Election Year or Fear!

[Geoff Parkstone]

Yet another new Reform councilor resigns after being outed as a **** star.

What awful vetting took place here, did the **** industry wouldn't want to be to look so bad by having a reform councilor in their films.

That said the **** industry and Reform do have something in common, they are both full of massive pricks.

I imagine they used the same vetting process that was used for appointing US Ambassadors - oh but at least this elected official seems to have had the balls to resign instead of clinging on to power until his party kick him out

[SithHappens]

I imagine they used the same vetting process that was used for appointing US Ambassadors - oh but at least this elected official seems to have had the balls to resign instead of clinging on to power until his party kick him out

Agree, Think Farage should just resign.

[ramAnag]

Hmmm. Net migration down to 171,000 for last year. The lowest since 2021. Just saying.

[MadAmster]

Hmmm. Net migration down to 171,000 for last year. The lowest since 2021. Just saying.

ah but yes but no but... the small boats. That's the argument they use. 41K on them last year. How many will get asylum?

Over 95% of the migrants who cross the English Channel in small boats claim asylum, with an average overall grant rate of approximately 62% for small boat arrivals since 2018

Overall, of the nearly 200,000 migrants who arrived via small boats since 2018, only about 7,612 have been returned, just shy of 4%. The primary nationalities returned are Albanian, Turkish, and Iraqi. That means that around 75K who were denied asylum are still in the UK. The vast majority of those whose asylum claims were rejected have not been removed. Deportations from the UK face various challenges, including legal appeals, human rights protections, and the fact that many refused applicants cannot be safely returned to their countries of origin.

From June 12th, the outer borders of the EU will be "shut". Migrants will be dealt with and adjudged at the EU border. Thos with little chance of getting asylum will be sent back whence they came. IMO, the UK should get involved and help. That way we could get our hands on photos, fingerprints, DNA of those refused and those accepted. We should also negotiate that any who pass through the EU and then try the small boat route to the UK can be sent back to the EU. Just as we could in the Dublin Agreement which Johnson scrapped despite the EU offering to keep the repatriation clause... However, it's far too sensible an idea for HMG to try to follow

[ramAnag]

ah but yes but no but... the small boats. That's the argument they use. 41K on them last year. How many will get asylum?

Over 95% of the migrants who cross the English Channel in small boats claim asylum, with an average overall grant rate of approximately 62% for small boat arrivals since 2018

Overall, of the nearly 200,000 migrants who arrived via small boats since 2018, only about 7,612 have been returned, just shy of 4%. The primary nationalities returned are Albanian, Turkish, and Iraqi. That means that around 75K who were denied asylum are still in the UK. The vast majority of those whose asylum claims were rejected have not been removed. Deportations from the UK face various challenges, including legal appeals, human rights protections, and the fact that many refused applicants cannot be safely returned to their countries of origin.

From June 12th, the outer borders of the EU will be "shut". Migrants will be dealt with and adjudged at the EU border. Thos with little chance of getting asylum will be sent back whence they came. IMO, the UK should get involved and help. That way we could get our hands on photos, fingerprints, DNA of those refused and those accepted. We should also negotiate that any who pass through the EU and then try the small boat route to the UK can be sent back to the EU. Just as we could in the Dublin Agreement which Johnson scrapped despite the EU offering to keep the repatriation clause... However, it's far too sensible an idea for HMG to try to follow

Asylum claims down 12%. Number of asylum seekers housed in hotels since 2025 down 32%. Net migration down. Minimum wage up. GBP doing a great deal better against other currencies than it was post Brexit. Credibility with our European neighbours increased. He’s a useless b@stard that Starmer isn’t he?

[Geoff Parkstone]

yes

[ramAnag]

yes

[Geoff Parkstone]

(Legal) Net migration may be down but in gross terms thats still 650k coming in from essentially third world unskilled workforces and some 400k from the British and European more skilled workforce leaving. Would be very interesting to see how much the income tax NI revenue has fallen due to gross emigration and how much the benefits bill has increased as a result of this gross immigration. Of course it might be the other way round, but I think I know where my instinct leads me.

Whichever way round it turns out, this would be a more useful measure than headcount

[SithHappens]

They won't be paying NI cause Rupert Lowe and Nigel say they are sponging millions off us

[ramAnag]

(Legal) Net migration may be down but in gross terms thats still 650k coming in from essentially third world unskilled workforces and some 400k from the British and European more skilled workforce leaving. Would be very interesting to see how much the income tax NI revenue has fallen due to gross emigration and how much the benefits bill has increased as a result of this gross immigration. Of course it might be the other way round, but I think I know where my instinct leads me.

