Jeremy Clarkson

horserider said:
LOL, thats true. When I was at school, back in the dark ages and taught by nuns, it was the young ones that couldn't keep control, whereas the ancient, wrinkly ones kept order with one look that had us trembling in our sandals.

Yikes, Sister Veroncia and Sister Anne, may have been 4'11 and whizzened, but they were spritely and no one dared step out of line.
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The thing with nuns is we were their vocation. They had no outside interests and because of this it was impossible to get away with anything. Didn't stop us trying.:)

Jezza quote anyone?

"This is the Renault Espace, probably the best of the people carriers. Not that that's much to shout about. That's like saying 'Ooh good I've got syphilis, the BEST of the sexually transmitted diseases"
 
Noblesteed, nobody wants to work til they are 67 but we are going to have too.Your very generous pension is gold plated and paid for by the likes of us who are going to have to work longer and will only get £140 a week when we retire. Why on earth shouldnt you pay more into your pension pot? after all its for you when you come to retire not for me or anyone else. Get real,find a job outside the public sector with as good a pay and working conditions,and oh,i forgot,all those generous weeks holidays a year too. No wonder the country is in such trouble with scroungers like you milking it for all its got.
 
BBH said:
People may be able to do a decent job but the question is no-one wants to. People may choose to work part time doing something they love rather than the pressure of a fulltime demanding job or travel , socialise, etc etc but its their choice and that choice has been taken away. What if they die at 70 no retirement at all.
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It's not really a question of whether people WANT to. We're all going to HAVE to. And I think the comment about the self-employed 'hiding' money is a pretty crass one - a few might try, but they'll quite rightly get found out and punished.

That's why self-assessment tax payers are subject to sudden and rigorous tax inspections.
 
KristmasKatt said:
Nobody "signed up" to work to age 67, but the change will affect everyone as state pensions will not become available until then. Many private sector workers do not have a private pension or if they do it will be far to small to live off so any prospect of retiring early like so many baby boomers have has disappeared.

Oh and the self employed do not have the "option" of hiding money. Are you implying that the self employed all do, or should commit criminal offences?
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You'd be very naive thinking money isn't hidden and the horseworld is another huge culprit, gentlemans agreement its called isn't it. Yes its a criminal offense but loads of people are doing it. I've always been a 40% tax payer and always paid my dues but i've now come to realise how those who don't are so much better off.

One thing people are saying is you have to look after yourself because if your hour of need comes no-one else will, not even the government.
 
Mrs B said:
It's not really a question of whether people WANT to. We're all going to HAVE to. And I think the comment about the self-employed 'hiding' money is a pretty crass one - a few might try, but they'll quite rightly get found out and punished.

That's why self-assessment tax payers are subject to sudden and rigorous tax inspections.
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I'm on your side, if you read my comment i'm saying the choice has been taken away from you. Are you getting so emotive over this you're not reading fully.

Crass comment or not its real world.
 
BBH said:
People may be able to do a decent job but the question is no-one wants to. People may choose to work part time doing something they love rather than the pressure of a fulltime demanding job or travel , socialise, etc etc but its their choice and that choice has been taken away. What if they die at 70 no retirement at all.
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No the choice hasn't been taken away. Working until age 67 will not become compulsory, in the same way that it is not compulsory now to work to age 60. If you wish to retire early or go part time you will still be able to, but you will not get your state pension or in the case of public sector workers your occupational pension. If you have a private pension or other income though you can retire.

If they die at 70 they will have had three years retirement. You don't have a right to any length of pension dying before the "average age" is unfortunate but it happens. The average life expectancy now has increased so far since retirement ages were set that the length of retirement most people have is simply unsustainable.
 
BBH said:
I'm on your side, if you read my comment i'm saying the choice has been taken away from you. Are you getting so emotive over this you're not reading fully.

