Best Of

After this on the doctors strike I think he deserves to be favourite. Hard hitting but fair. In fact excellent in every way (its about half way down the page)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/nov/12/keir-starmer-wes-streeting-labour-leadership-pmqs-kemi-badenoch-conservatives-uk-politics-live-news

I am not in the BMA, and don't support this strike. I don't think that there will be a big walkout as the enthusiasm seems to have faded.

Streeting is generally failing because of his arrogance. He doesn't listen to people and is convinced of his own brilliance.

Probably better than Starmer, but could well prove to be a Truss like figure. Tories love Thatcher cosplay in leadership contenders, Labour loves Blair cosplay, but both need to realise that times have changed. Theres no "putting the band back together".

Good morning, everyone.

Say Starmer just goes and Streeting replaces him.

What then?

There's still a very difficult economic picture and there's still an army of backbench Labour MPs who think their job is to fling money at people to make themselves feel better, rather than manage the public finances.

Still, the reputation of Sunak and Hunt is only improving each day this nonsense continues. We'll see (eventually) if Starmer and Reeves can get a grip.

My suspicion is it'll go something like this: taxes rise on the evil private sector, more money flung at the virtuous public sector, the economy is harmed so tax receipts don't match expectations, meaning more steps are needed at the next Budget which then harms the economy more, rinse and repeat.

Hopefully I'll be wrong.

Meanwhile, wealth and wealth-makers depart to places where the grass definitely is greener.

And Labour will happily wave them off at Heathrow.

Then start closing NHS hospitals.

Speaking of which:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/11/11/britains-richest-young-entrepreneur-prepares-to-quit-uk/

A 37-year-old technology entrepreneur worth more than £700m is preparing to quit Britain for Dubai ahead of Rachel Reeves’s planned tax raid on wealthy emigrants.

Herman Narula, the chief executive of the £2.5bn tech company Improbable, said he was preparing to emigrate to the United Arab Emirates over reports that Ms Reeves intended to unleash a so-called settling-up charge on entrepreneurs.

Mr Narula, who is Britain’s richest self-made entrepreneur aged under 40, told The Telegraph: “I don’t particularly want to leave the UK – but I might want to one day and I don’t want to be banned from that option.”

Mr Narula called introducing an exit tax “irresponsible” and warned it threatened to drive out entrepreneurs ahead of the Budget.

Not just a problem for the exit tax, although that's true, but flying a kite for every potential economic measure to see the reaction will lead to a great deal of cautious/safety first steps taken by people and businesses that will have a lasting impact even if the particular flown kite never gets implemented.

Return to purdah, and stop chasing people and businesses away.

After this on the doctors strike I think he deserves to be favourite. Hard hitting but fair. In fact excellent in every way (its about half way down the page)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/nov/12/keir-starmer-wes-streeting-labour-leadership-pmqs-kemi-badenoch-conservatives-uk-politics-live-news

You can listen to the whole speech here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjLU9_Hr7k0

Thanks for that. It was interesting and he's articulate but it wasn't the same piece as quoted in the Guardian where he gave the doctors both barrels. Reading the comments below were interesting. Hopefully more reflective of Sky viewers than the medical profession who might one day be treating us!

It was the relevant speech, and he does refer to the BMA and strike in the speech. Perhaps the press release drafted beforehand was a little more pointed than the actual wording he used to their faces?

Anyhow, I am off to the park with my birthday boy…eight today, he’s actually a senior dog now, and catching up with me fast.

Good morning, everyone.

Say Starmer just goes and Streeting replaces him.

What then?

There's still a very difficult economic picture and there's still an army of backbench Labour MPs who think their job is to fling money at people to make themselves feel better, rather than manage the public finances.

Still, the reputation of Sunak and Hunt is only improving each day this nonsense continues. We'll see (eventually) if Starmer and Reeves can get a grip.

My suspicion is it'll go something like this: taxes rise on the evil private sector, more money flung at the virtuous public sector, the economy is harmed so tax receipts don't match expectations, meaning more steps are needed at the next Budget which then harms the economy more, rinse and repeat.

Hopefully I'll be wrong.

What then (to use your terminology) is the alternative?

I presume you'd like to see taxes cut and spending cut - I suspect spending will be cut in the Budget but presumably you want to see some serious reductions? I presume it'll be the services people actually depend on which will bear the brunt rather than, let's say, defence which is sacrosanct.

