WayneMorse
Banned
Salmond should've just pushed for devolution of tax and welfare policies after 2011 to be honest.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
UK PoliGAF thread of tell me about the rabbits again, Dave.
- Thread starter Chinner
- Start date
Salmond should've just pushed for devolution of tax and welfare policies after 2011 to be honest.
CyclopsRock
Member
They already have some control over income tax bands but they haven't used it.
Nicktendo86
Member
Quite stunning employment figures out today, down to 6.6% which is the lowest in 5 years, two million private sector jobs created under this government, vast majority are full time.
Wage increase has slowed to 0.7% however which is a concern, however I really think it will shoot up the coming months.
Wage increase has slowed to 0.7% however which is a concern, however I really think it will shoot up the coming months.
Nicktendo86
Member
Tell that to France, who's economic policy Milliband trumpeted until it went belly up. He has gone a bit quiet on that now.
Ironic wasn't it that as soon as they stopped their austerity drive (which despite what the tories say they have, they are borrowing like mental) things turned around. Mind you they have created a massive housing bubble that will burst and cause another recession. Kind of like how they did during the 80's and 90's. Boom before election and then recession after it.
You could explain anything away with this reasoning lol
How are the other economies who didn't persue austerity doing?
There is no housing bubble. I wish there was I have a couple of houses for sale.
CyclopsRock
Member
I think the housing prixlce growth in the SE and London is driving up the average by pure scale, but today's figures showed that job growth is strongest in the North East and North West so hopefully that trend will find equilibrium soon.
Just in case there's any doubt about who is in charge of the UK,
(Not any of these guys, clearly.)
Eughhh, government endorsed advertisements. And to add to that, advertisements of a poor newspaper.
Nicktendo86
Member
Ed posing with the sun (not for the first time either) won't go down well in Liverpool.
JonathanEx
Member
I think the Liverpool Lab MP is looking to have talks with Ed about it.
Nicktendo86
Member
Yeah Ed is getting shit for it. He has posed with the Sun before though and did their London cabbie thing, but I guess people are paying more attention to him now.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27829958
Other news, big setback for Cameron with the EU president thing. UKIP's message will be strengthened. Also disgraceful how all parties are ignoring Iraq, the war must have been so toxic they are all avoiding the situation there now. Shameful.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27829958
Other news, big setback for Cameron with the EU president thing. UKIP's message will be strengthened. Also disgraceful how all parties are ignoring Iraq, the war must have been so toxic they are all avoiding the situation there now. Shameful.
That was fast. Flipped through the copy they sent before chucking it in the garbage. Nothing but jingoistic drivel.
And I don't really like judging politicians on superficial things but how the hell can Milliband mess up a smile for a posed PR shot?
dapperbandit
Banned
Well he messed up a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea already, he's a talented man.
To be 100% fair to the man, everyone looks stupid when they eat.
Yes. The Sun is toxic in Liverpool and it's surroundings for exactly this reason.
This shouldn't be the reason. The main reason should be the advertisements. And it shouldn't be limited to ED. Also the Sun is toxic for many other reasons, not just that story. Not to mention the links that Murdoch still has/had with government officials.
Nicktendo86
Member
The sun is hated in Liverpool after their Hillsborough front page, like detested. Liverpool is fierce labour territory. They see Ed holding the sun as an insult and a betrayal, even though he did the same in 2011. They will still vote for him anyway.
Nicktendo86
Member
Well, Tony Blair's comments on Iraq today were quite extraordinarily. Nyou would have thought a man who brought so much disaster to the region would want to keep his nose out.
Well, he's just doubling down. for him to say otherwise would be to admit he was wrong, and I honestly don't think he's capable of that anymore.
I've read so many books over the last year about New Labour from 1994 through to 2010, and all of them have the common theme of Blair developing more and more of a messiah complex. On one level its actually quite disturbing to see what that time in office did to him.
I've read so many books over the last year about New Labour from 1994 through to 2010, and all of them have the common theme of Blair developing more and more of a messiah complex. On one level its actually quite disturbing to see what that time in office did to him.
