'Nicola Sturgeon has told the BBC she feels like she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit", after her estranged husband admitted embezzling £400,000 from the SNP, the party she led for years.
In an exclusive interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Scotland's former first minister refused to apologise for the scandal and struggled to hold back tears, recalling gifts from Peter Murrell that turned out to have been purchased with stolen money.
Sturgeon told the BBC: "I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed and I'm not going to apologise for somebody else's crimes."
She has consistently denied any knowledge of Murrell's wrongdoing, committed between 2010 and 2022.
The former first minister was not charged following a police investigation.'
Even if you accept her innocence of the specific crimes, her lack of curiousity both at home and in her job as SNP leader is the crime she is being accused of. But she has always had a very selective memory. Her behaviour around the Salmond affair stinks, to be honest.
Morning all!!!
I watched the interview, recalling all the time that Murrell has been accused, inter alia of some pretty ruthless 'accountancy' in covering up transfers, etc .I think she probably iis telling, if not the whole truth something very, very close to it, and I think that we should, at ca 10am on 31st May, bear in mind that Murrell is due in Court again before long where we'll undoubtedly hear chapter and verse from the prosecutor and the judge. I note too that the top financial chap on the National Executive resigned, as did a couple of others. So the SNP has a lot of 'coming clean' to do.
The significant part surely is that Trump swallowed the claim that Iran was mere months away from a nuclear weapon.
What is weird about all this is why didnt he simply believe the US president who proclaimed that Iran's nuclear programme had been destroyed forever in 2025?
Tbf, that’s easy. The President who made that announcement is a fantasist, forger and fluent liar whom you wouldn’t uncritically believe if he said rain was wet.
He can hardly recall the lies he told yesterday, let alone those from a year ago. And that's assuming he's awake.
I wonder what the overlap between people is that put flags up on public objects and those that think 5G causes cancer.
Look at this absolute spanner, swearing at people from WHP (a private telecoms company) just doing their job.
We live amongst these people.
In Bath it was the Lib Dem’s who were dead against 5G for oncogenic reasons, so for all that it’s tempting to think ‘patriots’ are gullible conspiracy theorists, they are not alone in this.
Lib Dems are braindead morons then.
If they are against 5G for some made up reason they are against every variation of non-analog cell.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
On t'other hand, thirty years of mega immigration don't seem to have helped us, very much, in fiscal terms.
The policy has failed.
The solution. More policy.
‘ 🇬🇧 There are 79 vape shops on the Home Office’s public register of licensed visa sponsors.
‘Guardian Vapes Ltd’ in South Shields is licensed to sponsor overseas workers via the ‘Skilled Worker Visa’ route’
'Nicola Sturgeon has told the BBC she feels like she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit", after her estranged husband admitted embezzling £400,000 from the SNP, the party she led for years.
In an exclusive interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Scotland's former first minister refused to apologise for the scandal and struggled to hold back tears, recalling gifts from Peter Murrell that turned out to have been purchased with stolen money.
Sturgeon told the BBC: "I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed and I'm not going to apologise for somebody else's crimes."
She has consistently denied any knowledge of Murrell's wrongdoing, committed between 2010 and 2022.
The former first minister was not charged following a police investigation.'
OK. Let's for the sake of argument accept that she did not know that her husband was embezzling SNP campaign funds, the question that should be put to her is why was it that anyone in the SNP who asked questions about where the money was going was crushed, their careers effectively ended.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
On t'other hand, thirty years of mega immigration don't seem to have helped us, very much, in fiscal terms.
We do not know that. The dependency ratio would be much worse without.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
On t'other hand, thirty years of mega immigration don't seem to have helped us, very much, in fiscal terms.
The policy has failed.
The solution. More policy.
‘ 🇬🇧 There are 79 vape shops on the Home Office’s public register of licensed visa sponsors.
‘Guardian Vapes Ltd’ in South Shields is licensed to sponsor overseas workers via the ‘Skilled Worker Visa’ route’
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
That £240 billion figure is nonsense. Even the authors of the report have withdrawn it.
I wonder what the overlap between people is that put flags up on public objects and those that think 5G causes cancer.
Look at this absolute spanner, swearing at people from WHP (a private telecoms company) just doing their job.
We live amongst these people.
What must it be like for his wife girlfriend boyfriend partner dog or anyone else who is obliged to spend time with him? It speaks well for the telecom workers that they seemed to take it with such good grace.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
Quite succinct. Wonder why the previous lot had a low £ bar and then allowed them to bring in dependents with them.
ONS are forecasting 700K of immigrants per year going forward. Boat people would be a 20th of that, yet that's how the media (and Farage) gets their clicks. No one seems to want to DYOR.
Which will simply get worse if Burnham enacts this, especially if it’s not properly funded.
‘ NEW: Andy Burnham would end all Government contracts for asylum accommodation and hotels if he becomes Prime Minister
The responsibility for providing accommodation would instead be given to local authorities’
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
That £240 billion figure is nonsense. Even the authors of the report have withdrawn it.
Okay, what is the figure then ?
You’re always very good at shouting down stuff that conflicts your happy clappy world view of these matters. Not so good at offering counter facts.
The figure was only withdrawn due to the OBR changing the definitions of the fiscal data used. Not because it was wrong based on the known data at the time.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
*you can contribute to the ongoing consultation, if you're motivated.
Ha, not really. Seems sensible on the face of it to me.
Actually the consultation closed last week, so you're off the hook.
I think we have to recognise that the government are terrified both of the steep rise in benefit payments (which they've already tried to have a go at tackling and backed away from), and of their own backbenchers.
Hence the Timms review, which should report this autumn (allegedly).
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
Oh, I didn't support the Boris wave. It really is difficult to understand why Jenrick, Badenoch, Braverman etc did support it when in government and in a position to do something about it. I am glad that Starmer put an end to it.
'Nicola Sturgeon has told the BBC she feels like she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit", after her estranged husband admitted embezzling £400,000 from the SNP, the party she led for years.
In an exclusive interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Scotland's former first minister refused to apologise for the scandal and struggled to hold back tears, recalling gifts from Peter Murrell that turned out to have been purchased with stolen money.
Sturgeon told the BBC: "I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed and I'm not going to apologise for somebody else's crimes."
She has consistently denied any knowledge of Murrell's wrongdoing, committed between 2010 and 2022.
The former first minister was not charged following a police investigation.'
OK. Let's for the sake of argument accept that she did not know that her husband was embezzling SNP campaign funds, the question that should be put to her is why was it that anyone in the SNP who asked questions about where the money was going was crushed, their careers effectively ended.
To which anyones are you referring? If it's Joanna Cherry her general dislikeability with both her colleagues and erstwhile voters played a far bigger part. For Ash Regan it's just being deeply dim.
Double it for severe wounds, add in some missing and prisoners and thr figures look about right.
Those are horrific numbers for a country whose population is already naturally declining by 500,000 a year.
This is an interesting substack on the Ukrainian strategy of collapsing the Russian army from behind. The 524 logistics vehicles Russia lost yesterday are as significant as the personel, and oil refineries (Saratov in flames again this morning). By the nature of the drone surveilled battlefield casualties are probably the most documented of any war.
The main highway connecting Russia to Crimea via the occupied territory is now almost unusable, due to drone and missile strikes.
I don't think the highway is unusable yet, but it does look to be the Ukrainian intention to cut the land bridge. Which was also the aim of the failed 2023 counteroffensive.
The Ukrainians are capable of making their own decisions, and need to be allowed to do so. In their shoes however I would put my efforts into cutting off Crimea and then trading it for everything else, on the basis that Crimea is the only bit of Ukraine Russia really cares about. Also if Russia subsequently reneges an armed-to-the-teeth, Ukraine can cut off Crimea again.
The problem is that with Crimea under Russian control Ukrainian access to the Black Sea and therefore its ability to trade internationally is very severely restricted. This is why Lenin seized Crimea for the RSSR in the first place in 1920 - to thwart any attempt at Ukrainian statehood.
So I can see your logic but that's actually a worse outcome for Ukraine in some quite important ways than the loss of Donetsk and Luhansk would be.
I also see that logic. However Ukraine will need to defeat Russia totally to remove its Crimea threat. Given Russia occupies Crimea now and shows no sign of relinquishing it, neutering the threat might be the more achievable outcome.
But yes, Ukraine should make its own decisions on this.
Should add I think Ukraine's main war aim is to get Russia out of the territories it controls so it can become a successful Russia free country. This requires an end to the war.
On this, the last day of Meteorological spring I have a picture of statistics of Russian losses in the war with Ukraine to share (from this site). This shows losses of vehicles and fuel tanks, i.e. Russian logistics, mainly in what the Ukrainians call the middle strike zone (50-200km behind the front line). These losses are on a strong upward trend - for example, nine of the ten of the highest daily losses have been in this spring.
The Ukrainians say that they are seeing a correlation between inflicting high losses in logistics in a particular time and space to a reduction in Russian assault operations following in that area, so these losses are already at a level to cause Russia problems in supplying the front line.
There's a long way to go yet, but if Ukraine can continue to intensify and expand its attacks on Russian logistics that would be one building block for a Ukrainian victory in the war.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
That £240 billion figure is nonsense. Even the authors of the report have withdrawn it.
Okay, what is the figure then ?
You’re always very good at shouting down stuff that conflicts your happy clappy world view of these matters. Not so good at offering counter facts.
The figure was only withdrawn due to the OBR changing the definitions of the fiscal data used. Not because it was wrong based on the known data at the time.
My guess is that the number is highly dependent on the future levels of net migration. And probably all manner of other stuff. Any modelling of the lifetime costs, from either side of the debate, is pure fantasy IMO.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
The main reason for that projected increase is "an ageing population" pensions, health, social care... Trump turning to world upside down is another https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewlwkg82ggo
And ?
The main reason is not the only reason.
If we’re not going to grow the economy substantially or grow revenues substantially then slowing the rapid growth of the benefits bill as a whole, as well as other spending, is going to be essential.
Scrapping the triple lock alone won’t cut it.
No, but it's the one you have to do otherwise any other cuts are pointless. Health, probably have to put half over 50s on weight loss jabs, healthy living campaigns don't seem to be effective. Then as Foxy says support and encourage the working age long-term sick into work.
'Future Tory candidate selection, she said, would focus on the five C’s – cleverness, charisma, communication skills, conviction and Conservatism.
“I will not allow people who do not share our beliefs to use the Conservative Party as a vehicle to further their personal ambitions,” she added.'
