politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Betting on the date of the EU referendum
Over the weekend, stories emerged, which were downplayed by Number 10, that the EU referendum was set for October 2016. Then the Telegraph’s Chief Political Correspondent tweeted this afternoon.
Not even slightly temped by the referendum odds, but I'd say it's fairly likely to slip to 2017 as they seek a "final, final, set of concessions", either to buttress the IN vote or to stop a party schism.
When does the date have to be set? Conditions at the end of this year will be instructive - but much too late.
"If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly"
Cameron will not want this dominating his entire term as PM with a majority. And the Tories need to find a way to put Humpty back together again before 2020.
I must admit I did think the idea of holding a referendum that one wants to win in October was a 'courageous' decision.
July and August may not be good because of of school holidays so maybe September would be the best chance of good weather and so a high turnout of the undecideds/unconcerneds.
It is looking more and more likely that it will be the second half of 2016. The French and German elections are real obstacles to it being 2017, as is the fact that in the second half of 2017 the UK will hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU.
David Cameron today vowed to end the culture of handing people 'a few more extra pounds' in benefits as he set attacked the 'merry-go-round' of Britain's welfare state.
The Prime Minister set out his vision for an 'Opportunity Society', saying he wanted to help fulfil voters' aspirations 'whoever you are' - even those who voted against him.
He singled out tax credits for criticism, with workers taxed and then handed back benefits to top up low pay packets.
In a major speech on reforming the benefits system, Mr Cameron called for a move from a 'low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society'
I think we really need a full year between the completion of the negotiations and the referendum, so can people can properly digest what has been agreed and the ramifications of the changes.
Presumably, Cameron is also keeping an eye on the Greek situation. Economic volatility from a Grexit might hit the "In" side pretty hard.
It is looking more and more likely that it will be the second half of 2016. The French and German elections are real obstacles to it being 2017, as is the fact that in the second half of 2017 the UK will hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Early Autumn sounds good to me, with everyone satiated with their mediterranean holidays and back at work dreaming of retiring to sunny Spain, Tuscanyshire or a whitewashed Greek villa.
Assuming we vote to leave the EU, how long do PBers think it will take from the day we vote, to the day we leave? 18 months?
I think that's a fair assesment - could be longer, there'll be alot of unwind.
Hopefully if we leave, we'll be able to carry on a free trade relaionship and neither side will embark on any protectionist tarriff schemes but I have my doubts.
I do worry about this point the most. On the plus side we'll be out of the CAP and CFP
David Cameron today vowed to end the culture of handing people 'a few more extra pounds' in benefits as he set attacked the 'merry-go-round' of Britain's welfare state.
The Prime Minister set out his vision for an 'Opportunity Society', saying he wanted to help fulfil voters' aspirations 'whoever you are' - even those who voted against him.
He singled out tax credits for criticism, with workers taxed and then handed back benefits to top up low pay packets.
In a major speech on reforming the benefits system, Mr Cameron called for a move from a 'low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society'
I think that this is such an important issue, arguably the single most important issue facing the government today: how do we ensure that the poor and poorly educated get some sort of a chance to make something of themselves in our country?
My only concern is that seeking to address these deep rooted problems and decades of failure by governments of all stripes whilst cutting the benefit bill by £12bn is an incredible ask. The glacial pace of the Universal Credit reforms, which is only a small part of the solution, demonstrates the difficulty of this. Generating the good will and consensus needed for this kind of change in an atmosphere of such cuts will be impossible.
I wonder if the government will increase the minimum wage in July, along with these cuts in tax credits. I think Cameron and co. are being incredibly naive if they think employers will simply increase the wages of the low-paid out of the goodness of their hearts.
I quite like the 4/1 on July 2017 or later. I'm quite sure it's not David Cameron's preferred option, but things usually go slower with the EU than one would like.
Assuming we vote to leave the EU, how long do PBers think it will take from the day we vote, to the day we leave? 18 months?
I think that's a fair assesment - could be longer, there'll be alot of unwind.
Hopefully if we leave, we'll be able to carry on a free trade relaionship and neither side will embark on any protectionist tarriff schemes but I have my doubts.
I do worry about this point the most. On the plus side we'll be out of the CAP and CFP
I'm writing a thread about it (well trying to) and trying to work out the variables, referendum in October 2016, we'll be out in April 2018?
Would a vote for Out (after Cameron had campaigned for IN) trigger Cameron's resignation?
I must admit I did think the idea of holding a referendum that one wants to win in October was a 'courageous' decision.
July and August may not be good because of of school holidays so maybe September would be the best chance of good weather and so a high turnout of the undecideds/unconcerneds.
I don't see a problem with October - it used to be the favoured month to hold general elections.
I wonder if the government will increase the minimum wage in July, along with these cuts in tax credits. I think Cameron and co. are being incredibly naive if they think employers will simply increase the wages of the low-paid out of the goodness of their hearts.
I wonder if the government will increase the minimum wage in July, along with these cuts in tax credits. I think Cameron and co. are being incredibly naive if they think employers will simply increase the wages of the low-paid out of the goodness of their hearts.
Well if 'doing some radical' means increasing MW, then I'd be all for it. I'm very concerned about the impact the withdrawal of these tax credits will have on the lowest paid. If the lowering of the tax threshold, combined with a increase of the MW could mitigate the impact of withdrawing tax credits, I'd be very happy.
Assuming we vote to leave the EU, how long do PBers think it will take from the day we vote, to the day we leave? 18 months?
I think that's a fair assesment - could be longer, there'll be alot of unwind.
Hopefully if we leave, we'll be able to carry on a free trade relaionship and neither side will embark on any protectionist tarriff schemes but I have my doubts.
I do worry about this point the most. On the plus side we'll be out of the CAP and CFP
I'm writing a thread about it (well trying to) and trying to work out the variables, referendum in October 2016, we'll be out in April 2018?
Would a vote for Out (after Cameron had campaigned for IN) trigger Cameron's resignation?
I have a sneaking suspicion that Cameron will go in 2018 whatever the result.
If he loses (having backed IN) then he will go as a result. If he wins then I think he will want to get out before his deals/promises start to unwind.
David Cameron today vowed to end the culture of handing people 'a few more extra pounds' in benefits as he set attacked the 'merry-go-round' of Britain's welfare state.
The Prime Minister set out his vision for an 'Opportunity Society', saying he wanted to help fulfil voters' aspirations 'whoever you are' - even those who voted against him.
He singled out tax credits for criticism, with workers taxed and then handed back benefits to top up low pay packets.
In a major speech on reforming the benefits system, Mr Cameron called for a move from a 'low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society'
I think that this is such an important issue, arguably the single most important issue facing the government today: how do we ensure that the poor and poorly educated get some sort of a chance to make something of themselves in our country?
My only concern is that seeking to address these deep rooted problems and decades of failure by governments of all stripes whilst cutting the benefit bill by £12bn is an incredible ask. The glacial pace of the Universal Credit reforms, which is only a small part of the solution, demonstrates the difficulty of this. Generating the good will and consensus needed for this kind of change in an atmosphere of such cuts will be impossible.
I don't think it's possible to justify any more, the ring-fencing of benefits paid to pensioners.
I wonder if the government will increase the minimum wage in July, along with these cuts in tax credits. I think Cameron and co. are being incredibly naive if they think employers will simply increase the wages of the low-paid out of the goodness of their hearts.
Assuming we vote to leave the EU, how long do PBers think it will take from the day we vote, to the day we leave? 18 months?
I'm not sure if it would ever actually happen, unless the government actually wished it. A government that didn't actually want to leave could place endless obstacles in the way.
Would a vote for Out (after Cameron had campaigned for IN) trigger Cameron's resignation?
Yes, definitely.
Could he do a Farage, and unresign?
Followed by a purge of anyone that dares disagree with him?
On that topic Farage has been a bit quiet recently, what's he up to? Writing a biographic musical of his life story? Building a bunker in Kent in case we vote to stay in?
Cameron's welfare comments today together with plans to reduce the right to strike to little more than a theoretical right leave little doubt now that the Tory party's Arbeit Macht Frei wing is calling the shots.
Cameron's welfare comments today together with plans to reduce the right to strike to little more than a theoretical right leave little doubt now that the Tory party's Arbeit Macht Frei wing is calling the shots.
I really wish you wouldn't compare this government to the architects of the Final Solution.
PT Well their supporters may want Out but for the party the best result is a small In as once the UK has 'achieved independence' there becomes little need for a UK independence party
PT The SNP also won 32% at the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections, only 19% at the 2010 general election, so the surge at Westminster was a result of the indyref result
Cherry picking silly dates nearly a decade obsolete achieves nothing. The SNP won over 45% in 2011. I really shouldn't need to explain this to you but 2011 is both before 2014 and after 2007.
