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When I worked as a butchers assistant in the old market hall, I got something in my eye which made it red and slightly swollen and sore. My boss ran me up to Newtown to the doctor in his car. The doctor removed a very small piece of grit with a swab. He turned and sat down at his desk, picked up a pen and a form and asked me how much time would I like. I sked what he meant and replied, how much sick time would I like. I was amazed and said that I am now going back to work as my boss was waiting in the car outside. I felt fine now, but he was astonished at my reaction.

This was back in 1962 when I was just sixteen. Times don't seem to change, do they?...

My experience of dole.
In Dec 2003 I was made redundant.
I had worked continually from 1963 until then, I was 57 years old.
In Jan 2004 I signed on at the Job Centre.
I had to call in every week and report my position.
I bought a new PC and got myself ‘on line’ for the first time so I could look for work.
In the Summer of 2004 I found a job and by August I had had an interview and got a start date.
The Job Centre never found me one vacancy in all that time.
Having informed them of my job they told me I would be liable for tax on the £55 per week I had been receiving.
So, the Job Centre giveth but taketh away as well.
The only good thing to come out of that, apart from getting employment to my retirement, was my introduction to my love of the internet.

Figures reported by the BBC this last week show that there have been 50,000 Russian military personnel killed in the war against Ukraine so far.
Russia has around 1,000,000 military personnel, that is a high percentage of losses.
This must be of concern for the Russian population, unless of course The Kremlin don’t issue figures, and you don’t hear of any dissent.
It seems the population are stuck with this megalomaniac who was elected without any serious opposition.
We all know what happened to opposition leader Alexei Navalny who was found dead in a Soviet prison camp.

Similarly, figures for Ukraine show they have had 27,000 military deaths.
This is a terrible price to pay in defence of your country.

Putting things into some kind of context. Russian deaths during WW2 are estimated to be 28 million. No accurate statistics exist.

Also in regards the 27 000 / 50 000 figures, the lower was the amount of deaths in a morning during some WW1 battles. So really, as the period is two years, that number is chicken feed! Despite that, I do find the numbers sickening, and begs the question. Is life worthless to leaders?

You make some good points UJ in terms of previous conflicts.
Following on from your WW1 figures.
In WW1 The Battle of the Somme ended on November 18th 1916, with well over one million casualties and 300,000 fatalities.

As regards your comment “Is life worthless to leaders?” consider this dreadful phrase.
The term ‘meat grinder’ has been used to describe the way Moscow sends waves of soldiers forward relentlessly to try to wear down Ukrainian forces and expose their locations to Russian artillery.

Doesn’t this reflect the pure futility of war in human costs.

Agree with both above.

I do wonder why this kind of futility still goes on in this modern age??

I remember at the beginning of the Ukraine invasion, senior figures on the world stage were saying that this invasion was atrocious in this age....

Planes are booked, Sunak says - Rwanda deportations will start 'come what may'
Rishi Sunak has vowed deportation flights will happen ahead of a final push today to pass the bill designed to rescue the embattled Rwanda scheme.

https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-uk-politics-sunak-starmer-general-election-vote-labour-tories-sky-news-politics-hub-12593360

Not a fan of the Rwanda plan truth be told.
Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan WILL begin in 10 to 12 weeks he has announced.
How many will be deported at the cost of the millions of pounds we have given to Rwanda?, probably hundreds instead of the tens of thousands we need to deport.
The House of Lords seem to be fixated on their safety in Rwanda.
They have fled so called war and persecution and untold horrors and then risked their lives crossing the busiest sea channel in the World to get to our wonderful bounteous shores.
Surely a new start in life in a warm stable African country can’t be that bad.
Will it be a deterrent to stop them coming, I think not.

What a bunch of 'Faffers'... What kind of backbone do this government have?

Simply send the boats back to France and also send the bill to France..not give THEM millions to help stop them crossing which clearly is not happening. The word 'Wimps' comes to mind............

Totally agree Admin , and with the same mad mad mad face as you

I know who I am voting for next time...........

Will Reform stop the RNLI from transporting illegal immigrants rescued in French waters back to UK shores?

