UK Election!

fine taking that time to start a 5 year election campaign.

Yeah, sod planning things out over many years – I reckon we should go back to the Tory approach of developing policy in the back of the ministerial car on your way to the presser to announce it.

argee is an agitator, nothing else.

Definitely, slating a government in power for a week about how they’ve not solved world hunger yet, or why we haven’t fixed the middle east either ?

Honestly, it’s as if you think the UK is some kind of socialist majority, and everything is a total failure unless it’s done exactly how you guys would like it!

Not fixing world hunger would be a little bit different if you were in control of the distribution of food. The two child limit is pretty grotesque on the face of it and I suspect costs us more in downstream interventions than it saves.

Not fixing world hunger would be a little bit different if you were in control of the distribution of food. The two child limit is pretty grotesque on the face of it and I suspect costs us more in downstream interventions than it saves.

And nobody in government has stated it will not be removed, it’s just being used as yet another tool to beat Labour, sorry, Starmer with in his first weeks as PM, and it’s asking a question that everyone knows the answer too, the reason it’s not been changed yet is that it’s not been reviewed yet, it’s not rocket science.

Always good to score a few points, and nevermind that the topic is child poverty. If it doesn’t affect you personally then it’s not something to worry about, eh?

The vile thing is Labour could fix that with very little effort, time and money. It would also show willing on the difference between a conservative and progressive economic path for folk like me.

And actually reverse Tory policy at the same time.

Centrists don’t appear to give a toss about progressive policy but they will be celebrating when interest rates come down I’m sure.

The thing is the argument that Labour can’t fix stuff in 10 days is clearly obvious but they’ve had years to at least get the announcement/plans of something game-changing ready.

Doesn’t matter it’s all going to come home to roost if they carry on this economically inept.

Definitely, slating a government in power for a week about how they’ve not solved world hunger yet, or why we haven’t fixed the middle east either ?

Don’t need to exaggerate – we are asking for much more humble things.

What are Labour waiting for – the cap has been in place since 2017? So that would allow a good amount time to know it’s a shit Tory policy that wants booting out of the door.

As a bare minimum.

What are Labour waiting for

I believe that the correct response to that question is…… for things to get better (despite the fact the economy is, relatively speaking, not that bad) in the meantime blame the Tories.

Whatever you do don’t blame Starmer!

We’ll see what comes out of the kings speech tomorrow, I hope it has more to show than merely a “steady hand” on the tiller and includes a few immediately actionable policies.

I agree, there have to be demonstrable improvements by then but I don’t think for one second we will be close to having everything “fixed”

Yes, and fixed means different things to different people.  If they set some actual measurable and meanigful targets and then for example meet most of them by 50% with next term to complete it may be enough to demonstrate that are actually improving things (along with the fact they have actually improved things which would be good)

At one point yesterday I wondered if we even had a government in charge due to them just quietly getting on with stuff, huge amounts of work to do but a few weeks in the quietness is quite eerie without the weekly controversy being headline news until the next one rolled into play.

I think it was Jay Rayner who said that’s it’s nice to be able to flick on radio 4 in the morning without the sense of foreboding , thinking “oh god, what have they done now?”

The kings speech should be interesting today, to see just what’s included. It’s 35 separate bills apparently, so it’s obvious that this has all been worked out well in advance and ready to go.

It’ll certainly be a change from what we’ve been used to as it would signal the intent to actually DO something, rather than announce 40 new hospitals, for example, then do absolutely nothing about it

The two child limit is pretty grotesque on the face of it and I suspect costs us more in downstream interventions than it saves.

I’m naturally inclined to believe the downstream costs are greater too. It certainly seems like something that will have been analysed at some point if anyone has a well referenced analysis to hand?

Ditching the limit just seems like an obvious  on brainer on multiple fronts.

It’s going to be interesting/deeply worrying to see how many incidents like this come out over the next few months.

The entire prison system was flagged up as being on the verge of collapse and the government did absolutely nothing whatsoever about it, despite it being a **** up entirely of their own making. I don’t suppose we should be surprised or shocked any more, but the complete dereliction of their responsibilities really is quite something

You can only imagine what other disasters are gaffer taped together waiting to fall apart

The Tories knew they were driving the country into a wall and did it anyway because it was easier for them than stopping, admitting how wrong they were and working out a different route.
And that’s why no-one from the Tory wreckage deserves to be forgiven.https://t.co/Kkm7wKs3yB

— sarah murphy (@13sarahmurphy) July 17, 2024

King’s Speech today:

Perhaps tackle literacy standards (unless there is a plan to make people work through their lunches)?

Perhaps they’ve read a lot of ebay and facebook marketplace listings for mountain bikes with hydrolick breaks?

