Election Year or Fear!

[Geoff Parkstone]

Well 500 worse off based on last year...but whose counting!

[Trickytreesreds]

I’m away and busy so not taken much notice…but ‘Liars’…why? Reeves, ‘the smiling assassin’…why?
Gather that our winter fuel allowance has gone. Not the best of news but let’s face it…it was always targeted incorrectly in terms of need and as a vote winner from the ‘grey vote’.
If it allows ‘benefits’ to be targeted more appropriately then it’ll make me £200-£300 per year worse off but that doesn’t seem unreasonable in the circumstances.

OK RA, glad you're not too inconvenienced.

However- If you're retired and have income less than £218 a week as an individual, or £332 a week as a couple, you may be due £1,000s a year in Pension Credit.

You get £219 a week or £323 as a couple you get shafted up the ass.
Let that sink in a bit. Party of the people my ass


and before you say it, THEY ARE THE PARTY IN POWER, its on them

meanwhile Milliband is going to toss £11.6 billion away abroad on his climate mission, to lead the way. It leaves a warm glow in your heart dunnit?

There is no difference in this lot or the Tories. Folks claim the Tories were far right. more like far from it. High tax, spend spend spend and now Labour wants to do its usual tricks.

This time however the kitty is empty.

Socialism works great when spending other peoples money, until it runs out, then has to swipe it back from the very people it gave it away to for nowt.

[ramAnag]

OK RA, glad you're not too inconvenienced.

However- If you're retired and have income less than £218 a week as an individual, or £332 a week as a couple, you may be due £1,000s a year in Pension Credit.

You get £219 a week or £323 as a couple you get shafted up the ass.
Let that sink in a bit. Party of the people my ass


and before you say it, THEY ARE THE PARTY IN POWER, its on them

meanwhile Milliband is going to toss £11.6 billion away abroad on his climate mission, to lead the way. It leaves a warm glow in your heart dunnit?

There is no difference in this lot or the Tories. Folks claim the Tories were far right. more like far from it. High tax, spend spend spend and now Labour wants to do its usual tricks.

This time however the kitty is empty.

Socialism works great when spending other peoples money, until it runs out, then has to swipe it back from the very people it gave it away to for nowt.

Okay Tricky…I’ve not been on here for several days and haven’t been in the country or had access to what’s going on since last Thursday but it was a simple observation…the winter fuel allowance, though very welcome, should not really be targeted at people like me…so you won’t find me complaining.
Such ‘benefits’, for want of a better word, need, in my opinion, to be properly means tested so that the money is available to those most in need.
As a matter of fact, in the village I live in, where average house prices are probably in excess of £650k, there are a lot of people of pensionable age and they actually don’t NEED the winter fuel allowance. It was very welcome, particularly when oil was so horrendously expensive a couple of winters ago, but compared with those experiencing genuine hardship we don’t NEED it.
That is my one and only point. I’m not knowledgeable enough about all the other complexities to comment, but if relatively well off pensioners have to go without their winter fuel payment that’s not the end of the world imo, providing the money saved is targeted properly.
Of course people like you will moan endlessly, as you have done ever since July 5th trying to make immediate political capital, but at the end of the day if, as you say, the ‘kitty is empty’…whose fault is that?

[SithHappens]

I've always felt it should have been means tested. Especially when my wife's millionaire boss used to laugh when banking his cheque's for it.

I've told my parents, who will no doubt complain about it, that they don't need it. They don't.

I did soften my view a bit through the worst of the energy bill crisis but prices have settled a bit, if they shoot up again I'm sure extra help will happen.

[swaledale]

To use MA's phrase, the Red Tories are proving to be as bad as the Blue Tories. Liars, tick already. Incompetent nincompoops, jury's out. Immoral, they'll have to go some to match Boris and crew but hey they have five years. Reeves cold be the Smiling Assassin if she ever cracked a smile

FFS! Given your very obvious right leaning views, I'm surprised you find a right leaning Labour party hard to accept, but then looking at what your posting, its fairly obvious your repeating the *******s pumped out by the right wing media, rather than looking at the detail. I mean obviously the remnants of the last lot are frothing at the mouth but then why would any half sentient person believe a word a Tory says at the moment?

