Politics

[ewerk 34847]

  On 29/07/2024 at 19:45, Alex said:

What Labour really need to do is go back to being radical in opposition 

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Well what else have they been doing in opposition? It doesn’t look like they’ve been preparing for power.

[Gemmill 53775]

The main journalists from the Telegraph, Sun and Mail are all reporting all of the cuts Reeves has announced today, with literally not a mention of the stuff about Hunt lying to the OBR etc. Like check their twitter accounts, they aren't mentioning it at all. It's really quite sinister shit. 

 

That's the context for Reeves's actions. I'm still hopeful of some stuff in the budget in October, but I totally understand them not just immediately announcing massive borrowing, given the context I mention above. 

 

I don't want to hear any more from TT's resident Owen Jabronis. 

[Renton 24803]

  On 29/07/2024 at 19:44, ewerk said:

And why is all that? It’s because of a lack of investment going back to the financial crash. It’s completely short sighted to say that we shouldn’t invest because our economy is under performing. We have to invest because our economy is underperforming.

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Investment in the right infrastructure, I completely agree. What are the priorities? Probably renewable energy and the national grid I would think. Stuff that was actually in the manifesto but it's not happening overnight. 

Labour have scrapped Rwanda, the Bibby Stockholm, already. ECHR status protected, working on closer relations with the EU. It's going to take time. 

[Alex 38263]

  On 29/07/2024 at 19:47, ewerk said:

Well what else have they been doing in opposition? It doesn’t look like they’ve been preparing for power.

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Bit early to judge imo

[ewerk 34847]

  On 29/07/2024 at 19:49, Gemmill said:

 

That's the context for Reeves's actions. I'm still hopeful of some stuff in the budget in October, but I totally understand them not just immediately announcing massive borrowing, given the context I mention above. 

 

I don't want to hear any more from TT's resident Owen Jabronis. 

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Surely now is the best time to do it? So by the time the next election comes round then people will be able to feel the effects of it and the flak they’ll get for borrowing will be long forgotten.

[Gemmill 53775]

  On 29/07/2024 at 19:53, ewerk said:

Surely now is the best time to do it? So by the time the next election comes round then people will be able to feel the effects of it and the flak they’ll get for borrowing will be long forgotten.

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It's the 29th of July man. We're not even out of the month of the election. 

[ewerk 34847]

  On 29/07/2024 at 19:51, Alex said:

Bit early to judge imo

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I’m certainly not writing them off and I get this is seen as a ten year plan but what’s the point in having a massive majority if you’re not going to be brave with it?

[Alex 38263]

Look, they’re setting a framework for the narrative. Instead of going for shitty, headline grabbing popularism. They’re not interested in looking good to student wankers who’ll be Tories as soon as they’ve got a mortgage. Judge them by their actions. They’re quite rightly highlighting the economic obfuscation of the previous government. And, oh no! they’re not going ahead with a Boris Johnson hospital building project that was never funded or likely to happen. And they’ve already made public sector pay offers that are above inflation and have (hopefully) ended the jnr doctors pay dispute. The absolute cunts. 
That’s just a general rant which has absolutely no relation to me being directly involved on my first day back at work after two mostly lovely two weeks off 

Edited July 29, 2024 by Alex

[Gemmill 53775]

It would have been a fucking mental thing to do to stand up today and announce how the previous government had lied to the OBR, and that the public finances are in an even worse state than anyone imagined....and then follow it up with "SO WE'RE GETTING THE CREDIT CARD OUT!" 

[spongebob toonpants 4603]

  On 29/07/2024 at 20:01, Gemmill said:

"SO WE'RE GETTING THE CREDIT CARD OUT!" 

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Calm down George Osbourne

[Gemmill 53775]

  On 29/07/2024 at 20:27, spongebob toonpants said:

Calm down George Osbourne

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It's obviously how it would be reported though, isn't it? "The public finances are in the toilet, and now Labour are getting the credit card out". 

[spongebob toonpants 4603]

  On 29/07/2024 at 20:31, Gemmill said:

 

It's obviously how it would be reported though, isn't it? "The public finances are in the toilet, and now Labour are getting the credit card out". 

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They are never going to get good reporting. Worrying about the Mail and the Telegraph is pointless

[NJS 4778]

  On 29/07/2024 at 20:31, Gemmill said:

 

It's obviously how it would be reported though, isn't it? "The public finances are in the toilet, and now Labour are getting the credit card out". 

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Reeves used the household budget analogy in the last couple of days. No excuse for that level of stupidity unless it's a deliberate way of ruling out spending. 

[ewerk 34847]

  On 29/07/2024 at 20:31, Gemmill said:

 

It's obviously how it would be reported though, isn't it? "The public finances are in the toilet, and now Labour are getting the credit card out". 

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How about ‘things are worse than we thought so we’re going to have to accelerate our plans to stimulate the economy’?

