Westminster Politics 2024-2029

Listening 5Live on the way home from work and Tony Livesey said Rachel Reeves did a good job delivering her speech despite interruption from one heckler.
 
OK. Since clicking the link and reading it seems beyond you, they were talking about what hapenned last year.

"Take the case of Jonathan Reynolds, Labour’s (then shadow) business secretary. In June 2023, Reynolds and two senior staff went to Glastonbury as guests of YouTube (which is owned by Google). Including accommodation and ‘hospitality’, Reynolds estimates his Glastonbury package for two was worth £3,377. Two regular tickets were £335 each.

Until then, Labour was promising to increase the digital service tax from 2% to 10%, which would bring in billions from giants like Google and Facebook. Literally the day after the festival, it emerged that Reynolds had ditched the policy. Voters would have to accept austerity instead"

I wonder who gave them the idea it would instigate a trade war?

It seems beyond you to read a proper news source so I will quote it to you here:

The move to scrap the tax follows industry concerns that it could breach the terms of an international deal struck less than two years ago to reform the way in which digital services are taxed. This committed the government not to increase the digital services tax beyond its current rate before a wider agreement on the taxation of multinational companies came into force.

Before the deal was struck the US had warned that it would impose trade tariffs on UK exports to cover the entire revenue raised through the digital sales tax. This would include imposing extra tariffs of up to 25 per cent on UK exports such as clothing, manufactured goods and beauty products.

One industry figure said Labour would have never been able to impose the tax without the US imposing tariffs on British exports.

“The Americans see these taxes as unfairly targeted at US firms,” they said. “It would not have been a great start for Labour’s relationship with the Biden administration.”

A Conservative source said the plan would have hit consumers and could have led to “retaliatory action from our allies”, adding: “No serious party of government would ever propose this.”

Again you seem to be insinuating that the government dropped a £3bn tax grab in exchange for £3500 in Glasto tickets. Do you even read yourself :lol:
 
The Universities 'situation' continues to bubble under the surface.

UK students fees still capped and the University I work for have just announced 2000 less international students than last year.

There is without a doubt some efficiencies that could be made across the sector, but I do wonder if we'll see some statements from some of the less financially secure Uni's over the coming few weeks.
The financials have to be reported by December, so I suspect we will hear more early in the New Year. Although I suspect that will focus on job losses and course closures in the very short term.
 
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not only as corrupt as Tory, but also as stupid as them.
 
It's assault.



Maybe the majority of the British public disagree but that makes Labour and Reeves look weak rather than strong to me. Some wee short security guy doesn't even try to ask him to leave but immediately puts his arm round the lanky streak of piss' throat and basically gets shrugged off until his mates arrive. Sort of epitomises the party in general.
 
Maybe the majority of the British public disagree but that makes Labour and Reeves look weak rather than strong to me. Some wee short security guy doesn't even try to ask him to leave but immediately puts his arm round the lanky streak of piss' throat and basically gets shrugged off until his mates arrive. Sort of epitomises the party in general.

Do you think the security guard is more likely to be employed by the party or the venue?
 
Do you think the security guard is more likely to be employed by the party or the venue?

Haven't the foggiest, does it matter? Did anyone try to stop them?
 
Why would they? People get removed from events all the time.

Forcibly, without even asking them to leave? It's not Ministry of Sound, it's supposed to be a civilised political event.
 
Yes, it's event security. It prevents disruption to the event. The principles are largely the same as it would be at Ministry of Sound or any event where security seek to prevent disruption.
 
Yes, it's event security. It prevents disruption to the event. The principles are largely the same as it would be at Ministry of Sound or any event where security seek to prevent disruption.

And yet at Ministry of Sound they actually ask you to leave before grabbing you round the throat...
 
No austerity but squeeze on spending will result in economic growth. God love em, it's science I tells ya.
 
This really is no different from the Tories, isn’t it? Trying to close pubs early and being harsh towards people on benefits. As someone on PIP, I’m scared
 
This really is no different from the Tories, isn’t it? Trying to close pubs early and being harsh towards people on benefits. As someone on PIP, I’m scared
I’m taking that closing pubs early claim with a bucket load of salt. It’s the Telegraph and they come out with it on the same day it’s announced that 50 pubs per month are closing on average this year. The Telegraph know exactly what they’re doing there.
 
It seems beyond you to read a proper news source so I will quote it to you here:



Again you seem to be insinuating that the government dropped a £3bn tax grab in exchange for £3500 in Glasto tickets. Do you even read yourself :lol:
You are extremely naive.
 
I’m taking that closing pubs early claim with a bucket load of salt. It’s the Telegraph and they come out with it on the same day it’s announced that 50 pubs per month are closing on average this year. The Telegraph know exactly what they’re doing there.
The Telegraph have also been doing cheapshot scare tactics 'Reeves refuses to rule out increase to *insert today's tax here*' articles every day, knowing full well no chancellor isn't going to give them an exhaustive list pre-Budget.
 
Benefit fraud, really? What happened to the billionaires and the profiteers at the energy companies? They're so fecking lame.
It’s a life long passive project for Reeves.

From 2013 - Labour will be tougher than Tories on benefits, promises new welfare chief
Labour will be tougher than the Tories when it comes to slashing the benefits bill, Rachel Reeves, the new shadow work and pensions secretary, has insisted in her first interview since winning promotion in Ed Miliband's frontbench reshuffle.

