Wednesday 23 November 2011

Pre Question Time. The 'Death tax' returns.


THREE

David Dimbleby is joined in Bath by Chris Huhne, {Greener then Robin Hood's tights. The speedy minister is known as Dr Lucky. And he is lucky. If fate hadn't been so kind, he'd now be leading the Liberals . Liz Kendall, 2010 new broom Labour MP. Shadow min for old people. Another one of the many grammar school head girls in the Labour party. Daniel Hannan,outspoken MEP and journo, super-euro sceptic. Had a massive shock when Iceland, his model country for the anti-EU, voted to join the EU in 2009.
Justin King Sainsbury's chairman and someone who knows his onions. Done a good job,
and Jimmy Wales.{the wikipedia guy! I didn't know. I thought he was one of Princess Anne's children}

looking at the lineup makes me feel confident enough to go early
1. The old folks charter. Home care breaches Human Rights. So says axe grinding human rights commission.
2. Maddie's mum, Alan Partridge and floppy lay into the press. Its a very strange inquiry. I have zero sympathy for the press but it does seem a tad, prejudged? freedom of the press/ internet.
3. Egypt. We were told Twitter had saved the Arab world without bloodshed. So what's going on?
4. Is Chris Huhne's new 'take out a loan now, while you can't afford it, and you'll save more overall than you've borrowed because of the increased electricity costs of green energy policies by 2020,' the stupidest idea since someone said "I've 10,000 tons of gold taking up valuable vault space that I want gone by Sunday and I don't care how much I get for it."
5. New hire and fire rules. Is this the most Dickensian government since Thatcher?

31 comments:

Nick Drew said...

did you see Huhne's warm-up on Newsnight last night ?

we know of old that the man's a grade-A sophist: he pretty much held his own against Paxo in full flow (you need Brillo for these things)

I have no doubt that on QT he will calmly be-economic-with-the-truth through his teeth all night

Miss CD said...

- Egyptian rioting and USA tear gas shells.

- Employment law. A return to two years no questions redundancies?

- Care for the elderly. Carers charter.

- Was Mr Huhne surprised when his advisers revealed basing energy policies on the most expensive forms of energy production would lead to price rises?

- Right to Caesarean births

Miss S-J said...

1. Old people {Kendall}
2. Cold people {Huhne}
3. Public sector people {King}
4. The Sunday People {Wales}
5. Euro people {Hannan}

Jan said...

Gosh Thursday already:

1. Should the government be glad that they will save a day's pay next Wed (every little helps)?

2. What about hydroelectric? There are weirs all over the place which could generate power and we could re-instate the odd waterwheel on various rivers etc. Why do we only look at wind and solar? Have a look at the weir in nearby Chippenham for an example.

3. Is it right that a carer gets £2.75 for a 15 minute visit to someone's house and no payment for the journey time or towards their petrol cost? (as stated by a carer on todays Breakfast telly)

4. Is it time to start jailing miscreants such as reporter scum and rogue bankers etc or do we carry on going for the low hanging fruit of rioters, shoplifters, drug addicts etc?

5. What next for the euro?

Philipa said...

I've been so busy with RL I'll have to go on the Today prog I listen to on the school run:

1. phone hacking/journalism/harrasmemt (best tweet: remove the cameras and it's a dozen men trying to look up a girls skirt)

2. Care of the ellderlly

3, Green taxes

4. Sicknote culture - cameron's going to put an end to it apparently. Will this persecute the disabled? I'm sure all those maimed in the wars in Iraq+Afghanistan will be thrilled.

5. Youth empoyment/unemployment and the gender pay gap.

Elby the Beserk said...

Pale yellow text on a white background? Please! That's the sort of presentation Oz used to use. Frankly, illegible to anyone who doesn't have 20/20 sight.

Disgruntled of Frome, who is also beyond pissed off with the number of blogs who think pale grey typeface on white is cool. There is a reason books are printed in black and white.

GSD said...

Hah! Coming from my home town means I'm bound to get the local Q wrong!
*hangs-head in preemptive shame*

Anyhow, moving on:

1) Press inquiry: should interweb sources be bound by the same findings/rules (& if so, how)?

2) EU : does the eu have to die before something new & better arises from the ashes, or can the next plan on the list (N - or are we up to Plan P now?) work?

3) Old age care - Is the situation as bad as the report says (pretty damning for politicos of all colours) & is there a solution?

