en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/13142195 Comments by DRsergeant https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2020/11/johnsons-5050-target-for-women-in-parliament-an-important-pledge-but-conservatives-should-avoid-quotas.html#IDComment1095526604 + 1. for heavens sake. Fri, 27 Nov 2020 17:53:15 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2020/11/johnsons-5050-target-for-women-in-parliament-an-important-pledge-but-conservatives-should-avoid-quotas.html#IDComment1095526604 https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/11/paul-maynard-maintaining-the-universal-credit-uplift-is-a-major-issue-in-red-wall-seats-such-as-mine.html#IDComment1095526467 The only viable philosophy for the Conservative party is that "it pays to work", that is you have a higher income if you work than if you don't. Red wall voters buy this, any attempt to be sympathetic merely invites an auction with Labour on who provides bigger benefits - Labour usually win. Of course there are problems; whatever the benefit it's never clear how it's spent, that is does feeding children during school holidays have to be a state function or a parents' function. There are examples of families existing not too badly on benefits with unemployed parents, how can the horror stories of Mr Rushford take place? If the problem is child poverty are we suggesting that having children is to be encouraged by paying benefits relating to children and if you limit the number applicable for benefits do you just ignore families that have more because that affects the children? I could go on, I've been in the business, but part of the problem is the irresponsible reporting on the subject, I've watched TV programmes where the benefit claimant is making statements that are probably untrue but not researched (I include Mr Rashford in this). People on benefits claiming destitution are box office, the temptation to not investigate is probably too much. Fri, 27 Nov 2020 17:44:04 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/11/paul-maynard-maintaining-the-universal-credit-uplift-is-a-major-issue-in-red-wall-seats-such-as-mine.html#IDComment1095526467 https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/11/paul-maynard-maintaining-the-universal-credit-uplift-is-a-major-issue-in-red-wall-seats-such-as-mine.html#IDComment1095526152 Starts off vaguely coherent then looses it, why bother writing stuff that makes no attempt to conform to reality? Fri, 27 Nov 2020 17:23:47 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/11/paul-maynard-maintaining-the-universal-credit-uplift-is-a-major-issue-in-red-wall-seats-such-as-mine.html#IDComment1095526152 https://www.conservativehome.com/thecolumnists/2020/11/henry-hill-johnson-may-have-just-broken-a-devolutionary-spell-two-decades-in-the-weaving.html#IDComment1095376160 I'm incredulous about your first sentence. I have worked in Scotland, before the SNP got going, and found many Scots, like yourself, making out they were believing the most ridiculous and childish stories based on England bashing Scotland. Indeed the whole SNP process is based on figments of imagination, based among other things that it's better to be run by Brussels than Edinburgh. (Just to point out you would lose your huge subsidy from England and pay a huge subsidy to Brussels - so much for the freebies you've awarded yourselves.) Thu, 19 Nov 2020 17:13:17 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/thecolumnists/2020/11/henry-hill-johnson-may-have-just-broken-a-devolutionary-spell-two-decades-in-the-weaving.html#IDComment1095376160 https://www.conservativehome.com/localgovernment/2020/11/rakhia-ismail-i-was-a-labour-councillor-in-islington-for-nine-years-heres-why-ive-joined-the-conservatives.html#IDComment1095351124 Could not Rakhia provide another contribution to this site laying out her reasons for coming here, as apposed to, say, France or Spain, or anywhere else in Europe where we are told by our media they are better and nicer than us. Perhaps she could also tell us how she travelled; direct flight? Lorry or dingy? I am tired of all the hysteria about migrants coming here without any proper attempt to define what our attraction is that people are prepared to go to enormous trouble, pay a lot of money (refugees?!) and risk death to seemingly "escape" from France or Italy etc. Wed, 18 Nov 2020 17:10:24 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/localgovernment/2020/11/rakhia-ismail-i-was-a-labour-councillor-in-islington-for-nine-years-heres-why-ive-joined-the-conservatives.html#IDComment1095351124 https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/11/rachel-wolf-johnsons-re-set-choice-he-can-focus-on-the-just-about-managing-or-go-after-affulent-britain-but-not-both.html#IDComment1095264721 