CyclopsRock
Member
The most terrifying thing is that, as a young, popular PM with large majorities, he could have done basically anything he wanted were it not for Brown standing in his way for little reason other than personal vindictiveness. We were saved from the Euro by Brown's staunch desire to do as little that Blair wanted as possible. He was our break, our unwitting watchman. Terrifying.
War Peaceman
You're a big guy.
Tony Blair's autobiography is definitely worth a read, by the way, just make sure you buy it second hand. The diction is just bizarre and his obvious narcissism leaks out of every page.
Gordon Brown really is under-appreciated. For all his obvious ineptitude as a party leader, I do believe he was a morally ok person who sincerely wanted to improve the lives of the disadvantaged, particularly in regards to child poverty. Fuck Blair.
Gordon Brown really is under-appreciated. For all his obvious ineptitude as a party leader, I do believe he was a morally ok person who sincerely wanted to improve the lives of the disadvantaged, particularly in regards to child poverty. Fuck Blair.
My problem with Brown is that I have yet to read a book on New Lbaour that doesn't end up depicting him as a completely unhinged, bullying psychopath responsible for the mess we now have in Labour with people like Ed Balls in charge. Even the books from his side of the fence leave you feeling 'something was not right here'. His sociopathic tendencies might have kept us out of the Euro, but they also wrecked New Labour and pushed Blair towards Iraq - Gordon's determination to have the treasury running the country and blocking Blair on the domestic front left Blair with foreign ops being the main area he had control and autonomy,
Chris Mullin's even has a quote about Balls, with someone saying that before he started working for Brown he was a decent guy and that Brown has a really bad impact on the people who worked for him.
Chris Mullin's even has a quote about Balls, with someone saying that before he started working for Brown he was a decent guy and that Brown has a really bad impact on the people who worked for him.
Nicktendo86
Member
The pound is at $1.70 this morning for the first time since 2008.
Edit: and inflation down again today. CPI down from 1.8% to 1,5%, RPI down to 2.4% from 2.5%. Cost of living crisis???
Edit2: fall was driven by fall in bread, cereal and fruit.
Edit: and inflation down again today. CPI down from 1.8% to 1,5%, RPI down to 2.4% from 2.5%. Cost of living crisis???
Edit2: fall was driven by fall in bread, cereal and fruit.
BBC said:
War Peaceman
You're a big guy.
In fairness, a lot of the major Blair figures have left politics and published memoirs, etc. This is less the case for the Brownites. Nobody has really pleaded his case. That said, he was clearly not a person who is good with people. Plus the feud with Blair obviously embittered him. I would never describe him as sociopathic though - sociopaths typically have superficial charm, plus when he did speak about things he cared about he seemed to genuinely care. Towards the end of his government he gave a great speech about child poverty, for example.
Labours cost of living crisis they have dreamt up revolves around high energy prices which the energy companies are reluctant to drop because Labour announced a price freeze that they can't possibly implement unless they get into to power..... In 18 months or so.
Next they will be fucking with the rental market by announcing price controls 18 months before they can implement them........
Seriously, the fucking idiocy of that party boggles my mind.
War Peaceman
You're a big guy.
Yes, that is the reason that the energy companies aren't dropping prices.
Nicktendo86
Member
They will do, and soon. Gas prices for next winter have come in really low and they will want to show before the election that the market is working so I would put money in energy price cuts for this winter.
Edit: bloody hell. #saveed
Edit: bloody hell. #saveed
Guy Fawkes said:
WayneMorse
Banned
Someone should photoshop the Hilsborough front page onto this one.
They have already used it as an excuse yes. Only a blithering idiot would think announcing a price freeze on something at any other time than now is a good thing.
phisheep
NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
Labour pledges to curb welfare entitlements
This just seems bonkers to me. And it isn't a party-political point at all. Just all this crap about forcing people through more and more "education" (look, it may be education for you and me, but it is more like prison for some people - one of my daughters for example).
So what are you going to do with someone who left school at 16, had a steady job for a few years and then redundant? No jobseekers?
What about people home schooled?
What about all the many people who are perfectly sane, sensible, articulate and keen to work but bloody hated school?
What next - no jobseekers unless you have a degree?
Stupid.
