Labour isn't working - Thread 21

[TheNuthatch]

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

We are bracing for the budget 😬

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

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5445644-labour-isnt-working-thread-20?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

The news headlines beg to differ.

Because they believe in high spending/high tax society with a huge % reliant on state. That's their utopia so this budget makes them happy. They aren't interested in economic growth or stability.

Yep. I think some must just stick to a couple of mn threads.

The nurses standing behind her didn't seem to happy either when she gave her interview.

And with that, Rachel Reeves ends the New Labour dream

www.thetimes.com/article/621027f7-a7ec-4e2f-b6ac-9de0824ba289?shareToken=f5ea4b279e80acdf5ed8d11a17dfc430

It's because they don't understand it. I remember my 5 year old saying "why can't everything just cost 1p and then we could buy anything we wanted." I did laugh. But these people are adults and have been to school apparently. It is terrifying how little some people understand. I have a very socialist friend with 4 degrees, MSc and PhD. She really doesn't get it at all. When she starts talking I feel the anger welling inside me. I've no idea how anyone can be so ignorant.

The penny just dropped that some of them will be caught up in fiscal drag sooner rather than later.

I have always felt that the Minimum wage actually brings down wages rather than raises them. This is two fold firstly jobs that would have been £2-4 a hour greater than NMW have in many cases been brought down to NMW to cater for the 'overpaid' where the job is not worth £12 a hour/or £10.88 under 21. The people effected are usually on the first line of 'Management' these people should be getting 25% more, but due to NMW commitments are mostly £1 per hour better paid. Secondly, it is obvious that business will now reduce the number of staff required for 'shifts' from 5-4 thus meaning someone who was getting 30 hours work at say £10 PH may now get 20 hours work at £12 PH. This is a concept that Raynor/Reeves do not seem to grasp.

So, more tax for no economic purpose.

Alice Thomson in that Times piece linked to above is unusually angry. I suspect she speaks for a lot of people.

There’s an air of slow-motion catastrophe about this government, as there was with Labour in the ‘70s. The one-eyed fools saying “it’s not so bad, it’s social justice at work!” are making the same hopeless arguments about tax and social spend that the Dave and Deidre Sparts were making 50 years ago.

Something will break very badly in the next two years. The run up will be bad economic headlines day after day. Then, bang, there’ll be a reckoning. We just cannot afford the level of public spending we’re now committed to.

Yes, an abundance of bloody tax and nothing for your efforts.

Me too. Of the whole budget I think this was the biggest wrong move.

It was for the backbenchers to keep their jobs.

It only buys them time though as the electorate don’t want it and will vote in May.

I quite liked the deputy speaker.

Some good interventions to restore order which Kemi used to repeat some of the barbs.

Well played, Kemi.

The 1970s labour governments had a rough time of it and the same will happen here too.
Im not convinced that RR wanted to do any of this, but she had her arm held up her back so to speak..
( just my opinion, but she probably knows it’s going to be unpopular and cause more division)

I thought she was awful. She didn't control nearly enough and sounded like a primary school teacher ineffectively trying to control a bunch of unruly eight year-olds.

I was very young in the 70's (1973 Birth) I do think the one strength the 1970's did have though is the appearance of society. This being to suggest that despite the country being poor economically (though my mother tells me she was not because dad's business started to take off) the country was cohesive and solid (away from British Leyland and Red Robbo that is).

The country today is very fractured disunited and indebted with a whats the point attitude and perhaps the worst, general disregard for all authority from a School Teacher upwards. My mother was a teacher admired respected and 'feared' by 11 year old's but admired by 18 year old's ! That type of societal respect clearly does not exist anymore and Labour are ensuring it never will.

Income bonds

Why do you feel sorry for her? She dug her own grave the minute she announced no income tax VAT or NI rises pre election.

Every economist agrees it was a big mistake including the head of the independent IFS.

She's also too weak to stand up to her backbenchers. She'll throw her weight around telling people who question her policies to not be rude because she's the big cheese chancellor of the exchequer but at the same time is too scared of her backbenchers.

Thanks for the share.

Oof. Scathing.
Tomorrow's papers will be brutal.

While I do agree with you, there's just something inside me that feels sorry for people who are getting a hard time. I know it's all of her own making, but I always feel bad for people out of their depth. Must be such a horrible feeling. Maybe I'm too soft but I hate to see people tongue tied and scared.

On another note, while reading your post I started singing the Only Fools and Horses theme tune in my head! 😂

What an awesome speech from Kemi! Definitely worth watching. She does genuinely give me hope for the UK: if she can just manage to win the next election!

Yes she did brilliantly today. This budget is a gift for the tories. I hope they use it well.

I've been thinking about this mansion tax. It doesn't affect me by a long shot, but if people can't pay it, I read that they can pay upon sale or death. How will this generate tax? It could take years. I'm not sure it will generate much in the short term.

Those and public service pensioners. They are white noise now. No-one cares. MN is starting to turn against the government and they are shouting into the wind. Complete irrelevance.