Party Conferences

[pomp 'n circumstance]

A few of you peeps, being afficianados of the body politic may well have watched the Machiavellian machinations of the recent conferences. I have come to the conclusion that what you wear determines how you vote - indulge me, I'll explain:

The TUC conference shows male delegates in anything from baseball caps and tee shirts (Bob Crow) to female delegates wearing what appears to be furniture fabrics and sandals. All are dour and unsmiling, projecting the image of 'we're with you comrades, we understand your struggles'. That look is somewhat tarnished by the fact that top Trade Union leaders earn a darn sight more than our maligned MPs

I blinked and missed the LibDem conference but caught up with the Labour Party - their look is shirt open at the neck with no tie or shirt sleeves. The 'we' re like you' potrait. Ed Milliband made a speech without notes (somewhat old hat, as Cameron did the same around 4 years ago!) The cutaways to adoring wives is well stage managed as is the gladhanding and content of the speech.

The Tory toffs have a 3 line whip and are all suited and booted, a curious mixture of slack lips for men and top Tory totty looking available for 'afters'.Cameron appears in a devastatingly good suit, has the troops doing standing ovations for the Armed Forces (Quite right too) and bizarrely the care workers. Again the cutaways to an adoring Samantha - can't help thing Dave looks closely allied to Lord Snooty.

Afterwards, the masters of spin examine the stats and resume their dark deeds - but enduringly the dress code is what I remember. I've dished out a few gongs for the participants:

Best Neanderthal- Bob Crow
Best comedian: The rascally Boris Johnson
Best Speech: Ed Milliband
Best Suit: Dave Cameron

[HappyHour@TheBreweryOfLife]

Bob Crow earns £150,000 but refuses to move out of this four bedroom council house, in a borough with one of the highest homeless rates in the country, because it's 'his right as a working class man to have a council house'.



"We're with you comrades, we understand your struggles" couldn't be further from the truth for that twonk.

[Farmers Boy]

Bob Crow earns £150,000 but refuses to move out of this four bedroom council house, in a borough with one of the highest homeless rates in the country, because it's 'his right as a working class man to have a council house'.



"We're with you comrades, we understand your struggles" couldn't be further from the truth for that twonk.

HappyHour....what exactly is he to do then?
Leave his council house and buy or rent privately?
Doing this would achieve the following...no change to the homeless figures and a series of sniping comments regarding his comfy private homeowner status.If we're going to start screaming 'hypocrite' at people, let's prioritise shall we?

[pompeypanther]

HappyHour....what exactly is he to do then?
Leave his council house and buy or rent privately?
Doing this would achieve the following...no change to the homeless figures and a series of sniping comments regarding his comfy private homeowner status.If we're going to start screaming 'hypocrite' at people, let's prioritise shall we?

Council and social housing are seen as housing for those in need of it. He, clearly isn't.

He may have been originally, and he is obviously legally allowed to stay, but morally?

Are you saying you think he keeps that rather smart new-build 4 bedroom semi-detatched just to keep his image going that he's one of us (or as the millionaires say - "we're all in this together")? I dream of being able to afford a house like that.

[Farmers Boy]

He may have been originally, and he is obviously legally allowed to stay, but morally?

Are you saying you think he keeps that rather smart new-build 4 bedroom semi-detatched just to keep his image going that he's one of us (or as the millionaires say - "we're all in this together")? I dream of being able to afford a house like that.[/quote]


All I'm saying is that the guy is damned if he does...and if he doesn't.
His job carries a nationally agreed salary, does he use this salary to afford a nice house?
Should this nice house come from private or public stock...either way he's going to get slammed.
To carry the argument on to its (il)logical conclusion...should he live in a gutter and keep his 'wealth' hidden...and be accused of being a hypocrite...or should he simply take..let's say £20,000 pa and donate the rest to charity?
Your call.

[pompeypanther]

He may have been originally, and he is obviously legally allowed to stay, but morally?

Are you saying you think he keeps that rather smart new-build 4 bedroom semi-detatched just to keep his image going that he's one of us (or as the millionaires say - "we're all in this together")? I dream of being able to afford a house like that.

All I'm saying is that the guy is damned if he does...and if he doesn't.
His job carries a nationally agreed salary, does he use this salary to afford a nice house?
Should this nice house come from private or public stock...either way he's going to get slammed.
To carry the argument on to its (il)logical conclusion...should he live in a gutter and keep his 'wealth' hidden...and be accused of being a hypocrite...or should he simply take..let's say £20,000 pa and donate the rest to charity?
Your call.

Doesn't help that he, and most union leaders to be fair, is/are a cock.

He's already damned for earning £150k a year, even if all his members are on strike and earning nothing. To compound it and stay in a council house that is normally seen as housing for those that cannot afford to buy just shows, yet again, how out of touch rich people are.

[Farmers Boy]

Doesn't help that he, and most union leaders to be fair, is/are a cock.

He's already damned for earning £150k a year, even if all his members are on strike and earning nothing. To compound it and stay in a council house that is normally seen as housing for those that cannot afford to buy just shows, yet again, how out of touch rich people are.[/quote]


To be continued...have to go now (yer wrong btw...well in some aspects of what you say!)

