UK General Election 2015

[david3103]

There's a lot more room to cut child benefit for the comfy middle classes than there is tocut benefits from the poor.

[Woodsey]

There's a lot more room to cut child benefit for the comfy middle classes than there is tocut benefits from the poor.

I'd cut that too! Why the hell anyone earning over ~£30k gets any in work benefits is beyond me.

[MANTIS01]

Further research this week has shown that the smoking ban has significantly reduced the frequency children are succumbing to a wide range of illness, hardly surprising really. So again these benefit street smokers who blow their Lambert & Butler fumes into little Chardonnay's face are placing a greater strain on NHS resources. This prevents little old ladies from getting hip replacements and such like. It's also harming their children. People who smoke should have their child credit cut imo and simply get vouchers for essential food items instead.

[redsimon]

Further research this week has shown that the smoking ban has significantly reduced the frequency children are succumbing to a wide range of illness, hardly surprising really. So again these benefit street smokers who blow their Lambert & Butler fumes into little Chardonnay's face are placing a greater strain on NHS resources. This prevents little old ladies from getting hip replacements and such like. It's also harming their children. People who smoke should have their child credit cut imo and simply get vouchers for essential food items instead.

You'd never think nicotine is addictive would you? So simple your solutions but in reality the real world is more complicated.

[Jon MW]

The research completed by Nottingham University caught my eye this week mainly because poverty and food banks were used as sticks to beat the government with itt.

The study concludes....

"Around half of the 2.3 million children living in relative poverty in the UK have parents who smoke".

Dr Tessa Langley at Nottingham's UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies said that smoking cut income available to feed, clothe and care for children.

THIS is the point because we're all stumping up our taxes to pay for the fags and booze of people classed as 'in poverty'. So is there room to make cuts in child credit? You're damn skippy there is. There are people out there in need and it's vital society provide support to the genuinely unfortunate but there are also vast swathes of people who simply take the piss. The way lefties try and paint everyone in poverty as poor victims and those who don't agree as horrid bogeymen is pretty detached from reality. Stop smoking and drinking Fosters out a can so you are able to feed your children!

around half don't either so your point is as usual a load of trolling twaddle

I think the general level of smoking in the UK is about 20%, so the fact that half don't isn't really relevant to showing there is quite a strong correlation to being poor and smoking.

On the one hand I think it should be emphasised that correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation (something that could be added to almost every single study the media report on); on the other wasn't the social security system set up to be a safety net? Not something to live on to the same level as if you had a job?

[MANTIS01]

I smoke like a chimney but then again I don't have kids and I'm not on benefits. That said if circumstances were different and my kids were going hungry I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be bleating and whining about how addictive nicotine is like some kind of victim.

[TightEnd]

Click to see full-size image.

[doubleup]

I smoke like a chimney but then again I don't have kids and I'm not on benefits. That said if circumstances were different and my kids were going hungry I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be bleating and whining about how addictive nicotine is like some kind of victim.

As opposed to bleating and whining about people on benefits.

[MANTIS01]

I smoke like a chimney but then again I don't have kids and I'm not on benefits. That said if circumstances were different and my kids were going hungry I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be bleating and whining about how addictive nicotine is like some kind of victim.

As opposed to bleating and whining about people on benefits.

I'm not bleating and whining about people on benefits. I'm bleating and whining about people using benefits to buy fags and booze.

[MintTrav]

As if they haven't enough problems, after a gap of 29 years, Derek Hatton has applied to rejoin the Labour Party.

[OverTheBorder]

Click to see full-size image.

Will be back on the table soon.

[DungBeetle]

Further research this week has shown that the smoking ban has significantly reduced the frequency children are succumbing to a wide range of illness, hardly surprising really. So again these benefit street smokers who blow their Lambert & Butler fumes into little Chardonnay's face are placing a greater strain on NHS resources. This prevents little old ladies from getting hip replacements and such like. It's also harming their children. People who smoke should have their child credit cut imo and simply get vouchers for essential food items instead.

You'd never think nicotine is addictive would you? So simple your solutions but in reality the real world is more complicated.

It's just basic parenting.  I smoked until a year ago, but I wouldn't let my kid ever see me smoke never mind expose him to the fumes.

[david3103]

I smoke like a chimney but then again I don't have kids and I'm not on benefits. That said if circumstances were different and my kids were going hungry I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be bleating and whining about how addictive nicotine is like some kind of victim.

As opposed to bleating and whining about people on benefits.

I'm not bleating and whining about people on benefits. I'm bleating and whining about people using benefits to buy fags and booze.

Some people are on benefits due to a medical condition. Watch this before you get all "flog 'em and hang 'em"

[MANTIS01]

Lolz brilliant!

[RickBFA]

Just seen Liz Kendall on Andrew Marr Show. The Labour Party really are screwed if they think she is a credible leadership candidate. She's second favourite at 5/2. What a joke.