National politics

[mull]

So we are paying out millions for hotels.
The 200/300 employed to stop them getting in the boats and it is not working, they will keep coming.
Now if 200/300 could be employed in Dover to process them as they arrived it would speed things up and those not entitled to stay could be sent back within days, rather than be sent to a hotel and disappear without trace.

I have just seen a photo on Facebook of public school boys at Eton including Boris. The caption over it says " We have less to fear from the boat people invasion than the damage caused by Eton Old Boys."

[Hugo]

It's a very difficult situation to sort out as they are dealing with the lives of people and not commodities but something drastic needs to be done          It was noticeable when the Tories talked about sending the migrants to Rwanda that there was a drop in the number of migrants coming in, but just for a short time only
That idea was a no brainer anyway especially now that the number of migrants has increased

Ironically when the UK was in the EU  these migrants could have applied for asylum in any of the other safe 27 countries in the EU and that would have entitled them to come to the UK anyway

If the UK processed these migrants quickly and then decided that they did not have a valid reason to be here then they should be deported with no right of appeal.    That way the message would get across to any other migrants hoping to come here
The UK is a compasionate country and has helped refugees in the past as well as the present day Ukrainians. 
As it is now  there are over a 1000 cases in which these illegal migrants are suing the UK for compensation for being held in detention for longer that the legal time
What a shambles and not having a Government fit for purpose they might as well join Matt Hancock in the jungle for all the good they do

[norman08]

Hugo in 2021/2 uk gave France ?55 mill, in 2022   ?63 mill so far we have handed over ?175 mill, this new agreement going upto ?70+ mill,  on Saturday French police stood watching as 2 big full dinghies set off from the beach.    With the bad weather coming in it will ease off, you watch this shower will tell us their scheme is working.  😡

[Hugo]

I suppose it is a waste of money if the French do nothing to stop the migrants.    I have seen a photo of the French Police watching the boats set off and the boats were only in the water  by the shore.   A comment said that once the boats are in the water the Police are not allowed to do anything to stop them
Now what if the UK picked up these migrants and went back to France with them and dropped them off in the shallow waters, would the French do something about it then?     You bet they would

[DVT]

The whole thing is a disgrace, and I suspect any other political party would not do anything much different.

To spend so much, not just paying the French for doing nothing, but also the cost of accommodation and handouts is crippling this country.  Then we have to cater for any medical and education requirements as well.

Surely their only reason to risk their lives crossing the channel is due to this country being a soft touch, and you can see that with all the do-gooders that spout out on TV.

I do have some sympathy with the Urkainians, but surely they could settle in France, Germany or any of the other Euro countries.

There are many British residents who are far more deserving.

Whatever happened to the saying CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME ?

[Hugo]

Well said DVT and I expect that most people share your views

The Ukrainians have a valid case because of the war there but they are mainly women and children and they hope to return to Ukraine when it is safe to do so.     The others are mainly single men and economic migrants at best and should be treated as such

[norman08]

The thing is DVT the Ukraine people don?t want to be here or anywhere else they are so proud of their country that?s why many have stayed and many have gone back,  and they are not only in the uk but all over Europe, Poland have welcomed the most.    Spoken to a few families and they are lovely,  can?t wait to get back home.

[SteveH]

BIRD keepers are being reminded about new compulsory biosecurity and housing measures to further protect their birds against bird flu (avian influenza).

Last week, the Welsh Government announced new measures were being put in place as surveillance of the flu 'suggests a heightened risk of disease for Wales over the winter months'.

These steps build extra resilience to the important measures introduced in October through the Wales Avian Influenza Prevention Zone.

As of Friday, December 2, all bird keepers must keep their birds indoors or otherwise separated from wild birds.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23169533.governments-new-measures-help-tackle-bird-flu/

[SteveH]

?460m package announced in bid to help Welsh businesses with spiralling costs
The support will be spread over the next two financial years

All businesses in Wales will get new rates support from the Welsh Government to help with the effects of rising costs, it's been announced. A package of support worth more than ?460m over the next two financial years will be announced in the Welsh Government?s upcoming draft Budget.