The 34-year-old Reeves, who is seen by many as a possible future party leader, said that under Labour the long-term unemployed would not be able to "linger on benefits" for long periods but would have to take up a guaranteed job offer or lose their state support.

Adopting a firm party line on welfare, the former Bank of England economist stressed that a key part of her task would be to explode the "myth" that Labour is soft on benefit costs, and to prove instead that it will be both tough and fair.
"Nobody should be under any illusions that they are going to be able to live a life on benefits under a Labour government," she said. "If you can work you should be working, and under our compulsory jobs guarantee if you refuse that job you forgo your benefits, and that is really important."

She added: "It is not an either/or question. We would be tougher [than the Conservatives]. If they don't take it [the offer of a job] they will forfeit their benefit. But there will also be the opportunities there under a Labour government.

https://amp.theguardian.com/politics/2013/oct/12/labour-benefits-tories-labour-rachel-reeves-welfare
 
Why are we using Times and Telegraph headlines as any kind of lead with regards to what’s going to be in the budget? It’s all propaganda.
 
Certainly feels like labour are held to higher standards than the Tory's. I get it but at the same time they should both be held to a high standard, no one really seems to gave a feck about it when the Tory's were in and certainly not that many Tory voters.
 
Certainly feels like labour are held to higher standards than the Tory's. I get it but at the same time they should both be held to a high standard, no one really seems to gave a feck about it when the Tory's were in and certainly not that many Tory voters.

Tbf, Labour did spend plenty of time campaigning with a message of "look at these awful corrupt sleaze merchants... we're going to clean up politics". You reap what you sow.
 
I bet Tory MP’s are currently lobbying journalists to shut the feck up about these freebies in case Labour do something mental like bringing in new regulations around what bribes MPs are legally allowed to accept.
 
“It was a fun thing to do”


Why didn't she just waffle about it being a networking opportunity or something similar? As me and others have said, just block freebies full stop or make MPs pay their own way at them.

Funny in a way that journos are getting on their high horses holding MPs to account for this. I went on a four day corporate press trip in South Africa that included a day's safari years back, for only a one hour presentation. Journos are apex freeloaders.
 
I find the freebie argument quite silly. It's almost as though there's an expectation for any party to not take freebies which is just detached from reality.

Society should be smarter than that and focus on the broader issues at play but instead appear happy to continue mudslinging.

I am reading some of these freebie news and maybe I've missed something material but it relates to clothing or tickets to games. That's hardly what the dirty conservatives were doing by way of corruption. An element of hypocrisy exists in every politician. Accept it and hold them to more material standards.
 
I find the freebie argument quite silly. It's almost as though there's an expectation for any party to not take freebies which is just detached from reality.

Society should be smarter than that and focus on the broader issues at plauy but are happy to continue mudslinging.

I am reading some of these freebie news and maybe I've missed something material but it relates to clothing or tickets to games. That's hardly what the dirty conservatives were doing by way of corruption. An element of hypocrisy exists in every politician. Accept it and hold them to more material standards.
Have you asked yourself why they are receiving these freebies yet?

As in why are people just randomly giving MPs free stuff? Do you randomly get given free stuff?

Have you heard the phrase “no such thing as a freebie”?

Have you considered that for example an Oil company buying £400 tickets to something for an MP that is in charge of our energy policy might be an unimaginably cheap way of influencing energy policy which could feasibly save them billions?


It’s not freebies. It’s bribery and corruption done the British way - transparently and with lots of boring paperwork.
 
Why didn't she just waffle about it being a networking opportunity or something similar? As me and others have said, just block freebies full stop or make MPs pay their own way at them.

Funny in a way that journos are getting on their high horses holding MPs to account for this. I went on a four day corporate press trip in South Africa that included a day's safari years back, for only a one hour presentation. Journos are apex freeloaders.
Most of them are not paid by the public.
 
I find the freebie argument quite silly. It's almost as though there's an expectation for any party to not take freebies which is just detached from reality.

Society should be smarter than that and focus on the broader issues at play but instead appear happy to continue mudslinging.

I am reading some of these freebie news and maybe I've missed something material but it relates to clothing or tickets to games. That's hardly what the dirty conservatives were doing by way of corruption. An element of hypocrisy exists in every politician. Accept it and hold them to more material standards.

It's okay not to understand something. Most other industries and the civil service have already learned this lesson. There isn't a revolutionary ask here just that MPs catch up with society and drop the mindset of perks of the job. This is more in line with the expense scandal than the Tory contract corruptions.

You don't investigate each gift for potential bribery and corruption. You have policy that stops it in the first place.
 
I find the freebie argument quite silly. It's almost as though there's an expectation for any party to not take freebies which is just detached from reality.

Society should be smarter than that and focus on the broader issues at play but instead appear happy to continue mudslinging.

I am reading some of these freebie news and maybe I've missed something material but it relates to clothing or tickets to games. That's hardly what the dirty conservatives were doing by way of corruption. An element of hypocrisy exists in every politician. Accept it and hold them to more material standards.

If I'm not allowed to take freebies in insurance then I don't think it's too much to ask for Politicians not to take freebies!
 
I have literally no idea why people are finding this so hard to grasp.
They’re just accepting free gifts from lobbyists working for huge corporations, I don’t see what the problem is.