Comments on: NEW POLL: what’s the main point of the Lib Dem party conference? http://www.libdemvoice.org/new-poll-whats-the-main-point-of-the-lib-dem-party-conference-3247.html Our place to talk - an independent website for supporters of the Liberal Democrat party in the UK. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:46:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Duncan Borrowman http://www.libdemvoice.org/new-poll-whats-the-main-point-of-the-lib-dem-party-conference-3247.html#comment-59382 Duncan Borrowman Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:15:24 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3247#comment-59382 Back to the holidays - the Bank Holidays counting is staying, but the minimum is increasing from April 2009. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10029788 Back to the holidays – the Bank Holidays counting is staying, but the minimum is increasing from April 2009.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10029788

]]> By: I've been to Oxford y'know http://www.libdemvoice.org/new-poll-whats-the-main-point-of-the-lib-dem-party-conference-3247.html#comment-59373 I've been to Oxford y'know Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:07:54 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3247#comment-59373 To screw around and tell everyone they're fabulous? To screw around and tell everyone they’re fabulous?

]]> By: Julian H http://www.libdemvoice.org/new-poll-whats-the-main-point-of-the-lib-dem-party-conference-3247.html#comment-59372 Julian H Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:03:29 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3247#comment-59372 "Why the bloody hell should I or anyone else be forced to take time off work at the same time as everyone else on dates that are, to me, as abitrary as they are completely meaningless?" Nice to see some good, liberal sentiment here. We don't need these collective, imposed holidays. Scrap the lot of 'em and let people choose for themselves. “Why the bloody hell should I or anyone else be forced to take time off work at the same time as everyone else on dates that are, to me, as abitrary as they are completely meaningless?”

Nice to see some good, liberal sentiment here. We don’t need these collective, imposed holidays. Scrap the lot of ‘em and let people choose for themselves.

]]> By: Geoffrey Payne http://www.libdemvoice.org/new-poll-whats-the-main-point-of-the-lib-dem-party-conference-3247.html#comment-59370 Geoffrey Payne Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:51:44 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3247#comment-59370 There are lots of reasons, but the most important is to have a debate about what the Liberal Democrats stand for. Before I joined the party I previously imagined that debating politics was what all political parties did. I had never seen a Focus before. That soon changed. In truth I was rather disappointed, but I always take the view that your local party is what you make of it, and where ever I have been active I have invited speakers to debate issues. Conference is a wonderful event with lots of fringe meetings and lots of opinions. Ideal for political animals like myself, but I am sure that those who aren't can still enjoy it. Some people accuse the LDs of being political opportunists. Those of us who wish for better hope that events like conference will generally lift people's horizons. There are lots of reasons, but the most important is to have a debate about what the Liberal Democrats stand for.
Before I joined the party I previously imagined that debating politics was what all political parties did.
I had never seen a Focus before. That soon changed. In truth I was rather disappointed, but I always take the view that your local party is what you make of it, and where ever I have been active I have invited speakers to debate issues.
Conference is a wonderful event with lots of fringe meetings and lots of opinions. Ideal for political animals like myself, but I am sure that those who aren’t can still enjoy it.
Some people accuse the LDs of being political opportunists. Those of us who wish for better hope that events like conference will generally lift people’s horizons.

]]> By: David Morton http://www.libdemvoice.org/new-poll-whats-the-main-point-of-the-lib-dem-party-conference-3247.html#comment-59367 David Morton Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:27:30 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3247#comment-59367 I'm open to correction but I'm fairly sure the government is legislating to add the current 8 Bank Holidays onto the current legal minimum of 20 days. If we are in moaning mode as i'm temping at the moment I don't get any holidays!. A notional proportion of my hourly rate is statutory holiday pay and its upto me to save the money and spend it on lost income if I don't want to work one week. I accept the strong libertarian arguement for abolishing Bank Holidays but i think its a bit culturally, emotionally and spiritually bankrupt. Don't we want any shared social space? Do we want complete atomisation? I’m open to correction but I’m fairly sure the government is legislating to add the current 8 Bank Holidays onto the current legal minimum of 20 days. If we are in moaning mode as i’m temping at the moment I don’t get any holidays!. A notional proportion of my hourly rate is statutory holiday pay and its upto me to save the money and spend it on lost income if I don’t want to work one week.

I accept the strong libertarian arguement for abolishing Bank Holidays but i think its a bit culturally, emotionally and spiritually bankrupt.

