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Reality of life in UK under current government

201 replies

Melisha · 03/07/2024 13:26

I think people need reminding of what life is currently like in the UK and did not used to be the case.

  1. Potholes galore. Every time I drive I am trying to avoid potholes.
  2. Our local river keeps getting sewage discharged into it.
  3. Our local beach is no longer safe to swim in because of sewage.
  4. We have more street homelessness than I have ever seen in my life time, and I am old.
  5. More local food banks than ever before.
  6. More litter and less street sweeping.
  7. Much longer queues at A and E and queues of ambulances outside.
  8. Long waits for operations. I have been waiting 16 months for a gallbladder operation.
  9. Shoplifting way up. I live in a well off area and yet have seen people blatantly shoplifting in front of staff. I never saw this ever until a year ago.
  10. Rape practically legal as conviction rate is tiny.

Please add your own.

OP posts:
cupcaske123 · 03/07/2024 17:20

Unphased · 03/07/2024 17:15

Banking crisis happened in 2007

Banks were deregulated under Thatcher as part of the Big Bang in 1986.

Tumbleweed101 · 03/07/2024 17:21

There were better family policies under labour. Sure start centres, family tax credits for all children not just two, child benefit for all families. Parents didn't feel pressure to return to work too soon. There were maternity grants and savings accounts given for babies. The family support was at a perfect time for me as a low earner with young children and I feel we were much better off than current families with young children who are lower earners.

I'm not saying future labour policies will be the same but I found life with children better before the conservatives.

cupcaske123 · 03/07/2024 17:24

Unphased · 03/07/2024 17:17

in that case Labour could have re regulated the banks,

Unfortunately at the time, the Global Crash that began in the States wasn't predicted. Brown was under pressure by both the financial sector and the Tories not to over regulate. The reason for the crash were complex, multinational and systematic rather than national.

Let's talk about Black Wednesday.

GingerPirate · 03/07/2024 17:24

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Would be extremely difficult to keep it from them,
obviously not impossible.

Summerfreezemakesmedrinkwine · 03/07/2024 17:24

Yes, Lammy as foreign secretary, in a room with potentially...Trump and Le Pen, and Harriet (sorry, I accidentally supported pie) Harman as equalities minister? And that's not a pantomime to you?

HowardTJMoon · 03/07/2024 17:28

There are people in banking and other sectors who do what is best for them financially or their employers. The banking crisis was the fault of the government in getting rid of some important regulation and it could easily be foreseen.

Deregulation was an enabler of the banking crisis. The root cause was the short-termist "earn a quick buck and fuck the consequences" policies of the financial services industry, both here and overseas.

Unphased · 03/07/2024 17:29

cupcaske123 · 03/07/2024 17:24

Unfortunately at the time, the Global Crash that began in the States wasn't predicted. Brown was under pressure by both the financial sector and the Tories not to over regulate. The reason for the crash were complex, multinational and systematic rather than national.

Let's talk about Black Wednesday.

So was Covid a worldwide problem,

HowardTJMoon · 03/07/2024 17:34

Yes, Lammy as foreign secretary, in a room with potentially...Trump and Le Pen,

As compared to the intellectual power-houses and shrewd negotiators we've enjoyed as foreign secretary over the last decade? Johnson, Hunt, Raab, Truss, Cleverly and Cameron?

Summerfreezemakesmedrinkwine · 03/07/2024 17:37

HowardTJMoon · 03/07/2024 17:34

Yes, Lammy as foreign secretary, in a room with potentially...Trump and Le Pen,

As compared to the intellectual power-houses and shrewd negotiators we've enjoyed as foreign secretary over the last decade? Johnson, Hunt, Raab, Truss, Cleverly and Cameron?

Which of those people called Trump a 'woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath'?

upinaballoon · 03/07/2024 17:41

Unphased · 03/07/2024 15:13

It will be interesting to see how labour handle the immigration crisis, they never had to handle it the last time they were in government,

When Gordon Brown and David Cameron and Nick Clegg had their three-way 'thing' in 2010 I seem to remember that the gentle disappearance of some (possibly) asylum seekers into the ether was one of the things which N Clegg asked about. I wish the TV stations would re-run it so we could see what they were talking about then. I mean on all topics, not just immigration or asylum seekers.

Shitmum2024 · 03/07/2024 17:43

Melisha · 03/07/2024 13:26

I think people need reminding of what life is currently like in the UK and did not used to be the case.

