tbaldwins manifesto

[tbaldwin]

I don't know how a family of a violent crime victim (eg rape, murder) would react to that proposal though.

I think in most cases they would prob prefer it. Even if motivated mostly by bitterness and vengeance it still makes more sense that people who carry out these crimes work if they want to than just rot away.
And a also think that if you or your family is a victim of that type of crime you are likely to see the present criminal justice system as a bit of a sick joke.
I think that people on the left could come up with much better solutions to crime if they put their heads together and stopped being so liberal about everything.
Anti Social Crime needs to be tackled not by an outdated system of the upper class toffs but by the people most affected by it.

 

[Steven Gill]

why on earth should someone go to uni and get themselves into debt for a position that pays peanuts over an unskilled job.

Nothing wrong with wanting to get a decent career mate, but people who choose to do the so called 'unskilled' jobs as you call them, work very hard, and anyway, i find the whole skilled vs unskilled work debate a joke anyway, all jobs require 'skill'.

 

[tbaldwin]

Nothing wrong with wanting to get a decent career mate, but people who choose to do the so called 'unskilled' jobs as you call them, work very hard, and anyway, i find the whole skilled vs unskilled work debate a joke anyway, all jobs require 'skill'.

Good post.

 

[brasicritique]

I would be in favour of that as well brassic....Can i make you minister for really pissing off the greedy energy companies?

do i get a semi-automatic and do i get to rig up bicycles to peddal power britain and can i have the pick of urbanites to do the peddling

 

[stupid kid]

7 Stop the recruitment of skilled workers from poorer nations unless companies pay reparations to those nations.

Does that include the NHS?

If you think it's fucked now, imagine what it might be like in two years without any foreign recruitment.

 

[tbaldwin]

Does that include the NHS?

If you think it's fucked now, imagine what it might be like in two years without any foreign recruitment.

Yes. and it would of course have to be phased in and people from this country would have to be encouraged to train up and replace those workers.

And i dont think its fucked now if you compare it to the health systems in the countries most of those workers come from.

 

[tbaldwin]

do i get a semi-automatic and do i get to rig up bicycles to peddal power britain and can i have the pick of urbanites to do the peddling

Sounds fair enough to me.

 

[tbaldwin]

1 Cut Income Tax for lower paid...Starting rate of 10% on first £10,000 of somebodys wages. 20% on anything over £20,000. 30% on anything over £30,000. 40% on anything over £40,000. 50% on anything over £50,000.
60% on anything over £60,000.

2 Renationalise the public transport system.
Cut fares and increase capacity.

3 Introduce a maximum wage in the Public and Voluntary sector £70,000.
( For a time limited period doctors would have to be exempt.

4 50% super tax on all advertising.

5 Increase road taxes and petrol.

6 Replace the House of Lords with a second chamber diorectly elected by proportional representation.

7 Stop the recruitment of skilled workers from poorer nations unless companies pay reparations to those nations.

8 Support International Labour rules to ensure that multinationals are obliged to improve the wages and conditions of workers in poorer countries.

9 Bring in a National Labour Scheme. 50% of people presently languishing in UK prison cells would instead be asked if they would prefer to work.
Young unemployed people and those who come in early contact with the Criminal justice system would also be obliged to become part of the NLS..

10 Improve food in schools and hospitals.

11 Referendum of privatising the monarchy.

12 Referendum on Capital punishment.

13 Reform of the Benefits system increasing benefits that dont stop people from working and allowing people on JSA,IB etc to gradually move into work without immediately losing benefits.

14 Increasing the minimum wage for all larger companies who employ over 100 people.

15 Shoot 100 top celebrities voted for by the great british public.

16 Tougher Punishments for all anti social criminals.

17 Major House building programme and knock down more shit housing.

18 Limit on amount of properties that any one person can own.

19 Increase inheritance tax to 50% on all estates of over £500,000

20 Replace the unelected Judiciary with Judges directly elected by people in the areas that they serve.

21 Legalise Cannabis but only allowed to be sold in the renationalised post offices.

22 Cut Charitable Status to private schools.

23 End any subsidy for people from private schools in the UK university system.

24 Renationalise energy and telecoms.

25 Cut the workking week and increase the minimum wage.

 

[geeta]

Not enough on immigration controls! Shitter.

 

[tbaldwin]

Not enough on immigration controls! Shitter.

There are points 7 and 8. But yes i could have said a whole lot more.
But basically in favour of strict immigration controls to discourage economic migration and in favour of a humane refugee policy.