Whichever way round it turns out, this would be a more useful measure than headcount

Okay, sensible comment and I’m sure you make a valid point, but…just for balance…here’s a brief list of ten of the things Labour have achieved in the last 22 months under Starmer and against a background of the hostility and complexities which typify the current POTUS’s madness.

Increased protection for workers facing unfair dismissal.
Raised the National Living Wage.
Adopted Greener energy policies which you must surely view as becoming increasingly necessary.
Introduced the Renters’ Rights Act.
Begun a strategy of returning things which should, imo, never have been privatised, back into public ownership.
Reduced NHS waiting lists.
Overseen a reduction in net migration.
Reduced the number of asylum seekers.
Very significantly reduced the number of asylum seekers living in hotels.
Restored healthier and more constructive links with our European neighbours.

I’m not pretending Starmer is the greatest thing since sliced bread. He’s made mistakes and I know the new national sport is to blame him for absolutely everything while mindlessly shouting ‘we want Starmer out’…but it’s not that bad a record…and, in the meantime, what’s wannabe PM and Trump’s lapdog, Farage done? Oh yeah…got himself a whole lot richer on the basis of spreading ever more hate and division on behalf of his billionaire backers.

[Geoff Parkstone]

They won't be paying NI cause Rupert Lowe and Nigel say they are sponging millions off us

Who suggested that incomers would be paying NI or tax. My point is that those leaving would have been paying it - hence HM Treasury worse off

[Geoff Parkstone]

rA:

living wage is linked to median earnings and has been determined by the Low Pay Commission since 1997. Starmer can't take credit for it

I'm not sure how the employment and renters rights enhancements will work out, there is a school of thought that they will discourage job creation and private rentals availability respectively, to the detriment of the lower paid. Time will tell.

Instigated greener energy policies - yes but at what excessive cost? He's certainly created some jolly nice jobs and pay rates for his cronies....

Reduced numbers of asylum seekers - by just letting them in?? It's a bit like reducing NHS waiting lists by letting people in the queue die.

No he's not been a total disaster but his ability to communicate are diabolical and then there's Mandelsen. I'm not saying anyone else could do better, but to have lost so much cabinet and back bench support in so little time seems his most notable achievement

[SithHappens]

You are right, for a clearly very intelligent person his communication is poor

[ramAnag]

rA:

living wage is linked to median earnings and has been determined by the Low Pay Commission since 1997. Starmer can't take credit for it

I'm not sure how the employment and renters rights enhancements will work out, there is a school of thought that they will discourage job creation and private rentals availability respectively, to the detriment of the lower paid. Time will tell.

Instigated greener energy policies - yes but at what excessive cost? He's certainly created some jolly nice jobs and pay rates for his cronies....

Reduced numbers of asylum seekers - by just letting them in?? It's a bit like reducing NHS waiting lists by letting people in the queue die.

No he's not been a total disaster but his ability to communicate are diabolical and then there's Mandelsen. I'm not saying anyone else could do better, but to have lost so much cabinet and back bench support in so little time seems his most notable achievement

I can’t argue with your comment about communication of policies and ‘diabolical’ is exactly the correct word. Not sure whether that’s the fault of Starmer himself or others within the Labour Party. Either way, I agree with you.

As regards Mandelson. Again I agree. A very bad mistake, but then I believe the late Queen was instrumental in making the former Prince Andrew a trade envoy so the PM is not alone in making such calamitous errors of judgement.

I just get a bit pi@@ed off with the new national pastime of blaming Starmer for everything when, imo, he’s done some good things and the likes of Trump, Putin and Farage are responsible for many more of the world’s and UK’s ills.

[MadAmster]

GP. A thought on the National living Wage. Starmer has increased the National Minimum wage, correct? As you so rightly say, living wage is linked to median earnings and has been determined by the Low Pay Commission since 1997. Now, if the minimum wage is higher, then those on it will be earning more. That higher minimum earnings rate will affect the level of the National Living Wage as the Minimum wage is a part of the data used by the LPC since 1997 to assess the level of the National Living Wage. Ergo, increasing the Minimum wage will increase the Living Wage figure.

Logic tells me that Starmer increasing the Minimum Wage will have an upwards effect on the Living Wage.