General News Thread

[CornwallFox]

41 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

The problem with taxes is everyone wants someone else to pay them and for cuts to be to services other people use.

 

You almost never get anyone complaining how a budget will affect anyone but themselves.

Realistically what happened last year was it was a broadly good budget, I'm prepared to accept there's debate to be had over the NI rise for employers, but then right wing rags took 2 or 3 policies in isolation to complain about, completely ignoring all the others. Anybody can pick out 2 or 3 things to complain about out of about 50 contained within the budget.

[CornwallFox]

21 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

I think there's always been an element of that, it's just that more people have louder voices these days. 

 

That said, the impeachment proceedings of Nixon (very bipartisan, pretty much everyone accepted the wrongdoing) versus that of Trump (highly partisan, his party refused to censure him despite doing much more wrong than Nixon) shows how things have changed. Perhaps the digital era hasn't really helped there, I don't know. 

I'm a very big believer that it's the right setting out to lie to get power at all costs. Right now there's a big belief in the country that Labour lied in their manifesto. Full fact keep a rally of manifesto promises Vs delivery. It can be found at https://fullfact.org/government-tracker/

 

Currently it shows they've made pretty good progress in a year at keeping to their commitments (shown below). By comparison, in a full parliament the Tories only ever completed around 50% of their manifesto and failed almost all of the big items. They also promised no NI rise which they backtracked on, notably - we'll see soon whether Labour can stick to their very narrow band of promises on not increasing income tax, ni or vat for workers.

 

Edited 6 November 2025 by CornwallFox

[kenny]

11 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

Realistically what happened last year was it was a broadly good budget, I'm prepared to accept there's debate to be had over the NI rise for employers, but then right wing rags took 2 or 3 policies in isolation to complain about, completely ignoring all the others. Anybody can pick out 2 or 3 things to complain about out of about 50 contained within the budget.

It's the rising unemployment and the number of people seeking jobs following redundancy that's really bothered me about the budget.

[danny.]

22 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

Realistically what happened last year was it was a broadly good budget, I'm prepared to accept there's debate to be had over the NI rise for employers, but then right wing rags took 2 or 3 policies in isolation to complain about, completely ignoring all the others. Anybody can pick out 2 or 3 things to complain about out of about 50 contained within the budget.

109,000 job losses when that kicked in. Unemployment rate now at 4.8%, highest since COVID.

[Mickyblueeyes]

1 hour ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

The problem with taxes is everyone wants someone else to pay them and for cuts to be to services other people use.

 

You almost never get anyone complaining how a budget will affect anyone but themselves.

paying taxes is like a business deal though. I mean, you can look at it that way. Pay X to get X in return. The problem is the return is pretty shit at present. 

[davieG]

[davieG]

2 hours ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

The problem with taxes is everyone wants someone else to pay them and for cuts to be to services other people use.

 

You almost never get anyone complaining how a budget will affect anyone but themselves.

It always has been the same pot of money being moved from one group to another depending on the politics of the government.

 

Unless the country can generate more money to share we're stuck with that.

 

 

[kenny]

1 hour ago, kenny said:

It's the rising unemployment and the number of people seeking jobs following redundancy that's really bothered me about the budget.

This graph popped up the other day. The government is reliant on housebuilding to stimulate economic growth. This is where we are relative to their target of 1.5m homes.

 

[CornwallFox]

4 hours ago, kenny said:

It's the rising unemployment and the number of people seeking jobs following redundancy that's really bothered me about the budget.

Absolutely fair, I'm not going to argue against demonstrable facts.

[CornwallFox]

4 hours ago, danny. said:

109,000 job losses when that kicked in. Unemployment rate now at 4.8%, highest since COVID.

I'm not dismissing that at all and I think it's absolutely fair to raise that. What I think is that realistically there'll be more than one driver for those changes and it's absolutely part of the equation, where the conversation lies is how much is due to that, what other factors were there etc. I'm more than willing to accept it's all due to that if there's an honest debate about it and that turns out to be the case. I just don't like looking at one change in isolation and saying it's solely down to that without the broader view because, let's face it, life isn't that black and white. 

[danny.]

6 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

I'm not dismissing that at all and I think it's absolutely fair to raise that. What I think is that realistically there'll be more than one driver for those changes and it's absolutely part of the equation, where the conversation lies is how much is due to that, what other factors were there etc. I'm more than willing to accept it's all due to that if there's an honest debate about it and that turns out to be the case. I just don't like looking at one change in isolation and saying it's solely down to that without the broader view because, let's face it, life isn't that black and white. 

I mean, it could all be coincidence but literally as soon as it kicked in multiple companies made mass redundancies citing it was the NI rise. So I’m not sure it was coincidence. 

