State of UK Politics

[abigsmurf]

The problem with Eastern European immigration is it isn't kept to the papers. It's something that's easy to see when you go out shopping. Most fast food places have at least one Polish worker and it's very common in supermarkets. You drive down the motorway and about 1 in 3 lorries have polish plates.

It's gone from Polish immigrants being pretty rare to them being incredibly common in the space of 2-3 years with 700,000 getting assigned National insurance numbers each year. That's a massive, sudden cultural shift forced upon people.

[abigsmurf]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8349757.stm

Sorry, this is just a pathetic story.

Gordon Brown is one eyed (with bad sight in his other eye) and has dyspraxia. The head of the country has taken time to hand write a personal letter to you and what do you do? Complain to the tabloids that it has some minor errors (who could make a mistake with the totally unconfusing name of Jamie Janes?) and that you don't like his handwriting.

As someone with Dyspraxia, you really can't help the bad handwriting and the bad spelling is often another symptom. Taking time does not improve things significantly. I appreciate she's grieving over the loss of her son but he has really tried and gone above and beyond writing these letters. Every other country would get a secretary to type it up and he'd just add his signature at the bottom.

[Brats]

I'm in complete agreement with you there. If I were grieving the loss of my son, I wouldn't be raising petty issues with a rag like The Sun.

And shame on the paper for printing it, but then they are desperate for sales at the moment.

[prinnysquad]

Yes.

I'm currently making a lot of notes for my thesis, and I shock myself by writing the wrong word or letter down on occasion. Even though I can see clearly what I'm supposed to write, it just doesn't come out that way, and I don't even have dyspraxia. Sometimes the 'n' does bleed into an 'm' due to a slight spasm or involuntary movement of the hand or whatever, it's such an easy error to make. My handwriting is sodding awful, and it's got little to do with speed or concentration.

I don't like Brown, but he's clearly trying to do what he thinks is right, and the press have swarmed to a slip up like flies around a steaming log.

[charlesr]

Nothing unexpected from the press, but wtf about the daft mum even noticing or caring. Anyone watching the news from other countries must be laughing in their boots that this is classed as "news".

[Spatial]

The Sun is the paper that announced they were backing The Conservatives now as our saviours and almighty overlords. It's no surprise they're stooping this low so they can claim again `It's The Sun Wot Won It`



If there's one thing that's as much a problem in this UK as corrupt politicians, it's self righteous hacks in the media who think they make the wheels of this country turn.

[abigsmurf]

Gordon Brown phones her up to apologise. What does she do? Records the phone call and sells that to The Sun too.

Stay classy there. Having a go at a man with disabilities who was trying to do the right thing is no way to honour your son's memory.

[charlesr]

They whizzed through the real news and then stopped on this one and made a massive feature about it. Crazy stuff. We should complain.

[abigsmurf]

They whizzed through the real news and then stopped on this one and made a massive feature about it. Crazy stuff. We should complain.

VIEWERS VOICE THEIR OUTRAGE OVER BROWN'S INSENSITIVITY!

They were actually phoning to complain about the coverage but that doesn't sell papers

[EJG1980]

There have also been a few articles slagging of Gordon Brown because he was pictured going jogging in a park. all criticising the way he looked while jogging, the fact that he was doing it outdoors (seeking attention apparently) instead of inside on a treadmill, etc., etc..

I've seen it mentioned a few times that our newspapers have a bad reputation abroad and I'm not surprised. The fact that Brown writing a letter and Brown jogging can become big (negatively spun) news stories is a total joke.

[charlesr]

heheheh, I must have missed those ones. "Prime minister gets fit in the fresh air and sets example to the nation! Crime against humanity!"

[abigsmurf]

It's a bit harsh him competing with other world leaders:

[abigsmurf]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8571625.stm

lies, damn lies and statistics.

"Unemployment is down!!!!"

Except it isn't. The number of people out of work has risen. The number of people containing jobseekers has fallen.

Why has it fallen? Because after 6 months you come off of jobseekers and go on the 'New Deal' which puts you on a month long 9-5 course. You're not classed as being on jobseekers when on the New Deal and lots of people stop claiming anyway because of how dire the course is.

[NW2013]

Smurf, I thought exactly the same thing as you when I saw that story. Does anyone actually believe it?

[davesol]

that's the beauty of numbers though isn't it - that they can be presented however you want to. No wonder politicians love them so much