Johnson set to announce a multi million cost of living package

"DOING THEIR BEST" says the woman who HATES a devolved government who have been mitigating tory policies for the poor and vulnerable her for years.
Who gave young families extra child payments to make up for the loss of the UC "uplift" who has extended free school meals who gave nursing students an EXTRA 5k a year to encourage more applications >
Who has introduced free eye checks and free dental checks and much more
Bet you'll be yelling to the roof tops about an extra tenner for the chief clown though !!

I don’t think it’s as much bribery as to avoid the British Revolution - akin to throwing bread to the wolves before they tear him apart.

Aveline

Whitewavemark2 we've had some pretty incompetent governments before now. I understand that you're not a Boris fan (!) but there are good people doing their best. It's just that we tend only to read about who journalists emphasise and make much of.

Which people in government are good?

Aveline, I am not Conservative voter, and disagreed with Margaret Thatcher on just about everything. However, I do not think that she would have been party ( sorry, couldn't resist ?) to any of this nor lied to the House in the way BJ us happy to do.
Nor would Theresa May.
Oh and revenge- it only works I'd you have ammunition with which to initiate it, and surely we must agree that the current Cabinet has given that- in spades.

Aveline You are missing that lying to parliament is a resigning issue - and its the PM who has kicked this matter down the road that it has taken so long to finalise.
While you are rooting for this government, have you read the report on the Afghanistan withdrawal: 18 months to plan and no plan made; people who worked for and helped this government considerably, left behind etc etc.
Then remember Brexit is yet not achieved as the Northern Ireland issue is still outstanding as are the correct controls at the border in Dover - still a nightmare for drivers trying to take UK goods into Europe, largely due to the absence a decent IT system UK have had 6 years to sort out.
Or perhaps we should look at Lebedev in the House of Lords (or perhaps you like sons of the KGB at the centre of UK law making!)
Now Johnson is trying to get Hoggan-Howe - rejected by an independent panel - appointed head of the NCA despite his record of disasters!
I could go on!

I am not 'rooting for this government' merely shocked at the relish displayed in this thread. I'm amazed that you're all so surprised at it all. What went on at Downing Street didn't surprise me in the least. Obviously I'm more cynical than the rest of you. I'm pretty inured to poor government of course - we're stuck with that useless lot in Scotland.

What are you on about Aveline? Relish at what? And what's with the "all" an "rest of you"? I'm not surprised at anything and I don't think it's a surprise to many people.

So why this thread?

MaizieD

They had the official photographer at some of the parties, I understand ?

Hoist by a generation or two's compulsive need to photograph every minute detail of their lives? (their own petard...)

They do think they're above the laws they make for others and are brazen enough not to care about being found ot.

Aveline

So why this thread?

Why not?

People want to know about a package to help with the cost of living increases. Nobody needs to be Cynic of the Century to connect the timing of potential good news and something which Johnson doesn't welcome.

Civil servants got no pay rise last tax year ( except for those earning under £24,000 who got a one-off £250). Civil servants pay rise for this tax year is 2%. Inflation is around 10%. So that will be civil servants spending less in shops, restaurants etc. I thought the whole point of Rees-Mogg, Ian Duncan Smith etc whinging and whining about work from home was that they want the civil servants to be coughing up money to spend in overpriced sandwich and coffee shops, to keep the leaseholds going on the commercial property they are invested in, but all the civil servants will be able to afford are homemade sandwiches and a flask of coffee made at home.

^ but all the civil servants will be able to afford are homemade sandwiches and a flask of coffee made at home.^

Before we start feeling too sorry for them we mustn't forget that the civil servants working in Downing Street seem to have been able to afford an unconscionable amount of wine and beer... Every Friday, not just for illegal leaving do's...

(Yes, I do know that there are more civil servants than just the No. 10 establishment..)

There's a lot of money sloshing around.

My OH, about to turn 80, has been informed that his pension will increase by 25p per week.

We just can't decide how to spend all this money.

Aveline

I'm amazed that most of you seem to think that this is the only government that ever broke promises, lied or cheated!
Of course things are bad right now. Can anyone remember a time when everyone was completely satisfied with the government and that everything was fine throughout the country? I certainly cannot.

We have had 12 years now of Tory austerity. I think most people were better off before the Tories than they are now.

varian I do not think Rishi Sunak has the faintest idea how much a state pension is and he will not know of that insulting increase when obe reaches the age of 80. Perhaps somebody should let him know- not that I think he will care.

I don't if you will notice the addition of £1 a month.

Yes, I do know that there are more civil servants than just the No. 10 establishment..

Only getting on for about half a million and some are not well paid at all.
Some have had an increase and are now on the Living Wage!!

We just can't decide how to spend all this money

It's very hard choosing what to do with it all.

Callistemon21

^Yes, I do know that there are more civil servants than just the No. 10 establishment..^

Only getting on for about half a million and some are not well paid at all.
Some have had an increase and are now on the Living Wage!!

Unfortunately, about 20% of them are about to lose their jobs and you can bet it won't be the most highly paid.

That's true, although those at No 10 should be amongst the first to go.

One thing I’ve heard is that some of the payments will be through the council tax route again. If that means that the government will effectively be expecting Local Authorities to pay it will be a travesty.

Have to admit Johnson seems terribly distracted always and has a terrible time spitting out a sentence without stumbling over it. And what is with his hair? He always looks as if he just got out of bed and sounds as if he's just woken up. He doesn't make a very professional appearance, does he?

Aveline

I am not 'rooting for this government' merely shocked at the relish displayed in this thread. I'm amazed that you're all so surprised at it all. What went on at Downing Street didn't surprise me in the least. Obviously I'm more cynical than the rest of you. I'm pretty inured to poor government of course - we're stuck with that useless lot in Scotland.

I missed this thread yesterday.

My irony-detector has just exploded.

Whitewavemark2

Before the end of week.

Which begs the question, whether he would have done so if Sue Grey hadn’t reported this week.

Johnson’s cynicism would win prizes.

Of course not! Opposed the windfall tax for months and told us to wait until October to see if we could have another ‘loan’. Suddenly they’ve found a shed load of money down the back of the sofa to try and distract (bribe) us from his appalling lack of leadership and lies

The timing is an obvious and cynical distraction from the Sue Grey report. Another symbol of how highly Boris thinks of the electorate. Not.
More smoke and mirrors when the announcement is made I expect.

Just seen Sky News. Only 8 million very poor will get help, pensioners will get an extra amount but nothing like the amount needed, disabled will get some help but again not enough. Etc, etc, etc. No real help as flaming Sunak does not have a clue what the real world is like! The rich will survive & the rest of us can just go drown in debt, that is if we manage to survive! When I am reincarnated I want to come back as someone obscenely wealthy please?