I'd actually say that those figures are quite good for the Conservatives six months into a new Labour government. Labour have had very little time to muck things up, compared to the Conservative's fifteen years, yet either half blame Labour or both equally.
I'd actually say that those figures are quite good for the Conservatives six months into a new Labour government. Labour have had very little time to muck things up, compared to the Conservative's fifteen years, yet either half blame Labour or both equally.
I'd actually say that those figures are quite good for the Conservatives six months into a new Labour government. Labour have had very little time to muck things up, compared to the Conservative's fifteen years, yet either half blame Labour or both equally.
I agree. To have a majority thinking that Labour are either completely or equally implicated in the economic mess is quite an achievement for Starmer and Reeves. And I'd say that's pretty fertile ground for the Tories.
I'd actually say that those figures are quite good for the Conservatives six months into a new Labour government. Labour have had very little time to muck things up, compared to the Conservative's fifteen years, yet either half blame Labour or both equally.
It was only 14 years thankfully, another year and they might have got waiting lists into 8 figures. I agree with you, 6 months in you're only just starting to implement policies, it'll take 2-3 years before they have any real effect. That's why the coalition govt isn't seen as bad as it actually was, for at least the first 2-3 years public services were running on the momentum from the labour govt.
Badenoch is set to do a big speech where she fesses up to some of the Tories' mistakes in government.
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about […] Brexit.
Sorted.
That is indeed the implication. As a large majority now think it's a shitshow, it's a necessary admission, I think. And might provide some distance from Reform (though there are obvious ripostes Farage can make).
I'd actually say that those figures are quite good for the Conservatives six months into a new Labour government. Labour have had very little time to muck things up, compared to the Conservative's fifteen years, yet either half blame Labour or both equally.
It was only 14 years thankfully, another year and they might have got waiting lists into 8 figures. I agree with you, 6 months in you're only just starting to implement policies, it'll take 2-3 years before they have any real effect. That's why the coalition govt isn't seen as bad as it actually was, for at least the first 2-3 years public services were running on the momentum from the labour govt.
The momentum from the Labour government in 2010 was pretty much downwards IMV...
The coalition was a rare moment of competent government.
Badenoch is set to do a big speech where she fesses up to some of the Tories' mistakes in government.
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about having any plans for what would happen after Brexit.
The mea culpa is vital. Sunak started it the day after the election but it’s been a wasted six months for the Conservatives.
Badenoch has to admit mistakes were made and her part in them as a big part of wiping the slate clean with the public.
Yes, she should, but will she and would the public forgive a sinner repenting and if we were to vote her back into office how do we know she would not simply revert to type.
Quite frankly she's had her chance. She fucked it big style. Time to get someone untainted by the last 14 years in govt.
Badenoch is set to do a big speech where she fesses up to some of the Tories' mistakes in government.
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about having any plans for what would happen after Brexit.
That was the dire David Cameron, five Prime Ministers ago. It also didn't stop them winning triumphantly in 2019 or leading in the polls for the first half of that Parliament, so I'm not sure how beneficial it will be.
Far better to admit to mistakes on mattes of current salience, such as uncontrolled immigration, statist economic policies and Nut Zero lunacy. People might actually care.
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
I'd actually say that those figures are quite good for the Conservatives six months into a new Labour government. Labour have had very little time to muck things up, compared to the Conservative's fifteen years, yet either half blame Labour or both equally.
I would say more an indicator of the hyper partisan nature of politics now. Cons and Reform think it's this lot to blame; Labour and Lib Dems think it was the other lot.
Substantial proportion think "plague on both your houses", which is likely a problem for the country as a whole.
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Badenoch is set to do a big speech where she fesses up to some of the Tories' mistakes in government.
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about having any plans for what would happen after Brexit.
That was the dire David Cameron, five Prime Ministers ago. It also didn't stop them winning triumphantly in 2019 or leading in the polls for the first half of that Parliament, so I'm not sure how beneficial it will be.
Far better to admit to mistakes on mattes of current salience, such as uncontrolled immigration, statist economic policies and Nut Zero lunacy. People might actually care.
Also worth pointing out the Tories Parliamentary party were split 50/50 and half of them campaigned to remain. The Tory govt enacted Brexit as the will of the people. Whether die hard remainers, like that Femi bloke and the tit in the Top hat, like it or not.
We have left the EU, we are not going back.
Focus on the here and now not revisiting the battles of 2016.
Badenoch is set to do a big speech where she fesses up to some of the Tories' mistakes in government.
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about having any plans for what would happen after Brexit.
That was the dire David Cameron, five Prime Ministers ago. It also didn't stop them winning triumphantly in 2019 or leading in the polls for the first half of that Parliament, so I'm not sure how beneficial it will be.
Far better to admit to mistakes on mattes of current salience, such as uncontrolled immigration, statist economic policies and Nut Zero lunacy. People might actually care.
Also worth pointing out the Tories Parliamentary party were split 50/50 and half of them campaigned to remain. The Tory govt enacted Brexit as the will of the people. Whether die hard remainers, like that Femi bloke and the tit in the Top hat, like it or not.
We have left the EU, we are not going back.
Focus on the here and now not revisiting the battles of 2016.
But as you keep pointing out, Brexit is the here and now. The fact that we never had a coherent plan of how to manage the UK's new situation - and still don't - is not something to be ignored.
