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Tories more radical than labour on cost of living. Out-manoeuvred.
https://twitter.com/OwenJones84/status/1529793215095877633?s=20&t=yGOhtTFVPipMrMMoYxfkWA
Starmer can’t win with you though, can he
DazhOwen…– doesn’t effect government policy, and he’s ineffective
– changes government policy, and he’s “out-manoeuvred”🤷🏻
They will drone on about it being paid out of windfall tax. But it won’t be.
There is every chance of that. With the 90% investment loophole Sunak sneaked in there... the oil countries just have to plow the profits into developing new North Sea oil fields (which they already want to do, and government should be restricting, not encouraging, if they're serious about net zero) to reduce what they pay as part of the "Temporary Energy Profits Levy". Then the treasury will just look elsewhere. You'd hope from other taxes or from borrowing... but we'll see what happens with the uprating of benefits next year... I can see the devaluing of benefits and public sector wages being part of the mix.
How does labour's £600 compare now? Out-manoeuvred and outflanked. You really couldn't make it up.
https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1529789091130269696?s=20&t=yGOhtTFVPipMrMMoYxfkWA
Well, there you go, windfall tax paired to a 90% tax relief for oil companies investing in new extraction.
Net zero? Give zero shits about burning as much oil as possible more like.
Do you have a link for that please?
I heard Sunak say it in his speech, just now. Not looked at the policy documents.
Just done a google... this came up first... but give the usual journalists a bit of time to analyse and describe it better...
U.K. Treasury Chief on Thursday outlined a new 25% tax on the profits of oil-and-gas companies.
Rishi Sunak told the House of Commons that this is a temporary levy which will raise around 5 billion pounds ($6.29 billion) over the next year, and will be used to fund subsidies for households.
The tax will be phased out when oil and gas prices return to historically normal levels, Mr. Sunak said.
In addition, the Chancellor said the government is raising investment allowances so that, for every pound invested, companies get back a 90% tax relief.
I heard him say that the tax relief was specifically for oil companies. We'll see when it's all been gone through by people with the time and knowledge.
If it's not green investment, that seems rather daft
How does labour’s £600 compare now? Out-manoeuvred and outflanked. You really couldn’t make it up.
Eh?
It's a labour policy, they've been banging on about for months
The government have done a huge U-turn to get here, just days after voting against it.
Even the most loyal borisbot knows it's been rushed out cover for partygate
It's obvious that the Tories are jumping to the labour demands on this
Johnson in particular will hate that
THanks, yes, I found a mention of the 90% relief in the Guardian but little detail. Its going to be ludicrous if that isnt green investment. But then they classify natural gas as 'green' so...
It’s a labour policy, they’ve been banging on about for months
It's a political disaster for Labour. Yes it's embarrassing for the tories, but it will only be temporary, and it's not like they don't have form for riding out u-turns. Come the next election when inflation will probably be coming down, the tories will be claiming they did far more to help people in the cost of living crisis than labour ever offered, and they also solved the underlying cost of living problem. Labour will have nowhere to go and nothing to say on the single most important issue on the minds of voters.
Johnson in particular will hate that
Don't be daft, he'll be loving it. He's outflanked Starmer, won his battle with Sunak and made him look like an idiot, pissed off his thatcherite critics and distracted everyone from partygate. He's been holding this back whilst allowing Sunak to take the flak so he could use it to draw a line under party gate and make himself popular again. Job done.
Tory/Starmer sticking plaster vs real permanent solutions.
https://twitter.com/johnmcdonnellMP/status/1529799512084172802?s=20&t=OuH67za6AZhYXVnT9WJN4w
Tory/Starmer sticking plaster vs real permanent solutions.
I predict we’ll be back here again.
Absolutely we will. Yes it is a temporary sticking plaster, not a long term solution. It was needed though... Boo... bad Starmer for pushing for it, and getting it, when Johnson has a 70+ seat majority. Bad Starmer. 🤷🏻
Next battle is about uprating benefits to help reduce the effects of the rising cost of living for those hit hardest by it... and make that help stick, rather than be temporary. Not sure Starmer and the rest of the Labour team can get the government to deliver that... but I'll be glad they do. I won't berate them for it if they can pull it off.
bad Starmer for pushing for it, and getting it, when Johnson has a 70+ seat majority. Bad Starmer.
It's very generous of Starmer and Reeves to hand Johnson his next election victory by enabling him to outbid labour on help for working people. It's almost like they're not interested in winning the next election.
Tory/Starmer sticking plaster vs real permanent solutions.
John McDonnell can post as many tweets as he likes with what should be done, without the ability to implement anything, or even provide any cost benefit analysis of this it's a bit like anyone just throwing up a tweet saying 'tax us less and give us more free money', and has about the same level of chance of happening.
