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Reform/Farage - economic policies don’t add up.

(297 Posts)
Wyllow3 Tue 18-Jun-24 13:50:18

The Institute for Fiscal Studies thinktank has published its assessment of Reform UK's tax and spending plans and it says they “don't add up”. And they are not just relatively unrealistic, it says. It says the costings are out “by a margin of tens of billions of pounds per year

details:

Reform UK proposes tax cuts that it estimates would cost nearly £90bn per year, and spending increases of £50bn per year.

It claims that it would pay for these through £150bn per year of reductions in other spending, covering public services, debt interest and working-age benefits.

This would represent a big cut to the size of the state. Regardless of the pros and cons of shrinking the state, or of any of their specific measures, the package as a whole is problematic.

Spending reductions would save less than stated,

and the tax cuts would cost more than stated, by a margin of tens of billions of pounds per year.

Meanwhile the spending increases would cost more than stated if they are to achieve their objectives …

Even with the extremely optimistic assumptions about how much economic growth would increase, the sums in this manifesto do not add up. Whilst Reform’s manifesto gives a clear sense of priority, a government could only implement parts of this package, or would need to find other ways to help pay for it, which would mean losers not specified.

ronib Sun 23-Jun-24 08:59:05

MaizieD and I see you are in favour of Labour. Oh well….

MayBee70 Sun 23-Jun-24 09:11:26

Nicenanny3

Whitewavemark2

🙈🙉🙊

Yes that's Labour stance on immigration and the small boats, don't talk about it, don't listen to people's concerns, just close their eyes and hope it all goes away. Well I've got news for them it won't, Labour might win this General Election but 5 years down the line Nigel Farage and The Reform Party will win the next one, I might even put a bet on it.

So can you explain to me why you think Farages strategy for stopping the boats will work? Because it seems to me that what he wants to do is either impossible ( eg the navy aren’t prepared to do what he wants) or illegal. Labour do have a plan which is to go for the traffickers and speed up the legal process. If it wasn’t for Brexit we would now be able to return people to France but we are no longer part of the agreement that enables us to do that. To take away migrants rights Farage wants us to leave the ECHR which will take away our rights, too.

nemo3 Sun 23-Jun-24 09:13:18

They can make wild promises because they know they won't be in power so they won't have to follow through

Nicenanny3 Sun 23-Jun-24 09:40:28

The Reform Party's Plan to Stop The Boats

M0nica Sun 23-Jun-24 10:10:25

OK, so he thinks this policy will stop the votes. So they will just start coming into Britain in other ways.

How will he stop those coming in on lorries? The fuss about illegal immigrants coming on boats is only because everyone can see it happening as boats land on the coast and are seen on route, but those coming in lorries no one sees.

Remember the 39 Vietnamese immigrants found dead in a lorry in Essex? They are only the tip of the iceberg. ikkegak immigrants in boats are just the easy pickings.

BevSec Sun 23-Jun-24 11:37:23

Nicenanny3, Reform’s plan seems sensible and workable to me, thank you for sharing it.

Germanshepherdsmum Sun 23-Jun-24 13:01:40

How on earth is it workable? English boats sailing into French territorial waters and offloading people by force - they won’t go willingly - on French beaches?

Wyllow3 Sun 23-Jun-24 13:33:36

Exactly, GSM. I have asked and asked to no effect how the Reform policy of returning boats to France will be

1. Who carries it out? How will the boats be "returned".
2. How will France react and "allow" these returns.

The policy is absolute rubbish as no single Reform supporter has answered these questions after weeks of asking.

Reminder - it cant be the Royal Navy
www.navylookout.com/why-its-not-the-royal-navys-job-to-stop-migrant-boats/

Anyone?

Germanshepherdsmum Sun 23-Jun-24 13:49:01

It’s a load of tosh, and not worth spending time on as Reform won’t be in government.

Wyllow3 Sun 23-Jun-24 14:04:08

Yet people clearly appear to believe it can be done and will vote.

If Farage been closely questioned on the "how" I cannot find any refs on it despite extensive efforts as it's clearly rubbish.

It was reviewed as an option 2021/2022 and ruled out after extensive discussions.

Germanshepherdsmum Sun 23-Jun-24 14:18:05

The sort of people who will vote for Reform have no idea. Farage just tells them what they want to hear. By and large they are thick racist bigots.

Nicenanny3 Sun 23-Jun-24 15:13:49

Germanshepherdsmum

The sort of people who will vote for Reform have no idea. Farage just tells them what they want to hear. By and large they are thick racist bigots.

Still smarting are you for being called a nit picker yesterday 😂

BevSec Sun 23-Jun-24 15:15:56

I am not sure thick racist bigots is quite accurate! Illegal immigration is extremely worrying to a lot of people and the main political parties seem not to be able to do anything about it. Our country will be changed eventually, women will be. Second class as throughout the Muslim world. I have spoken to people closely working with the illegal immigrants and have been told they look after themselves first, women and children come second. Our values and freedoms will be under threat, educated women such as teachers have expressed this fear to me. I am educated to degree level, so not an ignorant thick racist!

Wyllow3 Sun 23-Jun-24 15:20:34

BevSec, since you clearly support them, and believe the policies would be effective,

please can you tell me how Reform/Farage will turn back the boats to France

a not unreasonable question since its a critical policy at the heart of what he says.