Also although Westminster Scotland-only opinion polls weren't done too often pre-referendum those that were began to give the SNP a lead over Labour in 2012. Again years before 2014.
Cameron's welfare comments today together with plans to reduce the right to strike to little more than a theoretical right leave little doubt now that the Tory party's Arbeit Macht Frei wing is calling the shots.
David Cameron today vowed to end the culture of handing people 'a few more extra pounds' in benefits as he set attacked the 'merry-go-round' of Britain's welfare state.
The Prime Minister set out his vision for an 'Opportunity Society', saying he wanted to help fulfil voters' aspirations 'whoever you are' - even those who voted against him.
He singled out tax credits for criticism, with workers taxed and then handed back benefits to top up low pay packets.
In a major speech on reforming the benefits system, Mr Cameron called for a move from a 'low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society'
I think that this is such an important issue, arguably the single most important issue facing the government today: how do we ensure that the poor and poorly educated get some sort of a chance to make something of themselves in our country?
My only concern is that seeking to address these deep rooted problems and decades of failure by governments of all stripes whilst cutting the benefit bill by £12bn is an incredible ask. The glacial pace of the Universal Credit reforms, which is only a small part of the solution, demonstrates the difficulty of this. Generating the good will and consensus needed for this kind of change in an atmosphere of such cuts will be impossible.
I don't think it's possible to justify any more, the ring-fencing of benefits paid to pensioners.
The oldies do all vote in tremendous numbers though...
I wonder if the government will increase the minimum wage in July, along with these cuts in tax credits. I think Cameron and co. are being incredibly naive if they think employers will simply increase the wages of the low-paid out of the goodness of their hearts.
Delia Smith and Ed Balls will be happy with that. In all seriousness, this is why I'd like the government to increase the MW. Because it really does depend on the employer, and I'm not confident that all employers will follow that example.
I'm not sure if it would ever actually happen, unless the government actually wished it. A government that didn't actually want to leave could place endless obstacles in the way.
Which is why there would be a government - and particularly a PM - who wanted us to leave.
That's why I've put a small saver bet on Owen Paterson as next Tory leader, at long odds. He looks to me the most credible and best-positioned potential leader in that scenario.
It would have to be someone not associated with the current government, and not identified with the Cameron project, yet at the same time someone serious (i.e. not Fox or DD).
PT Well their supporters may want Out but for the party the best result is a small In as once the UK has 'achieved independence' there becomes little need for a UK independence party
PT The SNP also won 32% at the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections, only 19% at the 2010 general election, so the surge at Westminster was a result of the indyref result
Cherry picking silly dates nearly a decade obsolete achieves nothing. The SNP won over 45% in 2011. I really shouldn't need to explain this to you but 2011 is both before 2014 and after 2007.
Without the independence referendum, though, I think it's unlikely that the SNP would have seen their vote share surge in the way it did. After the vote, their membership increased five-fold, and they won the backing of everyone who'd voted Yes. Nothing in pre-independence referendum polling indicated that the SNP would win 49% at Westminster.
David Cameron today vowed to end the culture of handing people 'a few more extra pounds' in benefits as he set attacked the 'merry-go-round' of Britain's welfare state.
The Prime Minister set out his vision for an 'Opportunity Society', saying he wanted to help fulfil voters' aspirations 'whoever you are' - even those who voted against him.
He singled out tax credits for criticism, with workers taxed and then handed back benefits to top up low pay packets.
In a major speech on reforming the benefits system, Mr Cameron called for a move from a 'low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society'
I think that this is such an important issue, arguably the single most important issue facing the government today: how do we ensure that the poor and poorly educated get some sort of a chance to make something of themselves in our country?
My only concern is that seeking to address these deep rooted problems and decades of failure by governments of all stripes whilst cutting the benefit bill by £12bn is an incredible ask. The glacial pace of the Universal Credit reforms, which is only a small part of the solution, demonstrates the difficulty of this. Generating the good will and consensus needed for this kind of change in an atmosphere of such cuts will be impossible.
I don't think it's possible to justify any more, the ring-fencing of benefits paid to pensioners.
The oldies do all vote in tremendous numbers though...
I think if this government is serious about welfare reform, then it can't cherry pick which bits to tackle on the basis of which demographic is likely to vote Tory or not. After all, this is 'One Nation' Conservatism.
David Cameron today vowed to end the culture of handing people 'a few more extra pounds' in benefits as he set attacked the 'merry-go-round' of Britain's welfare state.
The Prime Minister set out his vision for an 'Opportunity Society', saying he wanted to help fulfil voters' aspirations 'whoever you are' - even those who voted against him.
He singled out tax credits for criticism, with workers taxed and then handed back benefits to top up low pay packets.
In a major speech on reforming the benefits system, Mr Cameron called for a move from a 'low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society'
I think that this is such an important issue, arguably the single most important issue facing the government today: how do we ensure that the poor and poorly educated get some sort of a chance to make something of themselves in our country?
My only concern is that seeking to address these deep rooted problems and decades of failure by governments of all stripes whilst cutting the benefit bill by £12bn is an incredible ask. The glacial pace of the Universal Credit reforms, which is only a small part of the solution, demonstrates the difficulty of this. Generating the good will and consensus needed for this kind of change in an atmosphere of such cuts will be impossible.
I don't think it's possible to justify any more, the ring-fencing of benefits paid to pensioners.
The oldies do all vote in tremendous numbers though...
Purely anecdotal, but my parents and their immediate circle of friends, all Tory voters, think the benefits paid to pensioners have now become absurd.
I wonder if the government will increase the minimum wage in July, along with these cuts in tax credits. I think Cameron and co. are being incredibly naive if they think employers will simply increase the wages of the low-paid out of the goodness of their hearts.
Delia Smith and Ed Balls will be happy with that. In all seriousness, this is why I'd like the government to increase the MW. Because it really does depend on the employer, and I'm not confident that all employers will follow that example.
It's relatively easy for companies whose workforce is highly paid on average to go to a living wage basis. But the minimum wage is set at the level it is set at for a reason and it is undesirable to price people out of jobs.
The living wage needs to be made something that employers are expected to try to pay wherever possible. How to incentivise that without making it compulsory is a real challenge.
Robert Peston @Peston · 5m5 minutes ago Exclusive: Greek econ minister Stathakis tells me government heads communique to say outline of Greek deal agreed, subject to technical work
The Prime Minister reads pb! We've pointed out in the past that in-work benefits subsidise bad employers at the expense of the good, and in doing so, seriously distort the market. The Conservative case for raising the minimum wage!
Two schoolboys bought bomb-making gear from the internet and discussed 'going out with a bang' as they plotted to blow up Parliament and Buckingham Palace, a court heard.
The 15-year-olds, from North Tyneside, have been jailed after it was revealed they planned suicide bombings at public buildings and purchased components to build an explosive device.
Chilling Skype exchanges between the two revealed a desire to target a school and a shopping centre and their hopes to die a wanted man like killer Raoul Moat.
Assuming we vote to leave the EU, how long do PBers think it will take from the day we vote, to the day we leave? 18 months?
I'm not sure if it would ever actually happen, unless the government actually wished it. A government that didn't actually want to leave could place endless obstacles in the way.
If Cameron and the government, or most of it, campaigned for IN and lost would it just be Cameron who resigned? Could the Tory party stay united under those circumstances? If there was another election and a party whose manifesto said they would remain in the EU won would they have to implement the referendum result? It's a can of worms.
In all seriousness, I don't get this almost devout belief in Osborne as a successful Conservative leader. The traits necessary to be a successful behind-the-scenes guy, and political strategist are not necessarily the same traits in being a successful frontman, a successful leader. History has done rather well to point this out to us - no Chancellor, has really gone on to be a successful PM in our recent history. Callaghan and Brown were both disasters, and although Major won 1992, his term also became an absolute disaster.
He's at his peak right now, as a strategist who has been vindicated and as the economy is doing ok (at the momenbt). Unlike Brown he has not really had a huge profile despite being chancellor, and has aided his PM rather than undermined him at every possible turn. So it's just that his time seems to be now, or possibly at any rate. He still seems more like a power behind the throne than a frontman, but he will be in a position to go for it at least, which 3 years ago sounded absurd, and given the surprise results lately, cannot be discounted.
@paulwaugh: IDS says Labour "always used benefits as a means of trying to buy votes". Inc of 14% before one election alone
@PickardJE: IDS tells Commons tax credits usually rose steeply just before general elections under Labour. "His party used benefits as way to buy votes"
The Prime Minister reads pb! We've pointed out in the past that in-work benefits subsidise bad employers at the expense of the good, and in doing so, seriously distort the market. The Conservative case for raising the minimum wage!
He doesn't read the comments*. He probably only very occasionally skims the thread headers.
I mean I once dressed up like Tom Baker's Doctor, but some Whovians are just too damned obsessed with the show.