Crass comment or not its real world.
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Actually your suggestion that the self employed are all engaged in fraud is about as crass as saying that all lorry drivers murder prostitutes. The difference is that Jezza was joking, you weren't.
 
KristmasKatt said:
No the choice hasn't been taken away. Working until age 67 will not become compulsory, in the same way that it is not compulsory now to work to age 60. If you wish to retire early or go part time you will still be able to, but you will not get your state pension or in the case of public sector workers your occupational pension. If you have a private pension or other income though you can retire.

If they die at 70 they will have had three years retirement. You don't have a right to any length of pension dying before the "average age" is unfortunate but it happens. The average life expectancy now has increased so far since retirement ages were set that the length of retirement most people have is simply unsustainable.
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It will be compulsory though if they can't afford to retire. The choice is you either work full term or retire earlier but on less money unless they can fund retirement another way ie buy to lets or something to increase income.

I agree you don't have a right to retirement but surely it would be nice. Some very harsh views there I think as most people have traditionally wanted to enjoy some retirement in good health. Besides when I was in Banking you were not wanted past 50 and noises were made about ' dead wood' so god knows how they'll feel with 60+ in the workplace.
 
BBH said:
You'd be very naive thinking money isn't hidden and the horseworld is another huge culprit, gentlemans agreement its called isn't it. Yes its a criminal offense but loads of people are doing it. I've always been a 40% tax payer and always paid my dues but i've now come to realise how those who don't are so much better off.

One thing people are saying is you have to look after yourself because if your hour of need comes no-one else will, not even the government.
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I don't think money isn't hidden, of course there are criminals out there who commit crimes. Many of them get caught, some don't. That doesn't mean that the self employed are somehow better off because they are in a position to commit a certain type of crime. It also doesn't mean that all self employed are criminals.

There are a lot of honest self employed people who pay tax, and NI, and some of them employ others who also pay tax. The small business will be very important in getting this country out of recession.
 
KristmasKatt said:
Actually your suggestion that the self employed are all engaged in fraud is about as crass as saying that all lorry drivers murder prostitutes. The difference is that Jezza was joking, you weren't.
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?????
Don't understand that at all.

Am signing out of this now its getting silly and ridiculous.
 
BBH said:
It will be compulsory though if they can't afford to retire. The choice is you either work full term or retire earlier but on less money unless they can fund retirement another way ie buy to lets or something to increase income.

As is the case now.....

I agree you don't have a right to retirement but surely it would be nice. Some very harsh views there I think as most people have traditionally wanted to enjoy some retirement in good health. Besides when I was in Banking you were not wanted past 50 and noises were made about ' dead wood' so god knows how they'll feel with 60+ in the workplace.
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I guess either workplaces will get used to seeing more, older faces or what will happen is what happens in countries where there is less support for the elderly and people will cut their expenses and take on alternative retirement employment so that they can be semi-retired. In fact it is already happening, my Dad does consultancy and fixed term contracts to suppliment his pension, my father in law worked for a couple of years delivering meals on wheels until his state pension kicked in as he felt his time had come in his "main job". I anticipate that this will become more common.
 
Transcript, anyone?

One Show presenter Matt Baker (MB): Now, at the end of a day where Britain has seen some of its biggest strikes, what we need is someone calm and level-headed.

One Show presenter Alex Jones (AJ): Yes, a guest with balanced, uncontroversial opinions, who makes great effort not to offend.

MB: And we have got Jeremy Clarkson.

Jeremy Clarkson: Thank you very much.

MB: So Jeremy, schools, hospitals, airports, even driving tests have been affected. Do you the strikes are a good idea?

Jeremy Clarkson: I think they have been fantastic. Seriously … London today has just been empty. Everybody stayed at home, you can whizz about, restaurants are empty.

AJ: The traffic actually has been very good today.

Jeremy Clarkson: Very light. Now airports, you know, people streaming through with no problems at all and it is also like being back in the 70s, it makes me feel at home somehow.

