Reform. 140,748 members and counting. The Tories are well and truly in trouble!

Services and benefits are both government spending along with other policies like climate change which have to be funded by taxation (or borrowing).
All would be under threat by Reform policies

It’s interesting that Labour benefits from the rise of Reform as the Conservative vote is split. So it’s not in the current government’s interests to do anything at all about GB News.

It would be very frightening if they stopped GB news. Communist China or Russia frightening. It is still a ‘free’ society to a certain extent, thank goodness. That is what really scares me about Starmer, I really don’t think he subscribes to freedom of speech or any of the other freedoms everyone takes for granted.

I discussed this with my son yesterday and he was of the opinion that the next government will be a Conservative/Reform coalition.
Who knows? Maybe he’s right.
As others have said, a week is a long time in Parliament, never mind four and a half years.
At the moment though, things aren’t looking good for the Labour Party.
People voted for change, but they did not vote for the changes we’ve seen up to now.

Where would you make these Civil Service cuts, FGT?

So many public services that we need are not only managed by them but are understaffed when we try to get help

- the DWP is one of the biggest, paying pensions, a huge range of benefits, employment services,

we have Tax collection and chasing up tax, we have the office of the Board of Public guardian for POA's and similar,

we have the DVLA, we have Border Services, running prisons,

our security services including counter terrorism...and more

nanna8

It would be very frightening if they stopped GB news. Communist China or Russia frightening. It is still a ‘free’ society to a certain extent, thank goodness. That is what really scares me about Starmer, I really don’t think he subscribes to freedom of speech or any of the other freedoms everyone takes for granted.

When has Starmer or anyone else suggested stopping GB news or other freedoms of speech?

What evidence have you got?

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Anyone concerned about the highest ever numbers of civil servants? The number increased exponentially to cope with the Covid crisis apparently and now needs culling back. Perhaps this will be tackled by Labour. Maybe ‘natural wastage’ whereby jobs are not replaced following retirement etc.

I can testify to the fact that a previous Conservative government cut back on part of the Civil Service which they then declared they needed less than two years later.
They obviously had no clue how it worked.

There is a Policy Plan to reduce the Civil Service numbers, fear not Farage, it's in hand.

Policy paper
Civil Service People Plan 2024-2027 (HTML)
Published 10 January 2024

Brexit necessitated an increase in Civil Service numbers, of course.
ukandeu.ac.uk/civil-service-post-brexit/

Yes the Labour Party are concerned about Civil Servant numbers and yes have a plan which relates to cuts in specific areas. I cant see cutbacks in some serving the public directly already stretched to limits
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdek2ygzz8eo

“People voted for change, but they did not vote for the changes we’ve seen up to now.”

We voted for change certainly but we don’t want to change anything that affects us, we want others to give us more. That’s just not going to happen whoever is in No 10.

Although there is a paywall on the Financial Times Wyllow3, you can read a limited number of articles for free every month. I can’t copy the content of articles without breaching their copyright (just tried), but you hound be able to read the article if rather than going through the link you try directly through Google. If nanna8 does the same, there’s a detailed explanation in the article about GB News operating outside the broadcasting regulations on many occasions (ie not meeting the standards required to broadcast news). It suggests that to survive GB News will need to break the Reform link.

Wyllow3

nanna8

It would be very frightening if they stopped GB news. Communist China or Russia frightening. It is still a ‘free’ society to a certain extent, thank goodness. That is what really scares me about Starmer, I really don’t think he subscribes to freedom of speech or any of the other freedoms everyone takes for granted.

When has Starmer or anyone else suggested stopping GB news or other freedoms of speech?

What evidence have you got?

It was a response to a ronib comment that it wasn’t in Starmer’s interest to ‘ do anything about GBnews’ I certainly hadn’t heard that he would do anything about it at this stage. He likes to imprison people for ‘hate speech’ is all just now. I don’t know why I need to explain it,though,pretty obvious.

It is posts like those by nanna8, which "suggest" that Starmer plans to shut down GB news, and that he, personally,locks up people for hate speech which annoy me intensely.

David49

Farage seems to be taking the opposite line reducing free services, providing a more basic support system which those that can afford to, can add.

In relation to the WFA - that's exactly what Starmer/Reeves is doing - providing a more basic support system, but look at the furore that's engendered, not least among those who are pro-Reform.

