The Burnham Years - Can the new(ish) broom sweep clean?

[badgerx16]

54 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

We could have also had a national sovereign wealth fund, re-investing the profits from our oil and gas industry like Norway. 

True, and I think we should have done, but Maggie needed the tax revenues to fund tax cuts.

[Weston Super Saint]

7 hours ago, The Kraken said:

To take that away or reduce it / diminish it goes back on a a decades long agreement. It would be a horrendous move IMO, one of massive betrayal. 

 

Will never happen.  Pensioners = votes.

I can see reform of the system happening, but will only affect those of school age now and how their future will look, but will be something they 'grow up' with.

[Weston Super Saint]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpd76e737ljo

Quote

People in England needing immediate care for mental health problems will be able to access specialist walk-in hubs close to their home, the government is promising.

The aim is to give those experiencing a mental health crisis or significant distress somewhere to go to get help when they need it - with plans to open dozens of the hubs in high street locations like banks and libraries.

Whilst we no doubt need more mental health treatment centres, has this really been thought through?  Essentially you can get help from 9 to 5 Monday to Friday (maybe, unless your bank is only open 10-4!), but is that really when most mental health crises happen?  I assume they are more likely to happen outside of those hours?

Besides, do we really want someone suffering from a mental health crisis in the same place where large amounts of money are kept?  

[AlexLaw76]

This is awkward

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/08/05/wes-streeting-donations-linked-to-crypto-king-fraudster/

[egg]

11 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

This is awkward

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/08/05/wes-streeting-donations-linked-to-crypto-king-fraudster/

There's a paywall... headline doesn't look great though! 

[benjii]

50 minutes ago, egg said:

There's a paywall... headline doesn't look great though! 

Basically Sam Bankman-Fried (crypto billionaire subsequently done for fraud) donated 500k to a think tank. The think tank later gave 35k to Streeting. Apparently some other Labour figures declined gifts as they weren't sure where the money came from. 

I don't think SBF had been found guilty at the time though.

It's not really in the same league as being in direct cahoots with a money launderer and taking 5m quid and pretending it's not a political donation. 

[egg]

14 minutes ago, benjii said:

Basically Sam Bankman-Fried (crypto billionaire subsequently done for fraud) donated 500k to a think tank. The think tank later gave 35k to Streeting. Apparently some other Labour figures declined gifts as they weren't sure where the money came from. 

I don't think SBF had been found guilty at the time though.

It's not really in the same league as being in direct cahoots with a money launderer and taking 5m quid and pretending it's not a political donation. 

Thanks for that. So trying to compare an apple to an orchard. Still shows poor judgement, at best, though. 

[rallyboy]

Look, a dead cat!

[badgerx16]

1 hour ago, benjii said:

Basically Sam Bankman-Fried (crypto billionaire subsequently done for fraud) donated 500k to a think tank. The think tank later gave 35k to Streeting. Apparently some other Labour figures declined gifts as they weren't sure where the money came from. 

I don't think SBF had been found guilty at the time though.

It's not really in the same league as being in direct cahoots with a money launderer and taking 5m quid and pretending it's not a political donation. 

So, a desperate attempt at deflection and construction of an extremely flimsy false equivalence.

[whelk]

3 hours ago, egg said:

There's a paywall... headline doesn't look great though! 

URL tells me all lot. Wouldn’t trust those cunts to have the correct date on the front page. Absolute joke of a paper nowadays.

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, whelk said:

URL tells me all lot. Wouldn’t trust those cunts to have the correct date on the front page. Absolute joke of a paper nowadays.

Long, long way away from its 1980s to expenses scandal heyday. Any paper who has that weird, Truss-worshipping creature Allister Heath as Editor for 9 years is bound to be wonky and inaccurate. 

Here’s his latest masterpiece about his new crush, Farage https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2026/08/05/joining-rupert-lowes-religious-war-would-be-electoral-suici/

The irony of what he thinks Reform is about is as misplaced as his hurrahing about the Truss and Kwarteng disaster budget. 

[Turkish]

I see Burham is being criticised for being too blokey FFS 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

9 minutes ago, Turkish said:

I see Burham is being criticised for being too blokey FFS 

"We want a man of the people. Just not those people." 🙂

[Farmer Saint]

32 minutes ago, Turkish said:

I see Burham is being criticised for being too blokey FFS 

But I thought blokey pint drinking man down the pub is what this country wanted?

[Whitey Grandad]

16 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

But I thought blokey pint drinking man down the pub is what this country wanted?

Drunks and alcoholics?

[badgerx16]

16 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Drunks and alcoholics?