4) Pension strikes: with all the baby-boomers set to retire within the next 15 years or so, is there any solution around?

5) local Q: Superstores - good(regen, jobs) or bad(congestion, loss of local character, small shops etc)? [both Tesco & Sainburies have announced plans for new ones in central Bath]

Botogol said...

i think this is a hard week. I have seven topics on my 'probables' list, and two of BQs topics aren't even amongst them.

I am sorely tempted to go out on a limb with six questions, but last time I did that I was punished with a half-point deduction.. so caution this week and

1 - Is it nowadays acceptable to swear at the police?

2 - does the panel support the public sector strike next week?

3 - do women have a right to an unneeded caesarian at taxpayers expense?

4 - is the NHS failing our elderly

5 - are filthy lying newspapers nowadays to be trusted even less than the inaccurate crowd-sourced rubbish we are served up on the internet?

Bill Quango MP said...

On purpose, Elby. On purpose.
Some readers did not wish to be swayed from their own thoughts before picking the questions.
Just scroll over if you want to read.

GSD: are the Christmas lights on yet? I usually go to Bath this or next weekend for the over bust, unnecessary, but highly enjoyable Christmas scrum.

Mark Wadsworth said...

1. ECHR, care homes.
2. With increasing CO2 levels, is now the right time to reduce the insane FiT subsidies to solar panels?
3. Hire and fire. Or "the sack race" as some people call it.
4. Sick note culture, vulnerable, more young people out of a job, last in first out.
5. Leaked rugby union report, is it time for the government to regulate rugby union?

Hopper said...

I'd like the programme to open with the audience descending on Huhne and giving him a good old West Country kicking. Ah, we can dream...

1. Energy bills. What does the panel think Huhne is smoking, and can we have some?
2. Next week's strikes; are they justified, will they work?
3. Is Cameron admitting the cuts have failed? What's plan B now?
4. Should MPs be wasting their time moralising about console games (Modern Warfare 3)? Why not have a Lib-Lab-Tory death match instead of PM Questions? [Come on, you all want to see the kill-cam view as Vince Cable whacks Milibank from behind with a rocket launcher]
5. I'll have a shoot at a privacy question, but not sure exactly what. I can't believe they got Jimmy on the panel and don't intend to give the panel anything about online legislation or privacy.

Anyone see Jimmy W at the EU cyber conference last week? He (and Kaspersky) rather shone out, according to my sources.

James Higham said...

1. Old people {Kendall}
2. Cold people {Huhne}
3. Public sector people {King}
4. The Sunday People {Wales}
5. Euro people {Hannan}

Still trying to sort out the rules of this game.

GSD said...

@BQ: Yep, the lights were turned on by John Cleese last week (Thurs) & the xmas market thingy starts today - so looks set to be scrumtastic for the weekend. If you're here after dark, Pulteney Bridge & the Weir (behind the Guildhall) can be worth a look too - But I've not been down this year to see what its like.

Hopper said...

'last week' being 'last month', obvious. Excuse my lack of coffee...

Dick the Prick said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dick the Prick said...

Defo tough one this week...hmm...

1) Gotta swim with the shoal and go old people and with the same question bring in energy bills (some propoganda on the BBC about our energy bills being the cheapest in Europe!!!).

2) That housing gibberish about government backing sub prime mortgages.

3) Leveson - 'My question, Mr Dimblebore is, who gives a toss'? A man can dream, eh?

4) Retail problems, Arcadia etc and yoof being a lost generation - maybe bring in migration stats but definately chief execs pay inflation and working class pay reduction (real terms)

5) Bring a kid to work day, bigging it up on Toady this am.

Tough, hmm..good luck everyone.

Malcolm Tucker said...

Difficult, but I'm a long way behind so might as well go for the 'only guess in the village' double pointers.

1. Public sector and Border Strikes. Does it matter if someone completely untrained waves illegals through passport control, or must it be a fully trained, rewarded and pensioned government employee not checking visas?

2. What has phone hacking got to do with the internet? Seems certain members of the establishment are very keen to label all press as gutter press. Is phone hacking about to be the biggest gift to the political classes since a mental patient burned down the Reichstag?

3. Old people need more care. How will it be paid for? Southern Cross gets mentioned a lot.

4. Should unrepentant youth offenders write nasty letters to their victims as part of their rehabilitation?

5. Is the right to request a c-section more or less useless than the right to request flexible working hours? the right to ask is not the same as the entitlement to receive.
New Labour in action, always happy to deliberately confuse words for actions.

