Scared of what labour will do

I am really worried about what they are going to do to ESA and PIP. I am disabled with numerous health problems and in all honesty,if I was forced to go out to work,I'm sure it would finish me off. I struggle as it is already to get through each day without having to go to work. I only just manage on the money I receive from these 2 benefits and if there are drastic cuts as they are threatening,I will be stuffed. It's not helped by keep seeing sensationalist headlines online in certain newspapers saying things like 'Sick and disabled people to be forced to find work' and 'Disability benefits to be slashed by £400 per month'. I am losing sleep over it all.

It wasn't just VAT on school fees. Every time we tried to get ahead or save for the future we ended up paying huge amounts of tax and getting hammered every time we tried to do the right thing.

I think if you open a newspaper you will find the statistics. You can also just use Google.

@Dorisbonson all because of VAT on school fees? Where did you go?

Someone earning 30k pays circa 5k in tax a year. The low earners are subsidised by tax payers who are paying more than 17k in tax. Do you really want higher earners to leave?

We have always had lower earners and people who take more in tax than then pay, it's not a new thing. Not helped off course by economic policy that devalued wages and boosted asset prices.

The UK is losing more millionaires a year than any country in the world.

Is there evidence of this, I am interested?

I think there was a small minority who were genuinely spiteful about the 20% rise. Most of the posts I saw were from people who were ideologically opposed to private education and felt that the VAT exemption was unfair. There was also the feeling that the vast, vast majority of families using private education wouldn't have to pull their children out - which largely seems to be the case.

As I said earlier, I'm a bit of an outlier. I'm not in a position to be able to afford private education, attended state school myself, and I'm firmly left-wing. However, I think given the absolute train wreck of our current state education, making it harder to access private education is the last thing we need right now. The money from the VAT won't even touch the sides trying to shore up the current shit-show that is going on in state schools right now (I was a school governor for 5+ years). I was/am very opposed to the VAT rise.

Nevertheless, I still don't think the two viewpoints are equal. Private education remains quite controversial, and it's an ideological position that many people are opposed to because it gives some children an advantage, many of whom who are already privileged. Laughing at vulnerable people not being able to afford to eat is not an ideological position, it's just punching down on the less fortunate.

And yes, I do think people expected Labour to be more sympathetic to vulnerable groups. They've always been the party to protect those in poverty, the disabled etc. But there are very real concerns that they're Tory-Lite at the moment - the courts have already said that changing disability benefits just to raise money is not acceptable, and will leave people in unacceptable poverty with no improved chances of being able to work. People are worried about what Labour are going to do to disability benefits because at the moment they're a lifeline for those who can't do all the things that other people take for granted. We're waiting for an announcement but it's pretty scary.

(I work FT as self-employed, but I also care for three disabled people and in addition, two years ago my DP collapsed with a neurological issue. He had a high-flying IT career and has been told they can't cure him and he will never work again. Not everyone on disability benefits are chancers - it's really, really shit having no choice but to rely on government handouts).

This forum isn’t for me. It’s just presumptuous. You are presuming I never feared the tories. I did. You presume I voted brexit. I didn’t!

Reform UK are leading the polls ATM. They have already said one of the first things they will do is reverse the farmer tax to ensure food security for the UK. Labour never think ahead they upped the tax on Non-Doms then seemed so surprised when the most wealthy left the country. They've stacked the decks against LL's when they know the courts are blocked then they'll be saying they can't understand when many LL's sell up and people find themselves homeless because there is not enough temporary accommodation to put 50 percent of renter's in when LL's sell up. Red Ed is insisting all LL's must have EPC C yet home owners don't have to have it. Total madness. They give away the Charges Islands then spend billions every year renting back Diego Garcia. Yet they can't afford to give pensioners WFA. The UK is paying far more for electricity than other countries because of the UK drive to Met Zero. Never mind China carries on producing more and more waste and getting richer as a country because of it. Mad policies for mad Labour.

So they apply legally and don't try to sneak in via the back door illegally. Nobody drowns and those that are entitled to be here can live here.

My point is they would soon stop trying to sneak in by illegal ways if they knew it was pointless. They are grown up's. They can apply through the correct channels or yes they can drown if they are stupid enough to do something of their own free will which leads to their death. Isn't that the rule of being an adult. You make choices and you take the consequences.

Have you seen the state of our own country. We cannot afford to be such a mug. We are still a tolerant, leniant country who takes in immigrants legally.

Far, far less terrified than I would be with any other political party in power now. They have inherited a mess after 13 years of the Tories cutting services and bunging money to their rich mates. Globally things are tough. I am utterly relieved that Labour are in power. I'm just dreading the next general election because most people are politically illiterate and think the likes of Nigel Farage give a shiny shit about them. Labour are the only glimmer of hope we have to navigate our way out of a mess.

Every govt changes the rules a little.

This govt is financially completely incompetent but they have been voted in for a term and unless they self destruct, we are stuck with them for another 4 years and 5 months.

All any of us can do is batten down the hatches, cut back spending to a minimum, economise, work/save more if you can and look after those around us wherever possible.

It will pass. Your uncle just needs to survive to 2029 so look after him. The next govt will reverse the tax.

😂 oh no Britains history is nothing like what Putin does. We never invade other lands. We never went to war under Blair under false pretences and abandoned Afghan's. Nooo. We don’t go marching into other peoples countries. Putin is bad. We are just as bad. We are literally backing Israel to commit genocide. But we are so innocent.

Putin is feared because he is utterly ruthless. He doesn't need respect but trades on fear which is far more potent.

Trump is feared because he causes chaos. He wants respect but is willing to smash things up because he can't get it any other way ,which makes him dangerously unpredictable.

You'd rather we let every Tom, Dick and Harry into our country whilst our own british people don't have houses, can't access doctors, no ambulances for emergencies, failing schools for children. That's just stupid. I mean do you open you wallet every month and let your neighbours help themselves and them not be able to pay your own rent. That is what you are saying.

No it isn't what I'm saying. There is a position in between letting everyone in and letting people drown. To say we should just let people drown is disgusting.

I’m not sure Trump and Putin are respected on the world stage to be fair.

@YouLookFabulousDarlingFabulous Awful arguments, people with depression often go onto to take their own lives, your solution "Go get a job"

Deliberately allowing people to drown in the channel would be tantamount to murder, you'd have to force them back out to sea and leave them there.... that would be very traumatic for the people you would task to do this, more in line with what Putin would do.

Honestly, I'm more worried that we have an extremely weak leader who is not at all respected on the world's stage at this point in history.

He's just too weak for today's global politics. He has no presence or bearing and is instantly forgettable. He doesn't even have a strong monarch to back him either.

It's a mess and we are embarrassing on the world stage quite frankly.

I don't agree that Starmer isn't respected on the world stage - he's not the showman some people would like but I feel thats a massive simplification.

I voted Labour because I don't want swagger. I want honesty and tough choices.

Actually yes we can let them drown

@YouLookFabulousDarlingFabulous your views are disgusting to me, you should be ashamed of yourself.