UK General Election 2024 #4

[jackolantern]

Im glad to see that meetings have already been arranged with the junior doctors. If pay and conditions are improved surely that can only attract and encourage more to stay in the NHS.

Again the arguments from my neighbours have all been the Daily Mail rit e.g. we can’t give them a pay rise as it will affect inflation? How exactly when they aren’t part of any supply chain Sandra? Oh and they already earn a decent wage. Really Sandra? They have your life in their hands and get between £20-30 an hour, good luck getting a plumber to your burst water pipes for that.

( I know I am being horrible about Sandra, she actually would do anything for me and her Victoria sponge is to die for, but honestly she exasperates me at times largely because she reads the DM)

Sandra and her Vikki sponge is a much needed interlude in this sorry state of affairs, think she'll send me a slice?

 

[Baby Giraffe]

It was one of the arguments against women getting the vote, with those against it said that women would just vote what their husbands told them to vote - turned out not to be the case at all. Yes, there will always be those who will always stick to the same party their parents voted (you've met my sister then!) for but many others they won't. And if they are like me they will change according to the current political situation. That means in my lifetime I have voted Tory, Labour, Lib Dem, Green and not voted at all. I am older middle aged (is that the right turn for nearly 60??) and I will vote for the good of the country, for myself and for my kids' future and for that reason my vote is never set in stone.

I agree, I don’t think that not thinking it through or understanding what is going on is limited to any age group, I too can find examples in my own family. Nobody should get your vote as a right, it should always be earned. I’m a similar age to you but don’t have kids however there are plenty of people younger people I care deeply about and I feel we all have a duty to do our best to generally make things better for the future anyway.

 

[miss n thropy]

Sandra and her Vikki sponge is a much needed interlude in this sorry state of affairs, think she'll send me a slice?

only if you’re not an immigrant.

(Sorry if you are reading here Sandra, but we both know it’s true!)

 

[Spectacles]

My parents own a second property - the one my nan lives in (and has done for like 40+ years) the owner who she rented is off gave us first refusal a few years back now. It scrimped my parents to buy it just so that my Nana could stay in her property. She gives them “rent money” which is what she gave the original guy but that money doesn’t even cover the mortgage payments. They’ve managed but it’s been hard but this is their retirement plan. They’ll sell it once my Nana sadly passes. So I obv don’t believe in a blanket ban for owning more than 1 property but I do think there should be a limit/more legislation to stop the large cat landlords.

I’m in my 30s & still at home saving for a deposit. It’s hard because I have no partner so it’s only me that is saving, my wage the mortgage is calculated on and my own monthly wage to pay my bills. I desperately want my own home but I also want to live somewhere where I feel safe which means I need to save for longer. It’s really hard trying to get a house. I’ve looked at renting but that’s not worth it, I’ve looked at shared ownership but that often works out to be way more than an actual mortgage. Just feels impossible sometimes.

Re lowering the voting age, I’m half for it and half not. If they do it, I’d like it to be taught/discussed in schools. Just like I think more life skills need teaching like mortgages, finances etc I’d be worried that a lot of 16 year olds wouldn’t take it seriously, would only vote what their mates are, etc. It’s hard to rely on parents to talk about politics as you do get swayed by their views (not saying this is a bad thing or a good thing) but it wasn’t until I was a bit older that I researched/questioned things myself. Equally, I think they should have a say. I just think a bit more thought needs to go into it than just simply lowering it.

I totally understand you with this. I'm in the same situation. I can afford mortgage payments but am offered the lowest end of the market so still saving for a bigger deposit. Renting is more a month than a mortgage would be for me. I feel the same about shared ownership as you.

Like you say, the voting age is a tricky one as some people do vote a certain way because it's who their family, friends vote for and always have done. I grew up in a predominantly labour area and almost everyone voted that way not because they agreed with the party (as they still liked to moan about them when they were in power) but because their parents or people around them did. They weren't interested in politics but they were told to vote for someone so picked the easiest option without looking too much in to manifestos etc. I voted across the different parties over the years but you do get disheartened with the lot of them eventually.

OT but it is same with football teams, you supported a certain team because the family have always supported them

 

[Baby Giraffe]

OT but it is same with football teams, you supported a certain team because the family have always supported them

You should support the football team where you’re from, it’s not a choice so you can be stuck with a crap one. Political party support should be based on who you think would do the best job to make the country as a whole a better place

 

[Spectacles]

You should support the football team where you’re from, it’s not a choice so you can be stuck with a crap one. Political party support should be based on who you think would do the best job to make the country as a whole a better place

You can support whoever you like and same with voting. You ultimately decide who you think is best

 

[Baby Giraffe]

You can support whoever you like and same with voting. You ultimately decide who you think is best

No no no no no, you’re born to the football club you support, jumping on the band wagon of the latest successful team is just wrong. Perfectly ok to change political affiliation so long as it’s policy / performance based though, go with the best one to make things better

 

[Spectacles]

No no no no no, you’re born to the football club you support, jumping on the band wagon of the latest successful team is just wrong. Perfectly ok to change political affiliation so long as it’s policy / performance based though, go with the best one to make things better

We'll agree to disagree then on the football thing

 

[emm]

I home educate my kids and there is actually a growing movement at the moment that children - as in actual children, not just 16 year olds - should get the vote.