The equivalent would be my saying "Labour are in government; there's no point in arguing about their policies". That would be absurd.
Badenoch is set to do a big speech where she fesses up to some of the Tories' mistakes in government.
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about having any plans for what would happen after Brexit.
That was the dire David Cameron, five Prime Ministers ago. It also didn't stop them winning triumphantly in 2019 or leading in the polls for the first half of that Parliament, so I'm not sure how beneficial it will be.
Far better to admit to mistakes on mattes of current salience, such as uncontrolled immigration, statist economic policies and Nut Zero lunacy. People might actually care.
Also worth pointing out the Tories Parliamentary party were split 50/50 and half of them campaigned to remain. The Tory govt enacted Brexit as the will of the people. Whether die hard remainers, like that Femi bloke and the tit in the Top hat, like it or not.
We have left the EU, we are not going back.
Focus on the here and now not revisiting the battles of 2016.
It is not up to you to say that we will not rejoin the EU. It is up to the British public.
(I agree it is unlikely in the short or medium term; but a lot of leavers scream "Never!" when it is perfectly feasible that it could happen.)
One month's figures tell us *nothing* about "growth". Whether they are revised or not later all they do is hint about the short-run state of the economy
Growth of 0.1% could easily be a contraction of 0.1% or worse after revisions.
I always ask the same question: What is the uncertainty range on the figure?
Saying that the economy grew by 0.1% if we only know the size of it (say) +/-2% is nonsense on stilts.
It simply shows the level of desperation that we're getting excited about 0.1%
Like TimS I would assume there would be some level of upward revision as construction is often underreported initially. But that said we had 2 months of contraction so when all is said and done we are probably flatlining.
Badenoch is set to do a big speech where she fesses up to some of the Tories' mistakes in government.
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about having any plans for what would happen after Brexit.
That's fine but when she was part of that govt she owned those mistakes as well.
She was hardly an effective Minister in any of her portfolios either.
The Tories will come to rue electing her. She is the Tories Ed Miliband.
I wonder if we will get the Kemi Stone.
Thing is that a defeated government pretty much has to pick an opposition leader from that failed government.
The case for Badenoch remains that the alternative could be even worse.
The only point of Kemi Badenoch was to save the Conservative Party, and us generally, from Robert Jenrick. The risk is she does so badly in other areas that she is removed and we end up with Jenrick anyway.
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in, to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
Badenoch is set to do a big speech where she fesses up to some of the Tories' mistakes in government.
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about having any plans for what would happen after Brexit.
That was the dire David Cameron, five Prime Ministers ago. It also didn't stop them winning triumphantly in 2019 or leading in the polls for the first half of that Parliament, so I'm not sure how beneficial it will be.
Far better to admit to mistakes on mattes of current salience, such as uncontrolled immigration, statist economic policies and Nut Zero lunacy. People might actually care.
Also worth pointing out the Tories Parliamentary party were split 50/50 and half of them campaigned to remain. The Tory govt enacted Brexit as the will of the people. Whether die hard remainers, like that Femi bloke and the tit in the Top hat, like it or not.
We have left the EU, we are not going back.
Focus on the here and now not revisiting the battles of 2016.
But as you keep pointing out, Brexit is the here and now. The fact that we never had a coherent plan of how to manage the UK's new situation - and still don't - is not something to be ignored.
The equivalent would be my saying "Labour are in government; there's no point in arguing about their policies". That would be absurd.
The world has moved on from events 9 years ago.
Remainers constantly ignore the other side of the equation which is whether the EU would want us back. There is no appetite for it
Fascinating. I always thought of tech/media barons as pushing their own views/shaping the world to their preferences. I never really considered that they self-radicalise... but logically Elon spends longer on twitter than most people, so why wouldn't that change him?
Growth of 0.1% could easily be a contraction of 0.1% or worse after revisions.
Or growth of 0.2%. GDP estimates go all over the place when they’re revised but in recent years they’ve tended to go up.
I think that that you are missing the important PB herd consensus:
Under Tory chancellors revisions are always upwards under Labour ones always downwards.
Similarly rich people need bumper payrises to motivate them, poor people getting payrises are a drag on productivity.
Given the amount the amount of gold the doctors have had shoved down their throats we will not only have the healthiest nation on the planet but also the most motivated medical profession ever.
Badenoch is set to do a big speech where she fesses up to some of the Tories' mistakes in government.
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about having any plans for what would happen after Brexit.
The mea culpa is vital. Sunak started it the day after the election but it’s been a wasted six months for the Conservatives.
Badenoch has to admit mistakes were made and her part in them as a big part of wiping the slate clean with the public.
Yes, she should, but will she and would the public forgive a sinner repenting and if we were to vote her back into office how do we know she would not simply revert to type.
Quite frankly she's had her chance. She fucked it big style. Time to get someone untainted by the last 14 years in govt.
That’s often where parties end up - Blair and Cameron had no connection to the previous administrations of their respective parties and as such could present themselves to the public without emotional and political baggage.
It’s possible the next Conservative Prime Minister only became an MP in July last year - it’s more likely they will be elected in 2029.
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
The only thing Musk has found to cut so far is his target of cutting $2trn, down to $1trn after a few weeks. I have such faith in this genius that I am sure he will be announcing another $1trn cut in his target sooner rather than later.
