Page 6 | We don't want the government to lurch to the left

Bargepole45 · 2026-02-10T13:57:01+00:00

I am absolutely astounded that Labour think it's democratic to decide that they can lurch to the left despite being elected with a very clear promise to not tax and spend. I believe this is absolutely not what the general public want and I am really worried that the economy isn't going to survive this and we will end up with an IMF bailout that will lead to very painful spending cuts for our most vulnerable. Please vote: YABU :I want Labour to lurch to the left in order to increase taxation and spending YANBU: I don't want Labour to lurch to the left and would be against further tax and spending rises

Mishmosher · 11/02/2026 12:31

SleeplessInWherever · 11/02/2026 12:28

Yep, same.

I would reband the tax thresholds and stagger the increases so they happen earlier, but without the cliff edges at higher and additional rate.

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Yup. I’d roll income tax and NICs together, give everyone a personal allowance, childcare hours and child benefit to remove cliff edges, and increase income tax to pay for it. Simple.

Mishmosher · 11/02/2026 12:30

Bargepole45 · 11/02/2026 12:21

It's a shorthand way of suggesting that we raise taxes on other people. Most of us aren't wealthy so we think it won't impact us. We don't actually want to pay more taxes ourselves. Every single poll shows this. We are only in favour of tax rises when they are done to other people.

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Exactly! “Tax someone but just not me.”

we all have to pay more tax if we want better public services. There is no magic money tree.

EasternStandard · 11/02/2026 12:29

glitterpaperchain · 11/02/2026 12:16

I replied here and said I think they should lurch really far to the left and tax wealth. They won't though

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Ok no they probably won’t. The Greens seem to be suggesting it if they’d get your vote.

SleeplessInWherever · 11/02/2026 12:28

Pinkearedcows · 11/02/2026 12:25

I am in favour of a rise in income tax. It is the fairest thing to do.

Yep, same.

I would reband the tax thresholds and stagger the increases so they happen earlier, but without the cliff edges at higher and additional rate.

nomas · 11/02/2026 12:27

DiySteve · 11/02/2026 11:59

You wouldn’t have put money on him staying last Monday, that’s for sure.

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That’s because the media fuels it. Nick Ferrari even admitted that LBC is part of the circus that drives all this.

glitterpaperchain · 11/02/2026 12:25

Mishmosher · 11/02/2026 12:20

I find these posts really naive. Who are you going to tax that we aren’t taxing now? Do you really think that - given the straightened times we are living in - there is a straightforward way to raise taxes from the wealthy that won’t harm the long term UK economy, but Keir Starmer just decided not to do it? Do you think Jeir Starmer is getting back handlers from wealthy people not to tax them? What motivation do you think Keir Starmer has for currently not raising this tax from the wealthy?

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I find THIS question really naive. Are you asking me why the government doesn't tax the rich more?

Firstly no there is no 'straightforward' way to do it fairly. It needs to be looked at carefully in order to be fair, for example to have different tax brackets based on profits, so multimillion pound businesses pay more tax without it impacting small local businesses.

The majority of the government, labour or tory, is made up of wealthy people whose families know each other, who become friends at Eton. They're not going to tax their mates.

Are you seriously implying that if wealth taxes were a good idea then Labour would have done it by now? Because there's a lot more to it than that

Pinkearedcows · 11/02/2026 12:25

I am in favour of a rise in income tax. It is the fairest thing to do.

Original poster

Bargepole45 · 11/02/2026 12:21

Mishmosher · 11/02/2026 12:20

I find these posts really naive. Who are you going to tax that we aren’t taxing now? Do you really think that - given the straightened times we are living in - there is a straightforward way to raise taxes from the wealthy that won’t harm the long term UK economy, but Keir Starmer just decided not to do it? Do you think Jeir Starmer is getting back handlers from wealthy people not to tax them? What motivation do you think Keir Starmer has for currently not raising this tax from the wealthy?

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It's a shorthand way of suggesting that we raise taxes on other people. Most of us aren't wealthy so we think it won't impact us. We don't actually want to pay more taxes ourselves. Every single poll shows this. We are only in favour of tax rises when they are done to other people.

