[Politics] Suggestions for what an incoming Labour government should do, once it has blagged its way in

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I preface by saying none of this need be in the manifesto, because winning is the thing, and tactics are the tool there. Not showing one's hand.

OK, hands up, I’m a Labour member (rejoined after SKS became leader and Jezza was flushed down the khazi of history; good Arabian word there, khazi, Jez, me old fruit).

In an ideal world, if you support labour, what would be you key objectives? Here are mine

• The health service
  • More GPs and nurses. Make it easy for overseas trained bods to come here.
  • A very cheap ‘pay’ element. I was charged peanuts for this as a foreign student when I lived in Canada. And had surgery for nowt extra. A small fee incentivises good behaviour (like turning up for appointments)
  • UK trained (subsidised as they are) graduates must work in the NHS and only in the NHS for a set period. After that period if they want to leave the NHS they can do so an work in the private sector. And only in the private sector. We trained you to work for us.
  • Private sector, no tax breaks, and no ‘making use’ of NHS facilities.
• Immigration
  • Arrange with the French to stop the boats leaving. This could mean Brit patrol boats in French waters. Whence the boats are returned to France.
  • No silly gimmicks like Rwanda
  • Properly deal with Albanian gangs operating in the UK
  • A NZ style tariff system that is easy to navigate
  • Flexibility as needs must (see the NHS which is blighted by staff shortages)
  • Stop weaponizing it.
• State sector pay
  • Fix it to GDP
  • Stop regional competition (why is my university ‘competing’ with other universities for HMG income?)
• Schooling
  • Schools are not charities and so private schools should pay tax. Properly
• Global warming
  • We are not a big player here. Press India, Brazil and the US with lobbying, deals etc.
• The EU
  • Too soon to say. Rejoin? The boat has probably sailed. In 10 years perhaps, if the Irish issue isn’t resolved
• Devolution
  • I’m not keen. Nor on weakly-defined referenda. If we offer a chance for a UK break up, the terms need to be clear before a vote. Passports to Cardiff? Fence, frankly.
• The BBC
  • It costs me far less then Sky so leave it alone
• Israel
  • That horse bolted in 1948. As with the rest of the world, if it is diplomacy we can do our bit quietly. If its war, we line up behind America. We need to regain some global credibility before we deign to gob off independently.
• Tax
  • Flat rate (%) which is fair. Anyone saying the more you earn the more % you pay is innumerate. With adjustments at the poverty end (i.e., no income tax paid if you earn less than X)
• Housing
  • End the rental sector by requiring all second home owners (who own to rent) to sell. There, a bit of hard leftism for you
  • Council housing? Fence. It could be useful but not as a sinecure.
  • I think we need planning to be done centrally with a view to creating sharp new dwellings and communities. This rabbit hutch estate situation that is not integrated into the local community is bollocks. Set up a national planning group with a simple and clear mandate and rubric. Alas I suspect this is beyond the tiny British mind.
  • 
    
  • That lot of bollocks took me 10 minutes to think up. Is it really that hard? Frankly I am not fussed about lots of other stuff. We have better protection against prejudice, victimisation and that, so I have not gone granular on that.

 

[clapham_gull]

I'd like to see the meek get something because they've had a hell of a time.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I'd like to see the meek get something because they've had a hell of a time.

Don’t worry about it! They’ll inherit the earth

 

[clapham_gull]

Don’t worry about it! They’ll inherit the earth

Imagine the tax on that.

 

[Comrade Sam]

Tax the rich and start funding things everybody needs. Take the utilities and rail into public hands. Build cheap houses etc. None of these are on Starmers wish list. I wouldn't be surprised if he starts on those poor sods on the boats as well, especially as he plans to refrain from taxing corporations to pay for anything.

 

[Eeyore]

I'd like to see the meek get something because they've had a hell of a time.

'Oh do pipe down..'

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Tax the rich and start funding things everybody needs. Take the utilities and rail into public hands. Build cheap houses etc. None of these are on Starmers wish list. I wouldn't be surprised if he starts on those poor sods on the boats as well, especially as he plans to reframe from taxing corporations to pay for anything.

Who do you consider rich?

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I preface by saying none of this need be in the manifesto, because winning is the thing, and tactics are the tool there. Not showing one's hand.

OK, hands up, I’m a Labour member (rejoined after SKS became leader and Jezza was flushed down the khazi of history; good Arabian word there, khazi, Jez, me old fruit).

