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[mattster]

Agreed, and I've seen nothing from the government that suggests they really understand what's coming. Bear in mind that for most, the 54%(?) we got this spring was effectively 100%+, since many (myself included) were paying far less than the cap before being catapulted onto the top of the new cap -...

[mattster]

So privatisation hasn't worked out that well for the railways, or indeed our energy distribution sector.

Worth remembering that the RMT mostly represents workers other than drivers (they are often in ASLEF), and these workers are not particularly highly paid. Why shouldn't they expect raises...

[mattster]

Looking after the elderly is a good thing, but let's not pretend that's why this government are doing it....

[mattster]

Inflation is a monetary phenomenon, and the idea of a wage/price spiral has been largely discredited - although it doesn't stop people believing it is true, and doesn't stop opportunistic politicans from repeating it. Certainly wages aren't the cause of the current inflation, and businesses are right...

[mattster]

It needs to be repeated over and over that a pay deal below the rate of inflation is a pay cut. The RMT aren't even asking for a a pay deal at (or above) the rate inflation, btw, just for less of a pay cut than they've been offered. Things are going to get ugly I think if this inflation isn't brought...

[mattster]

The first thing that would happen under PR is that Labour and the Tories would split into at least two other parties each, centrist and more extreme. If we had PR it seems much more likely to me that we would end up with a centrist coalition of New Lab/Lib Dem/One Nation Tory which would be absolutely...

[mattster]

I went on a German exchange many years ago (pre Schengen) to Aachen, which is very close to the point where Gemrany, Belgium and The Netherlands meet. We went on a few bike rides (we were kids, 15 or so I think) and went through borders many times. A booth, as I recall, but no passports needed and waved...

[mattster]

It's very simple - just have a hard border. The only reason it is not this simple in Ireland is because of the Ireland "situation" - a hard border there is simply not politically acceptable for many of the residents. No such problem exists for Scotland/England....

[mattster]

Exactly. And the 39% who suffer from imposter syndrome probably has much less overlap with the 40% who are genuinely incompetent thant it should! (probably near 0% overlap, actually)....

[mattster]

Can you explain the scam? Who benefits, and how? Just curious....

[mattster]

Sign me up!...

[mattster]

You certainly implied that BJ wasn't a "vote loser" in the same way that May was, but whatever.

I'm not super excited by Starmer but boring competence does have a certain appeal. More than the moral vacuum it is the utter uselessness and lack of any kind of policy direction at...

[mattster]

Has it been? I thought this was still something of a grey area, given that there hasn't been enough long term study on people who take nicotine without smoking. I know the general concensus is that nicotine alone is vastly less harmful than smoking, but I think that is largely conjecture at this point....

[mattster]

It's either that or lend it to your bank at 0.1%, and I'd rather be surprised to the upside when the real bill comes than the other way around....

[mattster]

Exactly - very few of us are doing everything within our power to stay as healthy as we can.

Having said that, I suppose if there are some treatments that simply aren't worth doing if you continue to smoke (or stay fat, or whatever), then it might be ethical. But the fundamental principle...

[mattster]

It's an interesting one, this, and people have tried to work out the maths for years - I don't think there is a real answer especially, as you say, smoking can contribute to so many different illnesses. I think the upshot was that state pension saved through early death was probably a bigger saving...

[mattster]

Up to you, but I think the DD discount is something like 5%, which is getting on for a significant amount of cash at today's energy prices. I wouldn't worry too much about overcharging since you'll get it all back eventually, although I suppose it might harm the cashflow.

On the topic of...

[mattster]

I think it implies that either some ministers were voting against him or that fully 75% of backbenchers were (and ministers perhaps only voting for him to keep their jobs). Neither is sustainable in my view....

[mattster]

You honestly think Johnson is still a vote winner? Evidence on the ground suggests the exact opposite. Agreed, it's not clear who would do any better out the options available, but it's also not clear that anyone would do significantly worse. Best guess: Tories are toast whoever leads them into the...

[mattster]

Our new car has USB C sockets throughout, so rather annoyingly have now had to purchase a few C-C cables, whereas the house is full of built in USB A. I'd rather imagined that USB A would remain the standard for the "powered" end, since it is so prevalent now, and presumably absolutely fine...