Is Rachel Reeves serious?

nanna8 the Uk might be trumpeted as the sixth richest country blah but the average income person with a young family can ask if this country is so rich, why are we struggling?
Apparently according to LBC this morning, the birth rate here is now at 1.5 children. Not a family friendly country by any means?

This thread started by criticising RR and her saying that she has noticed how more money is going from her bank account every month.

I suspect that is the primary reason why the birth rate is falling in the U.K. although other connected factors will so be the reason, like the housing crises, poor health care, the cost of childcare etc.

Even people who are reasonably well off like RR are noticing a difference, - both my offspring who are in the top 10% of earners have commented on the cost of living etc.

ronib

nanna8 the Uk might be trumpeted as the sixth richest country blah but the average income person with a young family can ask if this country is so rich, why are we struggling?
Apparently according to LBC this morning, the birth rate here is now at 1.5 children. Not a family friendly country by any means?

It's because that's the way the capitalist system works, ronib. Money flows upwards. Any attempt to change the direction of the flow, or to moderate its velocity is met with squeals of horror, as you must know just from reading these forums alone...

This bulletin shows how wealth is distributed in the UK. 10% of the population hold 50% of the nation's wealth.

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/distributionofindividualtotalwealthbycharacteristicingreatbritain/april2018tomarch2020

I can’t agree that the top 10 percent will be suffering - in fact, some high earners would not mind paying more in tax to help rebuild/rebalance. Wonder why this isn’t happening?

In response to Wwm2. I shall read link thanks MaizieD.

They aren’t suffering! But they have noticed the rise in the cost of living and mentioned it.

And yes they would willingly pay more tax as you would expect any respectable offspring of mine😄

Wwm2 so they are not wincing? Good. Wincing implies some degree of discomfort?
Every one in Europe will have noticed rising prices. Some individuals will be much better positioned to cope than others.
I look forward to reading how the various political parties intend to redistribute wealth.

This is just the start of the dirty tricks before an election that hasn't even been announced yet. We can expect the Tory press to churn out more of this type of story, and sadly, expect people to trot it out as a reason to justify their reasons to vote for the venal Tories. Personally, I have no problem with how much RR earns, or anyone else for that reason, as long as they pay tax in the UK ( I am looking at you, Rees-Mogg). Irrespective of one's income, there is no doubt that more is going out than did last year, whether this puts you in a difficult financial situation is a different matter.
Please people, before you believe what you read, look at who is writing it.

No need to look at who is writing it in RR ‘s case. It was on tv! Words straight from the horse’s mouth.

ronib

No need to look at who is writing it in RR ‘s case. It was on tv! Words straight from the horse’s mouth.

GBNews?

ronib

I can’t agree that the top 10 percent will be suffering - in fact, some high earners would not mind paying more in tax to help rebuild/rebalance. Wonder why this isn’t happening?

The top 10% aren't just 'high earners', ronib. Some may be, but many will also have inherited wealth, and, because wealth can attract more wealth without much, or any, effort on the part of the possessor, will just go on attracting more and more of the national wealth. As I said, money flows upwards and once it's up, it rarely flows down again.

IMO what is needed is to stem the upward flow. Make it more difficult for such wealth acquisition in the first place and then make it harder for wealth to effortlessly attract more wealth.

The state issues the money in the first place. Should the state be indifferent as to where the money it issues ends up or should it make an effort to ensure a more equable distribution that means that none of its citizens are living in poverty?

That's where ideology comes in and citizens, by the use of their vote, can choose how the nation's wealth should be distributed.

Wwwm2 as stated in o/p yes GB news and gleefully reported on Guido Fawkes. Maybe a good lesson for RR from now on would be to think before she speaks? And no RR wasn’t tricked by the presenter.

MaizieD I think it’s far too late for the UK to rebalance inequality. I don’t see any political party taking this on. If only because the political elite is milking the system too.
I don’t follow your last paragraph. Exactly how is the fact that citizens have one vote each going to help in a system where NO party is serious about wealth inequality?
£60k in London with a family is not easy. Yet 60k qualified for entry to the top 10 percent club.
What incentive is there to get out of bed under your proposal?

Talking about 'national wealth' and 'value' has brought to mind part of a speech by Bobby Kennedy (sadly assassinated in 1966)

For too long, we seem to have surrendered personal excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our Gross National Product is now over 800 billion dollars a year... But that Gross National Product counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our door and the jails for the people who break them. It counts the destructions of the redwood and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and nuclear warheads and armoured cars for the police to fight riots in our cities. It counts rifles and knives and the television programmes which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children.