I don't think it will ever become a mainstream view and I'm not saying I agree with it but the opinion is less outlandish in some circles than you might realise.

I have to say that my extremely switched on 9 year old knows a lot more about the electoral system and how politics works than my MIL, for instance. Or than Emma Raducanu, who apparently didn't even realise we were having a general election.

I think while I get the idea to an extent, so many children are heavily influenced by their parents and this could just end up as, effectively, parents having a second vote. Imagine the effect from very religious households for example

 

[Knight of Galador]

I thought I would be pleased by labour winning but I feel despondent over the state of politics globally. Covid has completely ducked the economy and it will take a long time to put right plus wars , climate change. Astronomical house prices the world feels very different from the 00s. I'm actually so sad the world seems to be getting worse and not better.

Not as much as you might think. 90% of our covid borrowing was from the Bank of England who just printed new money. We essentially borrowed from ourselves. That doesn't mean we don't have to pay any of that money back but they are pretty lenient creditors to us. Covid is just used as an excuse why the current government can't invest in public services just as the previous government used the financial crash and Labour's "overspending" as an excuse to run down public services for the past fourteen years.

 

[HelloStereo]

Not as much as you might think. 90% of our covid borrowing was from the Bank of England who just printed new money. We essentially borrowed from ourselves. That doesn't mean we don't have to pay any of that money back but they are pretty lenient creditors to us. Covid is just used as an excuse why the current government can't invest in public services just as the previous government used the financial crash and Labour's "overspending" as an excuse to run down public services for the past fourteen years.

Isn't the printing of new money what causes inflation though?

 

[veevee04]

Isn't the printing of new money what causes inflation though?

bleeping Bingo !! It's contributed to the COL crisis and the increase in interest rates. Excessive money printing makes it worthless.
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It was hyperbole, but I am not prepared to let lazy generalisations go unchallenged. There are selfish old people, there are selfish middle aged people, there are selfish old people. It doesn’t mean that everybody is. Young people will be old one day and I hope for their sakes the younger generation then don’t call them out for hating them and being selfish just because they are old.
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We are where we are after 14 years of Tory governance. It looks like the irony of this feature is lost on them.

https://www.archive.is/oldest/https...ouses-wages-health-care-income-tax-haven.html

If only we had freedom of movement

Most brits have never worked in Europe or wished too especially in skilled professions because of the language barrier. Most Brits emigrate to the anglosphere that's why FOM was unequal.

 

[pommobear]

I think while I get the idea to an extent, so many children are heavily influenced by their parents and this could just end up as, effectively, parents having a second vote. Imagine the effect from very religious households for example

No I totally agree, I just don't think the idea is as completely crackers as people might inherently think on first look.

 

[IGiveUp22]

I think while I get the idea to an extent, so many children are heavily influenced by their parents and this could just end up as, effectively, parents having a second vote. Imagine the effect from very religious households for example

This is why I think if they do lower it, they’d need to introduce some sort of module in school. It would have to be delivered without bias though which would be quite hard for the teacher I imagine but just something that gives people an overviews of the parties/what they usually stand for etc and direction to other sources for them to go look into. Gives the 16/17 year olds something other than just their parents. I’d of loved that if I’d have got that at school even before voting age

 

[thegirlscout]

We have kids who are under 10, getting dependents pensions large enough to pay tax. Should they get a vote too?

Wow, I didn’t know this was a thing, not heard of it before. What is dependents pension and why do they have it and in such a large amount?

 

[pommobear]

This is why I think if they do lower it, they’d need to introduce some sort of module in school. It would have to be delivered without bias though which would be quite hard for the teacher I imagine but just something that gives people an overviews of the parties/what they usually stand for etc and direction to other sources for them to go look into. Gives the 16/17 year olds something other than just their parents. I’d of loved that if I’d have got that at school even before voting age

It's absolutely bonkers this isn't routinely taught in schools anyway IMO.

 

[thegirlscout]

Slightly different as this isn’t the government’s responsibility unless they ban them, but airbnbs are causing issues too. There used to be plenty of little flats in my area- now they’re all being rented out by the day and week at inflated prices

Air BnBs have also ruined rural communities which already struggle with lack of housing and inflated house prices.
Areas of Cornwall for example are in real dire straits at the moment.

 

[Knight of Galador]

Isn't the printing of new money what causes inflation though?

I'm not suggesting we still print new money. What I am saying is we arn't really in a significantly deeper hole than we were in 2019 when Starmer ran and won the Labour leadership on the promised of increased investment. Why was it percieved as possible to raise the money then but now there's "no magic money tree"?

 

[HelloStereo]

It's absolutely bonkers this isn't routinely taught in schools anyway IMO.

Isn't there a subject called "citizenship" which teaches pupils about political parties, voting systems, elections etc.
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I'm not suggesting we still print new money. What I am saying is we arn't really in a significantly deeper hole than we were in 2019 when Starmer ran and won the Labour leadership on the promised of increased investment. Why was it percieved as possible to raise the money then but now there's "no magic money tree"?

But we're currently in a cost of living crisis. Printing more money will raise inflation and affect the cost of goods and services which doesn't seem optimal at the moment?

 

[Knight of Galador]

we're currently in a cost of living crisis. Printing more money will raise inflation and affect the cost of goods and services which doesn't seem optimal at the moment?

I literally just said...

I'm not suggesting we still print new money.