Insel affe
HellBilly
I think if you check back through history i am pretty sure from the year woman first uttered those immortal words I want a bigger cave
man has been constantly moving its nothing new 
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- Thread starter Beach Hut
- Start date
I think if you check back through history i am pretty sure from the year woman first uttered those immortal words I want a bigger cave
man has been constantly moving its nothing new Dandyman
In London village.
This,
I feel your pain. I have the same pangs of embarrassment when daveinprague gets involved in every BNP thread.
- Jan 3, 2012
- 17,355
Do you know how much he is paying for his council house? probably not! They are not subsidised.
It was Margaret Thatcher who changed everything about "social housing", and made it much more likely that Mr Crowe is actually paying a market rent for the property.
Buzzer
Languidly Clinical
- Oct 1, 2006
- 26,121
I like what Bob Crow represents. I'm completely opposed his politics but he's just about the only left-winger who matches actions with words for his members and his beliefs. I think British politics needs people like him as an antidote to the career politicians on all sides who wouldn't know a principle even if they really tried.
He provides a nice hate figure for the press (and I've got to say that some of the strikes look like they're more for bigger political reasons than the reason given) but there's no doubting he's made sure his union is respected and (probably) feared for flexing its muscles.
As regards his salary, he's the head of a major national organisation so that is the going rate. If anything it's probably on the low side compared to heads of charities, professional bodies. It comes down to does he provide value for money? I reckon there's no doubt he does. His members know he's batting for them. The teachers are getting right royally screwed by Michael Gove but have we heard anything from the NUT? Can anyone name the head of that union?
I presume his council flat has been his for ages, well before he became the leader of the union so I should think there's no question he went through the proper channels. It's a fair point too that because he lives in that house on that area he's probably more in touch with his working class roots and can see what really matters to the people he represents.
I've have no idea how he spends his money. A part of me hopes he does what Dave Nellist (another proper old school leftie) used to do when an MP and only claim the average wage but I guess this 10 grand holiday suggests otherwise.
But give me one Bob Crow over a hundred Millibands or Blairs any day of the week.
He provides a nice hate figure for the press (and I've got to say that some of the strikes look like they're more for bigger political reasons than the reason given) but there's no doubting he's made sure his union is respected and (probably) feared for flexing its muscles.
As regards his salary, he's the head of a major national organisation so that is the going rate. If anything it's probably on the low side compared to heads of charities, professional bodies. It comes down to does he provide value for money? I reckon there's no doubt he does. His members know he's batting for them. The teachers are getting right royally screwed by Michael Gove but have we heard anything from the NUT? Can anyone name the head of that union?
I presume his council flat has been his for ages, well before he became the leader of the union so I should think there's no question he went through the proper channels. It's a fair point too that because he lives in that house on that area he's probably more in touch with his working class roots and can see what really matters to the people he represents.
I've have no idea how he spends his money. A part of me hopes he does what Dave Nellist (another proper old school leftie) used to do when an MP and only claim the average wage but I guess this 10 grand holiday suggests otherwise.
But give me one Bob Crow over a hundred Millibands or Blairs any day of the week.
The Merry Prankster
Pactum serva
So very, very much "this".
Very much this.
And this.
- Jan 18, 2009
- 4,886
His thoughts (as part of No2eu, Yes2workers rights) about the EU are based on sound socialist principles against the neo liberals, monetarists and capitalists who are in control without a democratic mandate.
I would wager Bob Crowe would look after the interests of the British working class far more effectively than the Labour Party has over the last 15 years.
http://www.tuaeuc.org/no2eu-wp/?page_id=469
The Spanish
Well-known member
I think if you check back through history i am pretty sure from the year woman first uttered those immortal words I want a bigger cave
exactly and once upon a time we built bigger nicer caves for lots of people. just because you have had a decent mammoth hunting season or two doesnt mean you have to vacate your cave for someone who has only managed to pick a handful of berries. they should be able to have a cave too.
What a good post.
happypig
Staring at the rude boys
All the issues people seem to have with Bob Crowe living in a council house are that he is preventing less well off people from getting one.
This just shows that there is a chronic shortage of affordable social housing in this country; the fact that there are thousands of homeless people in this supposedly civilised country is downright scandalous.
It was made much worse by Thatcher; not by selling council houses but by not letting councils build new stock to replace ones they sold. Blair and Brown could have embarked on a massive building program (after all then, like now, there was a need for housing and a surplus of labour) but they preferred to chase the middle class vote.
We are now in a situation where a few people are making a lot of money (much of it public money in the form of housing benefit) out of exploiting the under supply of housing; Bob Crowe isn't the villain in this particular situation.
This just shows that there is a chronic shortage of affordable social housing in this country; the fact that there are thousands of homeless people in this supposedly civilised country is downright scandalous.
It was made much worse by Thatcher; not by selling council houses but by not letting councils build new stock to replace ones they sold. Blair and Brown could have embarked on a massive building program (after all then, like now, there was a need for housing and a surplus of labour) but they preferred to chase the middle class vote.