MB: Do you know anybody who has been on strike today?

Jeremy Clarkson: What, in public service? Of course I do not. No, absolutely. We have to balance it though, because this is the BBC.

MB: Yes. Exactly.

Jeremy Clarkson: Frankly, I would have them all shot. I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families. I mean how dare they go on strike when they have got these gilt-edged pensions that are going to be guaranteed while the rest of us have to work for a living?

MB: Well, on that note of balancing an opinion of course those are Jeremy's views.

AJ: Only Jeremy's views.

Jeremy Clarkson: They are not. I was just giving two views for you.

Those of you working so hard to be offended by this, perhaps your energy would be better spent elsewhere? Just saying.
 
MrsD123 said:
Re the public sector, the main point has been overlooked, these employees applied for a job and were selected as the most suitable candidates, they then signed up to a contract to work for the country, on a pre-determined salary scale plus pre - determined pensions and work conditions.
Suddenly the government finds itself in a complete mess, obviously the economists whom they employ [at great expense], "forgot" to tell them what was happening, OR they ignored the economists, AND common sense, allowed the country to build up debt [unlike Germany]. Even handing out nice extras like paternity leave, and other vote catching fripperies.
Suddenly they need to conjure up mega cuts in expenditure, and since Maggie Thatcher and her cohorts sold off the family silver[1980's] there is no "pot" to delve in to.
Suddenly they find out we are all living longer [what a surprise event], so will be taking more out of the pension fund annually than is going in.
They don't have a pension pot as such, it is current payments from employees, not payments from current beneficiaries, unlike like the private pension schemes, where one person should be building up one pot.
To some of these workers, it must seem like they have been badly let down by their employers, and for this reason, they agreed to strike, as the only way to express their anger/discontent/dismay.
There are other false sunrises in the Government's strategies which no one seems to have picked up on; this idea that everyone will work to age 67, well I have been unemployed since I was 50 or so, due to my age, I could not get a job, I had to start up a business, but due to creaking bones and age related weaknesses, I can't work as hard as if I were 25, and I am bumping along the bottom, many people are in the same position, but just imagine a 67 year old teacher trying to control a classroom of thirty or more school pupils aged 14. It won't work, and we will end up with massive mental health problems as people struggle to do their jobs.
Oh yes, and don't think the government will be sympathetic, they don't want people claiming disability benefit either.
If I were young and fit, I would apply for a passport, sell up and go somewhere else.
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Blame gordon brown for over spending and making this country more unequal ..and as for the outrage about JCs remark well it looks like the unions and labour diverting attention from their failed strike the damp squib toy throwing by these trouble
makers,it just sets the produtive side of the economy even more against the public sector..
What part of sick of public sector moaning dont these union barrons get???
 
BBH said:
?????
Don't understand that at all.

Am signing out of this now its getting silly and ridiculous.
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Let me explain.

This thread is about Jeremy Clarkson.

Not that long ago Jeremy got into trouble for making a comment about lorry drivers murdering prostitutes. The lorry dirvers got upset because the majority of them are honest, law abiding citizens who didn't appreciate being stereotyped. Jeremy was making a joke.

You made a comment that implied you think all self employed people are criminals (hiding money from HMRC is a crime). Self employed people, and their families are upset about this because the vast majority are honest law abiding citizens who don't appreciate being stereotyped. You weren't making a joke.

Get it now?
 
noblesteed said:
I am slighlty concerned that I have been paying this much per month into my pension because I take home £2000. It IS deducted before tax but my gross pay was £3000. meaning I lose £1000 in deductions... So that MUST be more than 6% I am paying, its more like 12...
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Noblesteed, your pension is deducted before tax but after NI contributions which are paid at 12-14% (depending on what you earn). This means at £340 your deduction is around 7% - not 12%!!

Can I assume you don't teach maths? ;) :D

On a serious note - I'm sure you're not the only PS worker supporting the strike who doesn't know their figures. It is complicated, but it doesn't really garner sympathy.

