Labour isn't Working - Thread 40

[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/5568447-labour-isnt-working-thread-39?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=shareL

Yep, that’s the one.

It feels mean to pick on people, but we are way out of whack. Letting this drift is storing up serious trouble. Our economy is fragile and not dealing with this puts us all at risk.

Borrowing is rising. I have a feeling that the bond markets are going to take a dim view of that, especially as all the expectations are that inflation will rise in the coming months.

We’re not far off market havoc, IMO.

And Labour fiddles while it burns; they're fucking useless economically. (But, but, but...free breakfasts in school! 🙄)

Many of us thought Labour would be bad, but not this bad. Trump hasn't helped, but they can't lay all the blame at his door.

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16150283/Borrowing-Chancellor-Budget-Iran-energy-Middle-East.html

Best comment under the article was, “Labour isn’t working for us, we are working for Labour.”

Too right! When do taxes get so high and the contribution so uneven that it’s exploitation?

So bad. Borrowing almost £4bn higher than the OBR projection, yet they claim to have brought stability to the economy and are still promising growth. They have zero clue where growth comes from.
Economists now saying that tax rises at the budget are inevitable. Most of the rumours seem to be around IHT and capital gains. They've run out of other people's money.

Times Radio reporting that Burnham plans to fight the next election on rejoining the EU.

Andy Burnham has agreed to provide British military support for Saudi Arabia as it counters attacks by Houthi fighters.

In his first major foreign policy intervention, the prime minister said RAF planes would support “defensive” air-to-air refuelling for Saudi strikes.
Times.

Jeez. The EU is a basket case right now. I'm not sure that's aspirational! Closer trade ties to lose all the paperwork / red tape that now exists, yes, but political conjoining? No, ta.

Surely they'd have to scrap VAT on private schools if they rejoin? You can't tax education in the EU.

Of course Labour will blame everyone else as per.

Today's story on this is that 1 in 5 working age adults are claiming UC. Thats a staggering number.
The Office for Budget Responsibility expects the total benefits bill to rise from about £315bn in 2024-25 to more than £400bn by the end of the decade.

Im getting very worried about the economic news. Spending cuts and tax increases are probably needed now to get us out of this mess.

Sounds like Burnham has been shooting from the hip again on the flight to the US. He'll probably have to send a lacky out to row back on his EU comments (again).

If the AfD in Germany and NR in France have any say there’s no way we’d be let in, even if we applied to rejoin the EU. The AfD in particular do not want another member who’s tough on Russia. And most other EU countries are suspicious of us now anyway.

The problem is that Labour just isn't capable of the former.

Exactly

I voted remain but the thought of all that wrangling is depressing plus I don’t want the euro which could be a condition.

I've had a couple of very spendy months, entirely self indulgent, but I'm tightening the purse strings now because I fear the next couple of years will be very difficult.

And yes to all the comments on rejoining the EU. If they even wanted us a condition would be to join the euro zone, join schengen and we wouldn't have the opt outs we had previously.

Same.

I didn’t want the upheaval of leaving, and now I don’t want the upheaval of joining.

I wonder if most people feel the same way?

Yes, me too. And I still think I was right to vote remain, even after all the political upheaval, economic stagnation and migration chaos in Europe that’s happened since.

But rejoining the EU is not like rejoining a gym after a few years out. It would take a very long time and the process and price would be horrendous. In reality, once we were out we were out for good. We just have to make the best of it.

Agree. I wouldn't vote to rejoin.
Surely nobody believes that we could just plop back in as before?

I dunno. Some people give that impression.

I think there was a recent(ish) poll about re-joining. I'll have to look.

A well written article with additional insight:

https://archive.is/nj8th

Someone posted Labour were looking to borrow more. Surely not. It’ll be taxes for them won’t it. Still utterly depressing although some will clap.

This is pretty worrying: 3 UK petrochemical plants which collectively employ 4,000 workers mothballed because "with gas prices now 12 times the level in the US and eight times that of China" they can't compete

www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/79acb10d38b3a103

The UK is being dismantled through self-destructive policies. How is this going to get better?