Reply to: To be Polish

[SueEllen]

I'm not saying you are wrong but is this based on any real sephology or is it just your opinion (albeit a popular and populist one)?

Most civil servants and people who work for government organisations are in unions. The party the majority of unions support is Labour. Union magazines (ok the three I've seen) are always full of stuff on how wonderful Labour is. Most people vote according to what they are brainwashed with.

[Flashman]

I don't suppose the programme actually bothered to quote any statistics on unemployment in the area?

http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/NR/...tter_Mar05.pdf

The claimant count unemployment rate for March 2005 in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough was 1.6%.

Peterborough itself has an unemployment rate of 2.6%.

Even allowing for those unemployed and claiming sickness benefits the unemployment rate is tiny.

The vast majority of British citizens in and around Peterborough are in fact in work. On the basis of actual statistics the characterisation of the English as lazy and workshy would seem to me to be wholly inaccurate.

I would, of course, shoot the unemployed.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

If you conducted a poll not just on welfare recipients themselves (you are probably right in that they are unlikely to vote at all) but more importantly on the tens of thousands who work for the state in the welfare business you will find that these public sector workers are the bedrock of support for NL.

Spin some grey into that.

I'm not saying you are wrong but is this based on any real sephology or is it just your opinion (albeit a popular and populist one)?

[lexington_spurs]

I met a Polish guy on the bus last week

none of this addresses the real point raised here.

What is a blue-chip business intelligence contractor doing on a bus?

[Bumfluff]

.......

[ratewhore]

...the tens of thousands who work for the state in the welfare business you will find that these public sector workers are the bedrock of support for NL.

I hate to say it of a pimp but he right you know...

[NickNick]

The chav refusing to pick squash may have a valid point. I am sure he was just a lazy chav and should have his benefits removed, but....
Seasonal work is no good to the unemployed.
They know that when the season is over they will be unemployed again and will then have to wait the statutory period before their full benefits are reinstated. They will have effectively lost money by working.

The wait for income support is only 2 weeks, so I guess after a season picking squash you would be able to save enough to last that two weeks. Housing benefit is admittedly a littel long at around 4 weeks, but if you pay monthly then this isn't an issue.

BTDT.

NN

[DodgyAgent]

If that were true, are you saying they are floating voters? There was a massive increase in the welfare state under Thatcher and Major, were these voters voting conservative then and Labout now? Of course not, the underclass doesn't vote. Some of you guys can only operate in black and white, the real world is a little more complicated than that.

The reason that there was an increase in the welfare state under Thatcher assuming your assertion is true is because a lot of people lost their jobs. This was the price we paid for sustaining loss making monopolies. If you conducted a poll not just on welfare recipients themselves (you are probably right in that they are unlikely to vote at all) but more importantly on the tens of thousands who work for the state in the welfare business you will find that these public sector workers are the bedrock of support for NL.

Spin some grey into that.

[Moscow Mule]

He came home, spent a week dossing, and upon our insistence, went back to try and face the music like a man. After a week of hanging around, the Guards decided that as a trainee, he was allowed some leeway, and let him back in. 10 mins later, this new sergeant starts bullying him..so he goes AWOL again and has left.

....

So...back to £6.50 an hour in Tescos for this young man, who had a brilliant opportunity and threw it away (some of his own doing, admittedly)

Perhaps if he stood up to his responsibilities he wouldn't have to work in Tescos.

When you join the forces your life belongs to them. Period. No room for emotion.

However, it does seem like the Sergeant was a bit of a knob.

[shaunbhoy]

How very true.

A family member who was in training for the Welsh Guards told me that they had extra-curricular maths and english lessons for some of the lads, to help them with their communication skills. They also had 3 chaps from Somali who only knew the following words, spoken with an inane grin, "Yes, sergeant !".

Grenade practice was a barrel of laughs apparently.

Serg : Throw the grenade now !
Pte : Yes Sergeant !

<stands there holding the grenade with the pin out before the Sergeant grabs it and chucks it over the wall>

Oh what fun eh ?

And btw, the family member left. He went Awol. They were promised leave on valentines day. Then it was cancelled. Unfortunately, the family member's father died 3 years previously and was buried on V day, and the family member had arranged to go visit mum and spend time with her and also his civvy girfriend.

When it was cancelled by a different Sergeant, he went ballistic and walked off camp.

He came home, spent a week dossing, and upon our insistence, went back to try and face the music like a man. After a week of hanging around, the Guards decided that as a trainee, he was allowed some leeway, and let him back in. 10 mins later, this new sergeant starts bullying him..so he goes AWOL again and has left.

