Forum Topic

The special relationship

"The UK is slipping down the global ranks when it comes life expectancy, according to new analysisResearchers found that 70 years ago people in the UK had one of the longest life expectancies ratings in the world, ranking seventh globally behind countries such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark.In 2021, the UK was ranked 29th, according to the new analysis, which has been published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.Academics from the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine examined global life expectancy ratings from 1952 to 2021.A relative worsening of population health is evidence that all is not well. It has historically been an early sign of severe political and economic problemsWhile life expectancy has increased since the start of the study, similar countries have seen larger increases, the experts said.The authors said that the fall down the ranks has been decades in the making – this includes a rise in income inequalities in the UK during and after the 1980s.Professor Martin McKee, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “That rise also saw an increase in the variation in life expectancy between different social groups.“One reason why the overall increase in life expectancy has been so sluggish in the UK is that in recent years it has fallen for poorer groups.”Dr Lucinda Hiam, of the University of Oxford, said: “The rankings show that the only G7 country to do worse than the UK is the USA.”"https://www.itv.com/news/2023-03-15/uk-falls-down-global-ranks-for-life-expectancy-analysis"They found that, over seven decades, the UK has done worse than all G7 countries except the USA." (Dr Lucinda Hiam)

David Ainsworth ● 9d54 Comments

To be fair, I'm not too well up on partnerships, Ed. The idea is that partners pool their resources as part of a partnership agreement. My understanding is that a partner would normally transfer their partnership either to a new partner being introduced by agreement of the other partners, or to a more junior employee being offered a partnership to replace a partner retiring. I'm not sure, but I don't think a corporate entity could become a partner without agreement of other partners, but that might depend on the specifics of the individual partnership agreement. (It will be interesting to see how the John Lewis partnership goes about possibly introducing a corporate partner and who has to agree to it.) Yes, I think you're right that one normally contacts with a partnership as an entity although in my experience a named partner will usually be responsible overall for a piece of work. I'm sure someone on the forum knows more!

Michael Ixer ● 6d

"but payments could be structured to that they can only be made to partners in the LLP"My understanding is that LLP are legal entities and contracts for services would be with the legal entity.I do not see how payments could be made to named individuals (members) would work or even be legal. Is there an example of this? It sounds like you are describing direct employment??  If a partner or partners sells to an entity, them that entity then becomes a partner - back to square one!You would have to block all doctors from practicing other than from an LLP surely? Sounds like a way to lose more GP's.

Ed Robinson ● 6d

I believe LLPscan before complex to sell, but payments could be structured to that they can only be made to partners in the LLP . I'm not saying that's necessarily desirable but just that it's an option. 

Michael Ixer ● 6d

Michael,I'm still not clear how a LLP would prevent partial or total sale to a third party.

Ed Robinson ● 6d

Just to clarify, I was proposing a LLP not a PLC!.

Michael Ixer ● 6d

Ed. Note the question mark (?). It was a discussion point as I think a partnership of practicing GPs might be more in line with the aims of the original BHS founders. So the GPs would be the beneficiaries rather than faceless shareholders ... the fashion seems to be for partnerships to have limited liability these day, so I don't see why GPs shouldn't as well? I wouldn't be adverse to nationalisation but probably not a realistic option in the current world. Strict regulation commercial health suppliers is probably the best option?

Michael Ixer ● 6d

".., but perhaps better as a limited partnership than a foreign owned company?"Sorry are you saying a UK company would be fine?Is it the business structure or the ownership that is the issue?If you allow certain private business structures which obviously have advantages with regard to scale and liability then you have to accept that in an open economy they may become foreign owned either through creation or acquisition. It is the same with utilities. The only solution is nationalisation which you both are not suggesting. Under both Labour and the Conservative parties, privatisation will increase. The Green party are the only main party with a clear no privatisation policy and in fact commit to rolling it back. Green parties do not have a great reputation internationally to sticking to their agenda. I can't comment on English or Scottish Greens.

Ed Robinson ● 6d

Ed,I am no xenophobe by any stretch of the imagination.  I do have a rather strong sense of right and wrong.The NHS has always been and will always be, a pillar of excellence and example for all.  Sadly, for the last 13 years is has been (purposely?) underfunded but layer upon layer of administrators imposed.I do not want the NHS privatized but you are correct, there is a trend to want things private.  Particularly by those in government who believe the American system is God's gift to mankind.....I believe that Virgin Care is no longer as it was bought by an investment firm and is now known as HCRG Care Group.What was it that Sir John Major saild in June 2016:".... He went on to claim Gove had wanted to privatise the NHS, Johnson wished to charge people for health services and Duncan Smith advocated moving to a social insurance system.“The NHS is about as safe with them as a pet hamster would be with a hungry python,” Major said on BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show."Jeremy Hunt is very keen on privatizing the NHS.  Just look at his previous record.As the saying goes:  The grand parents created it, the children maintained it and the grand children dismantle it.