Im-per-son-ate! Angry dwarf is jailed after sticking a sucker dart on his head and pretending to be a Dalek in row which led to him being Tasered twice by police
Ian Salter-Bromley filled mouth with dominoes and shouted 'Exterminate!'
He chanted 'I'm a Dalek! I'm going to kill you!' in manner of Dr Who creature
Officers Tasered 55-year-old after they 'feared for their welfare', court told
Incident part of campaign of abuse in which he spread excrement in Hull council offices
David Cameron today vowed to end the culture of handing people 'a few more extra pounds' in benefits as he set attacked the 'merry-go-round' of Britain's welfare state.
The Prime Minister set out his vision for an 'Opportunity Society', saying he wanted to help fulfil voters' aspirations 'whoever you are' - even those who voted against him.
He singled out tax credits for criticism, with workers taxed and then handed back benefits to top up low pay packets.
In a major speech on reforming the benefits system, Mr Cameron called for a move from a 'low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society'
I think that this is such an important issue, arguably the single most important issue facing the government today: how do we ensure that the poor and poorly educated get some sort of a chance to make something of themselves in our country?
My only concern is that seeking to address these deep rooted problems and decades of failure by governments of all stripes whilst cutting the benefit bill by £12bn is an incredible ask. The glacial pace of the Universal Credit reforms, which is only a small part of the solution, demonstrates the difficulty of this. Generating the good will and consensus needed for this kind of change in an atmosphere of such cuts will be impossible.
I don't think it's possible to justify any more, the ring-fencing of benefits paid to pensioners.
David Cameron today vowed to end the culture of handing people 'a few more extra pounds' in benefits as he set attacked the 'merry-go-round' of Britain's welfare state.
The Prime Minister set out his vision for an 'Opportunity Society', saying he wanted to help fulfil voters' aspirations 'whoever you are' - even those who voted against him.
He singled out tax credits for criticism, with workers taxed and then handed back benefits to top up low pay packets.
In a major speech on reforming the benefits system, Mr Cameron called for a move from a 'low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society'
I think that this is such an important issue, arguably the single most important issue facing the government today: how do we ensure that the poor and poorly educated get some sort of a chance to make something of themselves in our country?
My only concern is that seeking to address these deep rooted problems and decades of failure by governments of all stripes whilst cutting the benefit bill by £12bn is an incredible ask. The glacial pace of the Universal Credit reforms, which is only a small part of the solution, demonstrates the difficulty of this. Generating the good will and consensus needed for this kind of change in an atmosphere of such cuts will be impossible.
I don't think it's possible to justify any more, the ring-fencing of benefits paid to pensioners.
The oldies do all vote in tremendous numbers though...
I think if this government is serious about welfare reform, then it can't cherry pick which bits to tackle on the basis of which demographic is likely to vote Tory or not. After all, this is 'One Nation' Conservatism.
I mean I once dressed up like Tom Baker's Doctor, but some Whovians are just too damned obsessed with the show.
Im-per-son-ate! Angry dwarf is jailed after sticking a sucker dart on his head and pretending to be a Dalek in row which led to him being Tasered twice by police
Ian Salter-Bromley filled mouth with dominoes and shouted 'Exterminate!'
He chanted 'I'm a Dalek! I'm going to kill you!' in manner of Dr Who creature
Officers Tasered 55-year-old after they 'feared for their welfare', court told
Incident part of campaign of abuse in which he spread excrement in Hull council offices
PT Well their supporters may want Out but for the party the best result is a small In as once the UK has 'achieved independence' there becomes little need for a UK independence party
PT The SNP also won 32% at the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections, only 19% at the 2010 general election, so the surge at Westminster was a result of the indyref result
Cherry picking silly dates nearly a decade obsolete achieves nothing. The SNP won over 45% in 2011. I really shouldn't need to explain this to you but 2011 is both before 2014 and after 2007.
Without the independence referendum, though, I think it's unlikely that the SNP would have seen their vote share surge in the way it did. After the vote, their membership increased five-fold, and they won the backing of everyone who'd voted Yes. Nothing in pre-independence referendum polling indicated that the SNP would win 49% at Westminster.
I disagree. The issue is that we have First Past the Post at Westminster so wasted vote syndrome makes it difficult for a party to displace an alternative on the same wing (SNP and Labour both being left). In 2010 I suggest that Labour "borrowed" under Gordon Brown's leadership the votes of those who'd vote for the SNP otherwise. The SNP displaced Labour across the spectrum besides Westminster years before the Indyref, Westminster was the only bastion of SLAB support left. What makes Westminster so special that the SNP couldn't break through there like they had in every other level of election?
Opinion polls weren't regularly conducted but those that were showed an SNP lead pre-Indyref. In 2012 the SNP polled 39% and prior to the Indyref they were polling 39-40% regularly. Once opinion polls became regular and the idea of an SNP victory became plausible, it became a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I wonder if the government will increase the minimum wage in July, along with these cuts in tax credits. I think Cameron and co. are being incredibly naive if they think employers will simply increase the wages of the low-paid out of the goodness of their hearts.
Delia Smith and Ed Balls will be happy with that. In all seriousness, this is why I'd like the government to increase the MW. Because it really does depend on the employer, and I'm not confident that all employers will follow that example.
It's relatively easy for companies whose workforce is highly paid on average to go to a living wage basis. But the minimum wage is set at the level it is set at for a reason and it is undesirable to price people out of jobs.
The living wage needs to be made something that employers are expected to try to pay wherever possible. How to incentivise that without making it compulsory is a real challenge.
The living wage depends upon whether your job is full-time, part-time and if you're supporting a family independently, or being supported.
The living wage for a single mother supporting three children in private rented accommodation will be by necessity far higher than that for a pensioner doing a couple of afternoons a week part-time work in the supermarket.
I quite like the 4/1 on July 2017 or later. I'm quite sure it's not David Cameron's preferred option, but things usually go slower with the EU than one would like.
Can I add my voice to those praising your excellent blogpost on the last thread. Superb work.
I wonder if the government will increase the minimum wage in July, along with these cuts in tax credits. I think Cameron and co. are being incredibly naive if they think employers will simply increase the wages of the low-paid out of the goodness of their hearts.
Well if 'doing some radical' means increasing MW, then I'd be all for it. I'm very concerned about the impact the withdrawal of these tax credits will have on the lowest paid. If the lowering of the tax threshold, combined with a increase of the MW could mitigate the impact of withdrawing tax credits, I'd be very happy.
That is such a no brainer from pretty much every angle, economic, political and moral that I will be genuinely shocked if it does not happen. I am sure Osborne wanted larger real term increases in the NMW before the election but has held it off for this. That was brave but to fail to increase the NMW now would be stupid.
The Prime Minister reads pb! We've pointed out in the past that in-work benefits subsidise bad employers at the expense of the good, and in doing so, seriously distort the market. The Conservative case for raising the minimum wage!
He doesn't read the comments*. He probably only very occasionally skims the thread headers.
*except when it's about AV
I kid you not, one of the most viewed threads in PB's history, was one I wrote about electoral reform.
I think the fact it was on the day of Lady Thatcher's funeral, was merely coincidental.
Assuming we vote to leave the EU, how long do PBers think it will take from the day we vote, to the day we leave? 18 months?
I'm not sure if it would ever actually happen, unless the government actually wished it. A government that didn't actually want to leave could place endless obstacles in the way.
If Cameron and the government, or most of it, campaigned for IN and lost would it just be Cameron who resigned? Could the Tory party stay united under those circumstances? If there was another election and a party whose manifesto said they would remain in the EU won would they have to implement the referendum result? It's a can of worms.
It really does depend on the result. If it's 70/30 for In then the Tory party will have to lump it. If it's 53-47 and the 'deal' Cameron negotiated subsequently unravels, it will become a running sore.
Assuming we vote to leave the EU, how long do PBers think it will take from the day we vote, to the day we leave? 18 months?
I'm not sure if it would ever actually happen, unless the government actually wished it. A government that didn't actually want to leave could place endless obstacles in the way.
If Cameron and the government, or most of it, campaigned for IN and lost would it just be Cameron who resigned? Could the Tory party stay united under those circumstances? If there was another election and a party whose manifesto said they would remain in the EU won would they have to implement the referendum result? It's a can of worms.
It really does depend on the result. If it's 70/30 for In then the Tory party will have to lump it. If it's 53-47 and the 'deal' Cameron negotiated subsequently unravels, it will become a running sore.
If its 70/30 In then the Tory Party will mostly have been for In. The BOO Tories will have to lump it, not the Tory Party.
Same is true in reverse if its even 51/49 Out. The In Tories will need to lump it (and the Tory Party voters will mostly have been Out).