In an ideal world, if you support labour, what would be you key objectives? Here are mine

• The health service
  • More GPs and nurses. Make it easy for overseas trained bods to come here.
  • A very cheap ‘pay’ element. I was charged peanuts for this as a foreign student when I lived in Canada. And had surgery for nowt extra. A small fee incentivises good behaviour (like turning up for appointments)
  • UK trained (subsidised as they are) graduates must work in the NHS and only in the NHS for a set period. After that period if they want to leave the NHS they can do so an work in the private sector. And only in the private sector. We trained you to work for us.
  • Private sector, no tax breaks, and no ‘making use’ of NHS facilities.
• Immigration
  • Arrange with the French to stop the boats leaving. This could mean Brit patrol boats in French waters. Whence the boats are returned to France.
  • No silly gimmicks like Rwanda
  • Properly deal with Albanian gangs operating in the UK
  • A NZ style tariff system that is easy to navigate
  • Flexibility as needs must (see the NHS which is blighted by staff shortages)
  • Stop weaponizing it.
• State sector pay
  • Fix it to GDP
  • Stop regional competition (why is my university ‘competing’ with other universities for HMG income?)
• Schooling
  • Schools are not charities and so private schools should pay tax. Properly
• Global warming
  • We are not a big player here. Press India, Brazil and the US with lobbying, deals etc.
• The EU
  • Too soon to say. Rejoin? The boat has probably sailed. In 10 years perhaps, if the Irish issue isn’t resolved
• Devolution
  • I’m not keen. Nor on weakly-defined referenda. If we offer a chance for a UK break up, the terms need to be clear before a vote. Passports to Cardiff? Fence, frankly.
• The BBC
  • It costs me far less then Sky so leave it alone
• Israel
  • That horse bolted in 1948. As with the rest of the world, if it is diplomacy we can do our bit quietly. If its war, we line up behind America. We need to regain some global credibility before we deign to gob off independently.
• Tax
  • Flat rate (%) which is fair. Anyone saying the more you earn the more % you pay is innumerate. With adjustments at the poverty end (i.e., no income tax paid if you earn less than X)
• Housing
  • End the rental sector by requiring all second home owners (who own to rent) to sell. There, a bit of hard leftism for you
  • Council housing? Fence. It could be useful but not as a sinecure.
  • I think we need planning to be done centrally with a view to creating sharp new dwellings and communities. This rabbit hutch estate situation that is not integrated into the local community is bollocks. Set up a national planning group with a simple and clear mandate and rubric. Alas I suspect this is beyond the tiny British mind.
  • 
    
  • That lot of bollocks took me 10 minutes to think up. Is it really that hard? Frankly I am not fussed about lots of other stuff. We have better protection against prejudice, victimisation and that, so I have not gone granular on that.

I like some of the ideas, I will give it some thought tomorrow and set my ideas up.

 

[Cotton Socks]

Can I just keep it simple and suggest for them to sort out this entire shitshow of a mess this country is in? If not, could they just not take the complete and utter p**s out of us by handing our cash to their chums & talking absolute shite, all of the time.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

On your tax suggestion, I assume you are referring to income tax?

One flat rate would be unfair on the low income earners. If the treasury are to obtain a similar yield through a single flat rate, the rate would probably need to be around 30%

So unless the taxable income threshold rises significantly would this not make the many labour-voting low income folk somewhat disaffected?

 

[Deadly Danson]

Amex Monorail. Otherwise what's the point?

 

[The Optimist]

I preface by saying none of this need be in the manifesto, because winning is the thing, and tactics are the tool there. Not showing one's hand.

OK, hands up, I’m a Labour member (rejoined after SKS became leader and Jezza was flushed down the khazi of history; good Arabian word there, khazi, Jez, me old fruit).

In an ideal world, if you support labour, what would be you key objectives? Here are mine

