Election Year or Fear!

[SithHappens]

In the Labour Party manifesto they stated ‘we will not increase National Insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates of Income Tax, or VAT.’ That’s a direct lift from the manifesto, no rewording by me

This mornings news suggests they will

If they do, logic suggests they have lied their way to an election win just as much as the Leave campaign lied their way to Brexit

I repeat my mantra, ‘there are no clean hands in politic

I prefer to wait until the budget has taken place to judge.

We will see.

I still think they got it wrong over the WFA.

[Andy_Faber]

I prefer to wait until the budget has taken place to judge.

We will see.

I still think they got it wrong over the WFA.

Preference respected but lets face it everything is pre-leaked these days as it softens the blow. I might explain why it matters to me if what I suspect transpires

So do I re WFA

[ramAnag]

I prefer to wait until the budget has taken place to judge.

We will see.

I still think they got it wrong over the WFA.

Me too. This Government was elected just three and a half months ago with a huge majority. Let’s wait to see what’s actually in the budget before we criticise.
If they break their promises then it’s reasonable to take them to task…until then…well let’s just wait and see.

The WFA? I’m sure there are cases where removal of this age based ‘benefit’ - and that’s exactly what it is - will cause hardship and, I agree, that needs investigating.
Equally, I know there are many cases where such ‘benefits’ can be better targeted…it’s just very easy for certain individuals/organisations to play the ‘look at nasty Labour picking on the poor pensioners’ card.
It’s more complicated than that and yes…I do speak as someone who will be £300 worse off this winter…but it’s also worth remembering that my fuel costs have reduced by around 35% (heating oil and electricity) since two years ago, although the price remains volatile given the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

[Trickytreesreds]

Me too. This Government was elected just three and a half months ago with a huge majority. Let’s wait to see what’s actually in the budget before we criticise.
If they break their promises then it’s reasonable to take them to task…until then…well let’s just wait and see.

The WFA? I’m sure there are cases where removal of this age based ‘benefit’ - and that’s exactly what it is - will cause hardship and, I agree, that needs investigating.
Equally, I know there are many cases where such ‘benefits’ can be better targeted…it’s just very easy for certain individuals/organisations to play the ‘look at nasty Labour picking on the poor pensioners’ card.
It’s more complicated than that and yes…I do speak as someone who will be £300 worse off this winter…but it’s also worth remembering that my fuel costs have reduced by around 35% (heating oil and electricity) since two years ago, although the price remains volatile given the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The WFA is set too low. Considering minimum wage gets you £22k FOR A 37 HR WEEK. How is it right that granny loses her benefit, for earning over half that amount? If he had met the criteria of the minimum wage as a cut off point. no one would be saying anything. The money saved is peanuts to what they have given away, on farcical things like foreign climate aid. .

[SithHappens]

Preference respected but lets face it everything is pre-leaked these days as it softens the blow. I might explain why it matters to me if what I suspect transpires

So do I re WFA

There was a lot leaked under the tories, often I think to see what public reaction was. I don't think Labour are too concerned about reaction right now they have the majority and the black hole that will help them validate what's done.

[Trickytreesreds]

There was a lot leaked under the tories, often I think to see what public reaction was. I don't think Labour are too concerned about reaction right now they have the majority and the black hole that will help them validate what's done.

The black hole, they won't provide proof of, only the black hole they have already created?

[SithHappens]

Me too. This Government was elected just three and a half months ago with a huge majority. Let’s wait to see what’s actually in the budget before we criticise.
If they break their promises then it’s reasonable to take them to task…until then…well let’s just wait and see.

The WFA? I’m sure there are cases where removal of this age based ‘benefit’ - and that’s exactly what it is - will cause hardship and, I agree, that needs investigating.
Equally, I know there are many cases where such ‘benefits’ can be better targeted…it’s just very easy for certain individuals/organisations to play the ‘look at nasty Labour picking on the poor pensioners’ card.
It’s more complicated than that and yes…I do speak as someone who will be £300 worse off this winter…but it’s also worth remembering that my fuel costs have reduced by around 35% (heating oil and electricity) since two years ago, although the price remains volatile given the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

I've always felt it should be means tested. I just think it was rushed in. I'm probably biased because of a friend who I've mentioned before who will find it hard. For me it should have been announced but brought in next year, give those affected time to perhaps make some lifestyle choices through the year to save that bit more for winter

[SithHappens]

The black hole, they won't provide proof of, only the black hole they have already created?

The tories say no black hole, the government say there is. personally I think the truth lies somewhere in between.

But I have no evidence of course.

[Trickytreesreds]

The tories say no black hole, the government say there is. personally I think the truth lies somewhere in between.

But I have no evidence of course.

They have been challenged sith to show this black hole. They refuse to do so.
I take that as a lie then and the black hole we now have, is after all the pay rises/ the white elephant GB energy/ foreign aid/ foreign climate aid/ asylum fiasco/ all the little ones added together like donations to African spice girls band, or dance troops.

[MadAmster]

They have been challenged sith to show this black hole. They refuse to do so.
I take that as a lie then and the black hole we now have, is after all the pay rises/ the white elephant GB energy/ foreign aid/ foreign climate aid/ asylum fiasco/ all the little ones added together like donations to African spice girls band, or dance troops.

Pay rises. I don't think anybody could, successfully, argue that doctors and nurses didn't deserve a hefty rise. Well deserved IMO. Add to that the fact that, due to the low wage and high hours, doctors and nurses were leaving at a great rate to get jobs either in the private sector or abroad then the rises were totally necessary to keep the NHS alive. Hopefully, this rise will stem the flow and encourage more to join the NHS. I also think their next rise will also be higher than inflation.

The train drivers? Don't they work for privately owned rail companies. How would their pay rise affect government coffers? As I've said before, the Blue Tory HMG getting involved and putting the mockers on any real wage negotiations was strange as, in reality, it's not their job to negotiate wage rates and/or T&C's in the private sphere. It was a purely political move on their part and should not, IMO, have happened. What will happen down the line ( ) will be interesting to follow. What I don't ever see being agreed to is railway employees agreeing to more weekend working tied to a decrease in weekend working premiums, ditto night shifts and they also won't agree to things they deem to lessen passenger safety. Personally, I can't say I disagree with them. The cure? When franchises expire, don't extend them. Let a national enterprise take over and run them for the good of passengers. Most are foreign owned. At least one is Dutch owned and the dividend they get helps keep our train service running somewhat better than the UK trains.