  1. Potholes galore. Every time I drive I am trying to avoid potholes.
  2. Our local river keeps getting sewage discharged into it.
  3. Our local beach is no longer safe to swim in because of sewage.
  4. We have more street homelessness than I have ever seen in my life time, and I am old.
  5. More local food banks than ever before.
  6. More litter and less street sweeping.
  7. Much longer queues at A and E and queues of ambulances outside.
  8. Long waits for operations. I have been waiting 16 months for a gallbladder operation.
  9. Shoplifting way up. I live in a well off area and yet have seen people blatantly shoplifting in front of staff. I never saw this ever until a year ago.
  10. Rape practically legal as conviction rate is tiny.

Please add your own.

Children living in poverty
Children/familys in run down temporary accommodation.
Heigh gas/electricity
Knife crime

placemats · 03/07/2024 17:46

The waste of billions of pounds on PPE, now in landfill sites. The useless Trace and Tracking system that also cost billions of pounds.

Labour will set up a system to get this money back into the national coffers.

An austerity programme that was totally unnecessary because the UK wasn't in the Euro zone, had high unemployment and low interest rates. Cameron and Osborne chose austerity to feather their pockets.

NHS and social care in crisis.

Churchview · 03/07/2024 17:49

Summerfreezemakesmedrinkwine · 03/07/2024 17:37

Which of those people called Trump a 'woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath'?

David Cameron called Trump, 'Misogynistic and xenophobic' and he's been Foreign Secretary for the past year.

1dayatatime · 03/07/2024 17:53

@cupcaske123

"Unfortunately at the time, the Global Crash that began in the States wasn't predicted. Brown was under pressure by both the financial sector and the Tories not to over regulate. The reason for the crash were complex, multinational and systematic rather than national."

Let's unpick this.

Firstly the Global crash which was caused by excessive debt (Government, Corporate and individual) was predicted by many such as Vince Cable, numerous newspaper headlines - I suggest you watch "The Big Short"

Labour like many Governments worldwide did nothing to reign in some very questionable financial practices- remember Northern Rocks 120% LTV mortgages or Bradford and Bingley's liar loans? There was no pressure from the Conservatives not to tighten regulations. The reason Labour chose not to was because if they did then the party would stop and there would a small crash thereby making them unpopular but by letting it run they allowed a bigger crash to happen later on. Personally if the Conservatives were in charge then I don't think they would have done anything different.

The reason for the crash was relatively simple- excess debt. Yes it was international and yes it was systemic because the money markets across the world are linked. However countries such as China or India were less affected because at the time they had less debt.

cupcaske123 · 03/07/2024 17:53

Unphased · 03/07/2024 17:29

So was Covid a worldwide problem,

COVID was worldwide and completely mishandled. Johnson's friends made millions out of government contracts. Billions were wasted on useless PPE. However, money was saved when the elderly were slaughtered as COVID rampaged care homes.

Let's talk about the state of the economy and our current levels of debt.

DefyingGravitas · 03/07/2024 17:56

Unphased · 03/07/2024 16:34

But isn’t that what everyone is saying, we are voting Labour because they are not Tory’s, you could leave one abusive relationship for another.

Do you have a better plan?

Summerfreezemakesmedrinkwine · 03/07/2024 17:59

Churchview · 03/07/2024 17:49

David Cameron called Trump, 'Misogynistic and xenophobic' and he's been Foreign Secretary for the past year.

Well, it doesn't have the same ring to it as calling him a Nazi, but at least he didn't have to work with him over the last year. But it's all going to be fine because Trump is a professional and doesn't hold grudges and he won't be very important on the political stage. It's all going to be fine 👍🏼😂

Churchview · 03/07/2024 18:00

Reality of life in UK under current government
Terminally ill patient Madelaine Butcher forced to sleep on a hospital floor because of lack of beds.
A footballer having to shame the government into providing food for school children.
The primary cause of children being admitted to hospital is rotten teeth.
Tents taken away from homeless people.
Over 100,000 families in temporary accommodation.
Hundreds of thousands of gallons of sewage pumped into our rivers and sea.

