What else can Britain sell off

[Gonnagle]

Dear Forum,

School buildings are falling down due to private firms trying to cut corners, some kind of scheme called PFI ( private funded initiative ) Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 has just been chuntering on about it but I found this from the Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/apr/12/edinburgh-schools-pfi-racket-crumbling-scotland-tax-avoiding-governing-class

But one of the things that really struck me, private firms have a stake in our schools,

This week is reminiscent of the end days of Major’s sleaze meltdown, and it’s no coincidence that PFI is at the heart of the crumbing ideological shambles. Yesterday it emerged that a fund registered in a tax haven owns a 20% stake in the schools. Something called the John Laing Infrastructure Fund has its registered office in Guernsey, though a spokesman has said that the company pays tax in the UK.

And although Scotland was used as a test case for this scheme it may go further afield, is your kid attending a school that may come crumbling down around their ears.

The bottom line ( aye I am a bottom line man ) time for this country to stops selling off its assets, we all should by now be thoroughly fed up with shoddy infrastructure, time to reclaim our Buses and trains, or are we all waiting for someone to be injured, and lets not stop at the buses and trains, lets buy back our post office, a great British institution that was actually making a profit when we sold it off.

And to end, here's a thought, what about those other great institutions, The Church of Scotland, The Church of England or OR!! what about the Monarchy, lets sell off Our Madge to the Americans, they love the Monarchy, yes!! I am guessing that there are quite a few on this forum that would love to sell off Her Majesty

To end end, I suppose the question is, what kind of future do you want your kids to have, well assuming that they are not injured by their school falling down on them.

Gonnagle.

[Aruntraveller]

I am guessing that there are quite a few on this forum that would love to sell off Her Majesty

You post that as if it's a bad idea 

[jakswan]

So find an example of something that isn't good then dismiss all examples.

Would kind of suck for religion if we followed that method.

I'm not hopeful of getting anything other than a 'ya boo sucks' reply but lets try.

What is your position, nationalise everything? If not what criteria should we use to establish if a service should be in the private or public sector?

[Gonnagle]

Dear Jakswan,

How are you old son

Criteria, you want criteria, sure me old friend, lets see, building that won't fall down around our children, no cost cutting at all, the best of the best for our future, not some children, all children, oh and fuck the cost, we are talking about our children.

Is that enough criteria for you, I have lots of criteria for you, what about the NHS being bleed dry by private firms who see the NHS as some kind of cash cow.

What about buses to rural spots, does the wee granny not have the right to shop at Tesco like the rest of us, no who cares about the wee granny, the criteria should be, access to public transport for all, not just the route which make a profit.


What about the millions who use the train ( I nearly said our trains haha haha ) the millions who keep our country running, the criteria should be, they should be able to travel to work in a safe and comfortable condition, oh and that the train is on time everytime, and be affordable.

And to end, no not nationalise everything, I am all for private enterprise but not at the expense of the ordinary working man.

Now your turn, give me an example of privatisation that works, and you can't use the mob who run Londons water, they have just been fined big time ( not big enough in my opinion ) for polluting the Thames.

Gonnagle.

PS: Sorry I forgot, ya boo sucks!

[Rhiannon]

PFI might have been introduced by Major but Blair/Brown loved it - how else do you think they got all those shiny new hospitals built?

http://www.newstatesman.com/staggers/2014/07/save-nhs-labour-must-face-ugly-truth-pfi

Those two profligate wankers sowed the seeds for the problems in today's NHS.The level of debt is staggering and it was all because they wanted good soundbites today regardless of the shit that someone else would have to clear up later.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Rhiannon,

Correct, but as I have said, I am a bottom line man, privitisation of our infrastructure does not and has not worked, we can portion blame later, we need to rethink  and put money into our infrastructure, not give it to private firms whose only master is profit, this is why school walls are falling down.

Gonnagle

[Jack Knave]

Dear Jakswan,

How are you old son

Criteria, you want criteria, sure me old friend, lets see, building that won't fall down around our children, no cost cutting at all, the best of the best for our future, not some children, all children, oh and fuck the cost, we are talking about our children.

Is that enough criteria for you, I have lots of criteria for you, what about the NHS being bleed dry by private firms who see the NHS as some kind of cash cow.

What about buses to rural spots, does the wee granny not have the right to shop at Tesco like the rest of us, no who cares about the wee granny, the criteria should be, access to public transport for all, not just the route which make a profit.


What about the millions who use the train ( I nearly said our trains haha haha ) the millions who keep our country running, the criteria should be, they should be able to travel to work in a safe and comfortable condition, oh and that the train is on time everytime, and be affordable.

And to end, no not nationalise everything, I am all for private enterprise but not at the expense of the ordinary working man.

Now your turn, give me an example of privatisation that works, and you can't use the mob who run Londons water, they have just been fined big time ( not big enough in my opinion ) for polluting the Thames.

Gonnagle.

