The Labour Government

[remember arthur mann]

Imagine if the Tories did this

They are the Tories.

 

[inbetween]

Very good post IMO. I don't agree with all of it, but much I do.

The bit I would differ upon, relates to Reform. I don't differ in terms of their approach being unworkable, which I agree it is. But I do differ about their ideology.

They might seem like they are just the anti-immigration party, but you have to remember they are also really the UKIP party. What UKIP stood for, and Reform still do, is the idea that we could be like Singapore, or some other low-tax, low regulation, small government sovereign nation (not that Singapore is all of these things). Where businesses thrive, tax revenues are high because the economy booms and everyone is better off.

Of course this pipe-dream completely ignore the fact that 50% of our trade was with the EU. And the EU would never allow such a regime, 20 miles off their coast, freely exporting into its market. So it was - and remains - a completely unrealistic aspiration. It was one of the main reasons I voted Remain.

Singapore has a very simple economy because it isn't really a country, it's a city. It doesn't have a farming or manufacturing sector, it doesn't have millions of people 100's of miles in the north to worry about.

We obviously could just give the city of London free reign and allow them to do anything they want but how is that going to support us lowly folk in Chorley? Is the city of London suddenly going to be supportive of wealth sharing? History and various offshore leaks shows us that this is definitely not true.

It would make sense if the newly flush city of London folk shared their wealth and went out shopping in Scunthorpe for their wares but that clearly isn't going to happen. If anything this sort of system insulates the rich and anybody north of the M25 will be forced to continue to fight over the scraps or rely upon token 'diversity' HQ moves as with the BBC.

The UK is a crazy economy really where actually we have the most powerful and richest city in the world disguising the fact that the rest of the UK could nearly be considered third world. Switching to a Singapore economy just boosts London and growth in that sense but it does nothing for the rest of us.

The UK should actually be more on par with Germany and not Singapore. We should be a manufacturing and technology powerhouse but years of government focus on services and especially finance has only weakened the regions. Thanks to Farage (an ex-city of London trader...) it is this sentiment that caused Brexit and not any qualm with the EU itself.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

She was only disabled in later life. For years she just couldn't be arsed to work. But I don't begrudge her getting appropriate benefits at all. What I am questioning is why were the level of benefits so high that she was getting richer, year upon year, merely out of state funding. Seems wrong to me. Also the wasted drugs. Tens of thousands wasted, repeat prescriptions just sent automatically and stuffed in draws. Huge amounts of waste.

Strange comment about being over 66 not being a disability. No idea what you mean by that.

So you took an exception and made a big deal out of it? If she had property then of course she was going to get rich when prices inflated. It's easy to build up money when you do fuck all and do nothing.

We have scores of pensioners in these threads doing the poor me, poor me, pour me another drink routine.

Age is itself not a disability. People over a certain age are more likely to have a disability because they are older but the disability is what should warrant receiving the support. Not the fact that they happen to be eligible for a pension. My dad became a pensioner this year, he'll never get WFA. I still believe it's the right thing.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

We're fine, I retired early, been funding that for 3 years, not wealthy but not poor, no benefits of any kind even though our only income is Mr's H £884 every four weeks, I get my SP next May, wont have to subsidise my retirement as much after that.

You don't have any private pensions between you?

 

[frothy]

Most are no doubt. My sister certainly is and always has. However there are one or two in her office that are clearly playing the system and are off sick and then return to work the day their pay gets reduced. Work for the required time and then go off sick again with some made up illness. It annoys the hell out of my sister and the others., but the management do nothing about it. There is also a lot of needless duplication certainly between NHS Trusts.

My missus works for the NHS as well and in her department it's the same, also all Nursing staff don't work their arses off, my missus was in Hospital for 10 weeks and the number of times she was left in the Bathroom for sometimes a hour because she couldn't walk without assistance, the nursing assistants on her unit were bone idle and every time i visited they were either on their mobile phones or talking in groups with assistance alarms going off all over the unit, I know it doesn't apply to every ward /unit

 

[Resurrection Joe...]

Singapore has a very simple economy because it isn't really a country, it's a city. It doesn't have a farming or manufacturing sector, it doesn't have millions of people 100's of miles in the north to worry about.

We obviously could just give the city of London free reign and allow them to do anything they want but how is that going to support us lowly folk in Chorley? Is the city of London suddenly going to be supportive of wealth sharing? History and various offshore leaks shows us that this is definitely not true.

