moonraker

Politicians are not experts. The denigration of "experts" is yet another sad consequence of the referendum. I am sure that you claim some competence in whatever it is you do to earn a crust, but would never deem yourself and expert for fear of your judgement being questioned. I am expert in spotting BS and you’re full of it. If we had another referendum with both sides telling the truth about the benefits leave would be mute, and indications (indications only I admit) is that it would be close but most likely in favor of remaining.

It is happening, slowly and inexorably, we have lower growth than Greece, our economy is weaker and weakening, re-read what I wrote. I am not an apologist for Cameron’s folly, there was never going to be a cliff edge but a slow decline, deny it all you like, it is happening.

Voting to leave the EU was never going to be an instant disaster it is death by a 1000 cuts, slowly and inexorably our economy is weakening, our NHS is declining, our opportunities are disappearing, and our standing in the world is fading. Still ideological leavers cling to the promise of sunlit uplands where the world opens its doors to all our needs, where trade deals are done before breakfast, German car manufacturers dictate EU policy, the USA give us preferential treatment, the Irish Border problem is not really a problem, the bus was not a lie, and are happy to be worse off and where taking back control does not actually include the UK Justice System and Parliament doing their job.

2 - 1 stoke yippee Crouch

Free on sky mix

Stoke equalise and relax

On a much smaller less significant scale and obviously less serious, at least to date, there has been a surge in street violence here in Bath, not murders, but unprovoked violence. The perpetrators caught to date do not match any of the above racial/ethnic profiles. The City no longer has Police Station! I think it is reasonable to conclude that reductions to police numbers and the resultant changes in operational tactics must be contributing to the increased violence, indeed increased crime overall. There has also been a reduction in other services designed to divert young people away from, shall we say, bad influences and behavior. Anyone who refuses to acknowledge that the massive budget cuts over 8 years of austerity are not a significant causation of this worrying trend is either a little dim or far to tied to their politically ideology to see it.

Almost as good a start as reinstating the 20000 police officers the Tories have cut.

Boris is an embarrassment to this country. It is not a political opinion, but one based on his own actions and verbose linguistic style. In trying too be clever all he demonstrates is a complete lack of good sense and judgement. He courts publicity for his own ends. Politics aside he simply is not fit to hold one of the Great Offices of State.

Agree, but the question was about ones opinions of amazing places they had visited, for sheer variety, beauty, history and accessibility the British Isles really do take some beating (Portsea Island excluded).

Very difficult to narrow it down, ones that immediately come to mind are: Cities: Vancouver, London, Cape Town and Seville Beeches: Diego Garcia, The Gower, The French Atlantic Coast from Ile de Noirmoutier to Les Sables-d'Olonne. Scenery: West Coast of Scotland (when the sun is shining), Amalfi Coast, North Yorkshire Moors, Serra de Tramuntana Majorca. Historic: Pompeii, Valley of the Kings, Rome, Avebury. Also love Scandinavia, Brittany, and anywhere in Italy. Don’t have a bucket list, but have plans for: New England, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Mexico, Gotland, in the next couple of years.

The usual suspects are jumping on the bandwagon again. Take a Daily Mail, Express, Sun headline and try to turn it into a cohesive intellectual argument. I have no love for Corbyn but nothing he has said can be justly construed as being anything other than the response of a responsible politician, as opposed to knee jerk lynch mob mentality of the aforementioned publications and the haste with which the mob rally to the call. It is highly likely that an agent of Russia is responsible for this awful crime, and that a robust response is required. The British way is to first gather evidence and test it in the public domain in this instance the behaviour of the press and mob is very un-British, ironic really when their oft claimed defence for distasteful articles is the protection of British values. So to the lynch mob please shut up and go away if you have nothing constructive to offer.

While the sacking is months overdue we are where we are. The new man must have experience of and understand the premiership we have no bedding in time. Hughes meets the fundamental requirement as well if not better than any other candidate available. The thing with managers is that the majority need to find the right club, Moyes at Everton as an example, who can say that Hughes and Saints won’t be a match made in heaven, if not we have lost nothing, if he is then humble pie will be the order of the day for many.

