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Original poster

Have these latest government U-turns shown a new low in competence?

34 replies

ProudAmberTurtle · 11/04/2026 07:55

The government has managed two more U-turns in the last two days.

First they quietly dropped the mandatory digital ID cards for right-to-work checks and have removed sex from what the cards will detail. There is now literally no point to these cards - they will just be an app that leads to other government services. We're apparently spending hundreds of millions on this even though the technology already exists.

And the next day they pull the Chagos Islands legislation too. The deal to hand sovereignty to Mauritius (while “leasing” back the Diego Garcia base) has been shelved.

I would say every government in my lifetime has been more incompetent than the last one - but surely we've reached the floor now?

OP posts:
luckylavender · 12/04/2026 08:37

Silly me I forgot that Starmer is wrong about everything, Trump can always be excused and the 14 years of Tory rule weren’t that bad 🙄

Alexandra2001 · 12/04/2026 08:32

ProudAmberTurtle · 12/04/2026 08:25

That's not true.

Yes the Tories had (shamefully) had sovereignty talks with Mauritius, but they were opposed to a full handover and the concessions that Starmer then agreed to.

The Trump issue is also irrelevant - Starmer agreed to the initial deal without consulting Trump. It was also always at least possible that Trump was going to change his mind anyway, as major parts of the US military immediately expressed concern about it

Show quote history

No thats not correct, the USA agreed to the UK holding talks, they then supported the direction of the talks ie lease back... then Trump got in, and trashed the deal BUT Marco Rubio supported the deal... talks concluded and Trump then backed the deal... before changing his mind.

The USA is now a very unreliable "ally" more of an enemy, look at what they are doing in Hungary and their support for far right parties in Europe? more an ally to Russia, than the UK.

The deal cannot be concluded without the USA's support, so its shelved, hardly a u-turn.

Why is it "Shameful" to uphold International law?

On ID cards, can't comment on that, i think ID is a great idea, doesn't all of Europe have them?

Other U-Turns... yes some have been shocking, WFP's and Farm IHT are the 2 worst examples.

But all Govt's trash their manifesto's and change their minds once in Govt, its not a new thing as some would have us believe.

Original poster
ProudAmberTurtle · 12/04/2026 08:25

luckylavender · 12/04/2026 08:16

The Tories had all but signed the agreement, so they inherited it & Trump gave it the green light previously.

Show quote history

That's not true.

Yes the Tories had (shamefully) had sovereignty talks with Mauritius, but they were opposed to a full handover and the concessions that Starmer then agreed to.

The Trump issue is also irrelevant - Starmer agreed to the initial deal without consulting Trump. It was also always at least possible that Trump was going to change his mind anyway, as major parts of the US military immediately expressed concern about it

OP posts:
tanstaafl · 12/04/2026 08:20

I’d prefer a government, board of business, senior management etc who are prepared to change their mind rather than railroad something in because they might look ‘weak’ changing their mind.

But I never understood the Chagos Island deal.
And the amount of money was staggering.

I’m interested to see if this government will continue with plans to introduce a limit on the amount of tax free cash you can draw from your pension seeing as that change will be close to the next general election and could be the final nail in their coffin.

luckylavender · 12/04/2026 08:16

Somerdays · 12/04/2026 00:24

I've never understood the Chagos Islands thing. Why has this government been so intent on using up a load of political capital abroad on it?

The Tories had all but signed the agreement, so they inherited it & Trump gave it the green light previously.

Original poster
ProudAmberTurtle · 12/04/2026 08:01

MsAmerica · 11/04/2026 23:45

I don't consider that changing a position is a sign of incompetence.

Changing your mind about something can be a sign of strength, ie when new information comes to light or something seismic changes everything.

But that's not the case here or with any of the government's u-turns.

They did no planning for something ridiculous and then had to shelve it when they realised it wasn't workable.

OP posts:
Somerdays · 12/04/2026 00:24

I've never understood the Chagos Islands thing. Why has this government been so intent on using up a load of political capital abroad on it?

MsAmerica · 11/04/2026 23:45

I don't consider that changing a position is a sign of incompetence.

Bromptotoo · 11/04/2026 09:40

The change to ID cards seems to have been in January to allow alternative digital ID to be used for right to work.

Diego Garcia being removed from the King's Speech is 'force majeure'. Trump, previously accepting of it has now done a volte face and HMG don't feel they can go ahead.

Not sure the treaty is abandoned. More a question of the issue going on the back burner at least until after the mid terms and possibly after Trump is gone.