Stop voting for fucking Tories

[Openside]

I can't see myself spending 7,500 on a new bed & a few sheets; full stop.

What's the difference between a bed that costs 2k, versus one that costs 5k ?

Answer; SFA.

How may rooms does this place have?? if its 3 £7500 is toppy but not unreasonable.

£2.5k per room for mattresses and bedding “a bit toppy”.

aah I assumed it was for new beds, mattresses and sheets. No one ever goes to Ikea when they are spending someone else's money...

[fishfoodie]

Is the allowance for a new PM, or Minister linked to a CS Grade ?

So is the 30k linked to; say what a new Ambassador gets when they move into their new residence ?

[ASMO]

Is the allowance for a new PM, or Minister linked to a CS Grade ?

So is the 30k linked to; say what a new Ambassador gets when they move into their new residence ?

The PM's salary is linked to the SCS4 grade in the civil service.

[Insane_Homer]

[SaintK]

Yep, blatant "vote buying"

Another strong prospect for Labour is the extraordinary coincidence that Sunak’s two funds helping towns and communities across England just happen to overwhelmingly benefit Tory-held seats. The “Levelling Up Fund” will give cash to Sunak’s own relatively affluent Richmond seat in Yorkshire, and prioritizes it over places like Barnsley despite the fact Richmond is only No. 251 out of 317 on the government’s own index of deprivation.
Not to mention … that Sunak overruled his officials to put the new Treasury campus in Darlington, which is next door to his constituency. The FT’s Seb Payne reports: “Senior Whitehall officials argued that larger northern cities such as Newcastle or Leeds had better jobs markets and infrastructure that would make the relocation more sustainable. Ultimately, the politics triumphed.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry ... 3a599?b6m

Skewered by The FT
[media] [/media]

[Insane_Homer]

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1367 ... 48230.html

[Sandstorm]

How much good PPE can you get for £25mil?

[SaintK]

This is a shame. Would have sold out at the box office. Probably cost us taxpayers an awful lot more than it should have to keep her out of it!!!

Sir Philip Rutnam, who launched a case of constructive dismissal against the government after resigning as permanent secretary at the Home Office last year, has reached a settlement with the government.
The settlement means Patel no longer faces the question of being questioned about her conduct in relation to Rutnam at an employment tribunal hearing. In his resignation statement Rutnam said that part of his job was to protect staff, and that he had heard allegations about Patel “shouting and swearing, belittling people, [and] making unreasonable and repeated demands”.

[Insane_Homer]

Boris lied to the Commons

Just days after Johnson assured the Commons all contracts were “on the record”, his lawyers told us that 100 were still to be published.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56281934

[Insane_Homer]

https://bylinetimes.com/2021/03/03/sell ... ged-fraud/

The Government appears increasingly desperate to convince the public that Brexit is a success, against all the evidence to the contrary. In recent days it has paid for article-length adverts, that look like news stories, in several national and local publications – including The Metro, the Daily Mail, the Independent, the Sun, the Evening Standard and the Times.

Company Owner Featured in Government Brexit Newspaper Campaign CHARGED WITH FRAUD

...

McGill was charged with theft, embezzlement and fraud following a criminal investigation, the newspaper reported.

[Insane_Homer]

£370,000 later....

https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-j ... ?r=US&IR=T

Boris Johnson fails to replace adviser on ministerial standards amid growing cronyism allegations

Boris Johnson is overseeing a "scandalous" decline in ethical standards within his government, a former chair of the Committee on Standards In Public Life has told Insider, as the prime minister fails to replace his personal adviser on ministerial interests.

The former independent adviser on minister's interests, Sir Alex Allan, resigned last November after the prime minister refused to follow his advice and sack the Home Secretary Priti Patel after an inquiry found she was guilty of bullying staff.

[tabascoboy]

Thanks BoJo and pals

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said he was sure the pay round "has been discussed and established at the right level".

"No one is doubting that the NHS hasn't been absolutely first class in this pandemic. What I am suggesting is that the whole economy has been under pressure," he added.

Nurses' union anger over 'pitiful' 1% NHS pay rise

RCN Chief Executive Dame Donna Kinnair said the government was "dangerously out of touch with nursing staff, NHS workers and the public".

"Nursing staff would feel they are being punished and made to pay for the cost of the pandemic. It is a political decision to underfund and undervalue nursing staff.