Churchill ?

[Farmer Saint]

5 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

Churchill ?

Druggies as well?

[badgerx16]

6 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

Druggies as well?

I have suspicions about several of the last few Tory cabinets. When they ordered Coke it didn't come in a bottle.

Edited yesterday at 10:27 by badgerx16

[Weston Super Saint]

1 hour ago, Farmer Saint said:

But I thought blokey pint drinking man down the pub is what this country wanted?

Possibly.  But definitely not wanted by the Social Media gurus in Whitehall.

He should tell them to fuck off and present himself how he wants to be presented.  Would be nice to have someone reasonably authentic in power, warts and all.

[Whitey Grandad]

8 hours ago, badgerx16 said:

Churchill ?

Him too.

What he could have achieved had he stayed clean!

Edited 21 hours ago by Whitey Grandad

[Wade Garrett]

On 06/08/2026 at 07:31, Weston Super Saint said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpd76e737ljo

Whilst we no doubt need more mental health treatment centres, has this really been thought through?  Essentially you can get help from 9 to 5 Monday to Friday (maybe, unless your bank is only open 10-4!), but is that really when most mental health crises happen?  I assume they are more likely to happen outside of those hours?

Besides, do we really want someone suffering from a mental health crisis in the same place where large amounts of money are kept?  

Fucking load of bollocks.

[Sir Ralph]

Just now, Wade Garrett said:

Fucking load of bollocks.

If we worked harder on getting people into work we would have fewer mental health issues

[egg]

5 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

If we worked harder on getting people into work we would have fewer mental health issues

Clueless. 

[Sir Ralph]

2 hours ago, egg said:

Clueless. 

Not really is it.

You’ve essentially said that statement is clueless if it concludes that if people are in employment it has no improvement in terms of their mental health - really???!!!

Pesky evidence below (there is tonnes of it). Provide me with evidence that contradicts my comment and supports your view.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7681163/

https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/employment-dosage

https://deconstructingstigma.org/latest/benefits-working

Edited 18 hours ago by Sir Ralph

[Farmer Saint]

11 hours ago, egg said:

Clueless. 

Please stop quoting him - it means I have to see his uneducated ramblings if you do.

[egg]

1 minute ago, Farmer Saint said:

Please stop quoting him - it means I have to see his uneducated ramblings if you do.

Apologies Farmer. I've put him back on ignore.

[Farmer Saint]

4 minutes ago, egg said:

Apologies Farmer. I've put him back on ignore.

Cheers Egg.

As an aside I am sure working more would help SOME people with mental health issues, but my God it is a wide spectrum he's trying to solve with his big brush. But then nuance and detail has never been his forte.

Edited 9 hours ago by Farmer Saint

[egg]

2 hours ago, Farmer Saint said:

Cheers Egg.

As an aside I am sure working more would help SOME people with mental health issues, but my God it is a wide spectrum he's trying to solve with his big brush. But then nuance and detail has never been his forte.

I haven't read his response, but many people have zero idea about MH. They confuse feeling low/sad, worried with depression and anxiety which are altogether different things. Many people have MH issues which mean that they cannot work, so just saying that doing so would solve their problem shows an ignorance. Then there's the more acute MH issues which would prejudice others if unwell people were around them in the work place. 

The lack of understanding around this issue boils my piss. 

Edited 7 hours ago by egg

[Sir Ralph]

Just now, egg said:

I haven't read his response, but many people have zero idea about MH. They confuse feeling low/sad, worried with depression and anxiety which are altogether different things. Many people have MH issues which mean that they cannot work, so just saying that doing so would solve their problem shows an ignorance. Then there's the more acute MH issues which would prejudice others if unwell people were around them in the work place. 

The lack of understanding around this issue boils my piss. 

Mental health is impacted by different things. It says a lot that I focused on how employment can help and you focused on how people can’t work. In which post did I say it was a sole solution? Please point this out to me.

Some people will be impacted by a lack of purpose in life, including younger people who are unemployed, and that will impact their mental health. 

Good to see the usual gang backing one another even though one of their own is talking utter tripe. I’m waiting for the evidence which confirms I’m wrong. You won’t be able to so apology accepted #leftwingpartisanechochamber

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/12/young-people-fear-long-term-unemployment-work

Edited 5 hours ago by Sir Ralph

[AlexLaw76]

My wife’s friend will go to the doctors every few months about her MH and make statements that she had dinner with Queen Victoria and her dead mum the week before.

Result - sighed off work on full benefits for another 6 months or so. 

she lives a fairly comfortable life. 
 

