UK officially in recession...

[Startingagainandagain]

Latest stats released show the UK is now officially in recession (Office for national statistic data).

Gaslighting has started in the media by ministers to try to minimise that fact.

Isn't it time to face the facts instead and call a general election?

I know the picture is bleak and any new party in power will need years to try to sort out this mess but something needs to be done...

The UK's decline in the past few decade or so has really been dramatic.

The UK's decline in the past few decade or so has really been dramatic.

We never recovered from the 08 crash & Im not sure how we can recover tbh

Look what Labour did last time they were in

Yes, the NHS was in great shape for a start.

We are declining, ageing population issue, tax is already high, no investment in public services.

@icelolly12 exactly, so many don't seem to see it though.

Here's what Labour achieved the last time they were in......https://www.shrewsburylabour.org.uk/labours-top-50-achievements/

I understand what you're saying but my point is that we shouldn't scapegoat Brexit for all the economic woes plaguing the whole continent of Europe. Germany's severe economic downturn cannot solely be blamed on Brexit. Brexit may have thrown a few obstacles our way, but we can't pin Europe's decline on it singlehandedly.

As a longtime Labour supporter, it is becoming increasingly difficult to continue backing the party, yet I will begrudgingly cast my vote for them when the time comes.

Does anyone else find it mildly baffling that some people's immediate reaction to their country slipping into recession is to defend the government who oversaw it?

Lockdowns (not covid, but LOCKDOWNS dragged out for months on end) which forced millions of healthy people not to work was never going to end well economically. It was at the government's peril that they dragged out lockdowns and destroyed businesses for month after month after month.

And the alternatives to lockdowns wouldn't have damaged the economy?

Yes. Baffling. We live in an age where for 14 years the country can be run into the ground, impacting negatively on all our lives, the environment, our health, housing and the future of our children and yet the response is "all parties are crap but sometimes it’s better the crap you know."

Surely we have gone beyond anyone truly believing that nobody could do better than this venal, failing shit show.

Also, in your reply to my comment you brought up immigration. I had not mentioned immigration, but since you've commented I'll say this: Immigrant influx since the turn of the millennium has played a significant role in our population surge. Our population is expanding faster than our housing supply. While I am supportive of immigration, why are we allowing it to reach a level that could lead to detrimental consequences? A point worth pondering.

Can’t wait for Labour to get in to 1) make fuck all positive change or 2) if they do, we’ll be in even more debt than we are🤣

All the ‘tories fault’ folk are in for a shock! For info, I’m not voting conservatives either.

I’m not a Tory voter and will be voting Labour, but I agree there’s basically nothing they can really do but tinker around the edges and not take the mick out of the public on social media.

Have you read the list of positive changes Labour made the last time they were in?

I lived through the last Labour government and it was a much more optimistic and positive time to be alive. Workers rights, childcare, the environment, the economy, education, health, housing - all much better.

As for your second point. In May 2010, when the Conservative-led coalition came to power, the national debt was £1.03 trillion. As of March 2019 it had risen to £1.80 trillion.

@StarDolphins All the ‘tories fault’ folk are in for a shock!

Whose fault is it then?

No one has any spare money to spend except pensioners so I'm not surprised businesses are struggling.

The US is doing OK.

Labour have never had an ‘open door’ policy. Neither has the U.K. though the Tories are actually coming pretty close if you look at immigration figures - actual planned and approved immigration not the more unpredictable asylum numbers.

Now let's see...

The EU
Covid
Ukraine
Asylum seekers
The sick and disabled who are swinging the lead
Benefit claimants in general

I think that's it for Tory Blame Bingo, but I might have missed a couple?

Agreed. The best way would be to a) create safe routes and assess those coming by that route in France (as offered by the French government) and b) to clear the backlog of assessments which the government have created by more or less stopping assessing anyone. The cost is in supporting people while they wait for assessment.

I am not sure the 1.4 million pensioners on pension credit will be living it up.

Literally anything (except actual full on fascists) would be better than the crap we have now. I don’t see how you can’t see that.
What did Labour do last time? Pretty much every metric was better than it is now, even after the global crash (that was global - Labour didn’t cause it and are considered in general to have handled it well).

What numbers are you expecting?

With 11 million not on pension credit the generalisation stands.

Mildly? No.
Totally baffling? Yes.

There’s two ways of dealing with population growing faster than the housing supply. Given we have an ageing population and a shortage of workers, I’d say the one where you build houses faster would be the better choice.