16 replies to this topic

[wharfedalegas]

bbc web site

Well i hope all you people who voted for our local MP are proud of his latest comments.

Edited by wharfedalegas, 19 June 2011 - 02:04 PM.

[PhilD]

a perfect example of the flaws of the first past the post system - I have never lived in a constituency where I felt my vote would make a difference - let's be honest here - a martian with a blue rosette would get elected here no matter how odious his policies.................actually............................

[Sebastian-Smythe]

PhilD, on 19 June 2011 - 09:17 PM, said:

a perfect example of the flaws of the first past the post system - I have never lived in a constituency where I felt my vote would make a difference - let's be honest here - a martian with a blue rosette would get elected here no matter how odious his policies.................actually............................

As one who's been disabled for many years I take what your MP is saying as an insult. In fact I would ask of someone in your village to challenge him at the highest. It's time these folk got down from their towers in the sky and really started to understand folk. Perhaps a Martian might be a better choice.

[Grumpy]

Sebastian-Smythe, on 19 June 2011 - 10:06 PM, said:

As one who's been disabled for many years I take what your MP is saying as an insult. In fact I would ask of someone in your village to challenge him at the highest. It's time these folk got down from their towers in the sky and really started to understand folk. Perhaps a Martian might be a better choice.

Wasn't his predecessor as MP Labour? A typical never done a proper days work type, into politics straight from university and lived off his expenses as a councillor? Perhaps I'm confusing him with someone else.

And as for the comment "It's time these folk got down from their towers" isn't that what he was doing when "he had talked to people with mental health problems during a visit to a surgery run by the charity Mind"

With regard to the comment re really understanding folk he seems to understand what happens when a mentally disabled person goes for interview in competition with others.

[matthew]

Philip Davies' predecessor was indeed a Labour MP.

Davies has said that he has spoken to people at Mind who told him that they faced discrimination in the workplace. His solution to this is to institutionalise discrimination by offering an opt-out for certain groups that he feels are 'less productive'. This shows a complete misunderstanding of the issues and the views of people with mental health issues and learning disabilities (see the responses from Mind and Scope amongst others).

I would suggest writing to him (via they workforyou.com). He doesn't really give reasoned replys, or indeed answer questions raised, but he does have to respond and it may make him aware that the people he claims to represent with his 'straight talking' would rather he thought about what what he said, rather than feeding his ego by saying outrageous things.

[blunt pencil]

Backbencher Philip Davies said the £5.93-an-hour legal minimum may be a "hindrance" to some jobseekers.

What does this waste of space get paid.

My understanding was that he represents his constituents. I doubt that any constituent would support this line.

Get this horrible man out - in fact WE ALL have a chance to meet him on Saturday 20th August when he formally opens the Hydro Electric Scheme on the River Wharfe. We could ask him to explain his views.

Edited by blunt pencil, 20 June 2011 - 04:33 PM.

[Grumpy]

blunt pencil, on 20 June 2011 - 04:28 PM, said:

Backbencher Philip Davies said the £5.93-an-hour legal minimum may be a "hindrance" to some jobseekers.

What does this waste of space get paid.

My understanding was that he represents his constituents. I doubt that any constituent would support this line.

Get this horrible man out - in fact WE ALL have a chance to meet him on Saturday 20th August when he formally opens the Hydro Electric Scheme on the River Wharfe. We could ask him to explain his views.

"I doubt that any constituent would support this line". This is akin to the statement on the Malt/Tesco thread that no-one wants a mega Tesco in Ilkley. Sweeping statements with the arrogant belief that everyone has the same shared views .

Of course the minimum wage will be a hindrance to some jobseekers. It is a typical Labour introduced abomination. Why should it be illegal for you to sell your labour for £5.90/hour? Why should the State enforce this so that it can then pay you £2 (or whatever it is) to sit at home?

Advanced societies such as Germany, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden dont try to impose a minimum wage. Unlike countries such as Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain.

