Having read the three blogs that links have been given for, I can only conclude we have somebody who intensely loathes the French, appears to equally dislike people aged over 60 living in France, believes in a troublemaking minority political party that has aligned itself with a Polish party whose head is a Holocaust denier, Hitler admiring, extremely sexist and racist nasty piece of work. Marine le Pen would not allow FN to align with the UK party. We can draw our own conclusions.
What we are seeing here is what is known as trolling in the electronic world. I suggest we all now completely disregard this post, make no further comments and ignore any further posts by the author. He has been politely asked to respect dinner party manners, which he has not. He has used offensive terminology, that is unacceptable. His blogs include overt and offensive racism which he uses in a sensationalist manner like the absolute gutter press that thrives on such distortion of our world. Some people have called him names, we now need to beware of treading across the fine line that takes that into ad hominem remarks. We do not do that. If he has sympathisers, allow them to post and comment among themselves. Let's simply finish this despicable trollery and show how we civilised SFN members deal with such people. They do not belong here with us, so let's show them once and for all.
Richard , one swallow doesn't make a summer. So UKIP have one MP they may have a couple more but immigration and leaving the EU is the only topic so far they have talked about. I have neither read nor heard of any other or seen their manifesto what do they propose to do regards education the unemployment, infrastructure they are playing to the small minority who blame the EU and immigrants for all their woes. As for the WFP yes you could argue that it should be means tested but also the argument, why ? you are penalising someone who did well at school or maybe not but worked hard did well at work saved not wasted his money on women and drink and has a good pension he is then told sorry you dont qualify for anything the guy who spent his life in the pub and billiard hall is getting all the hand outs, now is that fair.Apart from that i think you have posted just to argue and are sitting back laughing at everyone such is the nature of a Troll
Bruce, please don't rub salt in the wounds with jokes that may get a few people angry or upset. You just played up to the tabloid depiction of expats living on benefits by the pool with iced wine with that one.
Personally, I need it to pay for our air conditioning every year, in Mauritius. If I didn't have the WFP, I'd likely sweat more and have to spend other funds on ice cold beer! In't life a bitch!
While understanding why some feel it is unfair, one can see the logic of defining a country (i.e. France) as it defines itself (i.e including the domtoms). (If Algeria were still part of France the average temperature would be even higher.) It doesn't seem to me this is some fiendish plot by the UK Government against ex pats in France, but just the unfortunate consequence of applying a simple logic, and to do otherwise would no doubt lead to other anomalies.
The underlying problem with the wfp (in the UK) is that it is insufficient for many but wholly unnecessary for many more. Where we lived in Norfolk there was a campaign to encourage those who did not need it to give the money to the Norfolk Community Foundation for them to use to help those in fuel poverty.
Means testing is impractical as it would cost more than it would save.
May I take this opportunity to remind you of SFN's guidelines, please read up on them here. Ad Hominem attacks will not be tolerated. Please be civil to your fellow members.
Brains vs brawn.