Can you help me understand politics?

[andyofborg]

Where what this view come from though? From what I have found factually there is nothing to suggest this will happen.

 

experience of conservative governments and the people in them

[El Cid]

 

*NHS privatisation - What is this, and why is it bad? I've read that the NHS are selling contracts to private companies to provide care (which could be better care, but also costs). I can't see why we will have to pay for our own healthcare, is this because there will be an increase in tax due to selling NHS services to private companies?

 

 

What the conservative are doing to the NHS will not affect you. Just like your council may have a private company collecting your bins, you just pay your taxes.

Sometimes its better for the service to be private, sometimes better to be public run.

I drive a council run minibus, there are also private minibuses doing the same job; I think council run is better and cheaper, but if that were the case, why have loads of private buses too. I favour a mix of both.

[Chazndave]

Where what this view come from though? From what I have found factually there is nothing to suggest this will happen.

 

Yes I understand our taxes may increase by the increased used of the contracts with private companies (how much I don't know but how much can it be?) but this hasn't happened, there's no facts to prove this will happen and ever will happen.

 

Excuse me ignorance but if there are facts that prove this is going to happen them please show me.

 

I must stress that I'm not For any party right now, I'm just trying to find the facts about who they are and what they really stand for. It seems people either Jump on the band wagon from hearing things fed to them from the media/social media or from friends and family without actually knowing any real facts themselves.

 

---------- Post added 09-05-2015 at 23:41 ----------

 

 

What makes you think we're going to "lose the NHS" can you provide facts to back this up? Rather than opinions?

 

Ive I had facts i would have said I "know" but I said I "think" therefore not sure why you would expect facts.

[Anna B]

Where what this view come from though? From what I have found factually there is nothing to suggest this will happen.

 

Yes I understand our taxes may increase by the increased used of the contracts with private companies (how much I don't know but how much can it be?) but this hasn't happened, there's no facts to prove this will happen and ever will happen.

 

Excuse me ignorance but if there are facts that prove this is going to happen them please show me.

 

I must stress that I'm not For any party right now, I'm just trying to find the facts about who they are and what they really stand for. It seems people either Jump on the band wagon from hearing things fed to them from the media/social media or from friends and family without actually knowing any real facts themselves.

 

---------- Post added 09-05-2015 at 23:41 ----------

 

 

What makes you think we're going to "lose the NHS" can you provide facts to back this up? Rather than opinions?

 

You ask some good questions and you're right that a lot of people don't know either, but you're going to get a lot of different opinions and points of view on here, which could confuse you more. You might be better off reading a few basic books or looking things up on the web (I always start with Wikipedia and go from there.)

As for the NHS question, the system we have is paid for by taxation and is still mostly 'free' at the point of use. But it is quite basic in some ways.

When it is privatised it means that someone, somewhere is out to make a profit from it, and a lot of people object to this on principle.

 

Care/Residential homes for the elderly are a good example. They used to be Council run, and free, (ie paid for out of taxation.) Now they have been mostly privatised, and cost upwards of £500 per week per pensioner, for a fairly basic minimal service, and with B+B charges on top. That means the elderly person has to find over £2,000 a month, and probably have to sell their home to fund it.

Care in the person's own home is also now quite expensive. When it was administered by Social Services, at one time, it used to be free, but no longer. Care workers are now employed by Private agencies and the carers also suffer, as Privatisation has forced the time they can spend with clients down and the carer's wage down also. In some instances they are not always paid even the equivilent of the minimum wage. The job has also lost status, worker's rights and protection. At the same time the client's costs have gone up, and keep increasing.

 

Several other things that were once 'free' also have charges attatched now; prescriptions, spectacles, teeth, etc, have to be contributed towards and this cost keeps going up. Some drugs and treatments are only available privately meaning the recipient has to pay the full cost. There are plans to bring more things into this catagory.

 

Many things are also 'means tested' which means a person's personal finances are examined, and if they are thought to be well off enough to pay for things themselves then they have to. So far, so good, but the bar is surprisingly low, so only the very neediest will get help. A lot of people who are not at all well off will not get any help at all.

 

The next round of cuts, it is thought, will probably affect people with disabilities and their carers, but of course we will have to wait and see as none of the politicians was willing to admit to anything unpopular before the election.

 

Much of the above will not affect most people - at least, not yet - and so tends to go unnoticed and unremarked upon. This is known as 'privatisation by the back door.' It will affect nearly everyone sooner or later, but by then it will be too late to do anything about it, and it will become accepted as the norm. There are many things like this happening that the general population are not aware of in many areas of government.

 

I hope this helps.

[Guest]

Ive I had facts i would have said I "know" but I said I "think" therefore not sure why you would expect facts.

 

Because that's what I'm asking for. I said this in my original post.

 

---------- Post added 10-05-2015 at 07:44 ----------

 

Thanks Anna B. It does help somewhat and it has given me more information on the whole NHS situation. The general consensus I'm feeling however is that people are in fear that this will happen and yes I agree that if we don't stop it then it'll be too late to do anything about it. But (please now excuse my ignorance/lack of knowledge here) the conservatives manifesto stated they will be spending £8 billion on the NHS. Isn't this a good thing? I know that the parties don't do everything they say but don't they deserve the right to be given a chance?

[Guest]

The Conservatives want to lower taxes. With the extra money you have,, they want you to buy your own healthcare, education etc.

 

 

The NHS will remain free at the point of use. I don't see this changing any tie soon.

[-Boomer-]

This http://idontgetpolitics.co.uk/right-left-wing more or less. It's not a perfect example but gives you a general idea but most definitions agree with it. Basically the left value freedom of expression, diversity and the arts and that people should contribute what they can to society. The right are more structured and inflexible, want less regulation and believe it's everyone for themselves. I'll not go into the problems of each, you should be able to work that out yourselves

Edited May 10, 2015 by -Boomer-

[Guest]

This http://idontgetpolitics.co.uk/right-left-wing more or less. It's not a perfect example but gives you a general idea but most definitions agree with it. Basically the left value freedom of expression, diversity and the arts and that people should contribute what they can to society. The right are more structured and inflexible, want less regulation and believe it's everyone for themselves. I'll not go into the problems of each, you should be able to work that out yourselves

 

Having less regulation and personal freedom or "everyone for themselves" as you've chosen to put it, is by definition less about rigid fixed structure and strict regulation. A big state imposing lots of regulation and even a form planned economy is broadly what the left is all about.

[the_bloke]

The NHS will remain free at the point of use. I don't see this changing any tie soon.

 

It never will either. All the talk about having to have private healthcare insurance to use the NHS or be asked for a credit card to use A&E is total rubbish. Unproven and the only source is on a protester's placard.

 

To the OP; the important thing to understand about politics is that both sides have spin doctors that want to mould your opinion. People like to think it's only the press that do this, but it's everywhere - soundbites from people like Russell Brand, statements from unions and it's very prevalent on Sheffield Forum, where people will state fiction as fact in a way to change the flow of discussion or fog the truth.

 

If you want to learn about politics, see beyond the personal agenda of someone's argument and dig out the facts. Base your own opinion on fact, not spin.

[-Boomer-]

Having less regulation and personal freedom or "everyone for themselves" as you've chosen to put it, is by definition less about rigid fixed structure and strict regulation. A big state imposing lots of regulation and even a form planned economy is broadly what the left is all about.

 

No it isn't