Which services and whose benefits would you cut? Would you cut pensions (or just those in the public sector)?

As always, those advocating spending cuts are usually unaffected by any such cuts and it's not unreasonable of those who will be affected to ask why they should take the pain.

My approach would be to tighten up the approach to the economy. For example:

1) Stop this insanity of increasing benefit spending by ending the 2 child cap
2) Give nothing to the WASPI graspers
3) Thoroughly kibosh the rarely mentioned but still floating around 'discussion' about reparations
4) Increase the pension age (not immediately but pencil it in)
5) End the triple lock, it's unsustainable as well as being unfair on the working population of the country
6) Commit to a long term reduction of the deficit with a goal of eventually turning it into a small (few percent of GDP) surplus and seek consensus from other parties to maintain that goal, even if the specific path of reaching it might change
7) End all talk of the madness of wealth or exit taxes. Rich people spend a lot, and when they do, they pay VAT. It's never been easier to leave and work elsewhere
8) Increase income tax. I'm not a fan of tax rises, I instinctively prefer lower taxes, but we do need to raise more money and this seems both more straightforward and less harmful than other measures
9) Embark on a simplification of regulations, include taxation and building regulations, to make things easier for individuals and businesses to get things moving
10) Try and find a way to keep new innovations here. Encourage this with tax breaks (in a time-limited period) for setting up factories and the like in the fields of emerging technology. Re-introduce the golden share so we can retain leading innovations and the workers and businesses pay tax here. Perhaps have extra incentives for locating factories etc in the north of England
11) Collaborate closely with Ukraine to encourage both their and our own drone facilities to be built here. Essential for defence with excellent prospects for export

Good morning, everyone.

Say Starmer just goes and Streeting replaces him.

What then?

There's still a very difficult economic picture and there's still an army of backbench Labour MPs who think their job is to fling money at people to make themselves feel better, rather than manage the public finances.

Still, the reputation of Sunak and Hunt is only improving each day this nonsense continues. We'll see (eventually) if Starmer and Reeves can get a grip.

My suspicion is it'll go something like this: taxes rise on the evil private sector, more money flung at the virtuous public sector, the economy is harmed so tax receipts don't match expectations, meaning more steps are needed at the next Budget which then harms the economy more, rinse and repeat.

Hopefully I'll be wrong.

Meanwhile, wealth and wealth-makers depart to places where the grass definitely is greener.

And Labour will happily wave them off at Heathrow.

Then start closing NHS hospitals.

Speaking of which:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/11/11/britains-richest-young-entrepreneur-prepares-to-quit-uk/

A 37-year-old technology entrepreneur worth more than £700m is preparing to quit Britain for Dubai ahead of Rachel Reeves’s planned tax raid on wealthy emigrants.

Herman Narula, the chief executive of the £2.5bn tech company Improbable, said he was preparing to emigrate to the United Arab Emirates over reports that Ms Reeves intended to unleash a so-called settling-up charge on entrepreneurs.

Mr Narula, who is Britain’s richest self-made entrepreneur aged under 40, told The Telegraph: “I don’t particularly want to leave the UK – but I might want to one day and I don’t want to be banned from that option.”

Mr Narula called introducing an exit tax “irresponsible” and warned it threatened to drive out entrepreneurs ahead of the Budget.

It is one of the reason that us poor bloody PAYE employees pay so much tax.

Rich tech entrepeneurs pile up vast fortunes, with the earnings coming mostly from developed countries like our own, but shield their profits abroad via shell companies in low tax jurisdictions. They want all the advantages of the developed country lifestyle but are not willing to contribute their fair share.

It is something that does need to be addressed, and not just in the UK. Otherwise we have the sort of situation of the nobility in Pre-revolutionary France of an untaxed class exempt from the laws. Sooner or later the tumbrils will have to roll.

I am not convinced that an exit tax is the best way, but there does need to be an answer.

@Peston
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11m
Very brief chat just now between Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting. I am told the PM apologised to the health secretary for the briefings against him, did not share detail, and said they would speak again soon

https://x.com/Peston/status/1988719622787596308

This is muscular leadership

I presume the conversation went, it never crossed my desk, but if i find out who the person responsible i will write to them informing them that they are on a now on an official written warning.....

How did Keir respond to being put on an official warning?

Called Lord Hermer to represent him as he sees it as an infringement on his human rights....

He’d negotiate a deal to give the keys of Number 10 to Streeting and pay him an allowance.