VIDEO: Hero of the week!
Posted in Resources on March 16, 2011
Here’s a video of Lorraine, a London commuting secretary, and latest recipient of the Order of the Alternative. She has been going above and beyond the call of activism by recruiting the whole double decker to work to come on the March for the Alternative. Can anyone top this?
Here are some leaflet downloads if you’d like to use them. Let us know your ideas for promoting the march and rally here. With only 10 days to go, there are still a lot of people out there who need to be reached!
What an inspiration Lorainne is to us all.
Thank you soooooo much
thanks Lorraine!..
Robin Hood hear us! …
Thank you so much for your support
Closing loopholes cannot factor in those who wish to leave the UK. The fact of matter is that the super rich have much of their wealth overseas and in many cases this has not been declared to HMRC so it can’t be taxed as its unknown. That which is in this country and is known about can be moved overseas in seconds so all HMRC can do claim money outstanding from someone who is out of its jurisdiction along with their money. There are no easy answers which is why it still goes on, it will always go on. Be realistic!
I was speaking generally, not specific cases. The work you speak of is valuable but at the end of the day cuts are necessary. The Tories have not cut taxes and they are trying to close what loophole they can to maximise tax revenue which is hardly being soft on the rich, in fact they are doing something out of character and unexpected for them which I imagine is their idea of being all in it together.
Robert1- Utter nonsense. The Tories have been itching for any excuse to cut back public services for years. It’s Thatcher mark 2. Any excuse to cut public services and hand the contracts to their old Eton school pals running private companies.
You also appear to claim that there is nothing but the cream of the cream in the private sector and it’s a shining example of efficiency. Having also worked in the private sector I can confirm that this isn’t the case AT ALL.
There are many, many exceptional people working in the public sector who are paid little because society seems to not value the work that they do, not because they are they are not good at their jobs. The carers, teachers, nurses, doctors, social workers, police men, librarians etc etc accept that they will never be rich but work to make a difference to society.
And finally, inequality is not inevitable.
Not all companies are run by old Etonians, stop stereotyping and trying to put this in terms of a class war. Thatcher was the daughter of a greengrocer, not an aristocrat so what relevance in all this is Cameron’s birth. There are no shortage of people who agree with conservative ideology who do not come from a privileged background. I am one of them!
Doctors make a fortune!! Police officers, given the entry requirements, get paid far more than most private sector workers and Teachers are well paid as well. True the average private sector salary is more but only because the disparity between those at the top and bottom is greater. Teachers are paid in the first years on experience gain, not any real achievement.
The private sector is more efficient. I am not saying it is always so but in the private sector efficiency matters more than it does in the pubic sector because if not small companies would go bust!
Inequality is inevitable because it is natural. We each have our own talents and abilities but some of us have more unique talents and abilities which make them stand out and take advantage of their good fortune. For socialism to work we would all have to be happy having the same regardless of the weighting of our contribution-it just doesn’t work. Just look at the examples- UUSR, Eastern Europe, China and North Korea. All failures.
Robert 1 – I applaud you for sticking to your guns, though I completely disagree with everything you say. These ideas about inequality being ‘natural’ and differential rewards being a ‘fair’ reflection of different levels of ‘natural abilities and talents’ is utterly ignorant. These ideas have been discredited philosophically long long ago (remember the Enlightenment! ), but alas, truth does not equal political power. I wonder if you have children. I hope you do make good money in the private sector, because if you don’t, the reality will hit you when you have perfectly talented children with huge potential (just like all children are) who nevertheless will not have the same opportunities or chances with those born into moneyed families in this ‘naturally unequal’ society. And what a shame that will be.
What has philosopy got to do with anything, you really ought to be more pragmatic, abstract high minded principles look good on paper but rarely have much place in the real world. Simple fact is that capitalism/consumerism works, Socialism doesn’t!
No I don’t remember, I must be younger than you:)
Lol, not all children have remarkable talent. They all have potential I grant you but what that entails depends on the child’s individual abilities and personality and their family background.
Children from more deprieved backgrounds can still go to uni but they will have to borrow the money to do it. If they are going for a meaningful reason they can pay off the debt in time like they will for a car or a mortgage. Putting off wasters can only be a good thing as it should increase standards.
Finally, I do have kids, a step daughter who is 16 and a son who is 3. The daughter will probably not go to uni as she is not academically minded, my son will probably go (after leaving grammar school I hope) and if so he can borrow to do it. If I think he will put the degree to use then I will help him out but not otherwise.
Robert, not only is there no evidence to support your contention that the private sector is more efficient than the public sector you appear to ignoring the fact that this governement is ideologically driven and bent on dismantling the Education, Health and Welfare services our country is rightly proud of. You rather gave your position away by citing Thatcher.
If the rich want to take thier money abroad, let them. There are reasons why they chose to live here. It suits them very well.
Well if they move abroad, they will pay even less tax so what is you point.
The education system is discredited, the NHS is too costly and welfare too generous. Personally I would like a tax rebate I could use the money to fund private provison. I gain nothing from the benefits other than Child Benefit which is a fraction of what I and my wife pay in tx-what a rip off!