PS: Sorry I forgot, ya boo sucks!

Fine words, Gonny, but how would you go about getting these things done from where we are now? What I mean how would you go about getting power to change these things because our present lot aren't going to do anything.

[jeremyp]

time to reclaim our Buses and trains, or are we all waiting for someone to be injured, and lets not stop at the buses and trains

Yes, people keep saying that but I remember British Rail as being shite. Not only that, but being entirely owned by the government, any investment was added to the National debt which meant there was no investment. Parts of it are shite now, but parts of it are pretty OK. On Great Western Railways, even the food is edible.

[Rhiannon]

Yes, people keep saying that but I remember British Rail as being shite. Not only that, but being entirely owned by the government, any investment was added to the National debt which meant there was no investment. Parts of it are shite now, but parts of it are pretty OK. On Great Western Railways, even the food is edible.

Yep. There never was a 'golden age'.

[Rhiannon]

Dear Rhiannon,

Correct, but as I have said, I am a bottom line man, privitisation of our infrastructure does not and has not worked, we can portion blame later, we need to rethink  and put money into our infrastructure, not give it to private firms whose only master is profit, this is why school walls are falling down.

Gonnagle

It's important to know who to blame. It's not so long ago that it is lost in the mists of time.

[jeremyp]

Dear Rhiannon,

Correct, but as I have said, I am a bottom line man, privitisation of our infrastructure does not and has not worked,

This is manifestly false. I get electricity, water and gas. I have a phone line that probably works (I use my mobile almost exclusively). The roads are usable for the most part and the trains in my part of the world are quite reliable.

I remember once walking through a shop as a child where there were all sorts of wonderful designs of telephone on display, but all were illegal to hook up to your telephone line because the dead hand of the government owned General Post Office allowed you to buyrent only one of the standard model or the new fangled but already dated in the mid 70's trim phone. 

I think your view of our nationalised institutions is very much rose tinted.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Jack,

Raise taxes but make it fair right across the board, this is where I do not agree with Corbyn, we don't mug the rich ( well right after we have received all back taxes from all their off shore accounts ) everybody pays the exact same tax.

Car owners like myself, raise fuel tax and road tax, you want that nice wee luxury of driving to your work in your heap of metal, fine!! but you are going to pay heavy for that luxury.

If you want a country to run properly then you have to pay for it, if we want our kids to have a brighter future we pay for it.

Oh and scrap Trident, put that money into a armed force that is emergency ready to the hilt, if it kicks off in a foreign country we are there, with every tool imaginable at our disposal, that includes a armed force trained in all types of medical emergencies.

Gonnagle.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Jeremyp,

Yes, people keep saying that but I remember British Rail as being shite. Not only that, but being entirely owned by the government, any investment was added to the National debt which meant there was no investment. Parts of it are shite now, but parts of it are pretty OK. On Great Western Railways, even the food is edible.

Living in the past!! Have we not grown, have we not learned, we can do better and at the same time create jobs, not try by the back door to get rid of staff.

Gonnagle.

[jeremyp]

we can do better

Can we? I've yet to see any evidence of that.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Jeremyp,

This is manifestly false. I get electricity, water and gas. I have a phone line that probably works (I use my mobile almost exclusively). The roads are usable for the most part and the trains in my part of the world are quite reliable.

Electricity, water, gas, yes and you pay through the nose for it, but I suspect you have a moderate income, try telling the single mum who has to choose between food or heating for her kids, these utilities are basic, we all need them to survive and be happy.

I remember once walking through a shop as a child where there were all sorts of wonderful designs of telephone on display, but all were illegal to hook up to your telephone line because the dead hand of the government owned General Post Office allowed you to buyrent only one of the standard model or the new fangled but already dated in the mid 70's trim phone. 

Once again, living in the past, but it won't be long before yer wee granny in the utter Hebrides is paying through the nose for her wee letter to her Grandson living it large in London, oh wait a minute, by that time she will be internet friendly, sorry can you wait another minute ( boy I sound like one of those machines you talk to when you want to complain about your water, gas and electricity )

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/oct/21/carbon-footprint-email

How much water did I just use telling you you are wrong, again.

I think your view of our nationalised institutions is very much rose tinted.

Sorry mate but I don't want to go back to old, I want to go forward for a brighter future for our kids.

Gonnagle.

[SusanDoris]

Bit of a tangent but:
On the subject of single mums, I would like to hear more reference made to the obligation of their children's fathers to help support the children but this is seldom mentioned on programmes I hear on radio.

[Bubbles]

Well we could sell off Scotland to Donald Trump, I hear he's bought some of it already.

 

[jeremyp]

Dear Jeremyp,

Electricity, water, gas, yes and you pay through the nose for it, but I suspect you have a moderate income, try telling the single mum who has to choose between food or heating for her kids, these utilities are basic, we all need them to survive and be happy.