What is capital C Conservatism? People have very different ideas about that.
Thesedays around half the people who might be interested in Conservatism are more excited by Reform - never mind if they are conservative or Conservative.
Will they have to provide certification for cleverness, whatever that is as she palpapbly can't according to US sources
Will she have yo evidence she has any charisma, she has none.
Will they only communicate on Twitter like her?
Will they have the conviction to deny saying she wanted to go to war with US v Iran when she definitely did, or will you need a conviction for web hacking?
FFS
She makes Truss look like Theresa
Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst not a lawyer or PPE or Humanities graduate so I suppose she wants some more practical people like her
FINALLY...Kemi brags about being an Engineer!
The word has connertations of the Golden Industrai era, a Golden technology age, hands dirty in oil.
But NO
"Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst "
That is plain English (at the very low level of work experience she had is)...
"I'm sorry your Computer is not working please turn it off at the plg, count to 30 and see if it works, if it doesn't ring the IT Call Centre back and me or one of my 200 colleagues sat in this old warehouse will tell you to do the same again"
I'm obviously no fan of Badenoch's but that post is just offensive stupidity.
Gemini summarises her pre-politics work experience thus:
Private Sector & Professional Experience (2003–2016)
Badenoch holds a degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Sussex and a part-time Law degree from Birkbeck, University of London.
Software Engineer at Logica: Worked in the information technology sector from 2003 to 2006 for the tech firm Logica (which later became part of CGI Inc).
Systems Analyst at RBS: Moved into financial tech, working on systems analysis and technology change programmes for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.
Associate Director at Coutts: Spent several years (2006–2013) at the private wealth manager and bank Coutts & Co., transitioning from tech infrastructure roles into financial compliance following the 2008 financial crisis.
Digital Director at The Spectator: Headed up the non-editorial digital department for The Spectator magazine from 2015 to 2016.
Impossible to tell the depth or quality of those roles from that but it's clearly more than 'very low level of work experience'.
I wonder why we get Rachel from accounts and Kemi from work experience. It never seems to be Michael's or Graham's.
We had Dave from mummy got him a job, and George from straight into politics
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1471-2458-10-538 finds, “Interventions that were most effective across a range of health behaviours included physician advice or individual counselling, and workplace- and school-based activities. Mass media campaigns and legislative interventions also showed small to moderate effects in changing health behaviours.”
🤦♀️ Nicola Sturgeon is setting up a strawman in her interview with @bbclaurak. Nobody was complaining of embezzlement in 2021. What we were worried about was financial mismanagement & lack of transparency. She demonised us for those concerns & should take responsibility for that.
'Nicola Sturgeon has told the BBC she feels like she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit", after her estranged husband admitted embezzling £400,000 from the SNP, the party she led for years.
In an exclusive interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Scotland's former first minister refused to apologise for the scandal and struggled to hold back tears, recalling gifts from Peter Murrell that turned out to have been purchased with stolen money.
Sturgeon told the BBC: "I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed and I'm not going to apologise for somebody else's crimes."
She has consistently denied any knowledge of Murrell's wrongdoing, committed between 2010 and 2022.
The former first minister was not charged following a police investigation.'
OK. Let's for the sake of argument accept that she did not know that her husband was embezzling SNP campaign funds, the question that should be put to her is why was it that anyone in the SNP who asked questions about where the money was going was crushed, their careers effectively ended.
To which anyones are you referring? If it's Joanna Cherry her general dislikeability with both her colleagues and erstwhile voters played a far bigger part. For Ash Regan it's just being deeply dim.
The late Professor Parkinson, an acute observer of human situations, had a take on this. Basically it was that someone in such a situation, not in full possession of the facts but suspicious, would find themselves overruled by those at the top.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
Oh, I didn't support the Boris wave. It really is difficult to understand why Jenrick, Badenoch, Braverman etc did support it when in government and in a position to do something about it. I am glad that Starmer put an end to it.
Yet we still have businesses like Vape shops, car washes and newsagents on the list of companies eligible to sponsor visas for people to come over.
Net migration may be falling but we still onboard 700,000 a year. Hopefully these are skilled people and students for Uni.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
Oh, I didn't support the Boris wave. It really is difficult to understand why Jenrick, Badenoch, Braverman etc did support it when in government and in a position to do something about it. I am glad that Starmer put an end to it.
They didn't support it either, no one did. They were completely incompetent and what effort they did put in to managing migration was in creating fairytales for the Mail and Gbeebies rather than actually managing and planning anything at all.
🤦♀️ Nicola Sturgeon is setting up a strawman in her interview with @bbclaurak. Nobody was complaining of embezzlement in 2021. What we were worried about was financial mismanagement & lack of transparency. She demonised us for those concerns & should take responsibility for that.
They pretty much did vote for them, when they voted in Governments who spent more than they took in tax.
Indeed.
Consistently run a budget surplus and there's little the bond markets can or will do.
Yes. Any ideas how to do that and be re elected?
Seriously? Go in, day 1, do it. Take an axe to spending left right and centre. In particular, axe some whole programs, rather than trying to trim everything.
Welfare, pensions etc goes in the blender, comes out cheaper and less wide ranging.
Bin most of the MOD, sack all the procurement staff, buy standard kit wherever possible. It's apparent we've no meaningful capability left anyway, so why are we wasting all the cash?
Same time, bonfire of regulation, and get the entire tax code down to 4 sides of A4 at 11 point text. Simple, straightforward taxation. Tax consumption rather than employment as far as possible.
Explain that it's going to be painful, that the payoff won't be instant, but it will all be worth it.
Grit your teeth and get on with it for 4 years, hopefully without too many riots. With any luck, by then your deregulation and tax simplification will start to get the economy motoring, and your fiscal position is improving substantially. Use some of your accumulated savings to pay for tax cuts as you approach the GE.
Also - be straight and level with people about what you're doing and why. Avoid scandals, drop any misbehaving MPs instantly. Ensure no one has a just cause against you, other than a dislike of your actual policies.
Do all that, and you'll be hitting Starmer levels of popularity in years 2-3, but should bounce back magnificently as the payoff starts to occur.
Serious cuts to welfare are guaranteed to tank the economy because every penny of that gets spent on consumption. That coupled with a rapid shift to consumption taxes would cause a depression-level recession.
Wealth and property tax otoh would have little effect on consumption whilst providing an opportunity to cut the deficit and eventually reduce debt.
Level the playing field on income tax / NI so that earned income is not taxed at higher rates than investment/pension income.
Removal of the housing component of UC would lead to a collapse of the rental market and a vast number of repossessions and homelessness. Equilibrium price of property would take ages to reach and would necessarily be much lower especially at the bottom end.
'Future Tory candidate selection, she said, would focus on the five C’s – cleverness, charisma, communication skills, conviction and Conservatism.
“I will not allow people who do not share our beliefs to use the Conservative Party as a vehicle to further their personal ambitions,” she added.'
What is capital C Conservatism? People have very different ideas about that.
Thesedays around half the people who might be interested in Conservatism are more excited by Reform - never mind if they are conservative or Conservative.
Will they have to provide certification for cleverness, whatever that is as she palpapbly can't according to US sources
Will she have yo evidence she has any charisma, she has none.
Will they only communicate on Twitter like her?
Will they have the conviction to deny saying she wanted to go to war with US v Iran when she definitely did, or will you need a conviction for web hacking?
FFS
She makes Truss look like Theresa
Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst not a lawyer or PPE or Humanities graduate so I suppose she wants some more practical people like her
FINALLY...Kemi brags about being an Engineer!
The word has connertations of the Golden Industrai era, a Golden technology age, hands dirty in oil.
But NO
"Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst "
That is plain English (at the very low level of work experience she had is)...
"I'm sorry your Computer is not working please turn it off at the plg, count to 30 and see if it works, if it doesn't ring the IT Call Centre back and me or one of my 200 colleagues sat in this old warehouse will tell you to do the same again"
The Kemi-hate is strong with this one.
As is the misogyny.
The treble-chin-and-gin ignorance is of note. The belief that IT is just about “make my Excel work” is why many U.K. software startups end up seeking US investment.
I have no problem with software engineers. I used to be one myself. The problems I have with Badenoch claiming to be particularly qualified because she's an engineer are (a) Why? I have never seen any obviously great prime ministers amongst my former colleagues. And (b) Badenoch was a software engineer for a short time a long time ago and was desperate to be a lawyer instead.
Spot on...
The Right Wing Press totally silent on KEY QUESTIONS
The Web hack The very strange African then UK education The complete fabrication of the US College offer The fact she's never had a job commensurate with her claims
Imagine a Lab, LD, SNP, PC, Green leader with these glaring massive holes of proof, credibility and evidence.
Law degree with no significant practice as a lawyer? Sounds like Mrs Thatcher or Tony Blair.
Or indeed Sturgeon.
"The complaint against Ms Sturgeon was brought by a battered wife who turned to the newly-qualified solicitor for help after years of abuse at the hands of her husband.
Ms Sturgeon was working at Stirling law firm Bell & Craig when the client – now a grandmother in her 60s – first sought her help in July 1996.
Over the next 14 months, despite the woman being followed, threatened and physically attacked, it was claimed Ms Sturgeon did not seek a court order against her violent partner.
The client also alleged that Ms Sturgeon failed to send off her legal aid application – despite claiming that she had done so.
After Ms Sturgeon left the firm for a new job in Glasgow, the unsent application was discovered in the client’s file by her new solicitor, Cath Dowdalls, now a QC."
'Nicola Sturgeon has told the BBC she feels like she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit", after her estranged husband admitted embezzling £400,000 from the SNP, the party she led for years.
In an exclusive interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Scotland's former first minister refused to apologise for the scandal and struggled to hold back tears, recalling gifts from Peter Murrell that turned out to have been purchased with stolen money.
Sturgeon told the BBC: "I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed and I'm not going to apologise for somebody else's crimes."
She has consistently denied any knowledge of Murrell's wrongdoing, committed between 2010 and 2022.
The former first minister was not charged following a police investigation.'
Guilt by association is not a crime. But people.like Kuennsberg are like a dog with a bone over this. Kuennsberg hasn't held Farage and Reform's feet to the fire over Harborne's crypto millions.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
That £240 billion figure is nonsense. Even the authors of the report have withdrawn it.
Okay, what is the figure then ?
You’re always very good at shouting down stuff that conflicts your happy clappy world view of these matters. Not so good at offering counter facts.
The figure was only withdrawn due to the OBR changing the definitions of the fiscal data used. Not because it was wrong based on the known data at the time.
