Balanced Question Time panel tonight - of course not!

[irocfan]

eharding said:

the issue is that whilst the QT audience is ostensibly composed of ordinary members of the public

[jogon]

King said:

Let's not forget the old UKIP manifesto where the disabled were feigning illness...

“The welfare state has also created a brazen culture of benefit “scrounging”, whereby individuals who are perfectly capable of working refuse to do so, and go on benefits instead. They frequently justify this by feigning illness.

“This gives rise to a parasitic underclass of “scroungers”, which represents both an unreasonable tax burden on the working population"

St Nigel would never think such a thing, though, would he?

Couldn't get any worse could it really. I mean ATOS did a fine job did they not.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/20/wat...

[sidicks]

King said:

Let's not forget the old UKIP manifesto where the disabled were feigning illness...

“The welfare state has also created a brazen culture of benefit “scrounging”, whereby individuals who are perfectly capable of working refuse to do so, and go on benefits instead. They frequently justify this by feigning illness.

“This gives rise to a parasitic underclass of “scroungers”, which represents both an unreasonable tax burden on the working population"

St Nigel would never think such a thing, though, would he?

So, with ongoing medical advances and increasing NHS spending, how has the proportion of the working age population claiming disability benefits changed over time.....??

[NicD]

King said:

Let's not forget the old UKIP manifesto where the disabled were feigning illness...

“The welfare state has also created a brazen culture of benefit “scrounging”, whereby individuals who are perfectly capable of working refuse to do so, and go on benefits instead. They frequently justify this by feigning illness.

“This gives rise to a parasitic underclass of “scroungers”, which represents both an unreasonable tax burden on the working population"

most days you can read of the successful prosecution of such criminals , like this today
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2871902/Be...

so what is your contribution, exactly?

[sidicks]

NicD said:

most days you can read of the successful prosecution of such criminals , like this today
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2871902/Be...

so what is your contribution, exactly?

Same as usual, unfortunately.

[King Cnut]

sidicks said:

So, with ongoing medical advances and increasing NHS spending, how has the proportion of the working age population claiming disability benefits changed over time.....??

Those advances actually mean that there are more people with disabilities alive now than ever before. People with chronic conditions, for instance, are living 20-30 years longer than they would have done 20 years ago.

Another thing you might take into consideration is that if you become ill and die tomorrow, it will cost the state far more than it would have cost if you'd got the same illness and died 30 years ago. By living this long you are becoming an increasing drag on the people of this country...

[sidicks]

King said:

Those advances actually mean that there are more people with disabilities alive now than ever before. People with chronic conditions, for instance, are living 20-30 years longer than they would have done 20 years ago.

Another thing you might take into consideration is that if you become ill and die tomorrow, it will cost the state far more than it would have cost if you'd got the same illness and died 30 years ago. By living this long you are becoming an increasing drag on the people of this country...

You didn't answer the question. Try again.

[King Cnut]

NicD said:

most days you can read of the successful prosecution of such criminals , like this today
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2871902/Be...

so what is your contribution, exactly?

Do you believe that disabled people are all benefits cheats?

I'm guessing not; but I reckon you're probably one of those clever types who can diagnose disability in others just by looking at them. I don't know, with folks like you about, I don't really understand why we bother training doctors etc. You could save the NHS and the benefits system millions!

[sidicks]

King said:

Do you believe that disabled people are all benefits cheats?

I'm guessing not; but I reckon you're probably one of those clever types who can diagnose disability in others just by looking at them. I don't know, with folks like you about, I don't really understand why we bother training doctors etc. You could save the NHS and the benefits system millions!

Back to ridiculous strawman arguments and misrepresentation.

[mybrainhurts]

Four Litre said:

and Brand wasnt on his best form,

Given that Brand's best form is slightly below a bad dose of diarrhoea, I don't think we missed anything.

[mybrainhurts]

FredClogs said:

And Brand is right, the poorest in society would suffer most under a government influenced by Farage particular social ideals, his party is one set up with the express purpose of the further concentration of the UKs remaining wealth into the hands of fewer and fewer people.

What the hell are you smoking?

[sidicks]

mybrainhurts said:

What the hell are you smoking?

Something that's badly affecting his cognitive functions!

[mybrainhurts]

league67 said:

Within the UK we have one of the lowest energy bills in Europe, and people still bh and moan.

It might have something do with 30,000 elderly people dying every year because they can't afford to pay these lowest energy bills in Europe.

I'd be interested to know many people die in the rest of Europe.

bhing and moaning seems to be entirely reasonable to me.

[mybrainhurts]

FredClogs said:

TEKNOPUG said:

The poor might be less poor if there wasn't a limitless supply of cheap foreign labour, driving down wages and encouraging zero-hour contracts. I appreciate that this viewpoint confirms that I'm a fear-mongering racist...

I'm not sure if this is the correct thread for such a discussion, but the point you raise should be scrutinised as if often repeated as a truth but I suspect when you really look into it you'll find little evidence that it is the case and given that UKIP are a party who wholeheartedly extol the virtues of Hayekian based market economics I very much doubt that they'll do anything to create market regulation when it comes to peoples individual employment contracts and wages. If you want controlled wages and representation in the workplace then you'll probably want to vote labour.

And if you want a crashed and written off economy, you'll definitely want to vote Labour.

[mybrainhurts]

fido said:

the Brown era!!

That sounds dire.

Oh, it was....

[mybrainhurts]

tangerine_sedge said:

I'll oppose grammar schools because they are a blatantly stupid idea.

Pushy middle class parents would do their upmost to secure grammar places for their children, leaving no space for children from poorer families.

Schools can currently stream more able students as it is, so what benefit will grammar schools actually achieve? ...

For a start, they'd teach the difference between upmost and utmost...

[mybrainhurts]

King said:

Of course, Turbobloke will be along to tell us how the whole system is skewed towards the poor and stupid, who should be grateful for any gobbets of nourishment falling from his silver plated trough.

What the hell prompted that nugget of bilge?

[NicD]

King said:

NicD said:

most days you can read of the successful prosecution of such criminals , like this today
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2871902/Be...

so what is your contribution, exactly?

Do you believe that disabled people are all benefits cheats?

I'm guessing not; but I reckon you're probably one of those clever types who can diagnose disability in others just by looking at them. I don't know, with folks like you about, I don't really understand why we bother training doctors etc. You could save the NHS and the benefits system millions!

ah, so 'your contribution' is a feeble attempt at sarcasm.

I DO think that benefit cheats (and there seem quite a few) are the lowest of the low and must be rooted out with vigour. They steal scarce resource from the genuinely disabled and poison the well of human kindness.

I could certainly tell that my beloved elder brother was disabled, since he spent almost half his short life in a wheelchair, so keep your half baked crap to, and about yourself. You will find that the more life experienced posters on here don't need your naive little sermons.

[XCP]

sidicks said:

King said:

Those advances actually mean that there are more people with disabilities alive now than ever before. People with chronic conditions, for instance, are living 20-30 years longer than they would have done 20 years ago.

Another thing you might take into consideration is that if you become ill and die tomorrow, it will cost the state far more than it would have cost if you'd got the same illness and died 30 years ago. By living this long you are becoming an increasing drag on the people of this country...

You didn't answer the question. Try again.

I would imagine that it has gone up, probably for the reasons stated.

[carinaman]

I think Brand should spend a bit of his £Millions getting some Mejia training from Common Purpose.