AM Glass Box for Wednesday
We may have a busy day ahead of us... but that doesn't mean we're not open to new ideas. If you have any story that you think we ought to consider for this evening's programme, then please let us know. It's best to put your thoughts down before 11am which is when we hold our planning meeting . Rupert is in charge today.
Thanks,
sequin
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Welcome news that an awareness campaign has started to wake the UK public to the dangers of buying medicines over the internet.
If you did not cover this story yesterday I hope that you will today.
Realdanger. Get Real, Get a Prescription™
More than one in seven British adults surveyed (15%) admitted to bypassing the healthcare system to get hold of prescription only medicine without a prescription, a practice which 78% of GPs surveyed say is putting people's health and potentially lives at risk as some of the medicines obtained in this way may be counterfeit. These statistics from recent UK surveys show that more and more people are putting themselves in danger from buying fake pills - it's estimated that between 50 to 90 per cent of medicines sold without a prescription or through unregulated websites are counterfeit . People buy medicines in this way because they think they are getting cheaper drugs, faster delivery, a better choice - in fact they're taking a real gamble with their health. Counterfeit medicines can be dangerous. Fake pills could make you very ill.
Not sure if the BBC News has run this yet but full details are available at the following URL
http://www.realdanger.co.uk/
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MPs are among the top ten percent (possibly five percent) of salary income.
Ken Clark (among others) has indicated the assumption that when Cameron becomes our Leader he (Ken) will be offered a ministerial post as, he will be unable to live on an MPs wage.
some MPs also argue that only rich people will be able to get into parliament in the future if reforms carry on the way they are.
can someone explain as, I don't understand why or how this could be?
I don't know if its still the case but didn't Dennis Skinner (among others) take only a wage similar to that of a miner when he came to parliament. The rest he forfeited to his constituency party or something like this? I never heard that he went hungry. Oh and just as a little footnote, D Skinner has the best attendance record of any MP...or at least did have last time I looked.
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Joe (good morning, by the way and hope Sam is doing well (:)
Yes, I also remember at least one other MP doing just that. I hadn't heard the story about Ken Clark, but if it is true, I think this raises a lot of questions. My first thought is that people should feel proud to represent their constituency - it is an honour and one which many would like. Secondly, if any particular MP (and this could include Ken Clark) has a lifestyle that incurs a lot of expense, that is their problem and not that of the electorate. The MPs existing salary is already more than twice that of our joint income (speaking for my household) and we do not go short of the essentials. Given that it is still the intention to ensure that MPs don't face real hardship when expenses are reformed, I cannot see where the problem lies for Mr. Clark or any other MP.
For any MP to argue that 'only rich people will be able to become an MP' in the light of the reform of expenses is ludicrous.
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The Kelly Report and The Lisbon Treaty.
The Today programme failed to get clarity and by the end of the day I hope PM has the answer. What is the question that any future Conservative Government can offer for a referendum to be based on? I have racked my feeble brain but it seems to me it is all or nothing - else the future PM of our country is going to be bested by the rest of the EEU saying very simply "Go away!".
Now perish the thought that I as pro-European enjoyed yesterdays "statements" - straight face steelie boy! - but I am looking forward even more to taking apart what PM reports this afternoon. Pencil - HB and sharp - ready! lol
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Afghanistan
No doubt you'll be covering the death of five British soldiers tonight, but you might like to look at other incidents where Afghan uniformed forces have turned on the invading 'western' forces. I've flagged up a few in the past, but they don't seem to get much coverage.
Also the Intelligence & Security Committee Chairman has called for a withdrawal of British troops in today's Guardian. He's probably the most senior British politician to have so to date.
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MPs like judges, and top medical consultants should be paid more than they could reasonably expect elsewhere.
I am not talking expenses - just salary.
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Climate Change Issues
UN Climate Change session in Barcelona, the final week of formal negotiations before the Copenhagen meeting opens. http://unfccc.int/2860.php
Meanwhile USA demonstrates to the world that it is taking climate change seriously by boycotting the Kerry Boxer Climate Bill. Only one republican senator showed up yesterday.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/11/04/eu_urges_us_climate_plan_as_gop_boycotts_senate_panel_vote/
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Did I hear David Cameron saying that there couldn't be a vote on the Lisbon Treaty as 'it wouldn't be a treaty any more, it would be European law'? If so, what on earth was he talking about?
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Sid - I imagine he meant it's now a "fete accompli". There's no point having a referendum about something that cannot be changed. The deed - adopting the treaty - has been done, and it can't be undone. So there's no point having a referendum about it.