The figure was withdrawn because it was wrong. I’m not shouting it down because it conflicts with my view of the world: I am shouting it down because it’s wrong. The authors of the report that produced that figure have agreed it was wrong. No-one should be using that figure, whatever their political views.
The authors of the report, the CPS, have promised a revised figure, but haven’t produced one yet. Complain to them about why they haven’t done that yet.
I wonder what the overlap between people is that put flags up on public objects and those that think 5G causes cancer.
Look at this absolute spanner, swearing at people from WHP (a private telecoms company) just doing their job.
We live amongst these people.
In Bath it was the Lib Dem’s who were dead against 5G for oncogenic reasons, so for all that it’s tempting to think ‘patriots’ are gullible conspiracy theorists, they are not alone in this.
Lib Dems are braindead morons then.
If they are against 5G for some made up reason they are against every variation of non-analog cell.
LibDems are not against 5G. In Bath, the LibDem Planning Committee voted against a 5G mast for spurious reasons - probably local politics. They subsequently reversed this and the Lib Dem leader of Bath Council championed the 5G rollout, noting that "improving connectivity" is a core Lib Dem manifesto commitment.
'Nicola Sturgeon has told the BBC she feels like she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit", after her estranged husband admitted embezzling £400,000 from the SNP, the party she led for years.
In an exclusive interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Scotland's former first minister refused to apologise for the scandal and struggled to hold back tears, recalling gifts from Peter Murrell that turned out to have been purchased with stolen money.
Sturgeon told the BBC: "I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed and I'm not going to apologise for somebody else's crimes."
She has consistently denied any knowledge of Murrell's wrongdoing, committed between 2010 and 2022.
The former first minister was not charged following a police investigation.'
Guilt by association is not a crime. But people.like Kuennsberg are like a dog with a bone over this. Kuennsberg hasn't held Farage and Reform's feet to the fire over Harborne's crypto millions.
It's not quite guilt by association but Sturgeon should have listened more carefully when people told her there was 'something wrong' with the money situation, and, importantly, that Murrell, it seems, brushed such queries aside.
Today's burning oil refinery in Russia is in Saratov, about 700km from Kharkiv and Moscow. Also an oil pumping station in Kirov region, some distance ENE of Moscow, is burning.
Still waiting for confirmation of the damage done to two TU-142 anti-submarine warfare planes.
‘I could not live without Champagne. In victory I deserve it, in defeat I need it.’ - Sir Winston Churchill. I definitely needed it after that penalty shoot-out. But as we flew home tonight, I remembered we’re Champions of England. I love you all @Arsenal ❤️
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
Oh, I didn't support the Boris wave. It really is difficult to understand why Jenrick, Badenoch, Braverman etc did support it when in government and in a position to do something about it. I am glad that Starmer put an end to it.
Yet we still have businesses like Vape shops, car washes and newsagents on the list of companies eligible to sponsor visas for people to come over.
Net migration may be falling but we still onboard 700,000 a year. Hopefully these are skilled people and students for Uni.
Today's burning oil refinery in Russia is in Saratov, about 700km from Kharkiv and Moscow. Also an oil pumping station in Kirov region, some distance ENE of Moscow, is burning.
Still waiting for confirmation of the damage done to two TU-124 anti-submarine warfare planes.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
That £240 billion figure is nonsense. Even the authors of the report have withdrawn it.
Okay, what is the figure then ?
You’re always very good at shouting down stuff that conflicts your happy clappy world view of these matters. Not so good at offering counter facts.
The figure was only withdrawn due to the OBR changing the definitions of the fiscal data used. Not because it was wrong based on the known data at the time.
The figure was withdrawn because it was wrong. I’m not shouting it down because it conflicts with my view of the world: I am shouting it down because it’s wrong. The authors of the report that produced that figure have agreed it was wrong. No-one should be using that figure, whatever their political views.
The authors of the report, the CPS, have promised a revised figure, but haven’t produced one yet. Complain to them about why they haven’t done that yet.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
On t'other hand, thirty years of mega immigration don't seem to have helped us, very much, in fiscal terms.
The policy has failed.
The solution. More policy.
‘ 🇬🇧 There are 79 vape shops on the Home Office’s public register of licensed visa sponsors.
‘Guardian Vapes Ltd’ in South Shields is licensed to sponsor overseas workers via the ‘Skilled Worker Visa’ route’
🤦♀️ Nicola Sturgeon is setting up a strawman in her interview with @bbclaurak. Nobody was complaining of embezzlement in 2021. What we were worried about was financial mismanagement & lack of transparency. She demonised us for those concerns & should take responsibility for that.
On this, the last day of Meteorological spring I have a picture of statistics of Russian losses in the war with Ukraine to share (from this site). This shows losses of vehicles and fuel tanks, i.e. Russian logistics, mainly in what the Ukrainians call the middle strike zone (50-200km behind the front line). These losses are on a strong upward trend - for example, nine of the ten of the highest daily losses have been in this spring.
The Ukrainians say that they are seeing a correlation between inflicting high losses in logistics in a particular time and space to a reduction in Russian assault operations following in that area, so these losses are already at a level to cause Russia problems in supplying the front line.
There's a long way to go yet, but if Ukraine can continue to intensify and expand its attacks on Russian logistics that would be one building block for a Ukrainian victory in the war.
And a new record of Russian logistics vehicle losses reported this morning of 524, over 500 for the first time.
'Future Tory candidate selection, she said, would focus on the five C’s – cleverness, charisma, communication skills, conviction and Conservatism.
“I will not allow people who do not share our beliefs to use the Conservative Party as a vehicle to further their personal ambitions,” she added.'
What is capital C Conservatism? People have very different ideas about that.
Thesedays around half the people who might be interested in Conservatism are more excited by Reform - never mind if they are conservative or Conservative.
Will they have to provide certification for cleverness, whatever that is as she palpapbly can't according to US sources
Will she have yo evidence she has any charisma, she has none.
Will they only communicate on Twitter like her?
Will they have the conviction to deny saying she wanted to go to war with US v Iran when she definitely did, or will you need a conviction for web hacking?
FFS
She makes Truss look like Theresa
Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst not a lawyer or PPE or Humanities graduate so I suppose she wants some more practical people like her
FINALLY...Kemi brags about being an Engineer!
The word has connertations of the Golden Industrai era, a Golden technology age, hands dirty in oil.
But NO
"Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst "
That is plain English (at the very low level of work experience she had is)...
"I'm sorry your Computer is not working please turn it off at the plg, count to 30 and see if it works, if it doesn't ring the IT Call Centre back and me or one of my 200 colleagues sat in this old warehouse will tell you to do the same again"
The Kemi-hate is strong with this one.
As is the misogyny.
The treble-chin-and-gin ignorance is of note. The belief that IT is just about “make my Excel work” is why many U.K. software startups end up seeking US investment.
Software "engineers" are not Engineers.
Are electronics engineers "engineers"?
You can be accredited to the Engineering Council as a software engineer, Chartered institute for IT (formerly BCS).
As a software engineer, qualified Engineer, and a practised mechanical “engineer” (built multiple steam boilers to certified standard etc) - the whole “Engineer as a qualification” thing is an American import.
'Future Tory candidate selection, she said, would focus on the five C’s – cleverness, charisma, communication skills, conviction and Conservatism.
“I will not allow people who do not share our beliefs to use the Conservative Party as a vehicle to further their personal ambitions,” she added.'
What is capital C Conservatism? People have very different ideas about that.
Thesedays around half the people who might be interested in Conservatism are more excited by Reform - never mind if they are conservative or Conservative.
Will they have to provide certification for cleverness, whatever that is as she palpapbly can't according to US sources
Will she have yo evidence she has any charisma, she has none.
Will they only communicate on Twitter like her?
Will they have the conviction to deny saying she wanted to go to war with US v Iran when she definitely did, or will you need a conviction for web hacking?
FFS
She makes Truss look like Theresa
Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst not a lawyer or PPE or Humanities graduate so I suppose she wants some more practical people like her
FINALLY...Kemi brags about being an Engineer!
The word has connertations of the Golden Industrai era, a Golden technology age, hands dirty in oil.
But NO
"Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst "
That is plain English (at the very low level of work experience she had is)...
"I'm sorry your Computer is not working please turn it off at the plg, count to 30 and see if it works, if it doesn't ring the IT Call Centre back and me or one of my 200 colleagues sat in this old warehouse will tell you to do the same again"
The Kemi-hate is strong with this one.
As is the misogyny.
The treble-chin-and-gin ignorance is of note. The belief that IT is just about “make my Excel work” is why many U.K. software startups end up seeking US investment.
Software "engineers" are not Engineers.
Are electronics engineers "engineers"?
You can be accredited to the Engineering Council as a software engineer, Chartered institute for IT (formerly BCS).
As a software engineer, qualified Engineer, and a practised mechanical “engineer” (built multiple steam boilers to certified standard etc) - the whole “Engineer as a qualification” thing is an American import.
Leader of the British Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch speaks to the media outside Westminster Town Hall after winning the Westminster Council from the ruling Labour Party at the local elections, in London, Britain, 08 May 2026
Kemi Badenoch vowed to ‘reverse the culture that has turned legislators into social workers’
Kemi Badenoch has pledged that the next generation of Conservative MPs will “focus on the big decisions” instead of acting as glorified social workers.
The Tory leader also promised that parliamentary business would not be allowed to overwhelm the busy schedules of the professionals she is seeking to attract to the party.
“Britain needs serious people to steer us through serious times,” she said, and believed people working as teachers, engineers, electricians and builders should consider entering political life.
Writing for The Telegraph, she called the current Labour Government the most economically illiterate and the most unserious the country has ever had.
Under her watch there's not going to be another generation of Tory MPs.
In your opinion-other opinions are available
Not my opinion, just have a look at the recent elections.
She says this 'the current Labour Government the most economically illiterate and the most unserious the country has ever had' so why are the Tories going backwards in every election fought under her watch, the Tories should be making net gains.
The election that counts is 3 years away
I remain confident, despite the contrary views on here, Kemi will overtake Farage as the centre right party by GE 29
And her comments on labour are succinct
They could equally apply to the Government she was part of since 2019.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
The main reason for that projected increase is "an ageing population" pensions, health, social care... Trump turning to world upside down is another https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewlwkg82ggo
Population ageing is not the main reason for that line going up. It is the only reason.
An inability to control costs is a big part of it. We have all kind of special inflations - Medical Inflation, Military Procurement Inflation etc etc.
All way above regular inflation.
