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Post by mrcoke on Aug 15, 2024 10:02:21 GMT
This article sums up the current depressing situation for me. Entitlement and LazynessWill Starmer and the new government acknowledge it, and do anything about it ? I beg you to cheer up and look at the facts. That article is pure rubbish. Let's examine it: It says there are 9.5 million economically inactive. That is true, but what is so different?: www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/economicinactivity/timeseries/lf2m/lmsThe % inactive I suggest is actually lower. There are more people in work today than at any time in our history. The number inactive has increased due to firstly the pandemic leading to many over 50s (>0.5 million?) deciding not to return to the rat race after lockdowns, they found other things to do in life. Are they work shy? There is a huge increase in long term sick - are they work shy? Over 50% of young people are staying on in further education nowadays, more than at any time in our history. Are they trying to avoid working or trying to secure a better long term future? Unemployment is at its lowest level since the 1970s and since the pandemic job vacancies are at their highest level, despite record immigration. Most immigration is people joining relatives, coming to do jobs that need doing, and to study, helping fund our world class education system. Immigrants are not work shy, far from it in fact. I suggest there is little for Starmer to do. Are those that are genuinely work shy going to start work if the minimum wage is boosted? The priority is to invest. Employment stats. www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/august2024www.statista.com/statistics/279898/unemployment-rate-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/
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Post by Huddysleftfoot on Aug 15, 2024 10:17:06 GMT
If it means the guards staying on the trains, I'm happy. I like guards too, who doesn't, but surely we need a railway that runs in the evenings and weekends that doesn't rely on drivers volunteering for overtime. If we are to be a competitive and green country. Bringing the railway network AND rolling stock back into public ownership would help massively.
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Post by wannabee on Aug 15, 2024 11:04:31 GMT
This article sums up the current depressing situation for me. Entitlement and LazynessWill Starmer and the new government acknowledge it, and do anything about it ? I beg you to cheer up and look at the facts. That article is pure rubbish. Let's examine it: It says there are 9.5 million economically inactive. That is true, but what is so different?: www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/economicinactivity/timeseries/lf2m/lmsThe % inactive I suggest is actually lower. There are more people in work today than at any time in our history. The number inactive has increased due to firstly the pandemic leading to many over 50s (>0.5 million?) deciding not to return to the rat race after lockdowns, they found other things to do in life. Are they work shy? There is a huge increase in long term sick - are they work shy? Over 50% of young people are staying on in further education nowadays, more than at any time in our history. Are they trying to avoid working or trying to secure a better long term future? Unemployment is at its lowest level since the 1970s and since the pandemic job vacancies are at their highest level, despite record immigration. Most immigration is people joining relatives, coming to do jobs that need doing, and to study, helping fund our world class education system. Immigrants are not work shy, far from it in fact. I suggest there is little for Starmer to do. Are those that are genuinely work shy going to start work if the minimum wage is boosted? The priority is to invest. Employment stats. www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/august2024www.statista.com/statistics/279898/unemployment-rate-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/It is indeed a rubbish Article and deliberately disengenuous by implying all 9.5M are in receipt of Benefits when it includes Students and the voluntarily retired living off Savings and Investments Having said that we shouldn't be complacent as it's the highest absolute number since 2011 and 1.5M above 1990 albeit with an increased population Of greatest concern is the 2.8M economically inactive due to illness an increase of 700K from pre pandemic. This is obvious a direct reflection on the chaotic state of NHS both Physical and Mental Health The number of people in work Inevitably increases as the population does so its not a good comparitor. The percentage of people in work at June 2024 is 74.5% versus 75.8% June 2019 so there is work to do. Also there are about 2.5M people 7.5% of people in work who receive Benefits because their employment remuneration is insufficient
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Post by Huddysleftfoot on Aug 15, 2024 11:31:32 GMT
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Post by wannabee on Aug 15, 2024 12:18:11 GMT
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Post by elystokie on Aug 15, 2024 12:22:42 GMT
They should rename it Piratisation
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Post by wannabee on Aug 15, 2024 12:31:33 GMT
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Post by gawa on Aug 15, 2024 12:42:23 GMT
