To think Boris Johnson should have to answer questions about the £350 million

[Poetrypatty]

Basically he lied in order to get Brexit, saying we'd have £350 million A WEEK from Brexit for the NHS When we are all getting tax rises instead.
Why is he just being allowed to get away with this lie, without even having to make an apology.

@DdraigGoch

Even before the pandemic hit, the NHS saw its budget increased by £230m/week. Obviously I'm not privy to the figures which will be published in the autumn but I can bet that the £350m/week target you're banging on about has more than been exceeded.

This NI hike is for the black hole which is social care.

I read that the budget has been raised from 150b in 19/20 to 212b in 20/21. So a 62b increase. That's a lot more than the 18b on the side of the red single-decker luxury coach. Oh, it just doesn't have the same ring to it. 😔

@DogFoodPie

I agree that many people didn't probably believe in a lot more funding for the NHS, they thought less immigrant workers willing to work in poor conditions for low wages would push up pay and conditions for the lower paid workers in unskilled jobs.

The pandemic has muddied the waters a bit but we certainly seem to be moving that way. Lorry drivers were paid a pittance beforehand, now they're being offered the earth.

@Jaysmith71

Where is Farage these days?

On GB News morning, noon and night.

Unlike the mysterious disappearing Andrew Neil, still nowhere to be seen.

@Canii

Soo why can’t they just scrap HS2? That’s going to end up costing more than £100 billion. We have money for that though??? Makes no sense.

Because we need it. Just like every other developed (and quite a few developing) country uses high speed rail.

And because once built it will quickly pay for itself. The government made 30% of HS1's capital back in one go by selling a 30 year operating concession to a Canadian consortium. That's in addition to the economic boost detailed in the KPMG report.

Apparently the new health secretary told lbc radio that the money saved from the brexit negotiations is already being spent on the NHS.
If this is true or not I've no idea of course ..
I'm not sticking up for them, but I guess talk is cheap and they would say that wouldn't they ?
How would anyone find out ?

@QuentinBunbury
" I don't see how you can have a functioning democracy as its basically means people can only vote based on who they like the most."

This has been going on since 24 hour TV. Robin Cook wanted to stand for PM. He certainly was clever enough. But he couldnt get support within his party because of his looks. They said he wouldn't fit the image.
I remember people resigning in Thatchers cabinet for stuff MPs wouldn't even think twice about now. But Blair wouldn't even resign for taking us into a war based on false information - information that a UN mission in Iraq had actually proven to be false.

This is how it is now. Unfortunately, you can't cram the genie back into the bottle.

The lying under Johnson's government is way above and beyond anything we've seen before. Theresa May didn't carry on like that.

I remember people resigning in Thatchers cabinet for stuff MPs wouldn't even think twice about now.
Oh aye? Like Cecil Parkinson perhaps?
Or Lord Archer and Jonathan Aitken who both ended up in the clink?
Fortunately we don't seem to have had so many criminals in high profile jobs these days.

Fortunately we don't seem to have had so many criminals in high profile jobs these days.

That we know of.

@80sMum

I don't believe that Boris Johnson ever thought that Leave would win the referendum. He jumped on the Leave bandwagon in order to court popularity. He wanted to be seen as "a man of the people". He expected Leave to lose and his popularity to increase. He wanted to be PM - and appearing to support Brexit was all part of his plan. The fact that Brexit won, I don't believe was part of the plan at all!

I think this is true. I seem to recall it being a bit of a 'thing' at the time, how he'd written two different newspaper articles: one for and one against Brexit - then just held out to see which way the wind would blow him further before declaring for Leave.

This NI hike is for the black hole which is social care.

I don't think it is - I think that's just how it's been sold...

IFS: "Today’s announcements include an additional £11.2 billion for the Department of Health and Social Care in 2022−23, and £9.0 billion in 2023−24. Of that, around £1.8 billion each year is earmarked for social care (discussed below).

That leaves around £9.4 billion of additional funding in 2022−23, and £7.2 billion in 2023−24, to deal with health-related Covid pressures."

What would he say? "I wanted power through any means necessary". Admitted Boris, never.

