General Election to be called today?

Ah! But I thought the Conservatives were going to "level up". What happened?

What happened indeed? A big fat nothing!

Get Brexit Done (yep, we got done by Brexit!)
Stop the boats
Levelling up

Nice catchy bylines with no substance and no positive outcomes.

Going by GN and friends and family scattered across the U.K. it does appear that depending on where you live things vary enormously.
Well yes .

This is the problem, and the Tories recognised that by using the notion that they would 'level up' to win over so-called Red Wall voters at the last election. That they didn't do anything of the sort is no surprise to me, as levelling up involves creating a fair society which does not mean that things vary enormously, and this would remove the inbuilt advantages for the better off that is central to Tory policy and philosophy.

Free markets and lack of state regulation necessarily involve exploitation and reserve 'armies of labour' who are desperate to work even for low wages. Low taxation and low provision of services inevitably means that many people will work hard but not be able to afford necessities, which leads to crime and reliance on benefits. Top-up benefits subsidise low-paying employers and remove the incentive to work longer hours, and this is compounded by very high childcare charges. Means-testing (badged as 'targeting') means that people on low or average earnings can never 'better' themselves, as as soon as they save or earn more they are deemed 'able to afford' things that others get free, so a whole section of society is unable to get above a subsistence level.

Some of these things happen regardless of geographical area, but a lot of those who suffer from them will be concentrated in 'left behind' areas, which then have less money circulating in local economies, leading to fewer employment opportunities and so on.

A fairer society will mean that those who have the advantage of an above average salary will lose some of their spending power in order that someone on a below average one can buy the basics. It will mean that more money will go to struggling areas, so inevitably less will go to the better off. The question is whether enough people can see the sense and fairness in this to carry the vote.

Not all unskilled, poorly educated and unemployed people are capable of being retrained or educated Cossy. Many become dependent on alcohol and/or drugs and have become used to life on benefits.

Of course not everyone out of work is unskilled or ill educated, but those who are skilled and reasonably well educated are far more likely to get themselves back into work.

LizzieDrip

^Not every area is on its knees^

That is exactly the point GG! It’s the inequality - all areas should have such services, not just ‘some’. I live in a mid-sized northern town, once thriving, that has been well and truly left behind. High street is full of empty derelict shops; what used to be a ‘youth hub’ near me is closed; a well woman clinic - closed; local bus services cancelled leaving many elderly isolated; library was going to close but the community fought to save it - feels like all we’ve got left. I don’t begrudge you your fantastic local facilities - but every town / village should have them; it shouldn’t be a postcode lottery!

👏👏👏👏👏👏

Germanshepherdsmum

Few retailers will be interested in areas where there are low wages and high unemployment, and I really don’t know what you can do about unskilled and poorly educated people who are out of work.

It’s pretty easy really, you retrain and educate them. Interesting we list a lot of our training courses for the unemployed when we left the EU as most of them were funded by our EU grants and of course, unlike promised, the govt did not replace these funds.

Btw not everyone out of work is unskilled and poorly educated! It’s incredibly hard to break into the labour market after a long period of unemployment whatever your situation.

Doodledog

We sound like neighbours, growstuff.

The (Tory) council keeps signing off housebuilding on every blade of grass, without building schools, GP surgeries or making any other improvements to the infrastructure.

People are paying £££ for houses on new estates which are marketed as being in the catchment area for an excellent school, but then finding that their children have to be bussed out to neighbouring towns with less good schools, and long-term residents are finding that despite generations of their families going to the town schools there is no room for them either. The estates are on the outskirts of town so everyone has to drive into the town centre, increasing pollution and causing constant moaning about the lack of parking, the solution to which being concreting over even more greenery for their 4x4s.

People have to live somewhere, but we need to deal with the infrastructure before building more and more houses. It's so blindingly obvious that it feels like wilful stupidity not to do so.

I too live in Essex, though in a unitary so don’t even benefit from the sparse services of ECC. We have seen a decline in services, increases in crime, increased use of food banks, increased homeless, dirty streets, issues with drains each time we have a downpour, all our children’s centres were with closed with the exceptions of those “sold” into the private sector, we have at least three private “children’s homes”, a high street with no virtually no shops, youth services and clubs non existent, people placed in temporary accommodation in condemned tower blocks. I could go on but frankly it’s too depressing.

We’ve had mixes of councils across the years across the political parties but Tory MPs for as long as I’ve been born.