[pompeygunner]

Firstly I do find it strange when people object to a leader of an organization which very probably has a few million people who are members, earning 150k. Why?? Because he's working class?? Strange attitude that.
2ndly though & where the argument does hold water, yes he has a right(of sorts) to a Council House but forgive me if i'm wrong but the idea of them was to house the needy etc. He's obviously far from needy & IMO should buy or rent a property. There's absolutely financially no need for him to be there. Panther is right IMo, Morally he should be having a word with himself.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

Not much wrong with cashing 150K in his job. I assume his members can vote him out if they so wish.

What's the deal with yer council houses?
Is the rent fixed or based on income?
Can you still buy them?

[itsaintfunny]

What's the deal with yer council houses?

Not enough of them , SCC currently has a waiting list of around 14k


Is the rent fixed or based on income?

Fixed but thiose on benefits get some help and depending on their circs may get all of it paid

Can you still buy them?

Yes after a qualifying period [ with SCC that is 5 years ]

[The Cincinnati Kid]

What's the deal with yer council houses?

Not enough of them , SCC currently has a waiting list of around 14k


Is the rent fixed or based on income?

Fixed but thiose on benefits get some help and depending on their circs may get all of it paid

Can you still buy them?

Yes after a qualifying period [ with SCC that is 5 years ]

Interesting debate to be had about council/public housing.
Personally, I think it severely inflates the price of non public housing thus a vicious pricing circle ensues.
The more public housing is available.....the more private housing costs...the more public housing is needed.

[Farmers Boy]

Doesn't help that he, and most union leaders to be fair, is/are a cock.

He's already damned for earning £150k a year, even if all his members are on strike and earning nothing. To compound it and stay in a council house that is normally seen as housing for those that cannot afford to buy just shows, yet again, how out of touch rich people are.[/quote]

Okies.........

Firstly, why not lay your cards on the table and say that no matter WHAT most (whatever that means) union leaders do, they are all cocks?
Is this because they don't fight hard enough for their members, or fight too hard?
Do you believe in the Trade Union Movement?
I don't think you give a flying ferk about union leaders or the membership they represent....the Labour Party was established by the unions to fight for the rights of the working man in parliament. many members are labour leaning..many are not. You will find UKIPPERS, EDL'ers Soggy Liberals as well as foaming at the mouth commies....they have one expectation of their leader...that he/she fights tooth and nail for their interests.
The membership MAY hate his extravagent lifestyle (sic)...and they can vote him out if they so wish. It's really none of your business. And whilst we're at it, socialism does not preclude one man earning more than another...as long as the gap between the lowest and highest isn't more than say 10 times...so if the 'average' man is on..£20,000....he's well within that innee?

[pompeypanther]

I'm stepping back from this one as unions are a bit personal for me. I hate them with a passion (even though all the good they have done, etc, etc). My grandfather was a brickie and a trade unionist, given the MBE for services to said trade unions. He was also a complete cock who would argue with a lamppost if he walked into it. On a personal level he hated my mother and let us all know. I spent far too many occasions at his house being lectured at than I wish to remember (I had to as we were only young and forced to visit).

Just hate the caricatured, same-mould leaders. "All out brothers. I'm off home to count the dosh".

Cocks.









phew, that feels better.........

[portchesterblue]

I think the problem with Bob Crow is not that he earns £150k, that apparantly comes with his position, its the fact that he earns £150k lives a very comfortable lifestyle and yet claims to be one of the "working classes" the same as the people he represents who earn £15k a year and struggle make ends meet.

You are not working Class Mr Crow, so stop pretending you are, you earn a lot of money to do your job, concentrate on that and actually DO something for the "working Class Comrades" rather than trying to be one.

And on a personal level, yes i do find him a complete cock, who would argue that black was white if it was a tory or said black is black

[pompeygunner]

I think the problem with Bob Crow is not that he earns £150k, that apparantly comes with his position, its the fact that he earns £150k lives a very comfortable lifestyle and yet claims to be one of the "working classes" the same as the people he represents who earn £15k a year and struggle make ends meet.

You are not working Class Mr Crow, so stop pretending you are, you earn a lot of money to do your job, concentrate on that and actually DO something for the "working Class Comrades" rather than trying to be one.

And on a personal level, yes i do find him a complete cock, who would argue that black was white if it was a tory or said black is black

How on earth can you accuse all union leaders of being cocks because of the actions on a personal level of your grandfather, sorry but that beggars belief. Thats just tarring every union member almost with the same brush because your grandad wasn't a pleasant person.
Surely you have to see the bigger picture?? My Grandad was a bastard therefore.................
Bob Crow is working class btw. If I won the lottery tomorrow I wouldn't start talking with a plum in my mouth & acting all lah de dah. With respect Portchester Blue I think you're letting personal feelings cloud your judgement, by the sounds of things he was indeed a very nasty piece of work, but you know as well as I do you get that in all walks of life. Whatever party you vote for its a 100% certainty that they have some not very nice people in their ranks-you going desert them??