My overal view of politicians.

[trevnhil]

I am not into politics at all. But there are a lot of truths in the above post

[Dominic]

I have to disagree.

The notion that we've lost a whole generation and turned them into rude, selfish, disrespecful brats is just complete and utter guff.
Pensioners are getting better pensions than they've ever had before.
People have to work longer because people are living longer.

[Varky]

I have to disagree.
The notion that we've lost a whole generation and turned them into rude, selfish, disrespecful brats is just complete and utter guff.
Pensioners are getting better pensions than they've ever had before.
People have to work longer because people are living longer.

It's a pity that you cannot see beyond the detail in what was written. Using the phrase "Pensioners are getting better pensions than they've ever had before" is meaningless when compared with the rise in the cost of living and is a sentence similar to that regularly used by Teresa May at PMQs when referring to the fact that the government had put more money into the NHS than ever before. An increase of £1 would justify such a statement but is misleading unless such an investment is an increase in real terms. You should be a politician.
However, I would agree with you on the subject of the younger generation. It is a far too generalised statement and insults those who are not rude, selfish and disrespectful and who are, in my opinion, in the majority.

[Dominic]

Do you have any data which shows pension levels compared to the cost of living? I thought the triple lock meant that at the very least it kept pace with inflation, which is more than you can say for wages over the last few years.

[Varky]

Do you have any data which shows pension levels compared to the cost of living? I thought the triple lock meant that at the very least it kept pace with inflation, which is more than you can say for wages over the last few years.

Whilst increases in pensions may have kept pace with the cost of living over recent years, do you really think that the present day state pension offers a comfortable standard of living. Please try to stop your politician-speak whereby you attempt to hide the myriad of other problems.

[Dominic]

Stop being so patronising. I am just pointing out some facts. You may not like them, but it is your problem, not mine.

[Jimgward]

People vote for Brexit - then seem surprised when it bites their arse

People vote Tory - and seem surprised that benefits are cut, infrastructure suffers and money gets spent wrongly (Labour isn't much better, although at least they do put more into basic education, health and services)

People like Boris - but will be surprised when all his promises disappear - like Trumps

People vote Farage - despite him being a racist and fascist, with no ideas and working as a puppet of the unseen hands

It’s time folks woke up to the fact that many/most politicians aren’t there to help you - and if they are, they don’t rise very high up the ladder. If they want to change things that don’t suit the rich and powerful, expect the media to come down hard on them.

[Devil]

It’s time folks woke up to the fact that many/most politicians aren’t there to help you - and if they are, they don’t rise very high up the ladder.

Generally, most politicians only look after their own interests, first of all. Then, they start to dig deeper into their own interests and ensure re-election. A few may look to their constituency as 3rd or 5th priority, but they are much in the minority today (didn't used to be quite like that).

[Varky]

Stop being so patronising. I am just pointing out some facts. You may not like them, but it is your problem, not mine.

Patronising?? Grow up! Maybe you are pointing out facts as they stand at the moment but the facts as you present them hide more widespread problems which you fail even to acknowledge might exist and instead hide behind a pathetic accusation of being patronised.

[Dominic]

Telling somebody who accuses you of being patronising to grow up doesn't really further your cause.

The fact is, you get better a pension than your parents did. Is that not the case? And I mean in relative terms, not just absolute figures, which would be meaningless.

[Varky]

Telling somebody who accuses you of being patronising to grow up doesn't really further your cause.

The fact is, you get better a pension than your parents did. Is that not the case? And I mean in relative terms, not just absolute figures, which would be meaningless.

As far as a cause is concerned all I would like is for people not to cloud an issue with irrelevances.

In addition, perhaps you should examine your original response to Lincoln to see an example of 'patronising'.

[Dominic]

How is the fact that pensioners get more now than they ever have done be an irrelevance?

Pensioners in 20 years time will get far less a state pension than what pensioners today are getting. Pensioners 20 years ago got far less than what pensioners today are getting.

[Varky]

How is the fact that pensioners get more now than they ever have done be an irrelevance?

Such a comment is an irrelevance to the overall argument if the amount pensioners receive is still not sufficient to live comfortably. I would have thought that was obvious.

[Dominic]

Well, the pensioners who were around when you were working survived on the pensions they received which were paid for by your NI contributions. We've established that this was less than what you are getting now. So why should you be better off than the pensioners who came before you and were funded by you? Surely the time to lobby for more money for pensions is when you are actually paying into the pot?

I dread to think how old I will be when I actually get to claim a state pension. From what I saw online it is 68 at the moment, with a note that it is under review. But the UK population is getting older, so there will be less money proportionally coming into the pot.

So forgive me if I don't sound too concerned about the level of state pension you are getting. It is a damn sight better than what I or my children are likely to get.

[Dominic]

You are missing something. The NI contributions people make go towards the current pension bill. The workers basically fund the pensioners. When the workers become pensioners, their pension is funded by the current workforce. This is why an aging population is a big deal. There will be more pensioners taking out, and less workers putting in.

[kingfisher]

Whilst this is admittedly off-topic, there is an interesting point, which appears to have escaped the actuaries at the inception of the NHS and UK State pension. They appear to have worked on the basis of a gradually increasing population, and static age of death. They can’t have believed in the Welfare State, otherwise they would have foreseen that you would ipso facto have a longer life expectancy!
What may mitigate this is the catastrophe unfolding, caused by excessive meat and dairy consumption, leading to widespread obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. A sedentary lifestyle and environmental pollution is doing the rest. I read that the next generation may/will be the first to have shorter lives on average than did their parents.
[And the “Western diet” which is largely responsible, is now almost universal, so this is a global problem].
This will be the biggest problem of the 21st Century, I believe.
Jon.

[Dominic]

The vegans will inherit the Earth.

[Devil]

The vegans will inherit the Earth.

while the carnivores eat!

[Maggie B]

Love it.

MB

[Dominic]

Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. The good news for you is that with 45 years of contributions you will get 100% of your state pension.