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I do wish Keir Starmer would stop talking about ‘working people’!

(198 Posts)
Witzend Fri 25-Oct-24 16:01:09

Is he himself not a ‘working’ person?? Ditto Rachel Reeves, and every Labour MP?
Working people come in all shapes, sizes and income brackets.

If he means the less well off, the struggling, or the generally disadvantaged, why can’t he say so?

M0nica Sun 27-Oct-24 09:44:23

Elegran

"Write a cheque" is shorthand for "Authorise the payment of the whole sum at once, without pausing to check that you have enough to cover it". It implies that the payer is certain that they can afford it, so don't need to get the biscuit tin out from under the bed to count the cash.

but we still have no idea what sum of money he has in mind. £100? £1,000? £10,000? Also, how people organise their finances. With interest rates so low a lot of people keep all their money in their current accounts, so can 'just write a cheque' . others may have money elsewhere in savings accounts an will need time to transfer money to get it into a place where they can ''just write a cheque'. Larger bills may be payable but take a longer period to release - a bond maturing or some such.

But until we know how big that cheque is meant to be it is just another meaningless cliche from a cloth-eared politician with no feel for the lives ofthe majority of the population.

I did not vote Labour, but I had high hopes for a Labour government under Starmer. I cannot express how profoundly disappointed I am by this current government under his leadership.

Trueloveways Sun 27-Oct-24 09:58:43

The solution is for the media to stop asking for a definition. All the “working people” that I know understands what it means.

silverlining48 Sun 27-Oct-24 10:35:48

I do wish that people Woukd give this very new government a chance and not constantly criticise. The mostly Tory media hasn’t stopped.
The election was unexpected, just before the long summer parliamentary break so can we at least wait for the first budget.

As for working people, I think we all know what is meant.

Have we forgotten the total mess the Tories made over the last 14 years and why they were booted out? I havnt.

Iam64 Sun 27-Oct-24 10:56:53

Thanks silver lining. I’m rarely posting as it seems pointless so I’m grateful to others who challenge the constant moans

theworriedwell Sun 27-Oct-24 11:01:44

Allira

I wonder if billionaires just sat on their backsides and watched their coffers fill?
Or did they work hard to get where they are now?

Do working people have calloused hands?

We sometimes write a cheque.

Do you really think billionaires worked that much harder than other people? How many hours a day work would explain the billions in their bank accounts compared to the few hundred or thousands that lots of people who have worked all their life end up with.

theworriedwell Sun 27-Oct-24 11:04:55

mae13

I wonder if the PM categorises unpaid carers as "working people"? He should because they work bloody hard and save the NHS and DWP unbelievable fortunes!

And at the severe risk of their mental health. Still, out of sight and out of mind, eh Sir K?

If they are unpaid they won't be getting taxed will they?

LizzieDrip Sun 27-Oct-24 11:06:42

Me too*Iam64*. I’ve discovered that banging my head against a brick wall over and over is very bad for the soul (not to mention the head).

Nevertheless, I am grateful for those who continue to remind the nay-sayers what the country endured for 14 years. So thanks silverliningthanks

Allira Sun 27-Oct-24 11:07:08

theworriedwell

Allira

I wonder if billionaires just sat on their backsides and watched their coffers fill?
Or did they work hard to get where they are now?

Do working people have calloused hands?

We sometimes write a cheque.

Do you really think billionaires worked that much harder than other people? How many hours a day work would explain the billions in their bank accounts compared to the few hundred or thousands that lots of people who have worked all their life end up with.

I didn't say that at all.

MissAdventure Sun 27-Oct-24 11:07:39

If someone is caring, they can claim carers allowance.

Therefore, not working.

DiamondLily Sun 27-Oct-24 11:12:35

Well, they don’t consider pensioners to be working people - I don’t think they get that we did work to get what we have in retirement.🤷‍♀️

This lot, so far, are proving to be a huge disappointment - but then we had the Useless Gang for 14 years before that.

Oh well, have to wait and see what little gems this budget brings forth. 🙄

theworriedwell Sun 27-Oct-24 11:17:56

Allira

theworriedwell

Allira

I wonder if billionaires just sat on their backsides and watched their coffers fill?
Or did they work hard to get where they are now?

Do working people have calloused hands?

We sometimes write a cheque.

Do you really think billionaires worked that much harder than other people? How many hours a day work would explain the billions in their bank accounts compared to the few hundred or thousands that lots of people who have worked all their life end up with.

I didn't say that at all.

Well I think lots of billionaires did just sit on their backsides and watched their coffers fill to overflowing. I won't shed a tear for them if their tax goes up.

theworriedwell Sun 27-Oct-24 11:19:45

MissAdventure

If someone is caring, they can claim carers allowance.

