The one way I think Truss will be far worse than Boris is the fact that he was bone idle and simply couldn’t be arsed with any actual work. He saw himself as a sort of ceremonial figurehead. A king.
Therefore the damage he could do was relatively limited just through his own sheer laziness
If people who have worked with her are to be believed, Truss is the polar opposite, so the bonkers policies she vocalises may be in with a fighting chance of becoming reality
I see she’s talking about an emergency budget next week, straight after the funeral, specifically to drive through her tax cuts And the removal of ‘green’ levy’s (so much for Net Zero)
MPs likely to be recalled for emergency ‘budget’ after Queen’s funeral next week – politics live
Johnson would have been more than happy to leave that until October or whenever, if ever, he got round to it, after the party conferences
One good place to start would be the (re) introduction of bursaries for those studying nursing, midwifery, and paramedic training. Then you'd at least be on the way to a solution for the horrific skills shortage.
Edit: replying to Steve above. Sorry.
One good example. Truss has sacked the heid yin at the treasury. So she gets her placeman in but has at a stroke alienated the rest of the senior civil servants making co operation less likely. Lost a load of experience and it will take time for the new bod to get up to speed. This will make it harder and slower for her to achieve anything she wants to do. Counterproductive and dimwitted
binners
If people who have worked with her are to be believed, Truss is the polar opposite, so the bonkers policies she vocalises may be in with a fighting chance of becoming reality
Well the other considerable difference is she might actually believe **some** of the bonkers policies and ideology she vocalises?
I stress some... obviously she was perfectly happy to do a 180 on Brexit but I feel she is more ideologically driven to punish "people" (like Lazy Brits) over Johnson who just really wanted to reward himself (or encourage others to reward him).
How soon we seem to forget the benefits of home working with improved work life balance, zero commute time but same overall hours worked all because the employers never really liked it.
By improved work life balance do you mean sitting in the garden doing sod all with absolutely no supervision or means of disciplining. Because that's what the vast majority are up to, it's just a big con lapped up by the lazy pisstakers in this world.
Or at least if you believe a study with a total sample size of one heard second hand that's the case 🙄
See also the link between ownership of London office property and wealthy Tory types.
Surely not!
By improved work life balance do you mean sitting in the garden doing sod all with absolutely no supervision or means of disciplining.
You have no idea nor any experience of the work that civil servants are doing from home. Don't believe all that you read in the papers. Those that I know are slogging their guts out and working until the cut-off time of 7pm from a 9am or earlier start (managers had to set a time as some were working stupid hours). As with most areas some will take the piss we can afford this and it does not directly affect my nor your experience of our lives. Jealousy is such an unattractive human trait.
You have no idea nor any experience of the work that civil servants are doing from home
Took me a second read to cotton on, but squirrelking was being sarcastic. With an eloquent and assertive reply like that, have you thought about a career in politics Sandwich? 😁
@tthew Probably not a wise move on my part, I subscribe to the notion that those that want to lead the country are usually those that should not be allowed anywhere near power.
Jonny G's promotion is even more disturbing than Blair keeping Woodhead in post. At least Woodhead obsessed over things that didn't exist (60s 'liberal' teaching in the 90s) whereas Goolies could be much more damaging and he seems too thick to know his own limitations.
@sandwich c'mon man, the second paragraph was a dead giveaway!
Yes, there ARE issues with working from home but nothing that some infrastructure investment and proper performance review (and in turn effective management) couldn't sort out. It's not for everyone and I would never advocate for it to be so but for many it makes a lot of sense for economic and environmental reasons on top of the quality of life arguments already given.
he seems too thick to know his own limitations
Doesn't that just summarise the entire cabinet though, particularly the one at the top of the tree?
Thats what happens when the only factor taken into consideration when filling positions is unquestioning and unthinking loyalty and rewarding your mates for . Thats just another way in which Lizzie is just more Johnson, except she has even fewer mates than him so her 'talent pool' is an even shallower puddle
Government by nodding dog
I see that the UK inflation rate has dipped back to single digit which makes it only 0.1% more than the EU average, and considerably less than many other European countries.
I have no idea what the storm ahead might bring and remain deeply pessimistic, but when coupled with the lowest unemployment rate for 48 years this isn't bad news for Liz Truss.
Although obviously not good news for those who were hoping that things would get significantly worse.
https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/inflation-rate?continent=europe
Edit: According to the chart above the UK is actually bucking the trend as in most European countries inflation is still increasing, including the EU average. If fuel prices are the cause I'm not sure why it hasn't had an affect on other European countries. Anyone know?
