Scared of what labour will do

[Wantachangefor2024]

Is anyone else terrified of what labour will enforce. The tax on farmers. Will they means test pip? Will they tax state pension more? What else will they do and where will it all end. They ruthlessly without no care took away the winter fuel allowance. Means testing and taxing state pension would massively impact my family

The pensioners do not have a higher personal allowance. Age-related personal allowances were frozen in 2013 and withdrawn completely in 2016.

It is correct that over state pension age do not pay National Insurance, but any entitlement to state pension is based on the National Insurance they did pay up till then.

@EasternStandard I have absolutely no problem with mentioning Corbyn.

So what was your earlier complaint exactly?

Labour didn't have Russia to deal with? Is that a serious comment? What about 9/11? Iraq, Afghanistan? They had plenty to deal with.

We're not seeing better defence spending because we now have a labour government. We're seeing it because of Trump.

Starmer rowed back from Sunak's 2.5% as soon as he got in.

He wouldn't have gone for foreign aid without Trump

That was a Reform pledge

Labour didn't have Russia to deal with, thats a simple fact.... Afghanistan and Iraq weren't a direct security threat... defence spend as a % of GDP was 2.6% under Labour across their 12 years in power.

Plus we had strong economic growth, so in real terms, defence did well.

You re doing well jumping through some imaginary hoops trying to blame Labour... for our current problems

Your last point is obvious, no one is arguing with you on that.

I'm not blaming labour for our current military problems, I'm blaming them both. I would strongly recommend you read that article I linked upthread before you claim any more expertise on the subject.
They have both failed our armed forces, and that would have continued under labour if Trump hadn't been elected.

@EasternStandard My complaint? The constant "Oh, stop going on about the last 14 years!" coupled with "Ah, but what about Corbyn?". Some
"past" is apparantly relevant-some isn't.

Stating readily available figures on spend is not claiming to be an expert, that seems to be what you re claiming to be, i'm afraid.

When Labour came in, defence spend was 2.4% of GDP, they increased that, it rose to a high of 2.6%... was it enough, given the threats to Europes security at the time, yes.

The Tories had 14 years to improve, they failed, capability was slashed, continued after Putin attacks into Europe.

Try as you might deny this and attempt to pass the buck to Labour as well, these are the facts....

Your post I have absolutely no problem with mentioning Corbyn.

You don't have a problem but others should stop?

It's pretty simple, they're tied together, if you go back to earlier elections he'll come up. At a couple of GEs he was the alternative.

What did Starmer do to Sunak's pledge when he got in?

Why would you scrap it at that point?

He's on the back foot now. Decreasing foreign aid whilst it sounds good to many in the electorate will bring about more instability, more refugees, it'll cost.

Then there's Chagos.. an easy win to scrap.

The first line of my post that you have just replied to says 'I'm not blaming labour'.

You have just replied accusing me of an 'attempt to pass the buck to Labour'. How does that make sense?

You are trying to lay all the blame at the tories door. That is simply not true but you will not accept it. I see that I am wasting my time if the facts are of no interest to you.
Just so you know, I was living in military housing under the last labour government.

@EasternStandard "Your post I have absolutely no problem with mentioning Corbyn.

You don't have a problem but others should stop?"

No- they can mention Corbyn as much as they like. But they can't also say that other people can't mention the last 14 years!

To go back to the initial question posed for this thread.

Yes I am. We’re already many thousands poorer as a result of labour. And the state will pick up the bill eventually when my kids move to a top tier state school (luckily they’ve had a great foundation in private so shouldn’t be an issue). This will mean others will lose a place but never mind hey. Anyone seen a cost-benefit analysis yet?

I do appreciate that Labour have just committed to defence spending 👏🏻, as others others have said, their hand has been forced somewhat.

There are many other points and references but no point in repeating them all again. Just thought I’d bring the thread back to ‘disappointing Labour’ basics.

Back to topic. The selling out of creative industry for AI is depressing

It's worth a lot, we shouldn't give it away.

At least the last Labour gov had a good stint on creativity. Now Starmer / Reeves have put in anti growth measures so they need to go 'faster and further' to make up for it.

That's the creative sector sold out

@Kittygolightlyy "And the state will pick up the bill eventually when my kids move to a top tier state school (luckily they’ve had a great foundation in private so shouldn’t be an issue). This will mean others will lose a place but never mind hey"

You have a perfect right to state education. And if you're going to be applying to one of the very few state schools with competitive entry I wish your children the best of luck. What response were you expecting?

Nope, i just think the current lack of defence capability lies at the doors of the Tories, they have held the purse strings for the last 14 years and could have easily put right your criticisms of Labour in that time.

Military housing is even worse now than in previous decades, again, the issues in the 2000s could have been rectified...

Moving forward, the decision not to increase spending after 2014 and then again in 2021 is solely on them.... i'm struggling to see what is contentious about this?

Those 2 decisions are why we are so badly prepared today.

But all we get is "but Labour... but Corbyn"

No one will get locked up for criticising their party of choice... there is plenty i will blame Blair for eg Bad PFI deals, no council house building, never sorted out NHS Dental care... things that have real impact today.

Wasn’t expecting any response really..

Nah not so much a competitive entry, we don’t need to do that. Just a school in an excellent catchment area. You know do a Starmer / Blair etc. A state school but not as the vast majority of children in this country know it, sort of thing.

@Kittygolightlyy "Nah not so much a competitive entry, we don’t need to do that"

So the "great start" they got in private school will make no difference at all. All you need to do is find a house for sale in your chosen catchment.

If you say so!

*it doesn’t need to be for sale

65% YABU and 35% YANBU. You have your answer. Sleep easy.

It’s the sort of data Keir, Bridget, Rachel et al would be proud of.

Wading in here because you can go back forever on what ifs. What if Hitler had won the war? What if Putin had had a heart attack three years ago?

None of this happened so all irrelevant to any arguments.

I don’t live in an affluent area but my kids do go to an outstanding secondary school which is sought after. We never moved house (we didn’t even have kids when we bought it). You don’t have to “do a Starmer” as you put it.

Helps though, if parents have the money.

“Sought after” means “people compete to live nearby”.