Some sort of poll of LABOUR MEMBERS carried out, but in mid-May (hence could have been overtaken by events):
And that’s exactly what we’ve done. As part of a study into the demographics, motivations, opinions and activities of ordinary members funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, some of the fieldwork for which is being conducted by YouGov, we asked nearly 1200 Labour Party members in May who they’d like to see as their next leader. Since we didn’t know at the time who would make it on to the ballot, and since we didn’t want to restrict their choices in case there were any dark horses out there that no one had noticed, we asked members to write in who they wanted rather than present them with a pre-cooked list of possible runners and riders. Their answers suggest that there is, indeed, all to play for.
True, Andy Burnham was – yet again – the front-runner. But he was only the choice of 18 per cent of members – not that far ahead of Chuka Umunna (who hadn’t yet dropped out when we started surveying) on 12 per cent. Next came Yvette Cooper on 8.5 per cent (ahead of Dan Jarvis, who hadn’t yet ruled himself out when we began) on 5 per cent. Liz Kendall, almost certainly because she was far less well-known, even by Labour Party members, than most of the others, was named by just 2 per cent - the same figure, incidentally, as the much better-known prince across the pond, David Miliband. Jeremy Corbyn, by the way, wasn’t put forward by a single respondent.
Still, the most striking thing was that nearly four out of ten grassroots members (37.5 per cent to be precise) said they didn’t yet know who they wanted to succeed Ed Miliband. Add that to the 34 per cent who named somebody outside of the four candidates who eventually made it onto the ballot, and it’s obvious that an awful of a lot of ordinary members’ votes are still very much up for grabs.
I wonder if the government will increase the minimum wage in July, along with these cuts in tax credits. I think Cameron and co. are being incredibly naive if they think employers will simply increase the wages of the low-paid out of the goodness of their hearts.
Delia Smith and Ed Balls will be happy with that. In all seriousness, this is why I'd like the government to increase the MW. Because it really does depend on the employer, and I'm not confident that all employers will follow that example.
It's relatively easy for companies whose workforce is highly paid on average to go to a living wage basis. But the minimum wage is set at the level it is set at for a reason and it is undesirable to price people out of jobs.
The living wage needs to be made something that employers are expected to try to pay wherever possible. How to incentivise that without making it compulsory is a real challenge.
The living wage depends upon whether your job is full-time, part-time and if you're supporting a family independently, or being supported.
The living wage for a single mother supporting three children in private rented accommodation will be by necessity far higher than that for a pensioner doing a couple of afternoons a week part-time work in the supermarket.
I always assumed it was an average. As you say you really cannot have a single figure otherwise.
On a company I am a director of I recently argued that we should set the living wage as a target and aspiration but not a commitment, specifically not a contractual commitment with our staff. I was frankly nervous about having our wage bill so out of our control when the financial situation is somewhat uncertain. The Board agreed. I think most employers would want to retain that flexibility but that does not mean that the NMW cannot be brought a lot closer to the living wage.
Assuming we vote to leave the EU, how long do PBers think it will take from the day we vote, to the day we leave? 18 months?
I'm not sure if it would ever actually happen, unless the government actually wished it. A government that didn't actually want to leave could place endless obstacles in the way.
If Cameron and the government, or most of it, campaigned for IN and lost would it just be Cameron who resigned? Could the Tory party stay united under those circumstances? If there was another election and a party whose manifesto said they would remain in the EU won would they have to implement the referendum result? It's a can of worms.
It really does depend on the result. If it's 70/30 for In then the Tory party will have to lump it. If it's 53-47 and the 'deal' Cameron negotiated subsequently unravels, it will become a running sore.
If its 70/30 In then the Tory Party will mostly have been for In. The BOO Tories will have to lump it, not the Tory Party.
Same is true in reverse if its even 51/49 Out. The In Tories will need to lump it (and the Tory Party voters will mostly have been Out).
It's the parliamentary party that's key here. As much as some may not like it, and prefer the alternative, BOO Tories are still Tories, and part of that Tory party. So if Out loses v.badly then the party as a whole will stop debating the issue - prob for quite a while. The BOO'ers will have to lick their wounds and regroup.
If the vote is as narrow as 51/49 for Out, I expect carnage. That could legal challenges, multiple resignations and possibly include a second referendum to ask the voters if they really meant it.
PT Well their supporters may want Out but for the party the best result is a small In as once the UK has 'achieved independence' there becomes little need for a UK independence party
PT The SNP also won 32% at the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections, only 19% at the 2010 general election, so the surge at Westminster was a result of the indyref result
Cherry picking silly dates nearly a decade obsolete achieves nothing. The SNP won over 45% in 2011. I really shouldn't need to explain this to you but 2011 is both before 2014 and after 2007.
Without the independence referendum, though, I think it's unlikely that the SNP would have seen their vote share surge in the way it did. After the vote, their membership increased five-fold, and they won the backing of everyone who'd voted Yes. Nothing in pre-independence referendum polling indicated that the SNP would win 49% at Westminster.
I disagree. The issue is that we have First Past the Post at Westminster so wasted vote syndrome makes it difficult for a party to displace an alternative on the same wing (SNP and Labour both being left). In 2010 I suggest that Labour "borrowed" under Gordon Brown's leadership the votes of those who'd vote for the SNP otherwise. The SNP displaced Labour across the spectrum besides Westminster years before the Indyref, Westminster was the only bastion of SLAB support left. What makes Westminster so special that the SNP couldn't break through there like they had in every other level of election?
Opinion polls weren't regularly conducted but those that were showed an SNP lead pre-Indyref. In 2012 the SNP polled 39% and prior to the Indyref they were polling 39-40% regularly. Once opinion polls became regular and the idea of an SNP victory became plausible, it became a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Assuming we vote to leave the EU, how long do PBers think it will take from the day we vote, to the day we leave? 18 months?
I'm not sure if it would ever actually happen, unless the government actually wished it. A government that didn't actually want to leave could place endless obstacles in the way.
If Cameron and the government, or most of it, campaigned for IN and lost would it just be Cameron who resigned? Could the Tory party stay united under those circumstances? If there was another election and a party whose manifesto said they would remain in the EU won would they have to implement the referendum result? It's a can of worms.
It really does depend on the result. If it's 70/30 for In then the Tory party will have to lump it. If it's 53-47 and the 'deal' Cameron negotiated subsequently unravels, it will become a running sore.
If its 70/30 In then the Tory Party will mostly have been for In. The BOO Tories will have to lump it, not the Tory Party.
Same is true in reverse if its even 51/49 Out. The In Tories will need to lump it (and the Tory Party voters will mostly have been Out).
It's the parliamentary party that's key here. As much as some may not like it, and prefer the alternative, BOO Tories are still Tories, and part of that Tory party. So if Out loses v.badly then the party as a whole will stop debating the issue - prob for quite a while. The BOO'ers will have to lick their wounds and regroup.
If the vote is as narrow as 51/49 for Out, I expect carnage. That could legal challenges, multiple resignations and possibly include a second referendum to ask the voters if they really meant it.
In 1975 Britain voted by 2:1 to stay in the EEC. Nevertheless, as soon as 1983 Labour were campaigning on a policy of leaving it. I expect Conservative rightwing opponents of the EU to take defeat about as philosophically as Labour leftwing opponents of the EEC took defeat then.
I wonder if the government will increase the minimum wage in July, along with these cuts in tax credits. I think Cameron and co. are being incredibly naive if they think employers will simply increase the wages of the low-paid out of the goodness of their hearts.
Delia Smith and Ed Balls will be happy with that. In all seriousness, this is why I'd like the government to increase the MW. Because it really does depend on the employer, and I'm not confident that all employers will follow that example.
It's relatively easy for companies whose workforce is highly paid on average to go to a living wage basis. But the minimum wage is set at the level it is set at for a reason and it is undesirable to price people out of jobs.
The living wage needs to be made something that employers are expected to try to pay wherever possible. How to incentivise that without making it compulsory is a real challenge.
The living wage depends upon whether your job is full-time, part-time and if you're supporting a family independently, or being supported.
The living wage for a single mother supporting three children in private rented accommodation will be by necessity far higher than that for a pensioner doing a couple of afternoons a week part-time work in the supermarket.
I always assumed it was an average. As you say you really cannot have a single figure otherwise.
On a company I am a director of I recently argued that we should set the living wage as a target and aspiration but not a commitment, specifically not a contractual commitment with our staff. I was frankly nervous about having our wage bill so out of our control when the financial situation is somewhat uncertain. The Board agreed. I think most employers would want to retain that flexibility but that does not mean that the NMW cannot be brought a lot closer to the living wage.
Exactly. But it's become a minimum wage plus. It is starting to become a totem that larger companies that can afford it are using as a stick to beat about smaller family firms with, particularly in public sector competitive procurement tenders.
I think companies should produce the highest quality of goods possible, at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible. But the living wage depends massively on your lifestyle, where you live and your commitments.
I'm not sure the one size fits all target is helpful.
