UK Government Threa...
 

UK Government Thread

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It's like the days of Boris but with less catchy slogans

Presumably Starmer hasn't been porking random women on the family sofa, though...

 

But yes - Tory policy delivered with swagger and gloating versus Tory policy delivered with apology and apparent reluctance*. What's the ****ing difference?

 

*Although in the cases of Kendall and Streeting, I'm not sure. Kendal (bless her) is not the brightest and probably thinks snarling whilst cutting benefits is the will of the people (remember that one?) Whilst Streeting is just a Tory in a red tie - the private healthcare industry's each-way bet for when the actual Tory party imploded.

 

Guns not butter. Flag-shagging not cooperating.

 

There's a tiny part of me still waiting to see after 12 months. But, at the moment, if there was a GE tomorrow, I probably wouldn't bother to vote. And I'm about as average as it is possible to be demographic-wise.

 

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 10:03 am
Free Member
 

There are obviously two problems with that. Firstly why is the government so secretive about this planned investment? It is not normal for governments to be secretive about what they hope to achieve, especially when they believe that it should be celebrated. In fact the complete opposite is usually true - they like to proudly advertise their expected targets, they do it all the time.

Because decisions haven't been made. You don't have to believe me, it's in the links above, although the bit that it doesn't say is that it's all a negotiation: How much do you need to do this / ach, can't afford that much, what can be pushed to the right / what could you do with this much / etc.

There's plenty of 'Intent' out there in the public domain; the nuts and bolts are Work in Progress. How much will UKRI have to invest in these key areas? What will they choose to support, and how, etc.?

https://www.ukri.org/who-we-are/our-vision-and-strategy/tomorrows-technologies/

And the second point is that your belief that we should not be critical of the current government because you know stuff that you can't share with anyone is obviously not reasonable.

You can do what you want. I think that you are premature, and in time will come to realise that but nothing I can say will convince you I'm sure, so no point in trying.

 

Also FWIW - we would love it if the process went faster, retaining staff thru' the uncertainty of the next round of funding is hard for all labs like ours. But it's not an easy task unpicking the problems of the last 14 years.

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 10:15 am
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[quote data-userid="4786" data-postid="13549205"

Ed Milliband has just been on bigging up GB energy and renewables (including carbon bloody capture) wonder when 'the project' will turn it's attention on that area of policy... 

there are plenty of bad ideas in the world, but I'd love to see the end of carbon bloody capture and ID sodding cards. Legend has it that if you say "ID cards" three times in the mirror Tony Blair will crawl out of his crypt to suggest them as the cure to terrorism, fraud and the common cold.

 

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 10:26 am
Full Member
 

What worries me about all this is that is that if the Labour Party ****s it up we are doomed to some sort of Tory/reform mash-up after the next GE - or as a minimum some hard right version of the Tories in Government

In a related question - who you all going to vote for in the next General Election? (obvious caveat that there is 4 years to next GE)

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 11:22 am
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I'm not above admitting that I was quite wrong about this Labour government, like lots of people I thought they'd be better than the last lot, and would learn a few lessons even, but I am struggling to identify the silver linings here. 

 

Put me in the same camp. GBE could be very positive, but a lot of the related energy announcements are rebrands of funding agreed by the previous government. 

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 11:31 am
Free Member
 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/21/post-brexit-reliance-on-nhs-staff-from-red-list-countries-is-unethical-streeting-says

 

Whatever Streeting says, the amusing thing is the graph about halfway down.

 

The number of nurses in the NHS from non-Uk, non-EU countries* is 2.5 times what it was in 2016.

 

*And thus more likely to be black/brown skinned.

 

Leave voters really didn't know what they were voting for, did they...

 

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 11:53 am
 dazh
Full Member
 

Hoisted by her own petard! When the day comes I'm going to really enjoy seeing Rachel from accounts dumped onto the political scrapheap. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/21/uk-borrowing-rises-rachel-reeves-spring-statement

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 2:16 pm
Full Member
 

Yeah, the UK is an economic mess. Much if it due to the choices "we've" made, but not nearly all of it. The government's increased spending commitments are already fast out pacing taxation rises and a stagnant real economy... and forecasts are getting worse and worse. Time to start serious talks with the EU? Just spending more isn't enough. The UK making, doing, and trading much more is needed.