Therefore, not working.

Funny that, I've been my husbands carer for over 30 years and I couldn't get carers allowance as I worked, then I couldn't get it as I was getting my pension.

MissAdventure Sun 27-Oct-24 11:24:24

You have to provide care for 35 hours a week, which is most unlikely, if you're working too.

Therefore, you'd be classed as a working person, which is what the thread is about.

MissAdventure Sun 27-Oct-24 11:29:31

Oh, its only my opinion that its unlikely to be working and caring for 35 hours, based on the fact that it would have been too much for me. smile

Wyllow3 Sun 27-Oct-24 11:29:39

silverlining48

I do wish that people Woukd give this very new government a chance and not constantly criticise. The mostly Tory media hasn’t stopped.
The election was unexpected, just before the long summer parliamentary break so can we at least wait for the first budget.

As for working people, I think we all know what is meant.

Have we forgotten the total mess the Tories made over the last 14 years and why they were booted out? I havnt.

Neither have I.

Where are the alternative policy suggestions? Where is the debate around a new Conservative Leader and proposals? If something isn't being done right, why not say what to do instead?

MayBee70 Sun 27-Oct-24 11:42:02

Badenoch is doing a Q&A on Mumsnet which should be interesting.

Caleo Sun 27-Oct-24 11:45:34

By "working people" he differentiates between people who actually produced or did produce something and parasites such as rich investors and land owners.

PamelaJ1 Sun 27-Oct-24 11:48:44

Two things,
1. If you have online banking it is very easy to pay in a cheque. Barclays only allow 4/week but that would probably not be a problem for most people.
If not then my Post Office takes them. You do have to put them in an envelope, available from the PO.

2. I was a business owner, used to employ staff. I have nowhere near billions of £££’s (not millions either unfortunately) but I can say that I worked longer & harder than any of my staff. Definitely a ‘working’ person IMO.

Allira Sun 27-Oct-24 12:48:46

Land owners - parasites 🤔

Landowners employ people to look after the land. Some may even be interested in conservation, the environment, encouraging wildlife.

Rich investors - what about less wealthy investors?
ISAs anyone?

Allira Sun 27-Oct-24 12:54:09

theworriedwell

Allira

theworriedwell

Allira

I wonder if billionaires just sat on their backsides and watched their coffers fill?
Or did they work hard to get where they are now?

Do working people have calloused hands?

We sometimes write a cheque.

Do you really think billionaires worked that much harder than other people? How many hours a day work would explain the billions in their bank accounts compared to the few hundred or thousands that lots of people who have worked all their life end up with.

I didn't say that at all.

Well I think lots of billionaires did just sit on their backsides and watched their coffers fill to overflowing. I won't shed a tear for them if their tax goes up.

I didn't say I wouldn't either.

If an entrepreneur has a good idea, works hard, sets up a business, it becomes successful then they employ others that can only be a good thing as long as those employees are not exploited.
Charging too much for services and products, exploiting employees, is wrong if they do that and gain billions themselves.

Yes, of course billionaires should be taxed.

But business people are not all like that.
Nor are investors in businesses parasites. They are taking a risk.

sundowngirl Sun 27-Oct-24 13:02:22

Caleo

By "working people" he differentiates between people who actually produced or did produce something and parasites such as rich investors and land owners.

We own one property that we let out to top up our pension (therefore land owners) - are we parasites??

MissAdventure Sun 27-Oct-24 13:20:39

Unless you fit either of the descriptors, then no.

eazybee Sun 27-Oct-24 13:52:20

I think billionaires do work extremely hard because they are so invested in their business they cannot let go, and are always looking for new ways to beat the market. They also provide jobs for hundreds to thousands of people. It is their dependents that tend to do little.

theworriedwell Sun 27-Oct-24 13:54:15

eazybee

I think billionaires do work extremely hard because they are so invested in their business they cannot let go, and are always looking for new ways to beat the market. They also provide jobs for hundreds to thousands of people. It is their dependents that tend to do little.

Some current billionaires are more than likely the dependents of yesterday who have inherited the billions. Not all of them are self made.

Wyllow3 Sun 27-Oct-24 14:05:29

MayBee70

Badenoch is doing a Q&A on Mumsnet which should be interesting.

Mumsnet:
We're pleased to announce a Mumsnet Asks Zoomchat with Tory Leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch MP on Monday 28th October at 10am. Please post your questions below, and Justine will put a selection to Kemi via Zoom.
dont know how to access it, have to wait for reports...