The Labour Government

[BrianW]

The snag is, if we have a financial crash - quite possible if people are daft enough to vote for financially illiterate Reform - such harsh measures as means testing the state pension may well be forced on us by the IMF, who are not fluffy bunnies. In short, it's only within our government's discretion while we have a functioning economy.

I remember arguing with people who said the economy wasn't everything and that intangible things like 'sovereignty' were more important. My position remains unchanged. It is all about the economy because if that fails we are all fucked and nothing is off the table.

In my view, the UK economy is not currently fucked, but it certainly isn't secure and it wouldn't take that much to wreck it.

I think the triple lock is unaffordable in the medium/long term, but obviously, no political party wants the unpopularity of abandoning it. If politicians were remotely responsible, they would come together and agree on a long-term position on this and other issues like social care. Consensus, not point scoring.

My suggestion is that state pension should be an agreed percentage of minimum wage for 40 hours and should rise in line with the minimum wage. This would be much more affordable in the long term as there would be a link to economic growth.

 

[hampshireblue]

The snag is, if we have a financial crash - quite possible if people are daft enough to vote for financially illiterate Reform - such harsh measures as means testing the state pension may well be forced on us by the IMF, who are not fluffy bunnies. In short, it's only within our government's discretion while we have a functioning economy.

I remember arguing with people who said the economy wasn't everything and that intangible things like 'sovereignty' were more important. My position remains unchanged. It is all about the economy because if that fails we are all fucked and nothing is off the table.

In my view, the UK economy is not currently fucked, but it certainly isn't secure and it wouldn't take that much to wreck it.

I think the triple lock is unaffordable in the medium/long term, but obviously, no political party wants the unpopularity of abandoning it. If politicians were remotely responsible, they would come together and agree on a long-term position on this and other issues like social care. Consensus, not point scoring.

My suggestion is that state pension should be an agreed percentage of minimum wage for 40 hours and should rise in line with the minimum wage. This would be much more affordable in the long term as there would be a link to economic growth.

Not too much to disagree with here.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

My suggestion is that state pension should be an agreed percentage of minimum wage for 40 hours and should rise in line with the minimum wage. This would be much more affordable in the long term as there would be a link to economic growth.

Yep, and MP's salaries should be the same. Improve the economy, get rewarded. Fuck it up, get a real-terms pay cut like everyone else.

 

[Owdman]

Yep, and MP's salaries should be the same. Improve the economy, get rewarded. Fuck it up, get a real-terms pay cut like everyone else.

You do know, don't you, that this is never going to happen.
These are politicians that you are talking about.

 

[bluethrunthru]

some far left commentators ( I include Owen Jones in that ) just cannot forgive Starmer for beating a Tory Govt - its like they want to be in opposition forever. Murphy needs to look at himself here - this was in the news this morning - he posted at nearly 2pm - its driven by a visceral hate because he sure as hell wasn't listening to the news

 

[Brewster's millions]

some far left commentators ( I include Owen Jones in that ) just cannot forgive Starmer for beating a Tory Govt - its like they want to be in opposition forever. Murphy needs to look at himself here - this was in the news this morning - he posted at nearly 2pm - its driven by a visceral hate because he sure as hell wasn't listening to the news

Richard Murphy is a clueless clown, and a nasty piece of work by the looks of things as well.

 

[The perfect fumble]

some far left commentators ( I include Owen Jones in that ) just cannot forgive Starmer for beating a Tory Govt - its like they want to be in opposition forever. Murphy needs to look at himself here - this was in the news this morning - he posted at nearly 2pm - its driven by a visceral hate because he sure as hell wasn't listening to the news

I increasingly struggle to recognise the left that I embraced, the likes of Jones and Murphy are execrable characters.

 

[bluethrunthru]

Richard Murphy is a clueless clown, and a nasty piece of work by the looks of things as well.

I was hearing this news on the radio - it was breaking on the BBC and Murphy did that - shameless

 

[Vic]

Not too much to disagree with here.

Except the equally awkward commitment not to increase income tax, NI, or VAT.

(Till the Falklands, Thatcher's saying they wouldn't double VAT then increasing it from 8% to 15% might have been seen as more of a broken promise than the recent employers' NI increase - though I don't recall the Tory press in 1979 calling it a betrayal.)

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

I was hearing this news on the radio - it was breaking on the BBC and Murphy did that - shameless

As PM Starmer doesn't get a day off from being criticised. I doubt Murphy he was aware but it wouldn't have been right to take it down and pretend he didn't make the comment.

Not sure the glib remark made much difference to Starmer and he would have been spending Christmas at Chequers regardless of the situation.

The hundreds of comments in righteous indignation and quote tweets are just as bad tbh. Would have been better off ignoring it rather than amplifying it.