The Poolie Bunker

You must love farage and trump then!!

For someone on the other side of the world you take a very deep interest in this Council….you sound more like a Labour Councillor, than someone chilling out in their tropical paradise…I wonder, because you sound like someone in a damp committee room not a galloping pensioner escaping to paradise..
If we had a Tory Council they’d be under the same pressure, and your chums hold the purse strings…shot yourself in the foot Councillor.

And there he goes again. Pathetic.

It was farage and co. that said no tax increases....have you seen the councils they are running??

We never really discussed politics back in the day, we’d both slag of pompous Councillors but like I’ve said on here, the first way to fall out with someone is not to share their politics, which still puzzles me, it’s like religion …divisive…. so I bypass it.
I’ve fell out with every part pf politics…you couldn’t work it out could you, which is what I find disappointing.
Why do you adopt the attitude that someone who doesn’t agree with you politically is against you, the person
I have no such loyalty to any party and never could,
You have very firm opinions on politics….I haven’t, I just criticise who’s flying the plane and for years they’ve all been shite…I just hold my nose and mark the ballot paper…..if I vote at all.
I’m just calling out the clowns like I did with the Tory’s…you owe no party nothing.
Realpolitik hits us all in the end we see politics for what they are…gobshites…angry clerks in power but not in control of their own bowel movements never mind a country.
I was always a cynic about politics, a grubby business for the past fifty years….when real politicians left the stage all that followed sold our job security down the river.

What politicians ever keep promises, you are a bit naive KPG, you never read my posts, I pay taxes in the U.K. on my pensions. I have no problem paying taxes towards the upkeep of deprived kids some suffering mental and physical illnesses, you sound a very heartless person hopefully you never fall on hard times and have to rely on others.

It’s all a game and Jamie knows it…….

You got one thing right, it’s very humid here Snowy at times. I didn’t escape here, I come here for a more affordable way of life with a better climate. The opportunity to ‘escape’ to another location is available to the majority of people, there is no barb wire fence round Hartlepool, don’t criticise people who if you have never tried it.

One of the safest Labour seats in history and they've just come 3rd to the Greens and Reform. They took almost 50% of the overall vote only 18 months ago, this time about 25%. Turnout was almost the same for both votes.
This is not a normal protest mid term result, this is a huge statement on the performance of Starmer and his government, and a huge indicator of where our country is heading.

It's nothing about agreeing or falling out with people because of politics...it's your right wing jumping on anything slightly left. And then you say you don't talk politics. Frankly it's pathetic.

Who actually are you??

Why do you ask?

Have I ever criticised your politics on here…?

I’ve once tried sliding down an unsanded bannister covered in splints, but I’ll never criticise anyone who refuses to….life lesson 23b

this politicians never keep promises or ignoring there election manifesto is far too easy to criticise. when something is stated on a certain date many things can happen even in a few months to make that impossible to bring in. think we have all been in a similar position with our families where for reasons at work we cannot keep our original promise.

Because I actually think you are a stooge.

Lost me again Snowy, gone right over my head, I can’t see the significance in your quote ?

Wrong, it was to stop Reform winning, your blinkered.

The easiest way to stop Reform winning was to vote as they did in the last G E, is it not?
I think the most accurate assessment would be to say they didn't want Reform or Labour to win, as the result clearly shows.
The next G E will probably reflect differently. We shall see.

what a state we have got into when its more about not voting a party in rather than a wish to vote one in. doubt we have ever been in a state like this.

Don’t worry about it Jamie.

Everyone’s a stooge then.

only knew 3 of them and never found em funny even as a kid.

The thing is I question every party and politician, a Stooge wouldn't. There may be some stooges on here mind.

Crack on.

Prove it….where have I ever said that?

Are the ‘left’ untouchable…?
If anyone criticises the ‘left’ do they become a dribbling right winger?
I have criticised the Tory’s on here ….as for Reform, I ‘m not sure if they’ll get the victory they presume they will ….but they ain’t in power band have no history, the ‘left’…or ‘Starmer’s’ left have been a disaster …so they get criticised.
Starmer was the one who ousted Corbyn….who would you call biggest socialist. I ‘d say Corbyn, for all the good it did him…..
Reform will get criticised when they’re in power……I have no affinity to any Party, you do.

The Government of the day are responsible for running the Country for the benefit of the citizens they represent. The electorate were promised things would get better, they have got worse, apart from scroungers and illegal invaders. This current bunch of Amateurs have made more U turns than a lost motorist without a map. The only excuse they can offer is what they inherited. It is a lame excuse and every Government uses it. They were going to put things right. They haven't.
We, the Electorate are holding them to account and all the left wing Zealots are trying to gag us. Englishmen won't be gagged and as free men wish to be governed sensibly and fairly and if that doesn't happen they will tell those responsible to shape up or get out. That is what is happening, that is what always happens when they think they are being let down and as sure as eggs are eggs we are being let down. No one in his right mind can honestly say that Starmer is doing a good job but most people have come to the conclusion that there is no one better than him in the Party. There are 410 of them in Parliament and not one of them stands out as a likely replacement for the hapless PM. What a sorry state of affairs we have found ourselves in. Even the Unions are disassociating with them. Andy Burnham is doing a great job in Greater Manchester and offered to have a go at running the Country for us. What did the Labour Party do. they blocked him and any attempt to right the wrongs. Is that the antics you would expect from people who claim to love our Country. I don't think so. There is only two words we can use to take us forward and those are GET RID.

No different when you keep saying I am a supporter of Starmer and the current Labour Party Snowy and I ask you to prove it.

Your political leanings are clear…mine aren’t as I’m cynical about all politicians…I criticise whoever’s in office ..it’s obvious, but some folk, not you, take offence when their politicians are criticised and can’t cope with it..
All politicians only became abaout years ago because of redundancies in the Pirate business.

like ir or not i feel we are going to be stuck with this present government as long as they can stay in power no matter who leads them. the only difference in a new leader is a penny one way and a penny the other with little change. they might be all remembered better if they just went to the country quickly and see if they have a mandate to continue in power. thing is there is not a cat in hells chance of them thinkinng that way never mind doing so. there own jobs and the party will always come before the people and the country no matter who are in power now.

It'll take a war to get politicians in this country to start putting country before party imo.
At the moment we're stuck with idealists and career politicians who have no experience of running a bath let alone the country.
We don't need governments made up by quotas of ethnics, gender, etc we need a government made up of competent ministers with experience in their area of responsibilities. A true coalition would be the best way forward, in the same model as cross party committees. But turkeys will never ever vote for Xmas will they.

need a few more who are prepared to say it as it actually is in parliament who could not give a toss who it hurts. like them or not it only seems reform and the new right wing party who are prepared to do this. Funny looking back at the left who once supported the working man with COAL NOT DOLE to now be supporters of net zero, immigration and any minority interest that will help there cause. Guess the next slogen will be DOLE NOT COAL id opening any pit is ever mentioned.

For once i agree with you PTID but the electorate need to get off their ar*es, after all furore of Denton less than 50% bothered to vote which was slightly up on the last G.E.

I lean to left, it’s well known the rich are becoming richer at the expense of us, listen to Gary Stephenson when he explains inequality is on the increase.

hit the nail on the head there. bet amongst a certain section of the electorate it would be closer to 100% who voted. don,t they know that or are they either thick or could not give a toss. could inderstand people not voting at one time and i was one of them. never again though way things have gone unless you want our national flag being changed.

Looks like inflation Gunna sky rocket again.
Good news for the Triple Lock which goes of THIS SEPTEMBER INFLATION for April 27 rise.

Every cloud eh.

Not really, it'll push many over the tax threshold so they'll give with one hand and take with the other. They've taken the WFA and now they're going to tax some of the most vulnerable in society.
Great question by a pensioner today to the Chancellor, why is the NMW for school leavers higher than the state pension? Obviously the question was ignored.

Any oaps who doesent vote for Reform in 29 is shitting on their own nests.
20k tax free life.
Good for workers also.
Never paid into a private pension.
Just pay me self it's tax n risk free.
Who needs Martin Lewis

Thing is, any ‘organised’ minority that acts together can get control of a council or good representation when actually only a minority themselves.
The majority lose control because they’re lazy and indifferent.
Postal votes need severe pruning…..another cause for concern.

I can agree about not paying into a private pension, you need to keep up with Reform, Reform UK has backtracked on the commitment to raise the income tax threshold to £20,000,, with leader Nigel Farage stating that such massive tax cuts are not currently realistic.
The party aims to raise tax thresholds, specifically aiming to help people out of the 16-hour-a-week "debt trap’, it suits employers and employees to only work 16 hours, no tax, no NI. irrespective of raising tax thresholds no one could afford to live on a salary of 16 hours. Ok let’s introduce a minimum hours per week to have to work to take employees out of the debt trap, unfortunately some people limited to the hours they can work due to family circumstances. Try looking up how much it costs to put kids in a day nursery.
They plan to cut "unsustainable" welfare spending, explicitly stating they would reintroduce the two-child benefit cap, which they view as a necessary step to "defuse the benefits bomb, so they want to increase child poverty ?

Disagree about the private pensions…one was contributory and one was a surprise when I retired from France.l
I was given advice to save the pension payments in the bank by people ….but it wouldn’t have lasted the journey…I got mine at 55 and the pension was the best move I ever made, for a change.

Agree, having the private pension allowed me to retire 8 years earlier than waiting until state pension age.
I don't agree with the way Rachel has decided to plunder many people's pension funds after death though and can see even more people foregoing private pensions though. A relatively small pension fund would push many people with relatively modest homes in the South East say over the new IHT threshold. Taxing prudent people for dying just doesn't seem right to me, everybody wants to leave their loved ones, not the government, better off don't they?
I suppose it's a rare thing when the South East gets hit harder than the plebs north of Watford though eh?

if you have your own property and some money in the bank once you reach a certain age people need to spend time on how they can get rid of the money before they die. less the government especially this one get the happier i would be.

It hardly makes sense to invest in your home, invest in a pension, and save a little nest egg so the government can claw it back through taxing people just above the bare state pension line and then taking a chunk of what you'd hoped to leave your loved ones. Apparently many pensioners who are above the IHT threshold when their pension pot is taken into account are withdrawing as much as they can now to spend or give away which together with the disincentive to invest too much in a PP is just stifling investment.

What is the point in working and saving when the 'idle' (for whatever reason or origin) claim benefits (which go up faster than the state pension) and then qualify for the state pension as if they'd paid into the NI scam for decades.

even if you are working whats the point in scrimping and saving for the future that you might not even be around to benefit from. spend spend spend and leave this life in debt.

Exactly what’s the point of scrimping and saving only for it to be taxed, in years to come not in our lifetime state pensions will be means tested as it is in Australia. The other downside is if your unfortunate enough to end up in a Care/Nursing Home charging over a £1000 a week.

Well done on your Early Retirement.
Thats a remarkable achievement.
But don't think it's doable nowadays unless a good inheritance comes into play.

Anyhow we'll done.

As many point out on here, the state pension is not a benefit, it is an insult to say that to anyone who has paid in years and years of NI.
And the government keep moving the goal posts!!!!

If the government feck up, it is always the hard working people of this country who have to pay for it!
If you don't want to work and/or wander into this country looking for immigrant status, then everything is for free!

If you work hard, save hard, the government want a slice and them some more!