To be fair Corbyn sort of spotted this in his references to the "real economy", that is making things. Even the Archbishop of Canterbury noted that British industry, i.e., making things, was hamstrung by the value of the pound. This was due to our vast services exports, particularly financial services but neither Corbyn or the CoE would say this. That is if you want video recorders made in Britain you need to discourage financial services, I suggest jobs in the City are better paid and more productive than on a production line. Sat, 14 Nov 2020 18:04:40 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/11/rachel-wolf-johnsons-re-set-choice-he-can-focus-on-the-just-about-managing-or-go-after-affulent-britain-but-not-both.html#IDComment1095264721 https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/11/rachel-wolf-johnsons-re-set-choice-he-can-focus-on-the-just-about-managing-or-go-after-affulent-britain-but-not-both.html#IDComment1095264477 It cut expenditure (e.g. charging for health), cut taxes, made arrangements with big companies to get special reduced tax arrangements - commonly referred to as financial corruption. And it's frightened to death about Brexit because so much of its income is handled by about 6 people in Dublin ostensibly the main office when the real main office is in London but not paying British taxes. Sat, 14 Nov 2020 17:49:12 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/11/rachel-wolf-johnsons-re-set-choice-he-can-focus-on-the-just-about-managing-or-go-after-affulent-britain-but-not-both.html#IDComment1095264477 https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2020/11/johnsons-capitulation-to-rashford-will-further-thin-the-ranks-of-his-commons-loyalists.html#IDComment1095162757 The problem maybe his lack of reasoned PR. The proposals have been around some time, I even suspect PreCorvid re May's white working class boys education problems. The proposals were available in the summer, several ministers have referred to them in interviews and there were 14 pilot schemes mentioned last half term. The problem seems to me to be the good old Tory problem of never thinking there is a need to explain to the multitude - just do what seems a good idea and let everybody get on with it. Mon, 9 Nov 2020 17:12:01 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2020/11/johnsons-capitulation-to-rashford-will-further-thin-the-ranks-of-his-commons-loyalists.html#IDComment1095162757 https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/11/cristina-odone-domestic-abuse-isnt-a-womens-issue-it-affects-far-more-children-than-women.html#IDComment1095122996 Well meant and rather more practical than most social posts. However, I can't be the only one becoming nervous about steady streams of good social ideas without careful consideration of practicalities, usually money. I recall William and Harry claiming we should put as many resources into mental health as we do for physical health when some think tank had calculated that only 7% of NHS effort goes into mental health. We need to look at all good social ideas with some sort of national audit office to consider if they are viable. As I have frequently drawn attention on this site to the Labour government review of NHS spending in 1978 where the result was that if the entire GDP of the country was spent on nothing but the NHS it wouldn't be enough to even eliminate waiting lists - because it's free. I.e. if any government tried to "properly" fund the NHS the country, and hence the NHS, would be bankrupt. And while I think about it, we are moving towards a world where only two or three workers will have to support a retiree. Sat, 7 Nov 2020 16:31:07 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/11/cristina-odone-domestic-abuse-isnt-a-womens-issue-it-affects-far-more-children-than-women.html#IDComment1095122996 https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/11/john-redwood-covid-19-and-the-hard-questions-that-must-be-asked-about-forecasts-numbers-data-and-treatments.html#IDComment1095038401 Taking the middle bit;- It seems to go like this, Lefty doctors trying to look busy to get more staff/money and embarrass a Tory government certify many deaths either not or only partly due to Convirus, as due to the virus. The government is suspicious but the ONS only picks up a small proportion of doubtful certifications. Oxford, on the other hand suggests up to a third are dubious - which would make a difference to an international league table. Medical scientists, trying to underline their importance in any medical issues, aware of the dubiousness or not, produce inflated statistical