Thread 24 Starmer -Casting the net wider

[DuncinToffee]

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5329855-thread-23-starmer-reflux-remedy?page=40&reply=144419737

Billions of pounds of investment in transport infrastructure in England have been announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

The money will be spent on tram, train and bus projects in mayoral authorities across the Midlands, the North and the West Country.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c331ln47e7ko

Betteridge's law

Firstly I didn’t vote for Brexit. Secondly the farm inheritance tax will only benefit the the wealthy who will snap up land sold by middle sized farmers. The rumour is it is also part of a government land grab. Thirdly do you want your food grown by British farmers or not?
As James Rebanks. points out at least the EU as a body had knowledge of agriculture and had the interest of farmers at heart. The Tories had some knowledge but proved to not give a shit. Labour have no knowledge about agriculture and have actively tried to destroy farmers livelihood. For the life of me I cannot understand why.

I don’t really think he’s ‘bleating’ - and I don’t believe that nothing is being done.

It’s a very difficult issue, both practically as well as politically, and it’s not one that’s going to be solved quickly. If it was, do you not think that the Tories would have solved it, given all their ‘bleatings’ about it?

The government (Homes England?) have been sat on many acres of farmland near me for 15 years now. It’s still being farmed for the moment. So I wouldn’t put much store by ‘rumours’.

The rumour is

Where is this rumour?

Farming. Housing. Solar panels. New reservoir. Even roads or rails.

Personally I couldn't care less what the land is used for as long as it isn't as a mechanism to maintain house prices for greedy developers.

Well that’s exactly what will happen.

This blog from a Professor of Economic Geography at LSE argues the opposite.

blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/only-the-super-rich-need-fear-the-farmers-inheritance-tax/

But that’s how these things work. When we moved to this ex market town it was surrounded by farmland bought for development but was planted and harvested for years. However now 25 years later all that land is covered in houses.

That’s not a land grab by this government though, is it? Sadly, I know the land near me will be built on at some point, but it’s a strategy put in place 15+ years ago. Nothing to do with current Labour.

Well if the report is accurate then it’s not exactly going to plug the famous black hole is it.

Government is closing loopholes, ofcourse people won't like it.

When you are used to privilege, equality feels like oppression ....

I don't think it has ever been argued that the IHT change alone was going to plug the black hole?

I found the argument that the introduction of the original tax break contributed to higher land prices interesting.

The bit about the judges follows Trump's playbook.

So I agree and predict that’s exactly where Reform will go

The inheritance tax on farming land was an example of a sensible thing just badly handled. The proportion in acreage of farms that are family farms handed down through the generations are so small that an exemption scheme could have been introduced, and for the 'agri-business' the same taxation as for any other property.

OMG has anyone seen Farage being accused of mixing up Humza Yusaf and Anas Sarwar and then saying , 'Well, you might just as well'?!

And what are reform in Kent doing about it? They can't just bleat about it being out of their control, when that was the whole point of their campaign. Since they've been elected, numbers have gone up. They promised to fix this

...

Yes
Here he is

https://bsky.app/profile/adambienkov.bsky.social/post/3lqmmujrfwc2v

And in a comment underneath

The speech Nigel Farage claimed was made by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was, in fact, made by former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf when health minister.

The speech has been widely misrepresented and mischaracterised by racists, xenophobes and Islamophobes over the past two years.

https://www.reuters.com/article/fact-check/scotland-health-ministers-speech-about-racial-injustice-and-lack-of-diversity-i-idUSL1N3531Q5/

Whoops

John Crace on Saint Kemi's latest humiliation...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/04/kemi-badenoch-remains-two-weeks-behind-on-winter-fuel-allowance

Keir is condescending to Kemi, no doubt. The issue is that she is not very good. In fact she is just dire.

The point of order was further embarrassment. Badenoch needs to get a better team around her because she is wasting a golden opportunity each week. She does not need her MPs backing her up with points of order, she should be skewering her opponent.

I wonder why her team aren’t supporting her better.

Excellent post.

Very well summed up and something I needed to read and be reminded of this evening

(the standard bad news city here and I needed something to make me feel positive about the world)