Labour isn't working - Thread 9

[TheNuthatch]

A chat thread for those who don't like this Labour government.

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5407977-labour-isnt-working-thread-8?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

YouGov voting intention for the Senedd elections is out: Plaid Cymru 30, Reform 29, Labour 14, Conservative 11, LibDem 6, Green 6.

Not sure what that looks like with the new pr system though. For comparison, in May it was Plaid Cymru 30, Reform 25, Labour 18, Conservative 13, Lib Dem 7, Green 5.

Agreed - and I feel the same way about Darren Jones

Yes, DJ too now that you mention it.

These Labour MPs of today do all appear to be bitter nasty little creatures with chips on their shoulders. I’m sure they never used to be like that.

I’m not sure the AI investment is a big vote in the UK - it positions them to access our businesses to sell the AI, I’d like to see more analysis on the deal.

Twisty posted this yesterday. I asked Pandora and she said it leaves the door open for a left wing coalition between Labour and Plaid C.
Still a Labour wipeout in Wales though, which is a first. Labour have had first minister there since the beginning. Embarrassing and dangerous for Starmer.

It also leaves Reform as the official opposition in Wales. That's a strong position to be in and is a stepping stone to the GE

I don't care who wins, I just want Labour out

Me too. That's a win in my book.

Ah, I can't keep up with the thread lately. Interesting to see if there's a coalition of the left. Gosh, I thought the worst might be a stalled political landscape but that would be 🫣

Perhaps the Labour brand will be so tainted by then that Plaid refuse. Anything could happen in the current climate.

Well there was that incident when Starmer said Liz Saville Roberts was talking rubbish in the commons and then had to apologise for being a wee misogynistic shite a week later.

I was not a fan of Blair, but did agree with his mantra of "education, education, education", although in the event his push for 50 percent of school leavers to go on to university resulted in some very questionable degree courses and a considerable burden of debt for some.

In a complete volte-face, current shower masquerading as a government seem to view education as a threat and something to be actively discouraged.

They really are. Sneering, bitter and nasty.

The problem with Labour MPs now, in my view, is that the leadership is wayward and unsure. Nobody really knows what Starmer’s political principles are. He got the job by not being Corbyn (though he was happy to promote Corbyn, before he turned on him).

By contrast, Blair’s route to power was clearly mapped out - OMOV, ditching Clause IV, clear intent to listen to business, sceptical about the unions, realistic in foreign policy (the later Iraq war did for him, I recognise), a powerful Trot hunting and expulsion operation. And so on.

Starmer’s MPs are all suspicious of his politics - too right, too left, take your pick. Without any personal qualities and a complete loss of authority, he’s just become a hate figure.

All in all, I don’t think Labour MPs are any more small minded and vindictive than they were before, they’re just on the loose now and see no reason to shut up and toe the line.

Stevenage Labour councillor Mason Humberstone has defected to Reform.

I didn't leave the party, the party left me 😂

That old chestnut.

Ha ha lol 😆

In other words "I'm going to lose my seat to Reform and I care about power more than principles"

I skipped over that thinking it would be conservative but Labour to Reform, interesting

Maybe there have been others and I’ve missed it.

@CaveMum interesting that Tim Berners-Lee leading - thank!

interesting that they all agree there has been a massive decline in optimism, that seems right globally. I’m not sure I would date it to 2012 though, I’d say 2020 onwards.

it is true though nobody thinks AI is going to make us more free - more efficient, more unemployed, perhaps new medicines so we’ll beat diseases better.

But certainly not happier, freer, less addicted, more optimistic. Of course having been through the internet revolution, we have a better idea of the likely consequences than we did then.

I'm a bit more optimistic about AI than that. Although I'm annoyingly optimistic, generally. I think there's not just opportunities in healthcare, which would be great, but other scientific breakthroughs too.

AI and the production of novel materials and better simulation modelling in engineering might both be pivotal in how we manage climate change and, while ai will increase pressure on the national grid, it might help it too, to balance and forecast energy needs and to integrate renewable energy into the system better than we currently do. At the moment the waste is atrocious.

I'm less hopeful about how it will help as we deal with the inverted population pyramid incoming but some people think it will be what saves us from the worst of it.

But yes, if we allow it to become an emotional crutch it could do a lot of damage to the social fabric of society. So, I don't think it is without the risk you highlight, @Rivalled

I had an interesting discussion with Ds on whether to follow a maths degree or comp sci with AI thrown in. I think your dc is doing the latter? (Sorry if I’ve misremembered).

Just trying to think what’s available careers wise for them after either degree.

In the sense that we’ll have fewer workers but they’ll be able to support more retirees because they’ll be more highly skilled and better paid?

it’s a fascinating area - it could increase inequality further? I’m looking forward to more information coming out. One of the good things about the first IT wave was that many people got into it with few
formal qualifications - I can’t see that being the same for AI but we’ll see.