"If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly" Cameron will not want this dominating his entire term as PM with a majority. And the Tories need to find a way to put Humpty back together again before 2020.
I agree with you if talking about the Welfare changes. I also think that a major hike in NMW for 21+ year olds would be best at this time. Maybe combine with raising the starting point of personal NI, or even amalgamating it.....
Assuming we vote to leave the EU, how long do PBers think it will take from the day we vote, to the day we leave? 18 months?
I'm not sure if it would ever actually happen, unless the government actually wished it. A government that didn't actually want to leave could place endless obstacles in the way.
If Cameron and the government, or most of it, campaigned for IN and lost would it just be Cameron who resigned? Could the Tory party stay united under those circumstances? If there was another election and a party whose manifesto said they would remain in the EU won would they have to implement the referendum result? It's a can of worms.
It really does depend on the result. If it's 70/30 for In then the Tory party will have to lump it. If it's 53-47 and the 'deal' Cameron negotiated subsequently unravels, it will become a running sore.
If its 70/30 In then the Tory Party will mostly have been for In. The BOO Tories will have to lump I
Same is true in reverse if its even 51/49 Out. The In Tories will need to lump it (and the Tory Party voters will mostly have been Out).
It's the parliamentary party that's key here. As much as some may not like it, and prefer the alternative, BOO Tories are still Tories, and part of that Tory party. So if Out loses v.badly then the party as a whole will stop debating the issue - prob for quite a while. The BOO'ers will have to lick their wounds and regroup.
If the vote is as narrow as 51/49 for Out, I expect carnage. That could legal challenges, multiple resignations and possibly include a second referendum to ask the voters if they really meant it.
In 1975 Britain voted by 2:1 to stay in the EEC. Nevertheless, as soon as 1983 Labour were campaigning on a policy of leaving it. I expect Conservative rightwing opponents of the EU to take defeat about as philosophically as Labour leftwing opponents of the EEC took defeat then.
Oh sure, they might, but the party won't be listening. It won't need to and the voters won't want it to. So it won't feature in the 2020GE on those sorts of numbers.
I grant you that if the Tories lose in 2020, and the EU continues to change in a way that's perceived as detrimental to Britain, then the issue could be reopened for 2025GE. But something quite significant would have to (or not have to) occur first for that to happen and form part of a manifesto platform.
It will be different if the vote is 58-42 to stay in (roughly what I currently expect) as I suspect the BOO'ers would watch the government like a hawk on all matters EU from D-Day+1.
Cameron's welfare comments today together with plans to reduce the right to strike to little more than a theoretical right leave little doubt now that the Tory party's Arbeit Macht Frei wing is calling the shots.
ah - the nasty party supporters showing their true colours. Newsflash - demonising your opponents before a GE is pretty thick - doing it again after you just lost quite heavily is even thicker.
I always assumed it was an average. As you say you really cannot have a single figure otherwise.
On a company I am a director of I recently argued that we should set the living wage as a target and aspiration but not a commitment, specifically not a contractual commitment with our staff. I was frankly nervous about having our wage bill so out of our control when the financial situation is somewhat uncertain. The Board agreed. I think most employers would want to retain that flexibility but that does not mean that the NMW cannot be brought a lot closer to the living wage.
Exactly. But it's become a minimum wage plus. It is starting to become a totem that larger companies that can afford it are using as a stick to beat about smaller family firms with, particularly in public sector competitive procurement tenders.
I think companies should produce the highest quality of goods possible, at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible. But the living wage depends massively on your lifestyle, where you live and your commitments.
I'm not sure the one size fits all target is helpful.
I am not sure it is meaningful. What is indisputable, however, is that there are serious numbers of very low paid in our society, whatever their personal circumstances. Many of these will have young families. The current bill for WTC and CTC is something like £30bn a year. A significant chunk of the £12bn is likely to come off this sum. So how do you do it?
Well, I would suggest that the first step is to cut the entitlements of those earning more than the national average wage of £26,000 or so. So we have a sharper taper to a lower maximum wage for entitlement. Lots of angst from relatively well paid working mums in that but these are not the most vulnerable.
At the lower end you should be looking to ensure that any reductions should be offset, ideally more than offset, by an increase in the minimum wage. So if the NMW is increased by £1 an hour then the maximum cuts would be £16 a week.
If all this means 20p on a cappuccino it will be money well spent.
I wonder if the government will increase the minimum wage in July, along with these cuts in tax credits. I think Cameron and co. are being incredibly naive if they think employers will simply increase the wages of the low-paid out of the goodness of their hearts.
Delia Smith and Ed Balls will be happy with that....
It's relatively easy for companies whose workforce is highly paid on average to go to a living wage basis. But the minimum wage is set at the level it is set at for a reason and it is undesirable to price people out of jobs.
The living wage needs to be made something that employers are expected to try to pay wherever possible. How to incentivise that without making it compulsory is a real challenge.
The living wage depends upon whether your job is full-time, part-time and if you're supporting a family independently, or being supported.
The living wage for a single mother supporting three children in private rented accommodation will be by necessity far higher than that for a pensioner doing a couple of afternoons a week part-time work in the supermarket.
I always assumed it was an average. As you say you really cannot have a single figure otherwise.
On a company I am a director of I recently argued that we should set the living wage as a target and aspiration but not a commitment, specifically not a contractual commitment with our staff. I was frankly nervous about having our wage bill so out of our control when the financial situation is somewhat uncertain. The Board agreed. I think most employers would want to retain that flexibility but that does not mean that the NMW cannot be brought a lot closer to the living wage.
Exactly. But it's become a minimum wage plus. It is starting to become a totem that larger companies that can afford it are using as a stick to beat about smaller family firms with, particularly in public sector competitive procurement tenders.
I think companies should produce the highest quality of goods possible, at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible. But the living wage depends massively on your lifestyle, where you live and your commitments.
I'm not sure the one size fits all target is helpful.
It's relatively easy for companies whose workforce is highly paid on average to go to a living wage basis. But the minimum wage is set at the level it is set at for a reason and it is undesirable to price people out of jobs.
The living wage needs to be made something that employers are expected to try to pay wherever possible. How to incentivise that without making it compulsory is a real challenge.
Agreed, and I hope that one day it can be achieved.
He's at his peak right now, as a strategist who has been vindicated and as the economy is doing ok (at the momenbt). Unlike Brown he has not really had a huge profile despite being chancellor, and has aided his PM rather than undermined him at every possible turn. So it's just that his time seems to be now, or possibly at any rate. He still seems more like a power behind the throne than a frontman, but he will be in a position to go for it at least, which 3 years ago sounded absurd, and given the surprise results lately, cannot be discounted.
Osborne had a significant enough of a profile to get booed at the Olympics a couple of years ago. Nonetheless, my point on Brown was that his high-profile at that time was not a bad thing - he was considered a colossal political figure, who dominated his brief and politics in general. Osborne is many ways is like that - even if his relationships with Cameron is different to Brown's with Blair's. Osborne is still a dominant figure in the Conservative party, because of his talent as a strategist. But that talent - like Brown's as a strategist - doesn't mean Osborne possesses the personal qualities to appeal to voters as frontman. There is a reason Osborne is the 'submarine' - it's because he knows that Cameron is far better that the gig of being a frontman for Tory polices than anyone else right now.
That is such a no brainer from pretty much every angle, economic, political and moral that I will be genuinely shocked if it does not happen. I am sure Osborne wanted larger real term increases in the NMW before the election but has held it off for this. That was brave but to fail to increase the NMW now would be stupid.
@paulwaugh: IDS says Labour "always used benefits as a means of trying to buy votes". Inc of 14% before one election alone
@PickardJE: IDS tells Commons tax credits usually rose steeply just before general elections under Labour. "His party used benefits as way to buy votes"
I'm sorry I can barely type for laughing at this one. This from the party that stuffed the wallets of pensioners with as much gold as they could get away with in the months running up to GE 2015. Renewing the triple lock, pensioner bonds, universal benefits to stay, talk of IHT reform etc etc.
I always assumed it was an average. As you say you really cannot have a single figure otherwise.
On a company I am a director of I recently argued that we should set the living wage as a target and aspiration but not a commitment, specifically not a contractual commitment with our staff. I was frankly nervous about having our wage bill so out of our control when the financial situation is somewhat uncertain. The Board agreed. I think most employers would want to retain that flexibility but that does not mean that the NMW cannot be brought a lot closer to the living wage.
Exactly. But it's become a minimum wage plus. It is starting to become a totem that larger companies that can afford it are using as a stick to beat about smaller family firms with, particularly in public sector competitive procurement tenders.
I think companies should produce the highest quality of goods possible, at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible. But the living wage depends massively on your lifestyle, where you live and your commitments.
I'm not sure the one size fits all target is helpful.