[SaintK]

The blonde slug and her upstairs clapping the arrival of the wealthy donors and cronies who will be paying all the costs of the painting and decorating
The estimate now is that she's spaffed ssomething around the £200k mark

[fishfoodie]

The nurses need to take their strike fund money; & buy a little ad time.

You know, the clapping on the doorstep; the slug looking awful with covid; & then saying how the marvelous NHS staff saved his life; etc, etc. Endless Ministers saying how great the NHS Staff are; & then a montage of NHS & other Doctors, Police, Care workers; who died from Covid; & then close with the NZ Nurse & the other staff who saved the slugs life standing in the ICU, wearing their PPE, & each holding our their hands with a small handful of spare change..... their weekly pay rise. ..... maybe the closing scene could have a slow handclap soundtrack in the end ..

[Sandstorm]

The nurses need to take their strike fund money; & buy a little ad time.

You know, the clapping on the doorstep; the slug looking awful with covid; & then saying how the marvelous NHS staff saved his life; etc, etc. Endless Ministers saying how great the NHS Staff are; & then a montage of NHS & other Doctors, Police, Care workers; who died from Covid; & then close with the NZ Nurse & the other staff who saved the slugs life standing in the ICU, wearing their PPE, & each holding our their hands with a small handful of spare change..... their weekly pay rise. ..... maybe the closing scene could have a slow handclap soundtrack in the end ..

Nurses need to STFU. We're all in this together.

[JM2K6]

Some more than others.

Some massively more at risk than others.

[I like neeps]

The nurses need to take their strike fund money; & buy a little ad time.

You know, the clapping on the doorstep; the slug looking awful with covid; & then saying how the marvelous NHS staff saved his life; etc, etc. Endless Ministers saying how great the NHS Staff are; & then a montage of NHS & other Doctors, Police, Care workers; who died from Covid; & then close with the NZ Nurse & the other staff who saved the slugs life standing in the ICU, wearing their PPE, & each holding our their hands with a small handful of spare change..... their weekly pay rise. ..... maybe the closing scene could have a slow handclap soundtrack in the end ..

Care falls apart and people die without nurses though so I figure strick action would work. I struggle to see how even the vipers in the British press could turn public opinion against nurses so not sure they need heart warming ads.

[fishfoodie]

The nurses need to take their strike fund money; & buy a little ad time.

You know, the clapping on the doorstep; the slug looking awful with covid; & then saying how the marvelous NHS staff saved his life; etc, etc. Endless Ministers saying how great the NHS Staff are; & then a montage of NHS & other Doctors, Police, Care workers; who died from Covid; & then close with the NZ Nurse & the other staff who saved the slugs life standing in the ICU, wearing their PPE, & each holding our their hands with a small handful of spare change..... their weekly pay rise. ..... maybe the closing scene could have a slow handclap soundtrack in the end ..

Care falls apart and people die without nurses though so I figure strick action would work. I struggle to see how even the vipers in the British press could turn public opinion against nurses so not sure they need heart warming ads.

Look at how much ink the tabloids have spent on vilifying Megan; & compare & contrast with the amount they spent discussing Andrew !

[Paddington Bear]

The nurses need to take their strike fund money; & buy a little ad time.

You know, the clapping on the doorstep; the slug looking awful with covid; & then saying how the marvelous NHS staff saved his life; etc, etc. Endless Ministers saying how great the NHS Staff are; & then a montage of NHS & other Doctors, Police, Care workers; who died from Covid; & then close with the NZ Nurse & the other staff who saved the slugs life standing in the ICU, wearing their PPE, & each holding our their hands with a small handful of spare change..... their weekly pay rise. ..... maybe the closing scene could have a slow handclap soundtrack in the end ..

Care falls apart and people die without nurses though so I figure strick action would work. I struggle to see how even the vipers in the British press could turn public opinion against nurses so not sure they need heart warming ads.

Look at how much ink the tabloids have spent on vilifying Megan; & compare & contrast with the amount they spent discussing Andrew !

The same Andrew who as a result of media pressure has been permanently removed from public life?

[I like neeps]

The nurses need to take their strike fund money; & buy a little ad time.

You know, the clapping on the doorstep; the slug looking awful with covid; & then saying how the marvelous NHS staff saved his life; etc, etc. Endless Ministers saying how great the NHS Staff are; & then a montage of NHS & other Doctors, Police, Care workers; who died from Covid; & then close with the NZ Nurse & the other staff who saved the slugs life standing in the ICU, wearing their PPE, & each holding our their hands with a small handful of spare change..... their weekly pay rise. ..... maybe the closing scene could have a slow handclap soundtrack in the end ..

