Austerity is a myth.

The winter of discontent Ana, some seemed to think it happened in 1883 , but it didn't

BTW in this house austerity is definitely NOT a myth, so stick that up your blouse!

phoenix, thanks for the welcome...

Are you a new member,*Parliament 100* ?

If so, welcome and please God that you won't only be doing political threads!

The Labour party is trying to commit political suicide. They seem hellbent on ensuring that they won't get back to power till God knows when which is disaster for the party and not good to put it mildly for democracy.

Sorry, Annie, what are you on about...?

Thank you Devogilla. I hadn't heard of the Brighton suspension. I was unsure after the performance of Corbyn if it wasn't best to leave the party, then decided no, we fought back before we can do it again , we have to

Ana, the Labour party are busy trying to shake of Blairism/Thatcherism, thanks to Tony Blair.

The winter of discontent was 1978 this was followed in 1883 by Percent, Got it now?

trisher, well said. Absolutely spot on. The Tory right wing have Victorianised Britain. And it began with Thatcher.

devorgilla not just Brighton, South Shields too, over allegations of bullying and intimidation. How many more?
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/south-shields-labour-party-branch-11121911

Perhaps the Labour Party should get its act together and do so, then...

I agree *Parliament100" why some people cannot see the Tory policies that have devastated our society I don't know, undoubtedly they have managed to introduce what would once have been unthinkable changes. Zero hours contracts for example. My grandfather was a docker, until unionisation their work was irregular and unpredictable, just as Zero contracts are. There is no social housing, no investment in education and the selling off of the NHS, all part of the Tory policy to reduce the size of the state, but does anyone challenge them? Well no they don't.

May has re-appointed Hunt. Any rumours that she will be "nicer" are unlikely to be true.

oh, not 1883

it will get worse under May
Do you think it will though? She seems more in touch than the last lot, the Notting Hill set.

1883 was not a good year because Krakatoa (is that the right spelling?) erupted which probably led to bad harvests and food shortages.

Don't think the winter of discontent was 1883, I thought I lived through it!

Anniebach - I assume you have caught up with the latest on Brighton. Article in the Times today. Haven't had time to look at Guardian yet. Brighton Party suspended and no election of officers until after the leadership election. Recent election of officers annulled and new lot will be voted in under supervision of party officials. You can probably google report. Interesting, but disturbing, reading.
We will survive it but many will not survive the effects of austerity for at least a generation and more like two.

It was the strength of the unions which brought the so called winter of discontent, this was followed in 1883 with the biggest loss of seats for labour since 1918, followed by years in the wilderness. It took Neil Kinnock to take on the militant far left to regain seats over toe elections followed by three elections won by Blair.

I heard today there has been a surge of left wing supporters nominated for seats on the NEC, needless to say, organised by the Momentum cult . I appeal to labour party members who are not Corbyn supporters not the vote for these nominees , the vulnerable have suffered for six years, it will get worse under May and labour cannot win the next election

nhap.org/sustainability-actually-means-removing-services-from-the-nhs-and-charging-for-them-says-the-lords-committee-on-long-term-sustainability-of-the-nhs-says-d/

Charging for seeking medical help is on the cards, niggly.

In what way were they finishing it off? Preparing to send small boys up chimneys? reopening the work houses? reintroduction of capitol punishment? charging for seeking medical help? If all of these are the case, then they've passed me by, so enlighten me please!!

The Tory's since Thatcher have had an agenda to wipe away all the social improvement's built up by the Labour Government after WW2, and they have been using the deficit as a cover to achieve their agenda, and they have been getting away it.

Mrs Thatcher began taking us back to Victorian values, the New Labour Government under Tony Blair continued this agenda by embracing Thatcher's free market agenda, and Cameron with Osborne were finishing it all off.

Being inneffectual, as you put it, is not the same as did not deliberately set out to undermine.
Thatcher did set out to deliberately undermine social structures, as have Cameron and Osborne.

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2016/07/15/divided-britain/