 

[tbaldwin]

I don't actually think joe public would vote for capital punishment except in a trivially small number of cases. Sure a lot of people if you ask them in a survey whether some crimes are so horrible that they require the death penalty would say yes, but wouldn't really want it to become a mainstay of the judicial process.

Besides which, there's a pretty firm correlation between shit, illiberal places you wouldn't want to live, and number of executions per year.

Given this some more thought...Perhaps the thing to do would be to increase the basic state pension by £10 a week say and pay for it by the increase in inheritance tax. That would help poorer pensioners and do something about the huge scandal of massive inherited/unearnt wealth.

 

[durruti02]

sorry balders for not commenting earlier been absorbed in other matters!

ok .. bit liberal for me!! i was expecting a ban on immigration but i am impressed with the NLS though BIffs idea is good too. I have a populist manifesto in genesis that i believe will be more popular than yours though maybe not on U75!! We should both stand in MK!

 

[audiotech]

This load of ego-driven bollocks doesn't even concern itself with how it's populist policy's are to implemented within the current system?

 

[tbaldwin]

This load of ego-driven bollocks doesn't even concern itself with how it's populist policy's are to implemented within the current system?

Ego driven? I guess you could say that any of us who state our views on what policies we believe in are driven by ego to an extent.
But your 2nd point is interesting and is probably just about on the borders of fair criticism.....
Probably needs a bit more work on extending democracy.
Personally i think Socialism has to be populist and democratic....

I think arguing for an extension of democracy is always a good thing and wrong foots the right who want to portray all lefties as out of touch and dogmatic....

 

[Bear]

1 Cut Income Tax for lower paid...Starting rate of 10% on first £10,000 of somebodys wages. 20% on anything over £20,000. 30% on anything over £30,000. 40% on anything over £40,000. 50% on anything over £50,000.
60% on anything over £60,000.

No.

2 Renationalise the public transport system.
Cut fares and increase capacity.

Probably a good idea.[/QUOTE]

3 Introduce a maximum wage in the Public and Voluntary sector £70,000.
( For a time limited period doctors would have to be exempt.

Terrible idea, no.

4 50% super tax on all advertising.

No strong opinion, but probably a bad idea.

5 Increase road taxes and petrol.

No.

6 Replace the House of Lords with a second chamber diorectly elected by proportional representation.

Not sure, elections if it were by AV to a single 12 year term might be good but there whole point of the system is supposed to be legislation from those elected, reviewed by the non-political people. Wouldn't like to see the HoL so subjected to public pressure, that's what commons is for. PR for the commons a big yes.

7 Stop the recruitment of skilled workers from poorer nations unless companies pay reparations to those nations.

Nice idea but only if most other industrialised nations will agree to do the same.

8 Support International Labour rules to ensure that multinationals are obliged to improve the wages and conditions of workers in poorer countries.

Yes

9 Bring in a National Labour Scheme. 50%= of people presently languishing in UK prison cells would instead be asked if they would prefer to work.
Young unemployed people and those who come in early contact with the Criminal justice system would also be obliged to become part of the NLS..

Needs more work but I like the sound of it so far, yes.

10 Improve food in schools and hospitals.

Yes

11 Referendum of privatising the monarchy.

No.

12 Referendum on Capital punishment.

Absolutely not, no fucken way.

13 Reform of the Benefits system increasing benefits that dont stop people from working and allowing people on JSA,IB etc to gradually move into work without immediately losing benefits.

Nice idea. Yes.

14 Increasing the minimum wage for all larger companies who employ over 100 people.

No, all companies have the same minimum wage they must pay.

15 Shoot 100 top celebrities voted for by the great british public.

Funny, but no.

 

[Bear]

16 Tougher Punishments for all anti social criminals.

No.

17 Major House building programme and knock down more shit housing.

Yup.

18 Limit on amount of properties that any one person can own.

Don't know. Probably not.

19 Increase inheritance tax to 50% on all estates of over £500,000

Yep, and more importantly work on closing the loop holes in the tax system.

20 Replace the unelected Judiciary with Judges directly elected by people in the areas that they serve.

Absolutely not. No fucken way.

 

[Bear]

21 Legalise Cannabis but only allowed to be sold in the renationalised post offices.

Nice start, Coffee shops too please.

22 Cut Charitable Status to private schools.

Probably a yes.

23 End any subsidy for people from private schools in the UK university system.

If such a thing actually exists outlaw it right away, are you for real? Does that really happen? That's terrible.

24 Renationalise energy and telecoms.

No.

25 Cut the workking week and increase the minimum wage.

Probably a no to the working week and a yes to the minimum wage, it depends on economics .

