Starmer's vision quest

[Stevo 666]

You seem to be waiting for replies to quite a number of questions. I hope you're making a list.

The obvious solution would be to answer them. Want to have a go? (Unlikely given your recent form for dodging straightforward questions 🙂)

 

[Stevo 666]

Telegraph covers what I suspect will happen

No golden goodbye and drop in salary to backbencher, she faces huge bills and penalties from HMRC.

Hove flat most likely be on the market very soon.

Perhaps a little ironic that a Labour politician is discovering the downsides of living in a high tax country.

 

[Psamathe]

It's not just that causing delays though. I work on the civil engineering side of development and it regularly takes 12 months or more to get approval from Councils to the design of access roads / off-site improvements. It's sometimes lack of resources meaning they take months to reply and sometimes, in particular if they've objected to the application and been over-ruled, it can me sheer awkwardness. This is just for relatively small sites, generally that have previously been accepted into the development plan. Roll that out across all the other disciplines and you've got massive delays. Not every delay in the system relates to environmental protection, most sites are delivering BNG improvements but there are still plenty of other obstacles and in my experience even the ecologists / tree consultants employed by the developer are passionate about protecting the environment.

I was saying everything in the changes was wrong. Just that from my personal priorities there are some big failings that don't need to be failings ie they can easily address those shortcomings without abandoning what they are looking to achieve. My personal view is that failing to address those shortcomings stems from Ms Rayner's lack of experience and that she is not good at listening to other people and not good at seeing unintended concequences.

 

[Psamathe]

may have miss-understood, it has been known, but, I thought the Deputy Leader / Deputy Prime Minister role was decided by the Labour Party Membership?

Different roles

Deputy PM is a role in hands of PM to decide

Deputy Leader of Labour Party is decided by the members.

In theory they could be different people

Don't even need to have a Deputy PM.

 

[spen666]

I'm interested in understanding the thinking behind cabinet reshuffle at the top end.

Obviously a new Housing minister was needed.

But what was thinking behind shuffling Lammy, Cooper and Mamood around?

None had done anything i wad aware of to be sacked. None have been removed from cabinet.

In relation to Lammy wasn't it said a year ago he would be Foreign Secretary for the whole of the Parliament to provide consistency?

Not a criticism, just curious behind the thinking.

 

[icowden]

Perhaps a little ironic that a Labour politician is discovering the downsides of living in a high tax country.

Are we a high tax country? We are significantly lower then Germany, Italy, France and Spain for personal tax rates. And also below many other countries in terms of tax revenue as a share of GDP.

https://ifs.org.uk/taxlab/taxlab-key-questions/how-do-uk-tax-revenues-compare-internationally

 

[icowden]

Not a criticism, just curious behind the thinking.

It's what happens when you pull names out of a hat.

 

[spen666]

It's what happens when you pull names out of a hat.

I'm curious why shift those 3 that I mentioned.

It does look at 1st glance to be as you say, but I'm sure there is some logic.


Bet Rachel is gutted she never got a way out

 

[Psamathe]

I'm interested in understanding the thinking behind cabinet reshuffle at the top end.

Move to the right.
Bit of musical chairs distracts from the Rayner story.

But move somebody out of a post if they are not up to the job (or if needed elsewhere). So if eg Cooper not up to such a senior role then ... let's move her to a different senior rule ... highlights complete lack of managerial skills at the top of Government.

Plus we've only had one reset so far this week so maybe time for another? Starmer facing terrible polls, terrible approval rating. They've had to backtrack on several changes, seeing record boat crossings after promising too simplistic a "solution", growth not happening, borrowing costs increasing ... Reminds me of the expression "Something needs to be done, this is something so let's do it"

 

[Pross]

I was saying everything in the changes was wrong. Just that from my personal priorities there are some big failings that don't need to be failings ie they can easily address those shortcomings without abandoning what they are looking to achieve. My personal view is that failing to address those shortcomings stems from Ms Rayner's lack of experience and that she is not good at listening to other people and not good at seeing unintended concequences.

Yes, that’s probably reasonable. The biggest problem in the planning system is elected Councillors ignoring planning legislation and their own Council’s policies to object to applications so they can get voted in again. They need to be made more accountable for when planning appeals against those decisions get upheld. I’d like to see numbers published for Council costs arising from refusing applications against their officer’s recommendations at the very least and also where appeal decisions go against them.

