Forum Message

Topic: Re:Reply
Posted by: Steven Rose
Date/Time: 19/04/26 20:03:00

It’s ironic that Keir Starmer, one of the worst prime ministers in living memory, is probably safe in his job for the moment because Labour haven’t got anyone better to replace him. Look at the candidates: Angela Rayner, whose guiding principle is to soak the rich (which in effect means taxing the middle class); Ed Miliband, whose obsession with net zero has resulted in the UK having some of the highest electricity prices in the developed world; Andy Burnham, who has switched from right to left to advance his career (and would probably switch to the right again if he ever became PM); Wes Streeting, who has travelled the world looking at different health systems but has still not come up with a plan to reform the NHS.

However the problem is not just that Labour politicians are incompetent. The problem is the contradiction at the heart of Labour between the aim of running a market economy and the commitment to maintain an ever more  expensive welfare state. The UK now spends more on welfare benefits than it receives in income tax, over £300 billion per year. This level of expenditure can only be financed by higher taxes which make it more difficult for a market economy to function properly.

The government say they have plans to get people off benefits and back into work. It is not clear how they intend achieve this goal  or whether they would be allowed to take the appropriate measures by the left wing of the party. But as Janet Daley pointed out in today’s ’Telegraph’, getting people back into work is only part of the problem because roughly a third of those claiming benefits are in work. What the government is effectively committed to is a universal living wage whereby the state makes up the difference if you earn too little. The consequence is that those in low paid jobs are disincentivised from seeking better paid work because they would be liable to lose their Universal Credit benefits. Thus welfare rules effectively hold down wages. The government have tried to counter this by increasing the minimum wage. But this has resulted in businesses hiring fewer people, especially as the National Insurance contributions for employers have also increased.

