Rishi has absolutely lost it, hasn't he?

[noblegiraffe]

What with his random shite this week about scrapping a non-existent meat tax and an imaginary 7 bins, actually scrapping his own home insulation workforce that was only set up a few months ago, scrapping any useful bits of HS2 and now scrapping A-levels (which is so far removed from what is actually possible in schools right now that it's not even funny), what the fuck is he on?

He's just flailing around madly scrapping everything in case someone, somewhere might vote Tory over it.

And he was supposed to be the sensible replacement to Liz Truss.

The green targets though are a way of setting a direction for business and getting them to our in the investment needed. There are other policy options available nearer the time if we are not ready (eg scrap page scheme for the poorest).

Delaying the targets fatally undermines business investment.

The A levels thing genuinely baffles me.

Abolishing IHT makes electoral sense in that it would guarantee getting a certain proportion of his core 70+ vote out, and might make a fair number of people in their 40s think twice. It would make it open season for personal attacks on his family wealth mind you.

And "ditching the green crap" is clearly a vote winner amongst a certain constituency, especially if you make shit up to back up your position.

But what votes would a revolution in 16/18 education win? If you polled the GBP to ask for a list of all the problems this country has I'd be staggered if the state of A levels was in the top 100. Regardless of whether these plans are actually a good or bad idea.

@jgw1
I only hope you're right about a good majority. A hung parliament would be a disaster.

Starmer is from a working class background and spent his youth caring for his disabled mum. He’s done well but through hard work. Yes - he was director of public prosecutions but his salary there was still less than you’d earn in the City for a director/manager job. He would also be very much in touch with the real world

Starmer is not working class

Starmer is from an ordinary background, has done well for himself, and, like Corbyn, is of an age where he's "accidentally" acquired a million pound house just by being in the right place at the right time.

Would he be a better PM if he'd failed his 11+? Would he be a better PM if he'd been a mediocre barrister who'd served his time out at the CPS without ever being promoted?

The HS2 thing is baffling. I can’t say I’m massively sold on the whole project but if we’ve started and we’re doing it, let’s do it properly. What’s the point of taking to Birmingham and not beyond, and not taking it to Euston? Effectively have a high speed rail link between two cities that overall isn’t any faster and leave the major Northern cities with the same crumbling Victorian rail infrastructure. It’s fucking nuts.

These are all things he will never have to deliver and it shows. Only someone very gullible would believe that he will do anything; if the election is in May or even September there no time to make any changes in law.

It's all about shoring up what is a crumbling Tory vote. Don't tell me that all the people who are apparently pleased at his delay on electric vehicles would have otherwise been Labour or Liberal. I live in one of these areas where ULEZ is apparently communism and electric vehicles are considered to be shit. That demographic is firmly working class Tory.

The polls haven't moved for a year. He said nothing yet that will make them shift.

Exactly this.

Agree, the halfway house seems baffling.

Also yes the OP is right, Rishi is flailing. But that's what happens when you know you've only a year left before leading your party into a GE that might actually wipe them out.

"A man [or woman] lost in the desert must take such water as [s]he is offered, no matter who it comes from"

It's not about shaving time off a Birmingham to London journey. It's about increasing capacity by taking the high speed trains on a segregated track so local trains have more capacity and do not have to regularly get delayed waiting for high speed trains to pass.

Add freight capacity to that too. Taking trucks off the road and moving more freight by rail.

This is it in a nutshell

The latest SEND changes need adding to the list of totally bonkers. The damage being done to children / young people / families living with SEND is unfathomable. Add in to the mix how many of the families find it difficult to access work on top of their caring responsibilities, who depend on their benefits and a stable cost of living, the cuts to education and health care services… heartbreaking.

Exactly

Why do we have to be a world leader anyway.

I suppose this is because Labour don't seem to support working classes anymore

The ULEZ and HS2 are not popular in the local area

The point is, this is a vote already firmly Conservative and it wouldn't change.

Same with stop the boats etc. People who think this policy has merit will be voting Conservative.

Since Thatcher's time there has been a working class Conservative vote. I don't think Labour will be too bothered by this move by Sunak.

Why would investing in clean, affordable energy, energy security, cutting edge technology and highly skilled jobs destroy the economy? But anyway he's not actually scrapped any green targets, he's pushed a couple back a few years.

All that has served to do is undermine investor confidence and ensure the transition time will be shorter, harder and more expensive. You'd think a supposed financial whizz like Sunak would understand thus wouldn't you? Guess those millions his family have invested in fossil fuel companies can make things a little more opaque.

But hey, at least the readership and viewership of certain media outlets have been assured that a few never even proposed, let alone actually in place, taxes aren't going to happen.

It's verbal mooning, a favourite device of politicians, I have nothing useful to say so here's my arse in words
Bojo has come out of the woodwork
He really is unflushable

I'm surprised it took this long to scrap HS2. I thought the it would be abandoned after Trussterfuck economics pretty much bankrupted the UK. I assume Sunak and Hunt asked for a year's grace on it.

They failed to turn it around and now it's going. Metaphor for Tories and the country innit.

YABU re HS2, there was nothing ever useful about HS2.

Not enough to be able to issue guidelines to our schools about transing children.

Sadly phase 1 will continue, it has utterly destroyed the Chilterns.

None of them do unfortunately

That is a brilliant description and I'm keeping it for future use!