Care falls apart and people die without nurses though so I figure strick action would work. I struggle to see how even the vipers in the British press could turn public opinion against nurses so not sure they need heart warming ads.

Look at how much ink the tabloids have spent on vilifying Megan; & compare & contrast with the amount they spent discussing Andrew !

Sure but that's totally different. The Mail and Sun couldn't get one over the nurses. They'll attack commie unions yada yada but a nurses strike would be a disaster for the govt and the media won't be able to turn the public against them.

[SaintK]

Care falls apart and people die without nurses though so I figure strick action would work. I struggle to see how even the vipers in the British press could turn public opinion against nurses so not sure they need heart warming ads.

Look at how much ink the tabloids have spent on vilifying Megan; & compare & contrast with the amount they spent discussing Andrew !

The same Andrew who as a result of media pressure has been permanently removed from public life?

Mainly because of a very ill advised TV interview ironically!

[Sandstorm]

Andrew is old, ugly and boring. Meghan is none of that. Newspapers know what sells.

[fishfoodie]

Uh Oh !

[Happyhooker]

Care falls apart and people die without nurses though so I figure strick action would work. I struggle to see how even the vipers in the British press could turn public opinion against nurses so not sure they need heart warming ads.

Look at how much ink the tabloids have spent on vilifying Megan; & compare & contrast with the amount they spent discussing Andrew !

The same Andrew who as a result of media pressure has been permanently removed from public life?

media pressure? do you mean the interview he gave where he came across as an utterly entitled prick and had to be stopped from doing a second, or the negative press caused by him refusing to be interviewed about his relationship with a paedophile?

get to fuck with media pressure. markle had 11 negative stories about her today in the express, how many times was andrew mentioned?

[fishfoodie]

Look at how much ink the tabloids have spent on vilifying Megan; & compare & contrast with the amount they spent discussing Andrew !

The same Andrew who as a result of media pressure has been permanently removed from public life?

media pressure? do you mean the interview he gave where he came across as an utterly entitled prick and had to be stopped from doing a second, or the negative press caused by him refusing to be interviewed about his relationship with a paedophile?

get to fuck with media pressure. markle had 11 negative stories about her today in the express, how many times was andrew mentioned?

not to mention; he & his people repeatedly saying how he is willing to give a statement to the US police .... & yet for some reason; he never has ???

[Openside]

The nurses need to take their strike fund money; & buy a little ad time.

You know, the clapping on the doorstep; the slug looking awful with covid; & then saying how the marvelous NHS staff saved his life; etc, etc. Endless Ministers saying how great the NHS Staff are; & then a montage of NHS & other Doctors, Police, Care workers; who died from Covid; & then close with the NZ Nurse & the other staff who saved the slugs life standing in the ICU, wearing their PPE, & each holding our their hands with a small handful of spare change..... their weekly pay rise. ..... maybe the closing scene could have a slow handclap soundtrack in the end ..

it is their job!! and they still have one...

[JM2K6]

Because the conditions of their job haven't changed at all..

[Muttonbird]

Thanks BoJo and pals

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said he was sure the pay round "has been discussed and established at the right level".

"No one is doubting that the NHS hasn't been absolutely first class in this pandemic. What I am suggesting is that the whole economy has been under pressure," he added.

Nurses' union anger over 'pitiful' 1% NHS pay rise

RCN Chief Executive Dame Donna Kinnair said the government was "dangerously out of touch with nursing staff, NHS workers and the public".

"Nursing staff would feel they are being punished and made to pay for the cost of the pandemic. It is a political decision to underfund and undervalue nursing staff.

The inference appears to be they are lucky to get anything because of the economy, no-one else has. But the slug is in charge of the economy, and the damage to it was caused by his dreadful handling of the pandemic.

Nurses trampled twice.

[Tichtheid]

The nurses need to take their strike fund money; & buy a little ad time.

