If you could change the way this country is run...

[Redway]

...what would you change? Would you change the education system, the NHS, immigration, drug laws, benefits system or what? And how would you do it?

[InOne]

I'd review the smoking ban.

[Redway]

I'd review the smoking ban.

Got there just before me LOL

[InOne]

I would let pubs have the choice, but the pubs that serve food have to be a bit more restricted on where they allow the smoking (Totally seperate room for example). Also all pubs must have filters in so the smoke isn't lingering around. Sorted :pipe:

[joeysteele]

Overall I would likely be planning much of what the present Govt is doing but with a massive difference.
Some things I would do.
I also believe savings can be made in a big way within Local Authorities and also over most Govt departments.
I would set out to simplify benefits,However, the reforms and polices that have been done so far,I would take right back to the drawing board and although modelling policies around a lot of what was planned, I would add the main ingredient that is missing from a great deal of this Govts policies.
Which is,I would instil compassion,fairness and justice to welfare and benefit reform, not take away funds that people were told they were entitled to in addition to what the Govt decreed they had they had to have to live on.
I also would not tolerate the discrimination,victimisation and demonisation of the sick and disabled that this Govt loves to fuel and plan.

I would scrap the bedroom tax and also the change to PIP from DLA too, also no way would I want to have in any Govt I was in, people on benefits being forced to have their benefits paid monthly.

The only reforms as to the NHS that I would make would be to clear away a lot of the trust management staff, many of those people wander around hospitals with bits of paper or clipboards and make virtually no input to real patient care or hands on care.Most of them cannot even direct you to departments or wards even.

I also really would pull Govt away from acting like a nanny state as to the Country, this lot condemned Labour for too much of policies resembling a nanny state but these are far worse.

I would also though and instantly,take the sledgehammer away this Govt loves to wield, from ever being used again against the weakest,poorest and most vulnerable in the Country.

[Jack_]

Redistribution of wealth, get people back into work, more support to those who need it, slight increase in taxes, putting an end to the poor-bashing and those on welfare.

Obviously needs expanding on but that's the basics.

[Kizzy]

The big 6 energy providers should be regulated to stop the extortionate rises that are killing the most vulnerable too.
20'000 people died last year, how can our government allow this?

[Nedusa]

That's a very big question one that could take some time in answering. You may inadvertently opened a large can of worms with this thread, prepare for some of our fellow posters ( mentioning no names) to put the world to rights and prepare for pages and pages and more pages of data, statistics, opinion showing how our newly designed perfect Society would now work.

[joeysteele]

The big 6 energy providers should be regulated to stop the extortionate rises that are killing the most vulnerable too.
20'000 people died last year, how can our government allow this?

Absolutely,also I think the Govt needs to ensure the regulator looks at an issue that gets brushed under the carpet.
I have in the last 3 months been made aware of the problems people have with pre-paid energy meters.
On the face of it they seem a good idea but in reality they are,in my view,from talking to people who have them a big problem,especially it seems if you have outstanding debt with the companies,of whom British Gas are far and away the worst from what I have had people tell me.

The worry for me on this is that a good number of elderly and sick and disabled have these contraptions.
My own view is that I would outlaw them, minimal payments for outstanding debt should be taken from wages or benefits if the consumer doesn't keep payments up on the pre paid meter.

What is unacceptable to me that I have found and had shown to me by a few consumers that have them is that for example, if you have ones of these dangerous things, in my view, put in because of non payment of bills over time in full.
Then say you were told to pay £8 a week for your gas or electricity but for whatever reason you somehow didn't make the regular payments so arrears on arrears accrued. It would take evertime you topped up, the payment for debt but then would also take £1 or more every night that there was credit on the meter for the arrears on arrears.

Of course energy companies have to be paid but but this seems to me not a good way to go about things. As I said, I would take the debt payments from benefits and likely wages too,thereby ensuring the companies got their payments and that whatever was put on the pre paid meter was solely for gas or electricity use.
Energy costs are high for everyone,I accept that but from my new knowledge of these pre paid meters,I would get rid of them and fast.

[Kizzy]

Absolutely,also I think the Govt needs to ensure the regulator looks at an issue that gets brushed under the carpet.
I have in the last 3 months been made aware of the problems people have with pre-paid energy meters.
On the face of it they seem a good idea but in reality they are,in my view,from talking to people who have them a big problem,especially it seems if you have outstanding debt with the companies,of whom British Gas are far and away the worst from what I have had people tell me.

The worry for me on this is that a good number of elderly and sick and disabled have these contraptions.
My own view is that I would outlaw them, minimal payments for outstanding debt should be taken from wages or benefits if the consumer doesn't keep payments up on the pre paid meter.

What is unacceptable to me that I have found and had shown to me by a few consumers that have them is that for example, if you have ones of these dangerous things, in my view, put in because of non payment of bills over time in full.
Then say you were told to pay £8 a week for your gas or electricity but for whatever reason you somehow didn't make the regular payments so arrears on arrears accrued. It would take evertime you topped up, the payment for debt but then would also take £1 or more every night that there was credit on the meter for the arrears on arrears.

Of course energy companies have to be paid but but this seems to me not a good way to go about things. As I said, I would take the debt payments from benefits and likely wages too,thereby ensuring the companies got their payments and that whatever was put on the pre paid meter was solely for gas or electricity use.
Energy costs are high for everyone,I accept that but from my new knowledge of these pre paid meters,I would get rid of them and fast.

I am with british gas and have a prepayment meter... can't get rid of it, they refuse to remove it and fit a credit meter.
I threatened to leave but they didn't care, I was ill recently and the gas went, It had used up £20 in 2 days! the top up shop was closed.
No wonder people are dying!
Link payments to pensions if need be but get rid of meters :sad:

[joeysteele]

I am with british gas and have a prepayment meter... can't get rid of it, they refuse to remove it and fit a credit meter.
I threatened to leave but they didn't care, I was ill recently and the gas went, It had used up £20 in 2 days! the top up shop was closed.
No wonder people are dying!
Link payments to pensions if need be but get rid of meters :sad:

I wish you luck Kizzy.
I would leave them if you could,that's how I feel about them, once in my own home in the future the one company I will steer well clear of is British Gas, they have an atrocious customer service and are in truth quite arrogant.
I know that from dealing with some peoples problems with them.

The other issue with these pre-payment meters is that as a rule you will not be on the very best tariff possible either.
This really is an issue someone in power needs to have looked into, the pre-payment meter is a total rip off forthe consumer and it's also in my view not a good way to go about things.

For instance, it is Winter, many people who have a pre-payment meter will also be likely entitled to cold weather payments,first of all it has to be at on or below 0 degrees for 7 days in a row for a cold weather payment to be triggered, then it takes around a week or longer for that cold weather to reach the account of the person entitled to it.
That means near 2 whole weeks of waiting in freezing temperatures to be able to get more funds on the pre-payment meter.
That's a disgrace in the UK in the 21st century and also it is a real health hazard too for people who are elderly, sick,disabled or vulnerable.

[Kizzy]

Thanks joey :)
It is really difficult, especially when 40% of all the money put onto the meter over the whole year is in the nov-feb quarter.
Some may think heat or eat is just a headline... believe me, it isn't.
Like you say the tarriff is higher too..how unfair is that?
I may ask them to adjust it if they won't remove it, if I can get the meter in credit by the time the weather cools again it will take the pressure off hopefully.

[Glenn.]

I don't quite know what I would do, but I'm sure it would be something to do with the Benefit system. Mainly seeking out people who refuse to work, but claim benefits.

Also a review on the smoking ban. I think some pubs should be able to decide whether they want its customers smoking inside.