How do you fix the UK

[Quillan]

I thought I might do this as a separate thread as a spin of from my 'Why I want Labour to win the next UK Election".

We seem to have in that and a few other threads different people’s ideas on how and what they would like to do.

It seems to me that two things have to happen namely the cutting of public sector costs and giving incentives to companies and in particular people to start new companies. So I wondered if people agree or disagree and what alternatives or suggestions they could offer.

 

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

I don't think there is a way to fix the country, it's always been "broken". It's always going to be in debt, it's always going to have massive problems and society on the whole is no more civilised than any other time before. It is what it is, politicians will come, politicians will go, but few will ever make any kind of impact.

I guess stopping wasting billions on pointless wars thousands of miles away from its shores might help a little bit. Stopping the production of weapons of mass destruction also would help and bung that money into the health system.

Um... as I live in France, I have little interest in the UK, it's no longer my country, so I'd like to see what could be done to improve the system here instead. Making the health system less complicated would be a good start I think.

[velcorin]

Can I have an example of a European country of similar size into which you'd try morph the UK? France has nearly twice the National Debt, totally unfunded pensions, plenty of overseas wars, at least twice the number of non-european immigrants, a healthcare deficiet nearly equal to the total healthcare budget, 50% higher unemployed, a corrupt political and corporate system, cronyism and nepotism rife, a President who spend EUR 660K on flowers, unfunded nuclear decommissioning, nuclear stations that leak, higher murder rate than the UK, more suicides, ................ Let's turn the UK into France shall we?

I've not lived in the UK for 8 years, but I don't think your utopian dream exists anywhere, most my colleagues think the UK is what their country should strive to be more like. But, there's nothing wrong with having a wish-list to aspire towards.

[Quillan]

Well here is a few of my more controversial ideas.

Compulsory introduction of ID cards, this allows the government to know exactly who's in the country and will weed out people who are not entitled to be there (among other things).

Stop the NHS from being sued. Injury and death of patients to become criminal offences and not civil. Should free up nearly 1/3 of the NHS budget held back for litigation. How many people do you hear on the TV saying it's not the money its the justice they want.

Immediate but temporary halt to immigration. Only people allowed to emigrate to the UK should be those who can perform jobs for which there is nobody else to do rather like Canada, Australia and the USA. If you have a verified job to go to then you gain entry.

Get rid of the ASBO system, parents become legally liable for any costs caused by damage by those previously covered by ASBO's. Children who continue to commit offences should be taken in to care. The ID card or lack of it as it would only be available to 18's and over can be used to dramatically reduce under age people buying booze. Much harsher penalties for those who sell or buy booze to under age people. Immediate and permanent removal of off sales licence plus lets say £30k fine for shops and a £10k fine or/and 2 years prison sentence (depending on number of offences) for those caught buying booze for under age people.

Bring back PE and games at schools, if the schools don't have playing fields anymore then local stadiums or recreational parks to be used.

Bring back the death penalty and life sentences, mandatory for 1st degree murder. Modern DNA testing can now determine in many cases if somebody has committed murder and the death penalty can be used. For cases where it is not 100% possible to prove the person committed the offence and/or the jury does not have a 100% majority then a life sentence should be used, life meaning life.

Withdrawal of UK armed forces from current global conflicts which are nothing to do with us.

Make it illegal for hospitals to use agency nurses. That means there will be no jobs for nurses trained by the state who leave and come back as agency nurses. They either work direct for the NHS or not at all. Nurses to be nurses and not mini doctors like under the '2000' scheme. Contract cleaning labour only to be used in hospitals for common areas, nurses to have their original duties returned to them like keeping wards clean etc as well as the nursing the patients. Bring back matrons.

Massive rise in VAT registration limit. No employers national insurance for the first three years of a companies life from start up. Not tax payments either. No bank charges for start up companies for the first three years either. This will give incentives for people to start companies and hopefully they will grow and create jobs thus reducing unemployment.

Pass legislation to make it illegal for the government to lend money to banks etc.

Higher rates of unemployment payments for those who loose their jobs but on a sliding scale. Starting with full salary and reducing by 20% per year. Free training to those that are unemployed linked to industries requirements for type of jobs needing to be filled.

Abolish University fees, but set the entry qualification higher. Double the fees for international students. Charge companies a one off modest fee for employing a graduate as they are gaining an advantage by employing them (they didn't have to pay for all their training) and its to the advantage generally that industry gets to employ them (with the exception of start up companies).

