[Politics] Is this current Government to the right or left of Tony Blair's Government

[JetsetJimbo]

This is starting to look like the most right-wing government we've ever had. Even Boris Johnson wouldn't have tried to take away the funding that allows those unable to work to continue to live, while at the same time introducing "assisted dying" and voting down in committee every protection that would ensure people weren't pressured to take that option.

It's not a coincidence that these things are happening at the same time.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Unfortunately, while the government insist on making Brexit work they won't be able to achieve what they want. This is the inevitable result. The quicker Starmer finds a way to get much closer to the single market the better

 

[abc]

Simple question for a complex situation, where have we gone since the last Labour Government

And it's not public so nobody actually has to explain why they've voted what they have

None of the options. The concept of left/right/centre is no longer relevant - if it ever was (history shows the extremes, fascism and communism, end up with the same results in practice).

What matters are policies in practice and the ability to govern.

Labour is, thus far, pursuing policies from all over the political, social and economic compass and whilst I don’t support them all, good for them for trying what THEY think is the best for the country rather than what historical political dogma says they should.

It is too early to judge whether they are fit to govern but Starmer has shown world leadership which is a start

 

[Rdodge30]

Demonising those on benefits is a Tory strategy.

And yet the last Tory governments have overseen massive increases in benefits expenditures

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

It’s so hard to say at the moment. He’s battling a hard right media, Trump and Putin on the right, a country that is used to lies from politicians, a country that has spent the past 14 years thinking austerity is the only options, public services being run into the ground, Brexit which makes us poorer by the day, the ramifications off COVID and a potential ongoing war that affects us… and much more.

I voted for him because I wanted change but understood it would take A LONG time to undo the mess that’s been created. Do I like some of his language? Absolutely not. Do I think the benefits system needs looking at? Probably, although there are bigger issues. Do I think abolishing NHS England is the right call, considering how much it’s added to bureaucracy at the expense of outcomes under the Tories - yes. Is he having to manage a ridiculous situation that any capable person would struggle to manage? Again, absolutely - and I think he’s much more competent than the utter guff we’ve had in charge for the past 14 years.

So in all, I find it impossible, at this stage to know whether he’s really to the right or left of Blair’s govt, who I can look at in hindsight with a full understanding of what they were, whereas he’s facing all of that and he’s only a few months in to power. Anyone who pretends they know otherwise is being disingenuous to fit their own narrative.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

And yet the last Tory governments have overseen massive increases in benefits expenditures

But below inflation increases, right?

 

[Javeaseagull]

True, but sadly, it is often the working poor who most hate those on welfare; easily persuaded that they are working hard for crap wages and paying "too much tax" while their next door neighbour (and immigrants) are living a life of luxury on Benefits. Yet more divide-and-rule, and 'punching down' on those who are deemed to be socially inferior.

Only 2% of welfare claimants are actually 'healthy' unemployed, whilst 48% of Universal Credit claimants are already in-work, but are eligible because their wages are so low. Yet there is never any headline-grabbing clamp-down - from the Tories or Labour - on employers who pay poverty wages because they know that their staff can claim top-up Benefits. Similarly with landlords who can raise rents knowing that Housing Benefit will cover their tenants' already exorbitant housing costs.

Anyone who claims that Benefits are too generous, or too easy to obtain, has probably not tried to claim them in the last 30 years. Britain's Benefit rates are among the lowest in Western Europe - although to Daily Mail readers, even cutting them to £1.23 per week would be condemned as too generous!

I really would love to see sanctimonious 'Benefit bashers' forced to live on Universal Credit for 6 months.

Today, I've seen people saying on social media that welfare claimants simply need to work harder - ignoring the fact that in most jobs, however hard you work, you receive the same wage or salary; the only people who will benefit from your hard(er) work will be your employer and/or shareholders, via generous bonuses and dividends.

As always, we demonise the most poorest and most vulnerable to divert attention from the insatiable greed of many corporate bosses and landlords. And we ignore the 'unaffordable' £ tens of billions lost through tax evasion.

All part of the never-ending War against the Poor.

Well said, my thoughts entirely.