I read this yesterday and it made me laugh 😅
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Post by mrcoke on Aug 15, 2024 13:05:02 GMT
I don't disagree with your basic premise that things are unfair and something should be done. My point is things have got worse as shown in the link I posted. The point I think you are missing is it those that work hard and those that own the wealth are the ones that create more wealth. You seem to want to dismantle the capitalist system; that has been tried in the Soviet Union, other communist states and red China and failed. I doubt there are many who lived in East Germany want to go back to that time. You are correct that the UK has become the "colonized". That is because we joined the "common market" and since it became the single market have run up a huge balance of payments deficit. The consequences include foreign ownership of assets, lack of investment , and depreciating currency. www.economicshelp.org/macroeconomics/bop/probs-balance-payments-deficit/My argument is not to try and take away the workers and owners shares of the cake but to encourage/motivate them to make the cake bigger and ensure the extra wealth created is directed to those areas that most need it. A windfall tax or excess profits levy would be appropriate in that case. They would actually encourage companies to reinvest rather than paying out high dividends. The UK is not alone in the problems you describe, the US operates with a huge balance of payments deficit but focusses on growth and ignores poverty and inequality. There are others closer to home that have the same issues.: caliber.az/en/post/260192/www.progressives-zentrum.org/en/publication/germans-significantly-underestimate-unequal-distribution-of-income-and-wealth/www.rki.de/EN/Content/Institute/Press_Office/News_Archive/2024_05_02_PI-Social.htmlwww.santannapisa.it/en/news/italian-incomes-and-fiscal-system-inequalities-are-increasing-joint-study-santanna-school-pisa#:~:text=Income%20inequalities%20in%20Italy%20have,of%20the%2099%25%20of%20taxpayers. The process has to start by paying our way and getting the balance of payments into balance and prudent budgeting. A government should only borrow to invest although there are times like to 2008 financial crisis and the pandemic that that cannot be maintained. It is wrong to run a deficit to pay for consumption which future generations will have to finance. I use the term investment liberally; for example investing in health to reduce waiting times and reduce long term sickness is sound as it has a payback in terms of getting people back to work and reducing other costs. Education is another sound investment, but I would qualify that in terms of the value of some education. I agree with most of that, except the EU bit obviously. It is why Austerity coming out of a Global Recession with Interest Rates at Historically Low Rates, almost ZERO %, was the most cretinous Economic Policy to pursue. I am pleased that you agree with most of my post, but clearly I have yet to convince you of the damage done to the UK economy by membership of the EU. I posted on this on page 1,567 on the Brexit thread. oatcakefanzine.proboards.com/post/7952442I will respond further on the adverse impacts of EU membership, but think it is best done on the Brexit thread. I understand your point about austerity, but the converse argument is that if borrowing increases, so does spending, inflation, and then interest rate follow. Hindsight is 20:20. Homer said " After the event, every fool is wise,
or better still :"To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past I extend my sincere thoughts and deep sympathy. With the benefit of historical hindsight we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently or not at all."Queen Elizabeth II
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Post by wagsastokie on Aug 15, 2024 17:45:34 GMT
No surprise Reeves was probably to busy appointing one of her personal donors to a treasury job To have read Coffeys application
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Post by foghornsgleghorn on Aug 15, 2024 19:25:56 GMT
Labour have caved in to ASLEF the train drivers union. Unions hailing 15% with no conditions. I think the 'no conditions' is the big problem, we won't have a modern railway until this is fixed. But the idea of a modern railway has been kicked in to the long grass for the next government to fix. In the end for now it means higher ticket prices and a role for the taxpayer. Anyone wanting a modern railway would do well to spend a few minutes listening to this on the HS2 NAO report (from 7 mins 57) ,and the appalling undermining of the UK's future transport needs by Sunak www.greensignals.org/podcast/hs2-2bn-write-off-reversing-beeching-cancelled-royal-mail-train-alternative/
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Post by wannabee on Aug 15, 2024 19:43:21 GMT
No surprise Reeves was probably to busy appointing one of her personal donors to a treasury job To have read Coffeys application Actually Peter Curwen long time Treasury Official and visiting Professor of Economics at a number of Universities was appointed to the position being actually qualified for the position To be fair one of the more bizarre appointments of the 14 year Tory Administration was Liz Truss appointing Teresa Coffey Health Minister 😂 Can you think of anyone more unsuitable for that position?