As predicted the thatcherites aren't happy. Johnson on the same side as socialists. Who'd have thought it?
https://twitter.com/TLDRNewsUK/status/1529806432287195136?s=20&t=JjMLMAHSBviCUCYE4RZYbg
How did we get from "Labour aren't proposing anything to help people, just sniping from the sidelines" to... "aren't Labour stupid for proposing things to help people, and getting the government to implement some of them"? 🤷🏻
How did we get from
No the mistake was that their lack of ambition led them to propose inadequate policies which would have only partially solved the problem allowing the tories to outflank them by offering more substantial help. Surely you see this? Or presumably you think labour's job is to never propose anything which isn't acceptable to tory politicians and their supporters?
It’s a political disaster for Labour. Yes it’s embarrassing for the tories
As a floating voter, with a passing interest I don't think it'll make any difference.
Even if Starmer had offered a much more generous package, Johnson would simply say their offer was would beating or some other crap.
I listened to the figures from both sides and I can't remember which was which.
I doubt it'll make any difference to those that think multiple piss ups, fights, vomiting bullying staff and fines are comparable to a curry the police already took no action on.
How did we get from “Labour aren’t proposing anything to help people, just sniping from the sidelines” to… “aren’t Labour stupid for proposing things to help people, and getting the government to implement some of them”?
The bar was set so low the Tories have it. Leaving Labour where? Their windfall tax was such a miniscule bitesize crumb that the very fact the Tories have gone with it tells you it's the bare minimum.
This leaves Labour where?
Out of ideas. Again.
But yeah they forced a U-turn according to their digital media. So what?
Are they going to keep feeding low-ball Tory ready policies so the Tories can just take them? Or are they going to offer something substantial that the Tories can't possibly take it because it is at odds with Tory ideology?
People might vote for it - you never know.
Labour - pregaming the Tories.
John McDonnell can post as many tweets as he likes with what should be done, without the ability to implement anything, or even provide any cost benefit analysis of this it’s a bit like anyone just throwing up a tweet saying ‘tax us less and give us more free money’, and has about the same level of chance of happening.
At least he has ideas. That's where it all starts. Tinkering at the seams is a band-aid.
What is this cost / benefit analysis you talk about? Sounding like a neolib think tank there.
Or presumably you think labour’s job is to never propose anything which isn’t acceptable to tory politicians and their supporters?
What on earth does that mean? I think your problem here is that Labour proposed a short term government intervention that the public could plainly see should and could be implemented at this time, by any party of any colour. Johnson's cabinet spent months claiming it couldn't or shouldn't be done. How do they look now? Don't confuse this one u-uturn with "job done" for Labour. Do welcome that the government have been shifted in way that will make a difference to millions of lives this year. Now... next... uprating benefits please...
Johnson’s cabinet spent months claiming it couldn’t or shouldn’t be done.
They were always odds on to do it or something similar.
The only question was timing.
I think your problem here is that Labour proposed a short term government intervention
My problem is that labour have dug themselves into a massive hole by allowing the tories claim the high ground on the single biggest issue people are worried about in advance of the next election, and have also allowed Johnson to partially repair his damaged reputation. The tories now have all the political ammunition they need going into the election campaign. You can write the slogans now: 'We got the cost of living crisis done'. The political naivety and incompetence is shocking.
The ammunition is... why don't the Tories just get out of the way and let Labour get on with the job that they clearly don't want to do themselves. That they've reluctantly done one thing that Labour pushed them to do... after saying for months that it was against their political instincts... just tells the voters that their political instincts are not to act for the good of people, and they might as well move on and let others take over.
why don’t the Tories just get out of the way and let Labour get on with the job that they clearly don’t want to do themselves. That they’ve reluctantly done one thing that Labour pushed them to do… after saying for months that it was against their political instincts
Not quite as catchy as 'we got the cost of living crisis done' is it? Especially when the following line will be 'while labour sniped from the sidelines'.
How about "we dragged the Tory's kicking and screaming into getting the cost of living crisis done, why don't we cut out the middle man"
Either way the are both singing from the same hymn sheet. Labour aren't aiming high enough - that would be a better strategy. And the Tories are doing it through the skin of their teeth.
Same end result.
But not enough. Nowhere near.
It's taken Labour months to get the Tories to do this little.
It’s taken Labour months to get the Tories to do this little. ?
Because against an 80 seat majority it’s really easy to force the government into U-turns
Let’s face it, they’ve only reverse ferreted on this to divert from Partygate.
Having said that, I don’t really understand why there is any whinging about it? It’s a good thing that the windfall tax is happening, no? Of course there should be more but that doesn’t disqualify this as being a good idea.
Unless of course you’re not really bothered about helping people and this can be used for just more political football
My problem is that labour
Is led by Starmer. If some-one else was in charge and they'd forced a massive U-turn on the govt. timed to hide their embarrassment over their leader's behaviour you'd be happy as a lop.