Lairs? Mm how have they lied? Come one explain yourself, as I said previously the only commitment they made was that their manifesto promises wouldn't require tax raises.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Let's hold judgement on the question of not needing to increase tax. So far they have retargetted a benefit, which one could argue needed recalibration. We all expect "taxes" to be next (including IHT, VAT, Company taxes, NI higher rate tax).

As long as basic rate income tax isn't touched and personal allowances rise on an indexed basis, they will claim to have kept their promise.

Sentient beings (to use a Swaleism) know that's *******s but the majority of voters don't qualify as that and will swallow it as it won't necessarily hit them too badly.

It will happen as it's in labour DNA. But let's see how they manage to disguise/justify it. Those lies are yet to come

[Trickytreesreds]

Okay Tricky…I’ve not been on here for several days and haven’t been in the country or had access to what’s going on since last Thursday but it was a simple observation…the winter fuel allowance, though very welcome, should not really be targeted at people like me…so you won’t find me complaining.
Such ‘benefits’, for want of a better word, need, in my opinion, to be properly means tested so that the money is available to those most in need.
As a matter of fact, in the village I live in, where average house prices are probably in excess of £650k, there are a lot of people of pensionable age and they actually don’t NEED the winter fuel allowance. It was very welcome, particularly when oil was so horrendously expensive a couple of winters ago, but compared with those experiencing genuine hardship we don’t NEED it.
That is my one and only point. I’m not knowledgeable enough about all the other complexities to comment, but if relatively well off pensioners have to go without their winter fuel payment that’s not the end of the world imo, providing the money saved is targeted properly.
Of course people like you will moan endlessly, as you have done ever since July 5th trying to make immediate political capital, but at the end of the day if, as you say, the ‘kitty is empty’…whose fault is that?

the kitty is empty............ what goes around comes around. Its probably the first time a Labour gov has walked into this, its ususlly them leaving a smashed piggy bank on the floor.
COVID being your main answer. Yes Tories guilty of wasting buckets loads on it, but also Labour for screaming for lock downs, that as proven since. Wouldn't have made a blind bit of difference to the end result. I know that upsets you, but the price of those lock downs, as I said at the time, would cripple the economy.

My point is that your hero, is a pathetic liar. He twists and turns and never gives a straight answer.
His answer is to hit every pensioner not on credit, who are not as well off as you, but barely above the bread line. Peoples party my ass.
Taxes are next my friend, thats a dead cert.
So all the moaning and promises are flying out the window fast and we are weeks in. They had access to the OBR and think we are all too stupid to swallow their propaganda.

Here let this refresh your memory, whilst you relax.

https://order-order.com/2024/07/30/flashback-starmer-says-elderly-awful-fuel-bills-are-the-biggest-thing-in-the-world/

[MadAmster]

Which will f*** the pensioners again as their private pensions will likely be the biggest holders of rail (and water, when that follows) shares.

There's no such thing as a free lunch, just less obviously visible losers.

.. and, of course, those dumbasses at the Pensions funds won't have the faintest idea where next to invest when there's no rail company shares at the stock exchange.

IMO, if they haven't, at least, started to sell rail shares and buy other stock then they really are dumbasses.

For someone from your line of work, you do occasionally make the most amusing of ill thought out posts.

[Geoff Parkstone]

.. and, of course, those dumbasses at the Pensions funds won't have the faintest idea where next to invest when there's no rail company shares at the stock exchange.

IMO, if they haven't, at least, started to sell rail shares and buy other stock then they really are dumbasses.

For someone from your line of work, you do occasionally make the most amusing of ill thought out posts.

Ok have it your way, no-one loses when rail companies are nationalized at asset break up values. Not worth my time arguing with you...

[MadAmster]

Ok have it your way, no-one loses when rail companies are nationalized at asset break up values. Not worth my time arguing with you...

Because you know I'm right. Pension Funds, if they haven't already, will be (should be at any rate) offloading rail shares. YOU are the one who mentioned Pensions, I merely gave an opinion (s sensible one, at that) on what the funds will do or have already done with regard to rail shares.

[ramAnag]

the kitty is empty............ what goes around comes around. Its probably the first time a Labour gov has walked into this, its ususlly them leaving a smashed piggy bank on the floor.
COVID being your main answer. Yes Tories guilty of wasting buckets loads on it, but also Labour for screaming for lock downs, that as proven since. Wouldn't have made a blind bit of difference to the end result. I know that upsets you, but the price of those lock downs, as I said at the time, would cripple the economy.

