Enjoy your tax rises.

[WBA123]

Hypocrisy is the word. Starmer is bemoaning the fact that the Tories have left us in this financial mess and that he has to make difficult decisions to repair the damage. Has he now forgotten the fact that Labour left us in just as big, if not bigger mess, and has been bleating on for years regarding the austerity imposed on us by the Tories to get out of the mess?

Yeah terrible mess. We could get a GP appointment, record low waiting times in the NHS. Thousands more doctors, nurses and police. We had public services that actually worked. What a mess Labour left behind.

It took the Tories 14 years to destroy all of that. And get us into a lot more debt than Labour did when they left office.

[WBA123]

It already looks as if Labour have caved in to the train drivers, who were already well paid. Nurses are far more deserving of a big pay rise than the well off train drivers. Anyway, as far as I am concerned, Labour will always leave us worse off than the Conservatives; I cannot recall a Labour government that has left us better off.

This is quite an outrageous viewpoint. Blimey.

The last Labour Government left us far better off when they left office than the Conservatives have just now.

Surely that is clear for everyone to see, even Daily Mail readers must see that...surely?

[WBA123]

Far too early to call them competent and responsible. It’s not been a fantastic start.

I do think there’s a need to hold labour to the same scrutiny as Conservatives had and really reflect on political biases. You for example justify ‘inevitable’ tax rises due to overspend but I’m sure you were a big anti austerity man, which was after a huge Labour spend. The ‘it’s not a magic money tree’ argument only seems to be relevant for Labour.

I’m not against the public sector pay rises, but note it was above recommendation and has come at the expense of winter fuel payments which I think has left a sour taste in the mouths of some. He can’t keep calling this a Tory mess when Starmer chooses how he spends what’s left poorly.

I think the Chuckle Brothers would be more competent and responsible than the last Tory Government.

Public Sector pay rises were in line with independent recommended pay review bodies. They were not above this, I'm not sure where you've got that information from.

I'm struggling to see your point. We have public sector strikes which are crippling the country. The fact Labour have come in and resolved this quite quickly is a positive for me. I fail to see how trying to get the country back on its feet is spending money poorly.

As for Winter Fuel Payments, I couldn't agree more with this. Don't forget it is means tested for the poorest OAPs. But generally I think pensioners have had such an easy ride and they need to feel the pinch like everyone else. Maybe they should give up some of their luxuries (as they're so good at telling everyone younger than they to) like cigarettes and alcohol.

[baggieal]

Yeah terrible mess. We could get a GP appointment, record low waiting times in the NHS. Thousands more doctors, nurses and police. We had public services that actually worked. What a mess Labour left behind.

It took the Tories 14 years to destroy all of that. And get us into a lot more debt than Labour did when they left office.

Perhaps if Tony Blair had not wrecked the educational system ( select grammar schools with the 11+ ) and introduced university fees which are extortionate - many hundreds more of our bright students would have elected to study medicine for 5 years. Unless you have wealthy parents how many students will want to wrack up 5 year debts of around 200K to study medicine?

Thank you Blair and hope you enjoyed your free university life along with the tool makers son!

How about the same hardships in the October budget for these Labour MP’s - a pathetic salary increase?

PS - as that Labour Councillor been jailed for three years yet for incitement to murder? Consistency being the key word if rioters have been jailed for lengthy sentences!!

[regis80]

One thing we’re all forgetting here is, or should be asking - which party led is to Brexit? and what is this costing us? Surely the brexit bus dividend we were promised should wipe this 22b off? Let’s just conveniently forget about that though. Not a fan of Starmer. But at this stage it’s not confirmed which taxes are due to rise. But are we all saying that it was better with Boris and Hancock in charge? If so, then you deserve what you get.
I think we have had enough of the austerity since the banking crisis, it makes you wonder how much more can you tax.. but the shambolic handling around covid and brexit caused by one party is unforgivable.

Yet if Starmer comes out saying we’ll be spending few billions on Ukraine war - you’ll be up for that?? sure you will.