The maverick business types are there to plunder what they can from the federal budget, nothing more and this is blatantly obvious.
Growth of 0.1% could easily be a contraction of 0.1% or worse after revisions.
Or growth of 0.2%. GDP estimates go all over the place when they’re revised but in recent years they’ve tended to go up.
I think that that you are missing the important PB herd consensus:
Under Tory chancellors revisions are always upwards under Labour ones always downwards.
Similarly rich people need bumper payrises to motivate them, poor people getting payrises are a drag on productivity.
Given the amount the amount of gold the doctors have had shoved down their throats we will not only have the healthiest nation on the planet but also the most motivated medical profession ever.
I'd actually say that those figures are quite good for the Conservatives six months into a new Labour government. Labour have had very little time to muck things up, compared to the Conservative's fifteen years, yet either half blame Labour or both equally.
It was only 14 years thankfully, another year and they might have got waiting lists into 8 figures. I agree with you, 6 months in you're only just starting to implement policies, it'll take 2-3 years before they have any real effect. That's why the coalition govt isn't seen as bad as it actually was, for at least the first 2-3 years public services were running on the momentum from the labour govt.
The momentum from the Labour government in 2010 was pretty much downwards IMV...
The coalition was a rare moment of competent government.
In your view. Public services were beginning to see the benefits from sure start, then the austerity cuts started to take effect after a couple of years.
Badenoch is set to do a big speech where she fesses up to some of the Tories' mistakes in government.
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about having any plans for what would happen after Brexit.
That was the dire David Cameron, five Prime Ministers ago. It also didn't stop them winning triumphantly in 2019 or leading in the polls for the first half of that Parliament, so I'm not sure how beneficial it will be.
Far better to admit to mistakes on mattes of current salience, such as uncontrolled immigration, statist economic policies and Nut Zero lunacy. People might actually care.
Also worth pointing out the Tories Parliamentary party were split 50/50 and half of them campaigned to remain. The Tory govt enacted Brexit as the will of the people. Whether die hard remainers, like that Femi bloke and the tit in the Top hat, like it or not.
We have left the EU, we are not going back.
Focus on the here and now not revisiting the battles of 2016.
But as you keep pointing out, Brexit is the here and now. The fact that we never had a coherent plan of how to manage the UK's new situation - and still don't - is not something to be ignored.
The equivalent would be my saying "Labour are in government; there's no point in arguing about their policies". That would be absurd.
The world has moved on from events 9 years ago.
Remainers constantly ignore the other side of the equation which is whether the EU would want us back. There is no appetite for it
I'm not ignoring anything; it's you who isn't addressing my argument. "...we never had a coherent plan of how to manage the UK's new situation - and still don't.."
Growth of 0.1% could easily be a contraction of 0.1% or worse after revisions.
Or growth of 0.2%. GDP estimates go all over the place when they’re revised but in recent years they’ve tended to go up.
I think that that you are missing the important PB herd consensus:
Under Tory chancellors revisions are always upwards under Labour ones always downwards.
Similarly rich people need bumper payrises to motivate them, poor people getting payrises are a drag on productivity.
Given the amount the amount of gold the doctors have had shoved down their throats we will not only have the healthiest nation on the planet but also the most motivated medical profession ever.
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in, to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them...
Does it ? Perhaps we should wait and see what they actually do before declaring their model successful.
I'd actually say that those figures are quite good for the Conservatives six months into a new Labour government. Labour have had very little time to muck things up, compared to the Conservative's fifteen years, yet either half blame Labour or both equally.
It was only 14 years thankfully, another year and they might have got waiting lists into 8 figures. I agree with you, 6 months in you're only just starting to implement policies, it'll take 2-3 years before they have any real effect. That's why the coalition govt isn't seen as bad as it actually was, for at least the first 2-3 years public services were running on the momentum from the labour govt.
The momentum from the Labour government in 2010 was pretty much downwards IMV...
The coalition was a rare moment of competent government.
In your view. Public services were beginning to see the benefits from sure start, then the austerity cuts started to take effect after a couple of years.
That's ignoring the state of the economy that Blair and Brown bequeathed the incoming government.
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
The only thing Musk has found to cut so far is his target of cutting $2trn, down to $1trn after a few weeks. I have such faith in this genius that I am sure he will be announcing another $1trn cut in his target sooner rather than later.
The maverick business types are there to plunder what they can from the federal budget, nothing more and this is blatantly obvious.
It's worth quoting Bidens final presidential address to the nation:
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.
The president outlined some of his most pressing concerns, including what he described as a “crumbling” free press, the outsized influence of the military-industrial complex, rising disinformation, and the need to remove dark money from politics. He also called for constitutional amendments to ensure presidential accountability, arguing that no president should be immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office..
Somebody in Texas is not very good at drafting laws. The law under challenge:
"The law, HB 1181, requires all websites with “over one-third sexual material harmful to minors” to use “reasonable age verification methods” to determine that users are over 18."
How the hell do you measure that?
It gets better:
“Is it like the old Playboy magazines?” Alito asked Derek Shaffer, the attorney representing the adult industry. “You have essays there by the modern-day equivalent of Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley Jr.?”
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in, to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them...
