Kemi Badenoch elected as Tory leader

[Locutus2000]

This will be entertaining.

The Levelised cost of electricity says otherwise. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6556027d046ed400148b99fe/electricity-generation-costs-2023.pdf
Not so. The US is embracing a clean energy future through the Inflation Reduction Act. It's genuine global leadership. Of course if Trump gets in next week we'll all be fucked.
China is also generating far more renewable energy than any other country in the world. https://www.irena.org/Data/View-data-by-topic/Capacity-and-Generation/Country-Rankings

I’m very much hoping for a Republican President and I hope this indeed makes us rethink our approach to Net Zero.

But do you know what her actual policies are? I'm sorry but 'It's my guess" isn't really cutting it. I would love to hear the R4 interview you mentioned earlier where she revealed what they are. Do please share.

I agree with a lot of what you are saying. The transition to net zero has been too fast and unplanned. There have been a lot of lies told and a lot of the usual dishonest bunch of people making lots of money by telling the lies.
However, the right also have no ideas on energy policy. Saying 'let's frack' is just as unrealistic.

I disagree with a lot of what you said about worker's rights though. The US is not doing better than the UK because they have less workers rights! It's because they hold the world reserve asset, are a much larger country with far more in the way of natural resources. However, they are clearly in difficulty now, in part because of decades of poor political decision making, although the UK is even worse.

They don't seem to know what her actual policies are at all and there has been a total lack of sharing, despite several people asking repeatedly.

She didn't really run on policies and made a point of that

But still worth listening to understand what her overall approach is

See pp, it's just not how she approached the race

Kemi Badenoch on protecting single sex spaces. https://www.kemibadenoch.org.uk/news/we-need-change-law-protect-womens-spaces

Workers rights are important. There are pros and cons to workers rights.

For example a person who feels well treated can be productive and loyal to a business.

However, workers rights in excess can do damage. Increased costs, piss taking, reduced flexibility, loss of small businesses who struggle more to provide those rights.

I don’t think workers should get no rights. That would be awful, but I think businesses should be allowed to negotiate with employees. For example ‘we offer full sick pay after you’ve worked with us for a year’. An employee can either agree to the terms or look elsewhere.

But blanket workers rights are not a great idea in my mind. I think we need to remember that successful businesses make a good economy and that benefits us all.

@Llhaaf Are you confusing workers rights with employment benefits?

Come on @EasternStandard. I really want to take this seriously but I'm struggling!
How about someone who applies for a job as a top surgeon but is unable to talk about performing surgery or demonstrate their expertise in his/ her interview and repeatedly tells you how strong they are and how they are not afraid to speak instead. How about someone applying to be the new CEO of a failing business who is completely unable to detail how they would do this and just makes confident noises. Would you find those people convincing?
Emulating Thatcher and talking tough is utterly unconvincing. It is depressing how many people are taken in by veneer and press articles and don't look any further.

Well, EU countries have far more rights, are far more unionised and over the last decades have out performed the UK, we also tried the v low CT rate root, one of the lowest in the OECD, that didn't work either.

Workers are more productive when treated decently, we've shit productivity, some of the worst in Europe.

The economy is already more or less flat lining, we need to try to do a bit more than blame workers, how about blaming business for short sighted share price policies, lack of R&D, lack of training, lack of investment? ie Northern rail still using fax machines wtf...

Badenoch, like all Tories, looks down on ordinary people and thats why the electorate have had enough of them & went for Lab, Reform and the LibDems.

If you left employment rights to business, they'd soon be no employment rights at all, we'd see a return to pre unionised work force, why do you think the Lab party was formed in the first place?

Human nature hasn't fundamentally changed.

I agree it is not well written. However the mention of anxiety and autism is largely incidental as they are given as examples. I don't think it says they are the same or that they are the only conditions that are relevant? It is not actually about these things specifically, but the increase in diagnosis of mental health and neuro divergent conditions and the impact on welfare and productivity.

A lot of commentary was individuals saying that they or their particular child etc. didn't get any advantage, but then the doc doesn't say that ALL people with these conditions get advantages.

I don't actually know if some kids with mental health or neuro divergent conditions get equipment or transport to school?

It could be lot clearer and better written, but it is just a party doc setting out a short summary of issues that they think need to be considered, not a detailed analysis.

Assuming the figure about the rise in welfare spending is accurate, I agree it needs to be looked at (even if my conclusion might be that the level of spending is fine). Who knows, it may be that the labour party is also looking it?

Draw your own conclusions, as you state you will.

I’m a centrist and would normally be more inclined to vote Tory, but the views in that essay regarding mental health and autistic children were, muddled and very ill informed. In contrast I received a letter yesterday from the D if E asking for my input to improve support for young people with SEND.

I don’t think so. My understanding was that the Labour Party want to make some things which I personally think should be employment benefits into workers rights. So it becomes legally required to offer them.
I think workers rights have been perfectly fine and that the Rayner policy takes them too far, making it difficult for business.

Well I'd prefer your post without the 'come on', don't have a go at me when I'm answering!

I am telling you what she has said, it worked well for her, she won. But I take it you didn't listen to any of the interviews? I'm not going to transcribe them for you, the best way to understand is to listen or watch.

It's not a veneer. She was rational and explained her approach and won the race.

Good a strong woman . Just what we need to get this country sorted . I hope she wins the next election.

Thanks. There is an Oxted Tool company listed on Companies House but although dormant is still fairly recent and has no listing of Starmer's Dad.

I would say the tories are in a mess. They aren’t actually clear what they stand for. I think the reason she won because she was articulating an ethos and overarching narrative to conservative members. If she’s talking about values and ethos as the thing to build a policy framework around that would probably be appealing. Bit like Labour talking about a fairer society or safeguarding the environment etc, it will appeal to their members. They don’t need to specify policies (I imagine Kier didn’t when he ran for leader) they need to just communicate to their members that they have a framework of values etc.

My personal view is that she’s wicked, but fits the current extreme right-wing Tory image awfully well. Hate hate hate. For it to be a final choice between her and Jenrick tells you all that you need to know.

Blue or red, we all just need to realise that she’s a diversity place marker, and that is all. She’ll be replaced long before any election where they have the slightest chance of winning.

I don't think her race had anything to do with her being elected. She is strong confident and intelligent.

we all just need to realise that she’s a diversity place marker, and that is all

What is really incredible is how her winning has exposed these views

I don’t think we should leave workers rights to business. I simply don’t think they need extending. I think business should have some flexibility.

It's bit rich the anti trans brigade praising her because she is anti trans- - the stuff they are not ok with happened under the Tory regime , they did nothing to change anything.

It's absolutely illogical to support people based on one issue. I personally am fed up of the trans brigade ( either pro or against) hijacking every topic going- the country has far bigger fish to fry and sort out -

I also don't care if she's black, I personally would find her an aggressive and unpleasant piece of work if she was white - she doesn't get a free pass just because she's black - just as bat shit Liz Truss didn't because she was white