I am pro Thatcher so I will take that as a compliment!:)
Thank you for your comments – however whilst we acknowledge cuts have to be made – it still does not answer the questions as to why banks have to have such big bonues and why large companies can move their money off shore in order to avoid paying tax on their profits. Yes Barclays Chairman does deserve a profit – BUT why 6.4 m why not 2million and put the rest in the Goverment coffers to help the country!!
Robert1- here we go again! the same old nonsense from another person with no clue about what’s going on.
I have worked with homeless people and vulnerable young adults to find employment and training opportunities for many years now. They don’t wish to be the recipient of benefits and despite what people think it is far from a comfortable lifestyle. With jobs being cut (particularly in the public sector- the very people that are in the front line to assist people back to work), avenues and support for training being reduced, and the cost of education sky rocketing, and a complex benefit system to navigate through, people are being side lined even more.
Typical that you admonish people for not working then attack the means to them being able to get out of their situation.
Being the recipient of benefits is far from the cushy and comfortable lifestyle that you seem to believe it is and unemployment can arise as a result of a number (sometimes comples) set of issues. Also Robert1 anyone who buys a pint of milk or loaf of bread pays tax. It is difficult to avoid paying into the system.
All I want is to have everyone pay into the system. you claim the super rich will just leave the country for 6 months! Then this is why we have to try to change the system so these loopholes are closed! it’s disgusting. This is money that would have been ploughed back in to the UK again!
I will be marching on the 26th!
Loraine, you are an inspiration. Will be joining you on Saturday from Edinburgh.
Outstanding Lorraine! Flippin’ brilliant.
Will be there on Saturday and hope to meet you there!
Robert1-many people with exceptional abilities choose to work in the public sector as they want to give back to society, rather than work for a corporate company as they are not motivated purely by money. How would bankers etc, become bankers unless they were taught by some exceptional teachers? There are many remarkable public sector workers. I find your comments patronising and out of touch with a large proportion of this country.
Ultimately, this society will end up spending more money in the long term on unemployment, prison services, and mental healthcare because of the massive cuts now. Yes money has been wasted by government and local authorities, but if it was streamlined and managed in the correct way, we wouldn’t need to have so many front line services slashed.
Really, in my personal dealing with state employees there is little exceptional about them, there are exceptions of course but this is not the rule. Many are compele numpties and as for being out of touch (love that left wing buzz word) how in touch are the unions lol. So in touch that they are considered a handicap by even the Labour Party as much as a bonus and how representative are the 100,000 attending the march on Sat, 100,000 out of over 60,000,000 is not even 1% of the population!
The education system is a joke, no dumbing doiwn of GCSE, A Level and degrees will alter the perception of employers when viewing those coming through it. Believe me, what is being said is not flattering. Not that I blame teachers per se but the edicts of the civil servants in the department for education are idiotic and only result in failure. For those kids who do come out of the system with credit (not related to gardes obviously-fallen to far into disrepute) their achievements are in spite of the sytem you chapion not because of it. With so many kids per class how can the teacher have much impact answer me that!
What an inspirational woman. Would love to meet her to shake her hand. Colchester has 3 coaches going on 26th, it should be 300! We need to get our message across, that there is another way.
Go Lorraine! Maybe we should all try this approach in our respective areas? As for those such as Robert1 who say we’re wasting our time and that tax avoidance, etc. is legal remember this; child labour used to be legal in this country. And slavery. And denying ordinary wokring men the vote. And denying women the vote. And barring women from certain professions. And dog fighting and bear baiting. And discriminating on grounds of sexuality and race… If it wasn’t for people sticking their neck out and fighting against these things, we would be living in a far less civilised society. As for the point that companies are avoiding tax with ‘their’ money, the profits of these companies are gained through the hard work of employees paying their due tax and from money obtained from clients who are also paying their due taxes. Benefit claimants usually are receiving ‘their’ money as they have paid NI contributions. Even when they are claiming non-contributory benefits, we are a civilised and advanced country and most people, out of a sense of basic humanity and kindness, do not expect people to starve or be homeless because they haven’t got, can’t find or are not fit enough to work at paid employment, or cannot make ends meets on their working income.
I don’t feel that way, if you want to subsidise a bunch of low or no income wasters then feel free but you are impertinent to expect others to pay for your concience!
Question, those on benefits and your claim that they have paid their NI, what about those whose income was so low that they barely broke through the lower earning limit and consequently what they paid in is nothing like what they have taken out.
You are wasting your time with the super rich, they will just ensure they spend more than 6 months of the year in another country with a less punative taxation system!
Inequality is natural and ‘workers’ are paid the market rate. For those without remarkable or exceptional abilities, those who are easily replaceable, they must be content with low pay. If they were good enough for more the market will provide:)
Well done Lorrianne. We should not feel powerless but we should fight back against the Tory propaganda and lies. Did anyone see ‘ Dispatches’, about the huge sums of money paid to private companies ( Capita, SERCo and the like)) to run public services. Usually the results aren’t good, but this is just another example of the Tories finding ways to put public money into the pockets of their friends. – why can’t we just keep them in public control and run them more cheaply and effectively ?