Admin I have a real bee in my bonnet about these B boat people and I must admit the ideas in that advert are spot on.
It doesn’t matter what they are going to do about the economy or owt else, and it would be a protest vote to stir things up.
Whether we will have a candidate in my constituency I wait to see.

Lolly wrote:Will Reform stop the RNLI from transporting illegal immigrants rescued in French waters back to UK shores?

Lolly I had no idea that was happening.
I know the RNLI are all about saving lives at sea, but surely in UK waters, not foreign waters.

ramiejamie wrote:

Lolly wrote:Will Reform stop the RNLI from transporting illegal immigrants rescued in French waters back to UK shores?

Lolly I had no idea that was happening.
I know the RNLI are all about saving lives at sea, but surely in UK waters, not foreign waters.

Apparently so RMJ

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11153265/Chaos-UK-RNLI-boat-rescues-migrants-French-water-Channel.html

Thanks for the info Lolly.

From the article :-
“According to maritime law, boats are only allowed to cross into other territories for search-and-rescue operations”.

Surely every incident can’t have been for search-and-rescue !!!!!

So, the Rwanda bill got passed last night.
I have been critical and pessimistic as regards its chances of working, but I’m prepared to see how it progresses and give it a chance.
I seems Rishi Sunak’s 10 to 12 week start to the first flight is way out, while the bill has now passed through Parliament, the quickest a flight can take off is technically speaking 12 days after the King has given royal assent, which then formally turns the bill into law.
In practice, the date of the first flight is likely to be later than that, meaning late June or early July.

Consider this from the BBC :-
The only people who could be sent to Rwanda are asylum seekers - people who have sought the UK's protection and who have arrived without authorisation from another safe country.
That essentially means people who have taken a dinghy to cross the English Channel.
It's worth stressing that this is before the government has decided whether they are genuine refugees or not. the plan is to have the legal claim for protection dealt with in Rwanda.
There are 52,000 people in this pool.

This backlog will take years to clear !!!.

More from the BBC :-
The quickest someone could go from being picked up in the English Channel to Rwanda's tropical heat is around two weeks.
Once officials select a migrant who fits the government's criteria, they are given at least seven days' notice that they might be put on a flight.
After that, officials can tell them they will be on a plane five days later.
Migrants will appeal.

Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, says that "even if the Rwanda scheme works, Labour would still stop it if they get into government"

https://twitter.com/i/status/1782717048209944908

I blame the people smugglers for this loss of life Time they were brought to account. Easier said than done.

Thanks for the Labour Lolly.

First of all I don’t believe that the Tories will get back in power at the next election.
If Labour do get in, will they have a working majority, or will they form a coalition?
Whatever happens, the idea of stronger border security sounds a much better idea than giving Rwanda millions of pounds and then spending more millions on transportation.
Don’t let the b*ggars in and decide what to do with them, just DON’T let the b*ggars in !!!!!

You’re right about the people smugglers Lolly.
As per NM's post, the BBC showed an incident on a French beach this lunchtime.
It seems the smugglers fought the French police with sticks and firecrackers to allow a dingy to be launched.
Shortly after it set sail the dingy got stuck on a sand bank.
Five people have drowned including a five year old girl.

Where are these people smugglers getting their dinghys from? They must have a supplier.
Cutting off that supply could be a start.

Mr Google says

People smugglers acquire their dinghies from various sources. Let me share some insights based on available information:

China: Most of the dinghies used by people smugglers are produced thousands of miles away in China. These small boats are generally ordered by smugglers over the internet and then delivered to the main migration routes to Europe1.
Online Retailers: The boats used for Channel crossings are typically inflatable dinghies. Smugglers often purchase them from online retailers. Some of these retailers are located as far away as China, while others operate in neighboring countries like Germany and the Netherlands
Previous Sources: In the past, people would go to Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium to buy boats. However, this practice has decreased due to increased scrutiny by law enforcement. As a result, many smugglers now obtain boats directly from Turkey, where they can buy them in bulk at a lower cost (around €3,500)

"More than 40 people were rescued, French officials said, but more than 50 people remained in the boat and continued towards the UK" the BBC report


I wonder it the remaining 50 threw the others overboard? and perhaps they will have to return to France to be questioned for any enquiry