Senedd chiefs say it will provide a boost to businesses across Wales which are struggling to cope with the impacts of high inflation and surging energy costs. It operates in addition to permanent relief schemes from the Welsh Government which are already providing ?240m of relief to ratepayers across Wales this year.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/460m-package-announced-bid-help-25726975?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[Hugo]

Westminster Accounts: MPs earn ?17.1m on top of their salaries since the last election - with Tories taking ?15.2m
This says it all, roll on 2025


https://news.sky.com/story/westminster-accounts-mps-earn-17-1m-on-top-of-their-salaries-since-the-last-election-with-tories-taking-15-4m-12758768

[Helig]

Not only are they raking it in with second jobs but they aren't capable of running anything involving money. It now transpires that ?1 billion of public money has been "lost" as they don't know where ?1 billion in grants has disappeared to. These were made to increase participation in sports after the Olympic Games in London. Has anyone seen ?1 billion?

In view of the Tories claim to be astute business people, it would be interesting to know just how much money has been lost due to projects that never happened. The Garden Bridge was one of them, the costs were ?53 million:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-47228698

The bridge over Scotland to Ireland cost ?900,000 https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jan/20/research-into-johnsons-planned-irish-sea-bridge-cost-taxpayers-900000

Then there were the PPE contracts handed out to their cronies, cost?? Fraud on Covid loans to business and many more.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tories-spending-taxpayers-cash-with-28193338

[Hugo]

It just stinks Helig, there is no other word for it.    It's fraud on an industrial scale.     Ever heard the phrase by the Tories  " We're all in it together"    Don't believe a word of it as it's us and them

The ordinary worker on Paye like hairdressers, postmen,  people in the hospitality industry etc etc pay tax on any tips they get yet a career liar like Boris gets all the perks going tax free.     Last I heard about him was that he was "sofa surfing" well not as we know it but staying in friends houses or mansions as he didn't have a place to live in.    I wish that HMRC would investigate tax evasion more

[Helig]

I agree Hugo, HMRC are doing less and less investigation work these days. I think it is political as the Tories don't like their cronies to be investigated. This started with Thatcher who ran down what was the Inland Revenue as the working conditions became intolerable and very many people left. Even when investigations were the flavour of the month, the big boys were left untouched as they didn't have the time, or resources, to take them on. Just a minority of large cases were tackled but this was by specialist teams in regional offices. Of those, even the cases where there was massive fraud, just a tiny number were prosecuted.

These days there is less interest in tackling investigation work and the tax loss must be enormous. It is a different story with people who claim benefits fraudulently as they are prosecuted frequently. As you say, it is us and them.

[Hugo]

Helig, you are spot on with your comments about HMRC  but I can assure you that the situation is worse than you can imagine,
Just imagine if HMRC called in Boris for an interview, he is so dishonest it's unbelievable what he's got away with.   I don't believe even a top HMRC  official could unravel fact from fiction

Do you remember when David Cameron was launching a tirade of abuse at Jimmy Carr for using a tax avoidance scheme, yet his own Chancellor George Osborne was doing the same thing and allegedly  avoided paying ?2 million pounds in UK tax.    If it's wrong morally or otherwise just close all the loopholes

Another brain child of the Tories was to abolish the paper road tax discs,  I can imagine them saying that that action saves the UK ? 10 million pounds every year.   Perhaps it did but according to the RAC and other motoring bodies the UK loses over ?100 million pounds every year through road tax evasion/     The DVLA is not fit for purpose as a debt recovery office and as a result millions, if not billions of pounds have been lost to the Exchequer

[Hammy]

I do believe however that the use of ANPR cameras (mobile and fixed like the two at Glan Conwy and Craig y don) are probably more effective at fining the vehicle licence dodgers than Plod on the beat ever was, based on the number of people that I now know have been picked up by them, quite a few where they were taking untaxed vehicles for MOT!