MayBee70
What’s wrong with doubling the fee for a shotgun licence? Maybe we should follow your beloved Trumps idea and just let people walk into shops and buy guns…
Tosh.
Good Morning Wednesday 6th May 2026
Gransnet forums
News & politics
A summary of Starmer’s first 6 months.
(128 Posts)So far, these include, in no particular order:
Ending the winter fuel allowance; pausing free speech protection in academia; legislating against Academy schools; imposing inheritance tax on farms and family businesses; the higher rate and lower starting threshold for employers’ National Insurance; greatly extended day-one employment rights; legislation which may compensate Gerry Adams for having been interned; imposing a state football regulator; giving away the Chagos Islands and paying Mauritius a bounty of £9 billion for taking them; cancelling new North Sea oil and gas exploration; bringing forward the death of petrol and diesel cars; more than doubling the fee for a shotgun licence; renationalising the railways; taxing the inheritance of private pensions; restricting council house right to buy; VAT on independent school fees; abolishing hereditary peers without any other reform of the Lords; axing the listed places of worship grant scheme; restricting arms exports to Israel; trying to kill the secondary market in tickets for sports and pop concerts; a renters’ Bill which will frighten off landlords; large pay increases to striking railway workers and striking junior doctors; steeply increasing the minimum wage; and remedying the Tory “black hole” in the public finances by creating an even bigger one.
On the basis of the above socialist, pressure-group based agenda, we are bound to conclude that employing anyone or seeking better education for one’s children or passing anything on to them or letting property are things of which Labour deeply disapproves, as are achieving food or energy security.
We also know, however, that Sir Keir and Rachel Reeves are mad keen on finding what he calls “the growth lever”. It is genuinely puzzling how they imagine that any measure detailed above could possibly contribute to that end.
Calendargirl
^Doubling the fee for a shotgun licence is a bad thing? Who knew^
It will do nothing to eliminate unlicensed firearms though.
Most shotguns used by farmers, now even more money taken from them, and professional shooters, eg clay, you know the people who represent our country try in Olympics etc. Making it even harder to do so.
Just- aaaarrrrgh. Glad it’s not my government is all I have to say. Very disappointing for a Labour regime.
Barleyfields
I would also be interested to know about PoliticsNerd’s experience of farming. As regards small businesses, s/he has already told us that their parents’ business failed because of changes in the law. Would that, of itself, not engender some understanding and empathy?
As I have said, you are neither right nor wrong in your opinion, and neither am I. We are discussing the two people's differing views. As Otto von Bismarck said, 'Politics is not an exact science,' and 'politics is the art of the possible, the attainable — the art of the next best.'
It really doesn't matter if you did or didn’t grow up on a farm, surrounded by other farms, nor if I did. In politics, different ways of running the country are put forward, and the majority votes for the collection of those ways that chime most with their opinions.
Being presented with facts may change or influence people's opinions, but currently, I agree with the change in inheritance tax and the means testing of WFP. No one has, so far, offered facts that encourage me to change those opinions. Personal insults come from the closed minds of those who don't actually want to dicuss or debate,
So far I feel the government have done tolerably well - which is as good as I hoped for in the circumstances they inherited.
Allira
Jane43
GrannyGravy13
Jane43 if I remember correctly the 1.25% NI rise announced in 2022 was reversed, or not implemented.
The point is when it happened nothing was said and there were no claims about companies going out of business.
Well, wasn't it Personal NIC which were increased then decreased again soon afterwards, not Employers' contributions?
The facts in my original post are correct, employers’ NI was increased by 1.25% in 2022 and not a word was said at the time. If it was reversed later it was not because of concern over companies going out of business it was electioneering.
Barleyfields
There is a vast difference between a percentage rise in a train driver’s wage and a percentage rise in the state pension Jane.
The point is that the rise was quoted as being too much and inflation busting, it was neither and was funded mainly by the train operators not the government. A further point is that the industrial action cost way more than the pay award.
Jane43
GrannyGravy13
Jane43 if I remember correctly the 1.25% NI rise announced in 2022 was reversed, or not implemented.
