news & politics:discussion

[gary1979666]

I read that there would be no cuts to the salaries - just that there would be different rates of pay in different regions.  E.g. London might get 3%, but the North East might only get 2%, etc.  I know that in real terms, these are pay cuts, but that was the case anyway. Or have I missed something?

 

[steviewevie]

1 hour ago, Ozanne said:

It’s surely the first big error of her campaign!?

yeah, think so...levelling down.

[steviewevie]

Meanwhile...

 

[steviewevie]

 

[lost]

51 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

Meanwhile...

 

A bit Orwellian to call it austerity. Government spending is absolutely soaring. The problem is COVID/the NHS is sucking money out of everything else on top of the extra money its getting. That's before we mention higher interest payments on government debt.

Edited August 2, 2022 by lost

[steviewevie]

21 minutes ago, lost said:

A bit Orwellian to call it austerity. Government spending is absolutely soaring. The problem is COVID/the NHS is sucking money out of everything else on top of the extra money its getting. That's before we mention higher interest payments on government debt.

I think it means the austerity of the 2010s which hasn't been reversed...

[lost]

5 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

I think it means the austerity of the 2010s which hasn't been reversed...

Of course it has in some areas and not others that was my point. NHS spending in real terms is up over 50% in the same period he's talking about.

Edited August 2, 2022 by lost

[steviewevie]

4 minutes ago, lost said:

Of course it has in some areas and not others that was my point. NHS spending in real terms is up over 50%.

yeah, NHS spending has gone up, definitely...really needed to...it was a big part of their manifesto in 2019 and in the brexit campaign, they wrote it on a bus and everything. NHS still buggered though, covid + aging population + staffing problems has made for a service that is struggling to breaking point in many places.

But other public services, like education, have been so decimated by austerity it's going to take a shit load to fix. And all they argue about is tax cuts, sending pesky asylum seekers to fuckknowswhere, and a war on some enemy apparently called woke.

[steviewevie]

BP doing very nicely thank you very much.

[lost]

3 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

 

But other public services, like education, have been so decimated by austerity it's going to take a shit load to fix. And all they argue about is tax cuts, sending pesky asylum seekers to fuckknowswhere, and a war on some enemy apparently called woke.

In real terms education is back 2005/2006 levels but yes and Starmer talks about "growth" because he realises taxes are at 70 year highs and he can't borrow anymore so that's the only way to get more money. Basically we are probably fucked for a generation.

[lost]

5 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

BP doing very nicely thank you very much.

Meh Apple profits are $123.9 billion. We should nationalise Apple.

[steviewevie]

9 minutes ago, lost said:

Meh Apple profits are $123.9 billion. We should nationalise Apple.

yeah, but iphone prices aren't soaring which will cause untold hardship to people and businesses everywhere....

[steviewevie]

and not everyone needs an iphone.

(except my daughter).

[lost]

4 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

yeah, but iphone prices aren't soaring which will cause untold hardship to people and businesses everywhere....

The governments energy hand outs are £21 billion. BP's profits wont cover it we need real money!

[Guest]

25 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

BP doing very nicely thank you very much.

Lucky them, I presume that will get invested back into the UK economy?

[Neil]

1 hour ago, steviewevie said:

 

Wow one of the corbyn clan backs starmers take on strikes

[Neil]

10 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

Lucky them, I presume that will get invested back into the UK economy?

It will via dividend payments to pension funds. 

[lost]

Most of those "profits" actually belong to Americans, Egyptians, Iraqi's etc..  not us.

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, lost said:

Most of those "profits" actually belong to Americans, Egyptians, Iraqi's etc..  not us.

It won’t go to them either. 

[lost]

4 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

It won’t go to them either. 

But the point is these are multinational companies. Say BP it operates in 70 countries in areas as diverse as lubricants and plastics. This argument isn't as simple as company A pulls energy out of the ground or buys it on the market and then sells it on for a huge profit.

As I pointed out even one of the biggest players in this space would barely cover 40% of the government handout which apparently isn't enough and its a profit that can never be realised via nationalisation unless your going to take over other countries resources and infrastructure.

You might as well be arguing to nationalise Apple.

Edited August 2, 2022 by lost

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, lost said:

But the point is these are multinational companies. Say BP it operates in 70 countries in areas as diverse as lubricants and plastics. This argument isn't as simple as company A pulls energy out of the ground or buys it on the market and then sells it on for a huge profit.

As I pointed out even one of the biggest players in this space would barely cover 40% of the government handout which apparently isn't enough and its a profit that can never be realised via nationalisation unless your going to take over other countries resources and infrastructure.

You might as well be arguing to nationalise Apple.

I’m not arguing to nationalise BP?

[lost]

Just now, Ozanne said:

I’m not arguing to nationalise BP?

I didn't say you were but alot of people see it as a magic bullet at the moment. I'm simply pointing out its not that simple.

[Guest]

Liz Truss has u-turned on her pay cut proposal. She’s useless  

 

[stuie]

11 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

Liz Truss has u-turned on her pay cut proposal. She’s useless  

 

She's useless and it's absolutely fantastic. 

 

[Guest]