Does it ? Perhaps we should wait and see what they actually do before declaring their model successful.
C’mon, let’s get Charlie Mullins and Michelle Mone involved. What could possibly go wrong?
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
The only thing Musk has found to cut so far is his target of cutting $2trn, down to $1trn after a few weeks. I have such faith in this genius that I am sure he will be announcing another $1trn cut in his target sooner rather than later.
The maverick business types are there to plunder what they can from the federal budget, nothing more and this is blatantly obvious.
It's worth quoting Bidens final presidential address to the nation:
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.
The president outlined some of his most pressing concerns, including what he described as a “crumbling” free press, the outsized influence of the military-industrial complex, rising disinformation, and the need to remove dark money from politics. He also called for constitutional amendments to ensure presidential accountability, arguing that no president should be immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office..
Badenoch is set to do a big speech where she fesses up to some of the Tories' mistakes in government.
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about having any plans for what would happen after Brexit.
That was the dire David Cameron, five Prime Ministers ago. It also didn't stop them winning triumphantly in 2019 or leading in the polls for the first half of that Parliament, so I'm not sure how beneficial it will be.
Far better to admit to mistakes on mattes of current salience, such as uncontrolled immigration, statist economic policies and Nut Zero lunacy. People might actually care.
Also worth pointing out the Tories Parliamentary party were split 50/50 and half of them campaigned to remain. The Tory govt enacted Brexit as the will of the people. Whether die hard remainers, like that Femi bloke and the tit in the Top hat, like it or not.
We have left the EU, we are not going back.
Focus on the here and now not revisiting the battles of 2016.
But as you keep pointing out, Brexit is the here and now. The fact that we never had a coherent plan of how to manage the UK's new situation - and still don't - is not something to be ignored.
The equivalent would be my saying "Labour are in government; there's no point in arguing about their policies". That would be absurd.
The world has moved on from events 9 years ago.
Remainers constantly ignore the other side of the equation which is whether the EU would want us back. There is no appetite for it
Also have you noticed how whenever you point out we'd have to hand over £20-30 billion every year (where from, by the way? Health? Education? Defence?) and adopt the Euro if we rejoin, even the most ardent Remoaner always changes the subject?
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in, to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
We don't need either McKinsey or self-interested mavericks we need to get rid of the obstacles to growth.
Repealing Attlee's planning regulations and going back to 1930s planning laws would do the job nicely. And cut rather than increase the number of staff needed to enforce those regulations.
There is a problem with the things Kemi intends to say the Tories got wrong in recent years, even though it is a necessary step. The BBC mentions: net zero planning, migration numbers and planning for leaving the EU.
These matters are so important and so basic that it is hard to see how, with the overwhelming policy resource available to the state, anyone could fail to spot these gaps and contradictions in advance. So it is not just incompetence, it is considered and deliberate wreckage of the welfare of the nation.
Kemi may have difficulty in showing from the record that she would have got all these matters right at the time.
The Tories are still polling at about their irremovable base support. I doubt if this will change soon unless Reform and LDs make glaring errors.
Badenoch is set to do a big speech where she fesses up to some of the Tories' mistakes in government.
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about having any plans for what would happen after Brexit.
That was the dire David Cameron, five Prime Ministers ago. It also didn't stop them winning triumphantly in 2019 or leading in the polls for the first half of that Parliament, so I'm not sure how beneficial it will be.
Far better to admit to mistakes on mattes of current salience, such as uncontrolled immigration, statist economic policies and Nut Zero lunacy. People might actually care.
Also worth pointing out the Tories Parliamentary party were split 50/50 and half of them campaigned to remain. The Tory govt enacted Brexit as the will of the people. Whether die hard remainers, like that Femi bloke and the tit in the Top hat, like it or not.
We have left the EU, we are not going back.
Focus on the here and now not revisiting the battles of 2016.
But as you keep pointing out, Brexit is the here and now. The fact that we never had a coherent plan of how to manage the UK's new situation - and still don't - is not something to be ignored.
The equivalent would be my saying "Labour are in government; there's no point in arguing about their policies". That would be absurd.
The world has moved on from events 9 years ago.
Remainers constantly ignore the other side of the equation which is whether the EU would want us back. There is no appetite for it
Also have you noticed how whenever you point out we'd have to hand over £20-30 billion every year and adopt the Euro if we rejoin, even the most ardent Remoaner always changes the subject?
Not only that but rejoining terms would be fairly dtaconian and then the constant interference in day to day life which we have all forgotten would be back and start to grate again.
It's why I maintain that the polls on rejoining will shift massively when the costs are placed in front of the electorate.
So, the fact that we are all depressed about the state of the economy drove us to the pub creating a smidgeon of growth?
With nearly 15m apparently doing dry January (including me) not sure that is going to last.
Yes, but figures are seasonally adjusted, so would compare with last years dry January.
Not something that I participate in. January is miserable enough already without being sober too, and Burns Night is coming up shortly.
I've had some health issues which drove my participation this year. A couple of nights ago I got a night in a Ward after an extremely painful episode with gallstones.
That was the first time I have had anything like that for 4 years but it was probably caused because I have been letting things slip including going back to fatty meats and too much wine resulting in an increase in weight. Disappointing it happened after 2 weeks of abstinence though.