Anyway… bringing the railways back into public ownership seems like a good idea, no?

Anyway… bringing the railways back into public ownership seems like a good idea, no?

In theory yes, in practice wait and see – will they run better, be cheaper for passengers, workers rewarded fairly etc,.

Yep, I imagine it will have an impact, but probs less than the plan to allow local authorities to re-regulate the buses.

But I’d also imagine that not doing exactly what the cause dejour that the hitters want resolving immediately means that this govt of [checks calendar] 12 days have failed miserably and is in fact no better than the 14 years of previous Tory administration.

12 days have failed miserably and is in fact no better than the 14 years of previous Tory administration.

Are you ever going to stop churning out this bollocks?

There is nothing unrealistic about having an expectation of the new Labour government being significantly better than the previous Tory government.

Despite your apparently extraordinarily low expectations from a Labour government.

Let’s see what the King’s speech includes and let’s judge it on that basis.

^^that raises the tricky question .

Is a competent conservative government actually better than an incompetent one?

But I’d also imagine that not doing exactly what the cause dejour that the hitters want resolving immediately means that this govt of [checks calendar] 12 days have failed miserably and is in fact no better than the 14 years of previous Tory administration.

We want them to lift the 2 child cap, it isn’t an unreasonable desire, why do you oppose it?

@binners

It’s going to be interesting/deeply worrying to see how many incidents like this come out over the next few months.

The entire prison system was flagged up as being on the verge of collapse and the government did absolutely nothing whatsoever about it, despite it being a **** up entirely of their own making. I don’t suppose we should be surprised or shocked any more, but the complete dereliction of their responsibilities really is quite something

I was reading that too. I’m beginning to think that it was the reason that Mr Sunak called an early election. He didn’t have a political solution, and if he didn’t do something then he’d be in breach of his legal responsibilities.

We want them to lift the 2 child cap, it isn’t an unreasonable desire, why do you oppose it?

Absolutely nobody has said they oppose it, because I doubt any reasonable person would. The point we’re making is that they’ve been in government for 12 whole days and they can’t just wave a magic wand, and cram everything into the first Kings speech. I think its quite refreshing that we now have a government that is only planning to put in to practice what it can realistically deliver, rather than promise the moon on a stick (40 new hospitals anyone? £350 million a week for the NHS?) and then not deliver any of it

I’m sure this will be addressed in good time, as will many other issues, but as the article posted above illustrates, certain parts of the public sector are literally 5 minutes away from completely collapsing. Some things are just going to have to wait. We’ve had 14 years of total dereliction. It won’t be rectified overnight

We want them to lift the 2 child cap

We all do. It’s unlikely to be in the first Budget or first King’s speech. I’d personally be delighted if it was, but expect both to pretty much reflect exactly what was being said during the election campaign only a few weeks ago. If it’s still in place in its current form at the end of next year I’d be very surprised.

There is nothing unrealistic about having an expectation of the new Labour government being significantly better than the previous Tory government.

I must have missed the bit about the Tories plans to renationalise the railways, build millions of homes, invest in renewables and devolve power to the regions.

 why do you oppose it?

I haven’t said that I do, have I? I think it would probably be a good move. However I can also see that Labour would also want to at least try to move the economic situation for those folks for whom a extra benefit makes the difference by putting money (excuse the jargon) into their front pocket, rather than their back. i.e. It would be better (for everyone) if they were paid a reasonable living wage rather than have to need to have it topped up by benefits.

The MP’s panel is on Five Live at the moment. My new Labour MP James Frith (who is a thoroughly decent bloke) is on being lucid and thoughtful. To say this is a massive improvement on the previous mekon-headed cockwomble, James Daly (who’s only apparent contribution to his constituency for 5 years was… erm…. who knows? Harassing Angela Rayner?) is the understaement of the year.

Great to see Priti Patel about to enter The Tory Party leadership race.
Remember it was Priti who dreamt up the Rwanda scheme after a raucous night out with Liz & Nige.
14 Dubonnet & lemonades later & history was made.
Priti is our Cilla
Our Susan Boyle
Our Britney Stairs.
❤️ pic.twitter.com/xj27Ok0nqE

— Sir Michael Take CBE (@MichaelTakeMP) July 17, 2024

In terms of the Kings Speech – I thought that was the propsed Legislative agenda for the parliament?  If the 2 child benefit cap is enacted under policy (IE allowed under existing legislation but not required) then the gobvernment can “just” change the policy without it ever being in a Kings Speech, as it’s within their authority as the elected government?

Even so, I imagine there’s a fair bit of DWP/HMRC logistics to sort out around delivering such a change, thus they may be waiting until they have a clear idea of exactly how long it will take form anouncment to delivery to affect peoples entitlement/benefits.

