any passenger.

Airlines like BA are failing because of various factors not least of which is Willy Walsh - a complete and utter arsehole who has taken one of, if not the most popular airline in the world and made it at best mediocre and at worst awful, and concentrated it solely for the London market. Meanwhile other airlines continue to take passengers and revenue out of this country by providing the services that Walsh decided to kill off. Maybe this is the model that ConDem's are basing their policy on?

[kidlewis]

and in the whole scheme of things means very little to any passenger.

Airlines like BA are failing because of various factors not least of which is Willy Walsh - a complete and utter arsehole who has taken one of, if not the most popular airline in the world and made it at best mediocre and at worst awful, and concentrated it solely for the London market. Meanwhile other airlines continue to take passengers and revenue out of this country by providing the services that Walsh decided to kill off. Maybe this is the model that ConDem's are basing their policy on?

well in the short term I think it will actually hurt BA because they will have to pay way more duty on planes that aren't full and those routes will cost a lot more.

as you say with willie walsh, instead of saying 'ok that route isn't viable anymore lets cut it' he will probably do something like cut the staff by 1 and reduce baggage to 18kg or something to reduce fuel costs.

Ryanair must be wanking over the ConDem government now because they will benefit most from it. I think Virgin will do pretty well, they are doing really well for a long haul airline and have certainly surpassed BA for quality for some years now.

It's a Lib Dem policy which I think the tories looked at and thought 'we can give ground here because it's a very good idea' only someone who doesn't fly or understand the impact of flying on the environment and economies would be against it.

obviously I would prefer NO APD because we should all actively look after the world ourselves, but that will never happen.

By plane based on the distance of the flight (exactly), also for more efficient newer planes give them a better rate, giving airlines a clear choice that if they buy more efficient planes they will pay less duty.

will mean some of the dodgier airlines who buy much older planes will hopefully die off and leave the big players to capitalise on their routes.

BAs failure is to hand over so many domestic and short haul routes to Flybe and don't get me started on Loganair, that's a mess as well.

I think with no runway at heathrow hopefully they will move a few more services to Manchester. I hope Birmingham gets a runway extension and that the really small airports like Coventry, Blackpool can get at least some decent infrastructure in place to do maybe 5-10 high volume routes. Small airports are a much better experience when it comes to getting to the plane and off it.

coventry you were off the plane and in your car in 10 minutes, I don't know another airport that was that awesome. But yes they had nowhere to eat or buy perfume.

[Richard]

Add to that the announcement of getting rid of 9 RDA's - amazing

Why do you think that is a problem?

Understand that you are not bothering to reply to my posts but perhaps you can make a general post as to why you think this is a problem

Or perhaps if you want to be silly I can ask someone else to ask you the question if you would prefer?

[TrentVilla]

Heroin addiction is arguably the biggest driver of crime, misery and social disintegration in the UK. It's far more destructive than something like 7/7 for example in terms of lives lost and negatively affected, so given that would we not be justified in using other resources at the government's disposal to reinforce the police?

I agree

Our special forces have spent the last ten years identifiying, observing and then neutralising terror networks and criminal gangs in Afghan, Iraq and other places - that's not even including what they did to PIRA. We'll be out of Afghan soon and we'll have a surplus of steely eyed mofo's whose talents could quite easily be turned towards rolling up and eliminating the drug cartels that fuel domestic supply. Ideally they would capture people for prosecution but would many tears be shed if a few died resisting detention?

Sounds good to me and I've no doubt that the problem would vanish very quickly as would those responsible one way or another.

My only fear would be that some of the very same people may go native and opt for the riches available which they would be seeing first hand and step in to fill the void they create.

If that happened the problem would be far worse.

[drat01]

PMQ's are brilliant today - Theresa May now grovelling for pandering to her friends in the media

Cameron hit hard about the job losses and gave no answers

Clegg now being hit about Forgemasters - he really did look smug sitting as part of his new party - he has no credibility left and is a true Tory.

[Richard]

Obviously not then. How sad.

[tonyh29]

Add to that the announcement of getting rid of 9 RDA's - amazing

As Macgyver and Jack O'Neill he's saved the world more times than Gordon has ... I didn't realise he'd been cloned though

[TrentVilla]

On the point of the RDA's I find it hard to comment really as I'm not really sure what they have achieved, I mean I'm sure they have achieved I just don't really know what. I live less than 2 miles from the East Mids RDA, yet I know nothing about it other than they started a development in Nottingham about 5 years ago and have hardly touched it since.

The East Mids RDA is to be closed and while I'm sure it will have an impact its hard as the average Joe Bloggs to know what that will be or if I'm in favour of the Tory closures or not.

[snowychap]

Add to that the announcement of getting rid of 9 RDA's - amazing

As Macgyver and Jack O'Neill he's saved the world more times than Gordon has ... I didn't realise he'd been cloned though

[Richard]

On the point of the RDA's I find it hard to comment really as I'm not really sure what they have achieved, I mean I'm sure they have achieved I just don't really know what. I live less than 2 miles from the East Mids RDA, yet I know nothing about it other than they started a development in Nottingham about 5 years ago and have hardly touched it since.

The East Mids RDA is to be closed and while I'm sure it will have an impact its hard as the average Joe Bloggs to know what that will be or if I'm in favour of the Tory closures or not.

Sort of why I asked the question that will remain unanswered as to why someone would think it was a problem

[TrentVilla]

What is your position on the closures Richard? I sort of assumed you were in favour but I may be wrong, I'm getting the feeling that rather like me you don't really know what position to hold on them due to a lack of detailed knowledge. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts though if you are in favour of the closures as I'd be interested to know Drat's reasons for being against them, I'm assuming that he has some.

[tonyh29]

I'd be interested to know Drat's reasons for being against them

I think we all know why :winkold: