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Post by stuart1974 on May 14, 2024 13:52:22 GMT
"The "New Deal for Working People" was launched by the deputy leader, Angela Rayner, at the party's 2021 annual conference.
The key planks of it are:
Banning zero-hours contracts; Ending fire and rehire (stopping employers sacking staff and rehiring them on worse pay and terms); Bringing in employee rights, such as sick pay, parental leave, and protection from unfair dismissal, from day one; Rolling back Tory legislation restricting industrial action; Making flexible working a right. At the Trades Union Congress last year, Ms Rayner reiterated Labour's commitment to the plan and to introducing it within 100 days of a Labour government forming.
Speaking to Sky News in February, she doubled-down on the plan, saying: "This is good for business and it's good for workers."
But as Labour gets closer to power, it has been reported that pressure from business - whom Sir Keir Starmer has been courting - could see some of those pledges watered down."
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Post by stuart1974 on May 14, 2024 13:11:27 GMT
Things kicking off in Georgia. Raining? Protesters don't want a Russian law introduced and the young want an EU future. The law allows the government to say someone is a foreign agent and close down protests. Wouldn't surprise me to have this spun as a western backed attempted coup and for Putin to 'help'. Sounds familiar?
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Post by stuart1974 on May 14, 2024 12:54:09 GMT
Things kicking off in Georgia.
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Post by stuart1974 on May 14, 2024 10:54:46 GMT
Still waiting for the first signing or even extension, but here are some names linked or discussed or just hoped for. and the number I think we need to see in. Need some RB's please? 1 GK
Lawrence Vigouroux Loan Corey Addai Fee Max Stryjek Free 1 RB
Luca Hoole Extend 2 CB
Elkan Baggott Loan/Fee Sean Raggett Free Romoney Crichlow Fee Alex Hartridge Free 2 LB Rio Adebisi Free Shaun Rooney Free Nesta Guinness-Walker Free Clinton Mola Free 1 DCM
Jordon Rossiter Extend Jeando Fuchs Free 1 Mid Marc Leonard Fee/Loan Harry Kite Free Sam Clucas Free Liam Sercombe Fee 1 AM Chris Conn-Clarke Free Brandon Aguilera Loan 2 Wingers Scott Sinclair Extend Ronan Curtis Free David Ajiboye Fee Harvey Vale Loan 3 Strikers JCH Free Laurent Tolaj Fee Will Evans Fee Charlie Wyke Free Jaidon Bartolo Fee Be interesting to see come August who we get in compared with the rumours.
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Post by stuart1974 on May 14, 2024 10:24:28 GMT
For anyone interested, Grant Shapps is announcing plans for 6 new ships. Point of note: These are still only plans and subject to a review after the GE. It's "up to" 6, meaning a maximum of 4 is most likely based on previous classes It's only what Boris announced 3 years ago. The Navy announced today another 2 frigates are to be retired. Their replacements are so far away we are down to 9. For context, we used to have over 50 into the 1990s. This is a failure of both Labour and the Conservatives. Recruitment and retention still an issue. I honestly weep and despair at how (all) politicians have managed to put this island nation in such a sh** awful position with a service ( and the other services to be honest) I was proud to serve for 22 years and during which time friends and colleagues of mine paid the ultimate sacrifice defending this country of ours across the world. Bless them all….and a plague on the houses of the spineless gutless politicians who have no idea what a sense of duty and comraderie is all about. RFA down to, I think, 2 working tankers. It was well into double figures not that long ago. Both parties are guilty of under investment. On the subject of frigates, the last one built was in the early 2000s. The next one due is in 2027. It used to be one a year.
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Post by stuart1974 on May 14, 2024 9:39:54 GMT
For anyone interested, Grant Shapps is announcing plans for 6 new ships. Point of note:
These are still only plans and subject to a review after the GE.
It's "up to" 6, meaning a maximum of 4 is most likely based on previous classes
It's only what Boris announced 3 years ago.
The Navy announced today another 2 frigates are to be retired. Their replacements are so far away we are down to 9. For context, we used to have over 50 into the 1990s. This is a failure of both Labour and the Conservatives.
Recruitment and retention still an issue.
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Post by stuart1974 on May 14, 2024 8:27:43 GMT
An interesting article Stuart,with health spending rapidly approaching £200bn I don't see how this is sustainable,there has to be radical reform . Trouble is TG is that anyone mentions tinkering with the NHS and it seen as a sacrilegious act and you need to be burnt at the stake for even thinking it. Facts are somewhat different and from when it was introduced in 1948 the population calling on its services has gone ever upwards (and somewhat older now due to the fantastic services it provides to keep you alive) and the services/procedures/medications to support this are always improving thanks to the brilliant brains working behind the scenes to improve them….at a (huge) cost though. The only way I can see it happening (and it won’t) is to stop using the NHS as a political football, take it out of that arena and have a national non-political debate about how all parties and the people of this country can agree a way ahead. That may involve some people paying (subject to ability to do so) for certain services now freely available to all. Best of luck with that one though….! Can’t see how the current model will survive much longer without some radical out of the box thinking. Been saying for a long time, the NHS needs to be given its independence like the Bank of England and taken away from the politics.
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Post by stuart1974 on May 14, 2024 7:55:53 GMT
"The government is spending £5.5bn less on health in England than it suggested it would be at this stage, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says. Plans set out in the 2019 election campaign indicated the budget would increase by 3.3% a year above inflation during this Parliament, the IFS said. But despite extra being put in to cover the high inflation seen, spending had risen by only 2.7% a year on average. The government defended its record, saying it was making extra investment. Funding had reached record levels and was making a "real difference" in cutting waiting lists, the Department of Health and Social Care said. The health budget for this year stands at £179.6bn. Most of this is going on the NHS but it also includes money for public health, social care and training." www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-69005259An interesting article Stuart,with health spending rapidly approaching £200bn I don't see how this is sustainable,there has to be radical reform . Something has to give, interesting though is that we don't spend that much per capita. www.statista.com/statistics/236541/per-capita-health-expenditure-by-country/The United Kingdom spends $5493 per capita on health, more than the OECD average of $4986 (USD PPP). This is equal to 11.3% of GDP, compared to 9.2% on average in the OECD. There are 3.2 practising doctors per 1,000 population (OECD average 3.7); and 8.7 practising nurses (OECD average 9.2).
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Post by stuart1974 on May 14, 2024 6:26:38 GMT
"The government is spending £5.5bn less on health in England than it suggested it would be at this stage, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says. Plans set out in the 2019 election campaign indicated the budget would increase by 3.3% a year above inflation during this Parliament, the IFS said. But despite extra being put in to cover the high inflation seen, spending had risen by only 2.7% a year on average. The government defended its record, saying it was making extra investment. Funding had reached record levels and was making a "real difference" in cutting waiting lists, the Department of Health and Social Care said. The health budget for this year stands at £179.6bn. Most of this is going on the NHS but it also includes money for public health, social care and training." www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-69005259
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Post by stuart1974 on May 13, 2024 14:56:13 GMT
*Alliterations Arovers AFC I didn't want to use AFC, although the "Amateur" part may be appropriate. 😃
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Post by stuart1974 on May 13, 2024 14:49:35 GMT
Anyone think Chris Conn Clarke or Jodi Jones are realistic targets for us? Gonna keep a close eye on what Lincoln do this summer. They have a model and style I would love for us to emulate quickly! In theory we should be able to compete but they probably have the edge for up and coming players deciding where to go next. Is this a trend, only looking at players whose first and surnames begin with the same letter ? Alliteration Rovers FC.
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Post by stuart1974 on May 13, 2024 10:26:30 GMT
No chance, hence the 3 years references. We need to balance the playing side with making real progress here. Buying promotion will only lead to more debt on the credit card with little to no longer term benefit. It's frustrating that plans have been repeatedly kicked down the road for boom and bust stuff really. I'm hoping we are building short and long term plans around ensuring the feasibility of the club going forward over everything. I'd argue we're 15-20 years behind in regards to the three things that baggins mentioned. Yep, we've a difficult, sometimes contradictory, and definitely expensive, circle to square. Reduce losses to a realistic level. Build a team for the next two to four seasons, not blow the budget hoping to go up within one. Get the stadium up to standard. Improve revenue streams. Upgrade the Quarters. Form a Development Team. Improve the pathway from schoolboys to First Team. And more. That requires a strategy that looks at the short, medium and long term. I know some think this isn't the time to rebuild the Mem and we should concentrate elsewhere, I wholeheartedly disagree. Without improving the Mem and getting the infrastructure right, we'll struggle to attract players, fans, investors, etc and we'll continue down this path of stagnation. Something has to change and soon.
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Post by stuart1974 on May 13, 2024 10:16:26 GMT
Sunak to give a keynote speech shortly about security and Grant Shapps is expected to announce a shipbuilding strategy, possibly tomorrow.
I'd be pleasantly surprised if anything concrete comes out of this, Sunak trying to steal a march on Labour while Shapps is unlikely to say anything different to the strategy announced by Boris in 2021.
We'll see.
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Post by stuart1974 on May 12, 2024 17:23:46 GMT
Arsenal wanting Spurs to do them a favour.
Arsenal's remaining games: Everton (h)
Man City's remaining games: Tottenham (a), West Ham (h)
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Post by stuart1974 on May 12, 2024 15:42:18 GMT
We're thinking of going to the Motorhome show near Newbury next weekend, just browsing as it's not realistic, but we do enjoy the thoughts of getting one. Oh god not another one who wants a campervan, oops sorry Yatton I mean Motorhome, to clog up the roads and slow everyone down. To be honest, it's the wife's dream. I prefer to drive in our car and stay in hotels.
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Post by stuart1974 on May 12, 2024 15:20:10 GMT
We're thinking of going to the Motorhome show near Newbury next weekend, just browsing as it's not realistic, but we do enjoy the thoughts of getting one.
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Post by stuart1974 on May 12, 2024 15:17:39 GMT
Procrastination in Washington has real consequences. "Opening a new front here in the north is stretching Ukraine’s limited resources. The US delay in approving more military support has starved Ukrainian troops of ammunition. On average, Ukraine has only been able to fire one artillery round to Russia’s 10. That is now slowly being addressed, with the US support now coming. But the Kharkiv offensive also highlights problems Ukraine itself has been too slow to address – mobilising enough troops and building adequate defence lines. Re-enforcements being sent to Kharkiv have had to be pulled from other parts of the front and limited reserves. Ukrainian officials still insist Kharkiv city is not under threat of a ground invasion. But the further the Russian’s advance, the more likely that it will come within range of Russian artillery." www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c72p0xx410xo
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Post by stuart1974 on May 12, 2024 15:12:02 GMT
It does, not sure "bitter" is appropriate, nor is a laughing matter, though. 😶 Incidentally, it's "you're". 😘 Oh Christ not another member of the grammar police. My humble apologies that I don't check what has been typed before posting. Not just a member, I'm a Chief Inspector. 😃
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Post by stuart1974 on May 12, 2024 14:47:34 GMT
Some of us have every reason to. As did many under the Blair/Brown years. Works both ways Stu. It does, not sure "bitter" is appropriate, nor is a laughing matter, though. 😶 Incidentally, it's "you're". 😘
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Post by stuart1974 on May 12, 2024 14:24:33 GMT
Mid table not buying potential promotion winning players - yup!! Thats why we did not renew out season tickets and will pay on the day. Oh 2 be a Gas Head 🙄 You think, as a Club, Ground, infrastructure, we're ready for the Championship? No chance, hence the 3 years references. We need to balance the playing side with making real progress here. Buying promotion will only lead to more debt on the credit card with little to no longer term benefit.
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