Our new Labour government: time to prove yourselves

[Retro]

Discuss anything related to our new Labour government here.

So, on 4th July there was a seismic political shift when Labour got their landslide victory over the corrupt tories after 14 years in power. They foisted brexit on us and did the country so much harm in that time that I say good riddance to them. Now it's time for Labour to prove to us that they can fix this broken country, bring us closer to the EU (eventually reverse brexit? Here's hoping) and make all our lives better. I'm cautiously optimistic that this will happen.

This video explains the three appointments made at this point in time and they look decent, not the corrupt cronies that the tories used to pick.

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David Lammy has already started the process to forge closer ties with the EU.

David Lammy: ‘Britain has to start reconnecting with a dangerous, divided world’

New foreign secretary says resetting UK relations with EU is a particular priority as he travels to Germany, Poland and Sweden, then the US

www.theguardian.com

More on this, focusing on security:

Labour to seek joint declaration with EU on wide-ranging security pact

Exclusive: Foreign secretary says deal would allow UK to work more closely with bloc on issues such as defence and energy

www.theguardian.com

If you want to talk specifically about the tories, then the tory downfall thread remains available, but you can also talk about them here, especially in comparison to Labour.

The tory downfall thread

It's looking increasingly like the tory nasty party are gonna lose the next general election in the autumn of this year, or May 2024. It's this horrible party that's brought us such continuing austerity since 2010 and a cost of living crisis fuelled by their crappy brexit. Yes, there's covid...

nerdzone.uk

 

[Crims]

It was a shame to see Lib dem underperform, as though the country wants more Tory rule after 14 years of failing government. I'm hoping to see any improvement, for a start. Not concerned with the other parties.

 

[Retro]

Another article on Labour's attempts to improve relations with the EU.

It's finally going the right way now after the shitshow that was the tories doing so much damage to it.

New UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy wants to reset ties with EU

The new UK government wants to signal its desire to engage in the face of multiple world crises.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Retro]

Labour are failing in one of the key areas, sounding just like the tories, “we’ve got no money”, Starmer bleats. I call BS as there’s always money for the things they wanna do.

I remember Starmer saying this before the election, too. Let’s see how he responds to pressure from the unions given their continuing donations to the Labour party.

Keir Starmer is on a collision course with unions after playing down the chance of real-terms pay increases for public sector staff in negotiations, prompting widespread warnings of a crisis in recruitment and staffing.

Keir Starmer on collision course with unions over public sector pay

PM tells unions to prepare for disappointment despite warnings of a crisis in staffing and recruitment

www.theguardian.com

 

[Retro]

Fantastic! We would have never got this with the tories. They were against the 4-day working week for no loss of pay, too. I hope Starmer champions this second one too, but I'm not holding my breath.

Downing Street has said it will press ahead with plans to give workers a “right to switch off” despite the proposal not being mentioned in the King’s Speech.

Labour intends to ban bosses from requiring workers to respond to emails when they have signed off for the day to try and combat a “culture of presenteeism”.

In its proposed New Deal for Working People, which formed a core part of its election offer, Labour vowed to introduce a “right to switch off” for employees, allowing them to ignore work-related messages outside their contracted hours.

Starmer to press ahead with ‘right to switch off’ for workers

Downing Street has said it will press ahead with plans to give workers a “right to switch off” despite the proposal not being mentioned in the King’s Speech.

uk.yahoo.com

 

[Retro]

The Labour party continues to be a breath of fresh air. It's been in power for just five minutes, yet it's already fostering better relations with the EU.

I know what Starmer said about not rejoining the EU, single market etc, but I hope this is the direction of travel that things will go in from now on. I suspect that what may happen is that after Labour's formal meetings with the EU, they say that to achieve those closer ties, we must accept some of those other EU conditions such as the single market, free movement of people and so on, since outside these things, we can't really get very much. If we could, then there wouldn't be much point to EU membership, or at least partial membership and the club would fall apart.

There are going to be twists and turns to this story over the years, so let's see what happens.

I'm so glad the tories are finally out!

Keir Starmer’s promised “reset” of the UK’s ties with the rest of Europe has drawn a positive response in European media, with one longtime journalist rejoicing that she will never again have to cover “Britain as a basket case”.

The prime minister told leaders at a meeting of the European Political Community at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire on Thursday that he wanted to draw a line under years of fractious relations with the rest of Europe. The relaunch was greeted with a sense of relief that after years of chaotic leadership in London a new age of cooperation was beginning.

No more ‘basket-case Britain’: Europe welcomes Starmer reset in UK-EU ties

PM’s promise to draw line under years of fractious relations greeted with plaudits and relief by European media

www.theguardian.com

 

[Retro]

Labour: red tories?

