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)!

Whatever happened to our resilience? instead at every cost increase, the cry, usually from the (well off) 'right, is "Give me more"

At every cost increase it seems to be “we will take more” cried by the government to most earners.

Unfortunately, our tax take does not represent what we all want from public services, overall, one of the lowest in Europe.

My point is we cannot afford universal help, the welfare state was never set up for this, why should people who can afford energy rises get tax payer support?

And the majority of working people cannot afford to subsidise the welfare state especially as costs and expenses rise but income doesn’t at the same rate - this is what I mean by the government crying out for more (or getting through stealth and spinning to seem they are doing us a favour).

Well, the result seems to be that more and more people are just paying cash. I see it a lot with tradespeople and building materials etc. Small retailers are happy to not put it through the books in a lot of cases with regular customers.

It’s not a subsidy, it’s the price we pay for having a civilised society. We have some of the lowest taxes in Europe. Better public services do all of us a favour but they have to be paid for.

Did I say that those in need should not be supported or that public services do not need to be funded?
My comment was in response to the PP (not sure if that was you) saying there is a lack of resilience and crying out for more - most people are not getting more and are very much being resilient. They have less but are being asked to provide more and perhaps to those that are not really in need or the need has been created due to government policy (e.g. business NI, NMW etc resulting in more young people out of work).

I'd rather live in a low tax, free market economy that is a hub for business and investment. If that means some "public services" suffer. So be it.

Which public services would you be OK with being left to suffer?

A new survey by the Telegraph is interesting. I will attach the findings ...two pictures as I couldn't screenshot the entire table in one. Look how Labour's support has entirely flipped. It is now the party of high earners and the elite. This answers the question of this thread in my opinion.

It's also useful to bear that in mind too when Labour supporters opine on issues such as immigration. Their lives are affected in different ways from everyone else.

All the ones they’re unlikely to use, I guess. People who pay for their kids’ education tend not to care about state schools and people who can afford private healthcare tend not to care about the NHS. Until they need an ambulance and A&E and need the NHS as much as the rest of us.

Not suffer per say..but transition to a more private model where you pay out of pocket (and have more money to pay for them due to lower taxes).

People say we have the lowest taxes in Europe. Our tax burden has been disproportionately affecting the higher incomes for many years.

Perhaps those at the bottom should "pay their fair share", especially since they use them the most.

I don’t understand this, why would ambitious high earners be supporters of Labour?

Thats a bit of a generalisation and probably wrong. We all live in the same country. Everyone will use the NHS is some form or other but some people might go private for certain things. Most reasonable people just want the NHS to be run better and not be a bottomless pit where the country's money is spaffed. Similarly a lot of people use both private and state during the course of their child's schooling. And have more than one child at each type at any given time

Or anyone really.

Indeed.

Thanks for posting this. It is really interesting and puts paid to the theory that some like to push about Labour being the party of benefit claimants.

Because they care more about a fair society than themselves. I was an ambitious high earner for years.

Labour MPs vote on issues around benefits, they must get pressure from constituents to vote as they do.

Well Labour are definitely trying to curry favour with those people. They will have to, to have any hope. There aren't enough elites left here. Doesn't mean the left behinds will fall for it obviously. We shall see.

Plus the PLP aren't really reflective of society and what the British people want.

Oh well done! Classic virtue signalling there.

Here is a share token for the article if anyone wants to read it:

www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/d257c467416e2d11

Labour do focus policies on higher benefits in any case.

Our kids state grammars are doing very well and they all achieved a fabulous education.

I absolutely loathe the NHS and are so glad we have private care with work. The quality is better and we get seen quicker. The system needs to change to a social insurance model.

I absolutely loathe the NHS and are so glad we have private care with work. The quality is better and we get seen quicker. The system needs to change to a social insurance model.

Let’s hope you never get involved in a nasty accident or afflicted with a life threatening condition then. Because private healthcare will be of no help. The quality is obviously no better because most private health doctors also work in the NHS and were trained there. You get to queue jump and get treated and cared for in a nicer environment. I had private cataract surgery in an NHS theatre by the same surgeon who’d operated on NHS patients in that theatre all that day.

As a family we've had to sit and think about life here. Taxes are way too high and even though we're taxed to the brink (45% rate family here) we don't receive much for it.

In the late 2010s we had tried to get a move to the US due to higher pay etc. We decided against because we wanted DC to finish education here and go to uni here.

We recently had considered a ME move due to 0% income taxes but even before the conflict our DC are still in school/uni here so we can't just up and leave them alone.