[Harveybos]

Grumpy, on 20 June 2011 - 08:49 PM, said:

Advanced societies such as Germany, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden dont try to impose a minimum wage. Unlike countries such as Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain.

Bit of a 'sweeping statement' that!
20 out of the 27 European Union countries have a minimum wage. The exception countries, such as those quoted above , tend to set minimum wages by trade or profession - Germany for example has a minimum wage for Painters & Decorators, nationally agreed by collective bargaining through the unions. The USA has minimum wages set at Federal and State level, China has minimum wages set at City/Province level, Hong Kong recently introduced the minimum wage ...etc, etc

[ex-user]

Bottom line we have a labour m-a-r-k-e-t. I'd say give everyone the opportunity to work for any wage and prove themselves worthy of more. Nobody should earn a pay rise for doing less.

Way things stand, people wanting and willing to prove themselves and prove their value to an employer are as often as not forces to stay on benefits.

If someone who is not capable of the same productivity as me is entitled to the same wage as myself, then I feel I should be looking to earn the equal of someone of higher ability than myself.

That MP was brave and stupid to mention what is just common sense.

[Sebastian-Smythe]

Define productivity!

[ex-user]

Sebastian-Smythe, on 23 June 2011 - 12:05 PM, said:

Define productivity!

In support of my argument I define it as ratio between input (hours) and output (value) my friend .

Thus I could 90 minutes at Elland Rd and the spectators are unlikely to think my efforts worthy of the wages of their usual heroes and I would be the first to admit my limitations in many fields also. But in other endeavors I could outshine others and command better remuneration.

There will be a great many disabled people capable of/and achieving far more than I could ever dream whilst languishing on benefits unsatisfied unchallenged and unproven. I say let everyone prove their self worth, stop reinforcing the negative.

[Sebastian-Smythe]

Couldn't have put it better myself.

[Grumpy]

Nice to see he was one of the MP's who voted against the £9bn gift to the French and German banks to help them when the Greeks default.

[wharfedalegas]

Grumpy, on 13 July 2011 - 04:19 PM, said:

Nice to see he was one of the MP's who voted against the £9bn gift to the French and German banks to help them when the Greeks default.

Previous form

In early 2010, Davies was criticised by the press and religious organisations for using Parliamentary rules to "wreck" the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill, an anti-poverty measure designed to stop "Vulture funds" from buying up the debt of third-word countries in order to aggressively pursue repayments through the international courts. The bill eventually failed because an anonymous Tory shouted "object", allegedly while Conservative frontbenchers covered their mouths to hide their identity. Douglas Alexander, the development minister, wrote to David Cameron accusing the Conservatives of deliberately scuppering the bill.

Davies is the parliamentary spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness and he has been accused of wasting the Equality and Human Rights Commission's time by sending a stream of correspondence to its Chair, Trevor Phillips, between 2008 and 2009. In this correspondence, he asked questions relating to race and sex discrimination such as: "Is it offensive to black up or not, particularly if you are impersonating a black person?" and "Why it is so offensive to black up your face, as I have never understood this?" Leading some commentators to suggest that he was "lobbying for 'blacking up.' He also asked whether it was racist for a policeman to refer to a BMW as "black man's wheels" and whether the Metropolitan Black Police Association breaches discrimination law by restricting its membership to black people. Peter Herbert, the chair of the Society of Black Lawyers, said: "This correspondence seems a complete and utter waste of time... he shouldn't be using the Human Rights Commission as basically a source of legal advice."

In March 2007 he voted against the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 which proposed to allow the Secretary of State to make regulations defining discrimination and harassment on grounds of sexual orientation, create criminal offences, and provide for exceptions. He also complained, while calling for a Parliametary debate on "political correctness", about a school production of Romeo and Julian during LGBT History month. Commons Leader Harriet Harman described his remarks as "cheap shots".

He was called a "troglodyte" by then Conservative MP and current Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow for his opposition to debating the Equalities Bill, the effect of the recession on women and International Women’s Day.[28]
In March 2011 Davies claimed, falsely, that there was "no basis in evidence" that restricting branding on cigarette packets would reduce smoking levels, saying "I believe that the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes is gesture politics of the worst kind. It would not have any basis in evidence and it would simply be a triumph for the nanny state and an absurd one at that."