Entire Thread
TopicDate PostedPosted By
Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting16/04/26 16:42:00 Sue Hammond
   Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting16/04/26 17:07:00 Sue Hammond
      Re:Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting16/04/26 20:12:00 Michael Brigo
         Re:Re:Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting16/04/26 20:30:00 Sue Hammond
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting16/04/26 20:50:00 Steven Rose
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting17/04/26 09:26:00 John Hawkes
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting16/04/26 20:59:00 Robert Wheeler
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting16/04/26 22:11:00 Andy Pike
   Reply16/04/26 23:33:00 Michael Ixer
   Reply16/04/26 23:52:00 Sue Hammond
      Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting17/04/26 00:16:00 Sue Hammond
      Re:Reply17/04/26 00:25:00 Steven Rose
         Reply17/04/26 08:49:00 Michael Brigo
            Re:Reply17/04/26 09:24:00 Andy Pike
               Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 09:33:00 Michael Brigo
                  Re:Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 10:46:00 Andy Pike
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 15:05:00 Michael Brigo
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 15:28:00 Andy Pike
                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 16:49:00 Michael Brigo
                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 17:24:00 Andy Pike
                                 Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 18:49:00 Michael Brigo
                                    Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 20:01:00 Andy Pike
                                       Reply17/04/26 21:45:00 Michael Brigo
                                          Re:Reply17/04/26 21:47:00 Michael Brigo
                                             Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 22:34:00 Andy Pike
                                                Re:Re:Re:Reply18/04/26 00:08:00 Michael Brigo
                                                   Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply18/04/26 07:25:00 Andy Pike
                                                      Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply18/04/26 07:36:00 Michael Brigo
                                                         Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply18/04/26 09:16:00 Andy Pike
                                          Reply17/04/26 22:34:00 Michael Ixer
   Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting17/04/26 09:37:00 Steven Rose
      Reply17/04/26 09:46:00 Martine Guy
         Reply17/04/26 10:24:00 Martine Guy
            Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting17/04/26 13:14:00 Sue Hammond
               Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting17/04/26 13:30:00 Robert Wheeler
                  Re:Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting17/04/26 15:08:00 Michael Brigo
               Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting17/04/26 13:41:00 John Hawkes
                  Olly Fights Back17/04/26 15:08:00 Sue Hammond
                     Re:Olly Fights Back17/04/26 15:47:00 Ivonne Holliday
                        Re:Re:Olly Fights Back18/04/26 16:29:00 John Hawkes
                     Re:Olly Fights Back17/04/26 16:02:00 Steven Rose
                        Re:Re:Olly Fights Back17/04/26 16:55:00 Michael Brigo
                           Re:Re:Re:Olly Fights Back17/04/26 17:06:00 Robert Wheeler
                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Olly Fights Back17/04/26 18:47:00 Michael Brigo
                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Olly Fights Back18/04/26 16:32:00 John Hawkes
                                 Reply18/04/26 19:01:00 Michael Brigo
                        Reply17/04/26 17:29:00 Sue Hammond
                           Re:Reply17/04/26 18:46:00 Steven Rose
                              Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 18:51:00 Michael Brigo
      Reply17/04/26 21:44:00 Michael Brigo
   Reply18/04/26 11:53:00 Michael Ixer
      Re:Reply18/04/26 14:17:00 Steven Rose
         Re:Re:Reply18/04/26 16:58:00 John Hawkes
            Reply18/04/26 17:29:00 Michael Ixer
               Re:Reply18/04/26 19:58:00 Steven Rose
                  Reply18/04/26 20:59:00 Michael Ixer
                     Re:Reply18/04/26 21:13:00 Robert Wheeler
                        Reply19/04/26 00:39:00 Sue Hammond
                           Re:Reply19/04/26 10:00:00 Jonathan Callaway
                              Re:Re:Reply19/04/26 10:31:00 Steven Rose
                                 Reply19/04/26 11:23:00 Michael Ixer
                                    Re:Reply19/04/26 11:46:00 Alexander MacLeod
                                    Re:Reply19/04/26 11:47:00 Steven Rose
                                       Re:Re:Reply19/04/26 12:33:00 Robert Wheeler
                                    Re:Reply19/04/26 12:46:00 John Hawkes
                              Labour's new candidate to replace Starmer steps up with exciting  progressive policy19/04/26 12:31:00 John Hawkes
                              Re:Re:Reply19/04/26 13:17:00 Ivonne Holliday
   Reply19/04/26 13:27:00 Michael Ixer
      Re:Reply19/04/26 13:53:00 John Hawkes
         Reply19/04/26 17:22:00 Michael Ixer
            Re:Reply19/04/26 18:57:00 Jonathan Callaway
               Reply19/04/26 20:12:00 Michael Ixer
            Re:Reply19/04/26 20:03:00 Steven Rose
               Re:Re:Reply19/04/26 20:28:00 Philippa Bond
                  Re:Re:Re:Reply20/04/26 10:15:00 John Hawkes
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply20/04/26 11:45:00 Philippa Bond
               Reply19/04/26 21:05:00 Michael Ixer
                  Re:Reply19/04/26 21:17:00 Steven Rose
                  Re:Reply19/04/26 21:26:00 Steven Rose
                     Reply19/04/26 22:11:00 Michael Ixer
                        Re:Reply20/04/26 10:29:00 Philippa Bond
   Reply20/04/26 09:23:00 Richard Carter
      Re:Reply20/04/26 10:22:00 Steven Rose
      Re:Reply20/04/26 10:46:00 Ivonne Holliday
      Re:Reply20/04/26 11:53:00 John Hawkes
         Re:Re:Reply20/04/26 18:38:00 Sue Hammond
            Re:Re:Re:Reply20/04/26 19:02:00 Ivonne Holliday
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply20/04/26 19:35:00 Robert Wheeler
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply20/04/26 20:39:00 Ivonne Holliday
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply21/04/26 13:39:00 John Hawkes
               Reply20/04/26 20:03:00 Sue Hammond
                  Re:Reply20/04/26 21:23:00 Ivonne Holliday
                     Reply20/04/26 21:48:00 Richard Carter
                        Re:Reply20/04/26 22:25:00 Ivonne Holliday
                           Re:Re:Reply21/04/26 00:07:00 Steven Rose
   Reply20/04/26 22:37:00 Michael Ixer
      Re:Reply21/04/26 18:02:00 Steven Rose
         Re:Re:Reply21/04/26 18:29:00 Robert Wheeler
            Re:Re:Re:Reply21/04/26 19:31:00 Steven Rose
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply21/04/26 20:18:00 Robert Wheeler
                  Reply21/04/26 23:29:00 Michael Ixer
                     Re:Reply22/04/26 14:37:00 John Hawkes
                        Reply22/04/26 15:04:00 Michael Ixer

Forum Home