BevSec Sun 23-Jun-24 15:24:41

Nicenanny3 has posted a four point plan, leaving the ECHR will be good, legal challenges will go on forever otherwise. Posters on here have said if the immigrants want to come here they need to respect our way of life but maybe you would like to tell me how this can be enforced? I would be really interested to know how this can be enforced Wyllow3.

MaizieD Sun 23-Jun-24 15:27:21

I am not sure thick racist bigots is quite accurate! Illegal immigration is extremely worrying to a lot of people and the main political parties seem not to be able to do anything about it

It has clearly escaped your notice all these years that the only political party that can do anything about anything is the party of government. No other party can do anything.

Immigration was doing alright under the last labour government. Asylum requests were promptly dealt with and there was no huge backlog as there is now. We were also still in the EU and could return asylum seekers under the Dublin Agreement.

The decline in processing speed and the buildup of the backlog is entirely down to the tories who have been in charge since 2010.

BevSec Sun 23-Jun-24 15:31:32

MaizieD, I am sure you are correct but surely illegal immigration was not happening then as it is now with the number of small boats etc? It seems a Europe wide problem, not caused by Brexit. That is why the EU voting seems to be going right wing?

Nicenanny3 Sun 23-Jun-24 15:42:59

Offering a tongue in cheek "thank you for the warm welcome", Mr Farage said: "When I came here 17 years ago and said I wanted to lead a campaign to get Britain to leave the European Union you all laughed at me.

"Well I have to say you're not laughing now are you?"

The Reform Party is on the way up, The Tory Party on the way down, might not happen at this election but in 5 years time, calling their supporters names, sticks and stones and all that is trying to stop debate, well it won't work this time people have had enough. It's got nothing to do with what colour people are it's about the numbers.

Thanks BevSec for your posts

Germanshepherdsmum Sun 23-Jun-24 15:47:06

I will ask this time BvSec - you say you are educated to degree level, which I assume means you have obtained a degree and that demonstrates capacity for independent thought; now apart from leaving the ECHR (which I favour though I am not a Reform supporter), please tell us how, if Reform were to govern the UK, their four point plan could be achieved?

Germanshepherdsmum Sun 23-Jun-24 15:48:43

Not smarting at all NiceNanny. I find it helpful to have a brain which has some capacity for analysis.

M0nica Sun 23-Jun-24 16:00:55

Germanshepherdsmum

The sort of people who will vote for Reform have no idea. Farage just tells them what they want to hear. By and large they are thick racist bigots.

I think a lot of people cannot tell the difference between legal and illegal immigration and think that the majority of immigrants are here illegally, even though they can see them working in the economy and in the NHS.

They are unaware what a very small proportion illegal immigrants are of all immigrants. A lot of them live in areas where there are few immigrants. There are still areas of the country, and I suspect Clacton is one of them, where they see relatively few non-British faces or hear non-british names.

Many of these areas are areas with high levels unemployment and areas of deprivation, so that even though there are relatively few immigrants around they are perceived as being ubiquitous and 'taking our jobs'.

These people are not bigots, nor inherently are they racist, but they aare struggling in every way, knowing that their area are falling behind other regions economically, they struggle to work out why they are being short changed and immigration, whether from Syria or Slovakia, semms, superficially to be the reason.

BevSec Sun 23-Jun-24 16:06:21

Yes Nicenanny3 its about the numbers, you are quite right.

GSM yes I have a degree and capacity for independent thought! I am not sure in what way you think the four point plan will not work? If Reform were ever in power the determination to stop illegal immigration would be there which this government does not seem to have. The Rwanda scheme is a deterrent and legal challenges need to be stopped by human rights lawyers to enable flights to take off. Its a gravy train for the lawyers involved! Even the Archbishop of Canterbury has withdrawn his opposition to the flights. That is the way forward and apparently even countries in the EU are starting to explore these avenues. Australia has successfully done this. I hope that answers your question to some extent.

Germanshepherdsmum Sun 23-Jun-24 16:13:33

Germanshepherdsmum

How on earth is it workable? English boats sailing into French territorial waters and offloading people by force - they won’t go willingly - on French beaches?

This is what I posted earlier today BevSec. Perhaps you haven’t read it. Perhaps you could give your comments.

I have already said that I support withdrawal from the jurisdiction of the European Court and that I support the Rwanda plan. I have also said that other countries are making similar arrangements. However there are issues which, as I have said, I consider unworkable. I would like to know from a Reform supporter, which I assume you to do, how those flaws which I perceive would be overcome (without resorting to talking to France and paying them money, which we’ve been doing for years with little success),

BevSec Sun 23-Jun-24 16:21:04

If the Rwanda flight plan was put into action returning the boats to France would not be needed as I feel this would be a deterrent to attempting the channel crossing. Apparently there was a tv programme which I missed but was watched by one of my teacher friends I mentioned. There is a whole industry making money out of filling small boats with migrants, similar to drug cartels. This cannot be allowed to go on! I fully agree this country should not go on paying France and I am glad we think similarly on some of these issues.

Germanshepherdsmum Sun 23-Jun-24 16:25:43

The Rwanda plan seems to be a deterrent but on its own it will not be enough. So, how would returning people to France in boats, as Farage proposes, work in practice?