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...

5 years of a Tory govt may get the hard Brexit you want

• so losing a lot of trade with the EU - but that is 5 years of all the other Tory policies on the NHS, housing, pensions etc

Each of us have to weigh up what is more important for the next 5 years

Nicola Sturgeon wins the Scottish Politician of the Year Award https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18052893.nicola-sturgeon-named-herald-scottish-politician-year-2019/ for her influence on UK politics and for fostering a sense of inevitability about Indyref2 (in principle - timing still to be debated or so Labour thinks )

Joanna Cherry won the Best Scot at Westminster Award (for her pivotal role in legal challenges).

Some interesting winners in the various categories - both politicians and campaigns

Time was, Scotland would have had some Tory or Labour winners too

Now Ruth has buggered off because of the dreadful Boris gang, the talent cupboard looks bare outside the SNP
Not healhy

To be fair, if you read through the full article and see some of the other winners, there is a gamut of politicians who have been recognised: John Finnie (Green MSP and runner up) who championed the anti-smacking legislation and got it onto the statute book; Ross Greer, another Green MSP as "The One to Watch", a Tory won the "Committee MSP of the Year".

The one I'm not sure I agree with is Jackson Carlaw, wannabe Acting Leader of the Scottish Conservatives who won the Donald Dewar Debater of the Year Award.

pmk

p m k

Popping in very briefly to add a little context from the Times via Jim Pickard, see attached graph. Labour is proposing European level services for fairly average European level spending.

Oh screw it, I may as well admit I'm still addicted to politics...

Rob Ford posted this link to an exit poll explainer:

In three weeks' time tomorrow, you will all be eagerly waiting for the exit poll to drop at 10pm. If you'd like to learn more about how the exit poll works, I highly recommend this explainer from Professor David Firth, who helped invent it: t.co/2TIZBLaf5S

PMK!

@TheMShip does that include the cost of nationalisations? It's a genuine question.

TheMShip

Great to see you back. We all need a break now and then, but I for one do miss regular posters who take a sabbatical!

but there is certainly scope for increasing higher rates of tax.

And not just a big hike, but re-introduce the rate bands. When George Harrison sang in Taxman - "There's one for you, nineteen for me.", he wasn't strictly accurate - even George would have had a personal allowance, something in the 33% band, a bit more in the 40% band, all the way up to the 'top slice' which was in the 90% band. It used to be possible for the Revenue to work that out in the pre computer and even pre-pocket calculator days, so it ought to be possible to reintroduce it.

I think now that people are seeing run down public services an probably there is more of an appetite for paying more, as long as it goes to the right place.

Isn't that the 2018 graph? though I saw one last night for 2023/24 by which time spending levels would be comparable with those in Norway/Sweden/Denmark.

I don’t know how anyone who has used the NHS lately can dispute that such low rates of taxation is not working.
Unfortunately I’m spending a lot of time on a children’s cancer ward at the moment, and the massive staff shortages are directly impacting my child’s care. Despite nurses never sitting down and and staying past the end of their shift as standard. I’ve never seen human beings work so hard. But they all look haggard and I hear them talking about the devastation of not being able to care for children properly and how something has to change or they might give in to the temptation of job opportunities abroad... (and who could blame them?)

I’m so fearful of the Tories getting in again.

Despite nurses never sitting down and and staying past the end of their shift as standard.

Absolutely - with both MIL and BIL having serious health problems over the last two years, plus DIL being pregnant, our family has had a lot of dealings with the NHS. Time and again the story is that you couldn't fault the staff, they went out of their way to be helpful.

I too am scared of the Tories getting in again - they are happy now to sell the NHS off by stealth; with a mandate from the election, they will go at it full pelt to introduce Us style health care.

I don't dispute some tax reform is required - both corporate and personal. And yes the NHS needs better funding.

I just don't understand the need for these nationalisation - I don't understand why it's better - and from everything I have seen these are not costed - the money needed to do it needs to come from somewhere.
I am trying to find an article I read where it talked about the break down if the ticket price - the vast majority of the money goes to network rail. Yet the vast majority of the problems on the lines I know are caused by them. So how is nationalising them going to make it better? Yes the Swiss and the Germans run amazing railway networks - but a lot of that has to cultural attitudes.

The graph refers to 2018 GDP - GDP is expected to fall , plus we don't know what is in the figures for labours spending ........ I suspect the nationalisation are not - so essentially the graph is worthless if that's the case.

Same here. Scared to death. And not for myself...my DH is a very high earner and I also work. I am so scared for the future for vulnerable people (I work with them and see each day how they have been pounded once the last few years) and the selfishness, vindictiveness and arrogance of the Tories, and how this will filter through to the general public.

Over, not once.

Somerville

Somerville 💐
So frustrating and worrying, when you want to be confident your child is receiving the best care 24/7

Not renewing the franchises would address the problems that are due to them, such as ridiculous pricing for commuters, frequency of services, number of carriages, inefficiency, staffing levels etc

If Brexit doesn't happen, GDP won't fall, or at least not by as much. If we do go into recession, Keynes tells us that's the right time for govt infrastructure projects to stimulate the economy. Perfect time to repair bridges, fix those tower blocks with fire hazard cladding, build social housing, etc.

I'm not an economist but I believe nationalizations are not included in running costs because they are income generating asset purchases and will eventually pay for themselves in both income and reduced costs due to economies of scale.

Anyway, Labour won't win a majority. If they do form a govt they will have to compromise. Look at their manifesto as their wish list going into negotiations, there's no need for scare mongering.