It would make sense if the newly flush city of London folk shared their wealth and went out shopping in Scunthorpe for their wares but that clearly isn't going to happen. If anything this sort of system insulates the rich and anybody north of the M25 will be forced to continue to fight over the scraps or rely upon token 'diversity' HQ moves as with the BBC.

The UK is a crazy economy really where actually we have the most powerful and richest city in the world disguising the fact that the rest of the UK could nearly be considered third world. Switching to a Singapore economy just boosts London and growth in that sense but it does nothing for the rest of us.

The UK should actually be more on par with Germany and not Singapore. We should be a manufacturing and technology powerhouse but years of government focus on services and especially finance has only weakened the regions. Thanks to Farage (an ex-city of London trader...) it is this sentiment that caused Brexit and not any qualm with the EU itself.

i'm not seeing 'third world' out me office window in Mcr fella...Chorley though?...well i'll give you that...

 

[bluethrunthru]

Whats the acceptable time to start judging the decisions then mate?

when the big picture becomes visible - at the moment (predictably) the Right is trying to hold everyone's face so close to the screen people are judging individual pixels not whats is on the whole screen

 

[hammocity]

You don't have any private pensions between you?

Draw down for me, just in the process of finalising it on Monday, if I left as an annuity it halves the yearly benefit to Mrs H if I died so she would need to live until age 91 before she starts making a profit. Draw down even with the tax implications is the most sensible option, the annuity option doesn't have built in inflationary increases, only a portion of it rises by 3% pa, it's not a great scheme (run by Aviva now).

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

i'm not seeing 'third world' out me office window in Mcr fella...Chorley though?...well i'll give you that...

I think he was talking about Burnley.

 

[Resurrection Joe...]

I think he was talking about Burnley.

could be...although he does mention 'lowly folk in Chorley'...not sure what they've got to whinge about...they are over blessed with roundabouts ....

 

[inbetween]

i'm not seeing 'third world' out me office window in Mcr fella...Chorley though?...well i'll give you that...

Chorley is maybe a bad example as we do have an M&S now! We also got electrified railway lines 7-8 years ago so watch your back....

We did have our A&E taken away from us so if you're having a heart attack then you will need to travel 15 miles down the M6 to Preston. Swings and roundabouts....

 

[Lowtower]

when the big picture becomes visible - at the moment (predictably) the Right is trying to hold everyone's face so close to the screen people are judging individual pixels not whats is on the whole screen

This isn't a new thing though is it?

And we will always have those who support the party in power spouting about unfair they have it.

 

[inbetween]

could be...although he does mention 'lowly folk in Chorley'...not sure what they've got to whinge about...they are over blessed with roundabouts ....

It keeps us on our toes, all six of them.

 

[flb]

Strong rumours that the single occupier council tax allowance is going to be scrapped. Oldham council for one are deep in the mire financially , 33,000 single occupiers will pay circa and extra 50 to 60 quid a month, do the numbers yourselves what that generates per annum for these poor poor councils that have mis spent our money for decades. How on earth is it right that a single occupier who produces far less waste than a household with 4 plus people in them has to pay the same ? Oldham council are deep in the mire because in their own words they're spending obscene amounts of money on temporary housing and for children's and adults social care. Couple that with the winter fuel allowance being scrapped and the inevitable climate levy for Greater Manchester drivers coming in, its fair to say that tough times are ahead for hard working people of Greater Manchester. This country is fucked, worse than it ever has been.

 

[TinFoilHat]

Honestly, thinking about this, I think Starmer will be gone by end of 2025 if not sooner. The Labour zealots will doubtless laugh at that, and yes Labour do not have a history of ousting their leaders.

But I cannot see him lasting. He's demonstrating every week that he is politically incompetent. He's almost systematically pissing off every demographic, every section of society, other than the most devout and blinkered Labour supporters.

I don't know which exact (metaphorical!) bullet will get him but I think something will. Whether it be dead pensioners, or released criminals, or some international gaff, or caught lying to the house, or whatever. He will be forced to resign I think. I am *certain* he is going to increase taxes on "working people" in a few weeks time as well. I can only imagine how that will be received.

I am not suggesting his demise will result in a general election - we are stuck with Labour for 5 more years I am pretty sure. But I cannot see Starmer lasting the full term at all. His popularity ratings are going to continue to plummet and then something will get him.

