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)!

If you lose your job you will have to wait 5 weeks before you get any money.This is why Food Banks are needed. Most people don't have money to last that long.

Unemployment pay ( Job Seekers Allowance ) is 18-24 £72.90, 25 + £92.05 per week. If for example you can't afford the fare to get to your Job Seekers appointments, after rent, food , utilities etc you will be sanctioned ie get no money for upto 12 weeks.

There is a benefit cap in place. So the maximum total for all benefits for a single person is £14,753 a year. £22,020 pa for a couple. Compare £24,784 pa is the national minimum wage ( 37.5 hours a week from 1/4/26) so £44, 040 pa for a couple. With rents, food prices etc rising people are struggling.

This Government has forced employers to end exploitative zero hours contracts (where people are left hanging not knowing whether they will be offered work or not.) ie they will have to guarantee a minimum amount of work with reference to the previous 12 weeks

We are subsidising bad employers who won't pay a proper wage/salary, who have sacked people and then rehired them on a lower wage. Amazon etc who are making huge profits can afford wages that don't need to be subsidised by us.

We have one of the worst Old Age Pensions in Europe despite being one of the richest countries in the world. ( ie the low pensions, high age at which we get them.)

It's a question of political will. We, the working people of the UK, subsidise bad employers to enable them to pay poverty wages and amass billionaire wealth.

The richest 50 families in the UK now hold more wealth than the poorest half of the population ie 34 million people. They would barely notice an extra 5, 10% wealth tax.

Plus they are now making it harder to save into a pension and considering taking 30 hours childcare away from those they deem to be higher earners.

We have one of the worst Old Age Pensions in Europe despite being one of the richest countries in the world. ( ie the low pensions, high age at which we get them.)

But based on what the average person pays in it’s not enough for the state pension & the current healthcare model.

You cant compare our state pension to other European countries which tend to be based on actual contributions (like other benefits are) rather than our flat rate contribution. Those other countries don’t also have the same private pension reliance.

My issue is that I just don't see anyone better to vote for.

I will never vote Tory or Reform.
I don't feel confident about Lib Dems or Greens and feel like it would almost be a wasted vote.

So I am left with Labour. It's like a vote for my least favourite because I don't particularly like any of them.

So it’s cyclical - higher contributions mean higher pensions with the higher contributions funded by less need to contribute to private pensions. Most European countries also fund healthcare more per capita than the UK. Perhaps we should take a leaf from their books.

Hopefully by 2029 you will get a clearer picture and be able to vote positively. Its very tricky at the moment I agree.

Yep

And those who can't make their ends meet despite no health issues

I can give you figures as this has come up before. In 2023 there were around 307,000 live male births in England and Wales. Muhammad was the top choice for parents naming their baby boys in England and Wales in 2023, with around 4,600 being registered with that name. Closely followed by Noah with 4,382.

I've got no judgement re who is in the benefits class and who isn't. Its just useful description at the moment because it relates to who Labour is pandering to.

No where did I post that? I think Labour have more issues than one.

But in answer to your earlier question it’s your posts on this thread that indicate you’re a Labour supporter.

Yes, before that it was due to the Ukraine crisis. Unfortunately, we get most of our electricity from burning gas, not oil. Oil-fired power stations have never been a big thing in the UK. One that was built near me in the ‘70s spent most of its life mothballed, only used during miners’ strikes.

But people don’t want to pay more tax, employers pay higher social security taxes, lower & middle earners pay more tax, etc. But housing costs here make it difficult to increase tax on those people.

But why would Labour do that when data shows that is not where its core support lies?

We have the highest prices for electricity in the developed world. Thats down to government policy. Sorry. Green levies mainly. And the cost of renewables. Nick Clegg said no to nuclear too, the fool.

But in answer to your earlier question it’s your posts on this thread that indicate you’re a Labour supporter

What posts on this thread illustrate I am a labour supporter?

And tell me when we had good growth?

Agreed. Labour has no support. But it needs to curry favour with someone and it needs to be a group it can pay off. Its chosen the public sector and people on benefits.

All of them.

Early 2024 was good those policies were doing well to get growth. Labour would love those figures.

It’s a shame mid way through the GE stumped them.

They are for trade unionists and those on welfare. Those that actually create wealth are seen as a magic money tree but never given the chance to flourish. Wish we'd kept Rishi.

Didn’t vote for them because it was obvious they were lying. They knew before they got elected they were going to increase taxes, lied to get the job. Raised taxes. Lied again and said it was a one off then raised them again. I hate the Daily Mail-esque benefits bashing but it was impossible not to see the last budget as a pay rise for those who don’t work for a living a total shafting of those that do to pay for it.

Well it's wasting its time as many people on benefits favour Reform.

I think people have got used to a low tax economy. I’m ancient and when I started work the basic rate of income tax was 33% with 9% NI on top. Personally I’d rather have higher taxes and better public services but I appear to be in a minority. If only the UK had done what Norway did and used its North Sea oil revenue to create a sovereign wealth fund instead of frittering it away in tax cuts.