• The health service
  • More GPs and nurses. Make it easy for overseas trained bods to come here.
  • A very cheap ‘pay’ element. I was charged peanuts for this as a foreign student when I lived in Canada. And had surgery for nowt extra. A small fee incentivises good behaviour (like turning up for appointments)
  • UK trained (subsidised as they are) graduates must work in the NHS and only in the NHS for a set period. After that period if they want to leave the NHS they can do so an work in the private sector. And only in the private sector. We trained you to work for us.
  • Private sector, no tax breaks, and no ‘making use’ of NHS facilities.
• Immigration
  • Arrange with the French to stop the boats leaving. This could mean Brit patrol boats in French waters. Whence the boats are returned to France.
  • No silly gimmicks like Rwanda
  • Properly deal with Albanian gangs operating in the UK
  • A NZ style tariff system that is easy to navigate
  • Flexibility as needs must (see the NHS which is blighted by staff shortages)
  • Stop weaponizing it.
• State sector pay
  • Fix it to GDP
  • Stop regional competition (why is my university ‘competing’ with other universities for HMG income?)
• Schooling
  • Schools are not charities and so private schools should pay tax. Properly
• Global warming
  • We are not a big player here. Press India, Brazil and the US with lobbying, deals etc.
• The EU
  • Too soon to say. Rejoin? The boat has probably sailed. In 10 years perhaps, if the Irish issue isn’t resolved
• Devolution
  • I’m not keen. Nor on weakly-defined referenda. If we offer a chance for a UK break up, the terms need to be clear before a vote. Passports to Cardiff? Fence, frankly.
• The BBC
  • It costs me far less then Sky so leave it alone
• Israel
  • That horse bolted in 1948. As with the rest of the world, if it is diplomacy we can do our bit quietly. If its war, we line up behind America. We need to regain some global credibility before we deign to gob off independently.
• Tax
  • Flat rate (%) which is fair. Anyone saying the more you earn the more % you pay is innumerate. With adjustments at the poverty end (i.e., no income tax paid if you earn less than X)
• Housing
  • End the rental sector by requiring all second home owners (who own to rent) to sell. There, a bit of hard leftism for you
  • Council housing? Fence. It could be useful but not as a sinecure.
  • I think we need planning to be done centrally with a view to creating sharp new dwellings and communities. This rabbit hutch estate situation that is not integrated into the local community is bollocks. Set up a national planning group with a simple and clear mandate and rubric. Alas I suspect this is beyond the tiny British mind.
  • 
    
  • That lot of bollocks took me 10 minutes to think up. Is it really that hard? Frankly I am not fussed about lots of other stuff. We have better protection against prejudice, victimisation and that, so I have not gone granular on that.

‘End the rental sector’ - what? So you’re 19 and just finished your 1st year at university in halls (presuming university halls aren’t banned under this plan) and you’ll need to buy a house for your 2nd and 3rd years?
Tax rate - are you suggesting that a Labour government abolish the higher rate tax brackets? Sounds like a policy even the Tories would be reluctant to pursue.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Who do you consider rich?

@Steve Foster ?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Scrap FPTP in favour of PR

 

[jcdenton08]

Scrap FPTP in favour of PR

Okay.

If PR existed in the 2005 election, UKIP would’ve won approximately 80 seats - possibly more if voters knew that voting for their outsider had a chance of representation in government.

Do you think this is a good or bad thing?

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Okay.

If PR existed in the 2005 election, UKIP would’ve won approximately 80 seats - possibly more if voters knew that voting for their outsider had a chance of representation in government.

Do you think this is a good or bad thing?

Well the worst thing UKIP getting people elected could have led to is us leaving the EU.
Thank god that never happened because we had FPTP to protect us from all the nutters.

 

[pb21]

Okay.

If PR existed in the 2005 election, UKIP would’ve won approximately 80 seats - possibly more if voters knew that voting for their outsider had a chance of representation in government.

Do you think this is a good or bad thing?

It's not a bad thing if that's what people have voted for.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

• Tax
  • Flat rate (%) which is fair. Anyone saying the more you earn the more % you pay is innumerate. With adjustments at the poverty end (i.e., no income tax paid if you earn less than X)

This is literally the opposite of anything that Labour or any even vaguely centrist-left of centre party should be suggesting.
It's the sort of policy where if Labour came out with it I'd be like "maybe the Conservatives will turn it around, I think they deserve another chance".

 

[jcdenton08]

Well the worst thing UKIP getting people elected could have led to is us leaving the EU.
Thank god that never happened because we had FPTP to protect us from all the nutters.

Interesting analysis. Under PR, UKIP would sit in parliament with over 12% of the commons votes on every single issue.

Under many people’s preferred incarnation of PR, if Labour were in overall control of the government, they would have the Tories plus another 12-13% of the commons minimum from one party alone voting against every single bill they introduce.

That’s never mind opening the door to other parties with singular agendas like the Greens, Reform, the Standing at the Back Dressed Stupidly and Looking Stupid Party…

 

[jcdenton08]

It's not a bad thing if that's what people have voted for.

But the point I’m making is that it’s the LCER who remain the loudest voice calling for electoral reform. There seems to be this misapprehension that opening the door will somehow damage the Tories and let in fringe socialist groups. “The people will rise and have their voices heard”.

What they don’t seem to appreciate is that in real terms, the only party who didn’t get their “just desserts” in the 2005 election were UKIP. There isn’t this clamouring for The Communist Party of Great Britain to be in government.

In fact all parties left of Labour received fewer votes combined than the Greens and roughly on par with independent candidates.