I am not sure it is meaningful. What is indisputable, however, is that there are serious numbers of very low paid in our society, whatever their personal circumstances. Many of these will have young families. The current bill for WTC and CTC is something like £30bn a year. A significant chunk of the £12bn is likely to come off this sum. So how do you do it?
Well, I would suggest that the first step is to cut the entitlements of those earning more than the national average wage of £26,000 or so. So we have a sharper taper to a lower maximum wage for entitlement. Lots of angst from relatively well paid working mums in that but these are not the most vulnerable.
At the lower end you should be looking to ensure that any reductions should be offset, ideally more than offset, by an increase in the minimum wage. So if the NMW is increased by £1 an hour then the maximum cuts would be £16 a week.
If all this means 20p on a cappuccino it will be money well spent.
Fundamentally, we need a much better skilled/educated workforce and more higher paying jobs in the £20k+ bracket.
Assuming we vote to leave the EU, how long do PBers think it will take from the day we vote, to the day we leave? 18 months?
I'm not sure if it would ever actually happen, unless the government actually wished it. A government that didn't actually want to leave could place endless obstacles in the way.
If Cameron and the government, or most of it, campaigned for IN and lost would it just be Cameron who resigned? Could the Tory party stay united under those circumstances? If there was another election and a party whose manifesto said they would remain in the EU won would they have to implement the referendum result? It's a can of worms.
It really does depend on the result. If it's 70/30 for In then the Tory party will have to lump it. If it's 53-47 and the 'deal' Cameron negotiated subsequently unravels, it will become a running sore.
If its 70/30 In then the Tory Party will mostly have been for In. The BOO Tories will have to lump it, not the Tory Party.
Same is true in reverse if its even 51/49 Out. The In Tories will need to lump it (and the Tory Party voters will mostly have been Out).
It's the parliamentary party that's key here. As much as some may not like it, and prefer the alternative, BOO Tories are still Tories, and part of that Tory party. So if Out loses v.badly then the party as a whole will stop debating the issue - prob for quite a while. The BOO'ers will have to lick their wounds and regroup.
If the vote is as narrow as 51/49 for Out, I expect carnage. That could legal challenges, multiple resignations and possibly include a second referendum to ask the voters if they really meant it.
Well you already have one Tory MP - if he is true to his word - saying he will resign his seat if IN win. I am not convinced there are many others who will be as principled as that but I do think that the idea everything will be happy and all forgiven after the referendum is a pipe dream.
In 1975 Britain voted by 2:1 to stay in the EEC. Nevertheless, as soon as 1983 Labour were campaigning on a policy of leaving it. I expect Conservative rightwing opponents of the EU to take defeat about as philosophically as Labour leftwing opponents of the EEC took defeat then.
One of the oddest aspects of right-wing opposition to the EU is the belief that Britain is an inherently ultra right-wing country which is only held back by alien socialist ideas from Brussels. They act as if our post-war history didn't happen, in much the same way as the extreme left act as if Thatcher were an aberration and not a political force whom the British people rewarded with three majorities.
The living wage needs to be made something that employers are expected to try to pay wherever possible. How to incentivise that without making it compulsory is a real challenge.
Agreed, and I hope that one day it can be achieved.
He's at his peak right now, as a strategist who has been vindicated and as the economy is doing ok (at the momenbt). Unlike Brown he has not really had a huge profile despite being chancellor, and has aided his PM rather than undermined him at every possible turn. So it's just that his time seems to be now, or possibly at any rate. He still seems more like a power behind the throne than a frontman, but he will be in a position to go for it at least, which 3 years ago sounded absurd, and given the surprise results lately, cannot be discounted.
Osborne had a significant enough of a profile to get booed at the Olympics a couple of years ago. Nonetheless, my point on Brown was that his high-profile at that time was not a bad thing - he was considered a colossal political figure, who dominated his brief and politics in general. Osborne is many ways is like that - even if his relationships with Cameron is different to Brown's with Blair's. Osborne is still a dominant figure in the Conservative party, because of his talent as a strategist. But that talent - like Brown's as a strategist - doesn't mean Osborne possesses the personal qualities to appeal to voters as frontman. There is a reason Osborne is the 'submarine' - it's because he knows that Cameron is far better that the gig of being a frontman for Tory polices than anyone else right now.
That is such a no brainer from pretty much every angle, economic, political and moral that I will be genuinely shocked if it does not happen. I am sure Osborne wanted larger real term increases in the NMW before the election but has held it off for this. That was brave but to fail to increase the NMW now would be stupid.
Agreed.
I don't think Osborne has the qualities to be a frontman either, but the point about lower profile,comparitively, I think is important as Brown was a big figure who was admired by many but also despised by many among the public as well as politicians. Osborne has a certain dislike among the public historically, but he's not as much of a big name figure, the kind of politician people recognise easily even now - which means he has a chance, only a chance not a certainty, of becoming more popular now, whereas Brown's image was fixed by the time he sought to become PM, after a brief honeymoon.
Exactly. But it's become a minimum wage plus. It is starting to become a totem that larger companies that can afford it are using as a stick to beat about smaller family firms with, particularly in public sector competitive procurement tenders.
I think companies should produce the highest quality of goods possible, at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible. But the living wage depends massively on your lifestyle, where you live and your commitments.
I'm not sure the one size fits all target is helpful.
I am not sure it is meaningful. What is indisputable, however, is that there are serious numbers of very low paid in our society, whatever their personal circumstances. Many of these will have young families. The current bill for WTC and CTC is something like £30bn a year. A significant chunk of the £12bn is likely to come off this sum. So how do you do it?
Well, I would suggest that the first step is to cut the entitlements of those earning more than the national average wage of £26,000 or so. So we have a sharper taper to a lower maximum wage for entitlement. Lots of angst from relatively well paid working mums in that but these are not the most vulnerable.
At the lower end you should be looking to ensure that any reductions should be offset, ideally more than offset, by an increase in the minimum wage. So if the NMW is increased by £1 an hour then the maximum cuts would be £16 a week.
If all this means 20p on a cappuccino it will be money well spent.
Fundamentally, we need a much better skilled/educated workforce and more higher paying jobs in the £20k+ bracket.
Yes and I think the NMW can be used as a step towards that. At the moment labour is so cheap there is little incentive to train or improve productivity. If it becomes more expensive market forces will encourage employers to look at that. When the employment market is as buoyant as it is at the moment that is something we can absorb.
"If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly" Cameron will not want this dominating his entire term as PM with a majority. And the Tories need to find a way to put Humpty back together again before 2020.
I agree with you if talking about the Welfare changes. I also think that a major hike in NMW for 21+ year olds would be best at this time. Maybe combine with raising the starting point of personal NI, or even amalgamating it.....
I was actually talking about the EU referendum, being loyally on topic at that point. But yes, let's get on with it.
David Cameron today vowed to end the culture of handing people 'a few more extra pounds' in benefits as he set attacked the 'merry-go-round' of Britain's welfare state.
The Prime Minister set out his vision for an 'Opportunity Society', saying he wanted to help fulfil voters' aspirations 'whoever you are' - even those who voted against him.
He singled out tax credits for criticism, with workers taxed and then handed back benefits to top up low pay packets.
In a major speech on reforming the benefits system, Mr Cameron called for a move from a 'low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society'
David Cameron today vowed to end the culture of handing people 'a few more extra pounds' in benefits as he set attacked the 'merry-go-round' of Britain's welfare state.
The Prime Minister set out his vision for an 'Opportunity Society', saying he wanted to help fulfil voters' aspirations 'whoever you are' - even those who voted against him.
He singled out tax credits for criticism, with workers taxed and then handed back benefits to top up low pay packets.
In a major speech on reforming the benefits system, Mr Cameron called for a move from a 'low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society'
I think that this is such an important issue, arguably the single most important issue facing the government today: how do we ensure that the poor and poorly educated get some sort of a chance to make something of themselves in our country?
My only concern is that seeking to address these deep rooted problems and decades of failure by governments of all stripes whilst cutting the benefit bill by £12bn is an incredible ask. The glacial pace of the Universal Credit reforms, which is only a small part of the solution, demonstrates the difficulty of this. Generating the good will and consensus needed for this kind of change in an atmosphere of such cuts will be impossible.
I don't think it's possible to justify any more, the ring-fencing of benefits paid to pensioners.
The oldies do all vote in tremendous numbers though...
Purely anecdotal, but my parents and their immediate circle of friends, all Tory voters, think the benefits paid to pensioners have now become absurd.
I think it's a no-brainer that we stop paying wealthy people benefits, whether they're pensioners or not. I think the priority has to be to ensure that we look after the sick and disabled.
In 1975 Britain voted by 2:1 to stay in the EEC. Nevertheless, as soon as 1983 Labour were campaigning on a policy of leaving it. I expect Conservative rightwing opponents of the EU to take defeat about as philosophically as Labour leftwing opponents of the EEC took defeat then.