Budgie said...

1. Hacking, press intrusion, wicked Tory supporting NI. It all started with evil Thatcher greed and individualism. Labour, BBC, children and JKR all victims. Leveson should put James Murdoch in the oubliet. Police helping Grauniad with their inquiries.

2. Egypt's ruling military has apologised for the deaths of protesters: blames it all on Thatcher. Elections in the Arab spring. United Nations human rights committee condemns Syria's crackdown on opposition protests. No elections in this Arab spring.

3. Climategate 2: is it all windmills in your mind? Are high electricity costs driving industry from the UK or is it really down to Thatcher's decimating manufacturing? Anyway green energy is an opportunity: why doesn't useless UK manufacturing realise Chris is a genius?

4. Will CMD gain anything for the UK in return for letting the EU tax us to oblivion and completely controlling UK finances as well as everything else? Will there be a UK left to benefit from CMD's skills or membership of the EU? Has CMD the brains of a rubber duck, as well as looking like one?

5. Immigration - CMD has failed again (actually, has he done anything right? - ed). Has this any bearing on the 1 million plus NEETs? Should the minimum wage be scrapped/reduced? Will the government admit they have virtually no power left to control the numbers.

Nick Drew said...

1) Tasers for the Old Bill (not you, Mr Q)
2) care for the elderly
3) boo for Mr Huhne and his ridiculous, costly energy policy
4) woe and thrice woe for the retail sector
5) government interventions in the building industry + other attempts to ameliorate unemployment

Budgie said...

Hey, BQ (this isn't a QT question) if "David Dimbleby is joined in Bath by Chris Huhne" and the others, is this a green opportunity to save water? And does that make them 'friends'? We should be told.

measured said...

1. Does an apology make the world a better place?

2. Should Rob hang in there between the rugby posts?

3. Can’t the EU help us in our time of need? Sack the lot of them, wretched red tape.

4. If anyone is competent enough to be a border guard, why do we employ people who will strike? How much?

5. How do you balance the media unmasking malpractice with tabloid journalism? …..I had to smile; Moseley suggested that the world has moved on from John Stuart Mills (who you ask) so individuals aren’t pilloried as an example to the rest of us. He was pulled back from philosophical matters, but you would think by now he would have worked out society hasn’t.

So, I hope you are not back to fiddling your expenses. Sorry about the figures from the retailers today. I hope you are have adopted the brace position and are not yet grasping for the oxygen mask. Hard hat time BQ.

hatfield girl said...

As the Axis powers reform their alliance are we able, can we even afford to say again, "Very well, alone."?

Given the grotesque inequalities in wealth, income, and opportunity, how can state employees justify striking to defend their privileges?

Should swearing at policemen be excused because so many are unaware of the profanities littering their speech? Which member of the panel would care to swear at a French policeman?

Is Don Quixote an environmentalist or a luddite?

Should Labour's new strategy be global and Brown-nosed or rebuilt in and on the interests of the nation-state?

appointmetotheboard said...

1. High Pay Commission. Is Philip Green worth every penny he trousers?

2. The General Strike. Can the Govt successfully set worker against worker?

3. Home care and human rights. Not sure of the angle - haven't followed this closely...

4. Energy bills. Cartel capitalism, or just how the markets roll?

5. Hacking. Though I'm quite bored by this now, and the audience may be too...

As Bath is a rugby town (well, kind of - couldn't beat the weegies the other week) maybe some humourous question about rugby being the new football or something...

Sorry to be brief this week...

CityUnslicker said...

1 - An end toi the Euro - no says Huhne!

2- An end to windfarms says Duke - no says Huhne

3- Youth unemployment, Tories love it say BBC

4 - Leveson - A free press, how can it work mR Wikipedia man

Sebastian Weetabix said...

Jeez, tempus fugit - nearly missed 2 weeks in a row.

1. Euro/Germans/debts/tories split on Europe
2. Care (or lack of) for the elderly
3. Windmills/solar panels and the feed in tariffs - is Huhne dead from the neck up?
4. Press targeting children - disgraceful or what?
5. Martin Johnson resigned after presiding over an omnishambles. Shouldn't politicians follow his example?

Timbo614 said...

Late on parade again!

So lets run with:

1) Cold Old Folk - Do we all want to be one soon?

2) Hire & fire - Bring it on!

