Labour isn't Working - Thread 36

[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.

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5544016-labour-isnt-working-thread-35?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

Who'd have thought it...black holes created by Labour, not the Tories. No doubt they'll somehow try to blame them though, rather than their own fiscal ineptitude.

Rory Stewart said on today’s TRIP that he had tried to speak to one of Andy’s aides about AI policy only to be told that Andy’s not interested in AI.

That is a big red flag. Like it or not AI will be a big part of the future economy and if we get left behind now we’ll never catch up.

Natch 😂

And Lammy thinks that gender critical women are dinosaurs?! I'm not a fan of AI, so I don't use it. But I'm not governing the country and need to make the right choices for the nation in relation to such things!

I wonder if Andy is generally not a techie person and doesn't see the bigger picture? Or maybe the aide spoke out of turn? Perhaps that brief hasn't happened yet (clutches at straws!).

Oh yes finally they’ll have to look to the last guy who is Labour. Good point. Not much more on ‘inherited’ since it was their own lot.

The last black hole cited was at least partly their own too!

Andy’s not interested in AI….Well, AI’s interested in our Andy, whether he would wish it, or not.

Must admit - I am looking forward to this joker becoming PM. Especially when he has to open his mouth to defend policy etc.

No wonder he wants to avoid Westminster, because Kemi is going to tear him apart.

TBH, I think a £5bn black hole is the least of Burnham’s problems.

The best thing any government could do now is to accelerate growth in the economy. But that takes steps that are politically out of a Labour PM’s reach with the party as it is.

Other than the economy, I strongly suspect the devolving of power and money, and ‘No. 10 North’, will die a quick death and Burnham will swiftly lose any shine he has now.

The reality of Burnham is that Labour were desperate to remove the millstone of Starmer and in replacing him they’ve fallen for the snake oil salesman who’s rolled into town.

Because devolution has proven to work, right?

Anyone?

There’s nothing much left to devolve to the nations. What hasn’t been devolved are powers that affect the UK as a whole. And Burnham knows full well that local devolution in England would drain power and money from central government, and would be financially disastrous in any event.

Reeves will have to take a £60k pay cut if she doesn't land another cabinet role.

Burnham against Kemi not something he'd relish I suspect.

I was very lukewarm about Kemi until recently when she really seemed to start upping her game and I think her time is coming now and yes she well rip him apart at PMQs

TRIP definitely worth a listen, though they are generally quite Burnham Positive.

They talk about real regional devolution needing a big shift in tax allocations. For example in Germany, around 30% of tax take is spent in regions as opposed to just 6% in the UK currently.

I doubt that Badenoch will savage Burnham at PMQs. Her improvement at the despatch box is partly her getting to grips with it but mainly that Starmer gave her so many opportunities to attack and ridicule him. Burnham will be a harder target for a while at least.

I don’t think it would be tactically good to lay into him from the start anyway. If I were an adviser to Badenoch I’d tell her to start soft, including an offer to work with him to make the necessary cuts, reduce tax and create growth. That would piss off the Labour backbenches.

Once Burnham has a track record Badenoch can start kicking him.

I also think Starmer was a bully and an arse so it was hard for Kemi to not hit back.

I don’t know how she put up with his belittling and I’m so glad he’s gone. Good riddance.

Yes, that’s true. He cut such an unpleasant figure that all but the Labour die-hards found him nasty and felt he deserved being attacked at PMQs.

Yep. Some diehards would always excuse the mediocre man and blame the black woman of course.

She’s incredible for dealing with him. So pleased she’s outlasted him.

As for AB maybe they both can hit a better stride as she does have a laugh and humour.

She is now in a longer lasting position than the man opposite her, more popular than when she started too.

Blimey a little line in the DIP a third to be found at next budget.

Leaving present right there

Times Radio saying how bad it is, AI slop document.

The chances that having two No.10s will streamline the state is absurd - it will simply double headcount, sow confusion and create further layers of bureaucracy.

Devolution is code for greater subsidies from the South to the North.

Also, isn’t he supposed to be sorting out Starmer’s fuckups that he had to resign for rather then redesigning how the country works to his own grand vision without a solid plan?

@CaveMum i do admit i am interested in the idea of whether regional devolution can cut across some of the nationalist politics we’ve got around the uk, or whether it’ll make it stronger. The SNP reaction has been furious - because they’re your classic centralising statist party.

michael portillo had similar ideas - I expect Labour will bungle it and there’s no detail here but at the very least if they overturn BP’s latest round of controlling the curriculum reforms that’ll be something…

Does that mean he’s not interested in either the positives or negatives of AI? How short sighted!

Not interested in AI @CaveMum that’ll have to change as it is already causing job losses in software and in warehousing - 1000 Asda employees being replaced by robots (as part of a 7500 lay off)…

Side note but you can buy online very efficient odour removers for a tenner, look for ONA spray or gel

I don’t have an issue with devolving powers to the regions in principle. I guess the issue is are they planning on cutting budgets in the central government departments (education, health, etc) to get more money out to regions or are they talking about yet more taxes?

@Ereshkigalangcleg I’m hoping that the aide RS spoke to was speaking out of turn and that there will be a proper engagement with AI. However with Ed M looking most likely to be moving into No11, can we really see him abandoning his net Zero principles to give tax breaks to companies wanting to build data centres that will be needed to make the U.K. an AI hub?