Keir Starmer at it again..

[leedswolf]

Rachel Reeves is spending a lot of time talking about massive holes in our public finances without mentioning Brexit, which blew 5% of our GDP out of the door.

It's like discussing in detail why a soufflé has collapsed without mentioning the oven door was wide open.

Labour need to wake up…

 

[EpsomWolf]

She knows a lot of Labour voters will have voted for it and there’s no point rubbing them up the wrong way so you might as well side-step the B factor and pin all the blame on Tory mismanagement.

 

[pr0sl0]

It's OK - they're playing a long game. Increase the number of pensioners killed each winter, by the time of the next election it'll be safe to put rejoining back on the table.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

The payment is being removed from those pensioners that have said since the start that they don't need it. Not that the Express and Mail would agree.

 

[Del Woppio]

The payment is being removed from those pensioners that have said since the start that they don't need it. Not that the Express and Mail would agree.

I'm not unhappy with the principle of means testing it as long as the current plan of tying it in with pension credits has the flexibility to ensure that nobody slips through the gaps, and we end up with people who are on the margins of qualifying freezing to death.

 

[sycophantia]

I'm not unhappy with the principle of means testing it as long as the current plan of tying it in with pension credits has the flexibility to ensure that nobody slips through the gaps, and we end up with people who are on the margins of qualifying freezing to death.

I also dont mind it being means tested (same with child benefit). My only concern is how the testing is conducted. If I'm understanding it correctly, you only get the winter allowance if you're in receipt of pension based benefits. Not sure if that takes into account of people living on state pension with a very small personal pension. I admit I have a vested interested. I need to look into when pension benefits are triggered.

 

[lemonjelly]

it will be paid if you're in receipt of pension credit, or qualify for it. Pension credit will be the "passport benefit" to winter fuel allowance.

 

[The Saturday Boy]

It should have been in the manifesto. The IFS were warning of a £20 billion black hole months ago saying that neither party were being honest with the electorate. In March, the IFS reported that unprotected departments could face day to day cuts of up to £20 billion and the OBR admitted at the same time that they had "lots of details on the government's tax plans" but "much less about spending plans for public services."

Although Labour might not have been across all the minute details, they were very much aware of a the size of the so-called surprise black hole and at no point during the election campaign did they set out clearly how they would deal with it. Now we know, winter fuel allowances and tax rises. The Tories would have had to do the same had they won, but they knew that was really unlikely...

Both parties have been dishonest to the electorate.

 

[Del Woppio]

The public sector spending deficit that the IFS were talking about in March, and the 'black hole' that Reeves is talking about this week are completely different things. Paul Johnson has done quite a few interviews on it. Both the IFS and the OBR have backed Reeves on this saying there are spending commitments that were hidden

 

[Tony Towner]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1818303970592374977

 

[The Saturday Boy]

The public sector spending deficit that the IFS were talking about in March, and the 'black hole' that Reeves is talking about this week are completely different things. Paul Johnson has done quite a few interviews on it. Both the IFS and the OBR have backed Reeves on this saying there are spending commitments that were hidden

You are absolutely right, I apologise.

However, nearly half of it is due to decisions of this government and although I agree with the decisions they’ve made…they are decisions they own.

 

[Keef]

They were interviewing a Tory ex health minister on radio four about the GPs working to rule, presenter said “the government is trying to sort it out, but are laying the blame at the last government “

His reply “ they would say that wouldn’t they, it’s typical of labour”

 

[Tony Towner]

Day off today, so I went for a couple of pints, overheard someone say, "typical that rioting starts after Labour come in, that's what you get with them". As per the sad thread you can't argue with that.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Day off today, so I went for a couple of pints, overheard someone say, "typical that rioting starts after Labour come in, that's what you get with them". As per the sad thread you can't argue with that.

I've seen 4 or 5 people on Social media I've never, ever seen post about politics posting about the winter fuel payment this week, moaning about Labour.

3 of which are wealthy parents of my friends that absolutely don't "need" it.

Didn't post anything about free school meals of course.

Interesting.

 

[Del Woppio]

Quite. When it school meals it was all 'why should I pay for someone else's kid, if you can't afford them don't have them'.

The big one I'm seeing is Labour taking money off pensioners to 'give to boat people'

 

[Langers]

Yep, seen exactly the same myself - it's been pretty much constant all week.

 

[BillyDee]

The big one I'm seeing is Labour taking money off pensioners to 'give to boat people'

Yep, especially when it's people who openly admit that they don't need it themselves, but would rather they had it than the immigrants

 

[Tony Towner]

You can't have Ed Balls interviewing Yvette Cooper on national TV. Even GB News would have a think about that. They need to pay him off

 

[Johnny75]

You can't have Ed Balls interviewing Yvette Cooper on national TV. Even GN News would have a think about that. They need to pay him off

Or just not put him on that day?

 

[Tony Towner]

Or just not put him on that day?

Still don't think you can have the husband of the Home Secretary interviewing government ministers and it's difficult to know when you need the HS. I don't watch morning TV, but Labour need to see the conflict of interest and have a word