One month's figures tell us *nothing* about "growth". Whether they are revised or not later all they do is hint about the short-run state of the economy
Politicians use the figure tho. .. enthusiastically if better than 0. 0.1% is roundings
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
It’s hardly Natural England that is a bar to growth. It’s the laws which it is their duty to regulate. Which they didn’t put on the statute.
And in any case we’ve seen where light touch regulation takes us. Rivers full of shit.
At a time of biodiversity and climate crisis, we need to do more for nature not less, but the farming lobby stands in the way of every single atrempt to create the conditions for nature recovery.
I suggest you stop looking for simple solutions and scapegoats and look at the bigger picture. Or at least substantiate your arguments better than whatever simplistic drivel is presented in the popular media.
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
The only thing Musk has found to cut so far is his target of cutting $2trn, down to $1trn after a few weeks. I have such faith in this genius that I am sure he will be announcing another $1trn cut in his target sooner rather than later.
The maverick business types are there to plunder what they can from the federal budget, nothing more and this is blatantly obvious.
It's worth quoting Bidens final presidential address to the nation:
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.
The president outlined some of his most pressing concerns, including what he described as a “crumbling” free press, the outsized influence of the military-industrial complex, rising disinformation, and the need to remove dark money from politics. He also called for constitutional amendments to ensure presidential accountability, arguing that no president should be immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office..
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in, to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
We don't need either McKinsey or self-interested mavericks we need to get rid of the obstacles to growth.
Repealing Attlee's planning regulations and going back to 1930s planning laws would do the job nicely. And cut rather than increase the number of staff needed to enforce those regulations.
Planning is indeed the first place to start, alongside the building regulations that are more aligned to Ed Miliband’s green agenda than anything to do with safety, and have increased the cost of building anything in recent years.
But someone needs to be the one who drives the whole project forward, and Rachel is off to exactly the wrong start by asking the regulators how to do it. The turkeys aren’t going to recommend a month of Christmases and Thanksgivings.
Badenoch is set to do a big speech where she fesses up to some of the Tories' mistakes in government.
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about having any plans for what would happen after Brexit.
That was the dire David Cameron, five Prime Ministers ago. It also didn't stop them winning triumphantly in 2019 or leading in the polls for the first half of that Parliament, so I'm not sure how beneficial it will be.
Far better to admit to mistakes on mattes of current salience, such as uncontrolled immigration, statist economic policies and Nut Zero lunacy. People might actually care.
Also worth pointing out the Tories Parliamentary party were split 50/50 and half of them campaigned to remain. The Tory govt enacted Brexit as the will of the people. Whether die hard remainers, like that Femi bloke and the tit in the Top hat, like it or not.
We have left the EU, we are not going back.
Focus on the here and now not revisiting the battles of 2016.
But as you keep pointing out, Brexit is the here and now. The fact that we never had a coherent plan of how to manage the UK's new situation - and still don't - is not something to be ignored.
The equivalent would be my saying "Labour are in government; there's no point in arguing about their policies". That would be absurd.
The world has moved on from events 9 years ago.
Remainers constantly ignore the other side of the equation which is whether the EU would want us back. There is no appetite for it
Also have you noticed how whenever you point out we'd have to hand over £20-30 billion every year (where from, by the way? Health? Education? Defence?) and adopt the Euro if we rejoin, even the most ardent Remoaner always changes the subject?
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
The only thing Musk has found to cut so far is his target of cutting $2trn, down to $1trn after a few weeks. I have such faith in this genius that I am sure he will be announcing another $1trn cut in his target sooner rather than later.
The maverick business types are there to plunder what they can from the federal budget, nothing more and this is blatantly obvious.
It's worth quoting Bidens final presidential address to the nation:
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.
The president outlined some of his most pressing concerns, including what he described as a “crumbling” free press, the outsized influence of the military-industrial complex, rising disinformation, and the need to remove dark money from politics. He also called for constitutional amendments to ensure presidential accountability, arguing that no president should be immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office..
I think that one of the most clear headed and concise analysis of the state of politics in recent times.
And yet he was good with all of that when he thought it was on his side.
"no president should be immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office.."
That a was bonkers decision by Supreme Court only a few months ago, so you can hardly expected Biden to be able to move on that one.
It's a good summary but sadly at least 50% of US voters don't give a shit as long as eggs and Mc Donalds are falling in price.
If youre on the breadline and living in a trailer park food prices are more important than abstract concepts.
It;s a phenomenon across the west that our politicians spend too much time forgetting their citizens interests and then get surprised when the citizens revolt.
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
The only thing Musk has found to cut so far is his target of cutting $2trn, down to $1trn after a few weeks. I have such faith in this genius that I am sure he will be announcing another $1trn cut in his target sooner rather than later.
The maverick business types are there to plunder what they can from the federal budget, nothing more and this is blatantly obvious.
It's worth quoting Bidens final presidential address to the nation:
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.
The president outlined some of his most pressing concerns, including what he described as a “crumbling” free press, the outsized influence of the military-industrial complex, rising disinformation, and the need to remove dark money from politics. He also called for constitutional amendments to ensure presidential accountability, arguing that no president should be immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office..
I think that one of the most clear headed and concise analysis of the state of politics in recent times.
And yet he was good with all of that when he thought it was on his side.