He has said in Parliament that disabled workers are "by definition" less productive and could work for less than the minimum wage. He was criticised by Labour's Anne Begg and a member of his own parliamentary party, among others, and the Conservative party quickly distanced themselves from his comments. Representatives from mental illness charities Mind and Rethink called his suggestion “preposterous” and “seriously misguided."

[ex-user]

nice to see someone keeping it real

[Sebastian-Smythe]

greenhowleadman, on 16 July 2011 - 09:41 PM, said:

nice to see someone keeping it real

I agree, however this is where education in the many subjects which makes up a full understanding of how folk live, work and think are failing. It's not that long ago I was slated for using the Common and Latin names for a tree - Morus nigra - the Black Mulberry. The person doing the slating demanded I use something less offensive...????....This from someone very high in their respective field who should have known better.

[Grumpy]

wharfedalegas, on 15 July 2011 - 11:16 AM, said:

Previous form

In early 2010, Davies was criticised by the press and religious organisations for using Parliamentary rules to "wreck" the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill, an anti-poverty measure designed to stop "Vulture funds" from buying up the debt of third-word countries in order to aggressively pursue repayments through the international courts. The bill eventually failed because an anonymous Tory shouted "object", allegedly while Conservative frontbenchers covered their mouths to hide their identity. Douglas Alexander, the development minister, wrote to David Cameron accusing the Conservatives of deliberately scuppering the bill.

Davies is the parliamentary spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness and he has been accused of wasting the Equality and Human Rights Commission's time by sending a stream of correspondence to its Chair, Trevor Phillips, between 2008 and 2009. In this correspondence, he asked questions relating to race and sex discrimination such as: "Is it offensive to black up or not, particularly if you are impersonating a black person?" and "Why it is so offensive to black up your face, as I have never understood this?" Leading some commentators to suggest that he was "lobbying for 'blacking up.' He also asked whether it was racist for a policeman to refer to a BMW as "black man's wheels" and whether the Metropolitan Black Police Association breaches discrimination law by restricting its membership to black people. Peter Herbert, the chair of the Society of Black Lawyers, said: "This correspondence seems a complete and utter waste of time... he shouldn't be using the Human Rights Commission as basically a source of legal advice."

In March 2007 he voted against the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 which proposed to allow the Secretary of State to make regulations defining discrimination and harassment on grounds of sexual orientation, create criminal offences, and provide for exceptions. He also complained, while calling for a Parliametary debate on "political correctness", about a school production of Romeo and Julian during LGBT History month. Commons Leader Harriet Harman described his remarks as "cheap shots".

He was called a "troglodyte" by then Conservative MP and current Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow for his opposition to debating the Equalities Bill, the effect of the recession on women and International Women’s Day.[28]
In March 2011 Davies claimed, falsely, that there was "no basis in evidence" that restricting branding on cigarette packets would reduce smoking levels, saying "I believe that the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes is gesture politics of the worst kind. It would not have any basis in evidence and it would simply be a triumph for the nanny state and an absurd one at that."

He has said in Parliament that disabled workers are "by definition" less productive and could work for less than the minimum wage. He was criticised by Labour's Anne Begg and a member of his own parliamentary party, among others, and the Conservative party quickly distanced themselves from his comments. Representatives from mental illness charities Mind and Rethink called his suggestion “preposterous” and “seriously misguided."

I didn't understand this simple cut and paste from Wikipedia. At first I assumed it was intended as criticism, but having read it again it clearly can't be.
Anyone who fights political correctness and upsets the likes of Harman, Phillips and Bercow must surely be one of the good guys.
As for an MP challenging proposed legislation that he disagrees with and trying to hold the Executive to account-how dare he! Doesn't he understand he is there simply to be lobby fodder and follow the approved Guardian/BBC/Fabian line like most other MP's? Which of course is why the country is in such a mess.