Ivonne Holliday ● 6d

It's different to GPs being on self employed contracts which from a distant memory is what they were all in the 1950s? I'm not saying there may not be benefits with several doctors pooling their resources into a single medical centre with other specialist medical staff, but perhaps better as a limited partnership than a foreign owned company?

Michael Ixer ● 6d

"I assume this was a comment about Starmer and not a confession about you in general !"It was pretty general. I feel like I have been thrown out of the Overton Window.

David Ainsworth ● 6d

"Having GP surgeries owned by an American company is something truly different."Now I believe in quite a lot of services and utilities being publicly owned - more than most people I would say.However if something is private then it needs to be regulated obviously, but if we have an open economy to attract international investment then that is good IMO.There seems to be a growing trend to want things private but only in the hands of the British - although what is specifically meant by British isn't clear.What is clear is that you can not have your cake and eat it.What counties meet this new approval list or is this some form of xenophobia?What are the thoughts on the Virgin Care for example? How does that fit in?

Ed Robinson ● 7d

I'm not sure those who created the NHS and created the contracts for GPs envisaged large US health companies muscling in and generating profits from NI payments? https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/feb/26/nhs-gp-practice-operator-with-500000-patients-passes-into-hands-of-us-health-insurer#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16791482638815&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsociety%2F2021%2Ffeb%2F26%2Fnhs-gp-practice-operator-with-500000-patients-passes-into-hands-of-us-health-insurer

Michael Ixer ● 7d

Being rich is all relative Michael. People well above the median average wage and indeed within the higher tax bracket are they not rich compared to those three aren't? Then of course there is inherited wealth.But yes there will be those for example on £100k will not consider themselves rich. I seem to remember someone on Question Time not realising what the average wage is. The minimum wage is currently £9.50 for those over 23 years of age.It would be interesting to know how many XR activists are privately educated for example. Given they do not publish any social economic stats we can only go on what is published and it doesn't look good."..government actually take notice of white middle class protesters?"But the suffragettes did not get change, it came after the first world war fought by ordinary people from here and abroad. Those abroad had to wait for even longer of course. With some losing it following coups backed by both Labour & Conservative governments.If these people can not convince their own parents how can they convince government or other people? They would have got better results using their tactics on their own families? Take advantage of the establishment and the class structure so to speak!Carbon footprint increases with wealth and these protesters are disproportionately more wealthly than the people they are targeting.The tactics are not dissimilar to those suggesting that developing countries can not have a certain level of lifestyle similar to the West. Preaching about deforestation around the world whilst ignoring the UK's deforestation. And yes Labour condemning the government regarding the Windrush scandal but not willing to amend nationality acts that would prevent another occurrence. Government definitely took notice. Police called for more powers while treating XR protesters with kid gloves compared to other protesters. The methods XR used were unpopular but they continued. Opposition gave a feeble response. Now the laws are in place and behold XR have now stopped.Coincidence? I guess we have to wait 50 or 100 years to find out. But it has to be asked what is the alternative explanation?https://www.ucpi.org.uk

Ed Robinson ● 7d

I was born a few years after 1948.However, having GPs as contractors of the NHS is one thing.Having GP surgeries owned by an American company is something truly different.

Ivonne Holliday ● 7d

I suggest you read the articles mentioned in my post of 13:11.

Ivonne Holliday ● 7d

Yes, and appointments are often two weeks away ...

Michael Ixer ● 7d

Mr RobinsonGood point.People forget that all GPs are self-employed or part of independent businesses as they chose not to join the NHS when it was set up.'Most GPs think of themselves as being part of the NHS, but officially they are classed as independent contractors. It is a status that dates back to the beginning of the NHS, and at the time suited both policy makers – who wanted to keep costs down, and GPs – who were and remain keen to maintain their independence from NHS management'. https://lowdownnhs.info/explainers/are-gps-already-privatised-or-still-part-of-the-nhs/That's probably why it is often so difficult to get an appointment at the weekends or bank holidays.

