[Killer Whale]

Problem is that there's a myth on the left that you only need to take a billion or two off the likes of Bezos and everything will be sorted. The idea that we'd all have to pay, or at least those of us earning a little more than minimum wage, has been avoided for too long.

[mattomac]

If they had reversed the second NI cut then I’d have been ok, the issue was the first one, effectively it covered my rent increase and with other slight increases I would have been fucked if they had reversed both.

Seems they will reverse nether which helps, problem is I’m not on MW but it really goes very little.

Love that budget piece on the BBC site, it’s mostly people who don’t live in the real world.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Hunt seems to be getting a bit nervous about the OBR setting out the black hole. I think they were less than happy with being fucked about with being given bullshit figures for after the election.

[Andy McDandy]

Yes, saw a thing in the Guardian. He's blathering on about no constitutional precedent, which as we know is political code for shit, didn't see that coming.

[Philip Marlow]

Public transport is and will remain a class issue for a country that revels in it being just that.

That is a cancer, preying on the communities and destinations which depend upon it the most.

I live in London and I know people who take buses for certain journeys because it’s less expensive than the train. Hell I’ve done it myself towards the end of the month.

Meanwhile, a tale of taxation and status in two tweets…

I

II

[Andy McDandy]

Apparently Laura K was grilling Bridget Phillipson over the weekend about the poor, hard pressed landlords. Comments said that you "scrimp and save" (as LK put it) when you're choosing between heating and eating. You don't do it in order to expand your property portfolio.

You get a good range of diverse voices in the media, except for working class ones. Unless there to be sneered at. Which includes phone ins.

[Tubby Isaacs]

What policy was Laura complaining about? Capital gains tax on second properties didn't go up. I didn't notice any change as big as Osborne phasing out mortgage interest relief.

[Tubby Isaacs]

ITV going with "Starmer ignored Alan Bates' letters".

"Ignore" apparently means "didn't reply as quickly as Bates wanted". This is shit and they're not generally one of the worst offenders.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Per Frances Ryan, the Government haven't committed to the Tory policy on disability benefit cuts. They've just committed to the same level of savings. Which isn't going to make disabled people feel any better, but there's at least the possibility of the cuts being deferred and or reduced. Nobody's going to worry too much if they don't happen.

[davidjay]

ITV going with "Starmer ignored Alan Bates' letters".

"Ignore" apparently means "didn't reply as quickly as Bates wanted". This is shit and they're not generally one of the worst offenders.

I don't know anything about the story but I do hope Alan Bates isn't going to go down the Baroness Newlove road of demanding everything, now because being a victim puts him beyond criticism.

[Tubby Isaacs]

He mentioned at the select committee that he'd written to Starmer a month ago and he hadn't replied. Starmer said the letter was going out today, I'm querying ITV's framing more than Bates really.

[The Weeping Angel]

[Tubby Isaacs]

Sounds like fantasy, I'm afraid. Of the big countries, only UK, France and Poland are anywhere near where they need to be. Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain are right down.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Stronger code for gifts etc. The advisor can now launch his own investigations, which is a big change.

They'll get no credit for this at all.

[The Weeping Angel]

Not sure this is such a good idea.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... ing-budget

Rachel Reeves has committed not to increase taxes at Labour’s next budget and said the government would need to “live within the means” of her spending plans if public services came under mounting pressure.

After announcing the biggest package of tax rises in three decades in last week’s budget, the chancellor dismissed suggestions that she would need to find additional money by the spring to repair battered public services.

Asked whether more funding would be required for “unprotected” government departments at next spring’s budget and spending review – including for local councils, courts and prisons – she insisted enough was now earmarked for the next five years.

“We’ve now set the envelope for spending for this parliament,” she told MPs on the Commons Treasury select committee.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I wouldn't take this too literally. The logic would be that they don't need to do any more budgets. I would take this as meaning that the main tax rises have been done. If for instance a gambling levy were introduced, is Kemi going to say "New tax! Can't have that!" I'd be very surprised. Could also be things like local councils and metro mayors getting more powers to raise taxes. I don't think Leftwing Andy Burnham (who I think has done well generally) froze his mayor's precept this year and I don't think he's done the workplace parking levy yet (Nottingham has). He and the rest of them can take a bit of the heat off Reeves in the future.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Keir Starmer’s sycophantic words of congratulation to Donald Trump are among the most dispiriting things I have read this morning. “Shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise”? This is either serious delusion or utter hypocrisy. He should be ashamed.
Karen Lewton
Newcastle upon Tyne

From The Guardian. A third possibility might be that Starmer doesn't want Trump to shit all over NATO. Karen's feelings can take one for the team (Ukrainian) team.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I don't want to pick on her, I see old Jolyon Maugham having a pop at Lammy. "This is why people no longer trust politicians". Or diplomacy, as it used to be known.

[davidjay]

Keir Starmer’s sycophantic words of congratulation to Donald Trump are among the most dispiriting things I have read this morning. “Shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise”? This is either serious delusion or utter hypocrisy. He should be ashamed.
Karen Lewton
Newcastle upon Tyne

From The Guardian. A third possibility might be that Starmer doesn't want Trump to shit all over NATO. Karen's feelings can take one for the team (Ukrainian) team.

And still they fail to realise that in politics you have to smile at people you hate. I don't suppose Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams were best mates, but them shaking hands ultimately saved lives.

[Andy McDandy]

You can only make peace with your enemies, as Tywin Lannister put it.