The PM continues to demonstrate amazingly poor taste!

I feel politically lost.

As do I.
Being unable to tell the truth about women, dragging Brianna’s name into it and now backtracking on the green pledge and he’s not even been elected yet. It’s not reassuring.

WWM2’s comment shows how bad the situation looks.

Callistemon21

Whitewavemark2

To the extent that if you had considered voting for him, it would prevent you from doing so, thus ensuring more of this dreadful government?

Starmer has now backtracked on Labour's plans for green power, one of their main policies.

I feel politically lost.

Maybe he’s committed to not making promises that he might not be able to keep, especially as he has no control over the economy and the current government are probably going to damage the economy even more by finding the money for tax cuts in an attempt to stay in power? Isn’t it refreshing for a politician to say that something they wanted to do is, at this moment in time, difficult to achieve?

MayBee70

Callistemon21

Whitewavemark2

To the extent that if you had considered voting for him, it would prevent you from doing so, thus ensuring more of this dreadful government?

Starmer has now backtracked on Labour's plans for green power, one of their main policies.

I feel politically lost.

Maybe he’s committed to not making promises that he might not be able to keep, especially as he has no control over the economy and the current government are probably going to damage the economy even more by finding the money for tax cuts in an attempt to stay in power? Isn’t it refreshing for a politician to say that something they wanted to do is, at this moment in time, difficult to achieve?

But surely investment in infrastructure provides jobs and helps to stimulate the economy?

We certainly need investment in infrastructure in the UK.

Germanshepherdsmum

She was not in the gallery at the time.

Yes, and it wasn't a transgender jibe - it was a jibe about Starmer's constant flip-flopping including what constitutes the definition of a woman.

From what I understand, they didn't know she was not in the gallery at the time of the exchange. She had been welcomed as it was thought that she was there, but she had been delayed, and arrived later.

Re the green power 'U turn' - Starmer can't win, can he? If he doesn't reveal his aspirations for when he gets into power he is accused of being rudderless, but how can he (or anyone) be expected to commit to doing things that cost so much money when he is not able to influence the budget he's likely to inherit? What he has done is not a U turn in the sense of a change of heart, but a recognition that the economy has been ruined by years of Tory policies and he will no longer be able to fulfil what was possible when he made the policy.

I would much rather be told that something is not achievable than be lied to (eg about the Brexit money supposedly coming into the NHS) and then be disappointed.

I think the figure proposed for the green investment was a mistake to be honest, I know it's what they always accuse Starmer of, but it might have been better to be a bit more vague

Sunak and the rest of the Tories have no idea about ordinary people, they live in a golden bubble and are totally oblivious to how the rest of us live, their plan is simply to reduce tax for wealthy people.
I can see why Starmer changed the green pledge, the less money is in the kitty the less they can spend.
the last labour govt had a fantastic policy where you bought solar panels and sold excess power to the grid guaranteed for 25 yrs, it has been excellent for us but was cancelled asap by tories when they took over in favour of big business.
the former is what I want back again, Labour favour policies that help ordinary people, not big business so I'll vote Labour whoever is in charge. And they're better with the NHS cos they always have in mind ordinary folk.

Galaxy

I think the figure proposed for the green investment was a mistake to be honest, I know it's what they always accuse Starmer of, but it might have been better to be a bit more vague

Very true!

Oreo

Galaxy
^I think the figure proposed for the green investment was a mistake to be honest, I know it's what they always accuse Starmer of, but it might have been better to be a bit more vague.^

Very true!
Yes naming such a vast amount, when each successive government always blames its predecessor for the state of the economy, was a mistake.
Mentioning a green pledge was a vote catcher, and is important, but is now overshadowed by his flip which will mean any advances will be measured against what was originally offered.

Just to set the record straight, the fact that the King’s cancer had been caught early was announced on the news the day before Sunak mentioned it ( either BBC or Sky ).

I’m not even sure that the green pledge is all that popular with everyday people. When they realise the vast cost to themselves, they tend to become a little less keen. We have got to get there, net zero, and as technology develops, which it is doing quickly now, the cost will become less. But when we’re talking about electric cars that cost ten or more thousands than a petrol car, and lose value more quickly, and heat pumps costing upwards of fourteen thousand pounds, people often become less enthusiastic. I don’t think the rowing back on green pledges will do Starmer much harm.

Sunak like a lot of MP's has no idea of the life of the ordinary people those who work for a living pay a mortgage struggle to pay their bills older people who are scared to leave their homes for fear of violence etc MP'shave huge salary's or in Sunak's case are millionaires and dont have to worry about the things we do so why do we not have more MP's holding meetings in their constituencies to hear what the people they represent have to say

Maddyone
I think that ( for once ) Starmer is listing to the people.
Your average Joe is more interested in the nhs, food prices, energy prices, the state of schools, the police force, will their children be able to buy a house ( or even find somewhere to rent) and on it goes 😥

Given the belief amongst some. Others that Labour ant manage the economy, it makes absolute sense that Starmer and Reeves are prepared to review policies/proposals in light of economic pressures. Seriously how is a Labour govt expected to rebuild the nhs and public services which have been devastated over 13 years

I wonder if anyone would have noticed if Starmer hadn't drawn attention to it.

It is nothing to do with poor taste, he had good "taste", it is thoughtlessness and disgraceful demeanour in an attempt to drag Kier Starmer down.

Seriously how is a Labour govt expected to rebuild the nhs and public services which have been devastated over 13 years

Even if Labour, despite their assertion that the tories have made a complete mess of the economy (which is true) and the need for 'hard choices', invest a lot of money in public services and the Green economy, it will take years for that investment to take fruit because of the need to create a skilled workforce to make the the needed changes.

I wouldn't expect any really noticeable benefits to be apparent until well into a first term of office and throughout a second. Though sorting out public sector pay straight away would help growth to start increasing, rather than stagnating as it is now.

maddyone

I’m not even sure that the green pledge is all that popular with everyday people. When they realise the vast cost to themselves, they tend to become a little less keen. We have got to get there, net zero, and as technology develops, which it is doing quickly now, the cost will become less. But when we’re talking about electric cars that cost ten or more thousands than a petrol car, and lose value more quickly, and heat pumps costing upwards of fourteen thousand pounds, people often become less enthusiastic. I don’t think the rowing back on green pledges will do Starmer much harm.

I think it depends on how they go about it.

Accelerating development of green energy technology, subsidising improved insulation in domestic properties, subsidising heat pump purchase and installation, a decent scrappage scheme for replacing high emission vehicles, while it would appear to be expensive, would

a) help to repay itself through increased tax take (not tax rises but the increase in income tax from employment, VAT and company taxation)
and

b) we need to be moving as fast as possible to eliminate fossil fuels. That bullet has to be bitten and we might as well get on with it.

Oh, and I meant to say that they wouldn't cause so much hardship that it would put people off the green agenda.

MaizieD good posts

Personally I think PMQs are a waste of time. All politicians try to point score against one another.

mabon2

It is nothing to do with poor taste, he had good "taste", it is thoughtlessness and disgraceful demeanour in an attempt to drag Kier Starmer down.

There are none so blind as those who cannot see….

Who can't see what? It's impossible to answer posts like that, as the meaning is so obscure.

I guess I’m blind then.
Am I supposed to see RS trying to drag KS down-in which case he succeeded because KS jumped in and made it about Brianna.

Or am I supposed to see KS scoring points off RS by unforgivably mentioning Brianna’s name when he knew her mum was in the house.
Tricky really.