In the news

I noticed that this morning - cycling (this thing which is SO DANGEROUS) is actually only half as dangerous as swimming in the sea! Who knew?!

Isn't the 2 child limit related to child tax credits rather than child benefit or did I miss that part?
Not being or ever intending to be a parent I don't really pay much attention to things like that.

I think the idea of gradually abolishing tax credits, raising thresholds and just forcing employers to pay a decent wage is a much better idea. Taxpayers money shouldn't be used to enable firms to pay people shit wages.

Will that happen tho'? I very much doubt it unless it's legislated in some way...

You're talking meat, right?

Depends doesn't it.

If a country is producing enough jobs then workers have the choice to go work somewhere else. If those workers posess skills that are valuable to an employer then it makes sense for them to pay more.

But that ignores the fact that we are in the EU and have free movement of people which expands the labour market massively.

Plus a large number of the lowest paid jobs (that this is meant to address) will probably also be low skilled jobs....which you don't need to pay a premium for.

So even as someone who'd general say they are in favour of capitalism, free markets, the EU and immigration, I'm not really sure you can tackle it without legislation. (Although in fairness the govt has coupled it with tax breaks for business).

You're talking meat, right?

Not just meat. Fish (based on our current inefficient\unsustainable fishing methods rather than farming). Wood (again poor use of a renewable). Expensive metals (new iphones every year, etc.). The list goes on.

But just look at how happy IDS is, just seeing my cuddly little Ian smile like this is all I need to support the current budget.

Just out of curiosity (and it's a slightly obscure question) how does mandating a UK minimum wage tie in with EU restraint of trade rules? Could we see a company making a case that they should be able to take on employees at £4/hr because that's legal in Romania or wherever and not being able to do so is causing inequality in competition or is that all balls?

Guy pins down two cops in London...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=41&v=36V9-CsgfN0

@Aggi - For instance, there has been an EU wide harmonisation of working condition for lorry drivers, the amount of rest stops per day, how many hours they can drive in a day etc. I suppose you could argue that such policies serves as a precedent that would allow some large corporate lobby to demand a 'harmonisation' of minimum wages as well. So in my opinion you have a point.
My guess is that the people who would benefit from this (large corporations) are only holding back as they presume the market forces will quietly create such a situation anyways, without all the fuss of a making it an official agenda.

Wages are regional, conditions are universal.

It's an uncomfortable feeling agreeing with tory policy*, but I also support this general principle. Personally I think the personal allowance should also be much higher.

My cousin is a single working dad. He earns enough to be paying a decent whack of tax, but not enough that he can afford to house and feed his kids, so he gets tax credits. It seems mental to me that one system takes tax money from him and another gives it back. Why not just take less tax in the first place? The added frustration is that whenever he gets a payrise his tax credits reduce, so he ends up no better off. Not exactly motivational.

• I suspect the tories have pulled a sleight of hand which actually screws the poor though.
  

ah I just thought you might have been being topical since the meat production vs. environment UN advice thing is doing the rounds again this month..

Why not just take less tax in the first place?

At the moment the tax taking arm doesn't require any knowledge of the tax giving arm, so they can both work independently on simple payroll figures.

Two separate simple (ha!) systems vs one more complex system.

You still need to take the correct amount of tax off everyone earning £x otherwise the person who doesn't qualify for WTC (because they have other income or no kids) doesn't pay as much in.

The added frustration is that whenever he gets a payrise his tax credits reduce, so he ends up no better off. Not exactly motivational.

That's classic "Tory motivation". If he keeps getting pay-rises eventually he will get to a point of having no tax credits and then any further pay-rises he'll get to keep mostly for himself. Well done, he's now been motivated not to be a drain on the benefits system. Or something.

this

The logical conclusion to this argument though is if you harmonise wages you should harmonise prices - why should beer or wine or housing be so much more here than in Spain, for example?

(I know why, I'm using an obvious straw man).

No I read a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond (famous for Guns, germs, steel). A lot of the book resinated with me.

I suspect the tories have pulled a sleight of hand which actually screws the poor though.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/cyclists-urged-to-slow-down-on-canal-towpath-after-beloved-kitten-killed-by-bike-in-east-london-10369378.html

heartless monster.

I think the problem is that the towpaths are too narrow. Drain the water out and put some Tarmac down, problem solved.

There is a concentration of fucking cunt cyclists on the towpaths though.

Not saying the cyclist wasn't in the wrong here but...

How does she know this cyclist was "speeding" when she didn't even see him on the approach to the collision? You don't have to be going fast to have loud brakes.

mandatory cat helmets

Can they publish a story urging motorists to slow down after numerous collisions with cats, dogs, birds, people etc.? Or is that not important enough?