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

I have no problem with the government overpaying for PPE at the start of COVID. In fact if they admit that it was their parsimony that caused the shortage, I'm happy to record it here.

It was a confusing and scary time, and - as with a burst pipe - the desire to fix first and pay later is quite understandable. (Even JRM said as much and I still agree with him).

However moving on from that the lack of transparency, and obvious corruption is unforgivable. Although it seems the "bury bad news" mindset is still alive and well in Westminster circles. Because COVID even eclipsed 9/11 as the news story to bury all news stories.

You forgot all the people ejected from hospitals into care homes without being tested.

So has the news.

FT

Reeves said on Sunday that 10,000 civil servants would lose their jobs as she announced Whitehall cuts intended to save over £2bn by 2029-30, with officials saying privately that “tens of thousands” of posts could go.

The civil service had 514,000 full-time equivalent staff in December 2024. Reeves has said a better use of technology and cuts in the use of consultants could deliver Whitehall savings, as well as reductions to budgets for communications and travel. “I’m confident that we can reduce civil service numbers by 10,000,” Reeves told Sky News’ Trevor Phillips.

Dave Penman, head of the FDA civil service union, warned that the cuts could lead to big job losses and harm public services. “The idea that cuts of this scale can be delivered by cutting HR and comms teams is for the birds,” he said.

Meanwhile Sir Keir Starmer, prime minister, will try to show on Monday that he is still investing in voters’ priorities in spite of the straitened public finances, setting out details of a pothole-filling programme.

Meanwhile Sir Keir Starmer, prime minister, will try to show on Monday that he is still investing in voters’ priorities in spite of the straitened public finances, setting out details of a pothole-filling programme

Oh dear, I’m having a flashback to Major’s Cone Hotline. Yes, potholes matter to people but central govt money and time doesn’t need to be expended on them - give Councils the funds and they will deal with it.

Quite so.

Will be good to see Reeves take a hatchet to the CS though.

Whisper it, but I am looking forward to the ‘reforms’ Labour plan to implement, given that Reeves has ruled out ‘tax and spend’.

This is something that never really got mentioned when people were talking about spending and tax hikes / cuts

The cost of servicing UK debt

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-interactive/2025/mar/24/visual-analysis-how-the-markets-boxed-in-rachel-reeves

It's massive - the UK has borrowed a lot of money, owes a lot of money and we pay interest on that

And borrowing costs have been rising

£105 billion in 2023 / 24. Which is a massive part of public spending.

Reeves has been dealt a uniquely poor hand fiscally

But but but

This kind of technical stuff doesn't get talked about.
And showing it in a graph doesn't cut it for people.

People need stories, anecdotes to make it real and to connect.

And I haven't heard any real discussion about this during campaigns.

It's not over difficult. We have borrowed money and we need to borrow money to pay for spending. We've borrowed a lot and interest rates were low but have increased.

So what would you do if you were in charge? £105 BILLION is a lot of money.

And a small change in interest costs would still mean a lot of money

They will deal with it only partially. No doubt only doing roadworks in February and March, to spend the budget.

Next week the number of roadworks will reduce massively.

So what would you do if you were in charge?

Do the unpopular thing and raise taxes? 😬

On these threads we have discussed the debt issue but as you said it is mostly being ignored.

I'd love to see what Farage would say about this - where would he be economically on massive borrowing costs.

Continuing a theme, I rather suspect he would seek to blame the previous Government - as Labour has/is.

I'm debt adverse. I'm not impressed we have debt at all, I expect far better from those who run the budget. Countries shouldn't be in debt unnecessarily.

Probably...

14 years

Rejoining the customs union is free money as far as the forecasts are concerned.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-trade-cost-uk-business-labour-trade-billion-b2719830.html

Debt was inevitable to deal with Covid. What is beyond my comprehension is the degree it rose during Osborne’s chancellorship, aka austerity.

The cynical part of me wonders if he is capitalising on the annual Feb/March rush to spend Highways money so he can claim a Blitz On Potholes.
Or perhaps it will be a year round scheme that includes proper training and materials so the damn things don’t reappear in a few weeks. A girl can dream….

Unfortunately I think cynical you is correct.

I think any cynicism is probably the most accurate any of us will be right now.

I’m utterly broken with it all. I’m not particularly left wing compared to many in here but I’m disappointed in a lot of the decisions of Reeves and Starmer right now. And I was quite keen at first when I realised he had quite centric leaning views.

we are just getting more of the bad - after fighting so hard to dispel the attitude that they are all as bad as each other.

A bit 'outing'... but I am going to a Guardian talk tomorrow - Wes Streeting In Conversation with Pippa Crear. (Political editor)

Any questions you'd like me to submit? (Can't guarantee they will be chosen though)

I'd love to know how he corroborates the woeful state of mental health services with his assertion that too many people are being diagnosed with mental health issues.

I am feeling increasingly positive tbh.

They appear to be keen to address the welfare and civil service budget, and to tackle worklessness, premised on spurious MH grounds etc.

It’s good to see an end (temporarily, at least), to further tax raids too.