Starmer's vision quest

[Pblakeney]

Could you point to any areas of improvement under the Labour Government that have helped you arrive at your conclusion? Or at least say why you think Sunak would have made things worse?

Not so much improved, but steadied a sinking ship.
https://www.economist.com/interactive/2025-british-politics/starmer-tracker

 

[secretsqirrel]

This is an interesting poll that maybe the government should note…

 

[CXRAndy]

This is an interesting poll that maybe the government should note…

Maybe they should take note

call an election

 

[spen666]

it comes across as though the PM is not in control of No. 10, his party or the country.
I am still struggling to work out what exactly he stands for - I can't disagree with his principles as at present I am still trying to work out what they are.

 

[BoldonLad]

The doom leaking is damaging the ecomomy and making it even worse. They did this last year so businesses and individuals sat on their hands for three months, worsening all of the data the budget relied on, and they've done the exact same thing this year.

If she changes a myriad of other taxes, I suspect that will be worse. Particularly another Labour raid on pensions, because she may as well raise income tax for a lot of people.

She just needs plans to reduce non-capital spending. It really is that simple, and going back to how generous the UK welfare state was in 2010 whist maintaining longer term investment is not austerity.

They are weighing 400 or so grumpy backbenchers against absolutely everyone else in the UK.

RfA and her Advisors/Civil Servants understanding the difference between these two items would be a good start, IMHO 😊

 

[BoldonLad]

Bloody hell.
This Hokey Cokey budget rumour mill is driving the country into a recession.
Since August they have just been chucking mud at the wall to see what sticks.
Get ready for complicated tweaks to loads of different taxes. Many with unintended consequences. For instance I suspect my salary sacrifice pension arrangement will go.
This will penalise pension savings.

Successive Governments have failed to learn the lesson that they need to be very careful of unintended consequences. The taxed are much smarter and quicker at using perks (introduced with the best of intentions) by the taxers, to gain an advantage for the taxed.

 

[BoldonLad]

I'm not Nostradamus but my predictions of catastrophe are looking ever more likely. I stand by my theory that whilst another Sunak government might have been terrible in many ways it was probably the least worst option. I don't see a lot of contrition from the "But evil Tawies" mob. How is voting Labour working out for you?

Well, I didn't actually vote Labour, but, regardless of that, so far, it is not good, and, is set to get worse IMHO.

 

[Shortfall]

Not so much improved, but steadied a sinking ship.
https://www.economist.com/interactive/2025-british-politics/starmer-tracker

I don't see much evidence of Labour steadying things in that data and obviously I could produce lots of stats that show where things have deteriorated. As a fellow Eeyore wouldn't it be more honest of you to say that you voted Labour in the hope that they couldn't possibly be worse than the Tories but on the evidence so far they are every bit as bad and probably a lot worse? That's the truth of it isn't it?

 

[CXRAndy]

View: https://x.com/GBNEWS/status/1989302517633540376?t=mNHZ-jYXt6jQ-AA-63Ie0w&s=19

 

[Pblakeney]

As a fellow Eeyore wouldn't it be more honest of you to say that you voted Labour in the hope that they couldn't possibly be worse than the Tories but on the evidence so far they are not quite as bad but potentially worse? That's the truth of it isn't it?

Fixed that to be closer to the truth of my view.
Your view may well be is different.

 

[the snail]

This, basically. While was could debate an appropriate reference year, the country was not a blackened smoking wasteland when government spending on non-capital areas was lower.

Sadly, given Labour's abject failure to cut even modest amounts off the welfare bill, the chances of this happening under the current government are pretty much zero.

We had 14 years of the Tories trying to cut welfare/public spending, with nothing to show for it. Labour are pretty much following the Tory spending plans, so unsurprisingly, they've been about as successful. If you look at the numbers, there's no realistic prospect of significant savings,unless you want to slash pensions or the NHS. That's why the whole austerity thing was never going to work. If they want to fix the accounts, they need to raise revenue, by raising taxes, or growing the economy.

 

[the snail]

it comes across as though the PM is not in control of No. 10, his party or the country.
I am still struggling to work out what exactly he stands for - I can't disagree with his principles as at present I am still trying to work out what they are.

Like the tories, only more competent,won't frighten the horses.

 

[First Aspect]

We had 14 years of the Tories trying to cut welfare/public spending, with nothing to show for it. Labour are pretty much following the Tory spending plans, so unsurprisingly, they've been about as successful. If you look at the numbers, there's no realistic prospect of significant savings,unless you want to slash pensions or the NHS. That's why the whole austerity thing was never going to work. If they want to fix the accounts, they need to raise revenue, by raising taxes, or growing the economy.

Labour have significantly increased spending. And they announced plans to cut the welfare budget but chickened out.

 

[monkers]

Like the tories, only more competent,won't frighten the horses.

I agree. Those horsey billionaires need not just frightening but asset stripping.

Defying the outcomes of the worst effects of billionaire led capitalism is like trying to defying the effects of gravity when jumping from an airplane without a parachute or good reason. Urging for less regulated capitalism (and I'm not saying or suggesting for a moment that you are) is tantamount to promoting a race to the freefall onto frozen ground.

We can't say that Reform, Conservatives, Labour, or the Lib Dems are prepared to talk about transitioning to another way of doing things.

''Tax the Rich'' is OK for a slogan for our times, but it fixes none of the urgent concerns, national economies, energy requirements, the climate emergency, child and pensioner poverty, or the culture wars. What we need is a party with a pre-prepared plan that people can scrutinise. And there we have a problem, because the Green Party actually have something. It used to be available on-line for anybody to see, but they have become precious about it and annoyingly have taken it off-line.

 

[spen666]

Like the tories, only more competent,won't frighten the horses.

I disagree - even with Liz Truss you knew what she wanted to achieve, even if she was a disaster.

With Starmer there is no discernible principles or vision


nothing to do with competency, but ability to set out vision