Don’t we want any shared social space? Do we want complete atomisation?

]]> By: Anders http://www.libdemvoice.org/new-poll-whats-the-main-point-of-the-lib-dem-party-conference-3247.html#comment-59366 Anders Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:14:39 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3247#comment-59366 This seems to have digressed somewhat from Lib Dem conference, however... <i>Why the bloody hell should I or anyone else be forced to take time off work at the same time as everyone else on dates that are, to me, as abitrary as they are completely meaningless?</i> I used to have an employer who just added all the bank holidays (except Christmas) on to our annual leave total and then allowed us to take them when we wanted. This meant that lots of people worked on bank holidays (you got more done as the phone rarely rang) and then you took days off at another time. It also allowed the many Sikhs who worked for the company to take the appropriate religious holidays. Of course now I work for the Lib Dems I don't get any holidays :-) Perhaps legislation needs to be updated to abolish bank holidays but ensure that the minimum entitlement is increased to take account of the number of bank holidays. This seems to have digressed somewhat from Lib Dem conference, however…

Why the bloody hell should I or anyone else be forced to take time off work at the same time as everyone else on dates that are, to me, as abitrary as they are completely meaningless?

I used to have an employer who just added all the bank holidays (except Christmas) on to our annual leave total and then allowed us to take them when we wanted. This meant that lots of people worked on bank holidays (you got more done as the phone rarely rang) and then you took days off at another time. It also allowed the many Sikhs who worked for the company to take the appropriate religious holidays. Of course now I work for the Lib Dems I don’t get any holidays :-)

Perhaps legislation needs to be updated to abolish bank holidays but ensure that the minimum entitlement is increased to take account of the number of bank holidays.

]]> By: Oranjepan http://www.libdemvoice.org/new-poll-whats-the-main-point-of-the-lib-dem-party-conference-3247.html#comment-59351 Oranjepan Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:24:40 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3247#comment-59351 Personally I think there should be a V-Day bank holiday for elections - I always have to take a day off as it is. Personally I think there should be a V-Day bank holiday for elections – I always have to take a day off as it is.

]]> By: iainm http://www.libdemvoice.org/new-poll-whats-the-main-point-of-the-lib-dem-party-conference-3247.html#comment-59350 iainm Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:24:21 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3247#comment-59350 So long as employers are allowed to count bank holidays towards their employees' annual leave I will be totally against adding more of them. To those people, my wife amongst them, one more bank holiday just amounts to one day fewer they can take whenever they want. Personally I would get shot of public holidays altogether, including Christmas. Why the bloody hell should I or anyone else be forced to take time off work at the same time as everyone else on dates that are, to me, as abitrary as they are completely meaningless? So long as employers are allowed to count bank holidays towards their employees’ annual leave I will be totally against adding more of them. To those people, my wife amongst them, one more bank holiday just amounts to one day fewer they can take whenever they want.

Personally I would get shot of public holidays altogether, including Christmas. Why the bloody hell should I or anyone else be forced to take time off work at the same time as everyone else on dates that are, to me, as abitrary as they are completely meaningless?

]]> By: David Morton http://www.libdemvoice.org/new-poll-whats-the-main-point-of-the-lib-dem-party-conference-3247.html#comment-59347 David Morton Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:17:29 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3247#comment-59347 I rather enjoyed Simon Jenkins concept of (JK) Rowlingtide to describe the Hallow'een and Bonfire Night period. The issue at that time of year is what we do with Rememberence Day as the events (thankfully) slip from living memory. Over the next 30 years we need to find a culturally sustainable way of preserving the memories and lesons when there is no one left to parade at cenotaphs.I don't know if an early November bank could cover that as well? I don't know what party policy is but Monday would be a good time to raise it. the entire country will feel in "back to work" mode, it will be September and the miserable trek to Christmas will start with darkening nights and nothing to look forward to but fuel poverty. Surely an enterprising Shadow cabinet member could try and spark a debate? I rather enjoyed Simon Jenkins concept of (JK) Rowlingtide to describe the Hallow’een and Bonfire Night period.

The issue at that time of year is what we do with Rememberence Day as the events (thankfully) slip from living memory. Over the next 30 years we need to find a culturally sustainable way of preserving the memories and lesons when there is no one left to parade at cenotaphs.I don’t know if an early November bank could cover that as well?

I don’t know what party policy is but Monday would be a good time to raise it. the entire country will feel in “back to work” mode, it will be September and the miserable trek to Christmas will start with darkening nights and nothing to look forward to but fuel poverty.

