Here’s a link to the UK projects that Comic Relief supports.

Comic Relief in the UK

Providing tetanus inoculations or mosquito nets is hardly papering over the cracks. When the health services in Africa stop treating totally preventable diseases then maybe they could concentrate on improvements to the whole system.

Getting celebrities involved has always been a part of fundraising. It raises awareness, more people watch and therefore more donate. I don’t see a problem with that. Many people , including celebrities, give up their time to raise money, not just for Comic Relief but other charities but do those decrying Comic Relief really think that £75 million could be raised without the involvement of the BBC and a televized event? I don’t think Eddie Izzard ran 51 marathons just to appease his accountants. He didn’t have to do it. He did it because he cared.

Most of us will not need to be the recipient of funding raised by charity but there are many that do; in this country and overseas. We should do what we can to help and if that means suffering Michael McIntyre then that’s a small price.
To watch film of a child dying of easily prevented tetanus, it would have to be a hard heart not to be affected. That’s where the “charity begins at home” phrase feels rather cheap.

I’ve watched it, enjoyed the funny bits, shed a tear or two and donated some money. Anyone who remained unmoved by some of the stories related both at home and abroad must have hearts of stone. Those who have watched and think it is all about the BBC or celebrities have totally and utterly missed the point.

Some of the comments above are frankly shameful.

Making people dependent on handouts isn’t doing anything for the common good! Survival of the fittest is natures way (an indisputable fact) and we would do well to remember this. Also, the equal distribution of wealth around the world would result in a MUCH lower living standard than we are used to in the UK.

Does that mean you are not in favour of the state pension and the NHS then?

State control destroyed most of the UK manufacturing industry.

Lack of investment, the chasing of short-term profits to appease shareholders and cheaper imports from abroad had a fairly large impact on industry as well.

Life is unfair, people aren’t born equal and some will do better than others. This is natures way, and it encourages us as a species to push our boundaries.

The danger with this is that the weaker or less able in our society would be left behind. Human nature is surely to try and help each other and work together for the common good. There are countless examples of what humans can achieve when they work together.

And this?

It does not elevate. It does nothing to encourage ambition, responsibility, attainment and progress – in any direction. Competition is stifled. Elitism is regarded as beneath contempt. Under socialism, all must have prizes regardless of ability. Incompetance (sic) is rewarded, ability derided.

Well, it’s just nonsense isn’t it. China has the fastest growing economy in the world. Seems at odds for the repository of hopelessness and the abode of failure.

Unbridled capitalism almost bankrupted the world. State control of those parts of industry that require it mixed with free enterprise is the best way forward. Combine that with enough taxation to protect the most vulnerable in society and that is what we should strive towards.

A small point. What does “The mole’s role is a hole” actually mean?

Wilmslow and Handforth suffered from having a big Tesco built a mile away but what they done recently is hold an artisan market every month. Local produce in a traditional type market arrangement. Seems to have worked and helped in a small way to attract people to shop in the towns on Saturdays. The days of shoppers going into lots of individual shops for their weekly shop are I think in the past.

As far as out of town shops are concerned, we have the choice of a 25minute car journey, shops spread out over many streets and £10 in parking if go to Manchester, or a 20 minute trip along the motorway, lots of free parking and shopping under cover at the Trafford centre. Before the Trafford centre was built we used to go to Manchester city centre every couple of months. Since it opened we have been into Manchester only a handful of times.

Why would the BBC apparently collude in planting left wing stooges on the notoriously partisan Question Time, in order to try to discredit a very viable political party ?

Paranoia? Oh yes.

How is that tin foil hat coming along?

TonyT. Personally, I can’t see how anyone could vote for that oaf Farage. The real reason he didn’t run in Eastleigh is because he would have to get off the EU gravy train. A bit too lucrative.

The truth starting to show through the thin veneer?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/mar/07/ukip-leader-nigel-farage-accused-threats

More anti-BBC pro-Daily Mail guff. Sadly becoming standard fare for this forum.

I would have thought that entering debate was exactly what the programme was about or are UKIP frightened of having their policies discussed? Perhaps they will be rumbled at last?

What were they thinking? Planting supporters of a political party in a political debating type programme. Outrageous!