And one final point - PS workers do have the option to opt out of their scheme don't they? I wonder why, if the contributions are considered so high, more PS worker don't? Could it be that, for all the moaning by the strikers, it's still a damn sight better than anything provided privately? ;)
 
Re Strikers - had to giggle as apparently the 'replacement' Immigration & Customs folk at Dover managed to detect more illegals coming in and smuggling than the 'real' teams. Hmm, so who sleeps on the job...?

Re JC, I admit he makes me mad (eg. his comment about Range Rovers having special storage for a hoof pick), however he has the courage to say what many of us think and dare not say.
 
KristmasKatt said:
Crikey people seem to think that 67 is absolutely ancient. Do we really believe that 67 year olds aren't capable of doing a proper and decent job?

I have no doubt that a 67 year old could keep control of a class of badly behaved teenagers. At the secondary school I went to it was the young teachers who lacked control, not the older ones. In fact we had a part time teacher who worked beyond retirement, and was over 67 (she looked about 105...). She had a 100% attendance record, being one of only a couple of staff members who made it in during snow (she walked 6 miles to and from school every day)and if she taught your class you didn't think of misbehaving. She was terrifying!

It is incredibly patronising to suggest that someone can't do a reasonable days work at age 67.

For example Churchill was 65 when he first became prime minister and by the end of his last term he was 80. And the general opinion is that he did a pretty good job of leading the country through some of the most difficult times we have ever faced. He was 70 by the end of WW2!

Ranulph Fiennes climbed Everest aged 65 (and in the same year gave Mr Clarkson himself a good ticking off.. and he's the epitomy of a a naughty schoolboy!)

And 67 is also the age of the oldest person to compete at the olympics, in the dressage.

But forget all that at 67 all you will be good for is knitting in a rocking chair and sucking werthers originals!
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I just wanted to say... I'm 33 and I LOVE werthers!

ETS: and on that note, I'm off to hide my self-employed fortune. Cheerio!
 
Ha ha I work in a state primary school in a reasonably deprived area and there is absolutely NO WAY I would physically be able to do my job at 67.
My colleagues and I regularly have to physically restrain unruly pupils, run after them when they decide to take themselves home, suffer physical and verbal abuse on a daily basis. This is aside from having to sit on tiny chairs, sit on the carpet, move furniture around, empty sand and water trays, crawl around on hands and knees to assist 3 year-olds fasten their little coats etc etc - LONG gone are the days when teachers used to sit at a chair behind a desk! In fact if OFSTED saw that you would be strung up!!!! It's all part of the job and I love it BUT for example I am pregnant and have a bad back - I have been signed off work as I am not deemed 'unfit' for purpose... So I dread to think how I will be at 67. I can only hope I am a headteacher by then and so able to spend some of my day behind a desk. And have a burly deputy head to do the physical restraining...

The same goes for the medical profession and the police and fire service - they have highly physically demanding jobs and would struggle to do them at 67. I couldn't imagine 67 year-old nurses being able to roll a patient single-handedly! As Mrs B said, they will all end up on the sick with bad backs so that idea won't work!!!

As for the public sector being expected to pay for the cuts- well yes but when I chose my career I thought very carefully about job security and pensions benefits at the end of it - and chose teaching. At the time it was a very poorly paid job but I believed it was a job for life.
However, it is not!! There are far more teachers than there are jobs these days and redundancies galore due to falling birth rates (unless you're 17 and on Jobseekers allowance)- 2 years ago I survived redundancy but a colleague got the chop - after 15 years of teaching she cannot find another teaching job. Nurses and Police officers are also facing redundancies and pay-cuts galore.