Can somebody please tell the Labour party that they won the election? Most people I know are relieved and delighted that the Conservatives have got their comeuppance; but the relief that Labour is finally back in office is tempered by apprehension that the spectre of Philip Snowden is haunting them all these years later.

An iron – Labour – chancellor almost 100 years before Rachel Reeves (briefly in 1924 and then between 1929 and 1931), Snowden, after early popularity with the party and the trade unions, became a victim of the “Treasury view” of the day: balance the budget at all costs, rather than balance the economy.

I sincerely hope Reeves is not in the same mould, but the early signs are disturbing.

Britain didn’t vote Labour just to get a new iron chancellor | William Keegan

Rachel Reeves once spoke about long-term borrowing for vital projects. Now she seems to embrace the spirit of Thatcherism

www.theguardian.com

 

[Retro]

And then on the other hand, they're doing some excellent work here, something that's been far, far too long in coming and directly opposite to how the tories screw over ordinary working people, ie most of the population. Aside from brexit and the NHS, this is the other big thing that I hate and despise the tories for. I hope they're kept out of power for at least a decade.

The government will begin the task of rolling back years of anti-trade union laws within days, the Observer can reveal, as ministers are ordered to ignore a key measure passed by the Tories as part of a wider “reset” of industrial relations in Britain.

As a first step, departments will be told effectively to ignore a law passed last year designed to force workers across a series of industries to provide a minimum level of service during strikes. The legislation – described as a “pointless gimmick” by ministers – paved the way to severely curtail the rights of border security, ambulance services, fire and rescue, teachers and rail services to take industrial action.

The laws will be formally repealed later this year, as promised in Labour’s first king’s speech since taking office. However, cabinet ministers in relevant departments will be told this week to disregard the “minimum service levels” (MSL) provisions, deemed by the new government to be ineffective and inflammatory.

Labour axes ‘gimmick’ anti-strike law as it plans major reset for workers’ rights

Memo tells ministers to disregard minimum service levels rules, as part of reforms to reorder industrial relations

www.theguardian.com

 

[Retro]

What the hell are Labour doing here? Why is "Remainer" Starmer such a hardcore leaver nowadays? So, before the election, he really wasn't just saying this to get the leavers' vote after all, as I suspected. Perhaps it might be time to replace him with a pro EU leader?

The government's desire to reset relations with the European Union does not mean reversing Brexit, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

Keir Starmer: Reset with EU does not mean reversing Brexit

The PM says he wants closer relations with Europe, as he begins talks on a new agreement with Germany.

www.bbc.co.uk

Here's my thread on Labour's "make brexit work" position from before the election, which clearly hasn't changed now that they're in power.

Why isn't Labour more pro EU?

Let's face it, like them or not, the Labour party is the only one which actually stands a chance of removing the corrupt and disastrous tories at the next general election in May 2024, so their position on critical issues is very important. Why then, is Starmer's official position to "make...

nerdzone.uk

And then there's this abomination. This has to be the most obnoxious anti car policy I've ever seen. We already pay per mile by the fact of using up the bloody petrol! I'll link to this post in the anti car thread as this really does belong there too.

@Tiffany I think you'll be especially glad that you won't be subject to this no matter what government gets into power in November.

Labour could introduce “regressive” pay-per-mile road tax in October’s Autumn Budget | Auto Express

Introduction of a pay-per-mile road tax scheme, also known as road pricing, could see motorists pay more the further they drive

www.autoexpress.co.uk

We really did have to get rid of the tories after what they've done, especially brexit and the mountains of corruption, but it really was a choice between two evils, as I suspected. At least workers' rights look to go the right way and hopefully, they'll fix the NHS, too.

 

[Tiffany]

What the heck, people in the UK like the US are already struggling to live with inflation, buy groceries and pay for their absurd power and water bills and your government thinks it's cool to now tax an already over taxed nation for a "pay by mile" scheme. That's rubbish!!

There are people in the American government that marvel at the UK government and would like to emulate their modern laws. I won't be surprised if this type of scheme arrives in America.

Sorry you are all faced with the possibility of another imposed tax on your lives. That bites!

 

[Retro]

Well said Tiffs, thankyou.

What gets me is that the tories left the country with a £22bn hole in its budget so Labour have to try and close it somehow. However, isn't it funny how they're doing it in exactly the same way as the tories, by screwing over the poor and not the rich?

Labour are supposed to be all about the working man, but not when it suits them. Apart from this road pricing scheme scam, they're also going to eliminate the winter fuel allowance of about £300 from people on the state pension who aren't on pension credit. We're talking about some of the poorest people in the country here. It's disgusting and I think there are other similar controversies, but I can't think of them off the top of my head. In some ways, they're nothing more than red tories.

