The Labour Government

[bluethrunthru]

We can't properly turn it round till we understand what's going on. The rise in post COVID under 30s disability claims is heavily fueled by mental health issues. What makes it most worrying is that it's not being seen to the same extent in other countries and also if you look at the number of claims being rejected it's not really spiked which implies these are real issues? The suicide ideation and self harm rates have gone up significantly too in that group. Middle aged men remain the most vulnerable to suicide I think, but f**k knows what happens generationally if this isn't addressed.

I think it's the main area in terms of benefits where we are genuinely an outlier and it will blight us for years to come if we don't understand why it's happening and address it.

Personallly I really wish it was as simple as social influencers showing people how to game the process because then there'd be a pretext to come down hard on social media platforms which would make all our lives better imo. But unfortunately all the other correlating data suggests something more than that has happened.

So to me it's not a case of Labour MPs disgraceful or otherwise swallowing something to randomly get the numbers to balance. You're not wrong it needs addressing but the problems obviously predate this government and I'd prefer they didn't randomly thrash around but tried to understand what the hell was going on because a band aid is going to leave us in the cack.

where people were let down was post Covid. In other countries where as you say they are not seeing the same impacts their govt's got on with governing - in the UK we had a Govt that was busy running round the place denying the biggest open secret had happened ie the shenanigans at number 10 during lock down. So we had no vision no direction and no help from a govt that began to turn in on its own leader - then we had a leadership contest that gave us a lettuce - a few weeks later she was gone and we had another leadership contest which gave us a 42 year old PM who had been an MP for a mere 6 years whose lack of political experience led to him calling a GE that blindsided HIS OWN PARTY and has subsequently proved to be such a bad call its untrue.

So you have a govt that is basically focused on itself mostly made up with the wrong sort of people ( oh come on old chap stiff upper lip what? ) which pervades down to a 19 year old Reform Counsellor in charge of Adult Health care tweeting - Depression isn't real. You feel sad, you continue with life because there's no alternative.

If people keep electing shit people then nothing will improve. Just look at the States if you want to judge the direction of travel

 

[Two Gun Bob]

 

[BigJoe#1]

We can't properly turn it round till we understand what's going on. The rise in post COVID under 30s disability claims is heavily fueled by mental health issues. What makes it most worrying is that it's not being seen to the same extent in other countries and also if you look at the number of claims being rejected it's not really spiked which implies these are real issues? The suicide ideation and self harm rates have gone up significantly too in that group. Middle aged men remain the most vulnerable to suicide I think, but f**k knows what happens generationally if this isn't addressed.

I think it's the main area in terms of benefits where we are genuinely an outlier and it will blight us for years to come if we don't understand why it's happening and address it.

Personallly I really wish it was as simple as social influencers showing people how to game the process because then there'd be a pretext to come down hard on social media platforms which would make all our lives better imo. But unfortunately all the other correlating data suggests something more than that has happened.

So to me it's not a case of Labour MPs disgraceful or otherwise swallowing something to randomly get the numbers to balance. You're not wrong it needs addressing but the problems obviously predate this government and I'd prefer they didn't randomly thrash around but tried to understand what the hell was going on because a band aid is going to leave us in the cack.

... and therein lies the crux of this issue.

This Government have rushed in, come out with strategies and proposals that are not fully thought through and impact assessed and rushed them in and then been caught out (again).

.... it really is like sixth form politics.

 

[BobKowalski]

Seems the most effective opposition to the Labour Govt is the Labour Party :)

Hats off to the MP’s who forced the change. People bemoan MP’s who slavishly follow the party whip, so good to see them standing firm on a matter of principle.

 

[Kirkstall Blue]

Seems the most effective opposition to the Labour Govt is the Labour Party :)

Hats off to the MP’s who forced the change. People bemoan MP’s who slavishly follow the party whip, so good to see them standing firm on a matter of principle.

When you think of it like that it’s a job well done by the back bench MPs, they couldn’t go back to their constituents any other way if they agreed to a bill that made poor people worse off.
Labour have no friends in the media but they are currently not helping themselves by bringing in policies the party can’t approve of.

 

[philfodenswristsock]

I'm a bit confused by this "Labour" Government to be honest!
Despite being on the Left of politics all my life, I had no intention of voting for them as they were an obviously corrupted and politically acceptable iteration of the once proud and respected Labour Party (the clues I the name) I also quickly worked out Starmer was an obvious liar, primarily when he used the popular policies of Corbyn to get the Left wing vote during the leadership contest and promptly dropped then the second he got the job, and that was just the start of many lies, gaffs, peculiar comments and other decisions I can only surmise have come about via bribery or compromat.

