Thread 19 Starmer - A Coalition of the Willing

[DuncinToffee]

.https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5276594-thread-18-starmer-all-sides-of-the-house-agree-apart-from-the-trump-bootlickers?page=40&reply=142583752

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I've added my 2 pence worth!!!!

https://www.itv.com/news/2025-03-07/government-to-make-6bn-welfare-savings-with-benefits-shake-up

FFS the utter cunts. Hopefully this is speculation of the detail and not true. It’s as bad as anything the Tories did to welfare and will arguably be just as ‘successful’

Yeah, I'm disgusted.

This is expectation management, surely?

Taking the pic caption as a broad summary of the article:

Even those with extreme disabilities in the unfit to work category are likely to lose money under new government plans, ITV News Deputy Political Editor, Anushka Asthana reports

I don’t believe that. It’s messaging nonsense so we can all be ‘relieved’ when the heroic government finds a way to be humane against all the odds. 🙄

These ‘deals’ with the media interest me. ITV must know they’re being used, but I guess they get the ‘scoop’ and that’s sufficient.

One thing it isn’t is speculation.

I have a feeling you may be right. I hope so. Because what is being suggested is going further in some ways than what the Tories proposed in their green paper.

Very unhappy about rumoured welfare cuts, have spent the afternoon at one of my volunteering roles dealing with a very vulnerable person. Not only did the Tories fail to increase benefits in line with inflation, they hollowed out all the support such as Sure Start that helped disadvantaged individuals and communities.

I didn’t vote Labour for more of the same.

A lot of people are going to be so worried about this. I'm hoping it's just ITV clickbait.

Yes. Speculation was the wrong word. It’s not quite what I meant.

Rather that is leaked rumours and that the truth turns out to be rather kinder.

If this is such a huge problem I don’t get why we keep trying to do the same thing to fix it and then being surprised that the thing we tried a million times before hasn’t worked. Well I do but it’s got nothing to to with the welfare bill or cutting people claiming fraudulently. It’s optics to attract votes.

It is an odd coincidence that there has been an avalanche of disability benefit bashing threads this week on MN.

There will be welfare budget cuts. I’m certain of that. But I suspect they’ll be modest. Tax threshold continuations or reductions and other ‘off in the distance’ measures will bear the brunt. Plus some windfall taxes.

There’ll be - deserved - stick for the government but they’ll consider it bearable while they cross their fingers and hope for global upturn.

My guess is that the government is terrified of attracting a ‘cruelty’ label of the sort foisted on the Tories by Labour and its outriders for trying to get public expenditure down.

I will be amazed if any of this doom-mongering about hitting the sickest welfare claimants comes to pass.

Edit: meant to say lowering thresholds not increasing them

I keep adding up in my head how we'd survive if all of my DH's disability benefits were cut. We'd manage if we had to as we'd just have to get by for a few years until state pension age. But lots of younger people would be absolutely fucked.

I am trying not to worry until we see the green paper.

I will be amazed if any of this doom-mongering about hitting the sickest welfare claimants comes to pass

I don't know. Kendall set out her stall before the election, which is why I almost didn't vote Labour.

Well now. @RafaistheKingofClay Is it ITV who are utter c.... or are you just being one?

It's speculation journalism at worse and click bait at best. You have supported that by sharing the link. Why would you do that?

Really? That’s where your going?

Stop talking to yourself @RafaistheKingofClay

Own it.

Although I think that’s probably the first time I’ve been called a cunt on MN in 13 years. Do I get a badge?

It's speculation journalism at worse and click bait at best.

Spot on. This is more media speculation of the kind we’ve seen incessantly for the last eight months.

I have never called you that so don't flatter yourself.

Can we calm down, you two? These threads aren’t a place where fighting and name calling are welcome.

This.

I think you are being unfair. There is no doubt Labour is going to make changes. How far those changes will go is the only question.

It’s not speculation. It’s a bogus ‘scoop’ given out by a government PR kid.

You’re reading what the government wanted to be published. Labour MPs know it’s bollocks (they’ve probably been told that), the reporter knows it’s bollocks, and we should treat is as bollocks.

Do you seriously think the government wouldn’t shout this down if it was speculation and untrue?

There’s absolutely no doubt that it’s pitch rolling but it is speculation until the green paper is published. It’s entirely possible it’s deliberate exaggeration so the real proposal comes as a relief.

I’m quite calm. It wasn’t me that jumped in with the needlessly aggressive post.

Newsnight right now is having an interview with Popov and he's in a petrol station!