The answer isn’t childish “50% off all the budget!” or “Fire 1345% of the DEI officers!”
It’s better procurement and better project management.
Which means hiring people with those skills, giving them authority and keeping them in post long enough to make a difference.
'Future Tory candidate selection, she said, would focus on the five C’s – cleverness, charisma, communication skills, conviction and Conservatism.
“I will not allow people who do not share our beliefs to use the Conservative Party as a vehicle to further their personal ambitions,” she added.'
What is capital C Conservatism? People have very different ideas about that.
Thesedays around half the people who might be interested in Conservatism are more excited by Reform - never mind if they are conservative or Conservative.
Will they have to provide certification for cleverness, whatever that is as she palpapbly can't according to US sources
Will she have yo evidence she has any charisma, she has none.
Will they only communicate on Twitter like her?
Will they have the conviction to deny saying she wanted to go to war with US v Iran when she definitely did, or will you need a conviction for web hacking?
FFS
She makes Truss look like Theresa
Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst not a lawyer or PPE or Humanities graduate so I suppose she wants some more practical people like her
FINALLY...Kemi brags about being an Engineer!
The word has connertations of the Golden Industrai era, a Golden technology age, hands dirty in oil.
But NO
"Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst "
That is plain English (at the very low level of work experience she had is)...
"I'm sorry your Computer is not working please turn it off at the plg, count to 30 and see if it works, if it doesn't ring the IT Call Centre back and me or one of my 200 colleagues sat in this old warehouse will tell you to do the same again"
The Kemi-hate is strong with this one.
As is the misogyny.
The treble-chin-and-gin ignorance is of note. The belief that IT is just about “make my Excel work” is why many U.K. software startups end up seeking US investment.
I have no problem with software engineers. I used to be one myself. The problems I have with Badenoch claiming to be particularly qualified because she's an engineer are (a) Why? I have never seen any obviously great prime ministers amongst my former colleagues. And (b) Badenoch was a software engineer for a short time a long time ago and was desperate to be a lawyer instead.
Spot on...
The Right Wing Press totally silent on KEY QUESTIONS
The Web hack The very strange African then UK education The complete fabrication of the US College offer The fact she's never had a job commensurate with her claims
Imagine a Lab, LD, SNP, PC, Green leader with these glaring massive holes of proof, credibility and evidence.
Law degree with no significant practice as a lawyer? Sounds like Mrs Thatcher or Tony Blair.
Or indeed Sturgeon.
"The complaint against Ms Sturgeon was brought by a battered wife who turned to the newly-qualified solicitor for help after years of abuse at the hands of her husband.
Ms Sturgeon was working at Stirling law firm Bell & Craig when the client – now a grandmother in her 60s – first sought her help in July 1996.
Over the next 14 months, despite the woman being followed, threatened and physically attacked, it was claimed Ms Sturgeon did not seek a court order against her violent partner.
The client also alleged that Ms Sturgeon failed to send off her legal aid application – despite claiming that she had done so.
After Ms Sturgeon left the firm for a new job in Glasgow, the unsent application was discovered in the client’s file by her new solicitor, Cath Dowdalls, now a QC."
'Future Tory candidate selection, she said, would focus on the five C’s – cleverness, charisma, communication skills, conviction and Conservatism.
“I will not allow people who do not share our beliefs to use the Conservative Party as a vehicle to further their personal ambitions,” she added.'
What is capital C Conservatism? People have very different ideas about that.
Thesedays around half the people who might be interested in Conservatism are more excited by Reform - never mind if they are conservative or Conservative.
Will they have to provide certification for cleverness, whatever that is as she palpapbly can't according to US sources
Will she have yo evidence she has any charisma, she has none.
Will they only communicate on Twitter like her?
Will they have the conviction to deny saying she wanted to go to war with US v Iran when she definitely did, or will you need a conviction for web hacking?
FFS
She makes Truss look like Theresa
Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst not a lawyer or PPE or Humanities graduate so I suppose she wants some more practical people like her
FINALLY...Kemi brags about being an Engineer!
The word has connertations of the Golden Industrai era, a Golden technology age, hands dirty in oil.
But NO
"Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst "
That is plain English (at the very low level of work experience she had is)...
"I'm sorry your Computer is not working please turn it off at the plg, count to 30 and see if it works, if it doesn't ring the IT Call Centre back and me or one of my 200 colleagues sat in this old warehouse will tell you to do the same again"
The Kemi-hate is strong with this one.
As is the misogyny.
The treble-chin-and-gin ignorance is of note. The belief that IT is just about “make my Excel work” is why many U.K. software startups end up seeking US investment.
Software "engineers" are not Engineers.
Are electronics engineers "engineers"?
You can be accredited to the Engineering Council as a software engineer, Chartered institute for IT (formerly BCS).
As a software engineer, qualified Engineer, and a practised mechanical “engineer” (built multiple steam boilers to certified standard etc) - the whole “Engineer as a qualification” thing is an American import.
I am going to change the oil and filter on a BMW 320 shortly. Does that make me a Motor Engineer?
'Nicola Sturgeon has told the BBC she feels like she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit", after her estranged husband admitted embezzling £400,000 from the SNP, the party she led for years.
In an exclusive interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Scotland's former first minister refused to apologise for the scandal and struggled to hold back tears, recalling gifts from Peter Murrell that turned out to have been purchased with stolen money.
Sturgeon told the BBC: "I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed and I'm not going to apologise for somebody else's crimes."
She has consistently denied any knowledge of Murrell's wrongdoing, committed between 2010 and 2022.
The former first minister was not charged following a police investigation.'
Guilt by association is not a crime. But people.like Kuennsberg are like a dog with a bone over this. Kuennsberg hasn't held Farage and Reform's feet to the fire over Harborne's crypto millions.
It's not quite guilt by association but Sturgeon should have listened more carefully when people told her there was 'something wrong' with the money situation, and, importantly, that Murrell, it seems, brushed such queries aside.
I think that is closer to the real problem, that the CEO of the party should not have been married to the leader. Most people are going to push back against accusations against someone close to them, particularly if they feel there aren't any real grounds for them. After all the the first family of the nation seemed unaware for decades that a senior member was a grifting, predatory sex addict who kicked dogs, gave away/sold confidential national info to his associates and cosied up to paedos. Mind you, mumsie must have had some idea if she was willing to sign off £12m just to make it all go away,
I wonder what the overlap between people is that put flags up on public objects and those that think 5G causes cancer.
Look at this absolute spanner, swearing at people from WHP (a private telecoms company) just doing their job.
We live amongst these people.
In Bath it was the Lib Dem’s who were dead against 5G for oncogenic reasons, so for all that it’s tempting to think ‘patriots’ are gullible conspiracy theorists, they are not alone in this.
It’s like all variants of NIMYism - fighting it gets you no thanks.
Agreeing with it gets the fanatics on your side.
Hence the Greens who declare that asylum seeker accommodation is wrong for the neighbourhood they represent.
Guardian in Makerfield. Actually in Hindley, too. The Bickershaw industrial scale fly tipping would have been a national scandal had it happened anywhere near a media person's home.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
That £240 billion figure is nonsense. Even the authors of the report have withdrawn it.
Okay, what is the figure then ?
You’re always very good at shouting down stuff that conflicts your happy clappy world view of these matters. Not so good at offering counter facts.
The figure was only withdrawn due to the OBR changing the definitions of the fiscal data used. Not because it was wrong based on the known data at the time.
The figure was withdrawn because it was wrong. I’m not shouting it down because it conflicts with my view of the world: I am shouting it down because it’s wrong. The authors of the report that produced that figure have agreed it was wrong. No-one should be using that figure, whatever their political views.
The authors of the report, the CPS, have promised a revised figure, but haven’t produced one yet. Complain to them about why they haven’t done that yet.
Context matters. It was withdrawn as the data used changed.
It was right based on the previous data, when the data changed it was withdrawn.
No. The figure was wrong, full stop. At no point in time was it correct. The CPS unwittingly made an error that arose from their use of OBR numbers that the OBR later clarified definitions of. So, that was bad of the OBR and, on that point, the CPS are not to blame for making the error. But the £240 billion was always wrong.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
Oh, I didn't support the Boris wave. It really is difficult to understand why Jenrick, Badenoch, Braverman etc did support it when in government and in a position to do something about it. I am glad that Starmer put an end to it.
Yet we still have businesses like Vape shops, car washes and newsagents on the list of companies eligible to sponsor visas for people to come over.
Net migration may be falling but we still onboard 700,000 a year. Hopefully these are skilled people and students for Uni.
'Future Tory candidate selection, she said, would focus on the five C’s – cleverness, charisma, communication skills, conviction and Conservatism.
“I will not allow people who do not share our beliefs to use the Conservative Party as a vehicle to further their personal ambitions,” she added.'
What is capital C Conservatism? People have very different ideas about that.
Thesedays around half the people who might be interested in Conservatism are more excited by Reform - never mind if they are conservative or Conservative.
Will they have to provide certification for cleverness, whatever that is as she palpapbly can't according to US sources
Will she have yo evidence she has any charisma, she has none.
Will they only communicate on Twitter like her?
Will they have the conviction to deny saying she wanted to go to war with US v Iran when she definitely did, or will you need a conviction for web hacking?
FFS
She makes Truss look like Theresa
Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst not a lawyer or PPE or Humanities graduate so I suppose she wants some more practical people like her
FINALLY...Kemi brags about being an Engineer!
The word has connertations of the Golden Industrai era, a Golden technology age, hands dirty in oil.
But NO
"Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst "
That is plain English (at the very low level of work experience she had is)...
"I'm sorry your Computer is not working please turn it off at the plg, count to 30 and see if it works, if it doesn't ring the IT Call Centre back and me or one of my 200 colleagues sat in this old warehouse will tell you to do the same again"
The Kemi-hate is strong with this one.
As is the misogyny.
The treble-chin-and-gin ignorance is of note. The belief that IT is just about “make my Excel work” is why many U.K. software startups end up seeking US investment.
Software "engineers" are not Engineers.
Are electronics engineers "engineers"?
You can be accredited to the Engineering Council as a software engineer, Chartered institute for IT (formerly BCS).
As a software engineer, qualified Engineer, and a practised mechanical “engineer” (built multiple steam boilers to certified standard etc) - the whole “Engineer as a qualification” thing is an American import.
We should use "Eng" in the same way as "Dr" as a title, reserved for those with CEng status.
We could take a similar approach for those with a PPE qualification, and use the title "Twat".
'Nicola Sturgeon has told the BBC she feels like she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit", after her estranged husband admitted embezzling £400,000 from the SNP, the party she led for years.
