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Forums - General Discussion - Ed Milliband is the new leader of the UK Labour Party

Kynes on 27 September 2010
Krill said:

To the people saying they are glad Ed won and that they liked him best, are you basing that on anything? Very view of the electorate know anything about him.  Having met the man and discussed issues of concern with him, I left thoroughly unimpressed.  He was worse than useless.  He gives glib comments with no substance, probably so that his comments can't be challenged.  

This man is hardly a worthy ambassador for his country: he doesn't look like a serious politician and he doesn't speak with any authority or knowledge.  That's hardly surprising considering his experience.  For whatever reason he has been handed power.  I can only assume it is because the people who placed him there felt he was the candidate who could be most easily manipulated.  

Whilst he will have his own agenda which his new position will allow him to further, I'm glad he got the Labour leadership.  It makes Labour even more unelectable and provides Cameron and Clegg more time to sort out the mess 'New Labour' got Britain into.  


This sounds a lot as the prime minister of Spain, and he won the election. Never underestimate the suicidal tendencies of the masses...



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Scruff7 on 27 September 2010
Kasz216 said:
highwaystar101 said:
SamuelRSmith said:

As it currently stands, being well-off has put me on a down for starting Uni. People who come from families on low income are entitled to an extra £2k maintenance loan per year. Yet, I am not. Basically, the Government seems to think that people with wealthy families will have the family pay for them, mine won't.

Both of my parents moved out at 18, worked shit jobs, scraped by, didn't ask for any help from state, family, or friends, climbed the ladder, and are now in the highest tax bracket. They don't believe in living off assistance, £2k is roughly what I'd get if I work a part time job for a year whilst at Uni, and so £2k is only entitled to me if I get a job, I can't get it off my parents (hell, I won't even ask), people from lower income families get £2k in their pocket (at a inflation-rate loan) without having to work for it, I don't.

Personally, I agree with my parents' point-of-view... I just find it highly ironic that in the current system, I'm worse off because my family are of a higher income.

Funding for undergraduate education in the UK is just one of the most flawed things ever. Period. None of it makes any sense and most of the solutions politicians propose just seem to be geared to making it worse. Like raising tuition fees for better Universities (one idea which has been banded around by many people), surely it should be the other way round.

And the level of inequality is just staggering. Like you my parents tax bracket eliminated me from having any support, and they weren't going to pay for housing and living costs, etc. So I worked during the first year,and in the summers before second and third year I worked every hour I could and saved. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for support with education, but the system just seems set up to hinder certain people.


The raising tuition at better unversities isn't student oriented.

It's school oriented in trying to

A) Keep up their prestige

B) give other schools incentives to improve.

 

Can you guys not get student loans at all because of your standing, or is it just you can't get free tuition assistance. 

Do you guys even have free tuition assistance, with all the talk of loans it's been ominiously quiet about that.

I mean, I have friends that go to school, not even for anything in particular just because the government pays for them to go to school for free.

Quite honestly I could probably get the same arrangement.


It's split into different areas.When i went through Uni, you had to pay tuition fees of £1400 pey year (i think). that's very low as the government pays the other £12,000 or so. I think it's now more and you pay it after you've graduated out of your salary as a kind of tax which makes more sense since it reduces the burden on poorer families that couldn't afford to pay tuition fees up front.

If you are means tested and are from a poorer family (i think the household earns less than £12,000 per year), then you can get the tuition fees paid for by the Local Education Authority (your Council).

You can also apply for a student loan to help ends meet on living. Most people do this and that's also means tested. it worked out for me as £3600 per year (£1200 per term), which gets you by on cheap student accommodation rent and food - you are exempt from Council tax as a student which helps. You also get more if you are studying in London cos of the high living costs. I also had 2 part time jobs and a summer job, and a year in paid employment in my third year to help make ends meet.

If you have lots of money, you don't have to take the loan. I've known a few people in this boat, and it's very beneficial as you don't end up with £10,000 of debt after, which keeps on growing due to interest.

You then pay back your loan out of your salary to your Council as a % of your salary. I think it's about 5% of you salary or something so it takes years to pay back. you can pay back more if you want or delay repayments if you are struggling, but it does get interest at just over inflation rate, so it's worth paying off.



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Homer_Simpson on 27 September 2010
jonop said:

The latest yougov voting intention pole has labour ahead for the first time in ages, so the initial reaction to Ed seems good. I'm not sure if that will last though.

http://today.yougov.co.uk/politics/govt-trackers-update-27th-sept


haha, excellent, the cuts arent even hitting home yet, and Ed Milliband has only just taken charge, yet already Labour are ahead and the Lib Dems are dead in the water.