[woolybanana]

Dump celebrity culture and make role models of successful scientists, technologists, doctors, people who go out and achieve.

Ban the sale of booze in supermarkets, multiply the price by 10, make drunkenness socially unacceptable.

All schools independent of State control and offer loads and loads of bursaries to bright kids to get out of the ghettoes, then offer high quality academic/technical training to the others. Make teachers set an example.

Give grants/ scholarships to students who go into important maths, science and technology studies.

Ration mortgages or limit to 2.5 times income.

Reward those who get into work and stay there. Reward marriage.

Unemployed work for their money in worthy projects.

Let TV entertain and educate rather than pandering to the uneducated underclass.

Get rid of multiculturalism and foster Britishness, with the English language at the centre

Ban Jonathon Ross from media work and make Harriet Harman clean house and wash the dishes[6]

 

[Gastines]

Please Quillan and Wooly,you are using common sense and quoting the obvious. No-way are any politicians going to follow those ideas and the Civil Servants won't allow it. It has now become an avalanche of faceless people empire building to make their departments seem essential.

I seem to remember G.Brown .P.M. saying he was going to get rid of 120000 civil servants,Perhaps he doesn't know the difference between plus and minus. I expect we'll hear plenty of promises over the next few months.I think if they re-introduced Purchase Tax and got rid of the game involved in VAT it might help. VAT seems to be the area were we hear of fiddles in the tens of millions.

[Pickles]

[quote user="Quillan"]Double the fees for international students. [/quote]

Errr ... you do know that non-EU students pay over £9K per annum in tuition fees (as opposed to the £3-and-a-bit-K that universities get for UK/EU students)?

[quote user="Quillan"]Charge companies a one off modest fee for employing a graduate as they are gaining an advantage by employing them (they didn't have to pay for all their training) and its to the advantage generally that industry gets to employ them (with the exception of start up companies).[/quote]

Sounds like the old industry sector training board levy: if you took on an apprentice, some of the costs were reimbursed; if you didn't do apprenticeships, you paid so that you at least contributed to the costs of those that DID train people.

Regards

Pickles

[dave21478]

Well, if this is going to turn onto a place to rant....

I would like to see the prison system overhauled. Make it a place to really fear being sent to. Prisoners in bare concrete cells with a bucket and a mattress, fed the minimum required to keep them alive and healthy. The only time they are not locked in the cells would be when they are out working in chain gangs, clearing verges of litter, painting and cleaning or similar projects to benefit the community.

[Gastines]

Dave. Mind you don't get taken away. Somewhere I read that we are all racist but some don't express their racism. Having dealt with and worked with many different cultures and races,I found that the Ukers had a more balanced view and openess to all UNTILL the present Government and it's rules and agenda were employed. The present immigration policy seems to generating unrest, particularly in the areas of low employment etc etc. Gypsies and the tree huggers having precedence in Doctors etc. Illegal emcampments having access to services etc. Dustbin spy's, the stupid legislation goes on and on. Ed Balls spends £3 million on doing up his office, but closes schools and sells of playing fields. £53 million spent on the Supreme Court etc.etc. While working class and above struggle with the ever rising cost of surviving. There seems to be no responsibility for local Councillors or Government Departments to think further than their own empire.

[Patf]

Make England 4 times bigger.

Yes, I know that's impossible, but I think lack of space is the reason for many of the things that need fixing.

[Dog]

[quote user="Quillan"]

Well here is a few of my more controversial ideas.

Compulsory introduction of ID cards, this allows the government to know exactly who's in the country and will weed out people who are not entitled to be there (among other things).

Stop the NHS from being sued. Injury and death of patients to become criminal offences and not civil. Should free up nearly 1/3 of the NHS budget held back for litigation. How many people do you hear on the TV saying it's not the money its the justice they want.

Immediate but temporary halt to immigration. Only people allowed to emigrate to the UK should be those who can perform jobs for which there is nobody else to do rather like Canada, Australia and the USA. If you have a verified job to go to then you gain entry.

Get rid of the ASBO system, parents become legally liable for any costs caused by damage by those previously covered by ASBO's. Children who continue to commit offences should be taken in to care. The ID card or lack of it as it would only be available to 18's and over can be used to dramatically reduce under age people buying booze. Much harsher penalties for those who sell or buy booze to under age people. Immediate and permanent removal of off sales licence plus lets say £30k fine for shops and a £10k fine or/and 2 years prison sentence (depending on number of offences) for those caught buying booze for under age people.

