Gransnet forums

News & politics

Labour……I really tried but have now given up!

(248 Posts)
Sago Sat 10-Aug-24 15:01:01

When Labour came to power, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt, some good decisions were made such as James Timpson appointed Minister of prisons, I was feeling positive.

However, as my husband predicted, it wouldn’t last.

Removing the winter fuel allowance and the cap on nursing home fees was dreadful but her latest move is beyond comprehension.

Angela Rayner has dropped Tory plans to limit applications for social housing to long-term British residents.

The Housing Secretary has formally scrapped reforms that would have prevented recently arrived migrants from applying for a council house in England.

Enough is enough!

Cossy Sun 11-Aug-24 11:12:33

Wyllow3

Thank you for that thoughtful post, Maerion.

Given how extraordinary the last week was, and that we are in parliamentary recess, I find an O/P (which includes misinformation) seriously saying "I've given them a fair chance" extraordinarily disingenuous.

I find it quite hilarious! Whoever was in govt would have achieved very little in their first six weeks. I remember doing new roles, in different premises, with the aggro of having to also move house, I honestly don’t think I was terribly productive in the first 6 weeks, as I was still feeling my feet.

Mollygo Sun 11-Aug-24 11:07:02

Galaxy
^ Presumably if Starmers government decided to introduce compulsory hat wearing tomorrow that would be too much for some people and the fact he had only been in government for a month wouldn't be the issue.^

Substitute mask for hat and we’ve already seen the result, even here on GN. 🤣🤣

MissAdventure Sun 11-Aug-24 10:45:08

What a thought!
grin
I'd prefer that to Steptoe and son, I suppose.

Galaxy Sun 11-Aug-24 10:41:33

But if after a few weeks your new bra continuously played the theme tune to coronation street whenever you entered a room, presumably a couple of weeks of that would be enough grin

Lovetopaint037 Sun 11-Aug-24 10:41:22

Callistemon213

^Thing is scrapping the winter fuel allowance for those not on benefits means money freed up to pay junior docs^

No it doesn't.

It doesn't work like that.

Why not Callistemon? I’m not saying you are wrong but would like to understand why you are saying this.

MissAdventure Sun 11-Aug-24 10:31:03

I've persevered longer to get used to a new bra, let alone a new government.

Wyllow3 Sun 11-Aug-24 10:10:40

Grantanow

Lines in the sand get washed away when the tide comes in.

I've not seen much on so-called Operation Scatter. It was first mentioned in The Times, I think. It reflects a desire expressed in the Labour Manifesto to achieve a more equitable distribution across the country.

And thats all it is to date, part of a manifesto. It's been pushed and headlined by Reform on X and repeated as new "news" when no plans have been as yet drawn up. All the speculation on detail upthread is just that -speculation.

Grantanow Sun 11-Aug-24 10:00:47

Lines in the sand get washed away when the tide comes in.

I've not seen much on so-called Operation Scatter. It was first mentioned in The Times, I think. It reflects a desire expressed in the Labour Manifesto to achieve a more equitable distribution across the country.

Oreo Sun 11-Aug-24 07:24:37

I agree David49
I just hope this new Labour government doesn’t go too far down the Draconian route, or the Austerity route either.
For me it hasn’t been a good start.
I think that Starmer wants to show he’s no Corbyn but the things either being introduced or talked about or done seem more tory based than the Tories!

David49 Sun 11-Aug-24 07:11:53

nanna8

I think nearly all governments are disappointing in one way or another. I can’t remember a really good one, at least not since the 1970s. Left, right or in between . I’m always optimistic about Labor and always disappointed, every time. Good ideas, no commonsense. As for the others - bad ideas but better financially. Joe Blow can’t win.

Most governments end in failure they promise the earth and then can’t deliver on the promises, lacking common sense?, certainly lacking realism, raising hope of voters then running out of the money to deliver improvements.

Thatcher made a lot of changes that needed to be done but then went too far and dismantled our core industries, with Blair, deregulation was good until there was no regulation and banks took big risks, ending in the global collapse.

Austerity with Cameron bumbled along until the Brexit vote, May , Johnson, Truss and Sunak all could not control the economy, now we are back to austerity with Starmer at least for a while, we can only hope that prosperity will return

nanna8 Sun 11-Aug-24 00:26:55

I think nearly all governments are disappointing in one way or another. I can’t remember a really good one, at least not since the 1970s. Left, right or in between . I’m always optimistic about Labor and always disappointed, every time. Good ideas, no commonsense. As for the others - bad ideas but better financially. Joe Blow can’t win.