Oh, and on the Chancellor's immediate choices... more tax rises are needed (despite the dent the last lot made on public support for the government)... more "borrowing" is required, and happening (despite the moaning of "market" watchers)... and making more hard choices (yes, governments do have to make choices) on where the increased spending goes will have to come. She'll be criticised for doing any of that, and realistically needs to do all of it.

The 2024 fiscal rules are already for the bin... presenting it as otherwise will be the normal politicking though.

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 2:31 pm
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Toynbee has turned!

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/21/disability-cuts-family-labour-5bn

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 2:45 pm
kelvin reacted
Free Member
 

I believe the Shakespeare quote is hoist by her own petard.

 

But yes, she's ****ed as far as I can see.

 

She either shreds what little is left of her own credibility, changes the rules and tries to brassneck it out. Or she reaches into the drawer for the bottle of scotch and the revolver.

 

And, to think, all of this (defence spending and not cutting benefits) could easily be covered by being adult enough to admit that imposing economic sanctions on ourselves is a stupid idea.

 

Strange old world, sometimes...

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 2:53 pm
Full Member
 

Toynbee has turned!

The final lines of that say it all for me.

"I won’t be able to afford to work – we could lose everything"

As I said on the other page, for many people PIP, especially mobility allowance, arguably need to be increased to keep people in work. Not decreased, or removed. There may be ways to stop the increasing budget for disability related welfare payments as a whole... but if doing so takes people out of work, rather than help more people into work... it's going to end up as a net loss for the UK as whole, not just the people immediately effected. With more to come before changes are reviewed, voted on, and implemented... whether this can be avoided or not is key as far as I'm concerned. And, in the meantime, the uncertainty for those that could be hit must be hell.

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 2:57 pm
Full Member
 

Politically a way out for Reeves is too do similar to the new German chancellor - ie  paradigm shift in world order, new financial rules for new times etc.  Not just to cover defence spending, but more widely measures to support society through the impact of war, avoid austerity dragging on growth etc.  It's reasonable to suggest that the war in Ukraine has directly affected the economic position across Europe and a rebuilding phase with greater debt is needed even within her own ideology.

Also use the war as a reason for closer working economic relationship with Europe - begin gentle pitch rolling for a return to free trade/ common market.  Keep the subtext of Trump in sight but off stage as the politics there are hard until Europe more widely gets its collective act together.

 

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 3:09 pm
Del reacted
 MSP
Full Member
 

The number of nurses in the NHS from non-Uk, non-EU countries* is 2.5 times what it was in 2016.

 

There are shortages of nurses across Europe, 1.2 million from the article below, competition for nurses from European countries even if we re-joined the EU would not be as simple a fix as some imagined. Actually making nursing a more attractive better paid job should be the solution, making it an inspirational job for UK and Europeans. And lets be honest nursing jobs create a hell of a lot of value to society and are wages that are likely to be re-spent into local economies. The whole western world needs to revaluate what it values and refocus on what society needs, which isn't running the economy for psychopaths and oligarchs at the cost of the majority, as the current rules do.

Remember that picture that used to be posted of the tory cabinet in the 80's laughing (supposedly about trickle down). does anyone really think that the economy is not a great ****ing big step more right wing now than then, that Thatcherite and Regan economics have not been concreted in, and many more layers of that same trickle down economic theory has been built up to become the dominant accepted wisdom by the whole of the western world at the cost of normal working people. 

How can we afford it? We are paying the costs every day, how can we afford not too change? That should be what everyone is asking, rather than defending the twisted mess that of our establishment economic dogma.

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 3:21 pm
supernova reacted
Full Member
 

Also use the war as a reason for closer working economic relationship with Europe - begin gentle pitch rolling for a return to free trade/ common market.