Food inflation rising. Home energy costs rising. Good news for people who drive for work though, petrol has dropped back down considerably.
https://tradingeconomics.com/united-kingdom/food-inflation
Cost of food in the United Kingdom increased 13.10 percent in August of 2022 over the same month in the previous year. It is the highest reading since at least 1989…
A problem all over Europe though, for sure.
I know that the queen stuff has drowned out everything else but that's not the bounce truss will have been hoping for, having just promised to spend >£150bn on energy prices fix
https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1569990328320491520?t=FMFJziCLG3rHfPxkmY25tw&s=19
The review of the anti-obesity regulations is a bit of a concern to, I'm assuming we'll end up with MacDonald's (or whoever promises Coffey a board seat) running catering for the NHS.
US unemployment numbers announced yesterday were worse than expected; forecast that the fed will increase base rate by 75 bip next week.
This will impact uk economy and likely that BoE will follow.
trussonomics are all over the place and we won't know the market reaction until the promised 'fiscal event'.
One thing is certain - confusion and uncertainty will dominate and that's bad news for markets.
but that’s not the bounce truss will have been hoping for, having just promised to spend >£150bn on energy prices fix
Well the YouGov poll 5 days before that one, which was before Truss became PM, gave Labour a 15% lead, it's now dropped to 10% so it does suggest a possible Truss bounce.
Obviously overturning a 15 point lead within 5 days and in one go is very unlikely. It remains to be seen how things pan out but I very much doubt that Truss will be disappointed in reducing the Labour lead in YouGov polls by a third in 5 days.
I don't think it'll be a linear trend. The bounce is just that and it will happen straight away. It will evaporate if she screws it up.
Maybe not but these things tend to be very much linear - it's hard to get a lot of people to all change their minds in a short period of time, these things are generally more gradual.
For example it is generally accepted that if a government has huge majority/share of the vote that opposition won't be able to overturn that majority and form a government in just one general election, it will take a couple. Certainly UK political history shows that tends to be the case, the only exception in modern history is 1945 and that was with the equally exceptional historical background of the end of a global war.
I'm not predicting anything but I do think slashing the Labour lead by "only" a third in 5 days won't cause Truss to lose any sleep. The new energy price cap was due October 1st, I expect further possible popularity benefits for the Tories as the appeal of a two year price freezes cap sinks in. Of course there will still be plenty of opportunities for the Tories to screw up, and no doubt they will, but I think personal blame directed at Truss will take a while, and how well Labour are able to exploit that remains to be seen.
I think molgrips might be right.. It's normal to expect a blip like this... Give it a few months 'till she starts stuffing it up.. She is just riding a wave at the moment.
I suspect a lot of it will have to do with how the press treat her in the next few months.
Johnson was pursuing this policy earlier in the year, before his fall.
The Government is coming under flack for considering tearing up rules on bankers’ bonuses. According to a leaked letter from the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Steve Barclay to Chancellor Rishi Sunak, this is part of a package of “deregulatory measures to reduce the overall burden on business”, take advantage of Brexit and attract firms to the UK
The continuation of removing all the safeguards introduced after financial crisis continues then. What else are they plotting while the country is officially in mourning? Expect the return of Poor Houses by the spring.
this is part of a package of “deregulatory measures to reduce the overall burden on business”, take advantage of Brexit and attract firms to the UK
Singapore on Thames.
They want to turn us into a tax haven for dodgy international capital with a deregulated sweatshop economy bolted onto it
This was the whole point of Brexit
It’s no great surprise that Truss is now an enthusiast for this. There’s nothing like the zeal of the convert
Average bounce for a new leader is 6 pts ( according to guardian)
https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1570086818925916162?t=P2ks_81BhGvA6SBI4S8uUw&s=19
With all the queen stuff clogging up the airwaves it's hard to say much really
This was the whole point of Brexit
It’s no great surprise that Truss is now an enthusiast for this. There’s nothing like the zeal of the convert
Given the main rate of corporation tax has been wildly lower than it is now from 2013.
Ireland's corp tax sits at 12.5% in the EU.
Brexit has nothing to do with it.
Of course it doesn’t.
You keep telling yourself that as they set about their shredding of workers rights, environmental controls and food standards… oh, sorry… I meant ‘bonfire of red tape’
It’s all about deregulation and a race to the bottom now we’re ‘free of EU bureaucracy’
Just have a look at their plans for Freeport’s for a taste of what’s coming, courtesy of ‘the opportunities of Brexit’
'Shredding workers' rights'? Kwarteng is considering lifting the caps on bankers' bonuses (limited to 2 x income) to 'stimulate the economy'. I can only imagine he's talking about house-price inflation, Colombian export markets and the yacht economy.
