Thread 12 Starmer: From Prescott to Rayner, working class grit

[DuncinToffee]

Previous thread

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5203242-thread-11-starmer-will-that-phone-call-be-to-harris-or-to-trump-the-decidedly-superior-looking-cats-thread?page=40&reply=139989436

Provocation, pffft.

Have we really been reduced to posting a series of gifs? I’m beginning to doubt that I belong here any more.

No, we should be reduced to posting stills from Jeeves and Wooster.

Huzzah for this thread!

No no let’s not get silly. There are about a million threads on the internet with gifs, personal animosity masquerading as political opinion and so on.

If you want a community or common discussion, you have to do that. If you want to engage in the kind of political jabbing that occurs elsewhere, then yes, this thread will be much like many others. No one is forced to respond to anyone. If you do, it’s on your own account.

God, it was a joke. I really did read booster as wooster for a second.

Which is to say I’m primarily interested in what Labour do that is different from the last 14 years. They are attempting to do something different I believe. It’s not cheerleading to note these differences. I am also interested in the disintegration of the Conservatives as a political force which seems to be gathering a spot of momentum.

Also I do like the cats.

I find most of the people here interesting and stimulating, even when I don't always agree with them. I usually manage to ignore the irritants.

So do I.

It’s been the little bit of MN I’ve felt most comfortable for a very long time now. I feel the same as you @ilovesooty. I think my tolerance level is low tonight.

Life's to short for pointless bickering, and this little corner of the Internet usually manages to discuss, debate and support in a healthy manner- even when we don't always agree.
I really like that I can have a full on ding dong with some of you on other threads that we don't necessarily agree on, yet somehow, when we come back here, the same arguments are made in a structured, respecful way that allows us to grow as a community and actually discuss the positives in both sides of the debate.

Every time I find something I disagree with, I ask myself: is that true? I invariably do a little digging. It's healthy isn't it to check whether something is true. My opinion is that facts are better than opinions but I'm not going to bang on about it. Some people prefer opinions to facts and that's just the way it is.

Yes I'm very interested in watching what's happening in the opposition - mainly the Tory party whilst watching Starmer to see what he can do.

I'm on the side of it's too early to judge the outcome of his actions atm but he's made a few decisions I'm not 100% comfortable with (WFA - think it needed tapering but don't disagree with removal from those who don't need it).

I'm very centric in my politics. Slightly to the left for some things but I found JC too LW and currently finding the Tory's too RW as they try and out reform Reform! I'm quite comfortable with true one national conservatism despite not agreeing with some policies they have.

I'm watching what the Lib Dem's and greens do. There is a huge opportunity for them here to swoop in whilst there's infighting between other parties - especially LD who are very centric in their idolism and gained a quite a few seat last time during by elections.

Because I'm not affiliated to a particular party - I've voted LD, Tory and Labour in the past I'm not looking at who I'll vote for in 4/5 years. I'm focused on whether Labour (who I did vote for this time) can improve their comms and improve our economy. And so far despite a few disagreements with their choices I'm comfortable and optimistic we will see change.

I just don't think - or expect - it to be tomorrow!

It is frustrating that the good Labour are doing seems on the whole pretty hidden. The general public seem much more aware of the potentially bad things like WFA.
I'm probably more LW than the current government but I'm just relieved they are in power, and I do recognise that as much as I agreed with a lot of what JC said, he was never going to become PM.

Wouldn't it be great if on Jan 4 there was a big push by Labour on what they've achieved in their first half year?

And I'm absolutely bearing in mind what @prettybird said for the rest of this thread.

Agree with all that @Zonder

I really don't understand why Labour comms isn't working as it should. But I guess when even the likes of the Guardian is frequently negative, it is an uphill battle.

Heaven fucking preserve us from feeling the need to justify chatting on here.

I will continue to enjoy this corner of t'internet and just ignore the poster(s) who try to derail it or who don't contribute in good faith.

The rest of you - who I don't all agree with and who don't all agree with me - are worth it

Why the need to even post that. It just sounds very petty and childish.

Its what the media push.

Yesterdays headline in the 'Mail was saying Starmer has no policies and its govt by committee.

Hard then to get out positive stories, then there is the turmoil in prisons, health education, rail etc etc that Labour have been left with, the public/media seem to think that this is Labours doing, even R4 news have stopped saying that these were all apparent under the Tories.

One shadow minister blaming Labour/Wes Streeting for lack of progress in cancer care & that the GE stopped her reforms...... a GE her Govt called.... no challenge.

I may not be Labours biggest fan, not radical enough for me but they are a million times better than anything we've had in the last 14 years.

There will be nothing but attack on Labour and Starmer from here on in.

I agree with you @Alexandra2001 : the media, for whatever reason (ownership, readership, vested interests - although I'm not sure what R4's excuse is ) are obfuscating the reasons for the problems the new Labour Government are having to deal with and deliberately misrepresenting policies.

For example: The Mail coverage of "Labour banning porridge" was a distortion of what is planned now that more detail has been published. I agree that the Labour comms seem to be missing the mark, but maybe it's accurate that they're on to a hiding trying, so why bother for the moment and just concentrate on doing

I'm glad the Conservatives got a really bloody nose - they deserved (and still deserve) it. They've left a clusterfuck for Labour to deal with.

And just to be clear, I didn't (and won't ever again) vote for them, as they're not left wing enough for me amongst other reasons

There will be nothing but attack on Labour and Starmer from here on in.

There will if they don’t get their shit together on comms. I don’t buy the “hostile media that can’t be turned round” schtick. The fact is that opportunities are being squandered. Zonder’s idea is an excellent one to start 2025 with a big push to communicate the first six months achievements in the post Christmas news hiatus.

They’re really not helping themselves in the slightest - they allowed Dianne Abbott to appear on Peston last week criticising everything they’re doing. Who allowed that to happen? It’s ridiculous, no previous government of any colour would have tolerated that.

Before the election Andrew Marr said that this Labour government were really going to piss off a lot of powerful people. And he has been spot on about that one! Their manifesto was pretty clear in one way, house building, no income tax increases, rebuilding public services, well the inference was pretty obvious someone will be paying for that and it would not be bods on PAYE.

And even with all the gnashing of teeth in the press business still thinks Labour a better bet than the Conservatives.

The strategy and media handling is bad. Charitably this was always going to be very tough. But people need the vision thing. They do. They aren’t interested in the Conservatives doing that. They want hope - so Labour has best get on and give it.

The government has announced £740m of funding to increase the number of places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) in mainstream schools in England.

The money, part of the £6.7bn of education spending announced in the Budget, will be targeted towards adapting school buildings to make them more accessible.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c36e106n667o

Not sure if this has been covered earlier on the thread (been away from the thread for a few days) - but pleased to see that Labour are sticking to their policy of the steady renationalisation of the railway network and that this is hitting the headlines.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceqlnrgjr79o
Wish they'd stop the sale of RM though...

Sky News

Three British rail companies to be nationalised in 'major shake up' next year

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has today announced that South Western Rail will be the first train operator to be nationalised in the UK.

Shortly afterwards, in July 2025, c2c will also come under public ownership, before Greater Anglia is nationalised in the autumn.

Labour says this move will put "passengers back at the heart of services after 30 years of privatisation".

It comes just days after the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 received Royal Assent, paving the way for a "major shake up" of Britain's railways.

@DuncinToffee
Snap 😁