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So, Wales will have to pay for plastic bags to hold their groceries.
What I fail to understand is why supermarkets do not issue free paper bags. Paper is biodegradable and sustainable. In the United States and other countries paper bags are given freely and they used to do so here before plastic became ubiquitous.
I have asked stores that do not issue plastic bags on the basis they are being "green" why I can't have a paper bag instead. They do not know. Perhaps PM could ask one of the management why, please.
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nn (8)
Didn't you neglect a negative?
MPs like judges, and top medical consultants should be paid more than they could reasonably expect elsewhere."
NOT!
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8 - Do you really mean this? I cannot see the comparison. For one thing, there is a huge disparity of skill level ...
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I agree that the skill level, Big Sis, is reflected in our current MPs. Who would want to stand for Parliament when they could be Chief Exec of a Local council on a salary of £205,000? No election hassles either.
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Suffolk, if you are wondering where.
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Big Sis (4)
Good morning big sis. Sam is fine. He had his final booster on Monday. I'm getting him used to a lead. I find these people incredible who believe that somehow they have the God given right to attain an only dreamed of lifestyle by the vast majority of the people they purport to represent. I can only assume these sorts of people actually see themselves as more deserving than their constituents.
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Well, Nikki, I entirely agree that there are ridiculously inflated salaries around. How anyone can justify a salary of that size is quite beyond me. As I've said before on the Blog, there are only 24 hours in anybody's day, and I've just calculated that, based on a 10 hour day, at 52 weeks a year on a five day week, that executive is netting something in the order of £80 per hour. Shameful.
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Joe: Good luck with Sam and the lead training!
Perhaps we could ask our MPs to do something along the lines of washing our feet? ;o)
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nikki noodle, I can understand your frustration at the excessive salary of the Chief Executive, but to say that their job is in any way comparable to the job of an MP, and to imply that any MP could do it, is disingenuous to say the least.
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5 more UK soldiers dead in Afghanistan and serious questions over the entire campaign at the highest level. But all I hear on the radio is yet more jabbering about MPs' duck ponds...
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As a foreign sojourner in this fair land, I've always found it refreshing that quite "ordinary" folk frequently become MPs. This is not to imply in any way that such admirable characters as Dennis Skinner are 'ordinary' in the sense of mediocre.
As noted many times elsewhere, the present MP's salary is far from "starvation wages", and should be more than adequate for anyone's needs. Any legitimate expense incurred necessary to carrying out the job should be re-imbursed, of course.
Last night's TV showed a Swedish (I think) MP in his state-provided accommodation - perfectly suited to the purpose.
It should be (and to be fair, often is) considered a great honour to represent the people of one's constituency. A further observation from a foreigner's viewpoint is the absurdity of not requiring a significant period of previous residence in a constituency as a qualification to stand.
;-)
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Obama
It's a year since Obama was elected on a promise CHANGE. You might like to do a piece tonight/tomorrow. What has he achieved? Made some very 'odd' appointments. Excused torture. Opposed habeas corpus. Kept 17,000 prisoners without trial. Taken legal action to assert that Guantanamo inmates have no right not to be tortured. Asked Israel nicely not to eveict Palestininas from their homes. Israel has said no. Set the highest US military budget ever. Given the impression troops will be withdrawn from Iraq, whereas his army chiefs have planned to keep 60,000 troops there for 15 years, and they continue to build US bases in Iraq, including a new multi-million dollar radar and spying establishment. Has extended attacks in Pakistan, resulting in massive evacuations. Finalised a deal to arm the Colombian regime (which has the worst human rights record in S.America) and for US seven military bases. Taken no action to condemn the coup in Honduras or recall the US ambassador. Lectured the world on climate change, while doing nothing himself. Asked the world to take Guantanamo inmates into their populations yet not taking one inmate into the US.
"Change you can believe in."
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@20 Gillianian, and Big Sister above
I rather think I was implying that I would very much like chief execs of Local Government to stand as MPs - definitely not the other way round!!!! (I havent suggested a level of pay for MPs either, in case anyone writes in).
On the other hand, MPs do have a very significant job - they legislate the laws that you, I and everyone abide by, they send troops to war, and they raise money through general and specific taxation. They can encourage or discourage investment and therefore jobs in your town and mine. I think that a hard working conciencious parliamentary representative is a high powered job.
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NN,
Indeed, and until the last century, the privilege of serving, not to mention voting, was restricted to landowning males. The landed classes wrote the laws regarding land ownership.