In an exclusive interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Scotland's former first minister refused to apologise for the scandal and struggled to hold back tears, recalling gifts from Peter Murrell that turned out to have been purchased with stolen money.
Sturgeon told the BBC: "I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed and I'm not going to apologise for somebody else's crimes."
She has consistently denied any knowledge of Murrell's wrongdoing, committed between 2010 and 2022.
The former first minister was not charged following a police investigation.'
Guilt by association is not a crime. But people.like Kuennsberg are like a dog with a bone over this. Kuennsberg hasn't held Farage and Reform's feet to the fire over Harborne's crypto millions.
It's not quite guilt by association but Sturgeon should have listened more carefully when people told her there was 'something wrong' with the money situation, and, importantly, that Murrell, it seems, brushed such queries aside.
I think that is closer to the real problem, that the CEO of the party should not have been married to the leader. Most people are going to push back against accusations against someone close to them, particularly if they feel there aren't any real grounds for them. After all the the first family of the nation seemed unaware for decades that a senior member was a grifting, predatory sex addict who kicked dogs, gave away/sold confidential national info to his associates and cosied up to paedos. Mind you, mumsie must have had some idea if she was willing to sign off £12m just to make it all go away,
Aggressively pushing back against the senior officers of the party wanting to see the books, which they had a legal right and duty to look at…. What possible reason is there for that?
In banking, you call compliance in immediately if someone is blocking you on such. And they would open a fraud investigation immediately. IIRC they immediately inform the FSA as well.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
On t'other hand, thirty years of mega immigration don't seem to have helped us, very much, in fiscal terms.
In practical terms, the NHS would collapse overnight if immigration was reversed. It's unusual to meet a white English-born doctor or nurse in my experience. Selective immigration to fill gaps is generally popular. The controversy arises over immigration due to persecution etc.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
Oh, I didn't support the Boris wave. It really is difficult to understand why Jenrick, Badenoch, Braverman etc did support it when in government and in a position to do something about it. I am glad that Starmer put an end to it.
Yet we still have businesses like Vape shops, car washes and newsagents on the list of companies eligible to sponsor visas for people to come over.
Net migration may be falling but we still onboard 700,000 a year. Hopefully these are skilled people and students for Uni.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
That £240 billion figure is nonsense. Even the authors of the report have withdrawn it.
Okay, what is the figure then ?
You’re always very good at shouting down stuff that conflicts your happy clappy world view of these matters. Not so good at offering counter facts.
The figure was only withdrawn due to the OBR changing the definitions of the fiscal data used. Not because it was wrong based on the known data at the time.
The figure was withdrawn because it was wrong. I’m not shouting it down because it conflicts with my view of the world: I am shouting it down because it’s wrong. The authors of the report that produced that figure have agreed it was wrong. No-one should be using that figure, whatever their political views.
The authors of the report, the CPS, have promised a revised figure, but haven’t produced one yet. Complain to them about why they haven’t done that yet.
Context matters. It was withdrawn as the data used changed.
It was right based on the previous data, when the data changed it was withdrawn.
No. The figure was wrong, full stop. At no point in time was it correct. The CPS unwittingly made an error that arose from their use of OBR numbers that the OBR later clarified definitions of. So, that was bad of the OBR and, on that point, the CPS are not to blame for making the error. But the £240 billion was always wrong.
'Future Tory candidate selection, she said, would focus on the five C’s – cleverness, charisma, communication skills, conviction and Conservatism.
“I will not allow people who do not share our beliefs to use the Conservative Party as a vehicle to further their personal ambitions,” she added.'
What is capital C Conservatism? People have very different ideas about that.
Thesedays around half the people who might be interested in Conservatism are more excited by Reform - never mind if they are conservative or Conservative.
Will they have to provide certification for cleverness, whatever that is as she palpapbly can't according to US sources
Will she have yo evidence she has any charisma, she has none.
Will they only communicate on Twitter like her?
Will they have the conviction to deny saying she wanted to go to war with US v Iran when she definitely did, or will you need a conviction for web hacking?
FFS
She makes Truss look like Theresa
Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst not a lawyer or PPE or Humanities graduate so I suppose she wants some more practical people like her
FINALLY...Kemi brags about being an Engineer!
The word has connertations of the Golden Industrai era, a Golden technology age, hands dirty in oil.
But NO
"Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst "
That is plain English (at the very low level of work experience she had is)...
"I'm sorry your Computer is not working please turn it off at the plg, count to 30 and see if it works, if it doesn't ring the IT Call Centre back and me or one of my 200 colleagues sat in this old warehouse will tell you to do the same again"
The Kemi-hate is strong with this one.
As is the misogyny.
The treble-chin-and-gin ignorance is of note. The belief that IT is just about “make my Excel work” is why many U.K. software startups end up seeking US investment.
Software "engineers" are not Engineers.
Are electronics engineers "engineers"?
You can be accredited to the Engineering Council as a software engineer, Chartered institute for IT (formerly BCS).
As a software engineer, qualified Engineer, and a practised mechanical “engineer” (built multiple steam boilers to certified standard etc) - the whole “Engineer as a qualification” thing is an American import.
I am going to change the oil and filter on a BMW 320 shortly. Does that make me a Motor Engineer?
I have no idea.
The whole “I’m an engineer and your not” thing reminds me of the preciousness of the whole Dr. nonsense.
“We all feel like that, Reggie, now and then, especially when Spring is upon us, but few of us would care to put it on our card.”
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
On t'other hand, thirty years of mega immigration don't seem to have helped us, very much, in fiscal terms.
In practical terms, the NHS would collapse overnight if immigration was reversed. It's unusual to meet a white English-born doctor or nurse in my experience. Selective immigration to fill gaps is generally popular. The controversy arises over immigration due to persecution etc.
The experience of a lot of immigrants is that people they know will complain to them about immigrants in general, but then be told, "but not you."
A difficulty is that many of the immigrants these people are opposed to are also being told,"but not you," by other people who do know them. So we have a situation where what people believe about the country as a whole is in conflict with what they know from their personal experience.
But also, why is it that a country like Britain is unable to train enough doctors and nurses for its health service?
'Future Tory candidate selection, she said, would focus on the five C’s – cleverness, charisma, communication skills, conviction and Conservatism.
“I will not allow people who do not share our beliefs to use the Conservative Party as a vehicle to further their personal ambitions,” she added.'
What is capital C Conservatism? People have very different ideas about that.
Thesedays around half the people who might be interested in Conservatism are more excited by Reform - never mind if they are conservative or Conservative.
Will they have to provide certification for cleverness, whatever that is as she palpapbly can't according to US sources
Will she have yo evidence she has any charisma, she has none.
Will they only communicate on Twitter like her?
Will they have the conviction to deny saying she wanted to go to war with US v Iran when she definitely did, or will you need a conviction for web hacking?
FFS
She makes Truss look like Theresa
Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst not a lawyer or PPE or Humanities graduate so I suppose she wants some more practical people like her
FINALLY...Kemi brags about being an Engineer!
The word has connertations of the Golden Industrai era, a Golden technology age, hands dirty in oil.
But NO
"Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst "
That is plain English (at the very low level of work experience she had is)...
"I'm sorry your Computer is not working please turn it off at the plg, count to 30 and see if it works, if it doesn't ring the IT Call Centre back and me or one of my 200 colleagues sat in this old warehouse will tell you to do the same again"
The Kemi-hate is strong with this one.
As is the misogyny.
Yet Rachel from Accounts is hilarious?*
* That is not a defence of Reeves, simply an observation.
'Nicola Sturgeon has told the BBC she feels like she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit", after her estranged husband admitted embezzling £400,000 from the SNP, the party she led for years.
In an exclusive interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Scotland's former first minister refused to apologise for the scandal and struggled to hold back tears, recalling gifts from Peter Murrell that turned out to have been purchased with stolen money.
Sturgeon told the BBC: "I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed and I'm not going to apologise for somebody else's crimes."
She has consistently denied any knowledge of Murrell's wrongdoing, committed between 2010 and 2022.
The former first minister was not charged following a police investigation.'
Guilt by association is not a crime. But people.like Kuennsberg are like a dog with a bone over this. Kuennsberg hasn't held Farage and Reform's feet to the fire over Harborne's crypto millions.
It's not quite guilt by association but Sturgeon should have listened more carefully when people told her there was 'something wrong' with the money situation, and, importantly, that Murrell, it seems, brushed such queries aside.
I think that is closer to the real problem, that the CEO of the party should not have been married to the leader. Most people are going to push back against accusations against someone close to them, particularly if they feel there aren't any real grounds for them. After all the the first family of the nation seemed unaware for decades that a senior member was a grifting, predatory sex addict who kicked dogs, gave away/sold confidential national info to his associates and cosied up to paedos. Mind you, mumsie must have had some idea if she was willing to sign off £12m just to make it all go away,
Aggressively pushing back against the senior officers of the party wanting to see the books, which they had a legal right and duty to look at…. What possible reason is there for that?
In banking, you call compliance in immediately if someone is blocking you on such. And they would open a fraud investigation immediately. IIRC they immediately inform the FSA as well.
Fuck knows, I yield yet again to your extensive expertise in oh so many matters. I'm just referring to basic human beahviour.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
On t'other hand, thirty years of mega immigration don't seem to have helped us, very much, in fiscal terms.
In practical terms, the NHS would collapse overnight if immigration was reversed. It's unusual to meet a white English-born doctor or nurse in my experience. Selective immigration to fill gaps is generally popular. The controversy arises over immigration due to persecution etc.
The experience of a lot of immigrants is that people they know will complain to them about immigrants in general, but then be told, "but not you."
A difficulty is that many of the immigrants these people are opposed to are also being told,"but not you," by other people who do know them. So we have a situation where what people believe about the country as a whole is in conflict with what they know from their personal experience.
But also, why is it that a country like Britain is unable to train enough doctors and nurses for its health service?
The reason we do not train enough doctors and nurses to fill the ranks of the NHS is long running, deliberate policy.
The number of medical students is capped, for example.
The number of training places in hospitals is severely limited.
The government has just tried to give preference for some training places to UK graduates and medicos. Previously, they had to compete against the entire world for such places. Something the rest of the world does not reciprocate, in general.
All this was because it is much cheaper to hire already (part) trained people. Who will pay massive fees for a number of academic courses, as well.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
Oh, I didn't support the Boris wave. It really is difficult to understand why Jenrick, Badenoch, Braverman etc did support it when in government and in a position to do something about it. I am glad that Starmer put an end to it.