Same as all the Democrat Senators yesterday asking Pam Bondi if she thinks it’s bad to politicise the DOJ, as if the DOJ under Biden hasn’t been the most politicised in its history.
Growth of 0.1% could easily be a contraction of 0.1% or worse after revisions.
Or growth of 0.2%. GDP estimates go all over the place when they’re revised but in recent years they’ve tended to go up.
I think that that you are missing the important PB herd consensus:
Under Tory chancellors revisions are always upwards under Labour ones always downwards.
Similarly rich people need bumper payrises to motivate them, poor people getting payrises are a drag on productivity.
Your shilling for the government on the last thread was pretty desperate.
I saw you cited how both the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 were up on a year ago, whilst ignoring that almost all of this growth was from January to May 2024 and it's stalled since and, in fact, has gone slightly backwards.
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
The only thing Musk has found to cut so far is his target of cutting $2trn, down to $1trn after a few weeks. I have such faith in this genius that I am sure he will be announcing another $1trn cut in his target sooner rather than later.
The maverick business types are there to plunder what they can from the federal budget, nothing more and this is blatantly obvious.
It's worth quoting Bidens final presidential address to the nation:
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.
The president outlined some of his most pressing concerns, including what he described as a “crumbling” free press, the outsized influence of the military-industrial complex, rising disinformation, and the need to remove dark money from politics. He also called for constitutional amendments to ensure presidential accountability, arguing that no president should be immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office..
I think that one of the most clear headed and concise analysis of the state of politics in recent times.
And yet he was good with all of that when he thought it was on his side.
"no president should be immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office.."
That a was bonkers decision by Supreme Court only a few months ago, so you can hardly expected Biden to be able to move on that one.
It's a good summary but sadly at least 50% of US voters don't give a shit as long as eggs and Mc Donalds are falling in price.
If youre on the breadline and living in a trailer park food prices are more important then abstract concepts.
It;s a phenomenon across the west that our politicians spend too much time forgetting their citizens interests and then get surprised when the citizens revolt.
You'd have a point, except Trump, Musk and the bad people of the GOP haven't just forgotten about their citizens' interests; they don't care. They're narcissists.
So, the fact that we are all depressed about the state of the economy drove us to the pub creating a smidgeon of growth?
With nearly 15m apparently doing dry January (including me) not sure that is going to last.
Yes, but figures are seasonally adjusted, so would compare with last years dry January.
Not something that I participate in. January is miserable enough already without being sober too, and Burns Night is coming up shortly.
I've had some health issues which drove my participation this year. A couple of nights ago I got a night in a Ward after an extremely painful episode with gallstones.
That was the first time I have had anything like that for 4 years but it was probably caused because I have been letting things slip including going back to fatty meats and too much wine resulting in an increase in weight. Disappointing it happened after 2 weeks of abstinence though.
Sympathy with that.
When my dad had gallstones they put him on a starvation diet for a couple of weeks. He turned yellow and they had "push button" on demand dosage of morphine on him.
I have my issues, but I've never had to go through that level of pain, I think.
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
The only thing Musk has found to cut so far is his target of cutting $2trn, down to $1trn after a few weeks. I have such faith in this genius that I am sure he will be announcing another $1trn cut in his target sooner rather than later.
The maverick business types are there to plunder what they can from the federal budget, nothing more and this is blatantly obvious.
It's worth quoting Bidens final presidential address to the nation:
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.
The president outlined some of his most pressing concerns, including what he described as a “crumbling” free press, the outsized influence of the military-industrial complex, rising disinformation, and the need to remove dark money from politics. He also called for constitutional amendments to ensure presidential accountability, arguing that no president should be immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office..
I think that one of the most clear headed and concise analysis of the state of politics in recent times.
And yet he was good with all of that when he thought it was on his side.
"no president should be immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office.."
That a was bonkers decision by Supreme Court only a few months ago, so you can hardly expected Biden to be able to move on that one.
It's a good summary but sadly at least 50% of US voters don't give a shit as long as eggs and Mc Donalds are falling in price.
If youre on the breadline and living in a trailer park food prices are more important then abstract concepts.
It;s a phenomenon across the west that our politicians spend too much time forgetting their citizens interests and then get surprised when the citizens revolt.
You'd have a point, except Trump, Musk and the bad people of the GOP haven't just forgotten about their citizens' interests; they don't care. They're narcissists.
Trump is certainly a narcissist and wont deliver half the things he promises. But the Democrats arent much better, theyve ignored the day to day issues of their core voters and have lost them. It's the same with Labour in the UK.
If the Israel-Gaza deal has fallen through, then it's probably really bad news. Right now, with the Biden administration's strength of designing deals and Trump's strength of getting stuff over the line in tandem, US foreign policy/influence is probably about as strong as it's going to get. So if it falls apart now I just can't see how it all ends.
The Tory attacks are clearly having some impact, otherwise Labour wouldn't now be polling below Brown 2010 levels in most polls.
However most of the leakage from Labour has been to Reform, the LDs and Greens as voters who rejected the Tory government last July and now reject the Labour government too look elsewhere for a protest vote
Rachel Reeves is today urged to tell Britain's regulators and quangos to 'get out of the way' as she asks for their help in reviving Britain's stuttering economic growth.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
Rachel from accounts belatedly realising that the UK needs a Department of Government Efficiency.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
The only thing Musk has found to cut so far is his target of cutting $2trn, down to $1trn after a few weeks. I have such faith in this genius that I am sure he will be announcing another $1trn cut in his target sooner rather than later.