Kasz216 on 27 September 2010
SamuelRSmith said:
Kasz216 said:
highwaystar101 said:
SamuelRSmith said:

As it currently stands, being well-off has put me on a down for starting Uni. People who come from families on low income are entitled to an extra £2k maintenance loan per year. Yet, I am not. Basically, the Government seems to think that people with wealthy families will have the family pay for them, mine won't.

Both of my parents moved out at 18, worked shit jobs, scraped by, didn't ask for any help from state, family, or friends, climbed the ladder, and are now in the highest tax bracket. They don't believe in living off assistance, £2k is roughly what I'd get if I work a part time job for a year whilst at Uni, and so £2k is only entitled to me if I get a job, I can't get it off my parents (hell, I won't even ask), people from lower income families get £2k in their pocket (at a inflation-rate loan) without having to work for it, I don't.

Personally, I agree with my parents' point-of-view... I just find it highly ironic that in the current system, I'm worse off because my family are of a higher income.

Funding for undergraduate education in the UK is just one of the most flawed things ever. Period. None of it makes any sense and most of the solutions politicians propose just seem to be geared to making it worse. Like raising tuition fees for better Universities (one idea which has been banded around by many people), surely it should be the other way round.

And the level of inequality is just staggering. Like you my parents tax bracket eliminated me from having any support, and they weren't going to pay for housing and living costs, etc. So I worked during the first year,and in the summers before second and third year I worked every hour I could and saved. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for support with education, but the system just seems set up to hinder certain people.


The raising tuition at better unversities isn't student oriented.

It's school oriented in trying to

A) Keep up their prestige

B) give other schools incentives to improve.

 

Can you guys not get student loans at all because of your standing, or is it just you can't get free tuition assistance.

Do you guys even have free tuition assistance, with all the talk of loans it's been ominiously quiet about that.

I mean, I have friends that go to school, not even for anything in particular just because the government pays for them to go to school for free.

Quite honestly I could probably get the same arrangement.


Well, we have a scholarship program, you can get grants, rather than loans, if you have an exceptional talent in something. I personally don't know of anybody who has been awarded a scholarship, and it's typically only for a couple of thousand pounds, so it doesn't pay for Uni, just makes it more affordable.

We can get the most basic of loans. Basically, I have been loaned enough money to cover my tuition fees and my accommodation. However, if you belong to lower tax brackets you can get further loans like maintenance loans to cover food, text books, and Uni life in general. The idea being that if you're family are wealthy, they will provide for you... though, it doesn't always work that way.


How wierd.

We have the same "if your family is wealthy" problems... which is just what happens when you charge for college.

However, generally we have pretty good grants along with loans.  It's not like EVERYONE who's poor gets them, but lots of people do. 



numonex on 27 September 2010
Kasz216 said:
SamuelRSmith said:
Kasz216 said:
highwaystar101 said:
SamuelRSmith said:

As it currently stands, being well-off has put me on a down for starting Uni. People who come from families on low income are entitled to an extra £2k maintenance loan per year. Yet, I am not. Basically, the Government seems to think that people with wealthy families will have the family pay for them, mine won't.

Both of my parents moved out at 18, worked shit jobs, scraped by, didn't ask for any help from state, family, or friends, climbed the ladder, and are now in the highest tax bracket. They don't believe in living off assistance, £2k is roughly what I'd get if I work a part time job for a year whilst at Uni, and so £2k is only entitled to me if I get a job, I can't get it off my parents (hell, I won't even ask), people from lower income families get £2k in their pocket (at a inflation-rate loan) without having to work for it, I don't.

Personally, I agree with my parents' point-of-view... I just find it highly ironic that in the current system, I'm worse off because my family are of a higher income.

Funding for undergraduate education in the UK is just one of the most flawed things ever. Period. None of it makes any sense and most of the solutions politicians propose just seem to be geared to making it worse. Like raising tuition fees for better Universities (one idea which has been banded around by many people), surely it should be the other way round.

And the level of inequality is just staggering. Like you my parents tax bracket eliminated me from having any support, and they weren't going to pay for housing and living costs, etc. So I worked during the first year,and in the summers before second and third year I worked every hour I could and saved. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for support with education, but the system just seems set up to hinder certain people.


The raising tuition at better unversities isn't student oriented.

It's school oriented in trying to

A) Keep up their prestige

B) give other schools incentives to improve.

 

Can you guys not get student loans at all because of your standing, or is it just you can't get free tuition assistance.

Do you guys even have free tuition assistance, with all the talk of loans it's been ominiously quiet about that.

I mean, I have friends that go to school, not even for anything in particular just because the government pays for them to go to school for free.

Quite honestly I could probably get the same arrangement.


Well, we have a scholarship program, you can get grants, rather than loans, if you have an exceptional talent in something. I personally don't know of anybody who has been awarded a scholarship, and it's typically only for a couple of thousand pounds, so it doesn't pay for Uni, just makes it more affordable.