John Hawkes ● 7d

Ms HollidayWhat on earth is this to do with Brexit ?And can the Guardian be relied on as an unbiased source for such matters ?And what examples of privatisation can you give as having taken place in the last seven years ?

John Hawkes ● 7d

We must remember that GPs were not NHS employees  when the NHS was formed.They have always been independent contractors in various forms.I thought people, especially older ones already knew this.I think the article below explains this.Let's not forget Labour also has plans for privatisation. I think that is a fair statement given recent interviews etc although it may upset faith based party believers!https://lowdownnhs.info/explainers/are-gps-already-privatised-or-still-part-of-the-nhs/#:~:text=Most%20GPs%20think%20of%20themselves,are%20classed%20as%20independent%20contractors.

Ed Robinson ● 7d

Ed (had trouble responding in reply to your earlier response to mine so had to post as a reply to the thread):-Surely, someone rich would be people like Jacob Rees Mogg, Alan Sugar, Richard Branson, etc? Probably not XR material?Middle class people are probably well off or "comfortable" but of those I'd consider middle class: some teachers are apparently using food banks,and university staff, teachers, barristers, junior doctors have all been on strike recently - so they're obviously not feeling very rich!I think XR members include students, pensioners and unemployed who may not be very well off. (I suppose students could have rich parents and pensioners big lifetime savings pots.) Actually, it was really a question, and I don't think you really defined what rich means, I'm not sure it's relevant. The demographics are interesting but perhaps it's accidental rather than deliberate? Just an effect of groupthink? Still, most of the suffragettes came from well to do families and women got the vote. I'm not convinced that direct action gets people on side with tackling climate change but it certainly wakes people up to the existence of the problem. Perhaps, despite their objections to the tactics, government actually take notice of white middle class protesters? I don't know, just wondering. This government certainly is rushing to fix the Windrush scandal and compensate everyone affected by it, from what I see in the news?Just thought as you pick people up for not being rigorous in their arguments you might want to clarify definitions? Do we look at Pulp and Jarvis for definitions of ordinary (common?) people?

Michael Ixer ● 7d

Mr Hawkes,You may wish to recall Sir John Major's comments at an Andrew Marr programme.  There are YouTube videos about this but, this is how The Guardian reported it on Sunday, 5 June 2016 (nothing mentioned in The Telegraph, I just checked):"The NHS would be as safe as a pet hamster in the presence of a hungry python if Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Iain Duncan Smith rose to power following Brexit, Sir John Major has said.....The former prime minister insisted his intervention was not a personal slight against Johnson or Gove, but a more general criticism of the leave campaign’s shift to the right on immigration and claims that they would protect the NHS.He went on to claim Gove had wanted to privatise the NHS, Johnson wished to charge people for health services and Duncan Smith advocated moving to a social insurance system.“The NHS is about as safe with them as a pet hamster would be with a hungry python,” Major said on BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/05/john-major-nhs-risk-brexit-pythons-johnson-and-gove

Ivonne Holliday ● 7d

Mr Hawkes. Yes, perhaps not a well constructed phrase, that's the danger when ones in a hurry. There have certainly been aims inthe past from senior ministers. This BMJ article mentions Redwood and Letwin "plans":https://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e5128/rr/654254My recent treatment has been fine it's just the waiting - three years for first cataract op (mainly before the pandemic) then another 18 months before the second. I've had two relatives who have recently been virtually thrown out of hospital too soon after major surgery with insufficient after care. Yes, the actual procedures are good but getting treatment and being looked after are currently a struggle. One could argue it's a strategy to force people to pay for ops (I know several so desperate they've done that) or take out private medical insurance: privatisation by the backdoor?

Michael Ixer ● 7d

Mr Hawkes,Kindly read the following please:https://weownit.org.uk/blog/here-are-gp-practices-taken-over-us-health-insurance-giant-centenehttps://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/breaking-news/judge-dismisses-court-challenge-to-us-takeover-of-london-gp-practices/#:~:text=A%20High%20Court%20judge%20has,GP%20practices%2C%20early%20this%20year.Thank you.

Ivonne Holliday ● 7d

'For all it's faults the last thing we need is the NHS being privatised.  Unfortunately, this government has almost destroyed the NHS, possibly because they had plans to privatise it? (Look at the takeover of some GP surgeries by US health companies.)'Mr IxerWho says the Government has plans to privatise the NHS ?Do you have any evidence ?Why would GPs want it so done as they earn £100K pa already.And if you read this you can see that 'junior doctors' don't do so badly either.https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/policies-advice/clinical-staff/clinical-staff-salary-scales/junior-doctors-pay-scaleAnd neither do consultants.https://www.bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/pay/consultants-pay-scales/pay-scales-for-consultants-in-englandDo they 'deserve it' ?When one is sick one does not care !All I can say is that I have had excellent long term treatment from the NHS.And if a private company buys a very expensive piece of equipment like a scanner and leases it to the NHS, what is the problem providing the terms are fair ?