You know, the clapping on the doorstep; the slug looking awful with covid; & then saying how the marvelous NHS staff saved his life; etc, etc. Endless Ministers saying how great the NHS Staff are; & then a montage of NHS & other Doctors, Police, Care workers; who died from Covid; & then close with the NZ Nurse & the other staff who saved the slugs life standing in the ICU, wearing their PPE, & each holding our their hands with a small handful of spare change..... their weekly pay rise. ..... maybe the closing scene could have a slow handclap soundtrack in the end ..

it is their job!! and they still have one...

please please please please please talk to a nurse who has worked on a covid ward for the last year.

my next door neighbour is one such, some of their colleagues have died doing "it's their job"

Talk to the people who have been, and still are, on the front line, doing their damndest to save the lives of the people we care about, then start to think about what their jobs are worth.

It's not just the job they do in keeping our loved ones alive, it's the toll it takes on them to do so. Just take a minute or two to think about that, seek out these people we clapped for and ask about the reality of what they faced, are still facing all day every day.

[Hal Jordan]

Indeed, call me an old cynic, but the "midwife" who emailed 5 Live this morning with the "My colleagues should shut up, we're lucky to have jobs" sentiment sent my bullshit radar crazy. But, you know, balance and all that.

[Tichtheid]

Indeed, call me an old cynic, but the "midwife" who emailed 5 Live this morning with the "My colleagues should shut up, we're lucky to have jobs" sentiment sent my bullshit radar crazy. But, you know, balance and all that.

I'd give them half a day at most, these hardliners wouldn't last much more than that if they had to do the job themselves.

[PCPhil]

The nurses need to take their strike fund money; & buy a little ad time.

You know, the clapping on the doorstep; the slug looking awful with covid; & then saying how the marvelous NHS staff saved his life; etc, etc. Endless Ministers saying how great the NHS Staff are; & then a montage of NHS & other Doctors, Police, Care workers; who died from Covid; & then close with the NZ Nurse & the other staff who saved the slugs life standing in the ICU, wearing their PPE, & each holding our their hands with a small handful of spare change..... their weekly pay rise. ..... maybe the closing scene could have a slow handclap soundtrack in the end ..

it is their job!! and they still have one...

I dunno why but your comment reminds of the guy hung up in the Dungeon in Monty Python and the Life of Brian. The one who thinks the Romans have treated him very well and screams you lucky bastards as they are off to be crucified.

[SaintK]

The nurses need to take their strike fund money; & buy a little ad time.

You know, the clapping on the doorstep; the slug looking awful with covid; & then saying how the marvelous NHS staff saved his life; etc, etc. Endless Ministers saying how great the NHS Staff are; & then a montage of NHS & other Doctors, Police, Care workers; who died from Covid; & then close with the NZ Nurse & the other staff who saved the slugs life standing in the ICU, wearing their PPE, & each holding our their hands with a small handful of spare change..... their weekly pay rise. ..... maybe the closing scene could have a slow handclap soundtrack in the end ..

it is their job!! and they still have one...

Well I never, who'd have guessed that would be your reaction

[Openside]

Because the conditions of their job haven't changed at all..

Both my sister and Niece are nurses and neither of them think in the circumstances they should be getting a pay rise. I think you just take a contrary position for the sake of it or virtue signalling god knows.? We have 400 billion hole to fill and millions to reemploy before we need to throw even more money at the NHS. Lots of people’s working conditions changed the nurses aren’t a unique case.

[Openside]

The nurses need to take their strike fund money; & buy a little ad time.

You know, the clapping on the doorstep; the slug looking awful with covid; & then saying how the marvelous NHS staff saved his life; etc, etc. Endless Ministers saying how great the NHS Staff are; & then a montage of NHS & other Doctors, Police, Care workers; who died from Covid; & then close with the NZ Nurse & the other staff who saved the slugs life standing in the ICU, wearing their PPE, & each holding our their hands with a small handful of spare change..... their weekly pay rise. ..... maybe the closing scene could have a slow handclap soundtrack in the end ..

it is their job!! and they still have one...

please please please please please talk to a nurse who has worked on a covid ward for the last year.

my next door neighbour is one such, some of their colleagues have died doing "it's their job"

Talk to the people who have been, and still are, on the front line, doing their damndest to save the lives of the people we care about, then start to think about what their jobs are worth.

It's not just the job they do in keeping our loved ones alive, it's the toll it takes on them to do so. Just take a minute or two to think about that, seek out these people we clapped for and ask about the reality of what they faced, are still facing all day every day.