Yet we still have businesses like Vape shops, car washes and newsagents on the list of companies eligible to sponsor visas for people to come over.
Net migration may be falling but we still onboard 700,000 a year. Hopefully these are skilled people and students for Uni.
Looks like its been tightened up a bit since the Tories were in power.
The fraudsters have moved from the care home visa selling to “skilled worker” visa fraud.
Instead on non-existent jobs in bum wiping, they create non-existent jobs with salaries above the cut off. Then sell the visas.
I know of one IT “consultancy” that has recruited several hundred percent of its staff in such a manner. And yes, they have been reported to the police. They have gone out of business, but some of the directors have started a new business. Guess what that does?
'Nicola Sturgeon has told the BBC she feels like she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit", after her estranged husband admitted embezzling £400,000 from the SNP, the party she led for years.
In an exclusive interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Scotland's former first minister refused to apologise for the scandal and struggled to hold back tears, recalling gifts from Peter Murrell that turned out to have been purchased with stolen money.
Sturgeon told the BBC: "I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed and I'm not going to apologise for somebody else's crimes."
She has consistently denied any knowledge of Murrell's wrongdoing, committed between 2010 and 2022.
The former first minister was not charged following a police investigation.'
Guilt by association is not a crime. But people.like Kuennsberg are like a dog with a bone over this. Kuennsberg hasn't held Farage and Reform's feet to the fire over Harborne's crypto millions.
It's not quite guilt by association but Sturgeon should have listened more carefully when people told her there was 'something wrong' with the money situation, and, importantly, that Murrell, it seems, brushed such queries aside.
I think that is closer to the real problem, that the CEO of the party should not have been married to the leader. Most people are going to push back against accusations against someone close to them, particularly if they feel there aren't any real grounds for them. After all the the first family of the nation seemed unaware for decades that a senior member was a grifting, predatory sex addict who kicked dogs, gave away/sold confidential national info to his associates and cosied up to paedos. Mind you, mumsie must have had some idea if she was willing to sign off £12m just to make it all go away,
Aggressively pushing back against the senior officers of the party wanting to see the books, which they had a legal right and duty to look at…. What possible reason is there for that?
In banking, you call compliance in immediately if someone is blocking you on such. And they would open a fraud investigation immediately. IIRC they immediately inform the FSA as well.
Fuck knows, I yield yet again to your extensive expertise in oh so many matters. I'm just referring to basic human beahviour.
Basic human behaviour isn’t how organisations are run. Because that doesn’t work.
It’s in all the basic anti-fraud training - someone concealing stuff, drop the bridge on them. It’s always fraud.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
Quite succinct. Wonder why the previous lot had a low £ bar and then allowed them to bring in dependents with them.
ONS are forecasting 700K of immigrants per year going forward. Boat people would be a 20th of that, yet that's how the media (and Farage) gets their clicks. No one seems to want to DYOR.
They always quote NET numers, ie we lose high skilled people and still import hundreds of thousands of low skilled etc. Numbers are still crap and especially the totally illegal ones who should be gone immediately.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
*you can contribute to the ongoing consultation, if you're motivated.
Ha, not really. Seems sensible on the face of it to me.
So system is crap , free handouts for all and they have some clown going to take years to do a report and so they just let everybody stay on freebies forever.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
And pro mass inward migration/open door fanatics need to realise we need to be fussy about our inward migration.
Bringing in millions of Boriswavers with their economically inactive dependents who once they get ILR will be a net burden of £240 billion over their lifetime. Especially considering their entitlement to a pension and passport we’d benefits. Figures CPS.
Skilled inward migration, especially wealth/job creators we should welcome and, indeed, roll the red carpet out for them.
Oh, I didn't support the Boris wave. It really is difficult to understand why Jenrick, Badenoch, Braverman etc did support it when in government and in a position to do something about it. I am glad that Starmer put an end to it.
Yet we still have businesses like Vape shops, car washes and newsagents on the list of companies eligible to sponsor visas for people to come over.
Net migration may be falling but we still onboard 700,000 a year. Hopefully these are skilled people and students for Uni.
Looks like its been tightened up a bit since the Tories were in power.
The fraudsters have moved from the care home visa selling to “skilled worker” visa fraud.
Instead on non-existent jobs in bum wiping, they create non-existent jobs with salaries above the cut off. Then sell the visas.
I know of one IT “consultancy” that has recruited several hundred percent of its staff in such a manner. And yes, they have been reported to the police. They have gone out of business, but some of the directors have started a new business. Guess what that does?
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
This will be for lifelong and progressive conditions.
Some years ago I was asked to review a patient for PIP.
Yep, they still had Downs Syndrome...
Or the paraplegic whose limbs had not regrown. They still had to fill out the forms (with my help) or they would find their PIP cancelled.
The more difficult were those with MH conditions where they would be uncontactable for months and then appear when something had seriously gone wrong with the paperwork, and their lives became more chaotic than before. Set a lot of them back. Don' recall them waterskiing in Mexico or the 85" TV. If they did have one, the debt collectors usually took it to pay the debts they accumulated while trying to sort the DWP processes out.
MalcolmG. If you have some time, volunteer. It will show you the highs and lows of how the system works. And yes there are those that play it but they are few and far between.
Unfortunately I am too busy working for a living. I know there will be genuine cases but the system is broken and thousands a week are joining the trough.
'Nicola Sturgeon has told the BBC she feels like she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit", after her estranged husband admitted embezzling £400,000 from the SNP, the party she led for years.
In an exclusive interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Scotland's former first minister refused to apologise for the scandal and struggled to hold back tears, recalling gifts from Peter Murrell that turned out to have been purchased with stolen money.
Sturgeon told the BBC: "I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed and I'm not going to apologise for somebody else's crimes."
She has consistently denied any knowledge of Murrell's wrongdoing, committed between 2010 and 2022.
The former first minister was not charged following a police investigation.'
Even if you accept her innocence of the specific crimes, her lack of curiousity both at home and in her job as SNP leader is the crime she is being accused of. But she has always had a very selective memory. Her behaviour around the Salmond affair stinks, to be honest.
She was in charge of signing it all off, they were sking and borrowing from Murrell, the 600K had vanished, how can anyone , even one with a solid brass neck claim "I know nothing". A nasty pice of work for sure.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
The main reason for that projected increase is "an ageing population" pensions, health, social care... Trump turning to world upside down is another https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewlwkg82ggo
And ?
The main reason is not the only reason.
If we’re not going to grow the economy substantially or grow revenues substantially then slowing the rapid growth of the benefits bill as a whole, as well as other spending, is going to be essential.
Scrapping the triple lock alone won’t cut it.
No, but it's the one you have to do otherwise any other cuts are pointless. Health, probably have to put half over 50s on weight loss jabs, healthy living campaigns don't seem to be effective. Then as Foxy says support and encourage the working age long-term sick into work.
'Future Tory candidate selection, she said, would focus on the five C’s – cleverness, charisma, communication skills, conviction and Conservatism.
“I will not allow people who do not share our beliefs to use the Conservative Party as a vehicle to further their personal ambitions,” she added.'
What is capital C Conservatism? People have very different ideas about that.
Thesedays around half the people who might be interested in Conservatism are more excited by Reform - never mind if they are conservative or Conservative.
Will they have to provide certification for cleverness, whatever that is as she palpapbly can't according to US sources
Will she have yo evidence she has any charisma, she has none.
Will they only communicate on Twitter like her?
Will they have the conviction to deny saying she wanted to go to war with US v Iran when she definitely did, or will you need a conviction for web hacking?
FFS
She makes Truss look like Theresa
Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst not a lawyer or PPE or Humanities graduate so I suppose she wants some more practical people like her
FINALLY...Kemi brags about being an Engineer!
The word has connertations of the Golden Industrai era, a Golden technology age, hands dirty in oil.
But NO
"Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst "
That is plain English (at the very low level of work experience she had is)...
"I'm sorry your Computer is not working please turn it off at the plg, count to 30 and see if it works, if it doesn't ring the IT Call Centre back and me or one of my 200 colleagues sat in this old warehouse will tell you to do the same again"
I'm obviously no fan of Badenoch's but that post is just offensive stupidity.
Gemini summarises her pre-politics work experience thus:
Private Sector & Professional Experience (2003–2016)
Badenoch holds a degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Sussex and a part-time Law degree from Birkbeck, University of London.
Software Engineer at Logica: Worked in the information technology sector from 2003 to 2006 for the tech firm Logica (which later became part of CGI Inc).
Systems Analyst at RBS: Moved into financial tech, working on systems analysis and technology change programmes for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.
Associate Director at Coutts: Spent several years (2006–2013) at the private wealth manager and bank Coutts & Co., transitioning from tech infrastructure roles into financial compliance following the 2008 financial crisis.
Digital Director at The Spectator: Headed up the non-editorial digital department for The Spectator magazine from 2015 to 2016.
Impossible to tell the depth or quality of those roles from that but it's clearly more than 'very low level of work experience'.
I wonder why we get Rachel from accounts and Kemi from work experience. It never seems to be Michael's or Graham's.
We had Dave from mummy got him a job, and George from straight into politics
I would add , get the working age not sick off benefits and make them work instead.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
On t'other hand, thirty years of mega immigration don't seem to have helped us, very much, in fiscal terms.
The policy has failed.
The solution. More policy.
‘ 🇬🇧 There are 79 vape shops on the Home Office’s public register of licensed visa sponsors.
‘Guardian Vapes Ltd’ in South Shields is licensed to sponsor overseas workers via the ‘Skilled Worker Visa’ route’
The experience of a lot of immigrants is that people they know will complain to them about immigrants in general, but then be told, "but not you."
A difficulty is that many of the immigrants these people are opposed to are also being told,"but not you," by other people who do know them. So we have a situation where what people believe about the country as a whole is in conflict with what they know from their personal experience.
But also, why is it that a country like Britain is unable to train enough doctors and nurses for its health service?
Cheaper to recruit abroad? If the NHS paid salaries to encourage people to train for it, we'd need to pay higher taxes to fund it. The trade-off between taxation and immigration is not sufficiently understood.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
On t'other hand, thirty years of mega immigration don't seem to have helped us, very much, in fiscal terms.
In practical terms, the NHS would collapse overnight if immigration was reversed. It's unusual to meet a white English-born doctor or nurse in my experience. Selective immigration to fill gaps is generally popular. The controversy arises over immigration due to persecution etc.