OP posts:

Mishmosher · 11/02/2026 12:20

glitterpaperchain · 11/02/2026 12:16

I replied here and said I think they should lurch really far to the left and tax wealth. They won't though

Show quote history

I find these posts really naive. Who are you going to tax that we aren’t taxing now? Do you really think that - given the straightened times we are living in - there is a straightforward way to raise taxes from the wealthy that won’t harm the long term UK economy, but Keir Starmer just decided not to do it? Do you think Jeir Starmer is getting back handlers from wealthy people not to tax them? What motivation do you think Keir Starmer has for currently not raising this tax from the wealthy?

Original poster

Bargepole45 · 11/02/2026 12:19

glitterpaperchain · 11/02/2026 12:14

Can't tell if you're serious or not

If left wing views were generally rooted in an interest in wider society then why would an individual's own financial circumstances change their political perspective?

Greed!!

Mostly wealthy people in this country come from wealth, where it's the norm among their peers and families to hold onto wealth. That's how they're raised. The values that are drilled into them. Hoard it. Keep it away from the plebs. People that grow up in that environment generally don't develop socialist views

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You've completely missed the point.

Most people aren't wealthy or born into wealthy families and yet we can observe a significant trend towards people turning more right wing as they age and acquire assets. Why would this happen if their left wing philosophy was rooted in the greater good and nothing to do with their own personal circumstance? You wound expect their values to stay consistent but they don't.

Wealthy people are a red herring. I'm talking about the general population. Look at historical voting trends by age and you will observe this trend over time.

OP posts:

Clubbiscuit · 11/02/2026 12:18

FrizzyFrizbee · 11/02/2026 12:06

So don’t be surprised if Reform get in because the others have broken their manifesto pledges. I don’t like them, but I can see why we are at this point.

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You are right re breaking the manifesto on taxation but the country is much poorer after Brexit and austerity. Labour have kept to the majority of their manifesto pledges. https://fullfact.org/government-tracker/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAP2qBRjbGNrA-bK6mV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHn-JqcGaPSHQZ6c61yqiw3qMcvp-A2UjeqH3zGkEifa7m1hO6dgFgIsbP9V2_aem_ll2oZznNbNBR1gwG6AgseQ

Government Tracker – Full Fact

Full Fact is monitoring the government’s delivery on its promises

https://fullfact.org/government-tracker/

glitterpaperchain · 11/02/2026 12:16

EasternStandard · 11/02/2026 12:11

Which tax that you pay do you want to go up and by how much?

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I replied here and said I think they should lurch really far to the left and tax wealth. They won't though

Clubbiscuit · 11/02/2026 12:16

Bargepole45 · 10/02/2026 14:05

Wow I'm genuinely shocked. Do any of you actually pay tax at the moment or run a business?

I do both. Happy to pay more tax to support vital services. Also it would stop the disaffection leading the ill educated towards Reform.

DiySteve · 11/02/2026 12:15

Given that Starmer has publicly declared himself as newly ‘working class’, presumably in an attempt to curry favour with the disgruntled constituents of the back benches, perhaps we should all follow his lead, and emulate the life style of said constituents?

That would definitely help to slash my tax bill.

glitterpaperchain · 11/02/2026 12:14

Bargepole45 · 11/02/2026 12:05

If this were true then people wouldn't become more right wing as they get older and wealthier. If left wing views were generally rooted in an interest in wider society then why would an individual's own financial circumstances change their political perspective?

Unless of course it's easier to be left wing when you stand to gain from public spending and know you're not the one footing the bill (selfish!). Then as you get older and acquire more assets and realise you are the one that's going to be paying then suddenly you aren't so keen on tax rises and left wing policies (also selfish!)

Pretending that the greater good is at the heart of many people's left wing views is just nonsense.

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Can't tell if you're serious or not

If left wing views were generally rooted in an interest in wider society then why would an individual's own financial circumstances change their political perspective?

Greed!!

Mostly wealthy people in this country come from wealth, where it's the norm among their peers and families to hold onto wealth. That's how they're raised. The values that are drilled into them. Hoard it. Keep it away from the plebs. People that grow up in that environment generally don't develop socialist views

EasternStandard · 11/02/2026 12:11

glitterpaperchain · 11/02/2026 12:00

It's not two sides of the same coin what are you on about 😂

People that want higher taxes want them so we can provide good state services like NHS, education.

People that don't want taxes just want to hold onto their own money and don't care about making sure we as a society are providing for everyone

They are completely different

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Which tax that you pay do you want to go up and by how much?