Just have a look at their plans for Freeport’s for a taste of what’s coming, courtesy of ‘the opportunities of Brexit
You're the one that called it a tax haven. Might be handy to look up a few taxation rates when making your case.
People form the UK blindly buy from countries that could easily be on sweatshop side of things.
Because they like cheap stuff.
It's already a fact of globalisation.
People form the UK blindly buy from countries that could easily be on sweatshop side of things.
While this is a good point, driving another nation (ours) to become a sweatshop and tax haven state is not a good thing. Two wrongs don't make a right.
Truss & Kwertang have both made it clear that there's lots of pesky legacy EU workers rights that are holding back Britannia
https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/48-hour-week-could-reviewed-100705694.html
Sweatshops are all part of unchaining ourselves
Truss & Kwertang have both made it clear that there’s lots of pesky legacy EU workers rights that are holding back Britannia
But the link you provide says the complete opposite. It quotes the general secretary of the TUC Frances O'Grady as saying:
"Leading Conservatives – including (Business Secretary) Kwasi Kwarteng – repeatedly promised to make Britain the best place in the world to work and to enhance workers’ rights."
O'Grady claims that Kwarteng lied as he promised to enhance workers rights.
Quite
Of course he lied. They have already said the working time directive is going to be removed and right to strike curtailed
O’Grady claims that Kwarteng lied as he promised to enhance workers rights.
Whoa! Hold on there!
Kwasi is absolutely delivering on his promise, he never said he'd enhance All worker's rights did he? And Bankers are technically Workers... So I think the Truss Government have gotten off to a flying start; faced with the COL crisis, strikes across all sorts of areas, and various workers dealing with real terms pay cuts they're working hard to remove the limits on (certain) workers pay.
People might foolishly think it's that Nurses, Fire fighters, Teachers or Social workers need their pay and conditions enhancing, but they never think of the poor put upon Bankers do they?
[shakes head in disgust]
Of course he lied. They have already said the working time directive is going to be removed and right to strike curtailed
This is getting confusing - did he lie or is he delivering on his promises? Someone should tell the TUC as they definitely ought to know.
Kwarteng is considering lifting the caps on bankers’ bonuses (limited to 2 x income) to ‘stimulate the economy’.
That's not going to go down well.
did he lie or is he delivering on his promises?
Can't it be both?
He was Business secretary for over a Year before he became Chancellor, He even did a stint as Brexit Secretary under May; He can't really claim rampant deregulation and chipping away at worker's rights is a concept that never occurred to him, He was up to his neck in it before he was even offered his current post...
The real question is which promises? which lies? And to whom?
That’s not going to go down well…………
………… with people who already have a problem with bankers bonuses. Mr and Mrs Workingclasstory won’t care a fig.
That’s not going to go down well.
Which I'm sure is the only reason why Johnson ruled it out.
However, Johnson told reporters the government would not go further in relaxing the rules for the finance industry, which is still unpopular among the public for causing the 2007-2009 global financial crisis.
It’s certainly an interesting policy to put forward as a priority in the present financial climate
interesting policy to put forward as a priority in the present financial climate
Kwarteng would argue that is precisely why it should be considered:
Ministers are known to be concerned that the City could lose out to other financial centres. The source noted that Paris is offering 30% income tax rates to attract investment banking professionals. They said the chancellor believes that UK tax revenues could be boosted if the City can attract more banking talent.
And apparently it would reduce costs for banks:
He is said to be sympathetic to City complaints that EU-wide rules imposed after the crash to cap bonuses leads to higher basic salaries, which increases costs for banks.
We really do live in a society with ****ed up priorities.
which increases costs for banks
The current regulations aren’t in place to reduce employment costs for banks, they are there to reduce perverse rewards for high risk behaviour… because of the role of that behaviour in the banking crisis that resulted in government bailouts, loans and the societal costs still with us well over a decade later.
Which I’m sure is the only reason why Johnson ruled it out.
Despite the headline, he didn’t rule it out. He just said they were not currently doing it (despite the leaked evidence that they were preparing for it in government). Better to wait for a time when the public are paying less attention, perhaps…
Despite the headline, he didn’t rule it out.
Have a word with Reuters they claim that he did, beyond the headlines :
when asked if he was considering relaxing the rules. "We're not doing that".
I call that ruling it out. Whether he was lying is another matter. But he didn't lift the bonus cap and he did rule out doing so.