For example... being a "third country" means the increased state spending across Europe (be that on defence or anything else) won't be increasing production in the UK as much as it could be.

Actually making nursing a more attractive better paid job should be the solution, making it an inspirational job for UK and Europeans.

We hear this again and again... and of course it's true...  but expecting all countries to get their specialist work forces the correct size, given the lag of training and the whim of a public who might well prefer other work, isn't realistic. Flows of people in all industries is essential for them to prosper. The difference with healthcare is that we all suffer when staffing levels are wrong.

Oh, on EU nurses and care staff especially, the draw to Germany is strong right now... not just because of demand, but because residency brings benefits denied elsewhere (like here in the UK). Nurses needs to be treated with dignity in the UK, wherever they are from... charging them and treating them as outsiders, rather than contributors, needs to stop.

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 3:56 pm
Full Member
 

Because decisions haven't been made. You don't have to believe me, it's in the links above, although the bit that it doesn't say is that it's all a negotiation: 

I completely believe you that decisions haven't been made!  You appear to be getting excited over intentions which is fine but I can't see why the government needs to be so secretive about their intentions and not make them public.

You seem to want us to ignore what the government has done and is doing and instead focus on what it intends to do but hasn't yet made any decisions over or even bothered to tell us. That really isn't reasonable.

What would you say to the growing number of Labour MPs who are becoming dissatisfied with the direction Starmer and Reeves are taking........ have a look at this MTB forum where someone is claiming everything looks quite positive to them but unfortunately they can't say why?

We have the Runcorn by-election coming up, Labour will be judged by the direction they have taken since forming a government in July plus their vision of the future which they offer voters, not their undeclared intentions.

And quite right too......it is totally unreasonable to expect voters to put their blind trust in politicians in this day and age. Especially politicians that have repeatedly lied, backpedaled, and carried out screeching u-turns.

 

 

 

 

 

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 4:04 pm
 rone
Full Member
 

Next week is going to be interesting for sure. The numbers are all over the place with the fiscal headroom touted as being used up already.

Also - counterintuitively deficits can enlarge when you try to shrink them because you are shrinking the state but giving money away to less deserving 'causes'. Which might be what's going off here.

Tories broke their fiscal rules several times during the Obsborne years and beyond. They never last and get changed over the terms.

Fiscal rules are inherently a waste of time, and lack dynamic capability to adjust to changing circumstances. 

They just need to go - they are their to falsely appease the wrong kind of people and suffocate good outcomes.

 

 

 

 

 

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 6:06 pm
Full Member
 

The numbers are all over the place with the fiscal headroom touted as being used up already.

 

Economists expect the deteriorating outlook to eat up the £9.9bn of headroom she had in order to meet her own fiscal rules in the October budget.

 

https://news.sky.com/story/spring-statement-a-red-siren-moment-for-reeves-with-big-spending-squeeze-ahead-13332768

You'll hear about how the "world has changed", with global uncertainly knocking growth and forcing countries to invest more in defence.

This is all part of the chancellor seeking to distance sluggish growth from her own budget decisions last October 

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 6:41 pm
Full Member
 

Posted by: kelvin

and making more hard choices (yes, governments do have to make choices)

Thanks for informing us of this. Honestly I thought they had no choice since thats the only reason for a Labour party to follow the tory austerity path.  Now though I am going to have to reconsider.

Going back to the NHS the latest private eye had an article about the new NHS England chair Penny Dash who has been described in glowing terms by Streeting as a "radical reformer". Unfortunately, as they pointed out, those radical reforms include the NHS over the last 20 years, including as the McKinsey health care partner whilst they had a bunch of contracts advising Lansley, so I do have to wonder whether she is really the person to fix the mess she helped cause.

 

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 8:47 pm
Full Member
 

Will she turn round and tax the wealth of multi millionaires and tax assets next week?, nah will she ****.......this labour government can **** right off 

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 10:31 pm
juanking reacted
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the McKinsey health care partner whilst they had a bunch of contracts advising Lansley, so I do have to wonder whether she is really the person to fix the mess she helped cause.