Starmer is safer than the Rags in a premier league hearing.

Anyone who dares to challenge him will be booted out of the party along with their supporters. This is speaking from my own experience.

His biggest challenger is Streeting and that **** has already had his card marked to behave or some of his skeletons will come out which would make your average Tory party MP look pious.

 

[Manc in London]

I dunno whether this will get him in the end. Maybe it will, maybe not.

But the lies become more and more apparent, day by day. Now we are told, and I quote " 'The Government will be ensuring that those who are most vulnerable and should be receiving support are receiving it, and that's why there is a huge effort to try and convert people onto pension credit."

There are two possibilities. Either the above is a lie. Or alternatively the "We had to make the changes to WFA in order to balance the books and reassure the markets"* is a lie.

It's either lie A or lie B. No money at all will be saved if significant numbers claim pension credit. So logically, either the government does not want or expect them to claim it, or it is not expecting to save any money. There's no escaping their dishonesty here.


* Not an actual quote, but I will dig one out should any pedants demand it. That is - in terms - what has been said.

I suspect this issue will not prove to be fatal. Especially when the impact on this policy will be limited compared to the likely impact of other policies that are going to be implemented in the next couple of years. This is just the start.

 

[Manc in London]

Strong rumours that the single occupier council tax allowance is going to be scrapped. Oldham council for one are deep in the mire financially , 33,000 single occupiers will pay circa and extra 50 to 60 quid a month, do the numbers yourselves what that generates per annum for these poor poor councils that have mis spent our money for decades. How on earth is it right that a single occupier who produces far less waste than a household with 4 plus people in them has to pay the same ? Oldham council are deep in the mire because in their own words they're spending obscene amounts of money on temporary housing and for children's and adults social care. Couple that with the winter fuel allowance being scrapped and the inevitable climate levy for Greater Manchester drivers coming in, its fair to say that tough times are ahead for hard working people of Greater Manchester. This country is fucked, worse than it ever has been.

I have worked for councils for a while. You won't get me saying they do not waste money. I have wanted to pull my hair out at times with some of the decisions that have been made by employers. However, I would also add that large organisations, public and private, rarely avoid significant waste. It's the nature of the beast. There is waste in councils due to bureaucracy. This bureaucracy is required as they have to account for decisions made as they are spending public money. You wouldn't believe how long it sometimes takes to implement just basic changes.

You also have to remember that councils are political. Thus, many key decisions are based on the decisions of elected officials. It is the public who vote these individuals into office.

As for your comment about a family being more costly than a single person, that is not necessarily true. A single person, because of no family, may well require social care support, which is our most costly service. Also, due to likelihood of lower incomes among single adult households, they may require housing benefit etc..

For the record, social care costs have rocketed and so has the burden of temporary accommodation. The councils can do very little about that. They have legal obligations in these areas. Have you got a solution for how councils can minimise the increased costs associated with temporary accommodation and social care?

It's easy to be a critic. Anyone can do it.

Just to add: yes, the country is in a mess. I think the reasons for this have already been well discussed in this forum.

 

[kaz7]

I get that there are problems to fix, but I wonder how long we are going to hear the excuse that it is down to the last Government.

Apparently they can't pay postmasters and the delay is down to the last government?

Its getting a bit tedious already. The buck now stops with you Starmer, you need to own it.

Wtf , he has been in two months and it is a fact that the tories have broken the country

 

[Kompany Car]

Draw down for me, just in the process of finalising it on Monday, if I left as an annuity it halves the yearly benefit to Mrs H if I died so she would need to live until age 91 before she starts making a profit. Draw down even with the tax implications is the most sensible option, the annuity option doesn't have built in inflationary increases, only a portion of it rises by 3% pa, it's not a great scheme (run by Aviva now).

Off topic but make sure you're savvy about how you draw down to minimise tax implications, how you combine any ISAs you may have and tax free part of the draw down can make you thousand better off in the long run particularly at the point when state pension kicks in.

 

[kaz7]

Accept that is a big difference but the big similarity is that it is paid regardless of financial need

Pips is paid so people can pay for things like carers and allows the disabled person to get out and live , it is much more expensive to be disabled than able bodied . There is different rates of pips based on what you can and cant do so it is targetted , the re-assessments are often and much harder

It is not something to means test