One of the oddest aspects of right-wing opposition to the EU is the belief that Britain is an inherently ultra right-wing country which is only held back by alien socialist ideas from Brussels. They act as if our post-war history didn't happen, in much the same way as the extreme left act as if Thatcher were an aberration and not a political force whom the British people rewarded with three majorities.
Except that is not the issue. It is not a matter of considering the EU more left wing than the UK. The fact is that it does have a somewhat different agenda and outlook on many issues and whether that is from the right or the left it should not have the ability to impose those views on the UK.
A good example is VAT on household heating bills. Major decided to put VAT on household heating bills. I, from the right, and many others from the left thought this was wrong. Household heating is a basic necessity like food and should not be taxed as a discretionary purchase.
But when the Blair Government came to do something about it after 1997 they could not. They could reduce it from 8% to 5% but they could not get rid of it because VAT is, in part at least, an EU competence and once the zero rating has been revoked it cannot be reinstated.
Now personally I think that is wrong. It should not be for the EU to decide whether we tax heating fuel or not, it should be for the Government of the day to make that decision and suffer the consequences if the public disagree.
So this is not about left vs right per se. It is about decision making resting with the elected Government at Westminster (or Hollyrood) not with the EU.
Chancellor George Osborne is widely expected to target child benefit in his Budget on July 8 as part of cuts to Britain's bloated welfare budget.
But any changes would have to apply both to Britons and migrant workers from Europe to comply with EU non-discrimination rules.
Child tax credit can add more than £100 a week to workers' take home pay. Its level depends on how much a person earns and how many children they have.
Treasury figures uncovered by the Mail show that in December 2012 a total of 4,011 EU workers were receiving the tax credit for 6,838 children living outside the UK.
By March of this year that figure increased to 7,026 awards for a total of 11,762 children.
David Cameron today vowed to end the culture of handing people 'a few more extra pounds' in benefits as he set attacked the 'merry-go-round' of Britain's welfare state.
The Prime Minister set out his vision for an 'Opportunity Society', saying he wanted to help fulfil voters' aspirations 'whoever you are' - even those who voted against him.
He singled out tax credits for criticism, with workers taxed and then handed back benefits to top up low pay packets.
In a major speech on reforming the benefits system, Mr Cameron called for a move from a 'low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society'
how do we ensure that the poor and poorly educated get some sort of a chance to make something of themselves in our country?
And if "we" are Labour, why would we want them to?
So cynical James. As Oscar Wilde told us a long time ago a cynic is someone who knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing. I know a lot of people in the Labour party (admittedly at low levels) and they really do not think like that, not at all.
Cameron's welfare comments today together with plans to reduce the right to strike to little more than a theoretical right leave little doubt now that the Tory party's Arbeit Macht Frei wing is calling the shots.
ah - the nasty party supporters showing their true colours. Newsflash - demonising your opponents before a GE is pretty thick - doing it again after you just lost quite heavily is even thicker.
I yearn for a credible, thoughtful opposition. I could never vote Labour because a good chunk of their supporters think I'm scum, just because I've voted Tory in the past.
The obvious low-hanging fruit for cutting pensioner benefits is the free TV licence. The Treasury should stop writing a cheque to the BBC and ask them to cover the cost. The louder their objections, the greater the case for more fundamental reform.
In 1975 Britain voted by 2:1 to stay in the EEC. Nevertheless, as soon as 1983 Labour were campaigning on a policy of leaving it. I expect Conservative rightwing opponents of the EU to take defeat about as philosophically as Labour leftwing opponents of the EEC took defeat then.
One of the oddest aspects of right-wing opposition to the EU is the belief that Britain is an inherently ultra right-wing country which is only held back by alien socialist ideas from Brussels. They act as if our post-war history didn't happen, in much the same way as the extreme left act as if Thatcher were an aberration and not a political force whom the British people rewarded with three majorities.
So this is not about left vs right per se. It is about decision making resting with the elected Government at Westminster (or Hollyrood) not with the EU.
I wouldn't caricature your views that way and you raise a good point about VAT. My comment was more aimed at the likes of Daniel Hannan and his ahistorical guff about the 'anglosphere'.
Assuming we vote to leave the EU, how long do PBers think it will take from the day we vote, to the day we leave? 18 months?
I'm not sure if it would ever actually happen, unless the government actually wished it. A government that didn't actually want to leave could place endless obstacles in the way.
If Cameron and the government, or most of it, campaigned for IN and lost would it just be Cameron who resigned? Could the Tory party stay united under those circumstances? If there was another election and a party whose manifesto said they would remain in the EU won would they have to implement the referendum result? It's a can of worms.
It really does depend on the result. If it's 70/30 for In then the Tory party will have to lump it. If it's 53-47 and the 'deal' Cameron negotiated subsequently unravels, it will become a running sore.
If its 70/30 In then the Tory Party will mostly have been for In. The BOO Tories will have to lump it, not the Tory Party.
Same is true in reverse if its even 51/49 Out. The In Tories will need to lump it (and the Tory Party voters will mostly have been Out).
It's the parliamentary party that's key here. As much as some may not like it, and prefer the alternative, BOO Tories are still Tories, and part of that Tory party. So if Out loses v.badly then the party as a whole will stop debating the issue - prob for quite a while. The BOO'ers will have to lick their wounds and regroup.
If the vote is as narrow as 51/49 for Out, I expect carnage. That could legal challenges, multiple resignations and possibly include a second referendum to ask the voters if they really meant it.
Well you already have one Tory MP - if he is true to his word - saying he will resign his seat if IN win. I am not convinced there are many others who will be as principled as that but I do think that the idea everything will be happy and all forgiven after the referendum is a pipe dream.
Not sure that it is "principled": he was elected as an MP on the basis that it was a member of the EU. He's just said "it won't be any fun, so I don't want to play" - seems to me to be entirely self-serving rather than sticking up for the interests of his constituents
Cameron's welfare comments today together with plans to reduce the right to strike to little more than a theoretical right leave little doubt now that the Tory party's Arbeit Macht Frei wing is calling the shots.
ah - the nasty party supporters showing their true colours. Newsflash - demonising your opponents before a GE is pretty thick - doing it again after you just lost quite heavily is even thicker.
I yearn for a credible, thoughtful opposition. I could never vote Labour because a good chunk of their supporters think I'm scum, just because I've voted Tory in the past.
"never kiss a tory" like some kind of untouchable from the Indian caste system.
Cameron's welfare comments today together with plans to reduce the right to strike to little more than a theoretical right leave little doubt now that the Tory party's Arbeit Macht Frei wing is calling the shots.
ah - the nasty party supporters showing their true colours. Newsflash - demonising your opponents before a GE is pretty thick - doing it again after you just lost quite heavily is even thicker.
I yearn for a credible, thoughtful opposition. I could never vote Labour because a good chunk of their supporters think I'm scum, just because I've voted Tory in the past.
"never kiss a tory" like some kind of untouchable from the Indian caste system.
In 1975 Britain voted by 2:1 to stay in the EEC. Nevertheless, as soon as 1983 Labour were campaigning on a policy of leaving it. I expect Conservative rightwing opponents of the EU to take defeat about as philosophically as Labour leftwing opponents of the EEC took defeat then.
One of the oddest aspects of right-wing opposition to the EU is the belief that Britain is an inherently ultra right-wing country which is only held back by alien socialist ideas from Brussels. They act as if our post-war history didn't happen, in much the same way as the extreme left act as if Thatcher were an aberration and not a political force whom the British people rewarded with three majorities.
So this is not about left vs right per se. It is about decision making resting with the elected Government at Westminster (or Hollyrood) not with the EU.
I wouldn't caricature your views that way and you raise a good point about VAT. My comment was more aimed at the likes of Daniel Hannan and his ahistorical guff about the 'anglosphere'.
I fear you pay me too much credit.
I do agree with Hannan that we have far more in common with the Anglosphere culturally, legally and economically than we do with our European neighbours.
It showed in a small way the other day when a number of commentators on here failed to realise the different emphasis put on the preamble to treaties in European law compared to UK law.
Serious non PC question : can Yvette "Cooper" resist becoming Mrs Balls ? Is keeping your maiden name compatible with relating to "hard working families" - any stats on % of married women who do or don't take their husbands surnames ?.
I must admit I did think the idea of holding a referendum that one wants to win in October was a 'courageous' decision.
July and August may not be good because of of school holidays so maybe September would be the best chance of good weather and so a high turnout of the undecideds/unconcerneds.
I don't see a problem with October - it used to be the favoured month to hold general elections.
In 1975 Britain voted by 2:1 to stay in the EEC. Nevertheless, as soon as 1983 Labour were campaigning on a policy of leaving it. I expect Conservative rightwing opponents of the EU to take defeat about as philosophically as Labour leftwing opponents of the EEC took defeat then.