All it will do eventually is to deny jobseekers allowance to exactly the people who need it most.
This just seems bonkers to me. And it isn't a party-political point at all. Just all this crap about forcing people through more and more "education" (look, it may be education for you and me, but it is more like prison for some people - one of my daughters for example).
So what are you going to do with someone who left school at 16, had a steady job for a few years and then redundant? No jobseekers?
What about people home schooled?
What about all the many people who are perfectly sane, sensible, articulate and keen to work but bloody hated school?
What next - no jobseekers unless you have a degree?
Stupid.
All it will do eventually is to deny jobseekers allowance to exactly the people who need it most.
JonathanEx
Member
Oh good. Trying to make a major policy point and show off principles and win back voters.
Sadly the principle is shit, it'll only affect people they should help rather than harm, is a small percentage of welfare so there's better things to do and means testing never goes wrong or costs more does it
It shouldn't be so hard for Labour to put up a good, proper opposition but they are showing remarkable levels of incompetence all round.
Sadly the principle is shit, it'll only affect people they should help rather than harm, is a small percentage of welfare so there's better things to do and means testing never goes wrong or costs more does it
It shouldn't be so hard for Labour to put up a good, proper opposition but they are showing remarkable levels of incompetence all round.
War Peaceman
You're a big guy.
An excuse, sure. People complain when Labour don't talk policies, they do and it is problematic. Of course, on a completely practical level it makes little sense, but they are trying to win an election and it is a popular policy.
Yes, it is completely wrong and illogical. It is so idiotic I can only assume[hope] it is an attempt to position Labour as economically conservative, not an actual policy.
I can only assume Ed is trying to circumnavigate the political globe by continuing rightwards and will in the future emerge, blinking and bearded as the new face of the left.
Otherwise this just seems crazy for someone who seems to have hit a new low in popularity and thinks gunning for UKIP is the right way forward.
Otherwise this just seems crazy for someone who seems to have hit a new low in popularity and thinks gunning for UKIP is the right way forward.
If you were an energy company what would you do? Labour, nor any energy company has any idea what gas is going to cost in 12-18 months.
CyclopsRock
Member
That's crazy. Those are the poor fuckers who get screwed when it comes to university grants and loans and stuff, too. I was "lucky", my dad was (is) poor as shit, so I got money falling out of my arsehole at university, but my chums with wealthier-but-stingy parents were living in poverty most of the time.
Plus, once again, £42k means a lot more in the North East than in London.
I think this is definitely just posturing, though; None of it fits in with Ed's "predistribution" shtick. Though this wouldn't be the first time a politician went against something they'd said before.
Nicktendo86
Member
Or dear dear ed, I actually don't think he could get anything right.
dapperbandit
Banned
Who are Labour trying to please with this policy?
they can fuck off with that too. Either you are an adult in the eyes of the law at 18, or you aren't. How can they tie benefit support to adults based on their parents' income? That just sounds like sweetening the pill - oh you don't really need the money.
Not to mention that a combined income of £42k is less than the average wage for two earners.
I find their definition of 'lack of skills' odd. Basically if you don't at least have A-levels you don't qualify. But what about apprenticeships or other vocational qualifications? Are they worthless?
Soft right wingers leaning towards UKIP?
dapperbandit
Banned
Seems kind of pointless to go for them if doing so further jeopardises your appeal to traditional labour voters.
CyclopsRock
Member
Interesting polling lately. Although Labour's lead has been doing its usual bouncing trick of going between about 6 and 1 (which is normal), what's changed is that the voteshare of the Tories and Labour has been gradually going up. Even a few months ago, it wasn't rare for the poll leader to be in the low 30's or even high 20's. In today's YouGov, it's 38 vs 34. Is it possible that, with no further significant elections before the GE, and with less than a year to go, support is resolving more on the main parties as the electorate's minds are focused on the choice in 2015, and away from protest votes? Or is this just a coincidence that'll fall back next week? This seems to be to have been an increasing trend in the last few weeks, since Newark.
QuicheFontaine
Member
I've got a £50 bet on with a mate that UKIP will have "at least one" MP after the next General Election, so this is bad news on that front. Probably not terrible news as far as the country is concerned though.