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Politics

Elon Musk to give $100m to Reform

69 replies

EmpressoftheMundane · 02/12/2024 11:14

The Sunday Times reported that Elon Musk is considering giving $100M to Nigel Farage as a political donation.

Is this even legal? The Trump team got huffy because a bunch of Labour party members went over to volunteer for Harris. This would be a whole other level of outside interference.

I’m not at all pleased with the Labour government, but this seems wrong as a matter of principle.

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dubsie · 07/12/2024 14:23

Abhannmor · 06/12/2024 11:21

I've got a 'study buddy' in the USA. A nursing case manager at a big city hospital. She told me that, upon retirement, she will get a lump sum in addition to her pension. Unfortunately she will have to pay $15,000 to an insurance company for a minor operation she had decades ago. She has only been able to pay the interest on it all these years. But surely you of all people would be covered I asked her. ' Yeah that's what I assumed too. But there was some exclusion clause or other. Don't let these people into your country!' she replied.

And they wonder why the chief execs of these health insurance companies need armed detail to keep them safe. Recently slaying of a CEO is an example when they walk out unprotected.

I'll be frank I'm not going to feel sorry for someone who earns 10 million a year in charge of an organisation that has killed thousands by denying claim's....if anything he is a legitimate target and I couldn't sleep at night knowing the decisions I'm making have taken away a life....for profit.

dubsie · 06/12/2024 21:27

SuzieNine · 06/12/2024 14:06

Sure, because that's exactly what happens in countries like Denmark, France, Germany isn't it? Or is this just some daft slippery slop argument?

You realise in France you have to pay about 30% of your healthcare cost. You have to pay to see a GP and you claim about 70% back.

In Denmark is tax funded much like ours, somethings you have to contribute for but it's funded by taxation.

In Germany it's funded by state national health insurance....it's mandatory and is state run and healthcare is largely free..

There's isn't a single insurance company up there....

The hospitals may not be state run but that's the advantage of the NHS....our hospitals are world renowned for research and pioneers across the world. But most are very old and need money and we need proper funding comparable to Germany and France because they spend more per capita than we do.....so it's utter nonsense to suggest we can't afford it ...

This isn't what Farage wants, he clearly states a private healthcare insurance system similar to that of the United States were his own words. He's an absolute crooks....and he will be responsible for thousands living in misery if he gets any sort of power. The immigration thing is a smokescreen for all the other nasties he doesn't want people to know.

privatenonamegiven · 06/12/2024 18:59

EmpressoftheMundane · 06/12/2024 13:10

We can’t “fund it properly” without serious changes one way or the other. We cannot afford what we want. We are a lit poorer thsn a lot of people seem to realise.

This is said a lot... I like to see the evidence that we can't fund it properly without serious change. I remember reading somewhere that we had the best Health care in the world until the Tories messed it up...NHS loses title of world’s best healthcare system | The Independent We just need to fund it properly.

Maybe the serious change should be to the tax system so - we can afford to fund it better.

NHS loses crown as world’s best healthcare system

UK slips to fourth place out of 11 overall, and rated only ninth on healthcare outcomes

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/nhs-rank-rating-world-top-first-b1897008.html

ThereIsALifeOutThere · 06/12/2024 18:54

Regardless of how you find it, you need to pay.
Of course we can argue tye currnt system doesn’t work so we need to go down the private route. Which cost a lot of money to everyone

Now instead, why not laying that extra money to the government instead so we can find the NHS properly?
Because I’m absolutely sure going private isn’t going to be the solution. You just have to look at the US. There is a good reason why their life expectancy is so much lower than the U.K….
(also look at the reaction to the death of the CEO of one of those companies…..)

Im not saying some reorganisation isn’t needed. But before the Tories came in, we had a system that was working. Now it’s not. And it’s not the organisation that has changed. So let’s go back to find the NHS properly as a starting point.

SuzieNine · 06/12/2024 14:06

dubsie · 06/12/2024 13:01

Before you know it your paying 85 quid to see a GP for 10 minutes like we do with Dentists. Then you'll be expected to find the money for dressing clinics and all your follow ups ...it might just be easier to fund it properly

Sure, because that's exactly what happens in countries like Denmark, France, Germany isn't it? Or is this just some daft slippery slop argument?

EmpressoftheMundane · 06/12/2024 13:10

We can’t “fund it properly” without serious changes one way or the other. We cannot afford what we want. We are a lit poorer thsn a lot of people seem to realise.