Bring back PE and games at schools, if the schools don't have playing fields anymore then local stadiums or recreational parks to be used.

Bring back the death penalty and life sentences, mandatory for 1st degree murder. Modern DNA testing can now determine in many cases if somebody has committed murder and the death penalty can be used. For cases where it is not 100% possible to prove the person committed the offence and/or the jury does not have a 100% majority then a life sentence should be used, life meaning life.

Withdrawal of UK armed forces from current global conflicts which are nothing to do with us.

Make it illegal for hospitals to use agency nurses. That means there will be no jobs for nurses trained by the state who leave and come back as agency nurses. They either work direct for the NHS or not at all. Nurses to be nurses and not mini doctors like under the '2000' scheme. Contract cleaning labour only to be used in hospitals for common areas, nurses to have their original duties returned to them like keeping wards clean etc as well as the nursing the patients. Bring back matrons.

Massive rise in VAT registration limit. No employers national insurance for the first three years of a companies life from start up. Not tax payments either. No bank charges for start up companies for the first three years either. This will give incentives for people to start companies and hopefully they will grow and create jobs thus reducing unemployment.

Pass legislation to make it illegal for the government to lend money to banks etc.

Higher rates of unemployment payments for those who loose their jobs but on a sliding scale. Starting with full salary and reducing by 20% per year. Free training to those that are unemployed linked to industries requirements for type of jobs needing to be filled.

Abolish University fees, but set the entry qualification higher. Double the fees for international students. Charge companies a one off modest fee for employing a graduate as they are gaining an advantage by employing them (they didn't have to pay for all their training) and its to the advantage generally that industry gets to employ them (with the exception of start up companies).

[/quote]

 

... so it looks like you support the BNP.

You forgot bring back conscription and when you find a witch she should be ducked.

[Judith]

[quote user="Gastines"] Ed Balls spends £3 million on doing up his office, but closes schools and sells of playing fields. [/quote]

I'm gobsmacked, how could anyone spend that much on doing up anywhere???  Or am I just being old fashioned?

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

[quote user="Patf"]

Make England 4 times bigger.

Yes, I know that's impossible, but I think lack of space is the reason for many of the things that need fixing.

[/quote]

There's heaps of space in England. Outside towns & cities there's just field after field after field...

[buelligan]

Like many here I stopped taking any real interest in the United Kingdom some time ago.  I don't really care anymore.  But, if I had to come up with a few suggestions for "fixing" it I suppose I would;

Educate individuals to think for themselves.

Encourage a culture where self respect and consideration for others is valued.

Remind people that greed is not really good at all.

I could go on... but what would be the sense.  The UK is a dreadful place.  Every day I wake up and thank whatever lucky stars have shone on me that I won't ever live there again.

[Quillan]

Walking the dog this morning I thought of.

Bring back dog licences except rename them animal licences. The owner has the licence and gets it via a one day course (which you pay for). You need the licence to own the animal (proof of licence before purchase). People who badly treat animals have their licence and animal removed.

Dump recycling at source. Install more sorting machines. This will remove the necessity to have so many different lorries taking garbage away and decrease (if your in to it) carbon emissions. Ban carrier bags and tax companies for excess and un-needed packaging. No VAT on recycled goods incluing materials for packaging.

Don't penalise UK farmers, the more they produce the less the tax rate. This may encourage them to grow more food and reduce imports of basic food which would normally be grown in the UK.

UK to accept proportiante representation instead of first past the post government

Cancel the £98bn high speed train link to Scotland. I mean we don't want to make it even easier for them all to come down here, look what the present one has done. [;-)]

Waiting at Perpignan railways station last night to collect my wife I noticed that in 20 minutes three very, and I mean very, long freight trains went through. So ban lorries at weekends and put a tax incentive in place to use the rail and canal freight systems. Build high speed freight trains.

 

Stop devolution, Scotland and Wales are either in the Union or not. To be determined by a national referendum in each country.

[baypond]

[quote user="Quillan"]

Pass legislation to make it illegal for the government to lend money to banks etc.

[/quote]

I think you will find banks lend far more to Government than the other way round!. Far better to say the Govt has to repay debt during boom times, so they can afford to borrow during bust.

