Farmer Saint

Of course we don't think the unemployed should milk the system - we've all said that benefits need massive reform. The issue is this is not the hill to die on, and unfortunately your ideas are too simplistic, as shown above. Just letting people fall though the gaps is utterly unacceptable on the back of the fact that people game the system.

So as far as you are concerned, a family unit should contain two full time working parents at all times? Are you aware of the ridiculous cost of childcare? Easily will clear out more than one of those salaries. Why wouldn't the above benefit from the removal of the cap btw? This is just one scenario - there are a thousand of these different scenarios. Who is going to administer all these different nuances? It's going to take a huge amount of people, doing a huge amount of interviews, to administer these rules, as all these stats just aren't available. I think I have very much proven my point here.

So do both working parents need to be in full employment? Or is part time work enough? Someone loses their job as the main bill payer whilst the other half stays at home to look after the kids. They need a £70k job to keep their lives ticking over. They have some savings, but it's very hard to find that £70k job as the job market has been shit for years, so they struggle to find that role. After a year of looking and burning through savings, and applying for jobs that 600 people are applying for, they can't find one, and then you cut off their help. Is that fair?

We'll ignore the implementation and operational costs at maintaining these rules for the time-being.

The more rules you have, the easier it is to game and the implementation is far more difficult (hence the move to Universal credit), but anyway, I'm asking you to do it. Just have a go.

Come up with the rules then? It can't be hard as you're asking why your idea hasn't been implemented. This is why your ideas get dismissed as too simplistic.

Just unemployed, or disabled as well? How many years unemployed? Is that both parents, or is one allowed to be unemployed? What happens if they had the kids when they were in long term employment, but have come onto hard times and are unable to get another job?

That's what they've done. It's £80k.

That's what this is? How do you police that - how do you find "working families in poverty" (ignoring the fact that working families should never be in poverty)?

So? Which of those points aren't true? The point is that manifesto's are a wishlist and very rarely followed through on. Are you just ignoring my other point?

https://www.bigissue.com/news/politics/tories-conservatives-broken-promises-levelling-up-nhs-housing/

I was always calm, but let's not deflect from the issue at hand.

With a lowering birth rate, it obviously pushes us towards an increase in migration to pull workers in. Why wouldn't we look to increase the birth rate for those responsible parents who can't afford a third child? It will encourage homegrown workers, and should help us, down the line, to have a larger and more skilled workforce, at the cost of migrants. Economically it is the responsible thing to do at a relatively low cost. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/03/26/rise-in-older-mothers-means-britain-must-rely-on-migration/#:~:text=Mothers are waiting longer to have their first child&text=Prof Harper's comments comes days,rates have continued to plunge. Not only that, it will decrease the current children in poverty, allowing them a more balanced upbringing, hopefully allowing them to fulfil their potential.

Fucking Martin and his fitness regimes.

We've been open under every manager since Puel. Our defenders just tend to be shit.

He's what they call in Baseball a "Quad-A player" - too good for AAA but not good enough for the Majors.

Are we now happy with Arma up front on his own? Since Tonda came in: 6 games 5 goals 3 assists

Non-racists and non-antisemites I'd guess.

Lammy breaks ranks on Brexit https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/12/04/lammy-breaks-ranks-on-brexit/

https://youtu.be/5OaXTd7__Ys?si=FLRMuRcHfC3gUZOI

Newsround?

Don't forget they thought that was one of the best budget's ever.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c709r8ekn8no Also some good news here - need to continue this as a deterrent.

Interesting after the "horrendous" budget we are seeing monthly highs in the pound as businesses and investors buy into the UK fiscal plan. Expect to see this increase when interest rates fall again this month.

I've taken some time off from posting, but this got my goat. Radiohead, Pink Floyd, ELO and Blur. Fucking hell SOG.