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Post by prestwichpotter on Aug 15, 2024 20:29:44 GMT
“If we want to raise living standards for the poor we have to grow the economy”
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Post by wannabee on Aug 15, 2024 21:05:44 GMT
Who knew
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Post by desman2 on Aug 15, 2024 21:07:44 GMT
What a twat this bloke is
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Post by wannabee on Aug 15, 2024 22:25:24 GMT
Could just have easily posted this on Israel thread
Another Newsnight interview where in my view Faiza Shaheen didn't come across very well. I find that surprising as I've spoken to her at least half a dozen times one on one on local and other issues and she has always been precise and on point. The interviewer was fairly benign but even he had to tell her a few times she was answering a different question than was asked, perhaps it was deliberate. She left no doubt she wouldn't be asked to re-enter the Labour Tent anytime soon, in the unlikely event that she wanted to.
Separately to my eyes Finkelstein looks to have lost a lot of weight, hope he's OK, one of the good guys.
Worryingly and frighteningly both were in agreement that current Peace Talks were make or break, Ceasefire or all out War in Middle East. If it's the former the Hamas Leadership and Netanyahu are Fucked which tends to point to the latter being more likely
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Post by wagsastokie on Aug 15, 2024 22:34:33 GMT
No surprise Reeves was probably to busy appointing one of her personal donors to a treasury job To have read Coffeys application Actually Peter Curwen long time Treasury Official and visiting Professor of Economics at a number of Universities was appointed to the position being actually qualified for the position To be fair one of the more bizarre appointments of the 14 year Tory Administration was Liz Truss appointing Teresa Coffey Health Minister 😂 Can you think of anyone more unsuitable for that position? Deflection from labours nepotism I may be wrong wasn’t Coffey originally a nurse
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Post by wannabee on Aug 15, 2024 23:22:36 GMT
Actually Peter Curwen long time Treasury Official and visiting Professor of Economics at a number of Universities was appointed to the position being actually qualified for the position To be fair one of the more bizarre appointments of the 14 year Tory Administration was Liz Truss appointing Teresa Coffey Health Minister 😂 Can you think of anyone more unsuitable for that position? Deflection from labours nepotism I may be wrong wasn’t Coffey originally a nurse No Coffey was never a Nurse. Her first employment after eventually graduating from University after being requested to leave her first University having failed her exams twice was not unsurprisingly with the Mars Corporation
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Post by wagsastokie on Aug 16, 2024 5:27:35 GMT
Deflection from labours nepotism I may be wrong wasn’t Coffey originally a nurse No Coffey was never a Nurse. Her first employment after eventually graduating from University after being requested to leave her first University having failed her exams twice was not unsurprisingly with the Mars Corporation Fair enough I don’t know what made me think she was originally in nursing I believe it was something said on look east at some point I still think after a few weeks into the job it’s not a good look for reeves to face calls of nepotism
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Post by wannabee on Aug 16, 2024 7:33:48 GMT
No Coffey was never a Nurse. Her first employment after eventually graduating from University after being requested to leave her first University having failed her exams twice was not unsurprisingly with the Mars Corporation Fair enough I don’t know what made me think she was originally in nursing I believe it was something said on look east at some point I still think after a few weeks into the job it’s not a good look for reeves to face calls of nepotism As Reeves is not related to Corfield if anything it would be cronyism not nepotism Personally I think it's quite a stretch to suggest Corfield got the Temporary Position in the Treasury which was approved by the Civil Service Commission because he has donated a total of £20,000 over a ten year period to the Labour Party including £5,000 to Reeves herself last year, but I suppose people are prepared to believe all sorts. In any case Corfield was appointed to an entirely different job paying an estimated half of that which Coffey had applied for.
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Post by superjw on Aug 16, 2024 7:35:38 GMT
“If we want to raise living standards for the poor we have to grow the economy” Who in their right mind ever genuinely thought trickle down economics would actually benefit anyone other than the rich people coming up with the idea.
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Post by oggyoggy on Aug 16, 2024 8:25:51 GMT
“If we want to raise living standards for the poor we have to grow the economy” Wealth/capital taxes are essential to level up and boost the economy. And help reduce poverty and inequality. Will they do it though?
