ChatterBank1 min ago
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.It seems a sensible way to do this. Some areas will benefit from this, others might not. Will it benefit the area financially, give more jobs, put to much pressure on the small retailer, create too much extra traffic and noise? These are decisions that should be made locally, not by central government
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"...people would be whinging about Osborne the dictator imposing his evil Tory will on the poor councils. "
I would not be among them, ludwig. Quite the reverse, in fact. I believe that there is no need for local councils whatsoever. Local services can be run by a professional executive appointed by the government. Local councils are simply democratically elected busybodies to whom power has been entrusted to make decisions that should be made nationally (and this topic is a case in point).
There is no earthly reason why residents in Scunthorpe should pay less Council Tax than those in Weybridge (a decision taken by local authorities) and no earthly reason why one or other of them should have their dustbins emptied less frequently (another decision taken by local authorities).
The biggest travesty of all is the entrustment of State education to local authorities. They are just about the very last bodies you would trust to oversee and administer something as important as education, let alone trust them with the disbursement of one pound in every eight spent by the government – a budget greater than everything else bar welfare and health. The education budget should be administered to schools by the Department for Education (why else does that department exist?) and allocated directly to schools on a per capita basis.
A change to the Sunday Trading laws would not be imposing anything on anybody (quite the reverse, in fact as nobody is being forced to open longer - they are simply being allowed to do so if they wish). This decision should be made by national government. It can then be administered by the people best placed to decide - individual traders. If Sunday opening hours are extended they can either open or remain closed as they think fit. They would be far better able to reach that decision sensibly than Councillor Bloggs and his mates.
I would not be among them, ludwig. Quite the reverse, in fact. I believe that there is no need for local councils whatsoever. Local services can be run by a professional executive appointed by the government. Local councils are simply democratically elected busybodies to whom power has been entrusted to make decisions that should be made nationally (and this topic is a case in point).
There is no earthly reason why residents in Scunthorpe should pay less Council Tax than those in Weybridge (a decision taken by local authorities) and no earthly reason why one or other of them should have their dustbins emptied less frequently (another decision taken by local authorities).
The biggest travesty of all is the entrustment of State education to local authorities. They are just about the very last bodies you would trust to oversee and administer something as important as education, let alone trust them with the disbursement of one pound in every eight spent by the government – a budget greater than everything else bar welfare and health. The education budget should be administered to schools by the Department for Education (why else does that department exist?) and allocated directly to schools on a per capita basis.
A change to the Sunday Trading laws would not be imposing anything on anybody (quite the reverse, in fact as nobody is being forced to open longer - they are simply being allowed to do so if they wish). This decision should be made by national government. It can then be administered by the people best placed to decide - individual traders. If Sunday opening hours are extended they can either open or remain closed as they think fit. They would be far better able to reach that decision sensibly than Councillor Bloggs and his mates.
You've changed your tune AOG. Your words...
// I think that the large stores should close all day Sunday, if people do not have enough time to shop six days of the week, tough.
Nothing to do with religion, just setting one day out of seven as a 'special' day, a day when all the family can be together.
At one time shops were not only closed on a Sunday but also half day on Wednesday, we managed quite adequately then.
Apart from all this, think of the small corner shop, they would lose that convenience Sunday trade, the only day that they get one over the huge greedy supermarket conglomerates`. //
// I think that the large stores should close all day Sunday, if people do not have enough time to shop six days of the week, tough.
Nothing to do with religion, just setting one day out of seven as a 'special' day, a day when all the family can be together.
At one time shops were not only closed on a Sunday but also half day on Wednesday, we managed quite adequately then.
Apart from all this, think of the small corner shop, they would lose that convenience Sunday trade, the only day that they get one over the huge greedy supermarket conglomerates`. //
"More long hours for shop workers, at the Minimum Wage ! " yes perhaps they should have tried harder at school, oh hang on Labour abolished the grammer schools didn't they! So everyone will feel equal in a comprehensive. They then send their own kids to private school, good old soicialism you can't beat it"!
"Wouldn't we be better off doing away with the locally elected busybodies in Westminster, ..."
No we wouldn't, ludwig. The EU is not a nation state and its elected representatives have virtually no law making power. It is run by unelected commissioners. The best model to run a nation state in my book is a national government elected by its citizens which passes legislation that cannot be trumped by a supra-national body. No other institution (including devolved "parliaments" or "assemblies" should have the power to legislate) Furthermore that government should not devolve power to another bunch of politicians.
In short, one government for the UK; no interference from beyond the UK; no local government.
No we wouldn't, ludwig. The EU is not a nation state and its elected representatives have virtually no law making power. It is run by unelected commissioners. The best model to run a nation state in my book is a national government elected by its citizens which passes legislation that cannot be trumped by a supra-national body. No other institution (including devolved "parliaments" or "assemblies" should have the power to legislate) Furthermore that government should not devolve power to another bunch of politicians.
In short, one government for the UK; no interference from beyond the UK; no local government.
It is patently absurd that employers are not allowed to trade whatever hours they see fit on a Sunday, so the sooner this ridiculous situation is abolished the better.
Employers will find the staff to fill the extra hours.
Plus, of course, if the cost to run a business for the extra hours is not enough to pay the extra staff and/or turn a profit, the business will quickly realise this and cease to do so.
My understanding is that 'The Church' will object.
So what?
By and large we are now a secular society - the church should have no bearing on commercial decisions.
Employers will find the staff to fill the extra hours.
Plus, of course, if the cost to run a business for the extra hours is not enough to pay the extra staff and/or turn a profit, the business will quickly realise this and cease to do so.
My understanding is that 'The Church' will object.
So what?
By and large we are now a secular society - the church should have no bearing on commercial decisions.
// we are now a secular society //
No we are not.
The big supermarkets who are after this are the ones who pay minimum wage and zero contract hours. This results in most of their employees not earning a living wage and claiming working tax credits that cost the country £40billion a year. By extending their opening hours, we are extending the cost to the Exchequer.
(I do support unrestricted opening)
No we are not.
The big supermarkets who are after this are the ones who pay minimum wage and zero contract hours. This results in most of their employees not earning a living wage and claiming working tax credits that cost the country £40billion a year. By extending their opening hours, we are extending the cost to the Exchequer.
(I do support unrestricted opening)