We don't want the government to lurch to the left

If it was only a tax burden at fault, you may have a valid reason to be really pissed off.
But.. why are businesses really struggling?

Yes, Reform have literally been saying at today that they'd like to Trump-style withdraw funding from universities that criticise them, and that working from home shouldn't be allowed. They're just doing what their US billionaire paymasters want, regardless of what the UK government does

Nah. The IMF’s World Economic Outlook (Jan 2026) (decidedly NOT a left wing periodical) predicts that advanced economies like the UK are still projected to grow, albeit modestly. There is no indication of the UK losing the ability to borrow or facing a sudden-stop event. [imf.org] Also KPMG’s 2025–2026 forecasts expect UK interest rates to fall toward 3.25% in 2026, with inflation also cooling. This reduces the risk of a debt‑financing spiral. [kpmg.com]

Yep, more tax and spend works for me.

I also happen to like Andy Burnham. I liked him when he was an MP, and he’s done some really good things for Greater Manchester.

I think Burnham is very popular and charismatic with a good record of success and delivery. Why Labour aren’t crawling over broken glass to get him as leader is baffling. Rayner has the whiff of sleaze against her now.

Pay more then, no one is stopping you

Lurching to the left?

They have totally fucked the economy already.

Lurching to the left is like pouring petrol on the country and setting it on fire.

The IMF presumably when the economy crashes.

The rich have the power to avoid being taxed. The population can be shaken down for more tax, but that means they don't have money to spend to boost the economy. More borrowing devalues us as a country and an economy. This will happen regardless of who is in government, right or left. There is no traditional right or left now, just varying shades of awfulness, incompetence and mismanagement.

What is your solution? They inherited a mess that needs money to fix. You dont want taxes, you dont want borrowing? Where do you want to cut spending.

Dont be shy, be explicit.

I voted Labour because I thought Keir Starmer would be a safe pair of hands. Not a cats chance in hell I’d have voted for a leftie idiot like Andy ‘in hock to the bond markets’ Burnham. What and idiot he is.

Ok but say people vote for something and then it turns out it doesn't work, is making things worse. Does the government that was elected have to do the same thing that isn't working regardless of there being some other options that take them away from exactly what they promised to do ?

Also what is this "lurch"? Doesnt it make more sense that things were much worse than Labour expected, and they are trying to deal with the mess? Why on earth would they want to piss off the voting public?

Are you suggesting it's Corbyn and his leftist philosophy? Is that a safer way of saying you don't want to pay for immigrants to be housed in hotels and their kids to go to school?

Yes. Higher rate taxpayer. Full-time employment, and also have own consultancy business. You can't have Scandinavian-level services with American-level taxes and I want shorter NHS waiting lists, a decent transport system, young people not to face crippling levels of student debt and care for the elderly to be properly funded.

Why do people think the better off have no costs? Why do we think everyone should just have a basic lifestyle? What’s the point of starting a business if you get little out of it? It’s unbelievably foolish and simply jealousy.

We need to look at who is on benefits. Many don’t need to be but they get more than if they worked and get a lot of free time. I’ve seen people managing very happily while others work much harder for not much more money, or even less. That punishes working people and it’s not on.

It was meant to be ‘fully funded, fully costed’ but obviously not.

Still it’s Labour, their Blairite project is going out with Mandelson and McSweeney, if people voted for them expecting the fully funded line and it’s not the case they can vote accordingly to show how they feel.

Not much can be done op except vote really, where possible.

@Bargepole45 In all seriousness, how do you suggest public services (police, schools, hospitals, social workers etc) be paid for without taxes?

Well, we need to tax SOMETHING more. The upcoming increase in the welfare bill needs to be paid for, as well as the ever-aging population needing more social care. However, as a working person, I am already taxed to the hilt. Where else can we raid apart from the rich?

It’s not going to happen though. If or Burnham get in and start frittering money away to the parents that can’t be bothered to work, the bond markets will go mental, debt interest will become totally unaffordable and there will be a general election before an IMF bail out, Reform will get in and those parents will get much less than they get now. Poverty will soar.

Starmer is walking a tightrope here. Do you not think that if there was an economically feasible way to eradicate poverty he’d be doing it??? There is no magic money tree.

I'm merely stating the facts, not my preferences. And to say Labour going left would be responsible for whatever Reform does is insane. Reform will go as far to the right as they can whoever was in power - that's the whole point of Reform