I think centrist Labour politicians links with private healthcare providers is probably at least as strong as Tory politicians.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/19/peer-who-led-government-nhs-review-failed-to-declare-shares-in-health-firms

https://democracyforsale.substack.com/p/private-healthcare-millions-starmer-alan-milburn

How private health has invested in Wes Streeting

https://goodlawproject.org/how-private-health-has-invested-in-wes-streeting/

More than 60% of the registered donations accepted by the health secretary come from people and companies linked to private health. 

 
Posted : 21/03/2025 11:18 pm
Free Member
 

What worries me about all this is that is that if the Labour Party ****s it up we are doomed to some sort of Tory/reform mash-up after the next GE - or as a minimum some hard right version of the Tories in Government

Exactly it feels like Labour are just warming the seat for the proper fascists to take over on a "common sense" footing.

All I here from people is how this is the worst government ever, with the worst PM. I don't agree with the statement just yet but non-the-less that's how a lot of people feel.

As far as I can see energy and fuel costs have caused the vast majority of serial price rises across the UK. The promise of cheap abundant green energy, seems like a con to most people and play thing for the rich and privileged.

Pricing people out of (now and in the future plans) basics like gas, electricity, water, decent healthcare/dentistry, holidays abroad (you can watch celebrities on telly instead), vehicles you don't get penalised on a daily basis, just going to work etc. On the face of it, it looks like an economic apartheid facilitated by government, dished out by private sector liars and profiteers. Any grants offered (conditional) are always toward new very expensive "solutions" where the grant is a butty on top of the going rate, such is the real world! All this going on at the same time as services are reduced, made worse, more expensive, charged for when previously free/included or completely removed. Things were already in a piss poor state, where you thought it couldn't possibly get any worse!

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 12:59 am
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Got a note stuck to my bin by the bin police. This country has got to be the most petty on the planet. Apparently I need a permit costing 59 quid PA for garden waste now. That will go with the permit the private sector bouncers said I need for tip.

I don't know anyone who asked or voted for this bullshit.

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 1:24 am
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We have a piece of paper we have to show at the tip. Not really the end of the world.

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 3:35 am
stumpyjon reacted
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When I see people bothering to complain about such trivialities as bin collections or potholes, it cheers me to see that at least some have no significant troubles in their lives.

Things can't really be that bad when potholes are the number one problem for so many people, surely?

https://bsky.app/profile/tomcalver.bsky.social/post/3ljwmbm2xfk2d

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 8:07 am
Free Member
 

That will go with the permit the private sector bouncers said I need for tip.

It's a perfectly reasonable ask - the council tip is for householders in the council area. Once a year I have to bring proof of address and they give me a sticker to go in the car windscreen. It stops the "less than authentic" builder/landscaper/gardener/houseclearer businesses from rocking up to the local tip and dropping their trade waste that should be paid for (admittedly it does also mean that loads of trade waste now gets flytipped, but that's another matter and should be dealt with appropriately)

 

Got a note stuck to my bin by the bin police. This country has got to be the most petty on the planet. Apparently I need a permit costing 59 quid PA for garden waste now.

Local authorities are going broke left right and centre so only right that add on services are paid for. Your garden waste is still free if you want to take it to the tip yourself (rather priced in to your council tax on a working assumption that bigger houses with gardens were valued higher and so pay more) and someone in a 10th floor flat is also paying some of the cost. If you now want it collected, why should the cost of that be carried by all residents? You want to use the collection, you pay for it (a pound a week, really)

And try living in France, or the US with their householders associations. My mate has told me of the passive aggressive responses when his wife hung washing out at the wrong time!

I don't know anyone who asked or voted for this bullshit

This is a local Gov issue so the people in your area will have done, democratically. But TBH, if someone included that people with gardens who want their garden waste collected need to pay a pound a week rather than people in small houses and flats subsidise them, I would happily agree to it. You wouldn't? You want them to carry your cost?