Surely an enterprising Shadow cabinet member could try and spark a debate?

]]> By: Malc http://www.libdemvoice.org/new-poll-whats-the-main-point-of-the-lib-dem-party-conference-3247.html#comment-59346 Malc Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:59:38 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3247#comment-59346 Some might leave out the words "main" and "conference" from the poll question... Some might leave out the words “main” and “conference” from the poll question…

]]> By: Richard http://www.libdemvoice.org/new-poll-whats-the-main-point-of-the-lib-dem-party-conference-3247.html#comment-59345 Richard Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:43:05 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3247#comment-59345 mid-October? Why not co-opt one of the two events a fortnight later that are already mass celebrations? Both Hallowe'en and Guy Fawkes' are taken very seriously; if they were a day off work as well, then that would ensure a real narrative to the day that, especially for Guy Fawkes' would not be a simple piss-up. mid-October? Why not co-opt one of the two events a fortnight later that are already mass celebrations?

Both Hallowe’en and Guy Fawkes’ are taken very seriously; if they were a day off work as well, then that would ensure a real narrative to the day that, especially for Guy Fawkes’ would not be a simple piss-up.

]]> By: David Morton http://www.libdemvoice.org/new-poll-whats-the-main-point-of-the-lib-dem-party-conference-3247.html#comment-59343 David Morton Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:57:26 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3247#comment-59343 A poll on Bank Holidays would have been a good one. We have too few and they are irregularly placed. We have a long hours/consumption model of economic development in Britain. I don't judge that personal choice for others but we seem to have lost a sense of enjoyment and shared space and time. You'll always get some moaning CBI spokesperson talking about the cost of bank holidays but there is another side of the balance sheet. They are a huge stimulous to the service sector. The economy didn't collapse when we had extra bank holidays for the Millennium and the Jubilee. As a stop gap i definately think we should have two extra bank holidays at the beginning of the Olympics in 2012. it would help with the charge that the games aren't for the whole country and given enough notice could be used promote community sports days and festivals. with regards to others. Its difficult to invent "real time mythologies" particularly in an old country like Britain however my top three suggestions would be 1. 23rd of April. St George/the Bard according to taste with the choice evolved to assemblies in Scotland,Wales and NI. I don't think we are going to be able to avoid the debate about englishness over the next few years and this would allow space for people to define it positively. 2. A mid summer holiday the weekend following the Solstice. Given the astonishing growth in enviromentalism I think the idea of an earth day might coalese around it. 3. A mid october bank holiday to break up the miserable trek from August to Christmas. It would falling during or just after the half term holiday alowing some family time. Mothers and fathers day are to well entrenched but a Grand parents/extended families theme could emerge. Of course in great liberal tradition most people would just fly to malaga/go to Ikea/get drunk and be thoroughly resistant to any attempt at state imposed bank holiday meta narratives. but its worth discusing. A poll on Bank Holidays would have been a good one. We have too few and they are irregularly placed. We have a long hours/consumption model of economic development in Britain. I don’t judge that personal choice for others but we seem to have lost a sense of enjoyment and shared space and time. You’ll always get some moaning CBI spokesperson talking about the cost of bank holidays but there is another side of the balance sheet. They are a huge stimulous to the service sector. The economy didn’t collapse when we had extra bank holidays for the Millennium and the Jubilee.

As a stop gap i definately think we should have two extra bank holidays at the beginning of the Olympics in 2012. it would help with the charge that the games aren’t for the whole country and given enough notice could be used promote community sports days and festivals.

with regards to others. Its difficult to invent “real time mythologies” particularly in an old country like Britain however my top three suggestions would be

1. 23rd of April. St George/the Bard according to taste with the choice evolved to assemblies in Scotland,Wales and NI. I don’t think we are going to be able to avoid the debate about englishness over the next few years and this would allow space for people to define it positively.

2. A mid summer holiday the weekend following the Solstice. Given the astonishing growth in enviromentalism I think the idea of an earth day might coalese around it.

3. A mid october bank holiday to break up the miserable trek from August to Christmas. It would falling during or just after the half term holiday alowing some family time. Mothers and fathers day are to well entrenched but a Grand parents/extended families theme could emerge.

Of course in great liberal tradition most people would just fly to malaga/go to Ikea/get drunk and be thoroughly resistant to any attempt at state imposed bank holiday meta narratives.

but its worth discusing.

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