I know hundreds that are coming down from Yorkshire. Also we are withdrawing all our funds. As another very good way to protest against these cuts is to hit the Government where it hurts. If all the people protesting withdrew all their funds from their accounts for the weekend (or the preferred long term) this government would have to listen to us. They wouldn’t expect this action along with the protest but the effects of a mass withdrawl will have a great impact.
Protest all you like, the government won’t care. My guess is that the PM will find an excuse to be elsewhere:)
Why get so worked up about those with money avoiding tax, its perfectly legal and you have to remember it is their money, what right does a benefit receipent have to someone else’s cash? Take responsibility for yourselves or be content wit the crumbs left over! lol
If you make millions of £ you have done it at the expense of someone else eg.cheap labour, unfair prices. It is immoral that some people have more money than they need (3000 peole in the UK have more omney than the GNP of Vietnam)whilst others are living in poverty.
i am not a benefit recipient and havent been for 30 years! but either myself or someone i care about will be affected by the unnessary, ideological austerity measures that are being taken. i have never protested in my life but i will be in London this Saturday to support the campaign against these cuts. As a result of these measures many people will be put onto benefits as they lose their jobs in their thousands.
So what, a couple of years ago the private sector was loosing as many jobs as the public sector is now and who made a big deal about that. In the private sector this is accepted as the norm, its about time the public sector understood that to. The public sector is out of touch with the rest of society:)
If private sector workers didn’t have people standing up together for themselves, then it’s their loss.
Why model society after the most brutish and unfortunate sectors of it? Sounds like a lose-lose situation to me.
Or would you prefer it that way with everyone losing their jobs and benefits all the while bankers who create these economic problems keep getting their bonuses.
Feeling nervous about the tax loopholes you’ve been exploiting? Just because they’re legal now doesn’t mean they’re gonna stay that way. It’s high time to narrow that gulf between what is legal and what is just.
No, its about time that those at the bottom took responsibility for themselves and stopped relying on those that can from having to look after them!
WAKE UP! I really can’t wait till your bubble bursts and YOU lose your job, then let’s see your thoughts. With technology taking over peoples livelyhoods in an ever increasing trend and more and more jobs going overseas (cadbury moving to Poland just as one example), bankers raping this country of every penny they can get and the reported, (by the bbc on March 22nd 2011) £2million a DAY spent by our government on the oil thieving wars, no wonder we are in the state that we are in.
I will be first in line to laugh at you when your in the same position as a lot of the country. The majority of the 2.5 million (approxamatly reported) people out of work are not wasters! and this is a manipulated figure any how, as anyone not in work and not cliaming any beneftis, those on government schemes via jobcentres and the like and those over 6 months unemployed are not counted in the official figures.
You sir, are a blind imbecile to think such things.
I hope you lose everything you have worked for.
And which government department do you work for?
I will be marching on the 26th to defend the rights of the people of this country against the abuses that you so readily relish!
Now now, play nicely! lol
I was made redundant in May 2009 when labour were in government. It was a time when the private sector was shedding jobs hand over fist. Thousands of jobs went because employers couldn’t afford to keep them on. I accepted it because it was logical. Why then shouls I be worried when its the public sectors turn. Truth is the jobs should have been cut back in 2009 when tax revenue fell causing the government of the day to borrow (even more) to plug the gap. Had they done what was needed then less people would have lost their jobs as the deficit would not have been so large! Ergo the cuts would not have needed to be so severe.
The public sector seems to belive that it is somehow special, well its not, public employees have no more right to a job than anyone else so get used to it!
Protest all you like, the governemnt won’t listen anymore than labour listened over Iraq or criticism of its idiotic spending policies and never ending tax hikes even in a boom period.
I’m 72 and I’m marching. Hope I’m alongside Lorraine.
brilliant!!!!
Hey! Mr Milliband, give Lorraine a job. She’s a fantastic orator and would be an asset to your shadow government.
Well done Lorraine. We all need to come together in London and show our support for this important cause against vital cuts particularly in the public sector! See you on 26th March
Thanks Lorraine – inspiring to see you at work! Will be there on the 26th
well done Lorraine , we shall be joining you in london on the 26th, joe from liverpool
Lorraine you are a star.
What a fantastic woman! Unfortunately, I live in an area where doing this would have no effect. Well done Lorraine, you’re fantastic!
Tom, how do you know it would have no effect? Has anybody ever tried doing this in your area?
What a fantastic lady – well done Lorraine, we need all the support we can get for this march and people like her are vital to the cause. Lorraine articulated her points clearly and with passion. We need people to have fire in their bellies about tax dodgers, bankers, and the Coalition.
Roll on March 26th!
Well done Lorraine! I’m sure some people on the bus will have disregarded it as nonsense but most people will have listened, and hopefully they’ll be there on the 26th!