I have given considerable thought to these people and they are doing a good job, but it is what they signed up to do in the same way people who sign up for the Army know there is a risk. Looking after very sick people is a risk too and this is the first ‘major crisis’ the NHS had faced since its inception. The worst bit about all this is the Covid fallout hasn’t really started yet with all the backlog of cancelled Ops and treatments this will take years to iron out.

[Openside]

Apologies Double post

[SaintK]

Because the conditions of their job haven't changed at all..

Both my sister and Niece are nurses and neither of them think in the circumstances they should be getting a pay rise. I think you just take a contrary position for the sake of it or virtue signalling god knows.? We have 400 billion hole to fill and millions to reemploy before we need to throw even more money at the NHS. Lots of people’s working conditions changed the nurses aren’t a unique case.

Well bully for them! My best mate's daughter does as well. She's had to move back home as she can't afford to live in London near the hospital where she works
I wonder when the Public Accounts Committee finally get round to investigating, just how many £billions has been wasted or have been hoovered up by cronies, donors and consultants that could have been spent elsewhere in the NHS?

[Openside]

Because the conditions of their job haven't changed at all..

Both my sister and Niece are nurses and neither of them think in the circumstances they should be getting a pay rise. I think you just take a contrary position for the sake of it or virtue signalling god knows.? We have 400 billion hole to fill and millions to reemploy before we need to throw even more money at the NHS. Lots of people’s working conditions changed the nurses aren’t a unique case.

Well bully for them! My best mate's daughter does as well. She's had to move back home as she can't afford to live in London near the hospital where she works
I wonder when the Public Accounts Committee finally get round to investigating, just how many £billions has been wasted or have been hoovered up by cronies, donors and consultants that could have been spent elsewhere in the NHS?

That is an entirely separate issue and I would be very happy if anyone who has behaved fraudulently over PPE/Covid contracts is nailed to the wall.

[salanya]

The pandemic has obviously tanked the economy, and many people have lost their jobs or businesses.

But to give nurses a pay increase lower than inflation rates is not recognising the year's worth of awful conditions they've worked through. There's been very little let up, they've all had to be flexible and most would have worked more hours, with an obvious risk to their own health, and that for pretty much 12 continuous months (and counting).

Another note worth reminding: we're not talking about GPs or surgeons on £100k annual salaries (or whatever they get, but it will be well over £50k). These are the nurses on £20k-£30k. It's not easy to thrive on such wages, especially if you live in more expensive counties, or are raising a family (possibly even by yourself).

But the final hammer blow is the government's cronyism and awful/illegal contract management. Giving many millions for bad PPE, to friends' businesses, to a totally useless Track and Trace system which just got many more millions etc.
The cherry on top is Boris' redecorations in 10 Downing Street: £200k and counting on furnishings - you could buy a house for that. And now we learn £2.6 million+ is spent on a press chamber at 9 Downing Street, because Boris wants to emulate Trump.

The economy is suffering, and we can't dish out 10%+ pay rises to nurses. But to go on about celebrating and worshipping the NHS for a year, but then capping any increase at 1% is a big old kick in the teeth. No matter how much clapping they've done, or how many silly flags they put in their studies to be a background in interviews.

[Openside]

The pandemic has obviously tanked the economy, and many people have lost their jobs or businesses.

But to give nurses a pay increase lower than inflation rates is not recognising the year's worth of awful conditions they've worked through. There's been very little let up, they've all had to be flexible and most would have worked more hours, with an obvious risk to their own health, and that for pretty much 12 continuous months (and counting).

Another note worth reminding: we're not talking about GPs or surgeons on £100k annual salaries (or whatever they get, but it will be well over £50k). These are the nurses on £20k-£30k. It's not easy to thrive on such wages, especially if you live in more expensive counties, or are raising a family (possibly even by yourself).

But the final hammer blow is the government's cronyism and awful/illegal contract management. Giving many millions for bad PPE, to friends' businesses, to a totally useless Track and Trace system which just got many more millions etc.
The cherry on top is Boris' redecorations in 10 Downing Street: £200k and counting on furnishings - you could buy a house for that. And now we learn £2.6 million+ is spent on a press chamber at 9 Downing Street, because Boris wants to emulate Trump.

The economy is suffering, and we can't dish out 10%+ pay rises to nurses. But to go on about celebrating and worshipping the NHS for a year, but then capping any increase at 1% is a big old kick in the teeth. No matter how much clapping they've done, or how many silly flags they put in their studies to be a background in interviews.

Inflation is 0.9 % currently