We don't want the government to lurch to the left

[Bargepole45]

I am absolutely astounded that Labour think it's democratic to decide that they can lurch to the left despite being elected with a very clear promise to not tax and spend. I believe this is absolutely not what the general public want and I am really worried that the economy isn't going to survive this and we will end up with an IMF bailout that will lead to very painful spending cuts for our most vulnerable.

Please vote:
YABU :I want Labour to lurch to the left in order to increase taxation and spending
YANBU: I don't want Labour to lurch to the left and would be against further tax and spending rises

This is so misleading. The majority of the things you list are very small proportions of public spending. The exception is the workforce but even then you can argue that a lot of the health and welfare spending goes on people that unlikely to ever be part of a workforce.

Disability benefits are not "endless", and the triple-lock has been maintained for the past 15 years by almost exclusively Conservative government.

So tell me again how the UK is being dragged down by "left-wing" politics.

Oh yes, Reform, with their solution to problems caused by rampant neolib capitalism and its race to the bottom, being even more rampant neolib capitalism and an accelerated race towards the bottom, coupled with a total evisceration of employment rights.

Far-right supposedly being the solution to the failure of nearly 50 years of right-wing government 😂😂😂

What absolute bullshit.

Greedy business owners 🙄

I think you’re talking bullsgit.

So we’re equals

Those terrible SMEs employing people. I’m sure the pp can fill in their tax contribution instead.

I feel that mumsnet has been taken over by people planted by Reform.

Yes, include all of those on in-work benefit top-ups because right-wing government has continually refused to regulate business to the extent that they are actively encouraged to pay pittance salaries while siphoning billions in profits out of the UK

Definitely the "left-wing" that is the problem there. 🙄

@DrPrunesqualer but when I am
talking about the costs of housing I am obviously not just referring to home ownership, it’s all housing costs so includes rent.

Pot holes and the police are a red herring. Extra funding will get sucked up quickly by the welfare big hitters. Police and pot holes aren't bankrupting councils.

I'd personally prefer them to slide to the left then freeze (criss cross) then everybody claps our hands.

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/trackers/voting-intention

I think you'll find the opposite is true. Reform is vastly underrepresented on this forum.

Endless disability benefits not being tackled. Totally unaffordable triple lock pensions to start with. These things need to be addressed and aren’t being.

Well they tried to tackle benefits and I agree the triple lock needs to go but look at the outcry over means testing winter fuel.

The biggest problem is the changing demographics.

I saw a local cafe saying their labour costs have gone up £90k a year since government changed NICs rules. I know another which now won’t employ young people since the govt abolished the lower minimum wage for them.
This government has already done immeasurable harm to growth. Bills are so high. I don’t know anyone finding it easy at the moment. Who can afford high taxes than we already have?

I can’t believe anyone is still trying to defend Labour, their policies are basically flailing around in the dark. They have zero idea what they’re doing, my 13 year old is better at economic planning. I’m just hoping and praying that we last until the next general election. I think it is likely to descend into civil unrest before then. People will only be pushed so far. It’s going to be the poll tax riotsx100 if they don’t alter policies soon

How left counts as left for you? State ownership of everything and individual work allocations? Should we all be wearing identical government issue clothing.

In response to higher taxes? Even Labour said fully funded at the GE. But anyway I take it you’re keen for them to go up?

I’m not saying Reform are the solution. I’m saying that’s who people will vote for if taxes keep rising here with people getting nothing back for it.

@Bargepole45 what is Reform going to improve?

I don’t understand since Brexit was a disaster and so many Tories have deflected to Reform why are they not just more of the same shit?

Both. But I also care about society, have children in state school and relatives with health needs. I am realistic about needing to fund these services.

@Mishmosher I feel like I’m getting little back for all the taxes I pay I won’t be making it worse by voting for Reform though.

I never said they were going to improve anything. I was simply responding to posters consistently suggesting that Reform had taken over MN or were overrepresented in this thread. It's clear that they aren't. MN is a left leaning forum and Reform is still pretty taboo on here compared to the trends we are seeing in wider society.

Although if they abandon the triple lock I might vote for them as they would he doing the right thing there but they won’t do that as they won’t want to lose older voters.

This is another issue with changing demographics people vote for themselves and what will benefit them.

@XDownwiththissortofthingXBy taxing jobs and not stimulating growth. By not supporting business and seeing it as a cash cow rather than a source of employment. Employment rights are pretty good in the uk.

Why do people think all business owners are rich? Unbelievably ill informed. If we don’t have bouyant SMEs, we have unemployment. If we don’t have growth in the economy, we cannot afford the nhs and benefits. We have huge loan debts. More taxation leads to a worse position because we don’t have poor productivity in government services. We tax highly to produce very little.

It’s not about who you know it’s about statistics
Do you know all the professionals graduating this year
Do you know where all those who graduated in 2010 are now

Open the window and look at the stats
15% of U.K. doctors are working abroad
195,000 UK graduates and young professionals left the U.K. in the year up to June 2025.
The numbers are increasing year on year.