It would be better (for everyone) if they were paid a reasonable living wage rather than have to need to have it topped up by benefits

Totally agree on that but it doesn’t happen. I mean who’s going to uplift a wage in competition with these interest rates and general cost of living?

It’s not a feature of our economic model.

Currently.

Even so, I imagine there’s a fair bit of DWP/HMRC logistics to sort out around delivering such a change, thus they may be waiting until they have a clear idea of exactly how long it will take form anouncment to delivery to affect peoples entitlement/benefits.

Well yeah especially given the mess of the truly under resourced HMRC but they’ve had a while to at least be planning for this.

Like me, you’re probably thinking ‘what does Mrs Self-awareness think about all this’, while taking a break from peddling conspiracy theories in Milwaukee?

My response to the King's Speech ? pic.twitter.com/9pu8nXGlFK

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) July 17, 2024

Like me, you’re probably thinking ‘what does Mrs Self-awareness think about all this

Nope. I couldn’t give a flying **** what that mental has been thinks about anything.

I’m assuming someone else wrote that for her.

No way she could have written the longer words without eating her crayon

Stalinist housing targets indeed

The things about the two child benefit cap thaqt non of you labour apologists will face is this:

It would be simple to do

It would cost very little

It would take minimal parliamentary time and effort

It would create an immediate positive effect on a million plus children

Its a lot easier and less controversial than much of the stuff they have announced

So why will labour not do it?  None of the excuses given by the labour right on here stand up.  ~why are you defending this piece of tory cruel austerity?

Fro0m the guardian live blog.  the guardian that is generally uncritcall of labour under Starmer

Keir Starmer says:

“For too long children have been left behind, and no decisive action has been taken to address the root causes of poverty. This is completely unacceptable – no child should be left hungry, cold or have their future held back.

That’s why we’re prioritising work an ambitious child poverty strategy and my ministers will leave no stone unturned to give every child the very best start at life.”

Presumably all the organisations Kendall consulted this morning told her the government should abolish the two-child benefit cap, because in the sector there is almost universal agreement that this is one of the single biggest measures that would make a difference to child poverty. The tasforce is certain to hear this message too.

Although ministers are still refusing to commit now to getting rid of the two-child benefit, because they cannot say yet how they would fund this, it is hard to imagine the government refusing to budge on this for another year given how strongly many Labour MPs feel about this.

James Daly (who’s only apparent contribution to his constituency for 5 years was… erm…. who knows?

Saved Bury FC with his bare hands and took a pile of levelling up cash £20 million to improve Bury market? Winky eye emoji.

Let’s hope James Frith can entice more money and build a pile of houses on the green spaces in his constituency.

Maybe if he keeps close to Angela he’ll be able to achieve these goals? Clasped prayer hands emoji.

Just to confirm this Uncle Jezza: you care about this subject so passionately that

*checks notes*

you didn’t vote at the general election?

So why will labour not do it? None of the excuses given by the labour right on here stand up. ~why are you defending this piece of tory cruel austerity?

The problem TJ is that you are not accepting the answer, I don’t know why. The answer is that Labour believe, like the Tories, that scrapping it would be unaffordable.

There is no other reason so stop looking for one. It is obviously not because they want to be cruel. You dismiss the cost as small but the £1.3bn or £3.4bn, or whatever it is, is either money that they would rather spend elsewhere or tax revenue which they would rather not collect.

It’s called fiscal prudence, the price which they believed they had to pay to win the general election and a point that they made a year ago

It would cost about £1.3bn but the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is said to have concluded it would be unaffordable due to the state of the economy.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jul/16/labour-keep-two-child-benefit-cap-says-keir-starmer

So there you have your answer – it is because it is unaffordable and the blame lies with the Tories.

It’s basically exactly the same argument that David Cameron and Nick Clegg made for austerity – any other option is unaffordable and blame for that lies wholly with the previous government.

Missed the speech, what are the proposals regarding rental law for tenants, anyone know?

Cheers guys!

Missed the speech, what are the proposals regarding rental law for tenants, anyone know?

An end to section 21, no-fault evictions, some form of rent control and ‘increased rights for tenents’. I don’t know any more details than that, but I’m a private renter myself, so it’ll be interesting to see the exact proposals @poopscoop

The Tories clearly had no intention of doing anything other than makes things easier for landlords

Just to confirm this Uncle Jezza: you care about this subject so passionately that

*checks notes*

you didn’t vote at the general election?

To be fair binners if TJ (and a million more) had voted Labour at the general election, as you did, it would not made one iota of difference to whether the two child benefit cap was scrapped or not.

How are you suggesting that it might have?