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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2013 22:29:33 GMT
I regularly watch Question Time as I like to see the public's views on issues, and also on occasion to watch ministers squirm or carefully avoid direct answers to direct questions.
Not sure who will be on the panel tonight yet or where it's being held but I thought I'd start a QT discussion thread.
Just waiting for the news to finish before tonight's QT starts....
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2013 22:38:50 GMT
Hmmm, George Galloway and Maria Miller (ex Minister for Disabled People), not 2 of my favourite people, can't remember who else. Lots of stuff going on in parliament at the moment, it could be interesting.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2013 22:48:32 GMT
From Leicester
with George Galloway Respect Mp, Maria Miller Minister for Culture and Equalities, Mary Crae Labour, Baroness Susan Kramer Lib Dem, Fraser Nelson Ed Spectator Mag
Q1. Who is to blame for the horse meat scandal? MC blames supermarkets looking for cheap meat.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2013 23:07:05 GMT
Q1. FN blames Findus. GG blames govt and previous govt and profiteering food companies. MM blames the manufacturers. SK blames the length of the food chain and lack of tracability.
Public views include concern about length of time this has been going on and what else is in our food, we need to start supporting local produce. Lack of trust in packaging and ingredients. Why is the govt being so slow to act on this, it's been a month since the news first broke. Govt has no control over the food companies. Why isn't govt acting?
MC - "ministers have been asleep on the job"
MM - still blames the food companies and then also the retailers, denies the govt has any blame.
GG - sees it as a crime, blames Tory govt for sacking public servants.
:-) the discussion is heating up. I don't like GG but he is a good public speaker.
MC - Defra is responsible for food labelling eg what is in food on the packaging.
FN - "horses are fine" [to eat], no risk to public health
Public - it is predominantly the poor who are eating these value products, they can only afford to buy the poorest quality of food
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2013 23:19:24 GMT
Q2. Should the 10p tax rate (abolished by Gordon Brown) be reinstated? MM - wants better tax regime for low earners and govt has been working towards this over past 2 years. Attacks Labour idea of Mansion Tax but hasn't seen the detail... The govt has already cut tax for 24million people SK- 10p isn't good enough, everyone who used to be in the 10p tax rate now doesn't pay tax, wants to extend it so anyone on minimum wage is included, Lib Dems want to raise the threshold to £12k earnings per year. Labour doesn't go far enough. Public - Labour clobbered some of the poorest people by removing the 10p tax rate. MC - removing the 10p tax rate was a mistake and Labour intend to put it right. Tax credits didn't work for people who are single and without children. It's not a manifesto promise though !!! GG - Attacks the tax cut for the highest earners, as that tax rebate is unlikely to be spent in this country. Tax needs to be cut at the bottom. GG told Gordon Goldfinger Brown that cutting 10p tax rate was a mistake. FN - this will mean an improvement of 66p per week, not the £2 per week as Labour promises. One of the best things the Tories have done is to lift the poorest people out of tax altogether but it needs to go further. Labour needs to do better, could be paid by reducing govt waste. It's basic economics. It's worked in Sweden.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2013 23:29:34 GMT
Q3. Should people on benefits be forced to work at Poundland etc for nothing or lose benefits?
GG - people are being frogmarched into working in poundland and being told they are doing a job. The bedroom tax is David Cameron's poll tax.
MM- doesn't accept GGs view of the important role of work experience, the court said the govt was right to use work experience and we should applaud organisations to do that, shouldn't write people off, the main thrust of the policy is acceptable, the courts say it's just a technical issue.
Public - work experience is important but it has to be relevant and meaningful, which offers them real job prospects and isn't just a form of punishment for being on benefits.
SK - a huge fan of work experience, people owe in return for benefits and work experience is better than voluntary work. Terrific to find something that fills a hole in training, people have to take any job instead of being unemployed regardless of skills, education etc.
Public - people aren't going to put up with this kind of thing, especially graduates with huge debts etc. Alot of people who claim benefits have previously been in work and paid NI, they aren't getting something for nothing.
MC - not against work experience, but can't have people coming out with no additional experience, skills etc after 9 months on benefits and then 2 years work experience.
FN - the previous govt condemned millions of people to poverty by writing a welfare cheque. At least this govt is trying to do something about it.
Public - we are not educating the people which society needs. too many graduates and not enough graduate jobs, need more people in practical jobs eg plumbers etc.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2013 23:41:49 GMT
Q4. Is party politics dyiing?
FN- low voting rates but high levels of passion about politics eg marches, demos etc. Our party political system is broken, the parties copy each other too much, voting turn out will get lower as people think what's the point.
MM- don't agree, young people have passion in issues such as climate, environment etc. Must communicate to the younger generation and show the differences between parties. Still considerable differences between parties.
SK - coalition has alot to offer, shows that people have to work together to find solutions to problems. MPs lost the publics trust, rightly so, needs to be earned back.
Public - when do the politicians listen to the people about they want?
GG - People are very interested in politics, has thousands of twitter and FB followers, problem is the political parties have very little difference between them. People know this country isn't working, a radical change is necessary. We have a parliament full of expenses frauds, parliament is on holiday 50% of the time and the rest of the time they are filling in their expenses claims. GG in parliament every day, has lowest expenses claims.
Public - the system is broken, people have to vote for the best of a bad bunch, rather than who they actually want to get in.
MC - GGs rhetoric is dangerous and deeply cynical. She listens to people at school gates. People in this country don't realise how lucky we are compared to some african countries.
Public - people are interested in politics but not in parties, the system can work very well without parties, more independent MPs? They public see that politicians are playing a game. Deals are done beforehand etc. Is the public despondency due to parties reneging on election promises.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2013 23:45:08 GMT
Q5. Where should Richard III be buried, York, Leicester or Westminister Abbey?
GG - York
MM- Leicester
MC - Leicester
SK - Leicester
FN - with his wife in Westminster Abbey
Public - lots of applause for Leicester
Next week QT is at St Pauls Cathedral.
Would anyone like me to do the same next week? I've quite enjoyed doing this.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 15, 2013 0:48:49 GMT
Why not... Almost like being there! I couldn't watch due to no TV licence and doing Basildog's House conversion calcs Q4 was interesting. I think FN and GG were on the money. Very little difference between the 3 parties and what passion there is just tends to be tribal - not really based on policy. The system is broken and people have to vote for best of a bad bunch - parties like the Greens have some good ideas but don't stand a chance. Labour/Tory no interest in change because they can get a majority on 35% of the vote. Some truth in MC - system far from perfect but we are still lucky compared to some. This is a good question time sketch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3tUqRBiMVoLOL - Baroness Token! Warsi must be seething over that. Also he's got that smug Tory laugh off very well and Dimblumblum was pretty accurate too.
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Post by billieblue on Feb 15, 2013 13:28:00 GMT
Thanks for that firefox - very funny!!
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