We have an inspiring, hard working, young Labour candidate this year…. 🙏🙏🤞🤞

Few retailers will be interested in areas where there are low wages and high unemployment, and I really don’t know what you can do about unskilled and poorly educated people who are out of work.

LizzieDrip I agree, all areas should have good local facilities.

Local and County Councils should look at ways to attract businesses and independent retailers to their High Streets.

growstuff I think you are more rural than here.

The Independent’s are the majority on our local council, and are doing an excellent job. Our MP is Conservative, and has been very helpful within the local community.

The County Council as you say is true blue two of DH’s are serving councillors, so I shall decline to comment…

We have several Dental Practices who are still taking NHS patients, as they also do a lot of aesthetics I can only assume that this subsidises the NHS appointments.

I and the AC, GC who live local are all with the same GP Practice which is the biggest in the area. It is possible to get n appointment on the day, if it is a telephone one if necessary this will lead to a face-to-face one. Both DH and myself have been on the two week pathway in the last six months, seen within one week, biopsies, medical photography, fortunately all clear.

Talking to friends who are with smaller local practices, they struggle to even get a telephone appointment.

Going by GN and friends and family scattered across the U.K. it does appear that depending on where you live things vary enormously.

LizzieDrip

^Not every area is on its knees^

That is exactly the point GG! It’s the inequality - all areas should have such services, not just ‘some’. I live in a mid-sized northern town, once thriving, that has been well and truly left behind. High street is full of empty derelict shops; what used to be a ‘youth hub’ near me is closed; a well woman clinic - closed; local bus services cancelled leaving many elderly isolated; library was going to close but the community fought to save it - feels like all we’ve got left. I don’t begrudge you your fantastic local facilities - but every town / village should have them; it shouldn’t be a postcode lottery!

Ah! But I thought the Conservatives were going to "level up". What happened?

Elegran I'm sure there are some obvious correlations, although it always surprises me that some voters still seem to shoot themselves in the foot.

Not every area is on its knees

That is exactly the point GG! It’s the inequality - all areas should have such services, not just ‘some’. I live in a mid-sized northern town, once thriving, that has been well and truly left behind. High street is full of empty derelict shops; what used to be a ‘youth hub’ near me is closed; a well woman clinic - closed; local bus services cancelled leaving many elderly isolated; library was going to close but the community fought to save it - feels like all we’ve got left. I don’t begrudge you your fantastic local facilities - but every town / village should have them; it shouldn’t be a postcode lottery!

I would love to see, side by side, maps of the UK, with areas coloured by -

The average income in the family
The average capital in the bank per family
The average annual spend on holidays
The average price of three-bedroom housing in each (one map for renting, one for owner-occupiers)
The average annual cost of private education
What percentage of children in each are at private or state schools
The average annual household spend on necessities
How many NHS doctors, physiotherapists and dentists are in each area, and how many private practitioners
How often the average inhabitant sees a GP

And finally - how the adults in each area plan to cast their votes. Comparisons between the last map and the preceding ones would be interesting.

The ex-chief economist of BoE on LBC

The economy has been flat lining for the past three years, and no evidence that it will improve in the foreseeable future.

The government needs to spend to grow. So investment in the U.K. by the government in infrastructure projects etc to grow the economy.

Keynes economics.👍👍👍

We sound like neighbours, growstuff.

The (Tory) council keeps signing off housebuilding on every blade of grass, without building schools, GP surgeries or making any other improvements to the infrastructure.

People are paying £££ for houses on new estates which are marketed as being in the catchment area for an excellent school, but then finding that their children have to be bussed out to neighbouring towns with less good schools, and long-term residents are finding that despite generations of their families going to the town schools there is no room for them either. The estates are on the outskirts of town so everyone has to drive into the town centre, increasing pollution and causing constant moaning about the lack of parking, the solution to which being concreting over even more greenery for their 4x4s.

People have to live somewhere, but we need to deal with the infrastructure before building more and more houses. It's so blindingly obvious that it feels like wilful stupidity not to do so.

GrannyGravy13

vegansrock

We’ve been gaslighted into believing that we can’t afford libraries, youth services, probation services, social care , clean water, roads without potholes etc etc but we can afford huge payments for building unused Brexit borders , contracts for privatised companies supplying the NHS at inflated prices, profiteering by Tory donors, private helicopters and private jets for government ministers. It’s led many to believe we must continue this decline.