Galaxy Sat 10-Aug-24 22:58:26

Yes I know what the act involves, the rumour is that he may reverse the removal of legal but harmful clause. He may not of course but that would be my limit.
In order to introduce that kind of control someone would need to define harmful. Generally the people who would have that kind of power are the last people you would want to have power over speech.
Alistair Campbell for example is currently campaigning to get various people arrested for misinformation. It's almost impossible to differentiate between reality and parody anymore.

Freya5 Sat 10-Aug-24 22:48:57

petra

Siope

How will local authority and housing association allocation processes be changed by this alleged change? Will they still retain autonomy to respond to local need and set their own criteria? If not, who will?

A while ago I was in the housing office.
This is the conversation I heard.
A Young asylum seeker was at the counter with an interpreter.
He showed his documents to show that he had been given leave to stay.
The housing officer told him it was his responsibility to find his own accommodation.

As with so many others looking for a home, they are given the same message.

Wyllow3 Sat 10-Aug-24 22:40:29

Galaxy looking at the `Online Safety Act and your concerns (this has been an uphill learning process to me so I checked out "harmful but legal" and found that these clauses have been altered (still in 2023) to

"19. The adult safety duties (‘legal but harmful’ provisions) have been removed from the Bill"

www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-bill-supporting-documents/overview-of-expected-impact-of-changes-to-the-online-safety-bill

I appreciate you are talking about not limiting freedom of speech.

However the last week do make me feel appropriate restrictions on incitement to violence and hatred need looking at

(just as the law concerns itself already with hate speech and incitement)

(for interest generally, much of the act is for the protection of children)

Callistemon213 Sat 10-Aug-24 22:27:15

Casdon

Drawing any lines in the sand now is only for people who gamble on what type of sand it is in my opinion. It’s way too early to draw conclusions about what this government will deliver.

Yes it is.

Early days and they've had a lot to contend with so far.

.

Galaxy Sat 10-Aug-24 22:21:01

Starmer is saying he will look further at social media, if he does introduce further controls such as the harmful but legal clause as I think its referred to, I wouldnt be able to vote for them again. It's as fundamental to me as say a party announcing they would roll back gay rights.

Wyllow3 Sat 10-Aug-24 22:13:59

I do understand what you are saying about everyones line being personal, not querying that, it makes sense.

My question what you were referring to when you wrote "Control of Speech" was genuine as I don't know what you meant and dont wish too speculate or assume.

Casdon Sat 10-Aug-24 22:10:41

Drawing any lines in the sand now is only for people who gamble on what type of sand it is in my opinion. It’s way too early to draw conclusions about what this government will deliver.

Galaxy Sat 10-Aug-24 22:04:23

I am predicting what my line in the sand might be. So I can therefore understand if someone elses line in the sand is the response to winter fuel allowance or care home fees. It's more to do with peoples 'lines' than the length of a governments term. Presumably if Starmers government decided to introduce compulsory hat wearing tomorrow that would be too much for some people and the fact he had only been in government for a month wouldnt be the issue.

Wyllow3 Sat 10-Aug-24 21:52:07

I'm not sure what you mean by "control of speech", Galaxy.

If last week has shown us anything, it's the complexity and dangers of social media networking, but I'm not aware of any new measures beyond the 2023 Online Safety Act.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer

(worth a quick look to see what it covers, quite readable)

Galaxy Sat 10-Aug-24 21:32:09

Is it not that some people have a line in the sand, for some it might be the winter fuel allowance for some people it might be control of speech, some people will tolerate a fair amount because they support the overall aims of the party, for others there may be one issue that they cant overlook, it's possible that issue may come quickly in a government's term.

Wyllow3 Sat 10-Aug-24 21:27:36

Thank you for that thoughtful post, Maerion.

Given how extraordinary the last week was, and that we are in parliamentary recess, I find an O/P (which includes misinformation) seriously saying "I've given them a fair chance" extraordinarily disingenuous.

MaizieD Sat 10-Aug-24 20:58:53

Had is the operative word, Kandinsky. It's happened, it's been dealt with promptly. We've had 3 or 4 threads about it.
Can we stretch it out any further?

Kandinsky Sat 10-Aug-24 20:51:32

It's August, Parliament is in recess and there's not much going on ATM

We’ve just had mass riots, the 1st in over 10 years. I’d say a lots been going on!

MaizieD Sat 10-Aug-24 20:44:22

Iam64

Is it me or is gransnet becoming a much less interesting place

It's August, Parliament is in recess and there's not much going on ATM. Our tories don't have much to get their teeth into. I expect it will pick up in the autumn.

It would be interesting to have some discussion of people's beliefs, maybe what they expect of a government. Perhaps it might be a time to have that discussion of immigration that people frequently call for? I'd be interested in talking about 'far left', what it entails and why are people frightened by it..

Mind you, people have tried to get more 'abstract' discussions going in the past, but they don't attract many takers.

Everyone does seem a bit edgy at the moment, though. Perhaps it's the weather?