We can get the most basic of loans. Basically, I have been loaned enough money to cover my tuition fees and my accommodation. However, if you belong to lower tax brackets you can get further loans like maintenance loans to cover food, text books, and Uni life in general. The idea being that if you're family are wealthy, they will provide for you... though, it doesn't always work that way.


How wierd.

We have the same "if your family is wealthy" problems... which is just what happens when you charge for college.

However, generally we have pretty good grants along with loans.  It's not like EVERYONE who's poor gets them, but lots of people do. 

Class wars for the way! Greedy Haves of society = cashed up aristocrats and business owners(Tories). Envious and Jealous Have Nots of society = peasants and serfs(Labour).



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Kasz216 on 28 September 2010
numonex said:
Kasz216 said:
SamuelRSmith said:
Kasz216 said:
highwaystar101 said:
SamuelRSmith said:

As it currently stands, being well-off has put me on a down for starting Uni. People who come from families on low income are entitled to an extra £2k maintenance loan per year. Yet, I am not. Basically, the Government seems to think that people with wealthy families will have the family pay for them, mine won't.

Both of my parents moved out at 18, worked shit jobs, scraped by, didn't ask for any help from state, family, or friends, climbed the ladder, and are now in the highest tax bracket. They don't believe in living off assistance, £2k is roughly what I'd get if I work a part time job for a year whilst at Uni, and so £2k is only entitled to me if I get a job, I can't get it off my parents (hell, I won't even ask), people from lower income families get £2k in their pocket (at a inflation-rate loan) without having to work for it, I don't.

Personally, I agree with my parents' point-of-view... I just find it highly ironic that in the current system, I'm worse off because my family are of a higher income.

Funding for undergraduate education in the UK is just one of the most flawed things ever. Period. None of it makes any sense and most of the solutions politicians propose just seem to be geared to making it worse. Like raising tuition fees for better Universities (one idea which has been banded around by many people), surely it should be the other way round.

And the level of inequality is just staggering. Like you my parents tax bracket eliminated me from having any support, and they weren't going to pay for housing and living costs, etc. So I worked during the first year,and in the summers before second and third year I worked every hour I could and saved. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for support with education, but the system just seems set up to hinder certain people.


The raising tuition at better unversities isn't student oriented.

It's school oriented in trying to

A) Keep up their prestige

B) give other schools incentives to improve.

 

Can you guys not get student loans at all because of your standing, or is it just you can't get free tuition assistance.

Do you guys even have free tuition assistance, with all the talk of loans it's been ominiously quiet about that.

I mean, I have friends that go to school, not even for anything in particular just because the government pays for them to go to school for free.

Quite honestly I could probably get the same arrangement.


Well, we have a scholarship program, you can get grants, rather than loans, if you have an exceptional talent in something. I personally don't know of anybody who has been awarded a scholarship, and it's typically only for a couple of thousand pounds, so it doesn't pay for Uni, just makes it more affordable.

We can get the most basic of loans. Basically, I have been loaned enough money to cover my tuition fees and my accommodation. However, if you belong to lower tax brackets you can get further loans like maintenance loans to cover food, text books, and Uni life in general. The idea being that if you're family are wealthy, they will provide for you... though, it doesn't always work that way.


How wierd.

We have the same "if your family is wealthy" problems... which is just what happens when you charge for college.

However, generally we have pretty good grants along with loans.  It's not like EVERYONE who's poor gets them, but lots of people do. 

Class wars for the way! Greedy Haves of society = cashed up aristocrats and business owners(Tories). Envious and Jealous Have Nots of society = peasants and serfs(Labour).

So... what your saying is... the Labour party is trying to put in efforts that make it so less people get into college and can make good money so they increase their voter base.

Makes sense... I guess.



Kantor on 28 September 2010
Homer_Simpson said:
jonop said:

The latest yougov voting intention pole has labour ahead for the first time in ages, so the initial reaction to Ed seems good. I'm not sure if that will last though.

http://today.yougov.co.uk/politics/govt-trackers-update-27th-sept


haha, excellent, the cuts arent even hitting home yet, and Ed Milliband has only just taken charge, yet already Labour are ahead and the Lib Dems are dead in the water.

I thought you weren't a Labour supporter? And it's a one-time bump.



(Former) Lead Moderator and (Eternal) VGC Detective

Homer_Simpson on 28 September 2010
Kantor said:
Homer_Simpson said:
jonop said:

The latest yougov voting intention pole has labour ahead for the first time in ages, so the initial reaction to Ed seems good. I'm not sure if that will last though.

http://today.yougov.co.uk/politics/govt-trackers-update-27th-sept


haha, excellent, the cuts arent even hitting home yet, and Ed Milliband has only just taken charge, yet already Labour are ahead and the Lib Dems are dead in the water.

I thought you weren't a Labour supporter? And it's a one-time bump.

im not, I prefer them to the Tories or Lib Dems though.