 

[egg]

3 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

My wife’s friend will go to the doctors every few months about her MH and make statements that she had dinner with Queen Victoria and her dead mum the week before.

Result - sighed off work on full benefits for another 6 months or so. 

she lives a fairly comfortable life. 
 

 

Your point? What's unclear is whether she's unwell, a cheat, or just that your missus keeps dubious company. 

[AlexLaw76]

1 minute ago, egg said:

Your point? What's unclear is whether she's unwell, a cheat, or just that your missus keeps dubious company. 

She is gaming the system. It is very easy to do.

[egg]

32 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

She is gaming the system. It is very easy to do.

There'll always be benefit thieves, but for every person feigning MH there's someone complaining about migraines or an iffy back etc.

The point remains that many people have no idea about MH.

Moreover, it's people like you're wife's dodgy mate that are the problem, not genuinely unwell people, or a system that looks after those genuine folk. 

I'm alao glad my missus keeps honest company. Not sure how I'd feel if she mingled with dishonest thieves. 

[whelk]

Since Ange Watts I never believe anyone when they say they have cancer

[Holmes_and_Watson]

On 07/08/2026 at 12:50, Whitey Grandad said:

Him too.

What he could have achieved had he stayed clean!

Gallipoli campaign coming up on The Rest is History podcast.

[Farmer Saint]

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

She is gaming the system. It is very easy to do.

I assume you've both reported her? Or is this a Soggy moment? If not, give me her name and I am happy to.

[whelk]

28 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Gallipoli campaign coming up on The Rest is History podcast.

Not his finest hour for sure!

[AlexLaw76]

25 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

I assume you've both reported her? Or is this a Soggy moment? If not, give me her name and I am happy to.

Good luck going against the verdict of a medical professional. 

1 hour ago, egg said:

There'll always be benefit thieves, but for every person feigning MH there's someone complaining about migraines or an iffy back etc.

The point remains that many people have no idea about MH.

Moreover, it's people like you're wife's dodgy mate that are the problem, not genuinely unwell people, or a system that looks after those genuine folk. 

I'm alao glad my missus keeps honest company. Not sure how I'd feel if she mingled with dishonest thieves. 

Life is full of people we know who break the rules.

[Sir Ralph]

Just now, AlexLaw76 said:

Good luck going against the verdict of a medical professional. 

Life is full of people we know who break the rules.

Point is there are tonnes of people milking the system and the system allows it as it’s too soft. GPs just sign people off as it’s the easy thing to do. 

Edited 2 hours ago by Sir Ralph

[whelk]

20 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

Point is there are tonnes of people milking the system and the system allows it as it’s too soft. GPs just sign people off as it’s the easy thing to do. 

GPs aren’t really left with an option. If I went and said I cannot sleep and burst into tears all the time I would get a sick note. Very hard for a GP to say chin up you weak individual, I’m giving you nothing 

Edited 2 hours ago by whelk

[badgerx16]

28 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

Point is there are tonnes of people milking the system and the system allows it as it’s too soft. GPs just sign people off as it’s the easy thing to do. 

Don't assume all the abuse of the system is from shirkers. I know of instances where PIP assessments have been contracted out and the agency has been given quotas of case refusals to meet. I have sat in as a witness to assessments where the final report bore very little semblance to the actual interview, including not only altered answers, but manufactured responses to questions that were not asked. Thankfully the appeals process works.

[Weston Super Saint]

2 hours ago, egg said:

There'll always be benefit thieves, but for every person feigning MH there's someone complaining about migraines or an iffy back etc.

These are the worst!  I have a genuinely bad back.  Last year's operation has failed, the cage that was inserted has moved.  I don't think I've had a full night's sleep for over 6 months being kept awake with the pain which infiltrates every aspect of life, despite strong pain killers that I'd rather not be taking!  I've finally got an appointment to discuss revision surgery with my surgeon, but not for another 6 weeks as they are so swamped.  I had to write a formal complaint to the hospital and include my MP in the chain just to get that sorted.

Sometimes it would probably be easier to sack it all off and get the max benefits, but I carry on working, carry on exercising (despite the pain!) and try to live life...

[Sir Ralph]

Just now, badgerx16 said:

Don't assume all the abuse of the system is from shirkers. I know of instances where PIP assessments have been contracted out and the agency has been given quotas of case refusals to meet. I have sat in as a witness to assessments where the final report bore very little semblance to the actual interview, including not only altered answers, but manufactured responses to questions that were not asked. Thankfully the appeals process works.