Farage doesn’t support Ukraine in this - you wonder why eh. But yes, he speaks his mind but still no answers. He’s the reason why you’re all still so unhappy.

[regis80]

Elected to study medicine? Jeez Al.. you don’t half make up the things you write. What do you really think motivates people to become doctors? Do you think with the pay offered to junior doctors is a good image to even entice potential home grown students? I doubt. Let’s move on, what next Al.. tell us it’s the immigrants. Please, please.. it wouldn’t be Al if you didn’t finish it off with more immigrant bashing. They should be coming here to pick fruits.. plenty of jobs there Al.
Mr ‘I don’t mind immigrants coming here to pick fruit’.

[WBA123]

One thing we’re all forgetting here is, or should be asking - which party led is to Brexit? and what is this costing us? Surely the brexit bus dividend we were promised should wipe this 22b off? Let’s just conveniently forget about that though. Not a fan of Starmer. But at this stage it’s not confirmed which taxes are due to rise. But are we all saying that it was better with Boris and Hancock in charge? If so, then you deserve what you get.
I think we have had enough of the austerity since the banking crisis, it makes you wonder how much more can you tax.. but the shambolic handling around covid and brexit caused by one party is unforgivable.

Yet if Starmer comes out saying we’ll be spending few billions on Ukraine war - you’ll be up for that?? sure you will.

Farage doesn’t support Ukraine in this - you wonder why eh. But yes, he speaks his mind but still no answers. He’s the reason why you’re all still so unhappy.

100%

Most of the posters on here complaining about tax rises voted for Brexit. Which is making us tens of billions worse off every year. We are getting what we deserve.

[baggieal]

Elected to study medicine? Jeez Al.. you don’t half make up the things you write. What do you really think motivates people to become doctors? Do you think with the pay offered to junior doctors is a good image to even entice potential home grown students? I doubt. Let’s move on, what next Al.. tell us it’s the immigrants. Please, please.. it wouldn’t be Al if you didn’t finish it off with more immigrant bashing. They should be coming here to pick fruits.. plenty of jobs there Al.
Mr ‘I don’t mind immigrants coming here to pick fruit’.

Immigrants? They won’t be near me so past caring! Wasn’t it you that went on the attack about integration of religions to BS?

I agree with the pay rise for junior doctors now let’s scrap their university fees - that’s called an incentive!

[mickd1961]

As someone who accused me on another post of swerving or not answering a question directly, here's my answer...

I don't mind paying more taxes, but I want value for money for it. I want good public services. Under the last Labour Government we got that, you could argue they left us in debt - but we had an excellent NHS, thousands more police officers, doctors, nurses, record low waiting times etc.

The value for money we have got from the Tories is poor. Look at the state of the country they left behind, its hard enough to get a GP appointment now. They've wasted billions of our money.

So, as you've conveniently not answered my original question. Do you prefer the alternative to this? Tories, Doctor strikes, train strikes etc.

You still haven’t said how many thousands of £’s extra you’re willing to pay in tax each year, no surprise there then!?

I stated loads of times before the election what a disgrace I thought the government had become.

In regards to the ongoing strikes I’ll be honest and say that they didn’t really affect me and until something is impacting your life you don’t tend to take much notice of it.

No government should be caving in to wage demands but…….in regards to Public Sector workers, their pay rises should be set in stone by an independent regulator and both sides should have to abide by the decision for good or for bad at times.

So how much ch are you willing to give up each year?

[baggieal]

You still haven’t said how many thousands of £’s extra you’re willing to pay in tax each year, no surprise there then!?

I stated loads of times before the election what a disgrace I thought the government had become.

In regards to the ongoing strikes I’ll be honest and say that they didn’t really affect me and until something is impacting your life you don’t tend to take much notice of it.

No government should be caving in to wage demands but…….in regards to Public Sector workers, their pay rises should be set in stone by an independent regulator and both sides should have to abide by the decision for good or for bad at times.

So how much ch are you willing to give up each year?

Perhaps Regis can offer some stats 😭