[CornwallFox]

9 minutes ago, danny. said:

I mean, it could all be coincidence but literally as soon as it kicked in multiple companies made mass redundancies citing it was the NI rise. So I’m not sure it was coincidence. 

No that's fair enough, as I said, I'm prepared to accept that's the direct line of sight. I'm just saying that the results of government policy aren't usually that linear.

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxn40ep4x2o

 

The freedom to take the consequences is the freedom upon which all the others are based. 

[Lionator]

Do the memes!

[South Shire Fox]

11 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

Realistically what happened last year was it was a broadly good budget, I'm prepared to accept there's debate to be had over the NI rise for employers, but then right wing rags took 2 or 3 policies in isolation to complain about, completely ignoring all the others. Anybody can pick out 2 or 3 things to complain about out of about 50 contained within the budget.

It was a horrendous budget mate. The National insurance hike for businesses was as anti growth as you could possibly get. Hence why shes coming back for more tax rises again

Edited 7 November 2025 by South Shire Fox

[Jon the Hat]

6 hours ago, Lionator said:

Do the memes!

Haha, much as the memes are amusing, if you watch the video, Trump watches in concern for about 10 seconds, then after the media lady sends the media out, he turns to face the camera again as if you give the man some privacy and at the same time acknowledge the departing journalists.  For a man who reacts weirdly to just about everything this was almost human.

[Tommy G]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3epwz08ewzo
 

I mean wtf. 

[Tommy G]

18 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

Realistically what happened last year was it was a broadly good budget, I'm prepared to accept there's debate to be had over the NI rise for employers, but then right wing rags took 2 or 3 policies in isolation to complain about, completely ignoring all the others. Anybody can pick out 2 or 3 things to complain about out of about 50 contained within the budget.

She’s going to put up income tax in the budget it’s quite clear from what they are leaking to the press - which is a disgrace given this was their main manifesto pledge NOT to do this. Rishi was spot on - he was explicit this would happen and shock horror it is. 
 

Last years budget was a once in a generation “fix the foundations” budget and it’s more of the same this time around it seems, taxed to death 

[CornwallFox]

8 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

She’s going to put up income tax in the budget it’s quite clear from what they are leaking to the press - which is a disgrace given this was their main manifesto pledge NOT to do this. Rishi was spot on - he was explicit this would happen and shock horror it is. 
 

Last years budget was a once in a generation “fix the foundations” budget and it’s more of the same this time around it seems, taxed to death 

It would be a very poor move given the manifesto I'd agree. Probably political suicide which is why I hold out some hope maybe they won't but we'll see soon enough.

 

I'm not sure rishi is in much of a position to comment given he had already taken tax to record levels as chancellor. As well as intentionally salting the earth by not setting aside funds for a number of known costs within their last budget, leaving behind the black hole that was very much real when labour took office. 

Edited 7 November 2025 by CornwallFox

[Jon the Hat]

12 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

She’s going to put up income tax in the budget it’s quite clear from what they are leaking to the press - which is a disgrace given this was their main manifesto pledge NOT to do this. Rishi was spot on - he was explicit this would happen and shock horror it is. 
 

Last years budget was a once in a generation “fix the foundations” budget and it’s more of the same this time around it seems, taxed to death 

Its ok, they promised not to increase taxes on working people, and that obviously means people earning under 45k per annum, and she is only going to increase taxes for people earning over 45k per annum.  Sorted.

[Tommy G]

17 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

It would be a very poor move given the manifesto I'd agree. Probably political suicide which is why I hold out some hope maybe they won't but we'll see soon enough.

 

I'm not sure rishi is in much of a position to comment given he had already taken tax to record levels as chancellor. As well as intentionally salting the earth by not setting aside funds for a number of known costs within their last budget, leaving behind the black hole that was very much real when labour took office. 

The black hole that has now doubled since a once in a generation budget? Is that their fault too? Got to stop looking in the rear view mirror.

[StanSP]

1 hour ago, Tommy G said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3epwz08ewzo
 

I mean wtf. 

Ridiculous. 

 

In that she is pulled up on it. 

[Zear0]

1 hour ago, Tommy G said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3epwz08ewzo
 

I mean wtf. 

I do hope one day we look back on this idiocy and laugh as opposed to being dragged further down this ideological insanity. 

[ClaphamFox]

10 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Ridiculous. 

 

In that she is pulled up on it. 

I doubt any sane person could say the phrase ‘pregnant people’ without pulling a face. 

[leicsmac]

On the current taxation topic;

 

If the current ideas being floated by the government aren't going to work and a wealth tax isn't going to work because the rich people will all leave/caterwaul in the press/manipulate the media to get their own way...then what will work?

 

Honestly, what way forward is there that won't involve cutting services that turn out to be critical with the associated consequences for at least some vulnerable people? Or is what happens to them acceptable - the human cost for maintaining a "stable society"?

 

Come on, let's talk solutions, not problems.