I live in a commuter belt village (not big enough to be called a town)

There are two libraries, 15 minutes walk in my road, the closer one five minutes walk away on a different road.

We have a Sure Start Centre, under used.

The senior schools have youth clubs along with after school activities, along with their own swimming pools.

The three closest primary schools (two in my road, and attended by GC) have swimming pools.

Two council run leisure centres, gym, pool, etc.

Two church run youth clubs one with skate park.

Not every area is on its knees, but acknowledging this doesn’t suit the anti Conservatives rhetoric.

Well, I live in a growing town in Conservative-run Essex County Council. We have a Conservative MP and a mix of Conservative and independent councillors.

The town has one library, which is forever having its hours and services cut, no SureStart centre (although a charity does quite a good job of providing some of the services the council did), one secondary school (no swimming pool), one leisure centre with one swimming pool (run by a private contractor). The primary schools don't have swimming pools (in fact, it's very difficult to get a place in any of them). There's no police station for miles, no dentist taking NHS patients, two GP practices, where it's almost impossible to get an appointment, a poor bus service, but many potholes.

In the financial ending 2022, the median household disposable income in the UK was £32,300. Disposable income means what's left after direct taxes, NI and repayment of students loans.

In this case, the "median" is used as the average ie half of households have more and half less that £32,300. It's also worth pointing out that this is "household" income, so could be two working parents.

The fees for some of the most expensive private schools are more than £32,300 a year. I realise that some charge less, but I don't see that the "median" household would have enough to afford private school fees, even if it scrimped and saved.

It's strange that so many people seem to think they're average, whereas in reality they are better off than average.

The "average" family sends its children to state schools and has seen them struggle as class sizes have increased, minority subjects have been cut, buildings are becoming delapidated and provision for special needs has decreased.

Freya5

Casdon

Freya5

MaizieD

Joseann

Who on earth else is going to pay for it if not the citizens of the country in which they live.
That's the trouble for me with Labour. They like to bang on and say that it's the wealthy they are targeting, but the real rich won't particularly care much anyway. It is the average hardworking citizen, (like with VAT on school fees), who will feel it most, so just be honest and say.

Just who is this 'average hardworking citizen'' who is to be hit by VAT on school fees, Joseann?

By many criteria the fact of paying for privilege immediately takes people out of the 'average' group...

So my family who borrowed and sacrificed to send child to private school, where he thrived, away from an awful state school where bullying was rife if a child didn't want to join the sheeple, nothing was done.
They are average hard workers.
Service personnel, being sent abroad on a regular basis, wanting stability for children's schooling, average defending the country style parents. Not every one who goes to private school are from wealthy families. Also scholar ships for state school pupils. Should we take that away too. Because if vat is added it will stop your average families from having a choice. Hey let's hammer them because they're all from a priviledg background.

There’s a choice though, I drove my son 16 miles each way every day so he could go to a better state school. It’s those who have the least resources whose children lose out because they have no choice, not those who can ‘scrape together’ an alternative education.

Well good for you. If you can get in one.

We all make choices Freya5. There’s no ‘good for you’ about it. People who send their children to private schools have choices. Over the course of one child’s education it’s cheaper to move to a house in the catchment population of your preferred state school than it is to pay for a private education. Many middle class parents do that too.

Primrose53

I have a feeling this is going to be a hat trick 😉

Remember when the polls said Labour would win last time and Corbyn was itching to get into No 10? They suffered the worst defeat since WWII.

Remember the Brexit Vote when all the polls and pundits were saying we would remain in the EU and those famous words echoed out. “The British people have voted and they voted to Leave the EU”.

I believe the Conservatives will get in again.

Do remember it was won by a very small percentage, based on half-truths, (whether you’re prepared to admit this or not), if this had been a GE it would have been a hung parliament.

GrannyGravy13

vegansrock

We’ve been gaslighted into believing that we can’t afford libraries, youth services, probation services, social care , clean water, roads without potholes etc etc but we can afford huge payments for building unused Brexit borders , contracts for privatised companies supplying the NHS at inflated prices, profiteering by Tory donors, private helicopters and private jets for government ministers. It’s led many to believe we must continue this decline.

I live in a commuter belt village (not big enough to be called a town)

There are two libraries, 15 minutes walk in my road, the closer one five minutes walk away on a different road.

We have a Sure Start Centre, under used.

The senior schools have youth clubs along with after school activities, along with their own swimming pools.

The three closest primary schools (two in my road, and attended by GC) have swimming pools.