At least be honest with yourself.
Let’s face it, they’ve only reverse ferreted on this to divert from Partygate.
All we can hope is that it didn't work and partygate is back in the news again next week. Although main news channels will get bored of it soon. Looks like they have got bored of Ukraine with only Channel 4 news really covering anything about it now.
Having said that, I don’t really understand why there is any whinging about it? It’s a good thing that the windfall tax is happening, no?
Are you new here?
Starmer will never ever be forgiven for the cardinal sin of not being Jeremy Corbyn.
Otters nose?
'escaped' 🙄
https://twitter.com/johnestevens/status/1530216809122635776?t=jHuJPPHwNsSkMb3yx5aJ3w&s=19
Starmer will never ever be forgiven for the cardinal sin of not being Jeremy Corbyn.
And yet Starmer tried so hard to convince people that he was another Jeremy Corbyn.
In fact his website still makes the claim :
https://keirstarmer.com/plans/10-pledges/
kimbers
Full Member‘escaped’ 🙄
Yup. Having spent weeks pretending there was some equivalence between Starmer and Johnston (and the entire bloody government) now they're setting up for the case inevitably being dismissed, it'll all be "got away with it" not "didn't break the rules" and endless references to Cummings "police let them both off for the same thing"
Starmer will never ever be forgiven for the cardinal sin of not being Jeremy Corbyn
Actually on its own terms the cardinal sin that he was going to be so much better than Corbyn.
But deflect as much as you want.
It appears labour’s lack of ambition to help working people wasn’t cowardice, it was entirely deliberate. They can go f*** themselves.
https://twitter.com/ciaranmcgurdy/status/1530257006891769866?s=21&t=DzR3-BPvtjHhlf1VYnfskA
It's truly diabolical that Keir and Rachel haven't done way more, i mean just because they aren't in power, or have the ability to fund things isn't an excuse, they should be doing way more than the sitting government, i mean not doing more just because you aren't the government, that's just a complete lack of ambition!
Well Starmer's inability to do his job properly will have consequences come the general election, so you are right to feel disappointed argee.
It appears labour’s lack of ambition to help working people wasn’t cowardice, it was entirely deliberate. They can go f*** themselves.
This is just flat out praying to the mythic right wing god of household budgeting for government finances.
It's technically incorrect that they would do the maths this way as we know.
But who are they kidding? If Sunak can just do what's right (albeit through the skin of his teeth) but Labour are still aligned to the insanity of 'costing' spending then they are now isolated ideologically as being wedded to an actual destructive response to the very people they should help - whilst the Tories just offer it up.
Looks like the only thing Labour ideologically have to guide them is a ****ing calculator.
No doubt someone be along in a minute to explain why this an amazing strategy and Beer Starmer is using reverse psychology for poor people. And they should be grateful for getting the government to give them £400-650 towards their £1500 uptick in energy bills.
It really isn't hard when you're in opposition to literally point any of this out.
It’s truly diabolical that Keir and Rachel haven’t done way more, i mean just because they aren’t in power, or have the ability to fund things isn’t an excuse, they should be doing way more than the sitting government,
Argee at what cost to the opposition would it pain them to have asked for £1500 toward the utility increase?
Would it have done them any more harm to for Labour to have pushed for more when we know people are still going to be in a shit state based on even the current uptick in prices?
They would have high-balled the Tories and even if the Tories didn't meet a 1500 grant it would have meant Labour appeared to be beating the Tories in support stakes.
Don't give me any fiscal excuses whatsoever. It's entirely doable.
https://twitter.com/labourlewis/status/1530137759540727808?t=75aus-CIk5E9qsDD_47GfA&s=19
Clive Lewis standing in for Starmer.
(I don't agree with his analysis of government spending but his sentiment is the correct message.)
Can I caveat some of what I say about effectively paying people's bills - it could be inflationary (by allowing continuation of large profits) not the hand-out to consumers so as the need goes up then there has to be smarter ways of bringing the money into people's pockets than just giving a hand out back to energy companies.
But for the time being as a stop gap then £400 doesn't cut it - it's just that a stop gap.
Like I say they're just trying hard to limit the affect of recession.
The bigger picture is much more of a mess.
More tax is clearly needed on the top end of wealth.
Can I caveat some of what I say about effectively paying people’s bills – it could be inflationary
It's tackling the problem from the wrong side. Instead of giving handouts to pay bills, instead they could have legislated price controls on energy and taken a shareholding in the energy companies to prevent them from going under. Of course they didn't do that because it the people who lose out are shareholders. So instead we have a sticking plaster solution which will fuel inflation and ultimately make people poorer whilst protecting the profits of energy firms.