Westminstenders: Manifesto or Bust?

[RedToothBrush]

The Brexit Party aren't doing one.

The Labour Party apparently can't afford theirs.

The Conservatives will just lie anyway.

And the LDs got upstaged by Prince Andrew's resignation from royal duties for being a fuckwit.

3 weeks to go...

Oh no, what will we do without your forgiveness? I suppose we’ll just have to go ahead and save the country from Labour’s gigantic tax hikes and financial illiteracy without thanks, as we always do.

Save the country? You couldn't save a seat.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies on Brexit.

*In the short run, our estimates therefore suggest that the overall effect of Brexit would be to damage the public finances. On the basis of estimates by NIESR, the effect could be between £20 billion and £40 billion in 2019–20, more than enough to wipe out the planned surplus. In the long run, lower GDP would likely mean lower cash levels of public spending.

To put this in context, dealing with the public finance effect would require at least an additional one or two years of ‘austerity’ – spending cuts or tax rises – at the same rate as we have experienced recently to get the public finances back to balance (should that remain the government’s priority). Following this path would also mean government debt remaining higher than otherwise, and additional debt interest payments.*

Safe doesn't always mean secure.

Labours manifesto might have vision courage and guts but if they can’t fund it then it’s a problem. Then it’s not visionary but wishful thinking.

Interesting Twitter feed from Katya Adler:
Transition headaches

Why am I even wasting my breath on you anyway? You align yourself with people who are absolutely unspeakable. And I hope you all get flung out on your arses come December.

This may partly explain - but not excuse - why Laura K has been such a suckup to BJ

• to get access to produce this:

BBC Two to screen Inside Brexit: The Battle Continues with Laura Kuenssberg

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/inside-brexit-the-battle-continues

Icantreachthepretzels

Thanks for that tweet.

Does the average voter actually read the manifesto? Or do they just rely on headlines to inform them of the more high profile issues included? I suspect many voters just vote on rosette colour and along their political identity lines.

Scroll on by 🎶🎵🎵🎶

Does Labours manifesto fit within the EU's fiscal rules?

At least the NHS is safe as is education, early intervention, elderly care.

All of the above have been run into the ground by the successive Tory governments regardless of what Patel has to say on the matter

I think several journalists have recently reported that EU contacts are saying that there is no way an FTA could be agreed within 12 months.

Cats sorting out their respective places in their radiator baskets

I was moderately impressed with Labour's Manifesto launch - in particular, the way that he answered the questions (and told the audience off for booing Laura Kuenssberg) - but he doesn't seem to realise that not all the water companies are in private hands Scottish Water is publicly owned (we pay for it as a separate item in our Council Tax).

....and yes, we are such softies that we went and looked out one of the old cat's cradles

Say, just say that BJ loses his seat what would happen then? Slim majority as it is.

Just wondered!

Say, just say that BJ loses his seat what would happen then? Slim majority as it is.

Interim leader and yet another leadership contest, I guess.

The UK is outwith the Eurozone mrslaughan so doesn't have to comply with the fiscal rules and anyway Osborne negotiated a further opt out

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-fiscal-rules-allow-uk-opt-out-2242391.html%3famp

My cat doesn't like liars. Or printers..

gigantic tax hikes

It all depends on what the taxes are spent on. Health care - tick, decent education - tick, decent housing - tick.
Trident - cross,
Wasting money on Brexit 'preparation' i.e stupid adverts - cross.

💐🙂

PMK

Pmk

There is a lot to like in the labour manifesto - but honestly would love to see the numbers on how they will afford them nationalisation. The amount of tax they would have to raise to fund that is huge - and these people are mobile. I believe if this came in DH office would be moved somewhere in Europe - in a heartbeat.

Say, just say that BJ loses his seat what would happen then?

Could stick him in the Lords where he could be PM from there.

Could replace him with another genius of statesmanly proportions like Gove or Saj.

Or could find some old timeserving buffer and persuade them to stand down and trigger a by-election. (But Caution: Remember Patrick Gordon-Walker, Labour's Foreign Secretary that never was, and Smethick where "If you want a (etc) neighbour, vote Liberal or Labour.)