Two council run leisure centres, gym, pool, etc.

Two church run youth clubs one with skate park.

Not every area is on its knees, but acknowledging this doesn’t suit the anti Conservatives rhetoric.

Similar set up in my " impoverished area",run well by Conservatives. Now people have decided a hung council would be better, time will tell, but I won't hold my breath.

Our youngest three children also attended a good secondary comprehensive school way out of catchment area. The eldest had to sit a selection entrance test, the other two came in on the “sibling” ticket. It was an hour bus ride each way, I was working full time in the opposite direction so couldn’t drive them.

Primrose53

I have a feeling this is going to be a hat trick 😉

Remember when the polls said Labour would win last time and Corbyn was itching to get into No 10? They suffered the worst defeat since WWII.

Remember the Brexit Vote when all the polls and pundits were saying we would remain in the EU and those famous words echoed out. “The British people have voted and they voted to Leave the EU”.

I believe the Conservatives will get in again.

We’ll hold you to that. Hope your hat tastes good.

Casdon

Freya5

MaizieD

Joseann

Who on earth else is going to pay for it if not the citizens of the country in which they live.
That's the trouble for me with Labour. They like to bang on and say that it's the wealthy they are targeting, but the real rich won't particularly care much anyway. It is the average hardworking citizen, (like with VAT on school fees), who will feel it most, so just be honest and say.

Just who is this 'average hardworking citizen'' who is to be hit by VAT on school fees, Joseann?

By many criteria the fact of paying for privilege immediately takes people out of the 'average' group...

So my family who borrowed and sacrificed to send child to private school, where he thrived, away from an awful state school where bullying was rife if a child didn't want to join the sheeple, nothing was done.
They are average hard workers.
Service personnel, being sent abroad on a regular basis, wanting stability for children's schooling, average defending the country style parents. Not every one who goes to private school are from wealthy families. Also scholar ships for state school pupils. Should we take that away too. Because if vat is added it will stop your average families from having a choice. Hey let's hammer them because they're all from a priviledg background.

There’s a choice though, I drove my son 16 miles each way every day so he could go to a better state school. It’s those who have the least resources whose children lose out because they have no choice, not those who can ‘scrape together’ an alternative education.

Well good for you. If you can get in one.

Katie590

Whitewavemark2

Also paying for a decent NHS, education, good policing, border control, defence etc. should not be such an alien thing.

Who on earth else is going to pay for it if not the citizens of the country in which they live.

Decent public services makes for a very civilised society.

As long as everyone realizes that improvements are not going be conjured out of thin air, either taxation is going to increase or services are going to be more expensive.

If you think austerity will end, think again.

I don't think anyone is expecting miracles after so long under an 'anti-public service' regime. Of course taxation will need to increase, and yes, yet again it will be those who work who pay it, and yes, that is unfair. But if taxes rise to cover public services then people won't be spending money on the things those services provide.

Spending on public services is not Austerity. Austerity is cutting public services to save money - quite the opposite. I would try much like to see Austerity end, and recognise that this will mean an increase in taxation, but IMO it is a price worth paying.

GrannyGravy13

vegansrock

We’ve been gaslighted into believing that we can’t afford libraries, youth services, probation services, social care , clean water, roads without potholes etc etc but we can afford huge payments for building unused Brexit borders , contracts for privatised companies supplying the NHS at inflated prices, profiteering by Tory donors, private helicopters and private jets for government ministers. It’s led many to believe we must continue this decline.

I live in a commuter belt village (not big enough to be called a town)

There are two libraries, 15 minutes walk in my road, the closer one five minutes walk away on a different road.

We have a Sure Start Centre, under used.

The senior schools have youth clubs along with after school activities, along with their own swimming pools.

The three closest primary schools (two in my road, and attended by GC) have swimming pools.

Two council run leisure centres, gym, pool, etc.

Two church run youth clubs one with skate park.

Not every area is on its knees, but acknowledging this doesn’t suit the anti Conservatives rhetoric.

I think that is unfair. My daughter lives in a very middle class wealdon village, where life is extremely pleasant indeed. All the facilities you describe and some are available including a minor public school (Lancing College) but go say 5-10 miles as the crow flies you come across a very different world indeed, where children are on average smaller, poor diet, poorer health outcomes, worse educational facilities and much financially poorer with nowhere near the type of facilities available to them that are available to my grandchildren.

These are the children I very much want Labour to help because the Tories have stripped so much away from them over the years.