3) Expensive Energy and Excess prices! Is it good for the planet?

4) Renewed Riots in Egypt - What did they expect - Change?

5/Throwaway - Maddie's mater & pater, what did they expect of our Predator Press?

Bill Quango MP said...

Almost forgot meself!

First question: Is the Prime Minister right to call next week’s strike “irresponsible”?
Liz just said negotiations are ongoing. Corner one of the bingo.
Faily predictable split. As usual many PS workers in the audience. 1/5 of the economy,maybe a 1/2 of the audience?

Q: Is it time for the Government to legislate for a privacy law and punish future media misconduct?
Something we should discuss ourselves. You can write what you like here. No one will sue you.
But the press has clearly been out of control for a long time.
look at the recent fuss about super injunctions.
{Hannan just said that, he's on good form.}
Huhne also very good on this topic, but Dimby is rushing the panel.

Q3. Are executive salaries out of control. Mr Sainsbury?
{Would you like to share your salary? - Wales says "you can look it up on wikipedia" -quite good that.
On Twitter, and this is why its fun, they already have Mr King's salary £900,000 a year, for the ceo of the second largest retailer in the land, and Mr Dimbleby, £3,500,000 for doing a day a week as a host of a TV show.

Stupid woman asks Sainsbury ceo if he can carry heavy bricks? Ca he do a hard manual labour job?
Can a brickie run Sainsburys?
Stupid, typical pointless argument that prevents serious discussion.

Q4: Is the coalition living up to its promise of being the "greenest government ever"?

Dimby told Huhne, we'll all be saving money and we'll all be colder.
Lot of talk about how solar should be the cornerstone of our energy policy. Labour condemn the cutting of subsidy.

Wales says 'I'm afraid I have no idea.' .. well he must know where to look it up?

An audience member made a point that comes up on twitter all the time. How many people voted for this government?
The implication is less than a majority. in fact it was 51% lib and con combined. Labour's 66 seat majority of 2005 was won with 36% of the vote. Its a stupid argument. Same as the one that unions haven't represented their members. Yes they have. if they haven't, then no one will turn up to the strike. But millions will, so they must have.

Q5 The burglar question! Well spotted Malcolm Tucker. .. That should be triple points! {but won't be, just double.}

Bill Quango MP said...

Scores..

BQ - 2

Miss CD - just the 1

Miss S-J - 3

Jan - 2½ {i think}

philipa - 2 {as noted there were6 or 7 possibles this week}

GSD - 2 +½ as Sainsburys 'green energy' plans got a mention. *Note. The majors have been investing in renewables to power their outlets and are quite upset to see the tariffs cut. It ruins the economics. They aren't doing it to save the earth. they are doing it to save money and any energy policy must understand that if it introduces subsidy that makes expensive energy cheap, a lot of expensive energy will be supplied. Over to Nick!

Botogol - Same as me - 2

Mark Wadsworth - Sticky wicket - 1

Hopper -3 {no..I did not know of Mr Wales. Ironically had to use his product to find out who he was.}

Dick the prick - a fair 2. {bring a child to work??}

Malcolm Tucker - ahh, the old magic returns - 3 {i thought a double, but measured had it too. Still worth an extra ½ for the obscurity}-3

Budgie - just 2, but the climate quip was good enough for a bonus -2.5

Nick drew - Not too good today. That's the out of country effect. -1


Measured: - 3 {+ that oddity apology question} 3½.
Retail has been terrible for weeks. I spoke to a CEo who is 25% down on last years crappy figs for the year. If he doesn't have a good xmas its another chain into administration {and this chain is currently paying only 1 rent in 5. The other 4 are on rent free deals.}

Hatfield Girl: 2½ there. One of the few to go for high pay report. {we should all have picked it. Its question time producer nectar}

appointmetotheboard No messing there - 4 straight calls.

CU - 2 for you

Seb w - 2, not bad for tonight.

Timbo614 : same for you - 2

And JH - no you haven't quite go it - still, have 2.

Winner is appointmetotheboard -4

Botogol said...

a low scoring week, I think - with the exception of appointme, well done. All my topics now coming up on thisweek - better newsvalues :-)

Dick the Prick said...

It's like that 20:20 hindsight thing - fnarr fnarr. Cheers BQ.

Mark Wadsworth said...

That was a bit of a disaster, but never mind. It's the taking part that counts. I hate it when people say that, no it isn't, it's the WINNING that counts.