One of the oddest aspects of right-wing opposition to the EU is the belief that Britain is an inherently ultra right-wing country which is only held back by alien socialist ideas from Brussels. They act as if our post-war history didn't happen, in much the same way as the extreme left act as if Thatcher were an aberration and not a political force whom the British people rewarded with three majorities.
So this is not about left vs right per se. It is about decision making resting with the elected Government at Westminster (or Hollyrood) not with the EU.
I wouldn't caricature your views that way and you raise a good point about VAT. My comment was more aimed at the likes of Daniel Hannan and his ahistorical guff about the 'anglosphere'.
What is ahistorical about the Anglosphere? There have been plenty of left-wing movements in other English-speaking countries.
Comments
Not even slightly temped by the referendum odds, but I'd say it's fairly likely to slip to 2017 as they seek a "final, final, set of concessions", either to buttress the IN vote or to stop a party schism.
When does the date have to be set? Conditions at the end of this year will be instructive - but much too late.
It were done quickly"
Cameron will not want this dominating his entire term as PM with a majority. And the Tories need to find a way to put Humpty back together again before 2020.
July and August may not be good because of of school holidays so maybe September would be the best chance of good weather and so a high turnout of the undecideds/unconcerneds.
The Prime Minister set out his vision for an 'Opportunity Society', saying he wanted to help fulfil voters' aspirations 'whoever you are' - even those who voted against him.
He singled out tax credits for criticism, with workers taxed and then handed back benefits to top up low pay packets.
In a major speech on reforming the benefits system, Mr Cameron called for a move from a 'low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3133823/David-Cameron-vows-stop-benefits-merry-round-consigned-thousands-scrapheap.html
Presumably, Cameron is also keeping an eye on the Greek situation. Economic volatility from a Grexit might hit the "In" side pretty hard.
https://youtu.be/e-r_C7bJP60
is news
and absolutely wonderful.
11-10 First half of 2016 looks too short.
Hopefully if we leave, we'll be able to carry on a free trade relaionship and neither side will embark on any protectionist tarriff schemes but I have my doubts.
I do worry about this point the most. On the plus side we'll be out of the CAP and CFP
My only concern is that seeking to address these deep rooted problems and decades of failure by governments of all stripes whilst cutting the benefit bill by £12bn is an incredible ask. The glacial pace of the Universal Credit reforms, which is only a small part of the solution, demonstrates the difficulty of this. Generating the good will and consensus needed for this kind of change in an atmosphere of such cuts will be impossible.
They will just keep holding referendums until they get the answer they want.
Would a vote for Out (after Cameron had campaigned for IN) trigger Cameron's resignation?
If he loses (having backed IN) then he will go as a result.
If he wins then I think he will want to get out before his deals/promises start to unwind.
Employee Benefits @EmployeeBenefit · 2h2 hours ago
.@NorwichCityFC to pay living wage http://bit.ly/1GhPlmS #pay #reward #livingwage @LivingWageUK
OTBC.
On that topic Farage has been a bit quiet recently, what's he up to? Writing a biographic musical of his life story? Building a bunker in Kent in case we vote to stay in?
Also although Westminster Scotland-only opinion polls weren't done too often pre-referendum those that were began to give the SNP a lead over Labour in 2012. Again years before 2014.
That's why I've put a small saver bet on Owen Paterson as next Tory leader, at long odds. He looks to me the most credible and best-positioned potential leader in that scenario.
It would have to be someone not associated with the current government, and not identified with the Cameron project, yet at the same time someone serious (i.e. not Fox or DD).
The living wage needs to be made something that employers are expected to try to pay wherever possible. How to incentivise that without making it compulsory is a real challenge.
Exclusive: Greek econ minister Stathakis tells me government heads communique to say outline of Greek deal agreed, subject to technical work
If there was another election and a party whose manifesto said they would remain in the EU won would they have to implement the referendum result?
It's a can of worms.
@PickardJE: IDS tells Commons tax credits usually rose steeply just before general elections under Labour. "His party used benefits as way to buy votes"
*except when it's about AV
Im-per-son-ate! Angry dwarf is jailed after sticking a sucker dart on his head and pretending to be a Dalek in row which led to him being Tasered twice by police
Ian Salter-Bromley filled mouth with dominoes and shouted 'Exterminate!'
He chanted 'I'm a Dalek! I'm going to kill you!' in manner of Dr Who creature
Officers Tasered 55-year-old after they 'feared for their welfare', court told
Incident part of campaign of abuse in which he spread excrement in Hull council offices
http://dailym.ai/1BwSRNu
Opinion polls weren't regularly conducted but those that were showed an SNP lead pre-Indyref. In 2012 the SNP polled 39% and prior to the Indyref they were polling 39-40% regularly. Once opinion polls became regular and the idea of an SNP victory became plausible, it became a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The living wage for a single mother supporting three children in private rented accommodation will be by necessity far higher than that for a pensioner doing a couple of afternoons a week part-time work in the supermarket.
I think the fact it was on the day of Lady Thatcher's funeral, was merely coincidental.
Same is true in reverse if its even 51/49 Out. The In Tories will need to lump it (and the Tory Party voters will mostly have been Out).
Some sort of poll of LABOUR MEMBERS carried out, but in mid-May (hence could have been overtaken by events): http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/06/who-will-win-labour-leadership-election-its-little-early-tell
On a company I am a director of I recently argued that we should set the living wage as a target and aspiration but not a commitment, specifically not a contractual commitment with our staff. I was frankly nervous about having our wage bill so out of our control when the financial situation is somewhat uncertain. The Board agreed. I think most employers would want to retain that flexibility but that does not mean that the NMW cannot be brought a lot closer to the living wage.
If the vote is as narrow as 51/49 for Out, I expect carnage. That could legal challenges, multiple resignations and possibly include a second referendum to ask the voters if they really meant it.
Looking at these numbers, you go from an SNP lead over Labour of low to mid single figures, pre-referendum, to 20% -30% post-referendum.
The SNP would, in all likelihood, have put on votes strongly, compared to 2010, but the referendum gave them a shot in the arm.
I think companies should produce the highest quality of goods possible, at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible. But the living wage depends massively on your lifestyle, where you live and your commitments.
I'm not sure the one size fits all target is helpful.
I also think that a major hike in NMW for 21+ year olds would be best at this time. Maybe combine with raising the starting point of personal NI, or even amalgamating it.....
So it won't feature in the 2020GE on those sorts of numbers.
I grant you that if the Tories lose in 2020, and the EU continues to change in a way that's perceived as detrimental to Britain, then the issue could be reopened for 2025GE. But something quite significant would have to (or not have to) occur first for that to happen and form part of a manifesto platform.
It will be different if the vote is 58-42 to stay in (roughly what I currently expect) as I suspect the BOO'ers would watch the government like a hawk on all matters EU from D-Day+1.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P3uZGht_uI
Well, I would suggest that the first step is to cut the entitlements of those earning more than the national average wage of £26,000 or so. So we have a sharper taper to a lower maximum wage for entitlement. Lots of angst from relatively well paid working mums in that but these are not the most vulnerable.
At the lower end you should be looking to ensure that any reductions should be offset, ideally more than offset, by an increase in the minimum wage. So if the NMW is increased by £1 an hour then the maximum cuts would be £16 a week.
If all this means 20p on a cappuccino it will be money well spent.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-33223380
I had hope it would be Downfall of Scottish Labour.
Dougie, Dougie has lost his seat to a wee gurl.
A good example is VAT on household heating bills. Major decided to put VAT on household heating bills. I, from the right, and many others from the left thought this was wrong. Household heating is a basic necessity like food and should not be taxed as a discretionary purchase.
But when the Blair Government came to do something about it after 1997 they could not. They could reduce it from 8% to 5% but they could not get rid of it because VAT is, in part at least, an EU competence and once the zero rating has been revoked it cannot be reinstated.
Now personally I think that is wrong. It should not be for the EU to decide whether we tax heating fuel or not, it should be for the Government of the day to make that decision and suffer the consequences if the public disagree.
So this is not about left vs right per se. It is about decision making resting with the elected Government at Westminster (or Hollyrood) not with the EU.
But any changes would have to apply both to Britons and migrant workers from Europe to comply with EU non-discrimination rules.
Child tax credit can add more than £100 a week to workers' take home pay. Its level depends on how much a person earns and how many children they have.
Treasury figures uncovered by the Mail show that in December 2012 a total of 4,011 EU workers were receiving the tax credit for 6,838 children living outside the UK.
By March of this year that figure increased to 7,026 awards for a total of 11,762 children.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3133816/12-000-living-outside-UK-child-tax-credit.html
I do agree with Hannan that we have far more in common with the Anglosphere culturally, legally and economically than we do with our European neighbours.
It showed in a small way the other day when a number of commentators on here failed to realise the different emphasis put on the preamble to treaties in European law compared to UK law.