I don't think I pay through the nose for my utilities. There are other ways to ensure poor people have the essentials they need. For instance, the benefits system could do better. Three the cheap energy would be targeted at the people who can't afford it.

Once again, living in the past, but it won't be long before yer wee granny in the utter Hebrides is paying through the nose for her wee letter to her Grandson living it large in London, oh wait a minute, by that time she will be internet friendly, sorry can you wait another minute ( boy I sound like one of those machines you talk to when you want to complain about your water, gas and electricity )

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/oct/21/carbon-footprint-email

How much water did I just use telling you you are wrong, again.

I have absolutely no idea what point you are trying to make here.

Sorry mate but I don't want to go back to old, I want to go forward for a brighter future for our kids.

Going back to a failed model will not make our kids' future brighter.

[Jack Knave]

Yep. There never was a 'golden age'.

No one is looking for a golden age just a time when our money isn't going to foreign governments to build up their pension pots, make the rich elite shareholders richer and top up their massive offshore accounts.

[Jack Knave]

This is manifestly false. I get electricity, water and gas. I have a phone line that probably works (I use my mobile almost exclusively). The roads are usable for the most part and the trains in my part of the world are quite reliable.

I remember once walking through a shop as a child where there were all sorts of wonderful designs of telephone on display, but all were illegal to hook up to your telephone line because the dead hand of the government owned General Post Office allowed you to buyrent only one of the standard model or the new fangled but already dated in the mid 70's trim phone. 

I think your view of our nationalised institutions is very much rose tinted.

All you need is a phone that works not some fancy shit.

Anyway, those days are gone when there was  a limited choice in colours!   

[Jack Knave]

Dear Jack,

Raise taxes but make it fair right across the board, this is where I do not agree with Corbyn, we don't mug the rich ( well right after we have received all back taxes from all their off shore accounts ) everybody pays the exact same tax.

Car owners like myself, raise fuel tax and road tax, you want that nice wee luxury of driving to your work in your heap of metal, fine!! but you are going to pay heavy for that luxury.

If you want a country to run properly then you have to pay for it, if we want our kids to have a brighter future we pay for it.

Oh and scrap Trident, put that money into a armed force that is emergency ready to the hilt, if it kicks off in a foreign country we are there, with every tool imaginable at our disposal, that includes a armed force trained in all types of medical emergencies.

Gonnagle.

Fine, but my point is is that you are not in power and those who are aren't going to do the things you wish. So my original question was how would you change things, how would you get power to do those changes, what are you prepared to do to achieve your goals?

[Anchorman]

Can we? I've yet to see any evidence of that.

-
Scottish Water?
It remains a nationalised company, after a consultative referendum by the then Strathclyde region during the Tory dictatorship up here showed that we didn't want it sold off.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Jeremyp,

I don't think I pay through the nose for my utilities.

Course you don't, why? You have fallen for the big con trick, hook line and sinker, and as I have already stated you probably have a moderate income, you actually think you are in charge, if I don't like Macgas I will switch to Smithgas, Smithgas up their price you can switch to Borisgas, Borisgas up their price you can switch to Pigsflygas, all a huge con.

But I will reiterate, these are basics, they are not luxuries to be toyed with, private companies should not be in charge of the basics of life.

There are other ways to ensure poor people have the essentials they need. For instance, the benefits system could do better.

Have you not noticed, do you not read the papers, the benefit system is in tatters, Tory tatters, people with jobs are queuing at foodbanks, forget the channel four documentaries about benefit street, this is a small minority, there is a majority of people who do want to work but not on zero hour contracts, they also want access to higher education so they can go on and improve their lot, the Tories have all but destroyed this.

It's all very simple, give a man a fish and he will feed himself for a day, give him the means to better himself and he will tell you to stick yer fish wear the sun don't shine, they don't want handouts they want a hand up.

Going back to a failed model will not make our kids' future brighter.

Not going back, going forward, it was not a failed model but a model run very badly, Corbyn may not be the great hope, but he is a thousand time better than the shit we have now or any of the Torylite wankers he has in his cabinet just now.

Gonnagle.

[Udayana]

Sorry Gonnagle, but even if everyone agreed what was wanted, it is not going happen as no one knows how to put it together.

You need people who know how to provide working services, education, health, utilities etc with the ability to lead and motivate those that will work in the system without cheating, conning, waste and profiteering.  These leaders are not sitting around on the shelf or hanging around on street corners!

You can complain as much as you like, but the hard bit is coming up with detailed constructive workable solutions that people can build. Corbyn is certainly not going to enable that.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Udayana,

Sounds like a very defeatist attitude, where is your British Bulldog spirit

I tell you what! Lets take Mr Corbyn out of the picture ( oh! there are some who would love that, the media led some ) lets concentrate on the problem, and let me ask you a simple yes or no question.

Do you think it is okay for a select few to say, we need to up the price of your gas and electricity? ( and please remember, you, we the British public have no say in this matter ).

A simple yes or no.

Gonnagle.