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?

Im not big into politics or economics but Liz seems a bit dim, a bit of a careless motormouth who has a similar attitude to shagging about aand lack of loyalty as BoJo. So all in all she’s not a great prospect.

Wow. You’re taking the lavrov line?
quite something

I find it quite troubling that people are prepared to countenance voting for someone who is prepared to deny biological reality and throw women under the bus. There are implications here for his approach to all policy. That ought to worry you.

Yes there is a kind of cognitive dissonance going on - just how is it possible that someone who is so wooden, out of touch and unaware could be one of the favourites. Basically we’re on our own - not that we weren’t under Boris - but just how unaware are the Tory membership? Why are we at the mercy of this group of people .

I agree with the PPs who said that the departure of a PM should trigger a general election.

They ve both been in a Govt where there has been a huge erosion of womens rights.

Truss has had a wide variety views but changes them all to suit her political ambition.

Bit the like the current PM really.

@Lioness100

I remember a very good documentary about children with disabilities and the maker said, with Gordon browns and leader of opp. Cameron both Habib disabled children, they had hopes for reform's and improvements.

How wrong they were.

@TullyApplebottom

Wow, criticism of the "Dear War Leader" and you are a Putin apologist.
quite something.

Not an apologist, just someone daft enough to fall for the line they spun you.
Better luck next time, eh?

What specific measures do you believe have “eroded womens rights”? I am aware of none.

Truss as the 'heiress apparent' made it quite clear in last night's debate and many times before - as the energy companies make huge, unplanned profits they won't be touched as we face the greatest cost of living crisis in my lifetime where literally millions (many disabled and elderly) will be thrown to the unmitigated consequences of a free market.

Let's just remember that the Tories have privatised and sold off vast swathes of our key utilities and others to the global markets with many ending up in the hands of overseas investors and indeed in some cases nationalised foreign companies (trains, water, energy etc). But they can't be touched because as their arguments go actually we all benefits via shares in our pension funds etc so that's a big fat Tory red line.

Ignoring the fact that many don't have private pensions and even if they do these utilities make up a small part of that portfolio it ends with the absurd paradox of the government bunging 400 quid to me say who will use it to subsidise my energy bill to EDF who as a French state enterprise will use that to subside the increase for the French consumer to 4%.

And also don't forget that the two biggest media barons Murdoch and Rotheremere are non-dom tax exiles that pour bile onto anyone who questions that and other shady oligarch paymasters lie in the shadows behind Tory donors. As Richard Littlejohn would say from his Florida mansion as he opines on all things British "you couldn't make it up".

There's no bogeyman Corbyn for them to rattle anymore but we will see a lot of the woke culture war nonsense smeared around liberally as they try to wrest back the argument that THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE. Don't be fooled by their weasel words - we're on our own and their lies need calling out and come the election cast these fuckers into the oblivion they richly deserve and for my money some sort of PR down the road so a small cabal of right-wing nutjobs can't hijack our country ever again.

Liz Truss: WILL SOMEBODY THINK OF THE SHAREHOLDERS!!!
Kay Burley says that Shell has given its shareholders £6.5 billion pounds while people are struggling to feed their kids.
Liz Truss says "Shareholders aren't just men in suits... There's no free money."

twitter.com/Femi_Sorry/status/1555277006237044737

So to all the Tory leadership contenders, I have one message...

I'm entitled to vote and genuinely don't know who to vote for.....................

Closure of DV refuge's.
Closer of single sex wards.
Justice system taking 3 years for a rape trial.
Removel of Sure start.
Allowing transwomen into womens prisons.
Benefit cuts, which disproportionally effect women.
NHS changes in policy - well discussed on MN.

If you don't believe the above our directly the Governments fault, then you also have to ask what is the function of Government?

It will take more than a short speech on what is a woman before i would trust the Tories on womens rights.

So you’d trust someone who cannot even define what a woman is? Good luck with that

They ve both been in a Govt where there has been a huge erosion of womens rights

The Conservatives are not spineless and are trying to stop it. Other parties are either fuelling the madness, complicit or too scared to speak up. Not good

Words are cheap, actions count & the Tories are the ones in power not Labour.

@TullyApplebottom that is quite a smear. All these Putin apologists on MN spreading the putin line.

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/23/putin-gender-russia-news-conference/

In response to a question from a reporter for RT, a state media company, about his views on “problems in Western society,” “cancel culture” and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s views on gender, which many people consider transphobic, Putin doubled down on long-held views on the correctness of traditional conceptions of gender, and his opposition to rights and inclusion for transgender people.
“If someone thinks that women and men are the same thing, then be my guest. But there is common sense,” he said. “I stick to the traditional approach that a woman is a woman, a man is a man, a mom is a mom, and a dad is a dad.”
He said that in the case of athletes, if a man “declares himself a woman and decides to compete in weightlifting or some other sport, women’s sports would cease to exist altogether.”
“We can’t get away from it,” he said. “We need to look for antidotes that are effective.”

It's no use being able to define what a woman is if you're going to shaft them anyway.

It's no use being able to define what a woman is if you're going to shaft them anyway

Well, the others cannot even manage that.

It was quite amusing to see her saying that her press release had been misinterpreted last night - and she didn't remember where her figure of £8.8 billion in savings came from and it's ok because she wasn't going ahead with that policy anyway.

I think she should be asked where her figure of £8.8 billion in savings would come from when it came to regional pay. It certainly would not have come from civil servant's pay as the entire civil service pay

"Truss’s government will save up to £8.8 billion a year by replacing National Pay Boards with Regional Pay Boards. This will make it easier to adjust officials’ pay, ensuring it accurately reflects where they work and stops the crowding out of local businesses that can not compete with public sector pay. Efforts will also be made to build on the 22,000 civil servants being moved out of the capital by 2030, saving £557 million a year in London pay allowances."

In the foot notes of the press release for editors

"Introduce regional pay boards tailoring pay to the cost of living where civil servants actually work, saving up to £8.8 billion per year. National Pay Boards mean that civil servant pay is negotiated at a national level, meaning no account is taken of the regional cost of living. By introducing regional boards, civil servant pay can be adjusted in line with the actual areas where civil servants work, saving billions. This will also avoid the public sector crowding out the private sector in places where private business just can’t compete with public sector pay."

(There is no reference to a study for this - so it's just a figure that came from somewhere)

There is no way this could have been done by just looking at civil servants pay - so where did this come from?

All she could say was "Well, it's been misinterpreted, and we're not doing it anyway"

Continuity Johnson - and a gift for the opposition - imagine her saying that in an election debate for a General Election - she would have been laughed at.

True. For all the forensic detail pp go on about quite a relapse

Incredible that some women look at words but not 12 years of actions.

The Trans debate seems to be some sort of attempt at diversion from government failings.

all parties over recent years have failed to verbally define a woman but only one has stripped rights.

The triumph of hope over experience, I suppose.

Either that, or they actually don't give a toss about women's rights, but see this issue as the Labour Party's achillies' heel that they can exploit to further their own agenda.

Insulting Wales as well as Scotland, it's almost like she wants to dissolve the union...

Oh dear.. yes it’s no issue just an ‘Achilles’ heel’

Maybe spend time on FWR hearing from women. I’m sure your Labour Party appreciate you not caring at all. Up to you but thankfully we don’t all feel the same.