To be starting to really worry about Liz Truss

[Anothernamechangeplease]

OK, so I'm not a Tory. I hate Boris, and despise the rest of them. I don't hold or much hope of any of them actually doing anything to address the problems that we're currently facing, because I don't think any of them actually give a toss about ordinary people. Of the two candidates that are left in the Tory leadership contest, I would pick Rishi, because I think he has a more realistic understanding of the economic challenges, but obviously, I'm not a party member so I have no say in the matter.

Nevertheless, I have been relatively sanguine and the prospect of Liz Truss as leader, a) because I figured that things couldn't get much worse than the shit show that we have had under Boris, and b) because I am pretty sure that she will be utterly unelectable when it comes to the next general election, so worst case scenario would be that we have another couple of years of crappy Tory government, exacerbated by the cost of living crisis, and then we can be pretty confident of getting shot of them. So, pretty shit all in all, but survivable.

But listening to everything that she is saying she wants to do, to the economic forecasts, and to the analysis from both within and beyond the Tory party, I'm starting to get really very worried. All this talk of huge tax cuts and massive reductions in public spending...I fear that she is going to make the looming economic crisis infinitely worse at a time when we can least afford to risk it. Nearly all economists seem to agree that her plans are going to make things worse, not better.

We are already at breaking point. Public services are on their knees. Businesses are struggling to stay afloat. People both in work and out of work are struggling. The most vulnerable are already having to choose between bare essentials such as eating and heating. Inflation continues to soar, energy prices are going off the scale, interest rates are going up... and she is about to make it worse! We just don't have the resilience in the system to cope with this.

I am actually very worried about what is going to happen. This could be very bad indeed, and a lot of people are going to suffer. If we end up with austerity on steroids in the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis, there will be massive civil unrest, surely?

I think Keir can see that he just needs to sit and wait, plus it must be hard to make policy you can definitely stick to when you have no idea what sort of state the economy will be in by the time we have a GE.

There are no cards hidden away, starmer is not going to produce an ace card no mater how much his supporters wish he would - he is a totally hopeless, hapless politician. As are most of his team. Amateurs.

The Conservatives will win again for sure, there is no one else to vote for.

Didn’t Rory Stewart recently say he would like to back in U.K. politics?

That a new centre party was needed…

Rory to lead
Brown to advise
David Miliband to reverse the red wall votes
May to bring in the WI?

Who else?

Be back in (sorry)

Don’t know @Nolongerteaching but I agree that the U.K. desperately needs a new centre ground party.

I heard on R4 that Tony Blair is already organising a centrist party….. Nick Robinson was having an orgasm over the prospect so I remember it well because his fawning was so deeply nauseating.

What this country needs is a new voting system.
It needs an engaged electorate
It needs younger people to vote

I think the economic situation is going to be so appalling this next 12 months for such a large chunk of the country that even a poor labour party will beat the tories just by the fact that the country will want a change from the horror show that is about to unfold. Anything will be better than them.

A competent party wins a Labour 97 type landslide. An incompetent party wins a Con 15 type majority IMO.

People would have be confident that Starmer wouldn’t make things worse. The pandemic and war (the two main drivers) are not the fault of the conservatives no matter how much you might wish it to be true. Most people are intelligent enough to know Putin is waging an economic war against the west and weaponising living standards - even Labour have said as much.

This is so much bigger than our party politics

Things are about to become much more serious than which party ‘wins’ by the time this is over. A reality check is coming - and scrapping over this crap will soon be seen for the indulgence it is.

How could Starmer make things worse if Truss is at the helm?😂

l feel a sea change. Most people are truly ducked off with this government. It feels the same as before Blair’s landslide. The Tories seem to have hit a brick wall.

Well I've just read Mr sunak wants to keep DC learning maths and English untill 18??
This will be such a disaster for many children.

I too sense a sea change. We’re heading for the mother of all recessions - it feels a lot worse than 1990 - voting will be based on who looks likely to ameliorate the horror the best. Who will people trust? The party that cut taxes and made it all worse by making the wealthiest even richer? Or the party with fresh new policies that will improve life for the millions of children living in poverty? Of which there will be considerably more by the time of the next election.

@Festoonlights

I absolutely agree.

I'm also sick of the time wasted on this.
Most people want a middle ground, a little left and a little right.

I think it's time to shake things up I don't think swinging is a good idea.
We need the best brain's at the table where ever they come from, experts.
We probably need a war cabinet anyway with poo tins evil.

In Scotland we studied English and maths till 17. I wouldn't describe it as a disaster to be honest. Different exam system but still

Blossom, unfortunately I think the last labour government proved by their own admission that they couldn't solve child poverty.

Dexra it is for children who didn't ever get the proper foundations in maths and keep getting taught above their ability and they are driven to utter boredom and despair by repeating things they can't get and can't learn and will never ever need too.

What I would like to see is investment in proper senco, teaching teachers the basics on Sen.... what to Spot, what to do... how to help parents....it all feed's into the same system.

Nobody can solve child poverty, there will always be some. The number of children in poverty fell by 2 million under Labour. This government, however, has proved very effective at increasing it exponentially. If it made it worse when the sun was shining, what do you think will happen in deep recession?

Yes for these children it all falls apart at KS2. The curriculum is aimed at the most academic. Forcing them to understand complex grammar when they cannot construct a basic sentence. They are not secure in the four operations in maths.

Yes critical thinking would be good for Sunak too. Where does he think the extra teacher hours for that are coming from? Most people do not need (nor want) Maths beyond GCSE anyway.

Blossom, unfortunately labour admitted they failed child poverty after 12 years?

So what if London fell? Great for those children!
The point is.

No political party can solve child poverty and labours record was shocking..
I can't stand this tribal party politics we need to get beyond it and get experts in..

Starmer's other problem (if he decided he no longer wished to sit on his fence) is that he has to get all the policies approved by the 'comrades' at the Annual Conference.
Truss and Sunak's 'on the hoof' promises to try to out do each other will probably not see the light of day whoever wins but it does remind me of Corbyn's campaign when it was 'free everything for everybody' including broadband.
The sooner the PM is confirmed one way or the other the better for the UK.

The Labour Party’s biggest problem is it’s bureaucratic democracy. The tories are able to be so much more pragmatic and agile.

The Labour Party's biggest problem is that the majority of our media is owned by the right wing.

You might want to check this out. And evidence that Labour has ever said it failed on child poverty. Because the Blair Foundation in 2019 and Brown this morning are clear that 2 million children were lifted out of poverty during their 13 years in office. Blatant misrepresentation of the facts which are easily checked won’t win you many arguments @MyDarlingClementine

fullfact.org/economy/labour-inequality-1997-2010/

She does look remarkably like Lady Penelope.

And the answer is the ERG and co.