UK General Election 2024 #2

[Skewbedu]

Then ignore the nationwide picture and vote for whoever's likely to make the best MP and make the biggest positive difference to your local constituency.

That's my plan I think. But still I've never known this country to have such a poor choice of leaders to pick from.

 

[pommobear]

That Fiona Bruce debate was one sided with lame questions.

Nobody has yet asked Starmer what he's intending to do with pensions, but we all know the answer is that he'll tax them.

Nobody has yet asked Rishi what the tax payers money sent to France is actually funding in relation to stopping the boats coming over.

I cannot understand why Rishi called a GE prior to September when he's saying flights are ready to go. Why didn't he wait and prove that. Why didn't he remove thousands of immigrants prior to announcing the GE.

Why hasn't anyone asked where all these new immigrants are being kept now. What happens when over 800 arrive in one day alone.

The last I heard was that Vietnamese people are the majority arriving here.

Maybe people have got concerns other than immigration?

 

[Wackie Jeaver]

Rishi is a busted flush, the last dying wail of a totally corrupt party. Ed has lovely plans re social care/carers but won't win. Keir may lack charisma, but he's serious, sensible, very experienced, and I think ethically and morally sound.

So I'm voting Labour. That and the fact that our local Labour candidate is energetic, enthusiastic, interested in his future constituency, unlike the red-trousered braying Tory incumbent who is conspicuous by his absence.

 

[Merpedy]

I cannot understand why Rishi called a GE prior to September when he's saying flights are ready to go. Why didn't he wait and prove that. Why didn't he remove thousands of immigrants prior to announcing the GE.

Because the policy is a likely failure from multiple angles and they were never serious about actually implementing it, but I’m sure their friends benefitted from all the contracts being sold

It’s also a great way to then attack Labour who have said they won’t proceed with the policy

 

[L3moning]

Maybe people have got concerns other than immigration?

I think this is the thing. Some people tend to get so caught up in one issue that they forget other issues exist.

 

[veronica71]

For me this election is getting rid of the Tories and getting back to a boring normal government. We shouldn't be this obsessed with what's going on and it shouldn't be so combative all the time. It makes me laugh people say Starmer is boring and goes on too much in his answers. Life is bloody complicated - you shouldn't be able to solve a big issue with a four word soundbite.

 

[pommobear]

For me this election is getting rid of the Tories and getting back to a boring normal government. We shouldn't be this obsessed with what's going on and it shouldn't be so combative all the time. It makes me laugh people say Starmer is boring and goes on too much in his answers. Life is bloody complicated - you shouldn't be able to solve a big issue with a four word soundbite.

I WANT Starmer to be boring. I would very much like boring, competent people in government.

 

[Happy Lady]

I think this is the thing. Some people tend to get so caught up in one issue that they forget other issues exist.

I have a huge issue with two main points. One being Starmer refusing to explain his plans for tax. He only repeats that he won't put up taxes for working people, but never talks about pensions, inheritance tax, car tax, fuel tax, etc. And I don't believe he should interfere with schools. He seems to have a gripe with anyone who manages to save their money, apart from himself.

@Moth. You are very good at finding articles. I know that Starmer has his own protected privileges but I can't find the evidence on line to include here. Are you able to help me please?

My second point is related to the extremely high number of people arriving in this country. The reason we should all be concerned is because they cost us money to stay here, we pay them, put a roof over their heads and feed them. If they're ill then they take up hospital beds, when the NHS is already struggling to cope. If they break the law, then they take up space in our prisons that are already overcrowded.

 

[thegirlscout]

articles. I know that Starmer has his own protected privileges

Is this referring to him allegedly not paying tax on his 1 million pound pension or something? I saw a screenshot of this on Twitter a few weeks ago and I didn’t really understand it. Wish I could find it again and try and work out what’s going on.

 

[Happy Lady]

Is this referring to him allegedly not paying tax on his 1 million pound pension or something? I saw a screenshot of this on Twitter a few weeks ago and I didn’t really understand it. Wish I could find it again and try and work out what’s going on.

Yep. I'm just looking again. I didn't know it had been on Twitter. It's been elsewhere too.

Something here.

Sir Keir Starmer criticised over tax free pension scheme

Labour defends its leader's pension arrangements against Conservative accusations of hypocrisy.

www.bbc.com

 

[Merpedy]

My second point is related to the extremely high number of people arriving in this country. The reason we should all be concerned is because they cost us money to stay here, we pay them, put a roof over their heads and feed them. If they're ill then they take up hospital beds, when the NHS is already struggling to cope. If they break the law, then they take up space in our prisons that are already overcrowded.