As someone at the tail end of the so called baby boomer era, born 1957, this discussion is a very sad one. Our society is becoming more divisive and polarised by the day, and to my mind at the heart of this is our outdated political system, and outdated political parties. The outdated 2 party system stifles real debate, the movement to the right and left has exposed much that is distasteful in our society; both sides are equally to blame, in their lust for power they choose to vilify and divide society. The printed media is grossly irresponsible and modern e-media has provided an anonymous platform for unpleasant and spiteful comment. Every generation has difficult challenges, the nature of those challenges change but each generation has to face them. The blanket labelling of older voters, as self-interested, uncaring and well off is as puerile as labelling our youth as rude, lazy and disrespectful. After 45 years later have paid tax, NI, contributed to my pension, paid of my mortgage and raised 6 children having been fortunate enough to have been gainfully employed the whole time. I am now contemplating retirement. I have planned and paid for a reasonable pension, but my income will reduce by well over 50%. Having started full time employment at 15 I will not receive a state pension until I am 66, without my own pension planning that would mean I would have to work for 51 years before receiving a retirement income. The majority of today’s generation do not start work until at least 18 and those who go to university don’t start until at least 21, more commonly 22 or 23 having taken a gap year (tell me what is that and how is it funded?).

I do not like Res-Mogg's politics, right wing of the Tory Party and would never give him my vote, however he is the MP for the constituency next to one in which I live and many of my colleagues are his constituents. A number of them have had personal experience of him helping them as their constituency MP and without exception they praise him for his help and his odd personable manner. Like me most of them will not vote for him but neither do they simplify their opposition to him simply on the basis of being a rich, posh, ultra Roman Catholic, they wont vote for him because of his fundamental right wing political believes.

Wes agree it has gone of track, I think it was the Budget post that altered course, back to Corbyn, don't trust him or his side kick MacDonald but it will not be the death of the Labour party.

It does when we were told the £350m a week would be available to spend, hence my statement about lasting a generation we also do not know what the final cost will be. Add to this the NI border problems, the setting up of new customs and border controls at ports and airports (more unnecessary cost) and I stand by my view Brexit is sucking money away from where it is really needed.

Really, have you been in hibernation. The poor economic outlook, the chancellor’s declared Brexit contingency, the cost of the unnecessary and increasingly incompetent department for Brexit, the increasing need for the NHS to hire bank staff due to the exodus of EU staff, the need to plan for the £40m plus settlement. I know you leavers like to deny Brexit has anything to do with our economic problems but I am sorry whilst project fear may have overstated the problems we are facing and got the timescales wrong Brexit is having a significant and harmful impact on our economy and our nation. How’s the brexit crystal ball of all will be rosy the other side of Brexit.

So in terms of safe and unimpeded passage on the high seas, and the security of our coastline, what do you think the potential problems we are likely to face today are? And secondly, how should these be addressed?

Tories being best for the armed forces is one of the greatest myths in politics. History tells us the Labour party does more for the armed forces; only the Tories have ever made servicemen and women redundant and repeatedly cut numbers, from the mid 80's the Tories ordered no new classes of complex surface warship, acouple of OPV's was all they managed, the Blair government sorted out the AWD, Amphibious Capability (that is currently under threat from the Tories) and Carriers within 2 years of assuming office. Since 2010 all the Tories have done is cut and cut. No I don’t think Foreign Aid should be cut to fund the Armed Forces, it should not be a choice, we should fund both adequately, your beloved Brexit is sucking money away from the things that need it and will continue to do so for a generation. I will however say that I am not confident in Corbyn’s commitment to the armed forces, and that is the worry.

We are an Island the sea and the trade routes are vital to us, who do you want to keep them safe for us? Yet again your lack of understanding shines through.

I think your use of the term 'seem to' sums up peoples understanding of what we actually do an what others do, i.e. it is not properly informed. We are an Island Nation our reliance on the sea and free and unimpeded passage thereon is vital to the economic and physical security of the nation and we have a duty to ensure this freedom. This cannot be done without a well-equipped and globally deployable navy and in partnership with our friends and allies. You suggest that other nations do not do as much as we do, or at least do not do their fair share. This is both unfair and untrue. Few navies have a truly global deployment capability, half a dozen at most, of those the USN, the Marine Nationale and the Royal Navy all do their fair share across the whole spectrum of naval capability from warfighting to humanitarian aid, the French have a much larger presence in the Pacific than the UK. Smaller navies e.g. Italian, Dutch, Australian, New Zealand and others also commit significant elements of their fleets to humanitarian aid and international partnerships. Perhaps the mis-understanding is simply a result of British media reporting, which understandably focuses on what the RN does.

And your point is? Humanitarian aid is one of the stated roles of the RN as required by the UK Government and our international commitments. In both cases the commitments to maintain a Naval presence are long-standing, in the case of the West Indies Guard Ship, it is there to protect and support British Overseas Territories in the region. How unlike you to have no understanding of how these things work and yet able to make such a puerile statement.

Believe me there are, 40 plus years of working in and for the RN and I have never known such pressure on so few.

Can’t disagree with that, unfortunately Hammond is hamstrung by Brexit, note nothing for defence in the budget despite the unprecedented problems the Armed forces are facing, particularly the Royal Navy.