The people who are responsible for our current economic disasters are NOT the ones paying for it now - we are - honest hard-working folk. If the private sector want to strike as well I would be in favour of them too! But they gave away their rights to strike years ago. The government is using a 'divide and conquer' strategy, telling lies galore and pulling the wool over the public's eyes, and probably Clarkson was paid a considerable amount of money to make those remarks to fuel this public-private sector war of words.

This country is a mess and the only way we will put things right is by standing up to the morons in charge!!!! The people who should be paying are the richest but are getting away scot-free while we who work hard for our wages and pensions are being squeezed again and again.
 
martlin said:
I just wanted to say... I'm 33 and I LOVE werthers!

ETS: and on that note, I'm off to hide my self-employed fortune. Cheerio!
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Spend some of your hidden self employed fortune on vodka so you can experience "THE BEST" way to enjoy werthers original. WERTHERS VODKA! :D
 
CaveCanem said:
I'd love to have lots of money hidden away, hahahaha!
How much do you think self employed people actually earn?! Try a drop from £22k as staff to £11k as a freelance in one year!
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Nice one CC, some of my customers think I should charge public sector basic skilled wage levels per hour, ie £9.00 per hour , what they don't consider is that I also have to pay for a vehicle and tools and fuel and insurance and contingencies, sick pay, and pension[joking], 13 public holidays [yes joking], four weeks "paid holidays", which conservatively works out at £5K per annum, I can only work [I mean actual work on site] 15-25 hours per week on average, and these are the only hours I can charge for.

I get a pension, which is not enough to live on, it is survival money, and am I the only one who wants to think that they will work from the age of 17 to 67 to end up buying discounted foods at the Tesco "Quick Sale" counter, and what happens if, like 25 % of the population in the former heavy industrial areas in Glasgow, I end up puffing and wheezing, and using a walking stick at an early age.
 
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Horserider, thanks for the link. I especially love:
Downing Street issued a tongue-in-cheek statement last night on the subject, saying. "Execution is not government policy and we have no plans to make it government policy."
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I have complained about Clarksons's comments.. on the basis that it inspires hate politics as demonstrated by the T Party in the States with the resultant shooting of a congresswoman..

I was on strike as I deeply resent paying "extra contributions" which in fact will go to paying off the banking crisis... I personally wouldn't mind if I knew the extra contributions actually went into a pension fund rather than straight into the banking inspired deficit.

I can quite see that in many cases (not all) it would be impossible to expect 60 + yo to be able to do the same physical jobs. This really hasn't been thought thro at all.

I also fail to see how economically speaking it is better to increase the number of people that will drop out of a pension contribution scheme and end up costing the state even more when they come to relay on a State Pension?

Clarkson's comments are uneducated and causing the same polarisation of debate that the T Party have caused in the States... this is not constructive and in a time of crisis doesn't lead to constructive action by the political system.

Public sector pensions were reformed 5 years ago and the costs have subsequently been decreasing anyway.. the current administrations attack on public sector pensions is purely an attempt to grab funds to pay off the deficit caused by irresponsible banking.

This was my first ever time on strike and I loath seeing the polarisation it is causing. I think the time for adversarial politics is over and we should all be pulling together :(
 
Teee heee heee I am apparently a 'scrounger' and I am milking the system... As a teacher with 12 years experience in 'colourful' schools, including turning a failing school into a good one, senior manager , running 2 key stages and acting head in absence of the headteacher, who gets told 'we can't afford to pay you as a manager as our roles are falling, you're lucky you weren't one of the ones we made redundant' - I love scrounging, me!!! I think maybe I should be one of the people Clarkson wanted to shoot. That would save the taxpayer paying me while I am on the sick as well - and they wouldn't have to pay my maternity pay either!! Yes he should DEFINITELY shoot me!!!!!

And no I don't teach maths which involves numbers beyond 1000. My husband who is also a teacher deals with 'that sort of thing'. I have a horse, therefore I am unable to add up costs of things properly.

Incidentally it is coming out that JC was put up to making those remarks... no surprises there...
 
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