projections. Suspicious ministers refer to civil service stataticians, naturally in favour of more public spending, are happy to confirm the statistics, even if the don't understand them. Just to point out how lawyers, including judges, have been happy to run the country down a great public expense, might doctors be any better? After all at their last year's annual conference the voted to extend the free NHS provisions to other countries who they think have poor health services. Tue, 3 Nov 2020 17:30:12 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/11/john-redwood-covid-19-and-the-hard-questions-that-must-be-asked-about-forecasts-numbers-data-and-treatments.html#IDComment1095038401 https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2020/10/will-labour-expel-corbyn.html#IDComment1094943734 You lawyer really need to wake up. You are held in deserved contempt by most of the country and Starmer's trade is a particular example of dubious practices at vast public expense to the detriment of the country. The obvious example of the dishonest cases against soldiers would quite easily by used in different circumstances not necessarily identified, but the legal profession, including judges, must have known that the Iraq charges were not only false but bribery was used to make the claims - and nobody said anything. Fri, 30 Oct 2020 17:37:58 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2020/10/will-labour-expel-corbyn.html#IDComment1094943734 https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2020/10/will-labour-expel-corbyn.html#IDComment1094943450 Just reading through out of interest. I bother to "reply" here because you are talking so much tosh somebody needs to tell you before people in white coats lead you away. Starmer isn't a "serious opposition", Johnson has sorted out his BBC gotcha nonsense at PMQs, saying nothing and not having a policy for anything can be short term successful 4 years from an election. The "something to turn up" for Johnson is a vaccine which the whole world, as well as Mr Macawber, is waiting for. I assume you are impressed with Gove otherwise you wouldn't have gone hysterical about him. He was the man that kicked doors down at education changing our schools for the better, he turned Britain as a top success story for climate change and forced the EU to grow up and drop its childish bargaining stance. Will now continue reading. Fri, 30 Oct 2020 17:22:15 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2020/10/will-labour-expel-corbyn.html#IDComment1094943450 https://www.conservativehome.com/thinktankcentral/2020/10/matthew-oakley-levelling-up-we-need-to-measure-it-in-order-to-deliver-it-and-know-that-its-worked.html#IDComment1094518435 The article seems to assume that "levelling up" is entirely a matter for government, presently in London. There are governmental things to do such as improving connectivity between London and the North so they both know what the other is doing, plus Freeports etc but the only way to achieve much is to let the North get on with it, get on with the Northern Powerhouse and stop trying to create jobs for expensive consultants and analysists to invent measurements and write reports about the measures. Mon, 12 Oct 2020 16:30:51 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/thinktankcentral/2020/10/matthew-oakley-levelling-up-we-need-to-measure-it-in-order-to-deliver-it-and-know-that-its-worked.html#IDComment1094518435 https://www.conservativehome.com/thinktankcentral/2020/10/matthew-oakley-levelling-up-we-need-to-measure-it-in-order-to-deliver-it-and-know-that-its-worked.html#IDComment1094518183 You demonstrate the problem in spades. HS2 is going to the North somewhere in your concept that's nowhere. Er, your nowhere is what we are all talking about, no wonder we are getting some silly posts. Mon, 12 Oct 2020 16:17:29 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/thinktankcentral/2020/10/matthew-oakley-levelling-up-we-need-to-measure-it-in-order-to-deliver-it-and-know-that-its-worked.html#IDComment1094518183 https://www.conservativehome.com/thinktankcentral/2020/10/matthew-oakley-levelling-up-we-need-to-measure-it-in-order-to-deliver-it-and-know-that-its-worked.html#IDComment1094517759 "For them that means investigating law abiding people so they are too busy to bother with the criminals, who are safe to do as they like. " Sums up a lot. Not just local authorities - police - lawyers/judges (and I do wonder about doctors listing deaths as Covid with relish) feel free to make their own rules up to suit themselves, but, also, to make life more difficult in line with Leftwing agendas against capitalism and a selective view of Britain and its history. Trouble is giving more power