[Renton 24803]

  On 29/07/2024 at 20:59, ewerk said:

How about ‘things are worse than we thought so we’re going to have to accelerate our plans to stimulate the economy’?

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Yep, i can certainly see the Sun, Mail, Telegraph, BBC, Sky etc getting on board with that message. 

 

Besides, you still need to make the correct spending in the right areas. Just not sure how feasible detailed plans would be in opposition because you need civil servants to work on this. Not to mention the Tories allegedly have been hiding the data. 

 

As Alex said, Reeves accepted the independent body recommendation pay rises for the public sector today. A real action that will make a real difference to millions of people, immediately. If it avoids strikes and helps retention, it will help nearly everyone. After 3 weeks governance. But people are twisting already? I mean I expected this, but not this soon. 

 

Edited July 29, 2024 by Renton

[ewerk 34847]

  On 29/07/2024 at 21:30, Renton said:

 

Yep, i can certainly see the Sun, Mail, Telegraph, BBC, Sky etc getting on board with that message. 

 

Besides, you still need to make the correct spending in the right areas. Just not sure how feasible detailed plans would be in opposition because you need civil servants to work on this. Not to mention the Tories allegedly have been hiding the data. 

 

As Alex said, Reeves accepted the independent body recommendation pay rises for the public sector today. A real action that will make a real difference to millions of people, immediately. If it avoids strikes and helps retention, it will help nearly everyone. After 3 weeks governance. But people are twisting already? I mean I expected this, but not this soon. 

 

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You know as well as I do that Starmer's political capital is at its highest in the first 100 days. During that time you can pretty much ignore the naysayers. I know that we're not even close to the end of the first 100 days but it seems like the first major government announcement we've had is 'things are shit and we're going to have to tighten our belt' and that's pretty uninspiring.

[Renton 24803]

  On 30/07/2024 at 07:26, ewerk said:

 

You know as well as I do that Starmer's political capital is at its highest in the first 100 days. During that time you can pretty much ignore the naysayers. I know that we're not even close to the end of the first 100 days but it seems like the first major government announcement we've had is 'things are shit and we're going to have to tighten our belt' and that's pretty uninspiring.

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Blair didn't do anything drastic in his first term of office. It's like Gemmill says, you need to control the narrative. You need to highlight the tories have been hiding a blackhole in the budget and not let people forget this, like they did (falsely) to Labour. Do you really think ripping up the manifesto in the first month is a good idea? I mean, I thought we were all aware it was going to be pretty uninspiring stuff for a few years. Getting rid of the Stone Henge bypass and winter fuel payments for rich pensioners is fine by me anyway. 

[ewerk 34847]

  On 30/07/2024 at 08:49, Renton said:

 

Blair didn't do anything drastic in his first term of office. It's like Gemmill says, you need to control the narrative. You need to highlight the tories have been hiding a blackhole in the budget and not let people forget this, like they did (falsely) to Labour. Do you really think ripping up the manifesto in the first month is a good idea? I mean, I thought we were all aware it was going to be pretty uninspiring stuff for a few years. Getting rid of the Stone Henge bypass and winter fuel payments for rich pensioners is fine by me anyway. 

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In Blair's first few months he made the BoE independent, got the IRA to agree to a ceasefire, announced £1bn for social housing and started Scottish and Welsh devolution.

 

It's still very early days but I feel like Labour should be taking advantage of their honeymoon period and massive majority.

[Renton 24803]

  On 30/07/2024 at 08:57, ewerk said:

 

In Blair's first few months he made the BoE independent, got the IRA to agree to a ceasefire, announced £1bn for social housing and started Scottish and Welsh devolution.

 

It's still very early days but I feel like Labour should be taking advantage of their honeymoon period and massive majority.

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And in 3 weeks Starmer has scrapped Rwanda with the view of completely changing the asylum system, given the publlic sector a pay rise, and settled the junior doctor's dispute. And been seen as an adult on the World stage. There's loads in the manifesto which will be enacted, in time. 

[Gemmill 53775]

Blair didn't start off in 97 with the public finances in the toilet either. 

[Gemmill 53775]

 

 

 or 🔥 as they say on twitter. Pleased to see Rayner is not gonna allow this fucking arsehole Badenoch to stand and talk down to her, which she's done twice now in the last week. 

 

 

 

[Gemmill 53775]

 

 

[Rayvin 6684]

  On 29/07/2024 at 19:56, ewerk said:

I’m certainly not writing them off and I get this is seen as a ten year plan but what’s the point in having a massive majority if you’re not going to be brave with it?

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Ewerk rapidly becoming my favourite poster here  

[ewerk 34847]

I thought I already was. 

[Rayvin 6684]

  On 30/07/2024 at 13:12, ewerk said:

I thought I already was. 

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You were up there naturally, just needed some naive idealism and sixth form debate club approaches here and there to get you over the line

 

For my two cents I actually think Labour are doing ok so far but I suspect my bar for them might be even lower than yours