Current Politics in the United Kingdom

[Devius]

Lib Dems pledge to hire 8,000 extra GPs if elected

The Liberal Democrats have pledged to recruit 8,000 more GPs if elected, putting the policy at "the heart" of their general election campaign offer.

Sir Ed Davey, the party's leader, said the investment would create an extra 65 million appointments a year by the end of the next parliament.

The Lib Dems have unveiled a five-year plan aimed at fulfilling their longstanding ambition to ensure patients can see a medical practitioner within seven days.

Ramping up the party's general election campaign, Sir Ed said "patients are bearing the brunt" of Conservative mismanagement of the NHS.

He claimed the party had "brought the NHS to its knees" and "decimated local health services" during its time in government.

The Lib Dem leader continued: "It is an unacceptable situation and one that is only getting worse after years of Conservative chaos and neglect.

"The Liberal Democrats would give people a legal right to see a GP in a week or 24 hours if in urgent need, so people aren't ever left struggling to get an appointment.

"This is at the heart of our offer to voters at this election and our plan to fix the health and care crisis.”

Half of the 8,000 extra GPs would come from boosting recruitment, while the rest would be secured by retaining more experienced GPs, the Lib Dems said.

The party estimates that its plans would cost £4bn over five years. It says it has several revenue-raising proposals including reversing cuts to taxes on banks.

The policy only applies to England, as health is devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

During the 2019 election, the Conservatives promised to deliver 6,000 more GPs by 2024.

According to data from NHS England published on Thursday, there are now 37,237 full-time equivalent GPs across England, an increase of 2,500 since 2019.

Under Rishi Sunak, the party promised to ease pressure on GP appointments by expanding pharmacy roles, aiming to free up 15 million appointments in two years for quicker patient access.

Labour has promised to train more GPs and reduce pressure on current staff by accelerating independent prescribing for pharmacists, allowing them to manage more conditions and support practices better.

The Lib Dems are targeting 80 marginal Conservative seats in the party's southern "blue wall" during this election campaign.

On Thursday, Sir Ed began the campaign with a visit to ultra-marginal constituency Cheltenham. It is represented by Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, who held it with a majority of just 981 in 2019.

During the visit the Lib Dem leader argued for the need to "transform our politics" in order to "repair our health and care system, restore the economy, end the sewage scandal and secure a fair deal for people".

The Lib Dems have ruled out a post-election deal with the Conservatives similar to the 2010 Cameron-Clegg coalition.

Its deputy leader Daisy Cooper claimed many lifelong Tory voters could not "stomach" the party anymore.

Source:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy66901gz3po

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by Budo

The Aussies call us "whinging Poms". I think they should change it to whinging Jocks, because all they do is complain about this, complain about that, and if there's nothing to complain about then they'll make something up. The SNP especially remind me of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLuEY6jN6gY

Note that he's got ginger hair. Wonder if he joined the SNP when he got older?

The SNP are a very chippy* and resentful faction in politics generally, a natural lodestone for the malcontents of this world. But I think that on 4 July 2024 we are going to see that they're not all that representative of Scottish voters.

* Non-British members - "chippy" has several meanings but in this context it means resentful, frustrated and irritable. See also "got a chip on his shoulder".

[Devius]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

The SNP are a very chippy* and resentful faction in politics generally, a natural lodestone for the malcontents of this world. But I think that on 4 July 2024 we are going to see that they're not all that representative of Scottish voters.

* Non-British members - "chippy" has several meanings but in this context it means resentful, frustrated and irritable. See also "got a chip on his shoulder".

I got to get a copy of The National on the 5th July...

[haroldeye]

Originally Posted by Devius

I got to get a copy of The National on the 5th July...

Not allowed to sell fish and chips wrapped in newspaper anymore Devius. Mores the pity.

[foxbat1]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

Why do the SNP always think it's about them? There is no good reason why an election can't be held during the summer holiday period, given that it takes eleven working days to obtain a postal ballot and there are 29 working days available to do this. No one is being disenfranchised here, and Swinney is just trying to find something to moan about.

Scoundrel, it's well understood by most people that due to people having busy lives, adding an extra step needed to vote often just means they won't. It's a classic voter suppression tactic.

It also affects students in the rest of the UK. Students and the Scottish tend not to vote Tory.

[foxbat1]

Jeremy Corbyn to stand as independent at general election

Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed he will stand as an independent candidate in Islington North, vowing to fight for equality, democracy and peace.

The former Labour leader, who has held the seat for more than 40 years, says he will defend policies that have not been adopted by Labour or the Conservatives, including rent controls and the abolition of the two child benefits cap.

He was blocked from standing again for Labour, and suspended for remarks he made after the equalities watchdog report into antisemitism in the party. While he remains a Labour member, he will be expelled for standing against the party at the election.

The Guardian understands Corbyn had hoped to announce his plans to stand next Tuesday, but Rishi Sunak’s snap election announcement forced him to bring forward his plans.

A close ally told the Guardian Corbyn had always wanted to notify his constituents first, so he announced his intentions in an article for the Islington Tribune.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...slington-north

Maybe Diane Abbot will join him in standing as an independent.

