Free laptop? Annoyed.

[JaredM]

Just read this on the sky news website.

So this is Mr Browns idea of prudence? While the country's in a deep recession, huge national deficit and the threat of cutbacks to frontline public services (NHS, schools, police) Mr Brown sees fit to pledge laptops around?

Surely improving internet services at the local library or in local school will be more beneficial to the community and cheaper? How does a free laptop even help in the situation where 'the mother who's worried about her son struggling with his reading can find out more about how she can help'?

Why does it cost £300m to supply 270k families - a cheap broadband package can be had for about £60/year whilst netbooks can be bought for around the £200 mark.

Seems more like its a pre-election bribe to give the scroungers a reason to get off their backsides and into a polling booth! Like a pedophile handing out sweeties to little children. Has me thoroughly disgusted.

Still, now we know why BN66 had to have retrospective legislation in it, they suddenly needed that £200m to contribute towards these free laptops.

[Paddy]

Meanwhile schools are short of books

[EternalOptimist]

Did you see the stop press though ?

Harold has been defeated by William near Hastings. It looks like it's all over for Godwinson

[Xenophon]

Wham! have split up.

[JimBobTwoTeeth]

They've done this before at a local government level. Somewhere in Scotland I think.

All they did was create a big market in second hand laptops. Pointless Labour stupidity.

[AtW]

Still, now we know why BN66 had to have retrospective legislation in it, they suddenly needed that £200m to contribute towards these free laptops.

No, BN66 has nothing to do with it: something had to be done about people resident in the UK and doing business here whilst paying 3.5% tax on activities where as others would have to pay 40%+.

HTH

[fullyautomatix]

This has been well debated here before. Google for "Bribo laptop". A chap created a hilarious Ebay auction about it. PC World will supply the laptops at a subsidized cost of 1100£ .

It's a win - win really.

Chav mums -> sell on ebay, get cash, profit!
Labour -> chav votes
PC world -> 800 quids profit on every laptop

Somebody has to lose something here, but I cannot work out who

[minestrone]

Give it a week and they will all be straight down the social making a claim for an emergency loan because "me man blew the money for the kids food on partypoker".

When I was off last year to get out the house I would head down the Libraby with my laptop to use the free WiFi they advertised. Except there was never ever any seats, there were a few desks with PCs on it but they were taken up by plebs playing online poker. All the free WiFi did was give access to the staff at the curry shop next door.

[JaredM]

Somebody has to lose something here, but I cannot work out who

Well surely everyone who pays their 'fair share'

[Churchill]

No, BN66 has nothing to do with it: something had to be done about people resident in the UK and doing business here whilst paying 3.5% tax on activities where as others would have to pay 40%+.

HTH

You really do have a problem with this, don't you?

Stop being a bitter little turd and live with it.