Labour isn't Working - Thread 35

[Nuthatch26]

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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I think it's alas vine and hitchins.....I keep meaning to have a listen

Fighting inequality seems to drive so many poor Labour decisions. Interesting read from Neil Woodford which refute the inequality narrative with hard data:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lies-damned-inequality-neil-woodford-hxobf/

Just calculated how much NI I would pay if I wasn't retired from my pensions which I am taxed on. It was adding up employer and employee contributions £2400 per annum. £200 pcm.

It makes you think.

Gcse's are over for DD1 she has to go into a A level induction next week. After I finished my GCSE's I had little worry about the economy the government, my employment future whether I go to University, there were all just an inevitable pathway. The comparison with what DD1 DD2 and DS are going to have to progress though could not be distinct and they come from extremely privilege backgrounds !
They might be ok given their backgrounds. However, in a country where it is impossible to go out without fear, where poverty and decay is visible everywhere outside small bubbles !

Today’s TRIE is a bit of light relief, talking about politicians and their music/film choices (debating if Andy Burnham is the first “indie” potential-PM).

I was amused by Marina’s anecdote about Farage being totally uncultured!

Transcript:

“I once interviewed him and just honestly, for something, I think I've talked about this in the podcast before, but I'm going to mention it again because I think it is so weird.

I said to him, what's your favorite film? And he literally just couldn't, what was clear is not that he couldn't think what his favorite film would be or what would be a good film to be his favorite film, he couldn't think of the title of a film.

And in the end he said, what, you know, the person, and then he remembered Four Weddings and a Funeral, but for some reason he obviously didn't want to say that. So he said, you know, the guy who did that, so I said Richard Curtis. I was like, love actually?

He's like, yeah, love actually. I was thinking, there's just no way that your favorite film is love actually. There's just no way.

But also the fact that you couldn't even think of it. I mean, just say The Great Escape or The Dambusters or something.

Bridge on the River Kwai.

Come on.

That's easy.

He literally couldn't think of one. I believe he has zero cultural hinterland at all. I can't imagine.

I think there's some discourse about like why isn't he on Desert Island Discs? What would he authentically choose? You're telling me that guy ever listens to music, ever watches anything.

He doesn't exist. He doesn't have that. If you cannot name a film and then you literally can't think of the name of a film, it's ridiculous.”

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-rest-is-entertainment/id1718287198?i=1000773761504

That is quite funny.

And quite odd. Surely most people have <a> film, even if they're not into music to be able to go on DID. It's like he isn't real (his constituents probably have that impression)!

It is weird. It’s the sort of thing you should have an answer for in these interviews even if it’s made up.

Also I remember my mum being weirded out by Starmer because in a similar interview he said he didn’t have a favourite novel. But Guido Fawkes says he hasn’t always said that, very odd. Why lie either way?

https://order-order.com/2024/06/24/the-mystery-of-keir-starmers-favourite-novel/

IFS zooms in was saying inequality hasn’t shifted in 35 years @Pacificwave - personally feel the wages/inflation/tax nexus is making people feel worse off and they’re looking at the wrong thing for answers

With inequality the harder part is not hammering everyone so aspiration is dead and a few elite soar above the masses who have been levelled down.

Labour seem to not get behaviour which shows in their policies.

Really? I'd be hard pressed to come up with a favourite film. I don't watch many and those I've seen didn't make a massive positive impression on me. I suppose I could say one at random, but I expect some people would have issues with any particular one.

Favourite opera, ballet, play, book, various types of music, etc? No problem. Does this make me uncultured? Or out of touch with the people around me (or on the internet)?

Please don't take this to be any comment on whether or not Farage is cultured - I'm not that interested. Just questioning the premise. I'm not convinced it would have a major impact on his ability or inability to put together a decent government.

I don't care about Starmer's position on fiction, either.

I meant <any> film (even if you don't have a favourite one), just to say a film name. Or at least answer the way you have, in that you're not big on films, but your favourite [whatever] is [this].

To not even be able to name any film (as that's what he tried, and failed, to do) is a bit odd.

Weirdos having issues with one you plucked out of the air are a different issue entirely.

No, but they're standard interview questions, like favourite biscuit. You'd expect them to have a list created for those moments (plus how much is a pint of milk, updated regularly)!

Farage would be an appalling PM as he's not even into light work, let alone hard work. I also don't think his ability is affected by his favourite film, but I do think it's surprising not to have answers to questions like this already decided.

Agree. The claim that inequality is at an extreme drives a focus on redistribution rather than growth.

I think the answer is growth. Redistribution tends to lower growth because it distorts incentives. Of course any civilised society will want some redistribution, but a lack of redistribution is not the problem and calling for more just makes things worse.

Absolutely @Pacificwave every time KS and RR put up taxes and said they were making things fairer and better I did several groans. Stop saying the most highly taxed cohort needs to pay more tax because it’s ‘fair’.

it might be necessary for defence/the state of the world but stop pretending you’re righting wrongs..

I honestly feel like a weight has been lifted from me....is it just me?

No - Andy Burnham will be no better.
Another utterly useless opportunistic Labout chancer.

I’m enjoying Russell Kane’s impersonations.

Me too. So pleased he’s gone.

But it's been civil servants, MPs and ministers who've been leaking to the media. Starmer, if he had been a strong leader, would have put a stop to it. It was embarrassing last year with Reeves (or her cronies) leaking potential policy ideas to the media to gauge public reaction. In all of the recent Budgets, virtually all the big changes have been in the media beforehand. It HAS to stop. The politicians are too close to the media for their own reasons and the media fights back against them when it suits. We need a new environment without leaks.

Kemi’s comments on BBC Breakfast this morning were good.

We do indeed. That red box for the budget should be a surprise to all. Instead they leaked, changed, leaked again, changed. It was ridiculous. We ended up with a Frankenstein mess.

Kemi is spot on. Make a decision and stick to it. If someone flounces out of cabinet, so be it.

Not just you at all.
I feel so much lighter. 😁
Just waiting for Reeves to slither off to complete the set.
Will definitely raise a glass with a smirk if Bridget gets the chop.