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dubsie · 06/12/2024 13:01

EmpressoftheMundane · 06/12/2024 11:37

I’m no expert on Norway. I just remember chatting to a Norwegian friend decades ago who worked in their health service. She explained to me that when you went to your GP there, you had to pay something like £10. Everyone had a little card to get stamped. If it was stamped a certain number of times in the year, you clicked into free visits because you obviously had a health issue that would be unduly burdensome. It’s a long time ago, but I asked lots of questions. I seem to remember that children, the elderly and those on out of work benefits were exempt.

She argued it was far superior to the NHS. People were more respectful of their appointments and there was twice as long for each appointment.

I’m not arguing that this is the right answer for us. But we do need an answer because what we are doing is not working and it is getting worse. We should be curious and open minded.

Before you know it your paying 85 quid to see a GP for 10 minutes like we do with Dentists. Then you'll be expected to find the money for dressing clinics and all your follow ups ...it might just be easier to fund it properly

DogInATent · 06/12/2024 12:52

EmpressoftheMundane · 06/12/2024 10:50

True, but I wouldn’t rule out moderate copays. I would be open minded.

If you want to see how co-pays would work in a healthcare setting, look at how they work with pet insurance. It's not pretty.

EmpressoftheMundane · 06/12/2024 11:37

I’m no expert on Norway. I just remember chatting to a Norwegian friend decades ago who worked in their health service. She explained to me that when you went to your GP there, you had to pay something like £10. Everyone had a little card to get stamped. If it was stamped a certain number of times in the year, you clicked into free visits because you obviously had a health issue that would be unduly burdensome. It’s a long time ago, but I asked lots of questions. I seem to remember that children, the elderly and those on out of work benefits were exempt.

She argued it was far superior to the NHS. People were more respectful of their appointments and there was twice as long for each appointment.

I’m not arguing that this is the right answer for us. But we do need an answer because what we are doing is not working and it is getting worse. We should be curious and open minded.

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beguilingeyes · 06/12/2024 11:27

DogInATent · 02/12/2024 12:53

Do you really see Reform fading out within four years? the Conservatives keep extending their ongoing leadership car-crash, western politics isn't showing much of a slowdown in the rise of alternative right-wing parties. I'm not convinced that the west has yet hit the bottom of the barrel. It's cheaper/easier for the tabloid media to shout inaccurate/incomplete stories to stir up emotions than it is for them to explain that things are complicated, and not every story is a binary Right vs. Wrong.

Reform is basically the Brexit Party, which was basically UKIP. Their vote share hasn't increased fundamentally over the last couple of elections, even though they keep re-branding. I don't thing Farage is as popular as he thinks he is.
I think I'd be more worried if they roped in Johnson. People seem to love him for some reason.

dubsie · 06/12/2024 11:22

EmpressoftheMundane · 06/12/2024 10:17

I don’t want private healthcare, but we do need reform of the NHS. Norway asks for a moderate copay, with sensible exemptions for those in special circumstances.

It’s not a binary choice between what we have now or US style. There are other countries who do this better than us, and we should learn from them.

Norway pays about twice what we do in tax and there wages are far higher and always have been.
The NHS provides incredible value for money and that's why tax increases that support the NHS are a good thing.
It's all about funding and how you value your health and social care. Don't moan about selling your home to pay for it if you argument was tax cuts now.
In America health care insurance companies are now denying stuff like anesthetic if an operation runs over time. Private does not work and the idea of co pay is flawed because of the cost of health care is so enormous that most Brits would be bankrupt the moment they hit the operating table even if they had to pay 30%. It's serious money ranging from a few thousand from a simple fracture to nearly half a million for cancer or heart surgery....

Abhannmor · 06/12/2024 11:21

dubsie · 06/12/2024 08:56

It's not though is because in context we are talking about the funding of a party that will see thousands of Brits die because they can't get care.

You do understand what is happening in America and why is musk funding a political party in another country....he's doing it for his own gratification.

Blue Cross healthcare has announced that will no longer cover the full cost of anesthesia if the operation runs over....this is private healthcare. This is what they want in the UK....

I've got a 'study buddy' in the USA. A nursing case manager at a big city hospital. She told me that, upon retirement, she will get a lump sum in addition to her pension. Unfortunately she will have to pay $15,000 to an insurance company for a minor operation she had decades ago. She has only been able to pay the interest on it all these years. But surely you of all people would be covered I asked her. ' Yeah that's what I assumed too. But there was some exclusion clause or other. Don't let these people into your country!' she replied.

username299 · 06/12/2024 11:19

EmpressoftheMundane · 06/12/2024 10:50

True, but I wouldn’t rule out moderate copays. I would be open minded.