We are now in a situation where a few people are making a lot of money (much of it public money in the form of housing benefit) out of exploiting the under supply of housing; Bob Crowe isn't the villain in this particular situation.
maltaseagull
Well-known member
I love these threads. I thought Malta was funny in that everyone is either PN or PL in political views and they are complete opposites. But it seems the same here
Iknow all of this, because it is trotted out every time. Can you not at least think of another line? Something new? But whatever you believe of the Labour government you cannot ignore the fact that Osborne knew what cards he was dealt when, a number of months in, he set himself a number of targets and pointers to an improved economy. He missed every single self-imposed target he set. He cannot blame anyone else for his own decisions and his own targets. And he also said he was going to re-balance the economy..remember march of the makers? The UK economy couldn’t even manufacture its own coffin at the moment. Re-balance the economy seems to actually mean maintain a hands-off approach to much needed financial and city regulation. And this is just the economy, let’s not overlook society as a whole. The UK is a horrible place at the moment with the poor demonised, the youth without hope, teachers made scapegoats for society's ills, huge swathes of the population struggling to make ends meet in minimum wage meaningless service industry jobs with little security and people in genuine need made to feel like scroungers, an education policy which is in total and utter disarray with Gove seemingly coming up with hair-brained idea after hair brained idea and reform after reform, thankfully most of which get batted away do to their stupidity. And all that Cameron and his cronies can come up with is a high-speed railway no-one seems to want and some rhetoric about a EU referendum which has so many caveats it will never be meet. And what makes it even worse is those pasty faced leaders try to dress all of this up as caring when the only people they care about is their own; the way to motivate the rich is to reduce their taxes but the way to motivate the less well off is to take away tax credits and make them pay more in tax. That makes sense doesn’t it?
And your earlier question asking if I was better off under Labour is irrelevant. My personal circumstances have never played a part in my political ideology and beliefs; even less so now that I do not live in the UK. I know what is fair and I know which party has a better chance of providing this. Labour are not perfect but they are more perfect than the current self-serving and chaotic coalition. It will take a lot more than a hackneyed comment about Brown selling gold to make me change my mind. And besides, I live under the government I want
I will not disagree with this. He has certainly looked after the people which he represents.
Insel affe
HellBilly
I agree with this wholeheartedly my wife works for a large council in London and the stories I hear about tenants and what they can and do demand despite their own personal wealth playing the system is beyond me and makes me extremely angry. When I left home I lived in a shit hole of a bedsit and as I have progressed in life I have moved up the ladder in terms of renting and then buying a flat and now I own a house, if for some reason our or my circumstances changed I would down size and move on with life. I thought that was how it should work, there are so many examples of council tenants living better than I do because they will not move on, we all know it happens and Bob is a prime example of this despite what you may think of his politics or position in life he is using the system. There are far more needy people out there in the world of housing than Bob.
I know his views on the EU, and those of Tony Benn's, but I do not agree with them. I have a more co-operative outlook and prefer freedom of movement for those who want it. And I cannot ever get away from the fact that workers rights are corroded more by a crap economy, big-business and a lack of representation than a few Romanian's turning up.
I guess it depends on your idea of what social housing represents. I do not feel it shoud just be for the needy. I feel renting, and social housing, should be a genuine alternative to buying....period.
Anyway, politics is shit. I have bought some tickets to see The Meteors. I know little about them but want to go to this specific and historic punk venue called SO36; I figured these guys whould be a good act to see there. I have always had a soft-spot for pyschobillies from my days when I used to see thrash bands at The Clarendon Ballroom and that Klub-Foot night was in the basement; they were quite a friendly bunch to us young long-haired types. What would be a good album to listen to understand them a little?
Should Bob Crowe live in a council house ? Yes, as has been stated he's probably been there since he was a 'boy'
Should he be evicted because he's bettered himself ? No, not in my opinion - it's his family home
Should council rents be means tested to take account of changing circumstances ? Yes. This would encourage the occupiers to consider whether moving to the private sector or buying themselves would make more sense and would be more equitable generally. Child benefit is now means tested so why not council rents ? For example if you are on the average (local) wage, then you should pay 'market' rates, not subsidised ones.
Just a thought - average house prices where he lives are over £400k - in that context, and let's assume he doesn't have much of a deposit saved as he seems to spunk most of his cash on South American holidays or whatever (no problem with that, his choice), and he's 53 - a £350k mortgage over 12 years (ie to retirement age) would be around £3k per month or probably about half his net pay - wonder how this compares with his current rent ?? So actually buying a house might not be so easy for him.
Should there be more social housing ? Yes (meaning not so much should've been sold off by Thatch - and I'm a Conservative)
Do I like Bob Crowe or agree with his politics ? Not one bit. My brother in law also works for LT and is not a striker, but has been intimidated and threatened for it. BUT I do have a grudging respect for sticking by his principles, how he represents his members, is committed to the cause (even if I might not agree with him) and his package is probably the market rate for running an organisation of that size
Should he be evicted because he's bettered himself ? No, not in my opinion - it's his family home
Should council rents be means tested to take account of changing circumstances ? Yes. This would encourage the occupiers to consider whether moving to the private sector or buying themselves would make more sense and would be more equitable generally. Child benefit is now means tested so why not council rents ? For example if you are on the average (local) wage, then you should pay 'market' rates, not subsidised ones.
Just a thought - average house prices where he lives are over £400k - in that context, and let's assume he doesn't have much of a deposit saved as he seems to spunk most of his cash on South American holidays or whatever (no problem with that, his choice), and he's 53 - a £350k mortgage over 12 years (ie to retirement age) would be around £3k per month or probably about half his net pay - wonder how this compares with his current rent ?? So actually buying a house might not be so easy for him.
Should there be more social housing ? Yes (meaning not so much should've been sold off by Thatch - and I'm a Conservative)
Do I like Bob Crowe or agree with his politics ? Not one bit. My brother in law also works for LT and is not a striker, but has been intimidated and threatened for it. BUT I do have a grudging respect for sticking by his principles, how he represents his members, is committed to the cause (even if I might not agree with him) and his package is probably the market rate for running an organisation of that size
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