UK home truths rant!

[TBWG]

Hi Bums


Why is it that people do not like being told the truth?
 
Fire chief Tony McGuirk sorry for 'bone idle' claim
 

Merseyside's chief fire officer has apologised for claiming that some workers in the public sector are "bone idle".

Tony McGuirk had told a seminar run by an independent think tank that sick leave had become an "epidemic".

His comments, in which he told bosses to show "muscle, sack some people", drew criticism from unions.

Now, Mr McGuirk has said "in hindsight" he used language which he now "regrets".

He had launched the attack at a discussion run by Reform in June, a think tank which focuses on public services.

His comments were then circulated at the TUC conference on Tuesday.

He said during his time as chief officer, the number of firefighters at Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service had been cut from 1,550 to 850.

He said the 40% reduction had not had a detrimental effect on the service, but had actually improved it.

However, Mark Dunne, chairman of Merseyside Fire Brigade Union (FBU), said his remarks were the latest in a long line of "inappropriate comments".

"To criticise the public sector in such a way - when he has done so well out of it with a £200,000 salary and a £500,000 pension - is highly hypocritical.

"We have received dozens of e-mails from people within the NHS and other public sectors bodies expressing their disgust at his speech.

"The majority of us work in the public sector because we believe in it and we understand that we are providing an essential service."

In his latest statement, Mr McGuirk, who became chief officer of Merseyside in 2002, sought to explain what he tried to convey.

It said: "Much of what I said about public services explained how on Merseyside we had managed to deliver a better service despite extensive government budget cuts and less staff, and this was a model that other parts of public service could follow.

"Many other public organisations are already claiming they cannot make similar reductions, and my concern that these services may be treated as special cases, led me to use inappropriate language.

"I am passionate in defending our service and in hindsight I used language which I now regret.

"I apologise if any staff are upset by my comments."

                                                   


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I don't have much time for religion but this dude seems to speak sense. 
 
Pope adviser calls the UK a 'Third World country'
 

One of the Pope's senior advisers has pulled out of the papal visit to Britain, after reportedly saying the UK is a "Third World country" marked by "a new and aggressive atheism".

Cardinal Walter Kasper, 77, made the remarks in a German magazine interview.

The Vatican said the cardinal had not intended "any kind of slight", and was referring to the UK's multicultural society.

It added that he had simply pulled out of the Pope's visit due to illness.

The German-born cardinal was quoted as saying to the country's Focus magazine that "when you land at Heathrow you think at times you have landed in a Third World country".

He also was reported to have criticised British Airways, saying that when you wear a cross on the airline "you are discriminated against".

Vatican sources said Cardinal Kasper - who stepped down in July as the head of the department that deals with other Christian denominations - was suffering from gout and had been advised by his doctors not to travel to the UK.


The BBC's correspondent in Rome, David Willey, said the cardinal's reported comments were "a slightly clumsy thing to have done on the eve of the visit".

However, he added that he did not think it would have much effect on the Pope's trip to the UK.

Clifford Langley, from Catholic newspaper The Tablet, said the cardinal was "obviously talking nonsense".

"I don't think he believes Britain is in the grip of secular atheism, and he shouldn't have said so," said Mr Langley.

"They are saying it is ill health [that has forced the cardinal to drop out of the visit], but I wonder if that is the fact. I wonder if he has been dropped because he is an embarrassment."

British Airways said the cardinal had been "seriously misinformed" in his claims about the airline.

"It is completely untrue that we discriminate against Christians or members of any faith," it said in a statement.


(I seem to recall BA banning a check in girl from wearing a cross & chain because in might offend other religions)


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The following 2 articles purloined from Surin Farang site who undoubtedly nicked them from elsewhere!



ONE in 30 Brits has NEVER done a day's work in their life, shock figures reveal.

It means a staggering 1.4 million have not held down a single job.
Just under half - 600,000 - are under 25, fuelling fears of Britain's "lost generation" who could spend a lifetime on state handouts.
The Government called the Department for Work and Pensions statistics Labour's "dreadful legacy" and a "shocking waste of human talent".
There are 41 million people of working age in the UK. Of the 1.4 million without a job, around 700,000 are 25 to 49 years old. Just 100,000 are aged 50 to 64 - suggesting older people are less work-shy.
The total includes people with disabilities. But the majority is believed to be long-term unemployed, single parents on income support and NEETs - those Not In Education, Employment or Training.
Employment Minister Chris Grayling said: "This is a shocking waste of human talent.
"It cannot be right to leave so many people to spend their whole life on benefits without challenging and pushing them to do something better."
The figures came as MPs clashed over the coalition drive to reform the welfare system.
Yesterday Chancellor George Osborne was forced to defend Treasury plans to slash another £4billion off the benefits bill - taking the total cuts to £15billion.
He was summoned to the Commons by a Government MP after spilling the detail on the BBC last week.
Mr Osborne also denied an accusation by Lib Dem MP Bob Russell that he and Welfare Secretary Iain Duncan Smith have been feuding over figures in an "immature turf war".
Warning that the Government will stamp out benefits as a "lifestyle choice", Mr Osborne insisted: "The current system is not protecting those who genuinely cannot work, nor is it helping those looking for work to find a job quickly."

The State spends £195billion every year on benefits and pensions - more than a quarter of all spending.

Last week, it also emerged that there are almost four million households across the country where no one is working.



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Britain is one of the most overpopulated countries in the world – ahead of China and India


Friday July 9,2010

By Sarah O'Grady, Property Correspondent


BRITAIN is one of the most overpopulated countries in the world – ahead of even China and India.