Perhaps because you can afford ito be. What about the chronically ill, the disabled and the elderly? One in three children are in poverty and millions use foodbanks; they can't afford to pay.

EasternStandard · 06/12/2024 11:02

EmpressoftheMundane · 06/12/2024 10:17

I don’t want private healthcare, but we do need reform of the NHS. Norway asks for a moderate copay, with sensible exemptions for those in special circumstances.

It’s not a binary choice between what we have now or US style. There are other countries who do this better than us, and we should learn from them.

Wouldn't this exempt many? Who are you thinking it would include?

Wouldn't we have lower frequency users who would pay twice?

EmpressoftheMundane · 06/12/2024 10:50

True, but I wouldn’t rule out moderate copays. I would be open minded.

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username299 · 06/12/2024 10:26

EmpressoftheMundane · 06/12/2024 10:17

I don’t want private healthcare, but we do need reform of the NHS. Norway asks for a moderate copay, with sensible exemptions for those in special circumstances.

It’s not a binary choice between what we have now or US style. There are other countries who do this better than us, and we should learn from them.

Ireland has private healthcare and it's an absolute shambles. Paying doesn't necessarily mean you're going to get a better service.

EmpressoftheMundane · 06/12/2024 10:17

I don’t want private healthcare, but we do need reform of the NHS. Norway asks for a moderate copay, with sensible exemptions for those in special circumstances.

It’s not a binary choice between what we have now or US style. There are other countries who do this better than us, and we should learn from them.

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dubsie · 06/12/2024 08:56

username299 · 06/12/2024 08:13

Wrong thread

Edited

It's not though is because in context we are talking about the funding of a party that will see thousands of Brits die because they can't get care.

You do understand what is happening in America and why is musk funding a political party in another country....he's doing it for his own gratification.

Blue Cross healthcare has announced that will no longer cover the full cost of anesthesia if the operation runs over....this is private healthcare. This is what they want in the UK....

username299 · 06/12/2024 08:13

Wrong thread

dubsie · 06/12/2024 08:03

I wonder why people find reform so appealing, I'm sure most of its supporters have read it's manifesto or contract as they call it.

Private healthcare levy being the biggest clanger, that will see Brits paying astronomical sums for insurance otherwise they will face a very basic care under charity hospital trusts.

British people need to realise you can't have your cake and eat it for nothing. If you think America is so great look at the thousands being denied healthcare provision or the people who thought they were insured only to have claims denied.... thousands have died as a result.

Farage is a liar and he's a con man. He's selling immigration but what he's not advertising is all the other stuff that comes with the package. Cuts, private trusts, bon fire of employment rights, health and safety laws scrapped, scrapping of our environmental commitments...

Immigration is top of the list of most people's list but think long and hard about what these populists are really offering. The people funding Farage are absolute crooks, Aaron Banks being one of them....a non dom with no regard for our democracy implicated in money laundering and modern day slavery, bloody diamonds....

I think a lot of people these days don't read the details....you buy a new car and the deal looks too good to be true....fact is it probably is too good to be true.

SuzieNine · 04/12/2024 10:39

CoastalElite · 03/12/2024 00:42

So it’s okay for billionaire Bill Gates recently at Downing Strret but not for the billionaire you don’t agree with. Got it.

Elon Musk has also been to Downing Street as a guest of the previous prime minister - and that is absolutely fine.

What is not ok is foreigners making donations to political parties - it's actually illegal.

ThereIsALifeOutThere · 03/12/2024 20:41

My understanding is that government is putting something in place to avoid anything like this happening.

Which is as it should be.
Musk has tendencies associated with being a dictator and being used to get his own way.

Dobest · 03/12/2024 20:37

Hope they get it in time for the Christmas dinner dance.

DogInATent · 03/12/2024 20:35

username299 · 03/12/2024 20:07

I don't see Clacton voting Farage back in.

Unfortunately, they probably will. It's the demographic.

Littlemissgobby · 03/12/2024 20:09

username299 · 03/12/2024 20:07

I don't see Clacton voting Farage back in.

They prob will uneducated people live him and trump live being told it's all the immigrants fault while he doesn't do any work for them .

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