The maverick business types are there to plunder what they can from the federal budget, nothing more and this is blatantly obvious.
It's worth quoting Bidens final presidential address to the nation:
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.
The president outlined some of his most pressing concerns, including what he described as a “crumbling” free press, the outsized influence of the military-industrial complex, rising disinformation, and the need to remove dark money from politics. He also called for constitutional amendments to ensure presidential accountability, arguing that no president should be immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office..
I think that one of the most clear headed and concise analysis of the state of politics in recent times.
And yet he was good with all of that when he thought it was on his side.
Same as all the Democrat Senators yesterday asking Pam Bondi if she thinks it’s bad to politicise the DOJ, as if the DOJ under Biden hasn’t been the most politicised in its history.
If I want to know what Fox News and OANN are saying, Sandpit, I can go look at them. You don't need to come here to parrot them.
About time. It's not as if Ukraine/Russia is one of the biggest threats to the UK atm...
Grandstanding.
It's more about he needs the airmiles to get upgraded to a gold card.
I'm sorry, but calling it 'grandstanding' before anything is announced is b/s. Let's see what's announced.
Well hasnt he said he's signing a 100 year defence contract with Ukraine ? That sounds pretty meaningless to me. What Eastern Europe or the UK look like in a centruty's time is anybody's guess. Ukraine's next door neighbour could be China.
Badenoch is set to do a big speech where she fesses up to some of the Tories' mistakes in government.
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about having any plans for what would happen after Brexit.
Suspect it will be more "we haven't made Communism work" than a "we really mucked up with Brexit" reflection.
No doubt.
But the logic of the admission, as @algarkirk points out, rather cuts against that: ..These matters are so important and so basic that it is hard to see how, with the overwhelming policy resource available to the state, anyone could fail to spot these gaps and contradictions in advance. So it is not just incompetence...
Comments
A sensible first step, I think.
One of the items is essentially admitting they lied about having any plans for what would happen after Brexit.
Official figures showed an expansion 0.1% after the economy shrank in each of the two previous months.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8r5jkv5g5po
Badenoch has to admit mistakes were made and her part in them as a big part of wiping the slate clean with the public.
I agree with you, 6 months in you're only just starting to implement policies, it'll take 2-3 years before they have any real effect.
That's why the coalition govt isn't seen as bad as it actually was, for at least the first 2-3 years public services were running on the momentum from the labour govt.
As a large majority now think it's a shitshow, it's a necessary admission, I think. And might provide some distance from Reform (though there are obvious ripostes Farage can make).
Justice Alito Asks If You Can Read Pornhub for the Articles
https://www.thecut.com/article/justice-samuel-alito-pornhub-essays.html
She was hardly an effective Minister in any of her portfolios either.
The Tories will come to rue electing her. She is the Tories Ed Miliband.
I wonder if we will get the Kemi Stone.
The coalition was a rare moment of competent government.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c3rwqpj70ert
I'm not sure it's much more than that - though it is a big first step.
Quite frankly she's had her chance. She fucked it big style. Time to get someone untainted by the last 14 years in govt.
Far better to admit to mistakes on mattes of current salience, such as uncontrolled immigration, statist economic policies and Nut Zero lunacy. People might actually care.
Ministers asked them to offer suggestions in the wake of last year's Budget, which triggered a sharp fall in business confidence.
However, they are said to be underwhelmed by the proposals so far, which appear to involve the bodies continuing to fulfil existing roles.
No shit
I wish her well but she needs to do more than just tell them. She also needs to focus her fire on Natural England, a bar to growth if ever there was one.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/now-desperate-rachel-reeves-turns-to-britain-s-regulators/ar-AA1xgTCE?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=1ff51e0c0ad8448aaad16a5cf15ea964&ei=15
Substantial proportion think "plague on both your houses", which is likely a problem for the country as a whole.
We have left the EU, we are not going back.
Focus on the here and now not revisiting the battles of 2016.
25 years of labour here in Wales
The NHS is devolved in Wales and Scotland
Saying that the economy grew by 0.1% if we only know the size of it (say) +/-2% is nonsense on stilts.
The fact that we never had a coherent plan of how to manage the UK's new situation - and still don't - is not something to be ignored.
The equivalent would be my saying "Labour are in government; there's no point in arguing about their policies". That would be absurd.
Some notable exceptions of course, but folks like Cummings, Braverman, or Jenrick aren’t always the most sympathetic human beings.
The case for Badenoch remains that the alternative could be even worse.
(I agree it is unlikely in the short or medium term; but a lot of leavers scream "Never!" when it is perfectly feasible that it could happen.)
Like TimS I would assume there would be some level of upward revision as construction is often underreported initially. But that said we had 2 months of contraction so when all is said and done we are probably flatlining.
The outlook is more the worry.
Under Tory chancellors revisions are always upwards under Labour ones always downwards.
Similarly rich people need bumper payrises to motivate them, poor people getting payrises are a drag on productivity.
