To think Labour is not the party of the working people.

[pinkpalmleaves]

I voted for Labour as I believed their election pledge of being a party for the working people but genuinely I can’t think of one thing, since they’ve been in power, that they’ve done to help me (a single working mother on around £42k a year)! I get zero help from UC, these mystical breakfast clubs don’t exist, people aren’t employing people due to their ridiculous NI implications, they aren’t building affordable housing, energy prices are insanely high and all they talk about is grants (which won’t affect me as I live in a flat)! Genuinely I can’t think of one thing that they’ve done to help working people in the middle. Why are Labour sticking their heads in the sand? Why do they refuse to help the squeezed working class? They are stopping this economy from thriving - as
nobody can afford to spend anything extra (treats, holidays, meals out etc etc)!

Yep, I am absolutely disillusioned with Labour. I'm from a solidly red northern town, and have always voted Labour, but wouldn't again.

The problem is, I don't see any other viable choices right now.
DH and I both work, two kids, never claimed any benefits, free school meals etc but just seem to get hammered to prop up others.
And yes, I know that lots of people on benefits would love to work, but we all know that there are also loads -sometimes generations of families- who have never, and will never work.

I wouldn't vote Greens, as that cretin Polanski makes my skin crawl.
I don't think I could bring myself to vote tory, although I do love that Kemi will actually say what a woman is.
Reform can get to fuck 🤢 and Lib Dem don't fill me with any kind of confidence 🤷🏽‍♀️

Starmer's Labour is absolutely the party for the benefit class, not the working class. They are all about keeping people contained in their little box. Make it harder to employee people, punish success etc etc. The contrast with the aspiration of the Blair version of Labour is shocking.

Silence is violence

I ended up going private for a hysterectomy last year.
Three years waiting for a hysterectomy with ovarian cysts, fibroids and endometriosis.

It felt a bit unethical to pay for private treatment, but after several years of chronic pain, I just couldn't take it anymore.

We paid it on finance over 12 months, and honestly, I wouldn't blame anyone for doing the same for themselves or their family.

Or golden, depending on your perspective.

I totally agree and sadly I think a lot of this is because they just don’t understand how business works.
They certainly have no idea where food comes from either or the pressures on rural
communities.

Nope. Farage's Reform (and now Lowe's Restore probably, given the many supporter defections) has core support from people on benefits.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/767f947519f6a45b

Yes it was obvious pre GE I have no idea why businesses fell for the sell.

I agree OP. Labour aren’t the party of working people.

They are the party of fiscal restraint, redistribution and stability. Tight fiscal rules, higher taxes, and managerial government,
with no new policy for growth.

People in the middle don’t get support but are the one’s funding it. So you feel squeezed!

There is no aspiration, we are not building anything, this government is trying to hold things together, some will call that stability over the chaos of the previous government. But things are not looking good!

And so nothing changes and they keep using the ridiculous term working people in order to keep saying that they are helping. Their objective is not to help, it is to stabilise the economy, but to be seen to by trying to make the lives of working people better.

Call it rock and a hard place!

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/harsh-reality-iran-war-paul-ovenden-rmbqlvwdz

If you want a picture of what's likely to happen, this is a fairly up to date analysis, from none other than one of Keir Starmer's former policy chiefs. I hope the link works, but it's from today's Times and may still be paywalled.

Kemi is doing great.

The Greens, Labour and Lib Dems are all going to keep pandering to their left and stay in their fantasy world.

If you think this country needs fixing regarding immigration, economy, welfare, etc. and don’t want to vote for Reform, which is a lot of us, she is the only option.

And she is a black woman coming from immigration who made her own path and knows what a woman is, not the usual privileged, disconnected from reality, middle class, uni types you find in politics.

I would love to read it but it appears to be paywalled.

Agree.

I think you can trust her. She gives that impression anyway. A bit Hermione and in today's politics that's no bad thing, looking at the rabble sitting opposite her. I can't imagine her fiddling her child's trust fund for example.

Your response bares no relation to my point. Just like people on benefits voted for the aspiration of Blair they can vote for the aspiration of Reform. It is labour that is keeping them trapped in their current situation. Lets face most people on benefits understand their gravy train is going to stop at some point.

Here you go.

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/harsh-reality-iran-war-paul-ovenden-rmbqlvwdz

I assume a huge amount of people on benefits dont actually enjoy not working and probably aren't that happy with their existing lives. Particularly young people. They/we all want hope that life will get better for us and for our children.

What really annoys me about labours definition of ‘working person’ is that the squirm their hardest not to admit it doesn’t include me. I have earned every penny I have received since I left uni at 21. No bank of mum and dad or inheritance for me. I’ve paid PAYE on everything. I receive no benefits. I pay top rate tax. Am I a ‘hard working person?’ Because everything I own I get from working hard. I have a partner and kids. Are we a ‘hard working family’ because my partner earns similar and hasn’t had any free money from anywhere either. I somehow think we don’t fit into their definition of ‘hard working families’ though.

We pay lots of tax. Fair enough. But I get not a lot back. I’m not expecting any freebies - that would be stupid - but I want a health service that treats my family happily and promptly, not the grudging system we have now where if you want 3 years you might get to see CAMHS and you should be very grateful indeed. I expect the government to employ enough driving instructors so that my nephew can sit a test when he wants, not in 6 months time at the other end of the country if you’re extremely lucky.

Some public services are not good enough at all and they should be the basics, not the nice to haves.

Yep agree too.

Thank you.

I think that is right. They see a Labour Government that has effectively declared them unemployable and want a better future.

Of course you're a hard working person by most normal people's definition. Its just the weirdos in Labour that have such a problem with people doing well for themselves.

Exactly. "Here you go dear, have an extra few quid and go back to your daytime TV. And make sure you vote for us so you can still sit there and get cash. Unfortunately we've messed up the jobs market by our policies so there aren't any jobs for you out there anyway" Bollocks. Who wants that for themselves and their kids. Not many. Or if there are many, that needs changing and you can only do that through work. The National Service idea wasnt such a bad one in my opinion. Plenty of young people who spend their time fighting at certain football matches could get a lot out of it!