Revert back to the old opening times for pubs and clubs. Ban any alcoholic drink that has artificial colourings, thereby reducing the attractiveness of florescent alco pops. Reduce the sugar content of alco pops to make them less palatable for the young.

[baypond]

Proportionate representation doesn't work. It is ineffective and usually passes power intermittently to small parties that carry the balance of the seats.

I think all politicians should have a pinocchio nose transplant, so that we can see when they are telling porky pies.

[Pickles]

[quote user="baypond"]so that we can see when they are telling porky pies.[/quote]

That's EASY! If their lips are moving, they're lying.

(sorry, had to get that one in since baypond set it up so beautifully)

Regards

Pickles

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

[quote user="Quillan"]

Walking the dog this morning I thought of.

Bring back dog licences except rename them animal licences. The owner has the licence and gets it via a one day course (which you pay for). You need the licence to own the animal (proof of licence before purchase). People who badly treat animals have their licence and animal removed.

Dump recycling at source. Install more sorting machines. This will remove the necessity to have so many different lorries taking garbage away and decrease (if your in to it) carbon emissions. Ban carrier bags and tax companies for excess and un-needed packaging. No VAT on recycled goods incluing materials for packaging.

Don't penalise UK farmers, the more they produce the less the tax rate. This may encourage them to grow more food and reduce imports of basic food which would normally be grown in the UK.

UK to accept proportiante representation instead of first past the post government

Cancel the £98bn high speed train link to Scotland. I mean we don't want to make it even easier for them all to come down here, look what the present one has done. [;-)]

Waiting at Perpignan railways station last night to collect my wife I noticed that in 20 minutes three very, and I mean very, long freight trains went through. So ban lorries at weekends and put a tax incentive in place to use the rail and canal freight systems. Build high speed freight trains.

 

Stop devolution, Scotland and Wales are either in the Union or not. To be determined by a national referendum in each country.

[/quote]

But this would mean more people driving to said sorting machines, thereby increasing emmissions.

[Will]

Dog - interesting to see that Quillan thinks you should be licensed

(and I suppose that applies to me too). And I thought exactly the same

as you for once as I couldn't get a very thick bit of paper between

Quillan's manifesto and the BNP's.

Britain would be a far, far, better place if its citizens stopped

whingeing and did something positive instead. I know a lot of the

whingers have emigrated but in my mind that's hardly a positive act. It

just seems to make them moan even more.

[Théière]

Ah but by whinging you can't be wrong, just a annoying. Doing something opens you up to doing something wrong which is unforgivable.

[Judith]

[quote user="Quillan"]

Bring back dog licences except rename them animal licences.

Waiting at Perpignan railways station last night to collect my wife I noticed that in 20 minutes three very, and I mean very, long freight trains went through. So ban lorries at weekends and put a tax incentive in place to use the rail and canal freight systems. Build high speed freight trains.

[/quote]

License bicycles in the same way as animals - they are just as much a nuisance on pavements.  Make owning a bicycle as similar responsiblity to owning a car.

Agree on the trains proposal - so good to see freight on French railways - what it was always best for along with canals which were also designed to transport freight. 

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Ban cyclists altogether. They're a menace!

Blasphemy, I know living in a country obssessed with bikes! [;-)]

[Quillan]

[quote user="Richard"][quote user="Quillan"]

Dump recycling at source. Install more sorting machines. This will remove the necessity to have so many different lorries taking garbage away and decrease (if your in to it) carbon emissions. Ban carrier bags and tax companies for excess and un-needed packaging. No VAT on recycled goods incluing materials for packaging.

[/quote]

But this would mean more people driving to said sorting machines, thereby increasing emmissions.
[/quote]

Sorry what I mean is like how we do it in our village. You put all your waste in a bin, Dusty Bin takes it to the recycling centre where it goes in a big machine that sorts out metal, plastic and glass then disposes of the rest as normal.

[Quillan]

[quote user="baypond"]

Proportionate representation doesn't work. It is ineffective and usually passes power intermittently to small parties that carry the balance of the seats.

I think all politicians should have a pinocchio nose transplant, so that we can see when they are telling porky pies.

[/quote]

One slight question, how would they all fit in to the House of Commons. Imagine PM's question time and all the opposition ducking as he looked left and right. I was thinking of Kenny Everets take on Barbra Streisand [:D]