The experience of a lot of immigrants is that people they know will complain to them about immigrants in general, but then be told, "but not you."
A difficulty is that many of the immigrants these people are opposed to are also being told,"but not you," by other people who do know them. So we have a situation where what people believe about the country as a whole is in conflict with what they know from their personal experience.
But also, why is it that a country like Britain is unable to train enough doctors and nurses for its health service?
The reason we do not train enough doctors and nurses to fill the ranks of the NHS is long running, deliberate policy.
The number of medical students is capped, for example.
The number of training places in hospitals is severely limited.
The government has just tried to give preference for some training places to UK graduates and medicos. Previously, they had to compete against the entire world for such places. Something the rest of the world does not reciprocate, in general.
All this was because it is much cheaper to hire already (part) trained people. Who will pay massive fees for a number of academic courses, as well.
Yes, we've been over NHS training many times. It was a rhetorical question, in part.
But there's a political dimension too. Cameron repeatedly promised net migration in the tens of thousands more than a decade ago. It should have been obvious that, in order to achieve that, skills shortages in the UK would need to be reduced, most obviously for the NHS. And yet clearly that has not been done.
A strategy designed to boost Farage. Promise lower immigration. Fail to do anything to achieve it. Point to one of your failures (on NHS training) as a reason why it is impossible. Why would you not expect widespread anger from the voters in such a situation?
The experience of a lot of immigrants is that people they know will complain to them about immigrants in general, but then be told, "but not you."
A difficulty is that many of the immigrants these people are opposed to are also being told,"but not you," by other people who do know them. So we have a situation where what people believe about the country as a whole is in conflict with what they know from their personal experience.
But also, why is it that a country like Britain is unable to train enough doctors and nurses for its health service?
Cheaper to recruit abroad? If the NHS paid salaries to encourage people to train for it, we'd need to pay higher taxes to fund it. The trade-off between taxation and immigration is not sufficiently understood.
Right. But then you shouldn't promise the voters to deliver net migration in the tens of thousands, or to "control" immigration, if you're not prepared to implement the policies that will make that possible.
'Future Tory candidate selection, she said, would focus on the five C’s – cleverness, charisma, communication skills, conviction and Conservatism.
“I will not allow people who do not share our beliefs to use the Conservative Party as a vehicle to further their personal ambitions,” she added.'
What is capital C Conservatism? People have very different ideas about that.
Thesedays around half the people who might be interested in Conservatism are more excited by Reform - never mind if they are conservative or Conservative.
Will they have to provide certification for cleverness, whatever that is as she palpapbly can't according to US sources
Will she have yo evidence she has any charisma, she has none.
Will they only communicate on Twitter like her?
Will they have the conviction to deny saying she wanted to go to war with US v Iran when she definitely did, or will you need a conviction for web hacking?
FFS
She makes Truss look like Theresa
Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst not a lawyer or PPE or Humanities graduate so I suppose she wants some more practical people like her
FINALLY...Kemi brags about being an Engineer!
The word has connertations of the Golden Industrai era, a Golden technology age, hands dirty in oil.
But NO
"Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst "
That is plain English (at the very low level of work experience she had is)...
"I'm sorry your Computer is not working please turn it off at the plg, count to 30 and see if it works, if it doesn't ring the IT Call Centre back and me or one of my 200 colleagues sat in this old warehouse will tell you to do the same again"
The Kemi-hate is strong with this one.
As is the misogyny.
Yet Rachel from Accounts is hilarious?*
* That is not a defence of Reeves, simply an observation.
Is that a term you think I've used?
Of course it totally ignores that her actual background, work experience and respect in very high places renders her one of the most qualified Chancellors in recent history
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
On t'other hand, thirty years of mega immigration don't seem to have helped us, very much, in fiscal terms.
The policy has failed.
The solution. More policy.
‘ 🇬🇧 There are 79 vape shops on the Home Office’s public register of licensed visa sponsors.
‘Guardian Vapes Ltd’ in South Shields is licensed to sponsor overseas workers via the ‘Skilled Worker Visa’ route’
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
Do you really worry about spending projections decades into the future?
The solution to welfare and NEETs is to increase the health and employability of recipients rather than browbeat and punish them. If we got the employment rate back to 2018 levels the finances would improve significantly.
I would target mental health in particular, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Very often the best treatment for anxiety, depression and neurodiversity is appropriate employment with support.
Do you think we should leave future generations to pick up the tab ?
Perhaps we shouldn’t be increasing taxes and the costs of employing people. Tax something you generally get less of it.
We should also value hospitality as an industry. It’s an industry that often gives young people a start in work.
As for welfare incentives matter. Pay people to be idle and they will. Too many cliff edges and passports benefits will be lost if people work too many hours.
It’s far more complex than your solution of a group hug.
On that chart the trend lines are in the correct direction for a balanced budget over the next years.
I am not in favour of deficits, indeed would rather have tax rises than government in the red.
The long term projections are all about demographics and the worker/dependency ratio. It is in large part down to the zero net migration policy, so an ever aging population with fewer children or workers.
There is a failure to acknowledge amongst immigration hawks that pensions and healthcare are dependent on young workers, and with our current TFR that means immigration. We have to choose.
On t'other hand, thirty years of mega immigration don't seem to have helped us, very much, in fiscal terms.
The policy has failed.
The solution. More policy.
‘ 🇬🇧 There are 79 vape shops on the Home Office’s public register of licensed visa sponsors.
‘Guardian Vapes Ltd’ in South Shields is licensed to sponsor overseas workers via the ‘Skilled Worker Visa’ route’
The experience of a lot of immigrants is that people they know will complain to them about immigrants in general, but then be told, "but not you."
A difficulty is that many of the immigrants these people are opposed to are also being told,"but not you," by other people who do know them. So we have a situation where what people believe about the country as a whole is in conflict with what they know from their personal experience.
But also, why is it that a country like Britain is unable to train enough doctors and nurses for its health service?
Cheaper to recruit abroad? If the NHS paid salaries to encourage people to train for it, we'd need to pay higher taxes to fund it. The trade-off between taxation and immigration is not sufficiently understood.
Right. But then you shouldn't promise the voters to deliver net migration in the tens of thousands, or to "control" immigration, if you're not prepared to implement the policies that will make that possible.
The problem isn’t salaries. It’s university places being rationed, together with rationing of training places.
There is a cap on how many doctors and nurses are *allowed* to train in the U.K.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
The main reason for that projected increase is "an ageing population" pensions, health, social care... Trump turning to world upside down is another https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewlwkg82ggo
And ?
The main reason is not the only reason.
If we’re not going to grow the economy substantially or grow revenues substantially then slowing the rapid growth of the benefits bill as a whole, as well as other spending, is going to be essential.
Scrapping the triple lock alone won’t cut it.
No, but it's the one you have to do otherwise any other cuts are pointless. Health, probably have to put half over 50s on weight loss jabs, healthy living campaigns don't seem to be effective. Then as Foxy says support and encourage the working age long-term sick into work.
'Future Tory candidate selection, she said, would focus on the five C’s – cleverness, charisma, communication skills, conviction and Conservatism.
“I will not allow people who do not share our beliefs to use the Conservative Party as a vehicle to further their personal ambitions,” she added.'
What is capital C Conservatism? People have very different ideas about that.
Thesedays around half the people who might be interested in Conservatism are more excited by Reform - never mind if they are conservative or Conservative.
Will they have to provide certification for cleverness, whatever that is as she palpapbly can't according to US sources
Will she have yo evidence she has any charisma, she has none.
Will they only communicate on Twitter like her?
Will they have the conviction to deny saying she wanted to go to war with US v Iran when she definitely did, or will you need a conviction for web hacking?
FFS
She makes Truss look like Theresa
Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst not a lawyer or PPE or Humanities graduate so I suppose she wants some more practical people like her
FINALLY...Kemi brags about being an Engineer!
The word has connertations of the Golden Industrai era, a Golden technology age, hands dirty in oil.
But NO
"Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst "
That is plain English (at the very low level of work experience she had is)...
"I'm sorry your Computer is not working please turn it off at the plg, count to 30 and see if it works, if it doesn't ring the IT Call Centre back and me or one of my 200 colleagues sat in this old warehouse will tell you to do the same again"
I'm obviously no fan of Badenoch's but that post is just offensive stupidity.
Gemini summarises her pre-politics work experience thus:
Private Sector & Professional Experience (2003–2016)
Badenoch holds a degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Sussex and a part-time Law degree from Birkbeck, University of London.
Software Engineer at Logica: Worked in the information technology sector from 2003 to 2006 for the tech firm Logica (which later became part of CGI Inc).
Systems Analyst at RBS: Moved into financial tech, working on systems analysis and technology change programmes for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.
Associate Director at Coutts: Spent several years (2006–2013) at the private wealth manager and bank Coutts & Co., transitioning from tech infrastructure roles into financial compliance following the 2008 financial crisis.
Digital Director at The Spectator: Headed up the non-editorial digital department for The Spectator magazine from 2015 to 2016.
Impossible to tell the depth or quality of those roles from that but it's clearly more than 'very low level of work experience'.
I wonder why we get Rachel from accounts and Kemi from work experience. It never seems to be Michael's or Graham's.
We had Dave from mummy got him a job, and George from straight into politics
I would add , get the working age not sick off benefits and make them work instead.
This is one I can agree with. Why are there in-work benefits? Pay people the value of their worth without resorting to a UC handout.
New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.
The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.
PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.
I’m talking about all non pension welfare.
Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.
Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.
The main reason for that projected increase is "an ageing population" pensions, health, social care... Trump turning to world upside down is another https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewlwkg82ggo
And ?
The main reason is not the only reason.
If we’re not going to grow the economy substantially or grow revenues substantially then slowing the rapid growth of the benefits bill as a whole, as well as other spending, is going to be essential.
Scrapping the triple lock alone won’t cut it.
No, but it's the one you have to do otherwise any other cuts are pointless. Health, probably have to put half over 50s on weight loss jabs, healthy living campaigns don't seem to be effective. Then as Foxy says support and encourage the working age long-term sick into work.
'Future Tory candidate selection, she said, would focus on the five C’s – cleverness, charisma, communication skills, conviction and Conservatism.
“I will not allow people who do not share our beliefs to use the Conservative Party as a vehicle to further their personal ambitions,” she added.'
What is capital C Conservatism? People have very different ideas about that.
Thesedays around half the people who might be interested in Conservatism are more excited by Reform - never mind if they are conservative or Conservative.
Will they have to provide certification for cleverness, whatever that is as she palpapbly can't according to US sources
Will she have yo evidence she has any charisma, she has none.