My point is that your hero, is a pathetic liar. He twists and turns and never gives a straight answer.
His answer is to hit every pensioner not on credit, who are not as well off as you, but barely above the bread line. Peoples party my ass.
Taxes are next my friend, thats a dead cert.
So all the moaning and promises are flying out the window fast and we are weeks in. They had access to the OBR and think we are all too stupid to swallow their propaganda.

Here let this refresh your memory, whilst you relax.

https://order-order.com/2024/07/30/f...-in-the-world/

Firstly…glad we agree for once…the previous Tory governments wasted ‘bucket loads of money’.

Secondly…Starmer isn’t ‘my hero’…I simply feel he’s going to be a huge improvement on the last three or four clowns who have been measured only via their levels of corruption or incompetence or both.

Thirdly…you and, more surprisingly AF, have been relentless in your attacks on the new government over the last three weeks and have both referred to them as ‘liars’ but, when challenged, have provided absolutely no credible evidence.

[Andy_Faber]

Thirdly…you and, more surprisingly AF, have been relentless in your attacks on the new government over the last three weeks and have both referred to them as ‘liars’ but, when challenged, have provided absolutely no credible evidence.

I've not been relentless rA, i'm not bothered enough to be relentless. There are a few things that Labour have rowed back on manifesto v. actuality and have been fact checked as such, the info was on a BBC news web page after an interview on BBC News either yesterday or Sunday but I can't find it now, I think the page has been taken down. The issue was about social care but I can't recall the exact pledge.

As an aside, why don't you ever challenge the provenance of unsubstantiated claims made by people you agree with?

[SithHappens]

Farage upto his old tricks, stoking things up over the horrific incidents in Southport by insinuating the truth about the perpetrator is being withheld.

[ramAnag]

I've not been relentless rA, i'm not bothered enough to be relentless. There are a few things that Labour have rowed back on manifesto v. actuality and have been fact checked as such, the info was on a BBC news web page after an interview on BBC News either yesterday or Sunday but I can't find it now, I think the page has been taken down. The issue was about social care but I can't recall the exact pledge.

As an aside, why don't you ever challenge the provenance of unsubstantiated claims made by people you agree with?

Probably for the same reason as most of us don’t…it doesn’t exactly help one’s argument, but I don’t think I’m alone there and I’m currently too far removed from the ‘loop’ to know.

You were pretty quick to start criticising the new government, although not in TTR’s jackbooted (hobnails if you prefer) way, I accept…and you have called the new government ‘liars’ although…again I accept you can no longer find the evidence.

Let’s not forget it’s the 31st July…it’s less than four weeks since Labour inherited the current sh1t show.

[Trickytreesreds]

Firstly…glad we agree for once…the previous Tory governments wasted ‘bucket loads of money’.

Secondly…Starmer isn’t ‘my hero’…I simply feel he’s going to be a huge improvement on the last three or four clowns who have been measured only via their levels of corruption or incompetence or both.

Thirdly…you and, more surprisingly AF, have been relentless in your attacks on the new government over the last three weeks and have both referred to them as ‘liars’ but, when challenged, have provided absolutely no credible evidence.

My "attacks " as you call them, follow on from all the waffle I heard out of Starmers gob pre election.

Never a straight answer, always maybe/if/we'd like to, then change it 2 days later.

1. We have fully costed everything for our projects, its all in our manifesto, blah blah blah
‘We have fully costed, fully funded plans,” Labour told the country during the election campaign. “Nothing in our plans requires any additional tax to be increased.” Ramming home that message, Rachel Reeves promised every Labour policy was “fully funded and fully costed – no ifs, no ands, no buts … no additional tax rises”.

2. Pensioners paying fuel prices they are is unacceptable and unacceptable- Starmer 8 weeks ago.
Wes Streeting told the BBC just a few weeks ago:

“One of the things that we have committed to is, obviously the cap on care costs is due to come in, I have wanted to give the system the certainty this side of the election of knowing we are not planning to come in and upend that and scrap that.”



You can expand on that as much as you like as we all know what's coming next.
They are about to swamp local councils with thousands of asylum spongers, who will get off the governments backs and onto local services. Your council tax is going up.

Many more pre election lies to be uncovered yet, as they made promises that, everyone with an ounce of sense know they can't keep. Doctors/NHS/Defence/economy.
You may have had faith, but many of us already knew they were just like Sunaks governemnt in another colour.