locally could encourage more. Mon, 12 Oct 2020 15:58:51 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/thinktankcentral/2020/10/matthew-oakley-levelling-up-we-need-to-measure-it-in-order-to-deliver-it-and-know-that-its-worked.html#IDComment1094517759 https://www.conservativehome.com/video/2020/10/watch-why-should-the-north-be-treated-any-differently-asks-greenhalgh.html#IDComment1094496451 Ah, but you see polls demonstrate people of the north, and everywhere else, are in favour of more severe lockdowns. So if he wants to keep his 80 seats it appears he should ignore your viewpoint. Sun, 11 Oct 2020 15:57:35 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/video/2020/10/watch-why-should-the-north-be-treated-any-differently-asks-greenhalgh.html#IDComment1094496451 https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2020/09/andrew-gimsons-pmqs-sketch-puritans-try-to-smash-johnsons-images.html#IDComment1094083501 Not really, it's just BBC Gotcha stuff moved to Westminster. My impression is that Johnson sees Starmer's method as just irritating and pointless for the circumstances. Wed, 23 Sep 2020 16:17:20 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2020/09/andrew-gimsons-pmqs-sketch-puritans-try-to-smash-johnsons-images.html#IDComment1094083501 https://www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2020/09/we-are-acting-on-the-principle-that-a-stitch-in-time-saves-nine-johnsons-coronavirus-statement-full-text.html#IDComment1094061123 I agree. Having red the above posts I worry about the minds of some posters. Few posts are coherent or specific but the general view seems to be that we should, more or less, finish the lockdown and just get on with business as usual with the adviser statistics being obvious nonsense. Unfortunately Boris has got to be seen as not too far from scientific, and media viewpoints. At the outset he was wondering if Sweden were right but the media went into hysterics about us not doing the same as most of Europe, then along came Imperial College with apocryphallic statistics. If the government had tried a Swedish approach it is obvious the media would be gleefully interviewing "official" scientists claiming the government was wrong and anybody dying was their fault. Then there was "profits before people." In that case there would be no way necessary public cooperation to any plan would happen. Tue, 22 Sep 2020 16:43:03 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2020/09/we-are-acting-on-the-principle-that-a-stitch-in-time-saves-nine-johnsons-coronavirus-statement-full-text.html#IDComment1094061123 https://www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2020/09/gale-and-percy-oppose-the-uk-internal-market-bills-second-reading-thirty-six-tory-mps-dont-vote.html#IDComment1093885029 You see you are making a BBC type mistake where anybody else, particularly the EU, can do whatever they like but if we move to protect our interests we lose good will and it's all over. Of course the EU etc know this and push us since if we push back numbers of Brits, particularly in the media will back the EU against Britain by talking about principles; a combination of lack of Britishness and cowardice. I suggest this move, which is nowhere near as world shattering as originally implied could do us a lot of good; the world now knows we, like everybody else, is prepared to risk moaning condemnation to protect our interests. We are no longer the Great Big soft touch. Tue, 15 Sep 2020 15:55:57 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2020/09/gale-and-percy-oppose-the-uk-internal-market-bills-second-reading-thirty-six-tory-mps-dont-vote.html#IDComment1093885029 https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/09/bob-seely-the-government-must-urgently-re-assess-its-misguided-housebuilding-strategy.html#IDComment1093751800 Conservatism surely means providing a product that people want and are prepared to pay for. I'm sure I would much prefer to live on the Isle of Wight rather than Southampton so somebody building me a house on the Isle of Wight is merely following the market, as all good Conservatives should. No doubt the house builder is building pleasant higher value houses, given that might exclude new first time buyers it is up to the local authority and state to arrange provision appropriately. That is a social issue requiring state adjusting the effect of market forces - as it does in lots of things. There's also more jobs on the I o W when the builders expand, as market forces dictate. Fri, 11 Sep 2020 15:58:42 +0000 https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/09/bob-seely-the-government-must-urgently-re-assess-its-misguided-housebuilding-strategy.html#IDComment1093751800