I didn’t realise Starmer was viewed so badly ,,

[aurpod1980]

He came into government at a challenging time - I didn’t realise his confidence score was so so The fatal flaw that brought Keir Starmer crashing down to earth

https://www.thetimes.com/article/8e98de80-1d48-4d1a-8408-ff4d48e1957c?shareToken=44bb913634621653058dd12f864e3eff

What was most disappointing was that despite 14 years of Tory rule and all the things Hingis that needed fixing, they came into power seemingly without any plan at all. If they had had a solid plan and stuck to it and it started working I think he would have stood a chance. However they just your running the mill Labour government, tax and spend.

I think we all need to buckle up as Burnham is more
ledt and things are going to get a lot worse ie hard working people who don’t get any support will pay more and more and more.

I don't think the vast majority of the electorate cares about his comments from a while ago about the definition of women and they have no impact on the current situation.

He actively acts against the interests of the UK. It is a bit like national interest is a dirty word. Just look at Chagos.

I would like her to stop targeting the vulnerable and less well off and tax the super rich, big corporations etc. A labour government should make this country a better place for the working majority, not those who have it all already and have been sucking the money out of us for the last 15 odd years under a conservative government.
That's what I voted for and that's what I want to see. So do a lot of labour MPs and party members. I dont actually hate Starmer but I understand why people do. He has a lot of good policies and this government have actually done some good - the new police act for example. But they can't be attacking the poor, the vulnerable and especially the working poor. Reeves is mainly to blame for this but he's to blame for not dealing with her sooner. Now it's too late.

Most people don’t care about that issue, rightly or wrongly. I have never heard it mentioned by anyone I know in real life. The only place I hear it talked about (repeatedly) is on MN.

Sadly, I don't think Burnham is the answer. I'd have preferred Wes Streeting if he'd stayed in his cabint role and actually delivered on the NHS. He should have waited his time and showed real leadership. Instead, he behaved like a power hungry little weasel and I have lost all respect for him.
At least Burnham is a better option than Rayner. Because when this goes to the members that is the 2 horse race we are looking at. Nobody else will get a look in.

Which vulnerable is she targeting?

She's handed out more benefits than any other chancellor in British history.

For the first time ever, the welfare bill is now higher than income tax receipts.

Tax meanwhile has been increased dramatically - and there's strong evidence that it's now so high that it's disincentivised companies from investing, which means the tax receipts are actually lower than they could be.

You might have voted for tax rises, but there comes a point where they are counterproductive.

You might get the ideological satisfaction from punishing success, but you won’t get the money.

This !!

I would like her to stop targeting the vulnerable and less well off and tax the super rich, big corporations etc.

Then they leave the country and take jobs and taxes with them - which they have already been doing. You get a bigger tax take by reducing taxes on big corporations so they invest in jobs here.

I’m not sure what you are basing that assumption on.

I think his capitulation to the trans lobby continues to have quite a significant impact on women - the government and many government organisations refusing to follow the law for example.

You must have quite low expectations of the government if you don’t even expect to respect the law and mandate that it is followed by all government departments and public services organisations. This is causing real world harm on women in hospital and schools for example.

The courts are being used to try and enforce the law but this shouldn’t be necessary, surely?

My expectations are higher.

Same here.

She has to balance the books! We are at the mercy of bond markets!

Its too complex for the vast majority of voters to understand they like simple slogans

And more than half of that welfare bill is spent on pensions and related benefits.

Because they want a more left wing PM, God knows why. It's certainly not what the country wants.

I'm basing it on the fact that in my real life interaction no one ever mentions the issue. I don't think the wider electorate even thinks about when they consider how they feel about Starmer and the current government.

Because they know he’s an electoral liability.

They were happy enough to get elected with him as leader.

I think you might have missed quite a lot of public conversation about it then.

I find your attitude dismissive and maybe that’s why people don’t discuss it with you.

‘Most people’ would very much care that teenage girls are being forced to share a changing room with boys, or that the NHS are planning to stop the puberty of a number of teenagers with no medical evidence to recommend it and lots of medical evidence to say that it will permanently harm their bodies and brains, not to mention make them infertile - age 11 onwards.

Not to mention male sex offenders in women’s prisons and women getting raped by men in female hospital wards.

It’s an interesting and dismissive reaction to claim that ‘most people don’t care’. Why don’t you care?

Pensions that were paid into, albeit in the past, unlike all the other benefits and freebie add ons. Not only are those people taking more and more (btw evidently only 30% work on UC and sober many if those are in the magic 16hrs) but they will never pay in. When work doesn’t pay you’re screwed.

People didn't fund their own pensions. They funded a smaller cohort who went before them
Unless the ever increasing burden of pensions is tackled and there is radical reform to tackle the demands of an aging population the welfare situation can't be addressed.

This. As I read someone say yesterday, how can you know someone who doesn't know themselves?

And sadly I say that as a near lifelong voter. Sincerely hoping Andy proves to be less of a flip flopping u -turner.

People not mentioning it to you because you appear to have a dismissive attitude is not the same as ‘no one cares’.

The bullying and silencing particular in the public sector has added to people’s reluctance to talk about it openly. Their jobs could be at risk if they were reported for speaking about it.

It’s disappointing you can’t muster up some concern for the treatment of teenage girls in schools or vulnerable women in hospital or prison but then lots of women acted against the Suffragettes too so it’s not a surprise.

..Keir simultaneously doesn’t stand for anything and yet is incredibly sanctimonious, his style embodying the HR proceduralism that people can’t stand from their workplace

I thought this was spot on. He lacks the ability to influence voters or even his own party. However the Labour Party have caused their own issues....they only select MPs based on student politics, most never having had a proper job or worked in a business. As a result there is no talent pool to draw from and the back benchers are just unrealistic about the state of the country.

Anyone who follows the debate on womens rights will have observed the lack of reality and at time down right stupidity amongst MPs in Labour.

The system of selecting MPs from all parties is the core issue, brought in by Blair but adopted by all parties. There should a minimum qualification to be a MP and a Cabinet Minister, which is to have had a non policital job. A proper job not a SPAG.

E.g McSweeny's wife has a seat...try telling me she earned it or was the best candidate?

The policy on WFP was badly handled, they should have put a cap in place for payments, such as they did subsequently but it was necessary as not all pensioners are poor. Same with PIP, it should be treated as any other benefit and means tested.

The thread is about the public perception of Starmer. And I think the general electorate have other priorities.