Will they only communicate on Twitter like her?
Will they have the conviction to deny saying she wanted to go to war with US v Iran when she definitely did, or will you need a conviction for web hacking?
FFS
She makes Truss look like Theresa
Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst not a lawyer or PPE or Humanities graduate so I suppose she wants some more practical people like her
FINALLY...Kemi brags about being an Engineer!
The word has connertations of the Golden Industrai era, a Golden technology age, hands dirty in oil.
But NO
"Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst "
That is plain English (at the very low level of work experience she had is)...
"I'm sorry your Computer is not working please turn it off at the plg, count to 30 and see if it works, if it doesn't ring the IT Call Centre back and me or one of my 200 colleagues sat in this old warehouse will tell you to do the same again"
I'm obviously no fan of Badenoch's but that post is just offensive stupidity.
Gemini summarises her pre-politics work experience thus:
Private Sector & Professional Experience (2003–2016)
Badenoch holds a degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Sussex and a part-time Law degree from Birkbeck, University of London.
Software Engineer at Logica: Worked in the information technology sector from 2003 to 2006 for the tech firm Logica (which later became part of CGI Inc).
Systems Analyst at RBS: Moved into financial tech, working on systems analysis and technology change programmes for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.
Associate Director at Coutts: Spent several years (2006–2013) at the private wealth manager and bank Coutts & Co., transitioning from tech infrastructure roles into financial compliance following the 2008 financial crisis.
Digital Director at The Spectator: Headed up the non-editorial digital department for The Spectator magazine from 2015 to 2016.
Impossible to tell the depth or quality of those roles from that but it's clearly more than 'very low level of work experience'.
I wonder why we get Rachel from accounts and Kemi from work experience. It never seems to be Michael's or Graham's.
We had Dave from mummy got him a job, and George from straight into politics
I would add , get the working age not sick off benefits and make them work instead.
This is one I can agree with. Why are there in-work benefits? Pay people the value of their worth without resorting to a UC handout.
The move to Universal Credit was mostly down to the tenacity of Ian Duncan Smith and one of the few Conservative policies of the Coalition that I agreed with. It removed the benefits cliff and made it easier to enter the world of work and stay there. On those grounds alone I would be reluctant to remove it.
Comments
I watched the interview, recalling all the time that Murrell has been accused, inter alia of some pretty ruthless 'accountancy' in covering up transfers, etc .I think she probably iis telling, if not the whole truth something very, very close to it, and I think that we should, at ca 10am on 31st May, bear in mind that Murrell is due in Court again before long where we'll undoubtedly hear chapter and verse from the prosecutor and the judge.
I note too that the top financial chap on the National Executive resigned, as did a couple of others. So the SNP has a lot of 'coming clean' to do.
And that's assuming he's awake.
If they are against 5G for some made up reason they are against every variation of non-analog cell.
The solution. More policy.
‘ 🇬🇧 There are 79 vape shops on the Home Office’s public register of licensed visa sponsors.
‘Guardian Vapes Ltd’ in South Shields is licensed to sponsor overseas workers via the ‘Skilled Worker Visa’ route’
https://x.com/procurementfile/status/2060091840859128316?s=61
‘ NEW: Andy Burnham would end all Government contracts for asylum accommodation and hotels if he becomes Prime Minister
The responsibility for providing accommodation would instead be given to local authorities’
https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/2060441806181896440?s=61
You’re always very good at shouting down stuff that conflicts your happy clappy world view of these matters. Not so good at offering counter facts.
The figure was only withdrawn due to the OBR changing the definitions of the fiscal data used. Not because it was wrong based on the known data at the time.
I think we have to recognise that the government are terrified both of the steep rise in benefit payments (which they've already tried to have a go at tackling and backed away from), and of their own backbenchers.
Hence the Timms review, which should report this autumn (allegedly).
If it's Joanna Cherry her general dislikeability with both her colleagues and erstwhile voters played a far bigger part.
For Ash Regan it's just being deeply dim.
But yes, Ukraine should make its own decisions on this.
Should add I think Ukraine's main war aim is to get Russia out of the territories it controls so it can become a successful Russia free country. This requires an end to the war.
The Ukrainians say that they are seeing a correlation between inflicting high losses in logistics in a particular time and space to a reduction in Russian assault operations following in that area, so these losses are already at a level to cause Russia problems in supplying the front line.
There's a long way to go yet, but if Ukraine can continue to intensify and expand its attacks on Russian logistics that would be one building block for a Ukrainian victory in the war.
https://ukandeu.ac.uk/lower-migration-is-bad-news-for-the-uk-economy/
My guess is that the number is highly dependent on the future levels of net migration. And probably all manner of other stuff.
Any modelling of the lifetime costs, from either side of the debate, is pure fantasy IMO.
Mass media campaigns to promote physical activity work: https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/32/Supplement_4/iv71/6849901
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1471-2458-10-538 finds, “Interventions that were most effective across a range of health behaviours included physician advice or individual counselling, and workplace- and school-based activities. Mass media campaigns and legislative interventions also showed small to moderate effects in changing health behaviours.”
🤦♀️ Nicola Sturgeon is setting up a strawman in her interview with @bbclaurak. Nobody was complaining of embezzlement in 2021. What we were worried about was financial mismanagement & lack of transparency. She demonised us for those concerns & should take responsibility for that.
Net migration may be falling but we still onboard 700,000 a year. Hopefully these are skilled people and students for Uni.
Equilibrium price of property would take ages to reach and would necessarily be much lower especially at the bottom end.
"The complaint against Ms Sturgeon was brought by a battered wife who turned to the newly-qualified solicitor for help after years of abuse at the hands of her husband.
Ms Sturgeon was working at Stirling law firm Bell & Craig when the client – now a grandmother in her 60s – first sought her help in July 1996.
Over the next 14 months, despite the woman being followed, threatened and physically attacked, it was claimed Ms Sturgeon did not seek a court order against her violent partner.
The client also alleged that Ms Sturgeon failed to send off her legal aid application – despite claiming that she had done so.
After Ms Sturgeon left the firm for a new job in Glasgow, the unsent application was discovered in the client’s file by her new solicitor, Cath Dowdalls, now a QC."
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1418932/Nicola-sturgeon-news-snp-latest-sturgeon-legal-career
The authors of the report, the CPS, have promised a revised figure, but haven’t produced one yet. Complain to them about why they haven’t done that yet.
https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/the-fiscal-impact-of-immigration-in-the-uk/ summarises evidence of the fiscal impact of immigration in the UK. In summary, the overall impact is small, but it’s very dependent on the type of immigration.
In Bath, the LibDem Planning Committee voted against a 5G mast for spurious reasons - probably local politics.
They subsequently reversed this and the Lib Dem leader of Bath Council championed the 5G rollout, noting that "improving connectivity" is a core Lib Dem manifesto commitment.
Still waiting for confirmation of the damage done to two TU-142 anti-submarine warfare planes.
It was right based on the previous data, when the data changed it was withdrawn.
https://t.me/KyivIndependent_official/53421
All way above regular inflation.
The answer isn’t childish “50% off all the budget!” or “Fire 1345% of the DEI officers!”
It’s better procurement and better project management.
Which means hiring people with those skills, giving them authority and keeping them in post long enough to make a difference.
NEW THREAD
After all the the first family of the nation seemed unaware for decades that a senior member was a grifting, predatory sex addict who kicked dogs, gave away/sold confidential national info to his associates and cosied up to paedos. Mind you, mumsie must have had some idea if she was willing to sign off £12m just to make it all go away,
Agreeing with it gets the fanatics on your side.
Hence the Greens who declare that asylum seeker accommodation is wrong for the neighbourhood they represent.
The Bickershaw industrial scale fly tipping would have been a national scandal had it happened anywhere near a media person's home.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/31/labour-have-lost-their-way-voters-in-makerfield-say-its-time-for-a-change
And there’s a gazillion other points that have been criticised in the CPS report: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRMJxozjSTV_Qny11idBDprDzD0DRfhJ-fEunBZsACxtUSm6HHcXWBKfHAYWJYcMEfQespcG6BMWKRq/pub
Seeing where they are going.
We could take a similar approach for those with a PPE qualification, and use the title "Twat".
Eng Twat S. Rentool has a ring to it.
In banking, you call compliance in immediately if someone is blocking you on such. And they would open a fraud investigation immediately. IIRC they immediately inform the FSA as well.
Looks like its been tightened up a bit since the Tories were in power.
The whole “I’m an engineer and your not” thing reminds me of the preciousness of the whole Dr. nonsense.
“We all feel like that, Reggie, now and then, especially when Spring is upon us, but few of us would care to put it on our card.”
A difficulty is that many of the immigrants these people are opposed to are also being told,"but not you," by other people who do know them. So we have a situation where what people believe about the country as a whole is in conflict with what they know from their personal experience.
But also, why is it that a country like Britain is unable to train enough doctors and nurses for its health service?
I'm just referring to basic human beahviour.
The number of medical students is capped, for example.
The number of training places in hospitals is severely limited.
The government has just tried to give preference for some training places to UK graduates and medicos. Previously, they had to compete against the entire world for such places. Something the rest of the world does not reciprocate, in general.
All this was because it is much cheaper to hire already (part) trained people. Who will pay massive fees for a number of academic courses, as well.
Instead on non-existent jobs in bum wiping, they create non-existent jobs with salaries above the cut off. Then sell the visas.
I know of one IT “consultancy” that has recruited several hundred percent of its staff in such a manner. And yes, they have been reported to the police. They have gone out of business, but some of the directors have started a new business. Guess what that does?
It’s in all the basic anti-fraud training - someone concealing stuff, drop the bridge on them. It’s always fraud.
https://x.com/rosemxmi/status/2060330744371614042?s=61
But there's a political dimension too. Cameron repeatedly promised net migration in the tens of thousands more than a decade ago. It should have been obvious that, in order to achieve that, skills shortages in the UK would need to be reduced, most obviously for the NHS. And yet clearly that has not been done.
A strategy designed to boost Farage. Promise lower immigration. Fail to do anything to achieve it. Point to one of your failures (on NHS training) as a reason why it is impossible. Why would you not expect widespread anger from the voters in such a situation?
The paperwork time and effort is maybe £1k.
You bring on shore just enough money to cover that - processing expenses are allowed.
So you have £14 per visa going into an offshore account.
The only question are - do you need to rent some officials to grease the wheels? And how much do they cost?
There is a cap on how many doctors and nurses are *allowed* to train in the U.K.