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 8:22 am
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I have been paying for garden waste for years, it is not £70 per year for a wheel bin.  As for tip, I need to book in advance in a specific 1 hour slot.  All seems fine to me but then I tend to be more concerned with larger governmental stuff than bins...

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 1:05 pm
 rone
Full Member
 

This is a local Gov issue so the people in your area will have done, democratically

Local authorities are subject to a huge drop in grants from central government. Approx 30% or so since 2010.

That's the real issue.

Unlike central government - local government doesn't issue its own currency and relies on external money.

It's another stupid farce driven by Tory cuts.

We live in a bonkers economic landscape where we pretend public money is scarce for the sake of nothing other than the charade of private money and private debt. (Debt and money being two sides of the thing.)

Local government can't technically go bankrupt but they can be in a total mess with not enough funds to do a good job. 

Seriously somebody press the fix button. We aren't getting that next week I bet. Despite cuts and more cuts creating havoc and GDP being downgraded from totally a unreliable and pointless OBR - Reeves will likely cut again.

You can't cut the country to growth. Basically successive governments only seem to understand cut rather than add.

Who'd be surprised when you remove money from the economy things get worse?

(My brown bin has been £30 for years.)

 

 

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 2:55 pm
beinbhan reacted
Full Member
 

We'll be looking at a classic textbook case of the reverse multiplier and reverse accelerator. If all government's hands are tied by 'the markets' and 'events' then there's barely any point in voting: vote Labour get Tory.

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 3:23 pm
Full Member
 

Got a note stuck to my bin by the bin police. This country has got to be the most petty on the planet. Apparently I need a permit costing 59 quid PA for garden waste now. That will go with the permit the private sector bouncers said I need for tip.

I don't know anyone who asked or voted for this bullshit.

TBF that's pretty standard, we have an annual subscription with the council for a garden waste bin, otherwise it's on me to haul grass clippings to the tip myself, or build a compost heap. 

Write to your MP if you want, but it's a Local authority issue, and hardly on the same scale as gaps in social housing, NHS provision or working people using food banks. 

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 3:47 pm
Full Member
 

If all government's hands are tied by 'the markets' and 'events' then there's barely any point in voting: vote Labour get Tory.

Would a Tory government have raised taxes on the rich landowners (yes, yes, the land has been in your family for generations… I get that you’re not giving up that embedded wealth inequality in a rush, and so you put Conservative or Reform adverts on your land… but tough). And on spending, the Tories left huge holes (often literally) in schools and NHS services, that the wealthy can pay to avoid. This “they’re all the same because they won’t buy into the idea that currency issuing countries have limitless spending powers without having to touch taxes” line is populist nonsense that will feed support for the far right, not swing the public and politicians to the left. Fake simple fixes.

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 8:09 pm
Full Member
 

This “they’re all the same because they won’t buy into the idea that currency issuing countries have limitless spending powers without having to touch taxes” line is populist nonsense

They are "both the same" because they both stick to nonsensical Tory fiscal rules. 

If the far-right are thriving in the existing environment it is an environment created by both the Tories and Labour. There is no point blaming non-existent forces for the current situation.

Labour and the Tories should scrap their fiscal rules and deliver on levelling up, economist says

https://www.itv.com/news/2024-07-01/labour-and-tories-should-scrap-fiscal-rules-to-deliver-levelling-up-expert-says

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 8:46 pm
 rone
Full Member
 

This “they’re all the same because they won’t buy into the idea that currency issuing countries have limitless spending powers without having to touch taxes” line is populist nonsense

No one says that, at least no one I know that is correctly informed.

The spending is limited by real resources and for the economy to take up the capacity aka inflation.

Second taxes are part of the cycle but not to pay for things but to redeem money that has been issued. This helps control inflation.

We need taxes to shape policy too.

What I'm really pleased with though is sticking to failed economic policy over and over again. 

We're not asking to spend limitless amounts of money just some to fix the stuff that you claimed you could get behind when you were bigging Labour up and telling us they will go left in power.

