Radio 4 and Starmer

MaisieD is perfectly correct about Reeves having no understanding of economics. She wants to take money away from the people who actually spend it in the economy in order to preserve the wealth of people who syphon it off shore, which is of no use to anybody.

She has such a low opinion of her fellow millionaires that she thinks they will all run away in terror if they have to chip in a bit extra.

Because he sees himself as a global high hitter he thinks he does not need to consider the people in this country who have put him into that position. He has decimated the party membership, who elected him to the leadership, he is dismissive of his MPs, even though without them he would not be Prime Minister and he seems to believe that it was him that won his large majority, when in fact it was the collapse of the Conservative party.
A man with that much unjustified self esteem is not going to find it easy to listen to advice from those he considers unimportant. Hopefully he just might start listening now.

His sycophants are deliberately confusing the issue by talking about "signing on for PIP", instead of making an application. and by pretending that PIP is somehow related to getting a job. Martin Lewis has called them out on this sort of deliberate obfuscation.

We need higher taxes and more services for everyone, including the resurrection of Sure Start.

Scandinavian countries have high taxes and excellent services. Do the citizens bugger off to low tax countries? No they don't. They have a sense of loyalty and community and understand that you have to pay in to get the benefits.

But dear Thatcher convinced everyone that "there is no such thing as community" and it is every man for himself and profit is god. WE have yet to shake this off.

Starmer is dithering about not wanting to offend the Thatcherite vibe that runs through our society now, rather than getting on and pursuing socialist policies to improve our infrastructure and services - we are just getting a watered down version of what came before. And as for the visuals of going straight for the benefits system and the winter fuel payment ..... does he not have PR advisors who might tell him that this is not a good look for a Labour government? I am surprised he should need telling - his backbenchers are telling him now.

What is the point in my and many other millions of people voting Labour if they do not behave like a Labour government?

I admire his stance on the international stage though - he is playing that one just right I think in the face of lunatics in charge in the US, China, Israel, Russia etc.

Good to hear Nick Robinson lambasting Labour for a change.

MaizieD totally agree 👍🏻

It's not U turn, it's barely a slight curve. Why are they countenancing cutting PIP at all? Why is Labour going for the poorest and most disadvantaged in society and leaving the seriously wealthy untouched? All they are offering as a 'concession' is to create a two tier system. Current PIP recipients will continue to receive the help they need to live independently, future claimants will struggle.

And why are they doing this? To satisfy Rachel Reeves' idiotic and economically illiterate 'fiscal rules'.

Governments with a sovereign currency, which they issue into the country through their spending, don't need to 'save money'. They need to spend it wisely to keep the economy moving, but spending it wisely is a completely different kettle of fish.

What happened last time we had a government bent on 'saving money'? I.e, the tories post 2010. We had a recession, people's wages stagnated and unemployment rose. We haven't recovered from this and we won't so long as Ms Reeves is chancellor because she doesn't understand how a national economy works.

Hope you’ve got your flak jacket on - most people here seem to love the man ( not me ).

You won't get any flak from me, nanna8, I am utterly horrified at the ineptitude of this government.

A deliberately provocative OP. The ‘noises off’ comment, delivered rather smirkingly, was a huge mistake.

What puzzles me is how No.10 let the rebellion go so far before turning.

Exempting existing claimants is a solid plus for all these so-called reforms and the cost should be factored in.

Where are we with ensuring that Amazon and other monster corporations that wish to do business here pay their taxes in full?

Hope you’ve got your flak jacket on - most people here seem to love the man ( not me ).