A lot of this when it comes to asylum is linked to long processing times for asylum applications

I'm not sure where they all stand now but the Tories also introduced a policy to not process asylum applications at all at one point, so increasing the backlog more and more

As with economic immigrants, if they’re requiring benefits to sustain themselves in the UK then that’s a symptom of a bigger issue that plenty of households face too. Kicking them all out or reducing numbers won’t change the primary problem


I find Rishi to be extremely boring as a leader, especially as we have the likes of Boris to compare him to personality wise, but the Tory voters don’t care much about that. Yet when it comes to Starmer being boring it’s the worst thing

 

[mee43]

I have a huge issue with two main points. One being Starmer refusing to explain his plans for tax. He only repeats that he won't put up taxes for working people, but never talks about pensions, inheritance tax, car tax, fuel tax, etc. And I don't believe he should interfere with schools. He seems to have a gripe with anyone who manages to save their money, apart from himself.

I do think it’s time for change, and there will be change.
But I have an issue with this line too. It’s yet more of your typical, mealy mouthed, pol wording where the detail is in what’s being left out of the statement.
Why can’t any of them just be open and honest about their intentions and stop treating us like idiots?!
I also feel that Labour professes to be a party for the working people, yet ends up ultimately clobbering those working people in one way or another.
No different from the Tories of course, but they seem to have a low key resentment of anyone who works hard and saves well, whilst claiming to represent those very people.
I feel like I’ll just end up spoiling my ballot paper because I’m sick of being asked to choose who’s the least bad

 

[pommobear]

I very much want my taxes raised. Higher taxes for better public services is absolutely fine by me .

 

[mee43]

find Rishi to be extremely boring as a leader, especially as we have the likes of Boris to compare him to personality wise, but the Tory voters don’t care much about that.

The most interesting thing about him was his Machiavellin scheming to get into number 10.
He’s been almost invisible since!

 

[L3moning]

I'm not sure where they all stand now but the Tories also introduced a policy to not process asylum applications at all at one point, so increasing the backlog more and more

Wasn't that due to covid though?

 

[biscuitthief]

Yep. I'm just looking again. I didn't know it had been on Twitter. It's been elsewhere too.

Something here.

Sir Keir Starmer criticised over tax free pension scheme

Labour defends its leader's pension arrangements against Conservative accusations of hypocrisy.

www.bbc.com

Is this the pension scheme that David Cameron legislated for? So the tories are criticising him for a pension that they themselves gave to him?

He has already said that if Labour scrap pension tax breaks he would include himself in that https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65052706

 

[Merpedy]

Wasn't that due to covid though?

It was linked to the one of the new legislations, think this covers it:

The inadmissibility process and the three new asylum backlogs - Free Movement

The latest statistics from the Home Office break down the "flow" backlog (i.e. asylum claims made on or after 28 June 2022) into three separate groups. It is

freemovement.org.uk

COVID was when we moved them from private accommodation to hotels

 

[Bungalo]

That Fiona Bruce debate was one sided with lame questions.

Nobody has yet asked Starmer what he's intending to do with pensions, but we all know the answer is that he'll tax them.

Nobody has yet asked Rishi what the tax payers money sent to France is actually funding in relation to stopping the boats coming over.

I cannot understand why Rishi called a GE prior to September when he's saying flights are ready to go. Why didn't he wait and prove that. Why didn't he remove thousands of immigrants prior to announcing the GE.

Why hasn't anyone asked where all these new immigrants are being kept now. What happens when over 800 arrive in one day alone.

The last I heard was that Vietnamese people are the majority arriving here.

I think he called it early because he has given up and wants to enjoy the summer.

 

[aulty]

I think this is the thing. Some people tend to get so caught up in one issue that they forget other issues exist.

People will vote Reform because they agree with the one policy but won't even consider Labor, LD, Green because they disagree with one policy.

 

[Moley1]

If anyone still isn’t convinced that Nigel Farage isn’t a nasty racist and misogynist scumbag, this might help make up your mind

That Fiona Bruce debate was one sided with lame questions.

Nobody has yet asked Starmer what he's intending to do with pensions, but we all know the answer is that he'll tax them.

Nobody has yet asked Rishi what the tax payers money sent to France is actually funding in relation to stopping the boats coming over.

I cannot understand why Rishi called a GE prior to September when he's saying flights are ready to go. Why didn't he wait and prove that. Why didn't he remove thousands of immigrants prior to announcing the GE.

Why hasn't anyone asked where all these new immigrants are being kept now. What happens when over 800 arrive in one day alone.

The last I heard was that Vietnamese people are the majority arriving here.

Do we all know that Starmer is going to tax pensions? Pensions are already taxed as more and more pensioners are moving into the tax bracket thanks to the Tory freezing of the tax bands.
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Well that was two hours of my life I'm never getting back. I still don't know who to vote for. I just cànt stand Rishi, I don't see Kier as a good leader and Ed can't answer a proper question. None of them have what we need. I don't see any of them fitting in at the G7 or world stage anywhere.

Starmer has been working with world leaders for some time in preparation for becoming PM and looks a lot more at ease with them than Sunak. Sunak wouldn’t know an ordinary working person if he fell over one in the street. Starmer knows about the problems of us plebs because he has spent the last 4.5 years travelling the country and listening to the issues we all have.
Vote or don’t vote, but we will end up with either Starmer or Sunak as PM and I would put my mortgage on Starmer being much better for the country both nationally and internationally than Sunak.