 

[Steven Gill]

I'd certainly support bringing back into public ownership Water and the Railways, but not the other utilities, also, reregulate the Bus Services, and bring them back under local public control, i'd also abolish County Councils and devolve their current fuctions to borough level.

Quick question on the National Labour Scheme, would unemployed people be forced to take part but Prison inmates have the option of opting out and staying in jail?

 

[becky p]

There are lots of points I do agree with. But some of it I disagree with. A Lot of it i'm not too sure about.
But I think it is good to see somebody's views more fully laid out.
It would be a good idea imo if more people explained their political viewpoints in more detail.

 

[tbaldwin]

I'd certainly support bringing back into public ownership Water and the Railways, but not the other utilities, also, reregulate the Bus Services, and bring them back under local public control, i'd also abolish County Councils and devolve their current fuctions to borough level.

Quick question on the National Labour Scheme, would unemployed people be forced to take part but Prison inmates have the option of opting out and staying in jail?

The short answer is i am not sure.
I think that it would probably be good if it nobody was forced into it. But i do think there should be some incentives/encouragement.....
I do believe in most things in life a carrot and stick approach is needed.....
I think the main thing would be to ensure that the NLS is a really good experience for the majority of people on it. And that it actually proves to be good for other people as well.

I think its crazy the amount of money this country is prepared to pay to keep people locked up. I also think its nuts that people who could work with some encouragement and support have been written off in their millions in this country.

 

[tbaldwin]

There are lots of points I do agree with. But some of it I disagree with. A Lot of it i'm not too sure about.
But I think it is good to see somebody's views more fully laid out.
It would be a good idea imo if more people explained their political viewpoints in more detail.

Yeah. It would be good. But i dont think it is that easy.And to be fair it is much easier to criticise politicians than to look at what alternatives are needed or workable...
But its interesting to do a manifesto and i wish others would try on here...Still waiting for durrrutis....

 

[tbaldwin]

1 Cut Income Tax for lower paid...Starting rate of 10% on first £10,000 of somebodys wages. 20% on anything over £20,000. 30% on anything over £30,000. 40% on anything over £40,000. 50% on anything over £50,000.
60% on anything over £60,000.

2 Renationalise the public transport system.
Cut fares and increase capacity.

3 Introduce a maximum wage in the Public and Voluntary sector £70,000.
( For a time limited period doctors would have to be exempt.

4 50% super tax on all advertising.

5 Increase road taxes and petrol.

6 Replace the House of Lords with a second chamber diorectly elected by proportional representation.

7 Stop the recruitment of skilled workers from poorer nations unless companies pay reparations to those nations.

8 Support International Labour rules to ensure that multinationals are obliged to improve the wages and conditions of workers in poorer countries.

9 Bring in a National Labour Scheme. 50% of people presently languishing in UK prison cells would instead be asked if they would prefer to work.
Young unemployed people and those who come in early contact with the Criminal justice system would also be obliged to become part of the NLS..

10 Improve food in schools and hospitals.

11 Referendum of privatising the monarchy.

12 Referendum on Capital punishment.

13 Reform of the Benefits system increasing benefits that dont stop people from working and allowing people on JSA,IB etc to gradually move into work without immediately losing benefits.

14 Increasing the minimum wage for all larger companies who employ over 100 people.

15 Shoot 100 top celebrities voted for by the great british public.

16 Tougher Punishments for all anti social criminals.

17 Major House building programme and knock down more shit housing.

18 Limit on amount of properties that any one person can own.

19 Increase inheritance tax to 50% on all estates of over £500,000

20 Replace the unelected Judiciary with Judges directly elected by people in the areas that they serve.

21 Legalise Cannabis but only allowed to be sold in the renationalised post offices.

22 Cut Charitable Status to private schools.

23 End any subsidy for people from private schools in the UK university system.

24 Renationalise energy and telecoms.

25 Cut the workking week and increase the minimum wage.

I have just been asked to stand as a candidate for the forthcoming by election in David Davis's constituency.
But i am not too sure if it will be worth it or not. I suppose it wont be too bad if i get over 20% of the votes, but i'm a bit camera shy. So if anybody else wants to stand on my manifesto instead, id be willing to stand aside..

 

[herman]

14 Increasing the minimum wage for all larger companies who employ over 100 people.

Disagree with this- I had an interesting chat with the manager at my workplace comparing work practices over the decade (and learned a fair bit too),

One interesting thing I learned is the idea of the optimum size for a anufacturing workplace - not far over 100 people so it seems. Manufacturing is now reduced to core business apparently and other stuff then is outsourced (eg Compass and suchlike doing the catering, cleaning companies the cleaning obviously and so on)- repair work being contracted in on an as needed basis. This is a world away from my first dip into manufacturing in the 80s where a company employed 1000's including full time cateing, accounts departments employing dozens etc, while core activity was little over 200 people- working on the assembly lines.