It's not really populist either when it barely scratches any current MP's brains - but it's certainly more evidenced than much of what we see now in current economics. (That markets control governments ho ho ho. It's bullshit . High quality bullshit.)

BTW the fixes are the political will - not the money.

I think I know which system is nonsense.

 

 

 

 

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 9:41 pm
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Posted by: kelvin

Would a Tory government have raised taxes on the rich landowners (yes, yes, the land has been in your family for generations

Although when the actual experts examined the policy they did point out it missed out the most problematic tax advantage of "rollover relief" which is what really helps those rich landowners to extend their estates. Sell a bit for development and then buy a bunch more. They also pointed out the real rich landowners have it all in trusts anyway.

So remind me how those trusts are being targeted?

Posted by: kelvin

line is populist nonsense that will feed support for the far right, not swing the public and politicians to the left. Fake simple fixes.

You know what is fake simple fixes? Pushing through extremely damaging welfare cuts for a mere 5 billion by 2030.  Hell even reform have a better policy for getting 5 billion a year back (although they give a far higher number). Something to please the hard right rags. Thats populism.

Thats what will increase support for the hard right.

When people see a labour government repeating tory austerity.

Thats when they will vote for anyone who offers a change even if they are crossing their fingers whilst doing it.  I mean wasnt brexit a ****ing hint that many people are, correctly, seeing that the centrist dominated politics is, unsurprisingly, failing everyone except the party donors.

 

 

 

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 9:42 pm
Free Member
 

such trivialities as bin collections

I get to subscribe to my bin and someone is tasked with checking the contents (bin police) to make sure it's just green bags not garden waste. Not only trivial but pathetic.

I was surprised they would lay on G4S type security at the tip with a little hut. It's like being vetted to go into a nightclub, it's so exciting.

I can think of better things to be doing than spending any time on permits for trivialities.

As for all this local politics. It's not is it? it's budget cuts from central government passed on to residents via councils and their contractors. I know they like to use flowery language like asking to make cost savings, so it doesn't sound like cuts, again pathetic.

It was not included in local election particulars or put to a public vote because they know how that would go. It's funny how no party or individual wants to front these things, like its shameful or something! Bring on public votes, let's have some proper local democracy then.

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 10:23 pm
Full Member
 

someone is tasked with checking the contents (bin police) to make sure it's just green bags not garden waste. Not only trivial but pathetic.

What I find "pathetic" are people who can't be arsed to recycle waste correctly because it's too much trouble or whatever other pathic excuse.

The contents of bins wouldn't need to be checked if the "I can't be bothered, no one bothers to check anyway" attitude wasn't so prevalent.

 

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 11:06 pm
Del reacted
Free Member
 

The contents is being checked because the council have demanded cost savings from their contractors, who have responded by charging for waste previously collected combined. It's green waste, the garden part of it, not plastic or metal.

What I find "pathetic" are people who can't be arsed to recycle waste correctly because it's too much trouble or whatever other pathic excuse.

The contents of bins wouldn't need to be checked if the "I can't be bothered, no one bothers to check anyway" attitude wasn't so prevalent.

Errr ok noted.

 

Do you find putting a pound coin to release a supermarket trolley pathic too?

What?

 

 

 
Posted : 22/03/2025 11:28 pm
Full Member
 

The contents is being checked because the council have demanded cost savings from their contractors, who have responded by charging for waste previously collected combined. It's green waste, the garden part of it, not plastic or metal.

 They have to "police" it presumably because otherwise people won't dispose of it properly, your garden waste collection according to you has to either be paid for or taken down to your recycling centre. 

There is obviously no point having rules about waste collections and recycling if no one bothers policing compliance. Too many people unfortunately simply can't be arsed to recycle correctly nor pay for proper disposal.

Just leaving it all to everyone's good will isn't a realistic option. 

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 12:05 am
Free Member
 

Like I said pathetic and desperate penny pinching. It was fine the way it was (food and garden waste in the green bin) and has been for years along with the other 3 bins we've got. Still I'm sure there will be cuts again next year and the year after and the year after that ad infinitum. In fact I can't remember a year where there hasn't been any.