Litning · 11/02/2026 12:11

Agrumpyknitter · 10/02/2026 14:12

We should be taxing wealth more not work. I agree with Gary does economics on Instagram. There are people who live off their wealth who should be taxed more and proportionally. I would also like Labour to close some of the tax loopholes we have where corporations like Caffè Nero can report a loss in this country so as not to pay their fair share of corporation tax. Tax loopholes that benefit the wealthy is not fair when we all have to pay our way.

We earn well in our household but get squeezed by taxes like others.

Reform will get rid of the minimum wage and our employment rights as they want to leave EHCR. We will be like the US working all hours, lower pay while companies make record profits and we have to find money to pay for health insurance. It will be like hell.

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completely agree with this. Tax wealth.

Pinkearedcows · 11/02/2026 12:07

DiySteve · 11/02/2026 11:59

You wouldn’t have put money on him staying last Monday, that’s for sure.

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You were predicting Reeves would go the Monday after the budget weren't you?

Eta: oops apologies, that was a different poster.

FrizzyFrizbee · 11/02/2026 12:06

ChoccieCornflake · 10/02/2026 14:29

They were voted ie. People voted for Labour. Manifestos are not binding. That is how our voting system works.

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So don’t be surprised if Reform get in because the others have broken their manifesto pledges. I don’t like them, but I can see why we are at this point.

Original poster

Bargepole45 · 11/02/2026 12:05

glitterpaperchain · 11/02/2026 12:00

It's not two sides of the same coin what are you on about 😂

People that want higher taxes want them so we can provide good state services like NHS, education.

People that don't want taxes just want to hold onto their own money and don't care about making sure we as a society are providing for everyone

They are completely different

Show quote history

If this were true then people wouldn't become more right wing as they get older and wealthier. If left wing views were generally rooted in an interest in wider society then why would an individual's own financial circumstances change their political perspective?

Unless of course it's easier to be left wing when you stand to gain from public spending and know you're not the one footing the bill (selfish!). Then as you get older and acquire more assets and realise you are the one that's going to be paying then suddenly you aren't so keen on tax rises and left wing policies (also selfish!)

Pretending that the greater good is at the heart of many people's left wing views is just nonsense.

OP posts:

glitterpaperchain · 11/02/2026 12:00

Bargepole45 · 11/02/2026 11:48

Are left wingers not selfish if they vote to spend other people's money on services and things that will directly benefit them? Ultimately they are voting to enrich themselves in the way that right wingers might vote to pay less tax so that they can keep more of their own money. It's just two sides of the same coin.

Turkeys generally don't vote for Christmas.

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It's not two sides of the same coin what are you on about 😂

People that want higher taxes want them so we can provide good state services like NHS, education.

People that don't want taxes just want to hold onto their own money and don't care about making sure we as a society are providing for everyone

They are completely different

DiySteve · 11/02/2026 11:59

nomas · 11/02/2026 11:21

That’s what you lot were saying last week, that he would be gone in 2 days, and he hasn’t gone.

Nothing is a given, stop thinking you’re Mystic Meg.

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You wouldn’t have put money on him staying last Monday, that’s for sure.

glitterpaperchain · 11/02/2026 11:58

What I really want them to do is to go really far to the left and tax wealth! They won't though, and I don't think taxing work more is a good move.

I do think you need to get a bit of a grip though. Governments regularly do things they weren't voted in for, or don't do things they promised. Remember Boris's bus saying we'll give all the EU money to the NHS? Still waiting on that one! It's rubbish but they all do it.

Original poster

Bargepole45 · 11/02/2026 11:48

anniegun · 11/02/2026 11:25

Selfish right winger is amazed that other people are not all like them . Too much time at the golf club bar i suspect

Are left wingers not selfish if they vote to spend other people's money on services and things that will directly benefit them? Ultimately they are voting to enrich themselves in the way that right wingers might vote to pay less tax so that they can keep more of their own money. It's just two sides of the same coin.

Turkeys generally don't vote for Christmas.

OP posts:

DrPrunesqualer · 11/02/2026 11:48

balletflatblister · 11/02/2026 11:35

In a way, I want a Rayner or Miliband government. It will be be so disastrous that it'll hopefully kill off the delusional taxandspendonwelfare forever world view for the foreseeable

I’d like to think this would be the case. I fear more money handed out, higher taxes on some and Raynors undemocratic attitudes will be applauded by the left.