So should a cut off point be 100 then it will not be long before still large manufacturing units (automotive sites such as honda in swindon become a series of separate companies with a staff level miraculously close to 99 people.

Besides it creates a two tier minimum wage.

 

[tbaldwin]

Disagree with this- I had an interesting chat with the manager at my workplace comparing work practices over the decade (and learned a fair bit too),

One interesting thing I learned is the idea of the optimum size for a anufacturing workplace - not far over 100 people so it seems. Manufacturing is now reduced to core business apparently and other stuff then is outsourced (eg Compass and suchlike doing the catering, cleaning companies the cleaning obviously and so on)- repair work being contracted in on an as needed basis. This is a world away from my first dip into manufacturing in the 80s where a company employed 1000's including full time cateing, accounts departments employing dozens etc, while core activity was little over 200 people- working on the assembly lines.

So should a cut off point be 100 then it will not be long before still large manufacturing units (automotive sites such as honda in swindon become a series of separate companies with a staff level miraculously close to 99 people.

Besides it creates a two tier minimum wage.

Good points that i hadnt really considered.

 

[TremulousTetra]

Now if you had said "shoot 100 politicians voted for by the UK public", I may have offered.

 

[herman]

Good points that i hadnt really considered.

Don't get me wrong, I saw where you were coming from but the equation between headcount and business size is long gone- thats what for decades all the outsourcing and downsizing has been about- business is not in the business of creating jobs, but creating profits, so headcount may well be higher where profits are lowest.

Incidentally back in college (many moons ago) I watched a documentary about multinationals exploiting cottage industry which were no more than a family or so stitching together clothes for supermarkets (supposedly self employed but in a clearly uneven relationship between multinational and so called self employed). Modern agriculture also springs to mind.

Often it could be argued that it is the smaller businesses has the proportionally higher headcount given the lack of capital to purchase latest technology. I have worked in companies manufacturing bits of taxi meters that were in this situation- labour intensive and working with just about postwar machines, and ticking over.

I work for a mutinational manufacturer that runs the latest machines and there are barely any people working there and on the one occasion I worked on site with latst robot technology I found myself almost alone in a vast factory space- it was quite weird seeing robots driving around then having tea in a canteen that holds about a dozen people.

Just thought I'd add those bits

 

[brasicritique]

look balders why do you always leave out re nationalisation of the energy industry ? do you work for gasprom? Its bloody annoying

 

[herman]

look balders why do you always leave out re nationalisation of the energy industry ? do you work for gasprom? Its bloody annoying

wait til the soviets come back and its no more mr nice guy- they will renationalise gazprom - though I wouldn't win cos I had that on a double with Cardiff winning the Cup.

 

[tbaldwin]

look balders why do you always leave out re nationalisation of the energy industry ? do you work for gasprom? Its bloody annoying

I refer my learned friend to point 24.

 

[tbaldwin]

Don't get me wrong, I saw where you were coming from but the equation between headcount and business size is long gone- thats what for decades all the outsourcing and downsizing has been about- business is not in the business of creating jobs, but creating profits, so headcount may well be higher where profits are lowest.

Incidentally back in college (many moons ago) I watched a documentary about multinationals exploiting cottage industry which were no more than a family or so stitching together clothes for supermarkets (supposedly self employed but in a clearly uneven relationship between multinational and so called self employed). Modern agriculture also springs to mind.

Often it could be argued that it is the smaller businesses has the proportionally higher headcount given the lack of capital to purchase latest technology. I have worked in companies manufacturing bits of taxi meters that were in this situation- labour intensive and working with just about postwar machines, and ticking over.

I work for a mutinational manufacturer that runs the latest machines and there are barely any people working there and on the one occasion I worked on site with latst robot technology I found myself almost alone in a vast factory space- it was quite weird seeing robots driving around then having tea in a canteen that holds about a dozen people.

Just thought I'd add those bits

Yes and No....As the Liberals say.....

Yes multinationals do use cottage industries etc...But in that case you could insist that they ensure their suppliers are paying what they themselves should be paying.
But truly independent shops and cafes would obviously struggle to pay what the multinationals can afford...And some people prefer to shop and work for them.

Each according to their needs and means as so to speak...
Large companies can afford more so they should pay more.