[satnav]

Whilst recovering the money may well be a bit of a long shot it would be good if the government could ensure that companies that have ripped off the government in the past never get anywhere near any future government contracts.

[The Weeping Angel]

Then there's nonsense like this.

I thought everyone agreed that it was bad when part of the budget was pre-briefed. Now the problem is that they didn't pre brief something in the budget?

This idea that a 1.2p rise in employers NI is causing unprecedented carnage is pretty implausible to me. The last government increased employers and employee NI and that got written up as clever parking tanks on Labour's lawn.

Someone made that point but she said it didn't count because the last one was temporary or something.

[The Weeping Angel]

Oh and they didn't affect charities or hospices.

[NevTheSweeper]

The Labour government's agenda: here is what they have done so far....
https://bylinetimes.com/2024/12/03/gove ... ed-so-far/

[Tubby Isaacs]

Complete with a quote from governing heavyweight, Jacob Rees Mogg. "To govern is to choose, not to review". Like you'd expect them to be doing everything this early in the parliament.

[Oboogie]

The Labour government's agenda: here is what they have done so far....
https://bylinetimes.com/2024/12/03/gove ... ed-so-far/

Which of those reforms are you objecting to?

[davidjay]

The Labour government's agenda: here is what they have done so far....
https://bylinetimes.com/2024/12/03/gove ... ed-so-far/

You say that like it's a good thing.

[Andy McDandy]

The media has a narrative to push, and it'll be interesting to see how it stands against reality.

[Bones McCoy]

Waiting for the first STARMER HAS DESTROYED KOREA headline.

[davidjay]

Waiting for the first STARMER HAS DESTROYED KOREA headline.

It'll be the Elgin Marbles first.

[Oboogie]

Then there's Syria. Are there pro-Assad protests planned for London?

[Bones McCoy]

Waiting for the first STARMER HAS DESTROYED KOREA headline.

It'll be the Elgin Marbles first.

Came here on a boat - SEND EM BACK!!

[Watchman]

Amazing what direction grown-ups move in

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/ ... -crossings

[Tubby Isaacs]

The OECD think inflation will be higher than expected before, but also that growth will be higher as a result of the budget.

[NevTheSweeper]

By the way Nev since you applied to be a canidate FOUR times, what were the reasons given?

I was turned down on three occasions without an interview. On the fourth, I narrowly lost out on selection for a paper candidate.

I call bollocks on that. You don't run selections for paper candidates.

They did in my case.

[NevTheSweeper]

By the way Nev since you applied to be a canidate FOUR times, what were the reasons given?

I was turned down on three occasions without an interview. On the fourth, I narrowly lost out on selection for a paper candidate.

For which party?

The Lib Dems. I was a Labour supporter in my youth, then I became a communist in the mid-nineties.

I joined the Lib Dems in 2003, because they were the opposition to Labour on my local council. Hence the selections. There was competition for selection for winnable seats.

In hindsight, the local party were right not to put me forward, even as a paper candidate.

[NevTheSweeper]

The Labour government's agenda: here is what they have done so far....
https://bylinetimes.com/2024/12/03/gove ... ed-so-far/

Which of those reforms are you objecting to?

No plans to reverse WFA cut
No to electoral reform
No renationalisation of public utilities
Too much tinkering at the edges instead of putting a transformative vision to improving civil society

[Tubby Isaacs]

Why would they reverse the WFA cut when they're committed to the triple lock? The Opposition aren't committed to it either.

I support PR, but it was ruled out and the election. And I'm wondering why Starmer's getting pressed on it all the time when the previous leader never was. See also trans rights. Starmer hasn't been very good, but I don't recall Jez being bombarded with questions about trans people on hospital wards, even though he had basically the same position (ie supported the principles of the Equality Act, which allows for single sex wards where they're considered reasonable).

Weren't you moaning about the budget reaction the other day? You now think they should be committed billions more to buy back energy companies? Where are they going to get cheaper gas from anyway? What difference would it make?

[The Weeping Angel]

Also they've announced they're taking the railways back into public ownership.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

The new approach on the crime of stalking may seem second division, but it's key and very important.