What would this Labour government have to do to change your mind about them?

[StrongLikeMamma]

If you are considering voting for someone else, or not voting at all?

Increases in taxation = slower economic growth = lower tax revenues = need to increase taxes further = slower economic growth and so on.

This was previously disguised by increasing Government debt that is now no longer an option.

The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you will run out of other people's money.

In answer to the OP’s question, reform benefits properly (I’m afraid that I just don’t buy the idea that lots of young people are so paralysed by anxiety that they cannot work), let shabana Mahmood do her job. I think now that they’ve gone so heavily for the private sector and done pay deals with absolutely no reform baked in, the time has passed, but what they should do is reform public sector pensions - they are unfortunately unaffordable and officials statistics now show that public sector workers are not generally underpaid compared to the private sector as the private sector has been so hammered they can’t really give the pay rises. End the triple lock within a couple of years, which in the long term will bankrupt the country. Of course they won’t do any of that. But it is what is best for the country.

Agree with pension reform. Unaffordable.

Unemployment up (particularly re youth unemployment)
Illegal immigration up
Benefits bill up
Taxation up
Debt up
Millionaires..down

Come on...don't you read anything (other than the Guardian)?

You keep saying it, and clearly like that quote, but what about when the Tories did exactly the same thing of raising taxes by freezing allowances?

@Timeforabitofpeace

but what about when the Tories did exactly the same thing of raising taxes by freezing allowances?

I thought people voted Labour to be better than the conservatives, not the same? So, I can’t see the point of referring back to the previous government. Seems to be:

Wrong + Wrong = Right

When the Tories did it then it also slowed the economy. It does make any difference to the economic effects of increasing taxation which political party does it.

The voters on the other hand like political parties that promise to spend more money especially when they are told that the money will come from "efficiency savings" or "closing tax loopholes " or "growing the economy".

Unfortunately it invariably ends up being paid by tax increases.

Reform, though, don’t believe in the public sector, so there won’t be tax rises, but equally no services.

You keep saying it, and clearly like that quote, but what about when the Tories did exactly the same thing of raising taxes by freezing allowances?
Yes the Tories did use that device. But it is Totally wrong to keep doing it year after year and hoping it causes no problems.
We voted to be better off under different policies not worse off.
There are no reasons to think that growth will recover as a result of The Budget the girl from accounts dept gave us.

Labour are beyond repair. They will see out their government and that will be them for decades. They won’t get voted back in for a very long time. Nothing they can do at this point will change the way this country is heading.

Rachel Reeves is currently live on BBC facing questions about the last budget. She keeps on referring to what the last government did over a period of 14 years. Reasons for increasing taxes have been given as:

22 billion black hole, which OBR said was wrong as it included. 9 billion for train drivers.

Brexit, even though the Labour Party said in their manifesto there would be no return to either the CU or SM

COVID was mentioned too.

They could just stop lying, and put the country first not the Labour party. You know, like Keir said he would. He could also spend a bit more time in the UK leading his party, and less time looking like a spare part on the world stage. Telling Tony Blair to butt out would also be a good thing, since many of the countries current problems can be laid at his government's door :)

How many billions have you recovered so far Rachel?

Rachel Reeves
@ RachelReevesMP
BREAKING: Labour will appoint a Covid Corruption Commissioner to recover billions lost to waste and fraud.

Well what a surprise…a manifesto pledge to deliver growth sees yet another fall in GDP. With such growth centric policies this must be a real surprise to the Government. The only thing that seems to be growing is the national debt ;)

Though, that shouldn’t be a surprise…look at what Blair / Brown did to the country. The Cameron/Osborne's government came into power with a £147Bn structural deficit, which adjusted for inflation, in today's terms is about £240 Bn. It’s still not that high today.

People seem to forget what a mess Labour made of the economy last time. And to add a little colour to that deficit number; you would have course expect to be running a deficit in the aftermath of an event like the Global Financial Crisis. However, Blair/Brown barrelled INTO the GFC running a structural budget deficit of ~£80bn (~6% of GNI, the worst in the developed world). In periods of growth, like 2000-2007 you can mask a structural deficit with record tax receipts but once the wheels come off, you're well and truly up the creek without a paddle.

Now be fair, that's arguably not as bad as what Reeves has done which is a proper poison pill. One could still just about argue that the budget in 2007 (ie Brown’s last that locked in a lot of the future problems) was one that was set expecting the good times to continue, because as we all know he abolished boom and bust. It wasn't prudent at all, but it wasn't insane.

Reeves is locking in a heap of future spending cuts and tax rise into the future to try to balance what she is spending now which leaves any future government a massive headache as they will be faced with either implementing those cuts that simply have to be made or somehow raise revenues to match it whatever the tax take already is then. Labour are essentially pinning their hopes on a massive stroke of luck for something, anything, to swing their way wrt to global economic good times returning to get out of the deep hole they are digging even deeper. And that actually is close to being insane.

They are taking steps to recapture a sense of long term community investment, starting with a revamped sure start for young families and now the wonderful announcement that will be investing in youth centres.
Sticking with their commitment to redress the Tory years of short sighted cuts ... I am delighted and they get my vote.

Labour seem to be focused on tiny little improvements (such as the revamped sure start mentioned above ) while avoiding doing anything that will actually put the country on a firm footing. It's tragic (for the UK) when Keir Starmer can only bang on about breakfast clubs when the country is staring into the abyss.

Stop illegal immigrantion.
Sack the liar Rachel Reeves.
Stop throwing money at the NHS and start firing some at the top who are overpaid. More money spent on nurses.
Stop trying to go against the referendum to stay out of European Union. That means keep out of customs union.

Agree 100%.

Amazes me how few people mention the Chagos absurdity costing billions..

Plus the pay increases awarded to civil servants, many of whom were already on high wages.

I also want them to massively reduce immigration and begin a campaign to attract back our own British trained health care professionals.

And I’d like the, to sort out our judiciary and legal profession, because I am sick of tax payers being shafted.

And a lot of international agreements we are signed up to need to be revisited, because some are against national interest.

I don't have strong feelings one way of the other about the current government. I'm just sick of hearing about the in-fighting in whichever party is in power. They'd all do a much better job if they'd stop bitching at eachother and get on with running the country. The press needs to stop encouraging it too TBH. It's worse than high school.

There is nothing tiny about the principles and practice of Sure Start nor of support for youth centres - the ripple effects are enormous and positive. It is good to have a government that can think long term and cares about how our young people turn out. The long term effects of young people being confident and ready for work has spin-offs for the economy in terms of full employment and less outlay on criminal justice and mental health.

Enough of people wanting unrealistic magic wand solutions and compartmentalization of thinking and planning!

Their policies aren’t good for youth employment. Hammering SMEs and growth mean fewer with jobs.

What employment? Their policy of bringing the youth minimum wage up to the same level as the over 21 rate is having a direct impact on how many jobs are available for young people.

Yes sure start is a good thing. But its well down the list of most people's priorities. And unless the economy is sorted out it will be the first to go.

The economy is stuffed. And dithering around the edges is just fiddling while Rome burns. Labour need to stop spending so much money on benefits like this.

Nothing.

I’ve been voting Labour since 1979, but I’ve had enough now.

Just hopeless. 🙄

My vote will go elsewhere next time.

Based on what is being reported you are not alone - Labour Party membership has halved under Starmer and is, regrettably for Labour and the country, now lower than that for Reform. Reform is now the largest political party in the UK by party membership….

Source - Telegraph online