Shame, the Army would have been a good career for him. He is 21, dyslexic, and a typical "kevin". However, he loves the Army, is very fit, and wanted to make his late dad proud. What he didn't expect was the unnecessary bullying. Oh and his whiny girlfriend who didn't like him being in the Army in the 1st place. Stupid moo. The rest of the family hate her guts now. She is a whiny, me me me, oh look a nice handbag, "meejah" student. That says enough I hope.

So...back to £6.50 an hour in Tescos for this young man, who had a brilliant opportunity and threw it away (some of his own doing, admittedly)

Perhaps milan can get him a position changing tapes somewhere?

[scooterscot]

Now we're doomed http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7282923.stm

If they leave who will pick our butternut squash?

No one, we'll import from Poland! Food prices will go up, green house gases up, and the chavs are happy...

[Board Game Geek]

The Army is tolerant to a fair share of thick-as-a-brick types, but even they are having trouble finding youngsters who can read/write/think to an acceptable level.

How very true.

A family member who was in training for the Welsh Guards told me that they had extra-curricular maths and english lessons for some of the lads, to help them with their communication skills. They also had 3 chaps from Somali who only knew the following words, spoken with an inane grin, "Yes, sergeant !".

Grenade practice was a barrel of laughs apparently.

Serg : Throw the grenade now !
Pte : Yes Sergeant !

<stands there holding the grenade with the pin out before the Sergeant grabs it and chucks it over the wall>

Oh what fun eh ?

And btw, the family member left. He went Awol. They were promised leave on valentines day. Then it was cancelled. Unfortunately, the family member's father died 3 years previously and was buried on V day, and the family member had arranged to go visit mum and spend time with her and also his civvy girfriend.

When it was cancelled by a different Sergeant, he went ballistic and walked off camp.

He came home, spent a week dossing, and upon our insistence, went back to try and face the music like a man. After a week of hanging around, the Guards decided that as a trainee, he was allowed some leeway, and let him back in. 10 mins later, this new sergeant starts bullying him..so he goes AWOL again and has left.

Shame, the Army would have been a good career for him. He is 21, dyslexic, and a typical "kevin". However, he loves the Army, is very fit, and wanted to make his late dad proud. What he didn't expect was the unnecessary bullying. Oh and his whiny girlfriend who didn't like him being in the Army in the 1st place. Stupid moo. The rest of the family hate her guts now. She is a whiny, me me me, oh look a nice handbag, "meejah" student. That says enough I hope.

So...back to £6.50 an hour in Tescos for this young man, who had a brilliant opportunity and threw it away (some of his own doing, admittedly)

[scooterscot]

The Poles are as good as our chavs at claiming benefit. A friend of mine just cashed a benefits cheque for a Pole for 6 grands worth of child benefits even though his kids live in Poland.

The chav refusing to pick squash may have a valid point. I am sure he was just a lazy chav and should have his benefits removed, but....
Seasonal work is no good to the unemployed.
They know that when the season is over they will be unemployed again and will then have to wait the statutory period before their full benefits are reinstated. They will have effectively lost money by working.

Getting on your bike may be a good answer, but can the big cities stand the influx of people looking for work?
Many of the unemployed could not earn enough to rent never mind own a place in London.

Is brick making also a seasonal activity?

The work is out there if they look... there's always some work to be done and to be paid for.

[The Lone Gunman]

The Poles are as good as our chavs at claiming benefit. A friend of mine just cashed a benefits cheque for a Pole for 6 grands worth of child benefits even though his kids live in Poland.

The chav refusing to pick squash may have a valid point. I am sure he was just a lazy chav and should have his benefits removed, but....
Seasonal work is no good to the unemployed.
They know that when the season is over they will be unemployed again and will then have to wait the statutory period before their full benefits are reinstated. They will have effectively lost money by working.

Getting on your bike may be a good answer, but can the big cities stand the influx of people looking for work?
Many of the unemployed could not earn enough to rent never mind own a place in London.

[Bagpuss]

The Benefit State created by Labour is a deliberate action so that Labour has a large and willing population base who will vote for them every time.

Labour do not care about the country. They care only about staying in power and creating a feeding frenzy for themselves. By creating a base of dependents they have effectively given themselves a serious headstart in each election.

If that were true, are you saying they are floating voters? There was a massive increase in the welfare state under Thatcher and Major, were these voters voting conservative then and Labout now? Of course not, the underclass doesn't vote. Some of you guys can only operate in black and white, the real world is a little more complicated than that.