@DynamoKev

I remember people resigning in Thatchers cabinet for stuff MPs wouldn't even think twice about now. Oh aye? Like Cecil Parkinson perhaps? Or Lord Archer and Jonathan Aitken who both ended up in the clink? Fortunately we don't seem to have had so many criminals in high profile jobs these days.

Not since Blair resigned, no.

Let's dooo the timewarp againnnnnn

While I don't disagree with you, I really wish people would stop bringing up that bloody bus. It was obvious to many of us at the time from the wording that it couldn't happen - it wasn't a promise and it was proposed by people campaigning who had no will or power to actually make it even happen.

@Poetrypatty

Jeremy Corbyn was useless in my eyes. A terrible public speaker, didn't oppose Brexit, far too left wing. People just want normal centrist leaders not some kind of lefty revolution. He had zero charisma and didn't seem to me like someone you could put your faith in. Just not a natural leader.

I would prefer Keir Starmer as PM, he's a bit boring but seems trustworthy and sensible and that is what I want.

He had plenty of charisma in 2017, he cost May her majority. Remember “Ooooohhhhh Jeremy Corbyn” at Glastonbury of all places? I’m quietly delighted that all the Tory voters who bleated on about Labour bankrupting the country and raising taxes are well and truly getting their comeuppance now. Highest taxes for 70 years. 🤣

We need an opposition.
If there is one then the things people want might happen, but they are not doing the job, they are coasting along and doing very little because Covid is an unknown we can't really fight.
Also in times of troubles people vote for Tory not Labour, this won't change for a while, till someone with balls steps up and takes charge.

@Jaysmith71

Where is Farage these days?

On GB News morning, noon and night.

Unlike the mysterious disappearing Andrew Neil, still nowhere to be seen.

In between that he's shilling his money making scheme on SM.

He had plenty of charisma in 2017, he cost May her majority. Remember “Ooooohhhhh Jeremy Corbyn” at Glastonbury of all places?

May lost her own majority with an inept campaign.

Did you see the first time voter kids around him that summer? They worshiped him. May’s campaign was no worse than Cameron’s in 2015 that handed him a majority.

Isn’t this why we can never have a true democracy- because politicians are not held accountable for the lies they tell, they continue to do so. Nobody can say that what is on a manifesto is going to actually happen so people don’t truly know what they are voting for.
I wish people wouldn’t vote for the tories, only the very rich ever benefit.

@Bambam2019

Isn’t this why we can never have a true democracy- because politicians are not held accountable for the lies they tell, they continue to do so. Nobody can say that what is on a manifesto is going to actually happen so people don’t truly know what they are voting for. I wish people wouldn’t vote for the tories, only the very rich ever benefit.

Actually, it's partly our fault - as a nation we are in denial about a number of issues. You only have to read all the people on higher (and lower) incomes moaning about "all the tax" they pay to see that a lot of people want tiny taxes but State-Funded everything - and both major parties usually promise that - The relative honesty of the Corbyn manifesto was a change and look what happened to that.

You only have to read all the people on higher (and lower) incomes moaning about "all the tax" they pay to see that a lot of people want tiny taxes but State-Funded everything

Not only that but they complain bitterly about substandard public services starved of funding by Tory austerity.

@Blossomtoes

Did you see the first time voter kids around him that summer? They worshiped him. May’s campaign was no worse than Cameron’s in 2015 that handed him a majority.

A demographic notorious for not actually turning out to vote.

Cameron was a slick PR performer. He also went into it with a minority which many people expected to remain so. May went into 2017 with an expectation of "this is ours for the taking" which lead to overconfidence and the electorate giving her a bloody nose (the public don't like being taken for granted). The announcement of her social care policy was a PR disaster. Boris has probably got this one right - announce something as controversial, yet important as this sooner rather than later so that people forget about it come the election.

A demographic notorious for not actually turning out to vote

Except that they did turn out to vote that year..

Turnout was at a 25-year high, boosted by young people and BME voters. More than half of those aged 18-24 turned out to vote, an increase of 16 percentage points on 2015. Turnout among BME voters also increased six points. Of those who went out to vote, but did not vote in the 2015 general election or the EU referendum, most voted for Labour

www.theguardian.com/politics/datablog/ng-interactive/2017/jun/20/young-voters-class-and-turnout-how-britain-voted-in-2017