This governments shenanigans

[blythburgh]

Announced out in the pouring rain, without any cover! How apt for this awful government!

Typical of the bad planning throughout the last few years. These lecterns cost a fortune and are custom designed (believe it or not for each Prime Minister) The least they could do is build in an umbrella stand into it.

https://www.wallpaper.com/design-interi ... ing-street

Terrible waste of money £2000 - £4000 each time.

Oh come on, If I become PM I would want a lectern made to a design I have a chosen. i mean when you set the cost against the whole of Govt. spending the cost becomes invisible. It is simply unfair to have a new PM having to use a "pre-loved" lectern. What do you think these PM's are? They are not plebs like thee and me who are happy to have a pre-loved item that is actually as good as a brand new one

And think on this, it gives work to someone and the money they earn can be spent and boost the economy.

(I hope you can hear my sarcasm)

[Sarah]

This only makes any sense if the ultimate end goal is no state pension for anyone... or they know it doesn't matter what they promise before losing an election...

Krishnan Guru-Murthy crucifies Mel Stride on abolishing National Insurance for self employed and on pension

KGM, "You're getting rid of class 4 National Insurance contributions for the self employed"

MS, "Yes"

KGM, "So how do self employed qualify for a state pension?"

MS, "You can still have a system where you have nil rate National Insurance and have that as a contribution to state pension"

KGM, "So self employed people will just get a state pension for free now?"

MS, "Well, they will make their contribution to the economy in the normal way"

https://twitter.com/implausibleblog/sta ... 2657640905

[Richard Frost]

The con manifesto just goes to further highlight how out of touch with reality they really are. It is unfortunate though that any incoming government will inherit the mess and as a consequence not be able to do much of what they want at the beginning of any parliament. It will take years and very careful treading to get the country back into any sort of a fit state.

In my mind it has been the long term plan to get rid of the state pension for years. this is why I think the workplace pension came about and all the encouragement and changes since.

I get the state pension and have three private pensions. I still though claim Housing Benefit and council Tax reduction. The Private Pensions have no real purpose except to reduce the amount the state pays me in Housing Benefit and Council Tax reduction. My Private Pensions are of a relatively small amount, as I am of an age where the majority of my working life was worked without contribution to an employers pension. Nowadays there is no option, you have to have an employers pension. This in theory will make people better off in retirement, unless the State Pension is done away with and turned into some sort of top up/benefit to everyone's income.

I did see the interview on Channel 4 with Mel Stride and was concerned how ill prepared he was to answer the question considering he has been the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions since October 2022.

[macliam]

[blythburgh]

The con manifesto just goes to further highlight how out of touch with reality they really are. It is unfortunate though that any incoming government will inherit the mess and as a consequence not be able to do much of what they want at the beginning of any parliament. It will take years and very careful treading to get the country back into any sort of a fit state.

In my mind it has been the long term plan to get rid of the state pension for years. this is why I think the workplace pension came about and all the encouragement and changes since.

I get the state pension and have three private pensions. I still though claim Housing Benefit and council Tax reduction. The Private Pensions have no real purpose except to reduce the amount the state pays me in Housing Benefit and Council Tax reduction. My Private Pensions are of a relatively small amount, as I am of an age where the majority of my working life was worked without contribution to an employers pension. Nowadays there is no option, you have to have an employers pension. This in theory will make people better off in retirement, unless the State Pension is done away with and turned into some sort of top up/benefit to everyone's income.

I did see the interview on Channel 4 with Mel Stride and was concerned how ill prepared he was to answer the question considering he has been the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions since October 2022.

We are unlucky in that caring for my adoptive parents (grandparent age) for both me and DH caring for his Mum (his sister lived locally and worked as a school cleaner did not want to help) means we get the basic state pension and little extra above the miminum. Too old to get the far higher basic pension. So on pension credit but still far less per week than those who retired since 2016. But some have very good company pensions. Brother in law 28 years with a very good pension, some years at Lotus cars and then Waitrose. His wife has been at Waitrose long enough to remain a Partner at John Lewis. This week they are on holiday, because she named property she and daughter/son in law are renting I could check it out. Next year this week it will cost me over £1,600 to rent for the week. And they have had a week elsewhere and because they need two bathrooms due to son in law hogging the bathroom it will not have been cheap especially in the town they stayed in. But sister in law has said several times they always check out the yellow stickers. If I had their money I will feel so guilty at buying something someone who could not afford full price would love. And any yellow stickers are scooped up by local charities every evening. My church has taken on the lease of the local community centre but it is run on secular lines. Set up a Pantry there and Rector's husband picks up stuff twice a week from supermakets so nothing will go to landfill that is edible.

What I fear is the "richer" younger retirees will not realise how hard life is for many older retirees. We are lucky in that we cook from scratch and are flexitarian. I dread to think how many people who want bacon and meat at least once a day manage

[Richard Frost]

Someone has to be the first to acknowledge.

We have a Labour government and what a widely predicted landslide victory it was. I am not convinced it was so much that the people wanted a Labour Government as that they wanted to protest against the cons, hence the spectacular rise of Reform. I can't help thinking that it was Reform that won it for them.

It will be interesting to see where all this goes. I hope we have a much more settled period in UK politics. I do think that the con party is set to be much more right wing in the future. It will be interesting to see who is elected their new leader and the direction it takes.

[Sarah]

I noticed some tweeps saying that the BBC coverage seemed significantly more focused on Reform than other channels and it did seem that way after I switched over to watch the results on Channel 4 instead. Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Emily Maitlis generally brought a fair bit more to their anchor roles than the somewhat dull and lightweight pairing of Clive Myrie with Laura Kuenssberg. BBC election coverage without a Dimbleby isn't such essential viewing anymore!

In the end Reform appear to have won only 4 seats, despite the initial exit poll forecast of 13 and not beating the SNP into 4th place after all. Their candidates finished second in around 100 seats though. I'm greatly relieved by the Labour victory whilst at the same time still concerned about the overton window slipping ever further to the right.

[macliam]

This election was punishment of the incumbents in England and Scotland (and, to an extent, in NI), rather than a surge to alternatives. No harm there, but a warning sign for Starmer - can he use his limited support to bring about sufficient change to avoid future defeats? The UK overall has finally said "up with this we will not put", but not necessarily endorsed change..... so maybe Starmer got it right by not frightening the horses.......

[Sarah]

Reform now on 5 seats. There's still 1 constituency undertaking a second recount (expected to declare tomorrow).

Reform UK has won in Basildon South and East Thurrock after a recount - gaining the new seat from a notional Conservative candidate.

The victory for James McMurdock in the Essex constituency means Nigel Farage's party now has five MPs in the House of Commons.

McMurdock won the seat with a majority of just 98 votes from Labour candidate Jack Ferguson.

This leaves just one seat yet to be confirmed, but a result in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire is not expected until tomorrow over a vote "discrepancy" delaying it.

[blythburgh]

They took my District Council and macliam's and formed a very long and very thin one if you look on a map. Over 50 miles long. Obviously it will always be a Tory Council though in the past mine had a Tory Majority and at others a Labour one.

And poor macliam knew Therese Coffey had a job for life.

Then the earthquakes started happening. Our District Council is now run by a mix of Greens, Lib Debs and independents.

And now Coffey has gone, hopefully for good