She'll and BP

[James Curry]

My take on the winter fuel allowance it always should have been means tested. I will also toss this one into the pot, it will be reinstated at some stage during this Labour parliament. A problem for Starmer is this, how does he get rid of Rachel Reeves the chancellor. Pretty sure she will be shunted sideways, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Let's face it she is not qualified for the job, glad she is not teaching in schools young minds economics or maths.

Concerning the UK giving Ukraine £1billion in aid, wehy not it is creating jobs here in the UK.The Thales missile factory in Belfast is to supply 5,000 air defence missiles to Ukraine, the prime minister has announced.

The deal is worth up to £1.6bn and will involve recruiting 200 additional staff.

Other UK arms industries are also gearing up production as we along with EU countries will continue to support Ukraine. WE are well aware that if Ukraine falls to to Russia it is not if but when Putin will make a move on EU countries , especially those who were former USSR controlled nations. Trump obviously can no longer be trusted as a NATO partner.

[John Cassels]

If I may ask James - who are the WE in " We are well aware that if ....".

[j.sabourn]

Ivan the only time I was ever on the dole apart when up for second mate when were allowed 12 weeks only and was 30/- shillings a week. when I among many others was made redundant in think it was 1986 or 7. It was when the pool were trying to get rid of people by fair or foul means , they tried to fail me on medical grounds on eyesight but went and got reading glasses so they failed. Myself and others on company contract got 3 months wages in lieu of noice. The pool redundancy was 1107 pounds for over 30 years service. We were advised by Numast to apply to the local dole office in whatever area one lived to try for the dole as some dole managers were paying and some weren’t. I tried and was successful as had a very accomodating dole manager. The rule I was told if one received 3 months money in lieu of notice one didn’t get the dole until at least that money was used up. However there was an arguable point that 3 months ashore was stipulated as 12 weeks and as we were paid as seamen on a calendar month or as a 30 day month this did not apply to seafarers.As said some managers paid and some didn’t. I received 5 days dole money before I found my own job on a foreign ship by accosting a bloke I knew was managing foreign ships and this was in a local pub with his wife I was employed put on the payroll , went back to the dole office and cancelled my dole as employed once again.The next day I was down in Cornwall loading a ship with China Clay for Italy as mate.Coming back home After 2 ships and 9 months later , I received notice from the government office in charge of dole payments I owed them 5 days dole money before. I told them to go and get stuffed , on principle alone.They just said we will just take it off your old age pension then later.Whether they have or did I don’t even know , and couldn’t care less as don’t live in such a lousy system the UK has become with all the scroungers and layabouts and most of all illegals. The people I sailed with on the wrecks of so called safety vessels would rather take almost the same as dole money as wages
Than scrounge off the dole. What a way to treat one’s own countrymen . JS
PS I asked once before on this site what did the employees of the federation get in the way of redundancy there were no replies. Similar with NHI stamps they reckoned I was 2 short , I had paid self employed stamps for a number of years , but they said if I wanted a full pension it would cost me over 3000 pounds to get an extra quid on the pension , another con ? JS.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Ivan the only time I was ever on the dole apart when up for second mate when were allowed 12 weeks only and was 30/- shillings a week. JS.

You were entitled to it John and worked for, as like me you probably still paid NHI out of your £6 per month, never did get the full £72 for the first year

[happy daze john in oz]

Our feral opposition put forward a plan for immigration.
First pick those we need, tradies for example.
Then when we have enough maybe look at family reunion, and overseas students who only stay for uni semesters and are fully funded by their govs.

But gov said no, we want more than that!!!!
Bt at least we have no illegals, we ship them to offshore islands where some have been for ten years, unable to produce any identity.

[James Curry]

If you are not one of those (WE)you must have your head burried in the sand. Could this be you per chance? Idiot.jpg

[John Cassels]

Well , when my head is in the sand , I must try to keep my mouth shut when i laugh at you assertion .

[Des Jenkins]

Hi John
Looks like Strammer to me, waiting for his payment from the Ukraine.
Des

[John Swan]

Used to feel a bit guilty parking my Rover outside Hull dole office to collect before driving to the Boulevard sea school to study for 2nd Mate. Failed writtens ( too much boozing ) but passed orals. Went back to sea ( no money left ) Came back to do writtens at Nellists in Newcastle, living at my future wife,s home, so being kept in check. Passed writtens ( amazing ) limited boozing.

[j.sabourn]

You will have been dealt with by Jackie Nellist then for 2 mate John , he was the one of the two with the only seatime as the story went. Billy used to go up to extra master and was a good lecturer for a non seafarer. However on a Friday morning he used to wait for you getting your dole and getting his pound a week fee off you.i used knock around with big Ci Scott out of shell tankers and another one out of Huntings tankers and were always late getting in to school on a Friday morning and after stepping over the Brown Ale bottles empty of course , Billy’s stock he was waiting for his pound of flesh. The one out of Huntings was a Leo McGowan from south gosforth and we were both signed up to go with Butterfield and Swires, I backed out at the last minute as had met my future wife and don’t think she would have accepted 2 year separations , He went and remet him a few years later had a house in Sydney and a house in Hong Kong as was on a steady run between the two. Mind he did look a bit hung over. Don’t know what happened to big Ci Scott he may have gone back with Shell ? Ci was short for Cyril he didn’t like to be called Cyril was the reason and he was big enough to insist on it. If we went to the Oxford Gallery dances or the Tynemouth Plaza we always sent in Ci to introduce himself to any party of girls, he was the big good looking one and we used to join the group when he had his feet under the table , we had it organised like a commando raid. Days long gone now. Cheers JS.