Churchview · 03/07/2024 18:03

Summerfreezemakesmedrinkwine · 03/07/2024 17:59

Well, it doesn't have the same ring to it as calling him a Nazi, but at least he didn't have to work with him over the last year. But it's all going to be fine because Trump is a professional and doesn't hold grudges and he won't be very important on the political stage. It's all going to be fine 👍🏼😂

Edited

David Lammy didn't call him a Nazi.
He called him a neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath.

To be fair. Trump is a 'woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath'.

Churchview · 03/07/2024 18:04

Trump has no regard for anyone he deals with whether they call him a god or an arsehole.

Nothing lost by saying the truth.

cupcaske123 · 03/07/2024 18:05

Churchview · 03/07/2024 18:03

David Lammy didn't call him a Nazi.
He called him a neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath.

To be fair. Trump is a 'woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath'.

To be fair, he was putting people into cages along the border and inflaming the far right.

Summerfreezemakesmedrinkwine · 03/07/2024 18:06

Churchview · 03/07/2024 18:03

David Lammy didn't call him a Nazi.
He called him a neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath.

To be fair. Trump is a 'woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath'.

Yeah, that'll be the nuance that patches the crack.

But is this the person you want, men can grow a cervix aside, to deal with negotiating on the global stage when he is dealing with dislikeable and disagreeable people?

Crikeyalmighty · 03/07/2024 18:10

I can understand people going 'but Labour' - nowI will be honest- I'm not mega 'woke' - I'm not into promoting people because they tick boxes- I'm not obsessed about trans etc- I'm actually pretty centreist on most things but I do think a big difference is 'intent' - Labour aren't negative about everything - they don't think things are all about turning the clock back - that is a big mental difference- the world has moved on and it's easy to forget that we aren't the USA - the USA is in effect its own EU -being isolationist is pointless.

My views are as follows - I think we have to get things going in a more positive direction and then look again at relationship with EU- i accept its not just a matter of rejoining and its not as simple as that but we gave to look at maybe negotiating an individual deal that is maybe more like Norway initially. its clear to people now that being out hasn't stopped immigration one bit- legal or asylum seekers. We have more control as part of an agreement, not less - France then has obligations - we did not have this issue to remotely the same extent whilst in EU- it also means far less immigration needed from
Outside EU.

Health - I do think we need to look at how it's funded and yes insurance models should be looked at in detail - but not ones with American style ludicrous charges or exemptions -

Education - hate Reform- but yes why not look at 2 year models for many degrees if fees are going to remain

Housing- more social housing of all types and stop right to buy instantly. Look at bringing back DIYSO ( shared ownership on the open market- not just new builds) - sort leasehold law out pronto - at the moment it's putting young people off flats and regulate service charges. Rent caps at sensible levels in private sector- give huge tax benefits to pensions and insurance companies to build (and convert dead office space) for social renting at controlled rents

Councils- I think we need to get back to some central funding but properly managed and checked- at the moment is like a total lottery depending where you live and yep I agree about a lot of jobs that don't seem that essential but pay pretty well (I see lots like this at Unis too) and more on general basics like roads, green spaces, street and public areas cleaning, public loos etc - I think Labour already have proposals on business rates reform

It just seems like some parts of the uk have turned into the wild west and there's no controls or standards -

I'm hopeful we will see some positive policies and if Reform or Tory's get a whiff of power - then we will be off anyway within next year using Nomad visas as we work for ourselves!!

HotPipe · 03/07/2024 18:11

OMG people, get a grip! There's so much despair around the world and while things are not great here, the world over is facing difficulties. Just look at some of our closest neighbours like Ireland, France, Germany and Belgium, it is chaos in France while others have financial difficulties and Germany, Holland, France, Italy face a massive far right shift. Spain has so much unemployment and militant protests on their islands most weeks. Greece is on fire!

We will survive our woes no matter who is elected.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2024/07/03/irish-economy-could-be-headed-for-another-technical-recession/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13595437/France-Frexit-disguise-National-Rally-Macron.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyx5yq7wy55o

https://www.euronews.com/business/2024/06/27/belgian-inflation-soars-to-highest-level-in-10-months

Irish economy could be headed for another technical recession

Bank of Ireland cuts its growth projections citing ‘measurement distortions related to the multinational sector’ while warning headline GDP could contract this year

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2024/07/03/irish-economy-could-be-headed-for-another-technical-recession

Churchview · 03/07/2024 18:14

We will survive our woes no matter who is elected.

I'm hoping for more from the next government than just survival.