But, I had to a certain degree eat my words when, against my expectations, he won a crushing (don't look too close at the numbers) electoral victory. I was told to shut up, "the adults were in the room" the operation was professional, and slick, his advisors were top of the tree, he would garner mass appeal via well thought out policy, the finances would be clear and based around the sound and not at all mysterious bordering on quackery principles of 'neo classical economics' and the country would promptly set a course for a bright new dawn.

Image my utter surprise, when it turned out the guy was hopeless, a war monger, nasty, spiteful, had more skeletons in his closest than a hospital consultant, was in bed with the zionist entity, didn't realise what a genocide looked like and was all too keen to pay for his war mongering pet projects off the back of the nations most vulnerable and voiceless.

What a shocker... NOBODY could've seen that coming!!!!

 

[philfodenswristsock]

"Everyone knows how annoying it is when you’re on a train and your signal keeps dropping out.

So we’re going to install ultra-fast cables along major rail lines to get rid of those dead spots".
- Kier Starmer 26/06/25

A man with his finger on the pulse of the daily travails suffered by the working person. Go Starmer... woooooo!!!!

 

[hampshireblue]

... and therein lies the crux of this issue.

This Government have rushed in, come out with strategies and proposals that are not fully thought through and impact assessed and rushed them in and then been caught out (again).

.... it really is like sixth form politics.

The problem for them is that strategies and proposals that you refer to take time to develop and unfortunately the likes of the DM, Telegraph and you want and demand instant action and more importantly tangible results-well that takes time, and by that more than a year in power.

You can't have it both ways. They have certainly messed up some of the stuff they have tried but at the same time have introduced some really beneficial stuff eg. worker's rights.

Now, how the hell does any government get a grip on the welfare budget?

 

[BobKowalski]

When you think of it like that it’s a job well done by the back bench MPs, they couldn’t go back to their constituents any other way if they agreed to a bill that made poor people worse off.
Labour have no friends in the media but they are currently not helping themselves by bringing in policies the party can’t approve of.

Agreed. In many ways this like a PR coalition style Government where you have to get the consent of the parties you are in power with to get measures through. It’s just that in this case it’s their own party :)

I’ll be honest, I’m happy to see elected representatives of the people saying ‘no’ for a change. It has the whiff of actual democracy about it.

 

[BobKowalski]

"Everyone knows how annoying it is when you’re on a train and your signal keeps dropping out.

So we’re going to install ultra-fast cables along major rail lines to get rid of those dead spots".
- Kier Starmer 26/06/25

A man with his finger on the pulse of the daily travails suffered by the working person. Go Starmer... woooooo!!!!

Not sure I see a problem with a Government improving infrastructure. It may be a small thing, but connectivity in today’s economy is important. It’s like potholes. A small issue, but bloody annoying.

 

[Chippy_boy]

Hello chaps. Haven't posted or even visited here for a LONG time. It was just too depressing to contemplate after this shower won the GE last year. I've been wearing a black armband ever since.

Just wondered how the die-hard Labour supporters on here thought it was going? Clearly Labour have a huge majority but since only 1 person in 5 able to vote, actually voted for them, they have no popular mandate and it shows in the polls.

Do you think the current ombi-shambles are just teething troubles, whilst they lay the foundations for long term success? Or as I do, the symptoms of a bunch of clueless socialist idiots who couldn't run a piss up in a brewery, let alone a country. For a party who put GROWTH as their main priority, I cannot imagine a set of policies better tuned to delivering the absolute oppposite.

 

[hammocity]

Country is in a mess and disability claims post COVID are off the fucking charts for under 30s. These Labour MPs are disgraceful, what are they prepared to swallow to turn this around?

The government will be back dipping the pockets of the middle class to keep paying the welfare bill.

I know two people on PIP, one has no social skills whatsoever but he doesn’t apply for any jobs despite him starting and quitting 2 degree courses, he’s 28 and never worked a day in his life. I’d just not pay people like him, the Civil Servants who decide who gets benefits (not just PIP) are a pushover.

 

[Chippy_boy]

"Everyone knows how annoying it is when you’re on a train and your signal keeps dropping out.

So we’re going to install ultra-fast cables along major rail lines to get rid of those dead spots".
- Kier Starmer 26/06/25

A man with his finger on the pulse of the daily travails suffered by the working person. Go Starmer... woooooo!!!!

Oh, and another thing that REALLY pisses me off about this lot. They seem to take great pride in boasting about how they are spending X on this and Y on that, as if it's some marvellous achievement. Any **** can take more and more money off people and spend it. It's nothing to boast about.

 

[BlueHammer85]

The problem for them is that strategies and proposals that you refer to take time to develop and unfortunately the likes of the DM, Telegraph and you want and demand instant action and more importantly tangible results-well that takes time, and by that more than a year in power.

