Oh Andy, Andy, Andy.. just Why?

[WallowingInMud]

[I categorically refuse to put the word ‘lighthearted’ in the title to indicate that Im not actually traumatised. Also because saying this post is lighthearted is just as facile as holding a little bus or building a Lego haus to illustrate my point.
See below.]

I realise that I don’t need to follow Mr B on instagram but I do and I’m feeling deeply patronised:

First a little toy bus (talking about buses innit), then a Lego house (building more Lego houses to amuse the homeless), a bit of cosplay by dressing up as a Sainsbury’s man of the people (to show that you can work at Sainsbury's and a sexy uniform is thrown in) and now… throwing a cowboy hat at the camera/phone to illustrate that cowboy builders are …cowboys.

Make it stop.

AIBU

I'm a bit more worried about the fact that the man who resigned as defence minister with a blistering attack on Starmer for not raising defence spending now appears to be saying that he's not going, as Chancellor, to be planning how or when to increase defence to the levels he was calling for when he assisted in deposing Starmer.

Honestly I get the reasoning. But that’s what annoys me so much - just because you are not politically savvy doesn’t mean you need your leader playing with a little bus to convey that the message is about buses.

I want him to do well. I’m just not sure that building little Lego houses or cosplaying being a shop worker or a bit part in High Noon is way to do it.

They could reduce the rents but it is apparently better for them to have no rent than low rent.

And needing to make ends meet doesn't mean that it's ok to rent to criminals.

Agree, its like we have an influencer trying to cos play a prime minister

What is it with Lego, perhaps the SM team were influenced by another group I can think of

Indeed. What a rapid change of heart he has had!

It was almost certainly a pre-planned ambush to get rid of Starmer and not necessarily what the, then, defense secretary actually believed. The people behind Burnham needed "someone" to trigger a revolt within Cabinet.

And this man has the nuclear codes...... it is honestly despairing beyond belief.

There’s about 20 posters who knew what OP was talking about.

If you don’t know, why do you feel so entitled that OP has to educate you?! Just ignore the thread or look it up, surely?

Our Greater London buses were on strike at the same time the Piccadilly Line was closed for updates. Thanks guys.....

It is like he's decided to bypass the usual "try to govern the country" bit and has gone straight for the post-PM light-entertainment franchise auditions.

A lot of commercial property is owned by pension schemes. They need to maintain the right "ratios" of asset values etc. If rents are reduced, that's an almost immediate reduction in asset value (asset values are linked to rental income), so it reduces the value of the pension scheme, which could well cause a similar scenario to Liz Truss as lots of pension schemes also invest in eachother, so asset value falls lead to investment value falls in other schemes. Better to leave vacant and keep the artificially/unrealistically high "notional rent value" to prop up the balance sheet asset values. Similar to where the big pension firms offer rent free periods to incentivise firms to sign up for leases rather than reduce the rent over the whole term - same effect, but the latter doesn't knock down notional rental value and asset value.

For smaller outlets, it's probably the money laundering and crime gangs who own the properties, i.e. "single" shop front shops, which are more likely used by money laundering barbers, vape shops, nail bars, etc. They are bought and sold between the criminal gangs to transfer money between them, in payment for drugs, arms, or whatever, a bit like how other high value assets like antiques, paintings, etc are "sold" between criminal gangs and artificially high values to legitimise money paid between gangs.

Where has Labour advised people not to send their children to private school?

She pays the fees and VAT, so does as she says.

The country is a joke so I don't mind Andy putting a bit of humour into our daily lives. At least he's trying to make things better, what are any of you doing?

No.

😁 each time

Well. Blowing my own trumpet I know but I started a fairly lighthearted thread on Mumsnet and didn’t use the word ‘lighthearted’ in the title.

Making things better?????

Are you actually having a laugh!!!

Where is the plan and action for growth? Where is the vision for firing up the economy? Or getting the millions of neets into work? Your post is the most ridiculous one yet! Bunham is doing absolutely fuck all to improve anything for anyone, and things are just about to get even worse.

🤣

I agree, it's classic "re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic". Or put another way, fur coat and no knickers.

A millionaire ex-stock broker, turned grifter, who cos-plays (badly) as 'a man of the people', while looking like a Sptting Image puppet who's pushing climate-change denialism in his designer blue suits, what could possibly go wrong? 😁

if we get old Nige, we'll be longing for 'coked-up Baz down the Red Lion' to take his place

You think 14 years of Neofascist rule can be undone in a couple of months? Andy might be many things but he's no miracle worker. The country is in shambles and Labour have an almighty task ahead of them. He needs a minimum of 10 years before anyone should even consider questioning him. That's what it will take to even undo a fraction of what the previous stewards of the country have put us through. Have some bleedin' faith for crying out loud.

😂That is a sight we def don't want to see!!!
It was bad enough seeing him lamely strumming on the guitar like he is a born again Liam Gallagher. I for one want to see a proper leader in No10 ASAP. I am utterly sick of this Labour circus. The stakes are far too high to continue as we are.

@DebbieSavage don't forget the made up nonsense "austerity"

This is simply not going to wash my friend, you have had years now and all that has happened is that we have even more debt, even more unemployed, even more companies and HNW individuals leaving the country in droves. We are literally bleeding out as a nation. Every decision Reeves made was the wrong one! I have never in all of my days seen such a bunch of total incompetents vastly out of their depth sinking by the day. It is an embarrassment of international proportions!!!

I would sooner have the conservatives back and running the country properly, even with their problems than carry on with this debacle which is costing us all so dearly. Another 2 years of this and we will need an IMF bail out!!!!!!! FFS