To think few lives have improved due to Labour’s policies

Supported Labour but have been so disappointed. They do not seem to have any coherent philosophy that drives their action, meaning they appear to be flailing around making piecemeal and often contradictory decisions.

To address our failing systems means employing systems thinking. Nobody is addressing some of the severe bottlenecks. Social care is a case in point, instead of tackling it immediately they are sitting on a review and even giving Louise Casey a different job first. Instead of raising the minimum wage only they have combined this with a raise in NI, costing jobs. Despite plans for an energy transition they are unable to reduce the costs of energy.

Additionally Starmer comes off as a massive hypocrite having campaigned on being the country’s moral compass. What’s come out of the Treasury is a preference for the elites, such as pressure not to undertake leasehold reforms. The whole thing is so depressing.

it’s just basic comprehension surely? Where have I inferred that I am questioning the legitimacy of it? I just was enquiring did anything else play a part eg energy costs or tariffs…

I've noticed that. More and more people are avoiding the news media because it is too depressing. Whatever they may have achieved behind the scenes, this govt hasn't done anything that is generally noticeable to create even a crumb of feel-good.

My money buys less, I've had to make redundancies at work, our "cost of living" payrise won't cover the reality, our roads are falling apart, a pothole cost me £228 last week, uni fees have risen, I'm having to reassure my ds17 that there will be a world for him to work in. Labour are damaging rural communities, our natural world and alienating too many people to mention. And they tried to cancel democratic elections like some tin pot dictatorship.

I draw the line at voting Reform, but I hope Labour get annihilated in the May elections. Hopefully KS & RR will be replaced and someone more competent will have a chance.

i’m middle aged, the triple lock will be gone by the time I retire!

It is not sustainable.

What % of pensioners are millionaires? What % of dc are in poverty?

It’s brutal but if you want economic growth we need to prioritise future workers.

I assume you have a great private pension if you're happy for the triple lock to go? You'd have to be insane or cruel to want to get rid of that. We already have 20% of pensioners classed as living in poverty, why on earth would we risk that increasing?

Which country have they gone to?

Are you questioning that this hasn't happened? Surely you watch the news? The NI change had tipped a number of challenged businesses over the edge.

My DC are self employed/ small business owner. They have left the UK. I think a lot of people who can, will.

They seem to have forgotten they were elected to address the cost of living crisis, not to bring in digital IDs, victimise pensioners and disabled people or blow a lot of hot air on the international stage

Any gov needs to absolutely pause the triple lock & look at house value in relation to care costs in the home. Is that victimising pensioners?
I also think some benefit reform is needed.

That starts with accepting it’s a Labour policy issue.

But that’s what I’m disagreeing with you about! I don’t believe the current job landscape is solely down to labours recent changes, I think there is far more nuance and inflation, Brexit, AI, war and cost of utilities etc have all contributed. You don’t have to agree with me though.

I voted Labour and I think they have been appalling so far.

Starmer has no plan, vision or any leadership qualities and Reeves is out of her depths.

They seem to have forgotten they were elected to address the cost of living crisis, not to bring in digital IDs, victimise pensioners and disabled people or blow a lot of hot air on the international stage.

Labour needs to get rid of Starmer or nothing will improve.

It feels like the country has been going backwards for years now and whichever party gets in will make little to no difference. In some ways I wish we'd moved overseas before Brexit ripped that option away

I feel like we are beyond help too now, unfortunately.

I’ve already said don’t compound the issue. Don’t make it worse, which is what Labour are doing. Policy should drive job creation to try at least to keep young people in the game, not this which is on top of AI impact.

That starts with accepting it’s a Labour policy issue.

Quite

We need more jobs as AI increases not fewer as you and they seem keen

What on earth are you talking about? It doesn’t matter what I’m keen on or what I would like. Everything I have read says AI will continue to impact jobs and it will get worse. How do you create more jobs in that landscape?!

It's easy to tease out the impact of AI on employment stats though. The fact is that Rachel Reeves is responsible for tens of thousands of job losses and that number is skyrocketing. To claim otherwise is living in blissful denial.

That tracker presents a truly woeful picture for Labour.

@Cucumberino there were some interesting analogies during the Brexit campaign about "persuading people they are wrong ". As someone said...if you are literally sat in a queue of traffic ,no one will persuade you, you aren't

It's massively depressing. I work for a small business and the NI increase plus rising costs of other expenses has made it really hard for us - plus the economic instability of the world in general (e.g. tariffs) has meant our clients are more reluctant to spend. We are reducing headcount through natural attrition which is setting we would never have done before.

On a personal level DH and I are both relatively high earners and have nothing to complain about, but we definitely do not feel any more well off than we did 10 years ago - when we both earned significantly less and had childcare costs (which we now don't have as kids are teens). It feels like the country has been going backwards for years now and whichever party gets in will make little to no difference. In some ways I wish we'd moved overseas before Brexit ripped that option away.

‘lol’ all you like, I take it you feel immune to job loss or don’t have any dc needing work soon.

As said below going in to the AI era with Labour’s policies is batshit and you can see the figures already. We need more jobs as AI increases not fewer as you and they seem keen on.

You don’t need to be in an echo chamber to not buy into Reforms promises of better services and lower taxes.

I know lots of people living in poverty with just generally shit lives.

Why will they be better under Reform?

@EasternStandard lol, so AI has had zero impact?

Maybe you need to step out of your echo chamber. I know lots of people living in poverty with just generally shit lives. If Reform promise to mix things up they think it’s worth gamble. Look at the people in the NE on the BBC website telling about the EU. They took a gamble for a better life.

The best way for Labour to win the votes of these people is to listen to them, persuade them they they are wrong.

@mazedasamarchhare I don’t think labour is doing a good job with the economy, I just don’t buy into the belief it was doing well under the Tories. But I also don’t believe the electorate are prepared to face the difficult decisions that need to be made.

We need more manufacturing and more economic growth

No one disagrees with this but no one seems to be able to achieve it, why is that? I just didn’t expect labour to achieve it in 2 years after 15 ish years of low growth.

I also intensely dislike the rhetoric that if you have a different opinion you must not work or be a teacher etc (I’m neither). It was that divisive thinking that led us to Brexit.

@treeowlnot sure what you’re missing when I post it’s Labour’s policies that have impacted jobs. In answer to your question, that.