Think of the US system or most other nations that have a much less generous benefit system, that will prove attractive to many voters.

I can understand why those who are financially secure might find Farage / Reform an attractive party - lower taxes, less of their money being spent on benefits they themselves don't need (at the moment), but what I don't understand is the appeal to those who are just-about-managing, or are only bulwarked by a small savings account.

Farage's disdain for the EU is visceral. I think he wants an 'Americanised' Britain, economically, politically, culturally.

Allira

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Anyone concerned about the highest ever numbers of civil servants? The number increased exponentially to cope with the Covid crisis apparently and now needs culling back. Perhaps this will be tackled by Labour. Maybe ‘natural wastage’ whereby jobs are not replaced following retirement etc.

I can testify to the fact that a previous Conservative government cut back on part of the Civil Service which they then declared they needed less than two years later.
They obviously had no clue how it worked.

There is a Policy Plan to reduce the Civil Service numbers, fear not Farage, it's in hand.

Policy paper
Civil Service People Plan 2024-2027 (HTML)
Published 10 January 2024

Brexit necessitated an increase in Civil Service numbers, of course.
ukandeu.ac.uk/civil-service-post-brexit/

I can vouch for it too. My daughter is a HR manager in the civil service and it's a huge issue at the moment. Most of the people losing their jobs are the lower levels, who are being replaced by AI and other digital services. Ironically, these are people whom Farage would claim are 'ordinary people' and maybe vote for Reform now.

HousePlantQueen

It is posts like those by nanna8, which "suggest" that Starmer plans to shut down GB news, and that he, personally,locks up people for hate speech which annoy me intensely.

Careless and ill informed.

nanna you say yourself "I certainly hadn’t heard that he would do anything about it at this stage". So why then suggest it?

As for the hate speech we do have laws that extend to incitement to violent action and actual death threats. And quite right too. Numbers prosecuted are actually very small - tiny -compared with what is actually going on, on Social Media.

thank you for some details Casdon that

"there’s a detailed explanation in the article about GB News operating outside the broadcasting regulations on many occasions (ie not meeting the standards required to broadcast news). It suggests that to survive GB News will need to break the Reform link".

Re: GB News. As I understand it, they have managed to just about meet broadcasting regulations because they have such poor audience figures that they do not qualify as a News Channel, thus they were able to have programmes hosted by JRM etc before the last election.

I stand to be corrected, and undoubtedly will be by GB News fans. No, I haven't watched it, but I don't need to as the descriptions of the 'highlights' posted by the GN fans is enough to put me off.

Their viewing figures were ahead of sky news last month so that may change.

Galaxy

Their viewing figures were ahead of sky news last month so that may change.

Yes, that's what I thought. The GB News paradox. If the viewing figures overtake that of Sky, BBC etc., as we are assured by the faithful, then GB News may be contravening Ofcom regulations by having current MPs hosting.

The sooner the better. it makes a mockery of democracy to have the Reform Party leader in the H of C as a paid regular presenter/host.

HousePlantQueen

Galaxy

Their viewing figures were ahead of sky news last month so that may change.

Yes, that's what I thought. The GB News paradox. If the viewing figures overtake that of Sky, BBC etc., as we are assured by the faithful, then GB News may be contravening Ofcom regulations by having current MPs hosting.

Wasn't the Ofcom judgement based on the premise that, in their (Ofcom's) eyes, GB News wasn't actually a 'news' channel and what the MPs were presenting was current affairs/ discussion programmes which aren't held to the same impartiality standard as bona fide news?

I read the whole FT article (I'm a subscriber) It was interesting...

So why do they call themselves GB News? Their "front page" makes it quite clear its an extension politically of Reform UK.

They can call themselves whatever they like. It's up to the regulator to judge if what they disseminate is 'news' and, if it is, any breaches they might make of the rules in respect of 'News' broadcasts.

I did get the impression from the article that it;s very much run on a shoestring and it's likely that its main funders, Paul Marshall and Legatum, might pull out or at least restrict funding to them.

The other thing that struck me is that its audience seems to be mainly elderly.

I do think it's time that parliament banned MPs from being regular programme presenters on TV or radio.

I think if that happens with regard to impartiality that would need to include Ed Balls.

But he's an ex MP?

Do you think he can possibly be impartial? Or is it the issue with MPs and second jobs that is the cause for concern.