And England is the most crowded country in Europe and the fourth most crowded in the world as our population soars relentlessly towards the 70 million mark.
That is an increase in population equivalent to 10 more “Birminghams”.
A league table which reveals the pressure of population growth on dwindling resources puts Singapore in the number one spot followed by Israel and Kuwait. The UK as a whole is 17th in the list of 130 countries.
Sir Andrew Green, of MigrationWatch UK, said: “It’s obvious to everyone that England, particularly the South-east, is heavily overcrowded.
“According to official figures two-thirds of population growth in the next 20 years will be as a result of immigration. Such an increase in our population will put even further pressure on our public services such as housing, schools and hospitals.”
The Overpopulation Index is thought to be the first study to rank countries according to the “sustainability” of their populations and how dependent they are on other nations for resources.
Researchers measured the “ecological footprint” of each country’s citizens to judge the resources they were consuming and how many people they could sustain if they had to be self-sufficient. They gave the UK a self-sufficiency rating of just 25.8 per cent. At current levels, our dependency on other countries’ resources is predicted to increase to 90 per cent by 2032.
It means if we had to rely on our own food, water and energy we could sustain only 15 million people, a quarter of the current population of around 60 million. So, at current consumption levels, we are “overpopulated” by more than 45 million, according to the Optimum Population Trust think-tank whose patron is the environmentalist Sir David Attenborough.
OPT chairman Roger Martin said: “The UK is moving the wrong way up the league table because of continuing rapid population growth. The position for England is even worse.
“Alongside Holland, it’s now the most densely settled country in Europe. The 10 more ‘Birminghams’ projected for the next 22 years underline the urgency of stabilising our numbers as soon as possible.”
He added: “You don’t have to be a little Englander or an eco-survivalist to conclude that in an era of growing shortages – food, energy, and water – being so dependent on the outside world puts us in a very vulnerable position.
“With the rest of the world, including many countries much poorer than the UK, supplying three-quarters of our needs, it’s also morally questionable.”
According to the index, the world as a whole is overcrowded by two billion – the difference between its population and how many it can support sustainably.




So peeps think yourself lucky you are in Thailand.


TBWG

PS For your info Thailand has similar population to UK but twice the land mass

[Dave the Dude]

Hi
I have stopped posting things like this because it is just so depressing, butjust incase you havn't had enough David............

Work? Not on £45k benefits

Parents of ten say jobs don't pay in Handout UK KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY: Pete, Sue and their 10 children.

 THIS jobless mum and dad with TEN kids highlight Britain's barmy benefits system - they'd have to earn a whacking £67,000 A YEAR to match what they get from the state. Sue and Pete Davison, who haven't had a job between them since 1997, want to work. But they are trapped by our crazy handouts culture that pays them nearly £45,000 a year. Meanwhile it's tax paid by the average worker - earning just £25,428 - which foots that bill.
 Pete, 43, last worked 13 years ago when he was made redundant from a factory job.
 He said: "At the same time Sue was in a bus crash and became unwell so I started to care for her and the kids.
 "But I am ready to get back to work. There just aren't the jobs at a salary which would it beneficial. I can't work in McDonald's for little more than minimum wage." The couple's children range in age from 20-year-old daughter Amy, now working at an old folk's home, down to little three-year-old Trinity.
 

Between those two are Joshua, 19, Scarlett-Louize, 14, Zeferam, 13, Eellan, 11, Emir, ten, Neo, nine, Cadell, seven, and Jadzia, five.
 At their four-bedroom council maisonette in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, mum Sue, 38, admitted: "People might say we're only having kids for the benefits. But that's nonsense.
 "I'd always wanted a large family and we have very little money at all left over. The house isn't dripping with mobile phones and computers. I have a laptop which the kids fight over to help with their homework.
 "Our weekly food bill is often £300. Pete likes the odd glass of beer but he doesn't go to the pub.
 "I might take the kids to the pictures but we go early when it's cheaper. We have days out to the seaside and picnics rather than holidays. If we had loads of money we'd be living in a big house but that's not the case.
 "Everything goes on feeding and clothing the kids plus household bills.
"Our one luxury is the £35-a-month Sky TV. The biggest thing we give the kids is free, though - and that's our love and attention."
 
HOME FREE: Their maisonette Of course there is criticism of their life at taxpayers' expense.
 
Sue, who hopes to train as a social worker, agreed: "People do judge us. But we really are trapped by the benefits system. We're both keen to work but the jobs just aren't out there with the level of income we need."
 The couple delivered a cautious welcome for government moves to make it more rewarding for claimants to switch from benefits to work.
 Pete said: "The government plan to allow people to keep more of the money that they earn, without losing all their benefits.
 "It seems like a good idea.
"But I'd have to see how it all added up in relation to any job I could land."
The family's current tax-free handouts include £76-a-week HOUSING BENEFIT, their £700 COUNCIL TAX bill, £390-a-week child TAX CREDITS, CHILD BENEFIT of £104 a week and SCHOOL MEALS to the tune of £63 a week.
 Pete gets INCOME SUPPORT of £80 a week. But ironically the family is financially better off since Sue sadly lost a leg this year after complications following a fall at a leisure centre.
 Pete is now her full-time carer with a weekly allowance of £53, while Sue gets £97 a week in DISABILITY PAYMENTS.
 It all adds up to £44,820 - they'd have to earn £67,000 gross to take that home after tax.
 An employed family on a gross income of £44,820 would see just £30,000 of it after tax.
 With nine kids under 20, like Sue and Peter, they would then be entitled to £16,685 in tax credits - making them just £1,865 a year better off for putting in all the effort of going to work.
 Matthew Sinclair, Research Director at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "It's an outrage that ordinary taxpayers have to support an income for families like this, way beyond what most earn themselves.
 "The Government must urgently reform benefits and stop this abuse of our money."