Fair enough. It seems as though the system is broken. My wife knows people who don’t need the money claiming money for their kids having ADHD (and they don’t). Having quotas for decisions is wrong too if people genuinely are struggling. The problem it appears is that it’s easy for people to make things up about MH as it’s not visually apparent. That harms those in genuine need.

Question is how do you address a system where people can make things up and get away with it as it’s not visually obvious. I don’t think the status quo works but not sure what the answer is. Many of us have had MH issues with work stress (I would say a decent of people that I know have or still do). However we carry on so I struggle to reconcile why many people are booked off. It does seem that the system needs to be tougher

Edited 1 hour ago by Sir Ralph

[badgerx16]

8 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

Fair enough. It seems as though the system is broken. My wife knows people who don’t need the money claiming money for their kids having ADHD (and they don’t). Having quotas for decisions is wrong too if people genuinely are struggling. The problem it appears is that it’s easy for people to make things up about MH as it’s not visually apparent. That harms those in genuine need.

Question is how do you address a system where people can make things up and get away with it as it’s not visually obvious. I don’t think the status quo works but not sure what the answer is. Many of us have had MH issues with work stress (I would say a decent of people that I know have or still do). However we carry on so I struggle to reconcile why many people are booked off. It does seem that the system needs to be tougher

I pretty much agree about the issues with the system, the problem is in how to fix it. Mental Health issues can be reasonably easy to fake, at face value, as most health professionals simply don't have enough time, or in some instances the willingness, to delve deep enough to uncover the fakes.

[egg]

2 hours ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Good luck going against the verdict of a medical professional. 

Life is full of people we know who break the rules.

Breaking the rules is a tad different to being a dishonest benefit thief mate. Personally, I'd have no time for a friend who did that, but each to their own. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

1 hour ago, Weston Super Saint said:

These are the worst!  I have a genuinely bad back.  Last year's operation has failed, the cage that was inserted has moved.  I don't think I've had a full night's sleep for over 6 months being kept awake with the pain which infiltrates every aspect of life, despite strong pain killers that I'd rather not be taking!  I've finally got an appointment to discuss revision surgery with my surgeon, but not for another 6 weeks as they are so swamped.  I had to write a formal complaint to the hospital and include my MP in the chain just to get that sorted.

Sometimes it would probably be easier to sack it all off and get the max benefits, but I carry on working, carry on exercising (despite the pain!) and try to live life...

Malingerer! 🙂

[badgerx16]

2 hours ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Life is full of people we know who break the rules.

I assume you are happy at her abusing your tax contributions.

[egg]

1 hour ago, Weston Super Saint said:

These are the worst!  I have a genuinely bad back.  Last year's operation has failed, the cage that was inserted has moved.  I don't think I've had a full night's sleep for over 6 months being kept awake with the pain which infiltrates every aspect of life, despite strong pain killers that I'd rather not be taking!  I've finally got an appointment to discuss revision surgery with my surgeon, but not for another 6 weeks as they are so swamped.  I had to write a formal complaint to the hospital and include my MP in the chain just to get that sorted.

Sometimes it would probably be easier to sack it all off and get the max benefits, but I carry on working, carry on exercising (despite the pain!) and try to live life...

I'm sorry to hear that mate. My discectomy / fusion succeeded, but a neighbouring disc is now pinching the nerve, and others are fecked too. I have times when I'm restricted in what I can do and doubtless could get PiP, but financially I'm ok, so why would I claim.  People who abuse the system are a disgrace, and posts like Alex's suggests that doing so is normalised. 

[Farmer Saint]

2 hours ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Good luck going against the verdict of a medical professional. 

Life is full of people we know who break the rules.

Happy to give it a go - happy for you to IM me it if you're uncomfortable posting on here - although sounds like you don't really give a shit about her the way you talk about her.

[Farmer Saint]

1 hour ago, Sir Ralph said:

Fair enough. It seems as though the system is broken. My wife knows people who don’t need the money claiming money for their kids having ADHD (and they don’t). Having quotas for decisions is wrong too if people genuinely are struggling. The problem it appears is that it’s easy for people to make things up about MH as it’s not visually apparent. That harms those in genuine need.

Question is how do you address a system where people can make things up and get away with it as it’s not visually obvious. I don’t think the status quo works but not sure what the answer is. Many of us have had MH issues with work stress (I would say a decent of people that I know have or still do). However we carry on so I struggle to reconcile why many people are booked off. It does seem that the system needs to be tougher

Do you have any idea of the hoops you have to go through to get an ADHD diagnosis? At the moment in our area it takes 4 years and costs around £6k. So are you sure that happens, or are you making stuff up, again?