John Hawkes ● 7d

'I really have no idea'.Mr Ainsworth I assume this was a comment about Starmer and not a confession about you in general !

John Hawkes ● 7d

"They are not the same as Extinction Rebellion!This information was repeatedly on numerous occassions on this Forum in the past"Yes the various offshoots are completely separate - just like Roger I guess.This was in August 2020: "To be clear, Roger Hallam may have been one of the founders of XR but he parted ways a few months ago"Other reports said he no longer has a strategic role. Yet he still appears in XR videos.  Extinction Rebellion is named by the police calling for more powers, by the government and is recorded as being linked to the bill by Hansard. Although people agree with the cause the organisations have not been popular.Would the bill have been drafted and even passed without XR? Probably not IMO.  https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/explore/not-for-profit/Extinction_Rebellionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction_Rebelliohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnpOnO71wnohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_qKh9-QPZAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkZT0tSdUoghttps://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2022-03-22/debates/7FC38BFD-8CA6-4D71-87EF-E159A275FA04/PoliceCrimeSentencingAndCourtsBill

Ed Robinson ● 8d

Insulate Britain?They are not the same as Extinction Rebellion!This information was repeatedly on numerous occassions on this Forum in the past!

Ivonne Holliday ● 8d

again more deflection. If you can't be bothered to answer my points then I certainly can't be bothered to answer yours :)

Matt Palmer ● 8d

XR is seemingly taking a 6 month break from disrupting the public, what happens after that is anyone's guess.

Matt Palmer ● 8d

"Who might make a better leader, and be able to get agreement on and promote, the policies you favour ?"I really have no idea.

David Ainsworth ● 8d

Mr Palmer"(XR) protests the government didnt like"I am sure the Government naturally did not like them as they were in opposition to their policies.But do you think XR had support from the electorate as a whole ?If so why are they stopping ?

John Hawkes ● 8d

Michael,"XR protesters were "rich" and weren't "ordinary " people? One might need to define "rich" and "ordinary" ..."Are you suggesting they are not Michael? I think XR diversity issues are pretty well documented, of course if Matt has some statistics to share. "XR’s lack of diversity is not unique to the wider environmental movement – a “white middle-class ghetto”"Extinction Rebellion and the inclusivity problem""..we’ve raised concerns about how white XR is, how unstrategic XR is, how privileged, middle-class and frankly naive XR is."https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/04/extinction-rebellion-race-climate-crisis-inequalityhttps://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/when-did-passing-judgement-xr-become-activism/https://ecohustler.com/culture/extinction-rebellion-and-the-inclusivity-problem

Ed Robinson ● 8d

Mr Ainsworth"Who on earth would expect much from Starmer"?Do we deduce from this that you have no faith in the policies of Starmer or the Labour Party as a whole ?Who might make a better leader, and be able to get agreement on and promote, the policies you favour ?

John Hawkes ● 8d

Is there evidence that many of the XR protesters were "rich" and weren't "ordinary " people? One might need to define "rich" and "ordinary" ...So we have a totalitarian government that was just looking for an excuse to shut down protests? I suppose it's the same as looking to ban end-to-end encryption so they can read all your messages too (as will the criminals when they work out how to).1984? Or has Lineker shown we've already banned free speech? :-)

Michael Ixer ● 8d

"..because XR and lots of other organisations did protests the government didnt like.."But the government did like them.You could not get any better PR than a bunch of rich people preaching to ordinary members of the public about their carbon footprint whilst holding them hostage for hours sometimes!They were the best activists the government could hope for.

Ed Robinson ● 8d

"Life will be bliss and the future delightful when Labour are in power !"Who on earth would expect much from Starmer?

David Ainsworth ● 8d

Again ignoring the point i made, why not try addressing it rather than deflecting?You are saying that because XR and lots of other organisations did protests the government didnt like, the gov had no choice but to ban them and so it's primarily the fault of the protesters?

Matt Palmer ● 8d

Mr Evans''..and odd path' is a polite way of putting it! And attributing this oddness to 'the country' rather than its government, who I might prefer to call unprincipled, uncaring, disengaged, bigoted, racist, xenophobic, immoral, corrupt...'Keep hanging on.Life will be bliss and the future delightful when Labour are in power !