 

[Stevo 666]

Are we a high tax country? We are significantly lower then Germany, Italy, France and Spain for personal tax rates. And also below many other countries in terms of tax revenue as a share of GDP.

https://ifs.org.uk/taxlab/taxlab-key-questions/how-do-uk-tax-revenues-compare-internationally

Have a look outside of high tax European countries and you may well see a different picture.

As France is currently discovering, high taxes do not lead to the promised land.

 

[Bromptonaut]

I'm interested in understanding the thinking behind cabinet reshuffle at the top end.

Obviously a new Housing minister was needed.

But what was thinking behind shuffling Lammy, Cooper and Mamood around?

None had done anything i wad aware of to be sacked. None have been removed from cabinet.

In relation to Lammy wasn't it said a year ago he would be Foreign Secretary for the whole of the Parliament to provide consistency?

Not a criticism, just curious behind the thinking.

Cooper wasn't cutting the mustard as Home Sec; too many boats. Mamood as shown herself at Justice to be a shrewd and effective operator. The hope is she'll bring that vim to the Home Office.

Starmer doesn't want to sack Cooper so shuffles her to another Great Office.

In spite of the bauble of Deputy PM Lammy might have every reason to feel slighted. While I would argue the the constitutional responsibilities of the Lord Chancellor/SoS for Justice make it one of the Great Offices it's not seen that way. I would like to see Lammy act in a way that makes his role look as serious as it is.

He might start by standing up for the Judiciary and taking on Tories like Jenrick and Philp who set out to undermine Justice.

 

[spen666]

Cooper wasn't cutting the mustard as Home Sec; too many boats. Mamood as shown herself at Justice to be a shrewd and effective operator. The hope is she'll bring that vim to the Home Office.

If that is right, it means the work she was doing re Justice will now not be achieved and she probably has not got sufficient time to be successful at HO. So instead on 1 success and 1 not we now have 2 non successes

Starmer doesn't want to sack Cooper so shuffles her to another Great Office.

If that is the case, then that only shows weak leadership by Starmer. If she isn't up to it, she should be out of government. Imagine what those in the Foreign Office are feeling getting a failed minister as their new boss. Also how will foreign countries feel having to deal with this failed minister

In spite of the bauble of Deputy PM Lammy might have every reason to feel slighted. While I would argue the the constitutional responsibilities of the Lord Chancellor/SoS for Justice make it one of the Great Offices it's not seen that way. I would like to see Lammy act in a way that makes his role look as serious as it is.

He might start by standing up for the Judiciary and taking on Tories like Jenrick and Philp who set out to undermine Justice.

Sadly no one seems to stand up for the Justice system and if they look like they might, they get promoted to elsewhere in government

 

[bobzmyunkle]

Have a look outside of high tax European countries and you may well see a different picture.

A couple of days ago it was the wrong type of company, today it's the wrong type of country.

 

[Psamathe]

Yes, that’s probably reasonable. The biggest problem in the planning system is elected Councillors ignoring planning legislation and their own Council’s policies to object to applications so they can get voted in again. They need to be made more accountable for when planning appeals against those decisions get upheld. I’d like to see numbers published for Council costs arising from refusing applications against their officer’s recommendations at the very least and also where appeal decisions go against them.

Off topic and not part of my disagreements with aspects of Rayner's legislative plane but re: planning: It varies. I follow local planning in fair amount of detail and regularly submit input to applications (incl. supporting applications the "community" objects to where I consider it an important development).

My local planning dept (not Councillors) seem to make decisions based on probability of appeal outcome. eg one development (house extension to GII listed building) everybody incl. Planning objected to (I spoke to them and verbally they said "Don't worry, it'll never get approved") then applicant wrote a threatening letter about how his lawyers advise it will be approved on appeal so if refused he would be appealing, etc. and ... approved without going to committee. Area where I live I think virtually all appeals are not upheld, maybe because planning approve anything that might risk an appeal being upheld.

But for the majority of small developments <1 house eg extensions, outbuildings, etc. the standard practice here seems to just build then when caught apply then if necessary appeal. Sometimes happens for residential properties occasionally and people just threaten a way under-resourced enforcement last one near me lost appeal and was "on hold" as applicant had notified they were going to Judicial Review (where it would never be upheld).