The Labour Government

[Kirkstall Blue]

I’m very pleased with what has happened so far particularly the scrapping of the 18th century prison ship, getting rid of the Rwanda flights, setting up a proper immigration plan. Calling all the European heads of state to discuss border protection and other Labour polices in Europe

 

[Ifwecouldjust.......]

If they are going to be making savings on the accommodation where are the people going to live that are on there?

More importantly how much would that cost?

They can leave the vessel any time, where have you read that they can't? However if they do leave and don't come back it affects their asylum statues.

More lies?

Again, they can leave the barge they are not detained. What is it with your inability to take in information.

Movements restricted? God you're making shit up as you go along slingback.

I bet they cant wait to hit the town and spend their £7.86 allowance a week .

 

[halfcenturyup]

I am, but not sure what relevance that has to what I posted. A huge part of my intelligence is the ability to make certain people laugh. People who ‘get’ me. Some do, many don’t. It’s no biggie that you don’t. You are in good company.

Doesn’t make you a lesser person.

Just a less enriched one.

Enrichissons-nous de nos différences mutuelles.

 

[MCFC Wirral]

If you’ve got that cash to spare you’d be better off giving it him to use as a deposit on a house or to invest which would likely yield a bigger amount than the extra salary deductions apportioned to the loan. 83% of students don’t pay off their full student loan anyway, so it’s a bit pointless wasting your money like that.

83%? Goodness… Is it really that high? I went to university for just one year but cleared mine in maybe a decade.

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

McDonnell and Long Bailey suspended.

How Rebecca Long Bailey is even still an MP baffles me, the woman is a total imbecile.

 

[BrianW]

The most corrupt government in my lifetime. But they won't be punished, because we have a system when barely any legal recourse when it comes to shit people do in office.

I disagreed with everything Margaret Thatcher stood for, but at least she stood for something. This is a good interview about how the UK's whole system is built around this 'good chaps' doctrine that assume that all politicians are basically a bunch of good chaps who'll do right by the country:



He identifies Gordon Brown, Theresa May and John Major as the few former prime ministers who have not attempted to profit off their position after leaving office. Blair and Cameron have clearly used their position to profit and Truss is obviously looking to do so, but nobody seems that interested. He said there's nothing legally in place to stop Johnson from being kicked out and then having a meeting with Putin the next day. And in fact, he had a meeting with Maduro in Venezuela at the request of some hedge fund. So this is an ex-UK PM within a year of leaving office having a meeting with a leader that the UK considers illegitimate. In a familiar line, he broke the rules, but there's nothing they can do to actually enforce them. It all just runs on the good will of demonstrably corrupt individuals. And it's particularly an issue when a party has been in charge for that long, because the corrupt people are attracted to power. The longer a party is in power, the more likely it is to become filled with grifters who are only interested in their own gain. We'll likely see the same with Labour if they have over a decade in power.

This happens because the Palace of Westminster is still run like a gentleman's club.

That would be fine if everyone was a 'good chap' who obeyed the various written and unwritten rules. But we can no longer assume that in an age of grifters and liars.

What is needed is a strict legal framework with teeth that punishes offenders with fines, loss of parliamentary pension and, in the very worst cases, gaol. But I'll believe that when I see it. Corruption in politicians is something that destroys trust in the system and makes voters cynical. You'll never abolish it completely, but where it becomes blatantly obvious the guilty ones should not get away with it and the penalties need to be harsh.

 

[mosssideblue]

A few getting really bent out of shape over this vote. I could understand the outrage if Labour claimed in their manifesto that they would lift it, and once in power changed tack.

I fully expect child poverty is a high priority for Labour and they will be addressing it, but they have been honest from the get go.

Give them time and space to address this

 

[west didsblue]

83%? Goodness… Is it really that high? I went to university for just one year but cleared mine in maybe a decade.

According to Martin Lewis.
Although I’ve seen various other figures ranging from 60% upwards.

 

[mexico1970]

I bet they cant wait to hit the town and spend their £7.86 allowance a week .

I didn't think it was that much, still as I said they are not detained.

 

[metalblue]

After what tax?

Apologies, my mistake. I had always thought student debt was repaid before tax (it’s calculated on pre tax but taken after tax) - hence if you paid their debt you’d be paying more as you’re paying + whatever your tax rate is. That’s very wrong IMHO and should be changed. Why? Because when it’s taken after tax it ends up being an increased tax rate so you have two people earning the same who pay different rates of tax based on their education path. As a principle tax should always be fair.

Overall the student debt is getting out of control and going to get worse. You can see why the government have no interest in saving universities with cash injections and why Sunak wanted to make sure students were on “worthwhile” courses - not for the interests of the students but this mountain of debt that exists and won’t ever be paid off in full and is getting much larger. When you consider a large chunk of the maintenance loan goes to private landlords (and often needs topping up by parents) the government needs to somehow get across rents in this sector. My second daughter just qualified as a midwife and she says her debt is about £76k… how is a midwife ever paying that off when they chuck the interest on top. I appreciate she has particular circumstances that meant her debt is likely higher than usual but it’s bonkers numbers. Will be a similar story for teachers and other public sector workers even if the numbers are a “mere” £40-50k + interest.

I wouldn’t personally pay the government back under any circumstances, this a beast of their own making, I’d rather put the £76k in to an appreciating asset such as a house for them if it was laying around spare.