 

[beorhthelm]

But below inflation increases, right?

disability benefits budget was about £17bn in 2020, this year it's £39bn.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Tax the fecking rich, even a little would help.

They’ve lost winter fuel payments they didn’t need and the inheritance tax farmland loop hole for their investment funds has been reduced.

But I agree, lots more to do.

The thing is, you need to be very careful about tax adjustment when in government. The markets are like startled pigeons as the lettuce found out when she decided that cutting tax for the wealthy was going to see unrivalled growth. One can postulate that these inane ideas popped into her head as this sweating, grunting and gurning slab of gammon loomed and wobbled over her in moments of ecstasy:

Taxing the rich has the potential to extinguish growth even more than the lettuce achieved.

A hard left populist party would just pull the levers and go for it. Perhaps the grown-ups making the hard decisions are going to be more strategic about it. Drip, drip, drip. Let’s see where we are in 4 years time.

 

[Rdodge30]

But below inflation increases, right?

Increases meaning the amount it costs the country - not increases in individual payments. I just question the views that the Tories are against benefits as the number of people claiming increased so much under their government… it’s like the theory that the Tories were against immigration? Immigration increased massively under their government Tories, it’s this Labour Government that is bringing immigration under control and tightening up the benefits system

 

[Taybha]

I'd say it's simply found a old Tory play book and just thought fk it why change .

 

[Giraffe]

Tony Blair was the second best Tory Prime Minister of my lifetime. Very David Cameron like. Bang in the middle.

Keir Starmer is the furthest left Prime Minister since the 70s.

 

[Comrade Sam]

Why does making hard decisions always mean taking money from the poor? The last dozen Tory budgets saw endless cuts in tax at the top, it would hardly be radical to start reversing them.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Trying to out manoeuvre the Tories and Reform from the right. Demonising the unemployed, disabled, immigrants and refugees. Increasing arms expenditure and cutting aid. Cutting pensions. All of this is to fill the hole made by Tory tax cuts for the rich. Anyone that thinks the last government wasn't harsh enough on the disabled and unemployed isn't going to suddenly want to vote Labour.
(Obviously I won't mention Labours support the genocide in Gaza).
Tax the fecking rich, even a little would help.

Vat on school fees?
IHT on rich farmers?

 

[Comrade Sam]

Why does making hard decisions always mean taking money from the poor? The last dozen Tory budgets saw endless cuts in tax at the top, it would hardly be radical to start reversing them.

 

[Comrade Sam]

Vat on school fees?
IHT on rich farmers?

Hardly radical and a drop in the ocean of the wealth in this country.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Hardly radical and a drop in the ocean of the wealth in this country.

True but it is taxing the rich.

btw. I lost my WFA which was roughly £3.87 a week, but thanks to the triple lock, my State pension is going up £7 a week.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Hardly radical and a drop in the ocean of the wealth in this country.

Good. Radical fiscal policies such as those pushed by the dethroned lettuce wreck economies.

I suspect these drops in the ocean will add up to something quite substantial over the coming years but you can’t rock the boat too much or else we all lose.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Demonising those on benefits is a Tory strategy.

Telling people to do as they are told is a socialist one.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Increases meaning the amount it costs the country - not increases in individual payments. I just question the views that the Tories are against benefits as the number of people claiming increased so much under their government… it’s like the theory that the Tories were against immigration? Immigration increased massively under their government Tories, it’s this Labour Government that is bringing immigration under control and tightening up the benefits system

No, I get that. I wasn’t really debating what you’d said, so much as questioning whether there was data that had proven that, whilst payments had gone up as a collective, they were still below what they should’ve been had inflation been taken account of.

I don’t think anyone debates that the Tories did actually increase benefits overall.

The issue of their approach to immigration is, I’d argue, another issue altogether. And you can be both right wing, left wing and in the centre (and all other variations) and still think immigration needs to be tightened. Unfortunately the Tories muddied the water over immigration in so many ways, and then tried to make an issue that had all sorts of colours to it, into a very black and white issue, and that’s where they failed so spectacularly, particularly when trying to paint immigrants as the bad guys.