Labour isn't working - Thread 17

[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.

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There's a thread on AIBU about the Op being terrified of income tax rises and at breaking point, their fear is palpable. I feel the same. Actual sinking feeling. I shake a bit and feel sick when I think about our future.

The amazing thing is you still have the dregs of oh they tax more elsewhere, we need higher taxes for better services

Still people sell in tax hikes. It is slipping though, there’s real despair coming in as people work out no it’s not some abstract mn line, it’s painful.

I remember a while ago someone Conservative say tax rises would finish off Labour. Kemi just had to wait really.

This. It's pointless voting for anyone else but Reform to oust Labour in this ward

I think there have been a few over the last week. The first one was awful, the op got picked apart by Labour supporters saying that if she is going to be stony broke then a Labour government will be better for her. What kind of gaslighting is that? Labour will make you poorer, that's why you need us - to a woman worrying about how she will pay basic bills because of Labour policy. 🤯

The problem is, no government ever reverses awful policies. So we're stuck with them.

Well reform are closing council owned nursing homes in Lancashire, replacing them with private ones. 🤮

As I’ve said before - the silver lining is that the guinea pig reform areas will be run so badly, it’ll put people off voting reform in the GE. All the conservatives need to do is become viable again!

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/nov/05/lancashires-reform-run-council-plans-to-close-care-homes-to-save-4m-a-year

So my view - and whether I would never want an ‘extreme’ party. Left or right.
Please feel free to slate my ‘dumbed down’ view.
We have nature and nurture. Nature acknowledges the fact that we have animal instincts, territorial, survival of the fittest etc.
Nurture is what sets us apart from most other animal species and has allowed us to thrive. That we attempt civilisation and work together socially.
Nature is typically the right wing of politics.
Nurture is typically the left wing of politics.
We swing between needing both in society as both represent humanity : nature and nurture.
When times are hard and resources are scarce we swing towards the right as we focus on self preservation.
However if we swing TOO far right, we will upset the balance. Similarly TOO far left doesn’t work.
My fear with a world that is swinging too far in one direction is war.
I think if - globally - we swing too far to the right there will be a war. And I think we may well be heading for that. And I think this situation has been exacerbated by Covid = financial crisis.

That’s a critical part of the problem.

We could all agree that a more efficient and responsive NHS, more effective policing, better schools and teaching, improved train services and so on, would be worth paying at least some more tax for. But that’s not what’s happening.

Efficiencies and productivity have to be sought vigorously as funding increases. Otherwise the money just becomes a more expensive way of doing the same. I have seen nothing in 18 months of this government to suggest that it has any desire or will to change public services for the better. Paying doctors and train drivers more hasn’t changed anything. It’s just redirecting earnings and turnover mostly from the private sector to the public.

And that’s without self-destructive measures like green energy mania.

That is awful. Labour won't be happy until we all have the same. I can't imagine why they think people will keep working to have the same monthly income as a benefit recipient. I mean, why would you?

Just read this. Small comfort atm

Labour has fallen to fourth in a new opinion poll – putting the party on track for its worst election result in more than a century.

And lots of MNers apparently happily wishing to pay more income tax “necessary to all pay more so govt can invest in our services and have them working properly” etc.
Always brings a wan smile to my lips.

My DS summed it up nicely when je heard Labour had won. "Oh fuck me, vote Labour and lets all be broke and miserable together" He isn't wrong.

Absolutely.

If raising tax led to a massively improved NHS, then I would't mind because I would then be able to cancel my private insurance. But it won't and we'll keep paying twice.

‘The first one was awful, the op got picked apart by Labour supporters saying that if she is going to be stony broke then a Labour government will be better for her.

What kind of gaslighting is that? Labour will make you poorer, that's why you need us - to a woman worrying about how she will pay basic bills because of Labour policy.’

Labour and some of their cult like supporters disgust me. They never fail to stoop lower than expectations. Poor woman. 🤯

Agree, you're right.
I've asked a few times on other threads what makes them think that these tax increases will improve services. I haven't got an answer back.

Same.

Well I think we've swung to far to the left. There has to be some sense of personal responsibility, otherwise, what's the point? Why work your arse off to be no better off than people on welfare?
Its not just that, there's so many other things, like university applications being for 'disadvantaged' children. It's become impossible to get anywhere if you don't have 'issues'
We looked at Bristol University for my daughter. She needed AAB, but most of the places were contextual offers of BBB. She didn't put it in the end, and put another that didn't offer contextuals. She got her AAB and I'm so glad she didn't go to woke Bristol University.
It just feels that the harder you try, and the less you take from the state, the more difficult they make your life.
Give us a break FFS.

I live in mortal fear of Reform and the Conservatives splitting the vote again at the next general election. Surely they can’t allow that to happen?

I can see why they have support. But I just couldn't bring myself to vote for them, as I don't think we'd have any better a fiscal situation with them in charge. And after Labour fucking us up, the last thing we need is another 5 years of economic disasters.

However, I appreciate that others vote for different reasons than I do.

We’re getting very divided between tax payers and non tax payers as a society for good reason. Did you see the times article saying Reeves has told OBR she’s raising income taxes?

In the last 15 years tax has risen and risen, whilst the services/benefits received have fallen apart. But these tax raises on higher earners are different, they’ll work…

and the policy economist consensus seems to be that property tax must rise in some way.

April is looking very gloomy.

Next election, I have just one thing in mind when I vote., to get Labour out. Like a number of you have said, it's a visceral hatred of their policies, personalities and ineptitude that will see me vote for whoever I think has the best chance of ousting them. Normally I vote for whoever I think will do the least harm. Next time? no, Labour out at all costs, we can't afford another 4 years of their mickey mouse policies.

Yes, is it looking like hikes around council tax. There's been so much stuff floating around the media these last few months that I don't have my head around that one.

Are they raising council tax? (Which obviously is local taxation - so, what, will they cream some off the top for the treasury) or are they just using council tax bands as the mechanism by which they levy additional taxation - using the higher bands and newly introduced bands to make that happen?

That is a worry.Trying to be optimistic since the sun's out, Reform will probably pick up Labour votes too in some areas, AND you've got the newly invigorated Greens that will only be poaching Labour votes, not Tory ones. Oh and the Lib Dems are a further left of centre vote splitter.

Yes I saw that headline. It felt very we’ve fucked up, we’re throwing in the towel and you’re all going to suffer.

@upseedaiseesame on voting. Despite threads on here still attracting Labour type responses when asked who people will vote for by-elections are showing a wry different reality.

The only thing I can think of and I'm probably wrong is that if the government made a rise in council tax mandatory, they could then reduce central funding they give to councils, which at the moment stand at around 69bn. So they would just love to shave a decent percentage off that.