Yet the Gross National Product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials.

It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our devotion to our country, it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.’

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/blog/bobby-kennedy-last-reflections-how-wealth-nation-measured/

ronib

Wwwm2 as stated in o/p yes GB news and gleefully reported on Guido Fawkes. Maybe a good lesson for RR from now on would be to think before she speaks? And no RR wasn’t tricked by the presenter.

Wouldn’t thinking before you speak be a lesson for all politicians? If you can name one who hasn’t had a foot in the mouth moment, many much more serious than this one, I’d be amazed. In fact, hold up your hand if you’re the only person in the world who hasn’t committed a faux pas, or indeed, many.

Casdon RR is tipped to take on an extremely important role as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Thankfully for everyone, I am not! Don’t you think it’s reasonable to expect high standards? I can forgive Diane Abbott just about anything but with real power comes responsibility.

Whitewavemark2

This thread started by criticising RR and her saying that she has noticed how more money is going from her bank account every month.

I suspect that is the primary reason why the birth rate is falling in the U.K. although other connected factors will so be the reason, like the housing crises, poor health care, the cost of childcare etc.

Even people who are reasonably well off like RR are noticing a difference, - both my offspring who are in the top 10% of earners have commented on the cost of living etc.

Same here WWmk2 regards our youngest daughter and son in law. Childcare costs are eye watering! Now the children are both at school it’s an hour beforehand and pick up & keep till 5pm x 5 days a week. Our grandson is now at high school, gets the bus home and is a ‘latch key kid’ for an hour from 4pm. Fortunately he’s a sensible boy. I read today on the GM thread that in Malta childcare is free up to the age of 3 years. That must give parents out there real peace of mind. I’m not surprised the UK birth rate is lower now than for many years.

ronib

Casdon RR is tipped to take on an extremely important role as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Thankfully for everyone, I am not! Don’t you think it’s reasonable to expect high standards? I can forgive Diane Abbott just about anything but with real power comes responsibility.

I do believe you’re being serious ronib, all I can say is that you have a short and selective memory about the faux pas of other politicians. One example I remembered because it made me actually cringe was this:

‘Last week, Jacob Rees-Mogg went on the radio and said he was too clever to die in a fire. Too clever… to die in a fire. Discussing the recent Grenfell Tower fire inquiry, Rees-Mogg claimed the victims lacked “common sense” because they didn’t flee the burning building. He said to the presenter: “I think if either of us were in a fire, whatever the fire brigade said, we would leave the burning building. It just seems the common sense thing to do and it’s such a tragedy that didn’t happen.” He concluded: “I don’t think it’s anything to do with race or class.” (Indy 100)

You’re trying to make out that what Rachel Reeves said makes her unsuitable for office, whereas in reality there would be nobody in office if that rule applied equally to all politicians.

Casdon no I don’t think that RR is unsuitable for office.
However I don’t really enjoy the way she interacts but to be fair, it’s probably a very difficult balance and some people will naturally appeal and others not.
Currently though Ben Habib seems to be presenting well when on tv. He does seem quite astute although probably unelectable.

Maisie, thank you for introducing me to that wonderful speech. It says it all, doesn't it?

Chocolatelovinggran

Maisie, thank you for introducing me to that wonderful speech. It says it all, doesn't it?

He would have made a better president than his brother.

I note the one eyrd Labour supporters are not at all worried about Ms Reeves lack of financial control about her finances! Only WWM tells us about the PMs money! It may have escaped her notice but it is Mrs Sunak who is the wealthy one in this family.
Good luck to her!

Who is one eyed Anniel?

‘Long-awaited tax documents covering the past four years, and summarising Mr Sunak’s UK taxable income, capital gains and tax paid as reported to HMRC, showed in March that the PM has raked in more than £4.7m over the past three years.

Mr Sunak made more than £1.9m last year alone, including £1.6m in capital gains and more than £300,000 in earnings and investment income, according to the returns prepared by accountancy service Evelyn Partners.’

From the Independent.

As far as falling birth rates are concerned, that phenomenon is pretty much standard throughout the developed world and has been for a while, especially in traditional Catholic countries. A multitude of reasons but finding somewhere to live would certainly be a factor, again that's a problem throughout the Western world as indeed dissatisfaction with respective governments, even Germany have joined the dissenting masses of late.