Let's Get Political!

[Christy]

I'll take a wild stab in the dark, that Christy and Arriba work in the public sector

Given that I either do or don't, it's not exactly a wild stab in the dark.  Suggesting I was a geography teacher from Melksham might be more like it.

But anyway, you're wrong on me too.

[pumbaa]

This thread is like watching a bunch of spastics who have been thrown into a swimming pool.

Speechless. Just speechless.

[Bogus Dave]

Theresa mays plan to force all foreign graduates to leave the country is the most ass backwards, short sighted, completely fucking retarded idea I've heard in a lon long time

[Batch]

It Theresa May though, so not a total shock.

[Nemo]

Theresa mays plan to force all foreign graduates to leave the country is the most ass backwards, short sighted, completely fucking retarded idea I've heard in a lon long time

Absolutely spot on, total madness. May seems to be angling for the top job in a big way by trying to be hardline on everything but it's odd to see a Tory minister picking a fight with the CBI.

[RedRag]

As a Surrey resident who doesn't usually bother with a midweek match because of jams on the M4, I was curious to learn from UKIP that this was the fault of the EU or migrants - presumably heading to the Cotswold homes of the political classes who appreciate their low cost work ethic compared to the locals..

[ghanimah]

Theresa mays plan to force all foreign graduates to leave the country is the most ass backwards, short sighted, completely fucking retarded idea I've heard in a lon long time

The answer's pretty simple. Immigration is a significant electoral issue (and has been for a long time) and both Labour and the Tories are facing significant pressures from their constituents. The problem is neither Labour nor the Tories want to take the very difficult decisions which might actually genuinely control immigration numbers, so they both go for "easy options" - to meet targets if nothing else.

[Bogus Dave]

Yeah, I know that. It's still fucking stupid

[Abrahammer]

It's not all foreign students just non-EU but still......

[Reg Smeeton]

They do. The basic principle of freehold ownership is that you own "everything from the heavens to the centre of the earth", which includes any minerals under the land and mining rights etc (vaguely recall there being a Latin maxim but fucked if I can remember it). There may be statutes that give others or the crown certain *rights* over parts of the land for specific purposes, but that doesn't change the fact of *ownership*.

No idea what the position would be regards the CG though. Suspect its more complicated than that.

This may be the historical position, but now changed by the Tories, so that fracking can happen beneath your house without your say so....here's the Green MP Caroline Lucas  take on matters....not that the BBC would allow her access to share a platform with someone like Farage, after all she's an MP and he isn't.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas told the Guardian it’s a “sham consultation,” which exposes “the government’s disregard for the growing public concern about the major environmental and health risks of fracking. The decision to deny people the right to say no to fracking under their own homes is outrageous. It shows that ministers are putting the greed of oil and gas companies above the public interest in tackling climate change.”

Jane Thomas, senior campaigner of Friends of the Earth, said in a press release: “This Government seems hell-bent on fracking irrespective of widespread opposition. You’d think with a general election approaching politicians would listen to public opinion and get behind the popular energy solutions of cutting waste and backing renewables.”

“Fracking for more fossil fuels will cause more pollution and bring about more catastrophic climate change - the Government should stop making things easier for the frackers and allow people a say in what happens beneath their property.

[manc_red]

This may be the historical position, but now changed by the Tories, so that fracking can happen beneath your house without your say so....here's the Green MP Caroline Lucas  take on matters....not that the BBC would allow her access to share a platform with someone like Farage, after all she's an MP and he isn't.

Not really changed as such. Oil and gas has been an exception to a landowners mineral rights since the Petroleum (Production) Act 1934. The only (well, I say "only"..) thing that the tories want to change - and it isn't law yet by the looks of it, although they appear hell bent on pushing it through - is allowing a more or less unfettered right of access through the landowners land to extract the gas.

The land under the property remains *owned* by the landowner. Not that that'll be much comfort to any poor bastards who end up having tons of shite dumped under their property mind

[Reg Smeeton]

Not really changed as such. Oil and gas has been an exception to a landowners mineral rights since the Petroleum (Production) Act 1934. The only (well, I say "only"..) thing that the tories want to change - and it isn't law yet by the looks of it, although they appear hell bent on pushing it through - is allowing a more or less unfettered right of access through the landowners land to extract the gas.

The land under the property remains *owned* by the landowner. Not that that'll be much comfort to any poor bastards who end up having tons of shite dumped under their property mind

I believe the semantic sleight of hand is that drilling under someone's land, would once have been considered trespass, but not now.

I've always had a suspicion that there must be some oil or shale gas, lurking under particularly Old Town....due to the fact the geology is remarkably similar to bits of Dorset, where you get oil fields like Wytch Farm.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/entertainment/days_out/walk_through_time/02.shtml

[Not that Nice If I'm Honest]

Apart from the usual green hysteria, can anyone tell me what is actually wrong with fracking ?

I'm not in any way saying that it isn't wrong, just that I've never heard a rational argument either way.

I tend to be swayed in favour, simply because the usual crowd of hippies and rent-a-mob types are against it

Happy to be persuaded either way.

(and Reg, the fact that the Tories like it, and the Americans do it, isn't necessarily a good enough reason to not like it)

[manc_red]

Well it involves setting off massive explosions miles underground, I.e near the water table etc, close to cities and built up areas.

I'd have thought the more pertinent question might be "what evidence is there that its definitely safe?"

The fact that the Germans and French wont touch it is a bit worrying.

[Levi lapper]

Apart from the usual green hysteria, can anyone tell me what is actually wrong with fracking ?

I'm not in any way saying that it isn't wrong, just that I've never heard a rational argument either way.

I tend to be swayed in favour, simply because the usual crowd of hippies and rent-a-mob types are against it

Happy to be persuaded either way.

(and Reg, the fact that the Tories like it, and the Americans do it, isn't necessarily a good enough reason to not like it)

You don't mind flames coming out of your taps then?