[foxbat1]

Meat smugglers using English vehicles to evade border checks

Criminal gangs are buying English-registered coaches and vans to smuggle large amounts of illegal meat into the country, Farmers Weekly has learned.

Commercial quantities of illegal and diseased meat are entering the UK to be sold into fast-food outlets, pubs, and to “unscrupulous” manufacturers, an online meeting between meat industry representatives and border officials was told on 17 May.

Tony Goodger, from the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS), who attended the meeting, said criminals are findings novel ways to smuggle meat into this country.

https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/crime/mea...-border-checks

Far from taking back control, it seems we just can't be bothered.

[foxbat1]

The Tories have rolled out their fake social media accounts already.

[foxbat1]

Short measuring costs average UK drinker £115 a year, study finds

More than two-thirds of beer and wine sold in pubs and bars is short-measured, costing the average consumer about £115 a year, according to research.

Trading standards officers visited 77 venues across the UK, finding 96 short measures out of 137 test purchases, meaning approximately 70% had less of the drink than had been declared or paid for.

Meanwhile, the average price of a bottle of red wine has increased 8% in the last year, according to the Office for National Statistics, while a pint of lager has gone up by 5.6%.

John Herriman, the chief executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), said: “While this is a snapshot, it is the first time that we have been able to build a national picture of how widespread short measuring of alcoholic drinks are, and the potential detriment to the average consumer of around £115 every year suggests there is the need for more comprehensive research.”

He said the research should be across a broader spectrum of consumer goods, not just alcoholic drinks.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/ar...standards-says

[Devius]

Originally Posted by Devius

Emotional moment as MP Craig Mackinlay who lost his hands and feet to sepsis returns to Parliament
MPs stood and cheered as MP Craig Mackinlay entered the Commons

Source:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mp-craig-mackinlay-hands-sepsis-parliament-b2549403.html

Related...

'Bionic MP' Craig Mackinlay who lost hands and feet quits Parliament
Tory MP Craig Mackinlay has said he won't stand for re-election. He was given a standing ovation after returning this week after having his limbs amputated because of sepsis
Updated 12:44, 24 May 2024

A Tory MP who had both his hands and feet amputated after he got sepsis has announced he will leave Parliament.

Craig Mackinlay was given a standing ovation as he returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday for the first time since his ordeal.

But the inspiring politician, who dubbed himself the "bionic MP", will not to fight the election because it has come too soon for his recovery. The South Thanet MP said that after "36 hours of intense soul searching" following the PM's surprise election announcement, he had decided to quit.

In a statement to GB News he said: "Whilst my heart tells me to stand again, there being so much unfinished business across local regeneration and national issues which are important to me, my head knows this to be impossible at this time. It would be difficult to withstand the rigours of an all-out election campaign, a campaign that I’d always wish to lead from the front. Thereafter, upon being re-elected it would be difficult for me to sustain 70 to 80 hour working weeks which were the norm prior to my illness.

"I had hoped to phase my return to the House of Commons over the coming months as my abilities improved. Since leaving in-patient rehabilitation a month ago my life now revolves around various medical appointments. I face numerous future operations as a result of the serious sepsis that I suffered which very nearly took my life. I have only just started the prosthetic journey and I have weekly physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions."

Mr Mackinlay, 57, earlier this week said he wanted to be known as the first "bionic MP” after having prosthetic legs and hands fitted. He began to feel unwell one evening in September last year and went to bed early. His wife Kati, who is a pharmacist, became concerned the next morning after she noticed his arms felt cold and she couldn’t feel a pulse. He was rushed to hospital where within half an hour he turned "a very strange blue". Speaking to BBC News, he said: "My whole body, top to bottom, ears, everything, blue.”

Hospital staff realised he had gone into septic shock and he was put into an induced coma that would last for 16 days. His wife was told she should prepare for the worst as he had only a one in 20 chance of survival. Sepsis is a rare but serious condition that happens when the body's immune system overreacts to an infection and attacks its own tissues and organs.

When Mr Mackinlay woke up he found that his arms and legs had “turned black” and felt like hard plastic. It was later decided to amputate his limbs. After he came around after the operation in December he said he felt strangely alert and wondered if the amputations had not actually taken place. "But I woke up and I looked down and you obviously realise that they had,” he told BBC News.

After having prosthetics fitted, Mr Mackinlay has had to relearn how to walk. He said the loss of his hands has been the hardest thing to deal with. "You don't realise how much you do with your hands... use your phone, hold the hand of your child, touch your wife, do the garden," he said, adding that his prosthetic hands are "amazing... but it's never going to be quite the same”.

Despite feeling “lucky” to be alive, Mr Mackinlay said he sometimes has "low moments". "You're in the land of nod having a nice dream, and then you wake up and it's 'I haven't got any hands’,” he said. "That is the realisation every morning.

"It's very easy to say - and I do try and stick to it - there's not much point moaning and complaining or getting down about the things you can't do. You've got to be cheerful and positive about things you can do and I find every day there's something new that I can do.” Mr Mackinlay paid tribute to his wife and his four-year-old daughter Olivia, who he said had adapted “probably better than anybody else frankly”.

Source:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-bionic-mp-craig-mackinlay-32885120