 

[Tiffany]

Well, that pretty much sucks to learn that your two party system doesn't mean much when it comes down to policy after all.

Not a good move for Labour to eliminate a winter fuel allowance on people that are suffering enough already. The American government gets bright ideas too, and it's infuriating during an election cycle to hear all of their false promises. A lot of people that vote in the US, don't really get that the executive branch can't legislate policy and unless both congress and senate are ruled occupied by the same party, nothing is going to happen due to the veto power the President has, with exception of executive orders, which is a hot button of mine as they are abused.

 

[live627]

People already pay by the mile in the form of gasoline, which is already taxed. This new tax will only end up making driving prohibitively expensive, leaving overcrowded transit as the only option. I wonder if Just Stop Oil is behind this.

 

[Retro]

People already pay by the mile in the form of gasoline, which is already taxed. This new tax will only end up making driving prohibitively expensive, leaving overcrowded transit as the only option.

Exactly and the inconvenience and misery at being forced to use cattle class transport.

I wonder if Just Stop Oil is behind this.

Hmmm... maybe. There's no suggestion of it, but I wouldn't rule it out either.

 

[Retro]

Perhaps if Starmer concentrated on recovering these taxes from small, dodgy businesses gone bust and also from the very wealthy, it would be a more reasonable strategy than taking away the winter fuel payment from the very poorest and elderly in our society? Just a thought.

He's never looked more like a red tory than this, so far.

Now, since the payment is currently not means tested, it does mean that wealthy pensioners who don't need it get it too and indeed I've seen articles over the last couple of years where some of these people are happy to return the payment or give it away to charity, which is very fair of them. Therefore, I agree with means testing it so that the well-off don't get it, but not to take it away from the very poorest. Come on, ffs. What a slap in their faces.

The UK is missing out on billions of pounds of revenue each year from small retail businesses that exploit weaknesses in government systems to evade paying tax, the public spending watchdog has warned.

The National Audit Office (NAO), which monitors tax and spending by the government, said the trail of tax debts left by small retailers was widespread and increasing every year.

Chains of retail shops have become expert at growing quickly while paying almost no tax and then becoming insolvent without settling their debts with the tax authority, leaving the government out of pocket.

HMRC estimated that small businesses accounted for 81% of the £5.5bn lost due to tax evasion in 2022-23, up from 66% in 2019-20.

Billions lost from small retailers in tax evasion, says watchdog

National Audit Office says trail of tax debts left by small UK retailers is widespread and increasing every year

uk.news.yahoo.com

 

[Retro]

Our NHS is currently in a shambles after all the years of intentional mismanagement by the tories. This is the kind of thing I'm looking for from Labour in order to fix it and Starmer's right that it won't be quick to do. Starmer says he'll do it without raising taxes, which I'm skeptical of. Let's hope Labour don't let us down on this critical issue.

Sir Keir Starmer will warn the NHS must "reform or die", as the government publishes an independent investigation into the state of the health service.

The report - ordered by Health Secretary Wes Streeting days after he took on the role - was carried out by peer and surgeon Lord Darzi.

It will conclude the NHS is in a "critical condition", with record waiting lists and too much of its budget spent in hospitals, as well as saying the nation's health had significantly deteriorated over the past 15 years.

However, Lord Darzi will also say the service's vital signs "remain strong", as the sector is filled with staff who "shared passion and determination to make the NHS better for our patients".

NHS must 'reform or die', warns PM - as new report says service in 'critical condition'

Sir Keir Starmer will warn the NHS must "reform or die", as the government publishes an independent investigation into the state of the health service. The report - ordered by Health Secretary Wes Streeting days after he took on the role - was carried out by peer and surgeon Lord Darzi. In a...

uk.yahoo.com

 

[Retro]

Finally someone pipes up with the obvious: tax the rich not the poor.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has called for a tax on the wealthiest instead of cutting support for "struggling pensioners".

Speaking after arriving at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton on a jet ski, Sir Ed said his party is the only one offering up a solution on how to "plug the awful financial mess the Conservatives left us with".

More than 10 million pensioners will lose winter fuel payments under government plans which have been heavily criticised by opposition MPs, some Labour MPs and charities.

Note that the obnoxious winter fuel cuts plan passed in parliament the other day so it's going to happen, and of course, without delay, ie this winter.

Has Starmer ever looked more like a red tory?

Tax the rich instead of taking money from 'struggling pensioners', says Lib Dem leader Ed Davey

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has called for a tax on the wealthiest instead of cutting support for "struggling pensioners". Speaking after arriving at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton on a jet ski, Sir Ed said his party is the only one offering up a solution on how to "plug the awful...

uk.news.yahoo.com