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Post by wannabee on Aug 16, 2024 8:42:45 GMT
“If we want to raise living standards for the poor we have to grow the economy” Who in their right mind ever genuinely thought trickle down economics would actually benefit anyone other than the rich people coming up with the idea. ?Liz Truss .... oh right, you said someone in their right mind so scratch that. Trickle-down or Supply Side Economics doesn't increase GDP but does increase Inequality Supply Side Economics would work for the Housing Market and increase equality but successive Governments resist implementing it for fear of upsetting homeowners/voters/investors Increase the housing stock to meet demand and prices fall. Instead Government introduce gimmick incentives like stamp duty coupled with tight monetary rules on borrowing so only a small percentage benefit. Throw in a deliberately complicated planning system favoured by developers and NIMBYs to retain the status quo. Fixing the housing and affordability crisis would go a long way to improve social cohesion in this country.
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Post by phileetin on Aug 16, 2024 10:57:50 GMT
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Post by mrcoke on Aug 16, 2024 11:12:13 GMT
I like guards too, who doesn't, but surely we need a railway that runs in the evenings and weekends that doesn't rely on drivers volunteering for overtime. If we are to be a competitive and green country. Bringing the railway network AND rolling stock back into public ownership would help massively. You obviously don't remember the days of British Railways, the gas board, the electricity board, the NCB, power cuts, roads always dug up, and above all huge amounts of tax payers money poured into nationalised industries that were repeatedly on strike. You should be careful what you wish for. As for the government running the railways, they already are: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj9le7vdw91o
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Post by str8outtahampton on Aug 16, 2024 12:03:45 GMT
Bringing the railway network AND rolling stock back into public ownership would help massively. You obviously don't remember the days of British Railways, the gas board, the electricity board, the NCB, power cuts, roads always dug up, and above all huge amounts of tax payers money poured into nationalised industries that were repeatedly on strike. You should be careful what you wish for. As for the government running the railways, they already are: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj9le7vdw91oI remember all of the above. In fact I worked for the gas board for a year or so. Is there any good (and above all independent) evidence to support the view that the consumer/customer/taxpayer gets a more cost-effective service from those industries under private ownership than they did pre-privatisation? There may well be. I've just not seen it.
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Post by Huddysleftfoot on Aug 16, 2024 12:10:52 GMT
You obviously don't remember the days of British Railways, the gas board, the electricity board, the NCB, power cuts, roads always dug up, and above all huge amounts of tax payers money poured into nationalised industries that were repeatedly on strike. You should be careful what you wish for. As for the government running the railways, they already are: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj9le7vdw91oI remember all of the above. In fact I worked for the gas board for a year or so. Is there any good (and above all independent) evidence to support the view that the consumer/customer/taxpayer gets a more cost-effective service from those industries under private ownership than they did pre-privatisation? There may well be. I've just not seen it. Of course there isn't and Mr Coke knows this.
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Post by Huddysleftfoot on Aug 16, 2024 12:11:46 GMT
Bringing the railway network AND rolling stock back into public ownership would help massively. You obviously don't remember the days of British Railways, the gas board, the electricity board, the NCB, power cuts, roads always dug up, and above all huge amounts of tax payers money poured into nationalised industries that were repeatedly on strike. You should be careful what you wish for. As for the government running the railways, they already are: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj9le7vdw91oWith respect, that's utter claptrap.
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Post by mickeythemaestro on Aug 16, 2024 12:54:17 GMT
You obviously don't remember the days of British Railways, the gas board, the electricity board, the NCB, power cuts, roads always dug up, and above all huge amounts of tax payers money poured into nationalised industries that were repeatedly on strike. You should be careful what you wish for. As for the government running the railways, they already are: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj9le7vdw91oWith respect, that's utter claptrap. Trains did stop smelling of piss though shortly after privatisation and they went a bit faster and looked a lot cooler to be fair. Not quite a Japanese Bullet train though 😀
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Post by phileetin on Aug 16, 2024 13:55:04 GMT
this time next year inflation will be through the roof .
same old labour , tax , spend and inflation.
IMF here we come
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