On financial crisis, probably not cut sure start, EMA, triple tuition fees, put 450k public sector workers at risk, collapse connexions for careers guidance in schools, cut back numerous other social services and tax credits that were the lifeline to many people in the UK before last May.

Cuts needed to be made, but not so soon, and not so dramatic in terms of social services and the public sector. This is ideological and is all about Mr.C's Big Society. I'm no politician or economist but I can imagine that a fairer tax system and multiple years of huge windfalls from the banks to subsidize the retention of these basic programs, combined with a longer term more even spread of cuts across departments i.e less dramatic would seem a better alternative to me.

From Raedwald's Blog http://raedwald.blogspot.com/

"Friday, 12 August 2011
A new style of Parliamentary reporting
Following the post below, I propose a new version of 'Hansard' to report on MPs' debates on the looting and criminality of the lower orders. It would go something like this;

Gerald Kaufman (£43,564 expenses including 4 grapefruit bowls at £540) I condemn the naked greed of these criminals and their taking advantage of their pampered and privileged opportunities ..
David Wilshire (£160,532 expenses including £100k on a flat 15 miles from main home) My honourable friend has hit the nail on the head. This is not about ideology, it's sheer naked greed
John Healey (£84,562 expenses including £6,194 for renovating his kitchen) We should understand a little less and condemn a little more, Mr Speaker; only tough action against these feral youths will ...
Speaker (£146,780 expenses) Order! Order! Members must set an example to young people!

Somehow I don't think they'll go for it.



Repulsive Hazel Blears dribbles ignorance
The repulsive expenses thief Hazel Blears - you may recall she made £80,000 through tax avoidance in 'flipping' homes, charged the taxpayer for an £850 television, a £650 mattress, a second television within a year for £913, £200 for bath towels, £668 on bed linen, £439 on crockery and thousands upon thousands in mortgage payments, and who also charged us a full £400 a month for her food - has dribbled her ignorance in asking on Sky news why the rioting kids were not in school.

Blears is still clearly too busy carrying out her own looting of the public purse for her foul and deeply stupid person to stand upon the same earth as the rest of us. "

As deplorable as these politicians acted the riots were a combination of ethnic, economic and generational disconnection with the dominant society. Plus rioting at the time is a bit of a laugh.

One hopes they will get voted out at the next election. I'll wager you a bed in a box that they don't.

Tweet of the day: "Steal £3.50 bottle of water = 6 months in prison. Steal £7,000 and give it back = get to keep job as Education secretary."

There are "haves" and "have nots" all around the UK. That's the case in Edinburgh and Glasgow just as much as anywhere else.

I'd like to see when someone has received a sentence of 6 months in custody for such a theft

I do, however, appreciate the point you are making although, it works the other way too. Commit a crime (say, assault) with long previous and compare the sentence that will be given to one for the identical crime to an accountant

Here you go...
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/news...day.6817234.jp

I am genuinely amazed. If there are no other aggravating circumstances, it is likely he will get that massively reduced on appeal.

Anyway, I will such the f*&k up from now on

Six months in these cases. I'm suprised how severe the sentence is.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ing-Argos.html

A tad better than having his right hand removed....

So it was the IPCC not the police for any misinformation........

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/ipcc-may-mi...150436315.html

"... to the possibility that we may have inadvertently given misleading information to journalists"

"... it seems possible that we may have verbally led journalists to believe that shots were exchanged"


Hmmm. How about this:

"Bless me Father, for I have studied the evidence, and my analysis suggests that there is a possibility that I may have inadvertently misled God into believing that I was not to blame..."

There was a fair amount of talk a few days back about possibly getting the army out on the streets? I'm no expert, but I'm fairly sure this isn't what they had in mind.

As much as i understand everyones anger and frustration, is this really the way forward? I think moving in this direction, may only lead to more problems. I think this will only lead to more troublemakers on the streets and increased crime.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14474429