Uk is in big trouble - what do you think will happen?

[hippysun]

Thames water on brink of collapse. All those CEOs getting fat bonuses. Water shortages and rising bills.

the cost of living is off the chart. Every bill has gone up. Pop in to Tesco for toothpaste, butter and chicken and it costs an insane amount for just a few items.

the government are crap and taxing the hell out of us.

my salary is stuck. I feel constantly poor now. 10 years ago when I earned significantly less, I felt ok money wise. Chatted today to a colleague about science graduate son who is stuck doing a minimum wage job as there are no jobs here. I’ve noticed this myself in my town. The council have a few, other companies outsourced to India years ago, the pharma company moved out years ago and the land will soon be a new housing estate.

the nhs is a total mess.

housing costs make me want to weep! No chance of moving. Feel bad for my kids. They just keep building expensive houses here all packed into poorly designed estates. Tiny gardens. But no infrastructure. The promised schools get cancelled and drs surgeries and hospitals are rammed with patients. My mortgage of course is up.

in my industry… everyone is obsessed with AI and I’m sad to say it has taken some jobs already. There is a huge push towards AI.

there seems to be underlying tension here re migrants. People getting increasingly annoyed.

this country feels like a right mess. Making rich people richer and poor people even poorer. The middle earners are getting squeezed. I hate it.

i don’t remember it being this bad ever before.

why is it so terrible? And what do you think will happen?

Do you really believe people would vote Reform without Farage?

I assumed @PandoraSocks was being sarcastic!

Your irony detector is faulty.

So same as Starmer then? An ex-independent school, Oxford educated millionaire.
That's my point and highlights why Starmer and Labour are hated. They came in on a campaign of "we are different" "grown ups are on charge" "transparency". They are just the same as Tories but actually worse because they are hypocrites. They lied to get in and are incompetent once in.
That's why there is so much anger against them.

It doesn't matter. People aren't voting for Reform because of policies, they are either a protest vote or a vote against the 2 main party system.
They don't need policies.

I could say the same thing about Labour and people who vote for Labour 🤷‍♀️

Non doms not paying their way?!?

The total UK income tax, capital gains tax and national insurance paid by all non-doms was £8.49 billion in the year to 5 April 2022, an average of just over £120,000 each.

How much tax did you pay last year?!? Yet somehow you think you're paying your way and they're not? 😂

And now Rachel Reeves expects them to pay IHT on their international assets: non-UK assets, earned outside the UK by non-UK citizens , and she has the gall to expect 40% ?!? Labour are the very worst CFs.

Ah well, you'll miss them when they're gone.

You could. You’d be wrong.

Yep people just dismiss it as they’re loyal to Labour.

You think this government is crap? Don't you remember who was in power for 14 years and brought us to this state of affairs?

Again, behave. Are you unaware of the previous government’s record?

However, if it makes you happy:

First two, outrageous, if proven, they must be sacked and/or charged iif appropriate. Obviously.

Only reference I can find to the last three is in the right wing press, so you’ll forgive me if I hold judgement and take a dose of salt?

Were by any chance any of the guests diplomats or politicians from overseas at David Lammy’s “party”?
If so, probably the going rate (Liz Truss’s in-flight entertainment bills, anyone?)
If it was a party for his kids and their mates Edith bouncy castles? Yep, would be seriously cross and expect his arse to be handed to him in a plate.

As an earlier poster said, context is everything.

Fishing without a license? Don’t be a dick. It was an official photo opportunity with the VP of the US (who, for the record, I also think is a dock).
Barrel scraping.

Apparently mentioning the Tories is (very conveniently) whattaboutery.

You can't find the news about Rick Jones anywhere other than RW news yet it's on the BBC:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj6yyw13w4jo.amp

Fishing without a licence

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/aug/13/david-lammy-watchdog-illegal-fishing-without-license-jd-vance

I'm a dick?

My parents are very comfortably off. Having worked hard their whole lives (My dad works a physical job for over 50 years and is nearly 70. I never remember him taking a day off sick) , they are now spending their twilight years enjoying multiple holidays in 5 star accommodation and luxurious suites. My dad is a builder and has a successful businesss working with my brother. My mum worked a stressful management job for many years in the NHS and latterly semi-retired as a cleaner. Both my brother and I have encouraged them to spend every last penny of what they have accumulated. Going by the actions of the current government, I am glad that they are doing so and am fully supportive of them.

You've just highlighted everything that's wrong with Labour.
They are no better than Tories yet hold themselves in much higher esteem

You excuse all the same behaviour that you damn the Tories for. Complete hypocrisy.

I have done no such thing.

Yes I think they would in the current climate. People really loathed the tories, now they loathe Labour. Farage is a very successful communicator, but all Reform need to do.is give the disaffected and angry somewhere to go. If Farage steps down, those people will still want somewhere to go.
None of Reform's success is down to Farage, it's down to Starmer.

Well that’s your opinion. Plenty of people feel the same as I do.

Because it is and here is a handy guide:
A rhetorical tactic where someone responds to an accusation or criticism by deflecting attention to another issue or action, often by pointing out a similar wrong committed by the accuser or a third party. It's a form of argument that shifts the focus from the original issue to a different one, often implying that the accuser is also guilty of the same or similar wrongdoing.

So when someone criticises Labour and you say "but what about the Tories" then yes, that's whataboutery.

Well yes. I think maybe @mrsskylerwhite didn't see my username!

You have.

OK. So how is Reform going to pay for raising the tax threshold to £20k?

Where did I say anything about Reform?