Oh and you forgot the option to burn it.

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 12:19 am
Full Member
 

Posted by: theotherjonv

Local authorities are going broke left right and centre so only right that add on services are paid for.

Especially as the current government are likely to make the financial crises facing local authorities even worse.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/22/government-plans-to-cut-pip-benefits-could-pile-more-pressure-on-councils

“For every pound that someone loses in benefits, you know that – if a council has to step in to cover the shortfall – it’s about £1.50 additional impact,” said Arun Veerappan, the Disability Policy Centre’s interim director of research.

If you lose carer’s allowance, you’re going to just push more people into the formal [council-funded] care system.”

He warned that forcing more people to rely on council care provision would lead to increased strain and delays in services such as community care and the Disabled Facilities Grant.

 

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 12:23 am
Full Member
 

Posted by: chestercopperpot

Like I said pathetic and desperate penny pinching. It was fine the way it was (food and garden waste in the green bin) and has been for years along with the other 3 bins we've got. Still I'm sure there will be cuts again next year and the year after and the year after that ad infinitum. In fact I can't remember a year where there hasn't been any.

Oh and you forgot the option to burn it.

So what are you complaining about, penny pinching or policing? I thought all the talk about "bin police" and "G4S type security at the tip" was that you didn't like the fact that compliance was being monitored, something which you described as pathetic?

 

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 12:31 am
Free Member
 

Read the posts.

We had a few Mr Helpers like yourself who wanted to discuss the trivialities at length.

Have you given up on your clever shopping trolley analogy or shall we go over that again as well?

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 12:40 am
Full Member
 

Glitch 

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 12:45 am
Full Member
 

who wanted to discuss the trivialities at length.

 


Karma Twist GIF

 

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 12:45 am
Free Member
 

Good we can put that to bed then and get back to driving standards and potholes.

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 12:55 am
 rone
Full Member
 

https://www.twitter.com/StephanieKelton/status/1903511343505850669

I'm with Clive

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 8:25 am
Watty reacted
 rone
Full Member
 

https://www.twitter.com/StephanieKelton/status/1903066849668899315

Yep. Time for them to stop kowtow-ing to markets all the time. Let's get rid of the useless OBR like we did NHS England and start making good decisions that benefit all of us.

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 8:40 am
Full Member
 

Posted by: rone

https://www.twitter.com/StephanieKelton/status/1903511343505850669

I'm with Clive

But it shouldn't come as a great surprise to Clive, Starmer made his intentions clear long before he became Prime Minister.

The same economic strategy and values as the Tories but delivered with greater competence. 

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/labour-real-conservatives-keir-starmer-protect-way-life-2337576

 

“And look – if that’s sounds conservative, then let me tell you: I don’t care. Somebody has got to stand up for the things that make this country great and it isn’t’ going to be the Tories.

Make Britian Great Again

 

 

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 9:03 am
Full Member
 

They are really ****ing this up. Jesus, they couldn't hit the open goals when they were in opposition, now they are scoring own goals left right and centre.

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 9:13 am
Free Member
 

What worries me about all this is that is that if the Labour Party ****s it up we are doomed to some sort of Tory/reform mash-up after the next GE - or as a minimum some hard right version of the Tories in Government

Yup, a lesson from the democrats in the US. Either Starmer gets it right for enough people or we get a UK Trump figure next.

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 9:13 am
mrchrispy reacted
Free Member
 

Some criticising the discussion of trivialities whilst being obsessed with potholes and claiming foreign holidays as a 'basic' is one of the funniest things I've read online in a while.

 

Thank you.

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 9:21 am
Del reacted
 dazh
Full Member
 

Imagine a Daily Mail columnist thinking labour are so right wing that they need to raise taxes for the rich?

https://twitter.com/dpjhodges/status/1903728803282669750?s=46&t=LtLH_brmYFWrcPalxgEeWA

 
Posted : 23/03/2025 2:10 pm
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