The point is when it happened nothing was said and there were no claims about companies going out of business.
Well, wasn't it Personal NIC which were increased then decreased again soon afterwards, not Employers' contributions?
GrannyGravy13
Jane43 if I remember correctly the 1.25% NI rise announced in 2022 was reversed, or not implemented.
The point is when it happened nothing was said and there were no claims about companies going out of business.
Whatever state the country was in when Labour took office, that does not answer the questions resulting from the points made MaizieD's thread of Mon 27-Jan-25 14:39:52.
A more apt thread would be "where are we after 14 long years of Tory rule" because it didn't look like a beacon of hope from where I'm standing. They left the country on its knees.
I would also be interested to know about PoliticsNerd’s experience of farming. As regards small businesses, s/he has already told us that their parents’ business failed because of changes in the law. Would that, of itself, not engender some understanding and empathy?
whywhywhy
Give him a chance. The tories had over 14 years and that kind of mess stakes time to put right!
So you think They did it first is an acceptable excuse for ineptitude?
Interesting.
PoliticsNerd
^IHT on farms only seems fair to those who have little or no contact with farmers. I live in a farming area and I see the reality.^ (Barleyfields)
I appreciate your perspective, but I have a different viewpoint based on my experiences. I think it's important to recognize that not everyone sees things the same way, and that diversity of thought is essential in any discussion.
I appreciate your perspective, but I have a different viewpoint based on my experiences
It would be interesting to know what experience you have of farming PoliticsNerd.
whywhywhy
Give him a chance. The tories had over 14 years and that kind of mess stakes time to put right!
That's not really an answer to why Labour has chosen some strange hills to die on or Why do something so politically inept?
IHT on farms only seems fair to those who have little or no contact with farmers. I live in a farming area and I see the reality. (Barleyfields)
I appreciate your perspective, but I have a different viewpoint based on my experiences. I think it's important to recognize that not everyone sees things the same way, and that diversity of thought is essential in any discussion.
There should of course be their 🤦♀️
whywhywhy
Give him a chance. The tories had over 14 years and that kind of mess stakes time to put right!
You think penalising businesses and farmers will put things right?
To say nothing of alienating pensioners, and frightening disabled people with there re-organisation of PIP
Give him a chance. The tories had over 14 years and that kind of mess stakes time to put right!
I agree with your post too, MaizieD
Why do something so politically inept?
I thought they'd have more sense, disappointed to find out I was wrong.
£58,332.00 is the basic average train drivers salary, before all the add ons and overtime.
£11,502.40 is the average pension in UK
Percentages mean very little without the entire picture.
There is a vast difference between a percentage rise in a train driver’s wage and a percentage rise in the state pension Jane.
Jane43 if I remember correctly the 1.25% NI rise announced in 2022 was reversed, or not implemented.
FriedGreenTomatoes2
Even the Chagos island hiccup and the employers increase in N.I.? And the huge rise to train drivers?
Surely not.
🤔
The train drivers got a rise that covered three years:
2022/23 - 5%
2023/24 - 4.75%
2024/25 - 4.5%
The majority of train drivers are paid by the operating companies not the government.
Pensioners got rises as follows:
2022/23 - 3.1%
2023/2024 - 10.1%
2024/25 - 8.5%
Paid by the government.
What exactly is the objection to the train drivers’ rise?
The Tories started the Chagos Islands negotiations in 2022.
The Tories increased employers’ NI by 1.25% in 2022 seemingly without any problems, Labour increase Employers’ NI by 1.2% and all hell breaks loose.
MaizieD I totally agree with your post (14.39)
I think that Labour has chosen some strange hills to die on. Refusing to remove the 2 child cap.
Means testing the WFA at the start of the winter with no prior notice (when there is some £23 billion in the 'kitty' from unclaimed benefits)
And, pitching the IHT too low, so that it will hurt small farmers while they have apparently modified the rule on taxing non doms after 'representations' from said non doms.
Everyone cares about the small farmers and food production. Very few care about non doms being taxed extra. Why do something so politically inept?
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