Even when they're is tangible results it's never enough or forgotten the next day anyway.

Its a constant tidal wave of abuse and negativity thrown at whoever's in power nowadays, which party or leader has a chance to please this nation ? Its completely impossible.

 

[hammocity]

where people were let down was post Covid. In other countries where as you say they are not seeing the same impacts their govt's got on with governing - in the UK we had a Govt that was busy running round the place denying the biggest open secret had happened ie the shenanigans at number 10 during lock down. So we had no vision no direction and no help from a govt that began to turn in on its own leader - then we had a leadership contest that gave Ius a lettuce - a few weeks later she was gone and we had another leadership contest which gave us a 42 year old PM who had been an MP for a mere 6 years whose lack of political experience led to him calling a GE that blindsided HIS OWN PARTY and has subsequently proved to be such a bad call its untrue.

So you have a govt that is basically focused on itself mostly made up with the wrong sort of people ( oh come on old chap stiff upper lip what? ) which pervades down to a 19 year old Reform Counsellor in charge of Adult Health care tweeting - Depression isn't real. You feel sad, you continue with life because there's no alternative.

If people keep electing shit people then nothing will improve. Just look at the States if you want to judge the direction of travel

Do you believe the lazy, feckless young people on benefits were really influenced at what was going in Government during lock down? They don’t give a toss, only interested in claiming as much as possible and not working, they see others doing it and are influenced by them not the likes of Boris or Cummings.

 

[Don Karleone]

Even when they're is tangible results it's never enough or forgotten the next day anyway.

Its a constant tidal wave of abuse and negativity thrown at whoever's in power nowadays, which party or leader has a chance to please this nation ? Its completely impossible.

As one of their biggest cheerleaders, what do you think of this welfare bill? It's pretty hard to talk about any of the good they're doing when disabled people and carers are getting it in the neck.

 

[BlueHammer85]

As one of their biggest cheerleaders, what do you think of this welfare bill? It's pretty hard to talk about any of the good they're doing when disabled people and carers are getting it in the neck.

It's needed some sort of reform for a long time and looks like they've now got the balance right - welfare bill will help those who can work back to work and for those that can' they will be protected. I'm glad Starmer listened to the backbenchers and conceded on some of it - that's what government should always do, Kendal has also promised that disability groups will be consulted on how the criteria should change in the future.

 

[Bluemanc100]

... and therein lies the crux of this issue.

This Government have rushed in, come out with strategies and proposals that are not fully thought through and impact assessed and rushed them in and then been caught out (again).

.... it really is like sixth form politics.

To be fair they didn’t have long to come up with the plans did they.. Just years in opposition

 

[philfodenswristsock]

Oh, and another thing that REALLY pisses me off about this lot. They seem to take great pride in boasting about how they are spending X on this and Y on that, as if it's some marvellous achievement. Any **** can take more and more money off people and spend it. It's nothing to boast about.

Well. Yes. They are the kings of bragging.

Most the time however they are rehashed announcements and they like to play the old tax payers money well spent card. Tax payers money does not in anyway pay directly for capital infrastructure. Tax payers money is used to pay interest on the National debt. As unfortunately we loan our currency into existence. It's a scam as old as time itself. If anyone is interested in the history of it, I recommend the wonderful documentary, available on YouTube called "The Secrets Of Oz" by Mr Bill Still

 

[threespires]

Agreed. In many ways this like a PR coalition style Government where you have to get the consent of the parties you are in power with to get measures through. It’s just that in this case it’s their own party :)

I’ll be honest, I’m happy to see elected representatives of the people saying ‘no’ for a change. It has the whiff of actual democracy about it.

Beyond the greater 'fairness' of it, I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that the only chance we have to fix the state of our politics is to introduce PR in an attempt to force more rational behaviour from both the politicians and the electorate.

Our press is an absolute disgrace, social media has utterly poisoned the well and between them it's driven us to situation where identify politics across all parts of the spectrum is absolutely killing us because that's when everything is processed emotionally, everyone becomes entrenched and rationality goes out the window. It's gone past the point of us all showing a bit of confirmation bias; we are deep into dysfunctional levels of "motivated reasoning" and it's making things ungovernable and the politics of the country near infantile.

PR might dilute identity enmity in the electorate because it at least takes away the argument that my tribe are being unfairly ignored. Obviously the politicians will have to learn to behave like grown-ups but that in turn might change the make up and skills needed of our parliamentarians. We face some complex problems that need a degree of national unity and consensus, we have absolutely no chance of that in our current model. Doubtless it'll be a mess to start off with but if it offers us a way out of the shitshow we have now we owe it to ourselves to try.