John Hawkes ● 8d

If you have the super ability to see how people vote in a secret ballot @Matt one would have thought that you would have seen that unpopular actions were lending support to the government.The lack of public support plus other factors could have been the reason why the opposition from Labour leadership was so weak.There again there have been no demands to free a journalist held for political crimes from Labour either!Difficult to understand why such an organisation would continue with targeting ordinary people when it was losing them support. Especially considering the level of private education that many of the activists have had. "Opinion polling conducted by YouGov on 5–6 October 2021 found that 72% of those surveyed opposed the actions of Insulate Britain activists, with 18% supporting the actions, and 10% that did not know"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police,_Crime,_Sentencing_and_Courts_Act_2022#:~:text=It%20gives%20more%20power%20to,Assent%20on%2028%20April%202022.

Ed Robinson ● 8d

You have completely ignored the point i made. According to you it's XR's fault the gov banned protest, can the tories do no wrong in your eyes at all?

Matt Palmer ● 8d

"Extinction Rebellion announces move away from disruptive tactics"Job done it would seem.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/01/extinction-rebellion-announces-move-away-from-disruptive-tactics

Ed Robinson ● 8d

"Will Labour repeal these? Probably not."Well, you are right about that for sure.If i'm following your logic correctly, you are saying that because XR and lots of other organisations did protests the government didnt like, the gov had no choice but to ban them and so it's primarily the fault of the protesters? As ever, it's the fault of someone other than the gov?

Matt Palmer ● 8d

You would think with @Matt's super ability to see how people vote in secret ballots, he would have seen that the extreme organisations he supports helped the government pass some of the most draconian laws in a democracy.Will Labour repeal these? Probably not.

Ed Robinson ● 8d

As ever you can rely on @Ed to somehow fault the party that has been out of power for 13 years for the current mess.#brokenrecord.ps: as ever, written by a non labour voter.

Matt Palmer ● 9d

Philippa, Given you say "we are a pretty indulgent and self-centred nation", isn't that why many don't have New Year resolutions? To be honest, I think they're a gimmick, how many keep them up after making them after a few glasses of fizz (and perhaps a hangover the next morning)? They're probably good for keeping gyms in business - apparently many buy a years subscription then stop using it after a few weeks … Given we're predominantly a secular society it's not relevant to most of us; I have friends who Catholics who observe it, and - slightly different - many of the Muslims I know or have worked with observe Ramadan.For all it's faults the last thing we need is the NHS being privatised. Unfortunately, this government has almost destroyed the NHS, possibly because they had plans to privatise it? (Look at the takeover of some GP surgeries by US health companies.) To be honest from what I've seen of the US system even for those with good insurance the care can be disjointed and there's a tendency to over medicate and intervene when it may not be in the patient's interest - but that's how they make their money! Sometimes a dietary or other lifestyle change might be more effective; at least the NHS's resource shortage usually stops unnecessary interventions!Once one is in the NHS system and being treated the doctors and nurses seem efficient, competent and caring; the problem at present seems to be being sent home from hospital, sometime too early, with inadequate or non existent after care.Yes, some aspects of the US are gross but not all US citizens are like that, most I know are veggie or vegan, or at least amenable to eating those dishes. What's the joke about Texas: "where can I get a veggie meal?": "Try the next state, sir" :-) Back on a serious note, a US friend connected with the food industry there told me a while ago that portions were big because food was relatively cheap compared to the labour costs which made up most of the price of restaurant meals so portions were large so that dinners felt they were getting good value. (And I guess the "price" includes the 20%+ tip one is supposed to leave the staff.)

Michael Ixer ● 9d

Do not forget that the difference between Labour and Conservatives during Cameroon's government was about how much austerity should there be.The gap between rich and poor was also growing under the last Labour government too.People expecting a real difference with the current opposition  should look at Labour front bench voting record.We must stop looking upon political parties as some faith based cult and start insisting upon evidence in terms of transparency, honesty, policies and voting records.

Ed Robinson ● 9d

I find it odd that so many people don't think that they can give anything up for a New Year's Resolution even though we are a pretty indulgent and self-centred nation.  We are now about half way through Lent and it is an ideal time to test your resolve in giving up something that may be difficult for you to do - if it is too easy then it isn't enough of a  challenge!There isn't the national healthcare in the US that there is in the UK. I don't think it is a great idea to reduce and replace ours to be more like that in the US.I find this kind of thing utterly gross when there are plenty of people who do not have enough to eat:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Texan_Steak_Ranch#72oz_Steak_ChallengeThen there is the way that most cattle are kept nowadays. It is no longer the cows in fields of grass that it used to be.In comparison a minute steak is about 6oz. 

