Tudor Thomas

Enjoying Life.

[joe-lincs @lincslincs]

The full UK State Pension is now worth around £12,548 a year. That's less than half the earnings of someone working full-time on the National Minimum Wage, despite many pensioners paying taxes and National Insurance for 40, 50 or even 60 years.

Yet every time the Treasury needs money, the same voices appear demanding the Triple Lock be scrapped.

Why?

State pension spending is forecast at around £154 billion this year, but that supports over 13 million pensioners, many of whom rely on it as their primary income. Meanwhile, billions continue to disappear into failed projects, government waste, bureaucracy, consultants, quangos and policies that deliver little value to ordinary taxpayers.

The Triple Lock isn't some gold-plated luxury. It exists because politicians allowed the State Pension to fall behind for decades. Even today, a full State Pension is barely above the poverty line and is nowhere near a typical working wage.

If politicians want to save money, start with waste, inefficiency and failed spending programmes.

Leave pensioners alone.

They worked, they paid in, they built this country and they deserve dignity in retirement, not another raid on their income.

[Gavin Seymour @Girvla]

@andypowell8 arriving in style for the @PenarthRFC v Welsh @Barbarian_FC match today.

[Tudor Thomas @taffytud]

@PontycymmerR Bravo Mr.Jones.😂

[Pontycymmer Rugby @PontycymmerR]

Breaking News:- after 59 years, plans are in place to change the name of our fortress “Lawrence Park”, it will now be renamed “Parc-Y-Sullivan”.

[Mike Pullen @MikePullen1969]

AI could never achieve this level of photographic perfection

[Occupy Democrats @OccupyDemocrats]

BREAKING: Hillary Clinton DISMANTLES the Republicans during her Jeffrey Epstein deposition to Congress, tell them to ask Trump "under oath" about the "tens of thousands of times he showed up in the Epstein files."

This MAGA scheme backfired immediately...

“You have compelled me to testify, fully aware that I have no knowledge that would assist your investigation, in order to distract attention from President Trump’s actions and to cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers,” Clinton said.

She tore into House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer for being such a shameless partisan hack for Trump and said that his committee subpoenaed her "based on its assumption that I have information regarding the investigations into the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Let me be as clear as I can. I do not."

"As I stated in my sworn declaration on January 13, I had no idea about their criminal activities," she said. "I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that."

There is absolutely no indication that the former Secretary of State has any knowledge about Epstein, despite her husband's associations with him. As Democrats have said time and again, we don't care who is implicated in the files. Release them all and let the chips fall where they may.

Clinton urged Comer to make himself “worthy of the trust the American people have given you.”

She further accused Republicans of conducting their sham investigation in such a way that it is clearly "designed to protect one political party and one public official."

"A committee run by elected officials with a commitment to transparency would ensure the full release of all the files," she said.

"Instead, you have compelled me to testify, fully aware that I have no knowledge that would assist your investigation, in order to distract attention from President Trump’s actions and to cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers," Clinton continued.

"If this Committee is serious about learning the truth about Epstein’s trafficking crimes, it would not rely on press gaggles to get answers from our current president on his involvement; it would ask him directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he shows up in the Epstein files,” she added.

There is a simple way to cut through all of this noise and finally get the full truth before the American people. Release the Epstein files and prosecute everyone who is implicated in them. Focusing on the Clintons is the last ditch effort of a White House desperate for a distraction. It won't work.

Please ❤️ and share to demand that Trump be forced to testify next!

[Tondu RFC @TonduRFC1880]

One of our players was admitted to Royal Glamorgan Hospital this week. This is as a result of getting a cut infected, at Pandy Park. The cause of the infection was dog mess!

We will continue to remind people of the dangers of dog mess, if we see dogs on the fields.

🔴🔵

[Protect Kamala Harris ✊ @DisavowTrump20]

Bruce Springsteen on Trump: “I couldn't care less what he thinks about me. He's the living personification of what the 25th Amendment and impeachment were for. If Congress had any guts, he'd be consigned to the trash heap of history."

RETWEET if you stand with @Springsteen!

[Being J Wood @BeingJWood]

No comment necessary.

[The Ospreys Rugby Supporter Podcast @OspreysPodcast]

Central Glamorgan Rugby Union have reached the threshold to call an EGM.

They plan on calling an EGM at the end of the Men’s Six Nations.

This isn’t going away folks.

