“Those with the broadest shoulders should bear the burden”
Sir Keir Starmer
What on earth do broad shoulders have to do with the economy? What he actually means is that the wealthier you are, they’re coming for you. The fact that you’ve worked hard is entirely your own fault. You’ll need broad shoulders because they’re going to overload you.
Yes I know that everyone wants to take from the filthy rich, not an attractive attitude, you work hard, be a genius, start a business, do really well, employ a lot of people, and then we can punish you for it and make you pay for our mistakes and lack of foresight.
I am all for hitting tax evaders where it hurts and very hard, I despise non-dom status. But for the average working Jo(e) who’s tried really, really hard, it’s pretty insulting. Especially as the very rich can leave.
The problem is that the real upper classes don’t tend to spend money on the high street. They’re more designer label and exclusive salons. It’s the middle and what they call upper-middle classes that do. Or don’t.
The shops are closing because that bracket are gradually slipping towards the one below, and they don’t have anywhere near the disposable income they had five years ago. The bracket able to keep the economy going is shrinking.
It’s all someone else’s fault
Which quantifies politics in 5 words.
It’s the Conservatives. Labour didn’t know about the black hole? We did. What about Covid and Ukraine? Those are facts. I wasn’t sad to see the backs of the Conservatives, but to ignore the fact that the last five years have had a brutal effect across Europe, and out to America at the very least, is to be completely unfair.
The Conservatives didn’t put money aside for the next part of the year. It was loud and clear that they were going to lose so why would they and how could they? The country is broke. Labour lauded it that they were going to do better, now is their opportunity to prove that. Of course they definitely positively absolutely were not going to raise any taxes whatsoever and Sunak was a meanie liar. This is going to be interesting.
It’s all someone else’s fault
The Conservatives left the prison system in a mess? I’m sorry but isn’t it the criminals doing that? No crime. No prisons. Crime is not a choice of the government, and people won’t magically reform after an election. Not even Reform.
Who benefits
Benefits are either a long term thing to help those genuinely in need, or a short-term thing to get people through a difficult time. I don’t think anyone minds supporting those who have disabilities or are genuinely unwell, but I think most of us would vote for a time limit on benefits for those fully capable of working.
Those who are fully capable of working could earn their benefits by helping out in their communities? They could paint and decorate social housing. Help the disabled by doing their shopping. Do odd jobs. Even get some real work experience. If they were willing to do that then no problem.
I thoroughly support taking care of genuine people, but those working the system should be found and refusal to work should become a crime. After all, they take from those who wish they didn’t have to.
The unheard
As you know I spend my time sitting up trees listening in on those relaxed conversations at home, and there is one thing I haven’t yet heard from this Labour government. An unmentioned, unacknowledged truth.
The note left for David Cameron when he took office in 2010 “There’s no money left”, with a smiley!
Labour may have forgotten but I have not!
In this day and age any ruling party in any country would be performing a miracle to even break even. Unless we all pay more tax, stop government waste, mince the red tape, and work if we’re able. You may say that some of it is the fault of the public, both wealthy and bone idle? But that probably wouldn’t be popular.
You might say that those running the government services should eradicate red tape and make every system simple and cost effective. That probably would be popular, but will be wildly unpopular with the Whitehall crew.
Oh well, pretty normal for a journalist, irritate everyone unless you solidly avoid the truth and go for sensational lies.
As that’s mainly celebrity journalism, you then irritate the people who aren’t interested in celebrities and shy royals, various documentaries, interviews, and their remarkable ability to accidentally place themselves front and centre of the news whilst screaming ‘go away’.
It’s very confusing. Have they never heard of Marlene Dietrich? She took to her bed and became a recluse. The lesson is out there guys.
Disappointing
I had high hopes for Starmer, but starting with the pensioners was strike one, this is probably strike two, chaos should follow with calls for him to resign inside 6 weeks. Recent polls showed that Labour have already dropped six points to 33%, Reform are up 3 to 21%, and the Conservatives are solid on 20%. It’s a predictable mess that I think we were all hoping wouldn’t happen but knew would.
The thing I find with listening to their conversations is that they all know that saying the right words win elections, the facts don’t match the words, and they spend their entire term from day one working towards re-election abandoning truth on the way to the next ballot box.
The people continue to believe what they believe, although many people I speak to now believe nothing. To put this in perspective, personal approval ratings are 44%, 34%, and 22%. That’s Larry the Cat, Sir Keir, and Rishi, in that order.
Hey ho, being humorous is hard under the current circumstances. My grandson is on holiday which doesn’t help. I live alone now and I’m not amusing. I’m really up against it.
Clarence
P.S. Part of the problem with this country is that we don’t know how to laugh at politicians properly. We take them way too seriously. They go in with no training at all become an MP, and we think they’re going to put everything right? They don’t even know how big the category ‘everything’ is, let alone what to do with it. When it comes to Government ministers, experience is not a necessity for some of the smaller rolls. Such as Prime Minister. I’m surprised people don’t think that all mention of politics is a line from a badly written comedy. This really should be a ‘whatever’ subject. Just don’t take everything with a pinch of salt, that much salt isn’t good for you!
Deb Hawken - Amorah 