Philippa Bond ● 9d

Thanks to its innovative design, my soapbox can readily be converted into a fence, and vice versa at will!What's so depressing is that the majority of voters seem to assume that things can only ever be this way, with Hunt stressing the 'hard road to recovery' to add to Osborne's 'hard truths' and all the rest.

Peter Evans ● 9d

Peter. Well, I do try and keep my posts polite :-)  That's an interesting point; obviously successive Conservative governments over the last decade have imposed austerity, widened the gap between rich and poor, and failed to invest in public services, etc. However, the electorate seem to come back for more: Mrs May may have had a dip in popularity when she went to the electorate but she still won and kept going by buying off the DUP, and Johnson, even with his dubious track record, got an overwhelming majority. So perhaps it is an "odd" path for the country by means of it's electorate to take? (Turkeys voting for Christmas.); it gets the government it deserves - and I know the government doesn't have the overall popular vote because of our FPTP system, but then the electorate declined the AV system in a referendum (ok, perhaps not the best system either) - so, as my US friends and colleagues say, we are where we are - in a mess!Feel free to stay on the fence - or soapbox? 

Michael Ixer ● 9d

'..and odd path' is a polite way of putting it! And attributing this oddness to 'the country' rather than its government, who I might prefer to call unprincipled, uncaring, disengaged, bigoted, racist, xenophobic, immoral, corrupt... I know, I should really get off the fence!

Peter Evans ● 9d

Austerity, the growing gap between rich and poor, and what seems to be a collapsing health and care system all seem to be contributry factors. Fast food seems to underpin the diet of many - when KFC had their supply problems a while ago the tabloids seem to report it as a national disaster. But I agree, it's wrong to blame those affected (not sure I like the term victims?); limited budgets, the pressure of working more than one job (or longer hours as suggested by government ministers), the pressure of advertising by fast food companies, etc probably make fast food an attractive option? Still, a sign good that people were concerned about recent shortages of salad items like tomatoes and cucumbers?True, a lot of our friends across the water may be on the large size - but not all. I'm not sure that's just because of overeating, fast food or poverty, the lack of exercise caused by the dependency on cars to travel everywhere is possibly a contributory factor. It's interesting that Coral Gables, a suburb of Miami where we have friends, has more vegan only restaurants than Putney (not difficult as there's zero here, one has to travel elsewhere in London to find one). I'm not saying vegan food is always healthy - there's vegan fried junk food as well and I'm sure vegan "cheezes" made from palm oil can clogg her arteries just as well as cheddar can - but it's interesting that that after his heart by pass operation Bill Clinton followed a plant based diet (I was told that by a US immigration official a decade ago!), and I'm told many US heart disease consultants now follow plant based diets.Anyway, slightly off track there, getting back to the subject: with the current budget I don't see it's addressing the poverty gap with tax breaks for the highest earners and their pension pots but effectively higher taxes for lower earners with no increas in the basic tax allowance? This country does seem to be following an odd path :-(

Michael Ixer ● 9d

It's the politics of austerity and the poverty and income disparity that goes with it that's killing people.  People in other comparable countries drink as much if not more.  It's too easy to blame the victims for not eating the right thing or not going for a walk or not turning their heating down (what heating?!) or being 'lazy', or... All that 'un/deserving poor' and 'strivers v skivers' stuff is just part of the same pernicious politics, and the saddest thing is that so many who are victims of it go along with that story every time and vote to keep the same lot in power.  The latest budget is more of the same, with huge tax reliefs at the top end and more bullying benefit crack-downs at the bottom to 'encourage people back to work'.

Peter Evans ● 9d

We've picked up a lot of bad habits foodwise from the US including eating too much and eating large amounts of fast food and drink.Those sweet fizzy drinks were something that we were occasionally bought as a treat and certainly not something that was served with a meal.Just this morning we were talking about how we always used to have a jug of water on the dinner table just as they did in France where a jug or carafe of water was put on the table in a cafe or restaurant as a matter of course. 

Philippa Bond ● 9d

“This new analysis suggests that the problems the UK faces are deep-seated and raises serious questions about the path that this country is following”."No shit.

Matt Palmer ● 9d