[It's Me, R.J.T 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @wandering_rjt]

Some different angles from above of the Beacons Reservoir @BannauB

[Ann Duffield @AnnDuffieldnews]

Quote: 'Did you know when I was 16, the government made an agreement with me, that if I paid National Insurance every week, they would give me a pension when I was 60
I kept my end of the deal and am still paying in!!
On the 5th and 6th of June, the UK Government may be made to give back the right to retire at 60 to all those women who worked and paid their National Insurance.
Currently their pension payout is delayed until 66 or 67 depending on date of birth.
We all know that the pension age for women born in the sixties has been raised. Did you know a campaign called ‘Back to 60 Movement’ has won the right to a Judicial Review and is taking the DWP to the High Court? On the 5th and 6th June they will attempt to get women justice over non consultation in raising the pensionable age to 66 and above.
Michael Mansfield QC will lead the case and the argument for the movement. However, there does not appear to be any media coverage regarding this significant event. That is why we’re raising the awareness now. Let's hope for justice rightly deserved.
There appears to be a media blackout on this issue, which suggests that the government have put a block on the media reporting it. So let’s use social media for what it’s good at - share the hell out of this. Come on ladies - this is worth a great deal to you!'
PLEASE, PLEASE COPY AND PASTE

[Sardieq @SardieqWP]

ICE IN THE VEINS, Referee Matthew Carley

Difficult game last night consisting of:
▪︎ foul play
▪︎ big collisions
▪︎ professional fouls
▪︎ overpowered props
▪︎ majority of +50,000 not happy with his calls

Very well officiated!

#IREvRSA #SSrugby #Springboks

[Underscore Gav @UnderscoreGav]

@WelshRugbyUnion Next weekend, let’s drop the choir for the anthem.

The atmosphere and noise felt in the stadium is lost on the TV audience.

It’s such a powerful anthem, it needs nothing but the crowd. We just need to portray that atmosphere on TV too @S4C @rugbyontnt @tntsports

[𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐉𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬 @LeeJarvis10]

In the dark welsh valley,
On the mountain side,
Lay the little children
Close to where they died.
Their little lives are ended
Before they reach their goal,
Tender little children
Have paid the price of coal.

We will never forget – Aberfan 21-10-1966 🙏 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 💔

[Tudor Thomas @taffytud]

@RassieRugby Are you drinking Policeman's Coffee?

[Stan Collymore @StanCollymore]

Suicide.

I'm choosing to be deliberately blunt and provocative in this post because it's necessary. Government, charities, football clubs are all pushing water up a hill in highlighting what is undoubtedly a major health crisis.

You take a rope.
You put it up in a garage or a tree nearby or far away.
You're thinking about every loved one you'll leave behind as you put that rope around your neck.
Then you drop.

Some are decapitated.
Some aren't.
All are found by someone who has a lifetime of trauma that will never leave them.
A son.
A daughter.
A brother.
A sister.
A mother.
A father.

I know 2 men who hung themselves.

One was found by his Mom.
One was found by his brother.
Neither have recovered fully. 20 and 30 years on.

A life sentence for people who were already worrying, terrified their loved one may do something.

So just visualise the above and ask, "is there another way"?

A segway for a moment.

I do a few Q&A's every year. Tales of yesterday with a 99% male audience of my age group.

After the stories and fun, my last question back to the audience is..

"Hands up if you struggle with a mental health issue".

Nobody ever puts a hand up. Despite 1 in every 3 of 500 attendees statistically struggling.

"Ah, nobody, that's fucking brilliant! Well I do! ". I then graphically tell people, stunned into silence about how a rope around my neck in the middle of nowhere jolted me to go home and cry like a baby to my Mom.

After the Q&A has finished, something always happens. I'll be chatting to a few guys, saying bye and one by one, men will come over and whisper " I struggle".

Or my mailbox the next day will have 30 emails from guys, their partners or kids saying " Dad/Uncle /Brother was there last night and what you said hit them hard".

And that's how some people realise that it's time to speak to a pal or family member or even rant to me in an email. It works, I often get a follow up email a year or 6 later saying that they took responsibility for their suicidal feelings and are now flying.

Humans are programmed to want to live, to have families and to keep the species growing and thriving. So for a human to want to short circuit that desire isn't normal, and it should never be spoken of as normal. It's the ultimate red flag.

If you suspect your mate, Dad, Brother, Uncle is struggling mentally, they deserve your intervention.

They deserve a " are you OK, please tell me what's up".

They deserve an opportunity to get past wanting to hang a rope over a tree or in a garage and slowly struggle until they die and you find them.

If you've been there and trust me I have plenty, then you'll know that text out of the blue, or a footie mate or one of your kids asking jow you are can open the curtains to some sunshine.

Because when suicide is your only answer, the room is already dark, and you can't see a way out.

So please, fucking pretty please, ask that husband, Dad, Uncle, Cousin, footie pal TODAY how they are.

You may be shocked what comes back but extremely glad that you asked.

For those who struggle, you're not alone.

[Tudor Thomas @taffytud]

@yousef_ki1 .

[Pontycymmer Rugby @PontycymmerR]

This Saturday normal service resumes with league duties, when we welcome @TonyrefailRFC to Fortress Lawrence.
@AllWalesSport 🔰🔰

[Jamie Phillips @JNPhillips4]

It’s the 10th anniversary of 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 famous night at Twickenham and quite frankly I will never, ever get bored watching this wonderful moment.