Oh, and that doesn’t mean employing 500 McKinsey staff to produce a 3,000 page report in 2027, it means doing it the American way and getting a couple of maverick business types in, to cut out whole swathes of the standing bureaucracy and repealing the legislation that supports them.
Governments of all stripes have been the same since Thatcher, always talking about making efficiencies but overseeing a constant rise in the cost of government.
Remainers constantly ignore the other side of the equation which is whether the EU would want us back. There is no appetite for it
Or not
It’s possible the next Conservative Prime Minister only became an MP in July last year - it’s more likely they will be elected in 2029.
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1879793206973591769
Starship launch is now scheduled for tonight at 22:00 UTC.
It is possible that he might find more savings if he paid attention to it rather than go on ketamine fueled all night Twitter rants of course.
The maverick business types are there to plunder what they can from the federal budget, nothing more and this is blatantly obvious.
With nearly 15m apparently doing dry January (including me) not sure that is going to last.
Public services were beginning to see the benefits from sure start, then the austerity cuts started to take effect after a couple of years.
"...we never had a coherent plan of how to manage the UK's new situation - and still don't.."
Perhaps we should wait and see what they actually do before declaring their model successful.
Population is growing more than 0.1% so per capita that is recessionary.
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.
The president outlined some of his most pressing concerns, including what he described as a “crumbling” free press, the outsized influence of the military-industrial complex, rising disinformation, and the need to remove dark money from politics. He also called for constitutional amendments to ensure presidential accountability, arguing that no president should be immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office..
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/15/joe-biden-farewell-address-trump-oligarchy-america?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
I think that one of the most clear headed and concise analysis of the state of politics in recent times.
"The law, HB 1181, requires all websites with “over one-third sexual material harmful to minors” to use “reasonable age verification methods” to determine that users are over 18."
How the hell do you measure that?
It gets better:
“Is it like the old Playboy magazines?” Alito asked Derek Shaffer, the attorney representing the adult industry. “You have essays there by the modern-day equivalent of Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley Jr.?”
Where's the Riviera Gigolo when you need him?
Still they went with who they went with and will suffer the consequences.
Not something that I participate in. January is miserable enough already without being sober too, and Burns Night is coming up shortly.
There are a number of countries lining up to join
No evidence the UK couldn't be one of them
Repealing Attlee's planning regulations and going back to 1930s planning laws would do the job nicely. And cut rather than increase the number of staff needed to enforce those regulations.
These matters are so important and so basic that it is hard to see how, with the overwhelming policy resource available to the state, anyone could fail to spot these gaps and contradictions in advance. So it is not just incompetence, it is considered and deliberate wreckage of the welfare of the nation.
Kemi may have difficulty in showing from the record that she would have got all these matters right at the time.
The Tories are still polling at about their irremovable base support. I doubt if this will change soon unless Reform and LDs make glaring errors.
It's why I maintain that the polls on rejoining will shift massively when the costs are placed in front of the electorate.
That was the first time I have had anything like that for 4 years but it was probably caused because I have been letting things slip including going back to fatty meats and too much wine resulting in an increase in weight. Disappointing it happened after 2 weeks of abstinence though.
And in any case we’ve seen where light touch regulation takes us. Rivers full of shit.
At a time of biodiversity and climate crisis, we need to do more for nature not less, but the farming lobby stands in the way of every single atrempt to create the conditions for nature recovery.
I suggest you stop looking for simple solutions and scapegoats and look at the bigger picture. Or at least substantiate your arguments better than whatever simplistic drivel is presented in the popular media.
That a was bonkers decision by Supreme Court only a few months ago, so you can hardly expected Biden to be able to move on that one.
It's a good summary but sadly at least 50% of US voters don't give a shit as long as eggs and Mc Donalds are falling in price.
But someone needs to be the one who drives the whole project forward, and Rachel is off to exactly the wrong start by asking the regulators how to do it. The turkeys aren’t going to recommend a month of Christmases and Thanksgivings.
Nobody will be slaughtering the fatted calf if we turn up on the doorstep.
Mr. L, I hope the gallstones can be dealt with promptly and with as little pain as possible, and by the prettiest of nurses.
We haven't had a Chancellor this strong since Ken Clarke.
Well done her. A real titan among minnows.
It;s a phenomenon across the west that our politicians spend too much time forgetting their citizens interests and then get surprised when the citizens revolt.
I saw you cited how both the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 were up on a year ago, whilst ignoring that almost all of this growth was from January to May 2024 and it's stalled since and, in fact, has gone slightly backwards.
When my dad had gallstones they put him on a starvation diet for a couple of weeks. He turned yellow and they had "push button" on demand dosage of morphine on him.
I have my issues, but I've never had to go through that level of pain, I think.
About time. It's not as if Ukraine/Russia is one of the biggest threats to the UK atm...
It's more about he needs the airmiles to get upgraded to a gold card.
However most of the leakage from Labour has been to Reform, the LDs and Greens as voters who rejected the Tory government last July and now reject the Labour government too look elsewhere for a protest vote
Interesting. That argues a level of thinking and control that no UK government has ever shown.
But the logic of the admission, as @algarkirk points out, rather cuts against that: ..These matters are so important and so basic that it is hard to see how, with the overwhelming policy resource available to the state, anyone could fail to spot these gaps and contradictions in advance. So it is not just incompetence...