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The Kelly Report is out (the unleaks). BBC link includes link to the report.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8341431.stm
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Nikki (24): I agree that their job is significant, but to 'attract' people to that job with high salaries will, may I suggest, not 'attract' the right kind of people. The main kudos attached to being an MP is, well, the honour of being an MP - and, in my opinion, should remain thus.
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When pm interviewed the pal of Nick the mercenary, why wasn't he asked the killer question that we all know the answer to:- "How far was Thatcher involved with the attempted coup?" That particular nonentity was up to his neck in regime change in EG and clearly trying to get his greedy hands on oil money, lots of it.
I have always hoped that Mann would one day be free and then 'settle up' with thatcher.
Never thought I would say, 'Good 'ole Daily Mail' but at least they have majored on this story.
Of course the British authorities should ask thatcher what he knows and/or what he did.
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so, Big Sis @27, we are total agreement. Neither of us believe MPs should get high salaries, rather they should get a reasonable sum.
All we need to do now is agree what that figure is.
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Nikki, shall we set up a committee? ;o)
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@30 Big Sister:
I think it is much simpler than that - look at the salary of the Independent Regulator!
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Big Sis (4)
Sorry for the belated reply. Sam is fine. I totally agree with your post. V busy with builders etc at present.
Joe.
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Richard (23) Does this surprise you?
My biggest disappointment is over his lack of progress with healthcare reforms. Many americans get health cover with their jobs, which is fine until they are made redundant.
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#28. Ken BRUNTON
Your question reminds me of a "Monkey Dust" sketch some years ago on BBC three.
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nikki and Big Sister - I'm in agreement too!!
nikki, I bet you'd never get a Council Chief Exec to stand as an MP - they know what politicians are like! ;o)
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on the european subject my heart wants to keep independance and our way of life, but as the human race we must move towards a bigger community. The ultimate goal must be for world government, not because I as an individual would like it but because it would benefit the whole of mankind. We must be a part of that movement to influence it. All that I see from Brussels is silly petty beurocracy trying to streighten bananas and cucumbers and fighting to gain some extra subsidy for their small group of supporters. Would it not be better to invest in greater eficciency rather than subsidise inefficient production? Surely the best way to stop migration into our country is to make other destinations (The home Country) more attractive. To achieve this we need a different class of politician. Politicians are actors on a stage trying to curry favour with the voters. We need people who are dedicated to doing the right thing for the nation (world) as a whole, and a population who realise the need and support those individuals
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Lord Nathan - are you aware that the formatting thingy you do removes the separator line between your post and the next, and makes the place look untidy?
e.g. your 25 ...
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Sid,
Is it better with the bullet?
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Richard@23: astute and quite shocking roundup of Obama's first year.
You forgot one thing - he did win the Nobel Peace Prize - having been nominated a mere two weeks into his presidency. That surely is a first. ;-)
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Lord Nathan and Sid, do stop shooting at each other. There's good chaps.
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We bury the hatchet, but leave the handle sticking out...
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idntcareanymore @ 11
"There's no point having a referendum about something that cannot be changed."
So why did he promise one?
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#42. Sid
"So why did he promise one?".
You know why! It got him support from the euroseptic wing of the Tory party.
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Euroseptic - I like it.
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34 Looternite.
What sketch was that and what is Monkey Dust?
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Newsletter. I haven't had a newsletter this week. Is anyone else having same problem or is it just me.
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patmartin - I got one a couple of evenings ago ...
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Graham, paper bags are fine if you are shopping on a fine day or are putting your shopping in the boot of your car but if you are shopping by bus on a wet day I reckon a reusable shopping bag is preferable.
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Paper bags also cost trees and carbon sequestration as well...I'm with LadySue on this - a good basket or sturdy re-usable bag is best. For gathering mushrooms, the worst is a plastic bag, and the best a basket, but a paper bag folded into a hip pocket is handiest...
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#45. Ken BRUNTON
"Monkey Dust" was a late night cartoon show on BBC Three.
One of the sketches had a dinner party where the yuppies discussed a coup in some African country. Then a year or two later a real life coup was being plotted by people like Mark Thatcher.
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Patmartin, I got one late monday night, but other than that I haven't had one since last Wednesday!
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Ahem! I'll expand on the above hastily - NEWSLETTER!
*must read post before sending, don't want to be modded*
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50:-
OK, never saw or heard of it.
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#53. Ken BRUNTON
You missed something very funny but rather adult.
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