Thread 20 Starmer - Spring Statement

[DuncinToffee]

Previous thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5286167-thread-19-starmer-a-coalition-of-the-willing?page=40&reply=142981585

This is a misunderstanding. The thread isn’t specifically about the Spring Statement, it’s part of a long running series of threads about general politics plus anything else interesting anyone cares to mention. This particular thread just happened to start when the Spring Statement was due, so that got into the title.

And if you want something lighter The Rest is Entertainment is fascinating about all forms of (mainly) popular culture. Two very knowledgeable hosts (Richard Osman and Marina Hyde) who are also funny and seem to have a genuine regard and liking for each other. I really enjoy it.

Massive assumptions here...I know only too well what bullying feels like as I've been bullied in real life and it was hellish to put it mildly.
I know what bullying is and feels like and there is bullying behaviour on this thread....name if what you like am well versed on the topic.

People disagreeing with you, or your tone, isn’t bullying.

I've been bullied too and found the sneering tone of sone of the new posters very reminiscent of that experience. New posters are welcome. Sneery, I'm better than you because I say I'm rich posters are not. And let's face it, anyone can claim to be anything on here. I could be worth £10 and claim to be a multi millionaire or worth millions and claim to be poor. On principle (and based on real life experience) I take all bragging as meaningless puff.

I've never been sneery this is utter madness it is like stepping into some weird echo chamber...I give up as the nasty comments just keep coming...any small thing is given arms and legs and I can't keep replying to the never ending barrage of barbs.

What a toxic thread.

I agree. Bragging about how much tax you pay and moaning about how it's spent is just a bit tone deaf. It's also striking how pretty much every right wing anti immigrant anti benefit poster on Mumsnet suddenly decided to visit. What on earth prompted that?

Lastly, I'm on a long running follow up.thread for people whose partners and family members are alcohol dependent. What happened on here last night is akin to a bunch of people posting on that thread with all the usual tropes you get from people who don't understand addiction and haven't lived with it. It's just rude.

If they looked at previous thread titles they usually feed into what has been happening at the time, as did the previous ones when they were mainly about Boris Johnson or Rishi Sunak & other incumbents, I don’t really understand why these threads seems to annoy some posters so much surely they are similar to many other long standing threads on MN where posters gather because they have similar interests/opinions/views & surely if you popped onto one of those threads with views that are so very different would you not expect some pushback especially with such an emotive subject as the proposed benefit cuts.

So I see today that Next have ‘defied gravity’ and have posted their first £1bn profit:

Guardian article here

The same business, via Simon Wolfson the CEO, who complained about the changes to national insurance contributions, and suggested that they would lead to higher prices for consumers.

£1bn profit doesn’t suggest to me that the NIC changes are a) going to harm Next or b) need them to put their prices up for consumers

Next seem to have no problem keeping a strong high street presence, either. They seem to be continually expanding and moving into bigger, glossier stores.

Next is one of the very few stores that thrives here. I wonder if part of its success is the account payment model, you can defer payment until you’ve decided if you like an online purchase and then pay in installments should you wish. I very rarely go in to pick up a parcel without seeing something else I want as I make my way to the back of the shop.

Those are often out of town in retail parks though. Our High Street Next relocated to a better unit, refurbished and then closed down. My once fairly thriving market town High Street now has no:

M and S
Debenhams
WH Smith
Next
River Island
Sports Direct
Beales (local big name department store)
BHS
Dorothy Perkins
Wilko

We still cling on to a Primark, a Waterstones (that will go soon) and a New Look and 973,683, 262 Costa Coffees. And Pound Shops

I don't think anyone on here yesterday said they agreed with the cuts to the disabled, but more with Rachel Reeves saying that if you can work then you should work. Yes there will be some disabled people who can and do work, my son being one of them. He has adjustments made at work, but didn't qualify for pip when he applied, although did get DLA when younger.

I thought Rachel Reeves was targeting more the able bodied who just don't want to work.

Next have seemed to solidify their business into having one large store on a retail park, usually with a Costa coffee shop and travel agent inside and closed their actual high street stores. We used to have five stores locally and now there’s just one huge one. It must be a better business model. The overheads in keeping all those small stores must have been enormous. It does nothing for the non car driver unfortunately.

Next was clever and built online presence and provided an online platform to many brands. From the early days.
I would like to see more British companies follow that model, and most importantly I would like to see someone rival Amazon. We need tax receipts here. Given Trump is showing zero appreciation of the fact we have lined the pockets of his tech billionaires, I would like strong focus on building British companies.

I’d agree that the account payment model appears to work well for them. They also seem to have very efficient distribution systems.
Returns are also easy which probably encourages/influences orders. I’ll order more if I know it’s a simple process if I want to return.

Next have done a good job of moving with the times in terms of their fashion.

WH Smiths I do feel sad about. I used to spend ages in there while my mum was shopping in town. She knew I wouldn't leave the shop til she was back. There were always loads of books and stationery to look at and I could spend my 50p pocket money on a new book. It doesn't feel the same now and my kids were never interested.

I have had sudden flashbacks to the Next Directory. Hours of flicking through. We didn’t get a copy - my mother didn’t approve, can’t remember why - so I had to put my orders in via a friend.

The Next Directory was a huge hardback book, wasn’t it? Have I imagined it or did it have swatches of fabric for some items?

Yes!

And did you have to pay for it? The Next directory I mean.

I would love to see AC doing the Comms role. He's shown he is keeping up with the times on TRIP.

Quite. Maybe they should think about that before naming the thread after the PM and a fiscal even next time?

Yes £3.50 iirc

It was a pain to cancel it as well

The Next Directory was a thing of beauty! Quality of clothing has gone down over the past 20 years or so, but looks like that's not harmed profits.

Brilliant analogy.

I choose to ignore goading re “how much tax do you pay” because it isn’t In The spirit of basic human conversation rather than a thread.

yes - they probably pay more tax than me.

But having lived and worked abroad and fled that country from an abusive relationship with just 3 suitcases to our name, completed my degree and now earn over double what I did when I first returned. All while raising my disabled ds alone and all that entails while we worked towards discovering he has a degenerative condition and supporting and funding him as he’s worked towards becoming a para GB athlete and representing team GB at international meets.
of course while supporting both parents through Covid as they both had cancer and then my mum dying.

I really Don’t need someone saying I have no worth because my tax bill is lower. Just when I’ve got to the point where I don’t blame myself for every bit of shit flung my way the last 20 years.

and I’m certainly not going to engage in being the one called a bully because someone comes here and starts a “my tax bill is bigger than your nah nah nah nah naahhh”

it’s pathetic.

I’ll continue to criticise when I think Labour is wrong. I will continue to say when I think they are right.
I will continue to do the same for all parties.

I will continue to be a floating voter.

I will continue to ignore people who act like they are 5years old and in a playground because I deserve better.

As explained, the thread title has contained the current PM's name for years now, the second part and the number changes.

These threads are not just about politics, that's why they are in Chat.