There was a young fellow called Streeting Who went to a very short meeting. He looked at Sir Keir With nothing to fear And said “Sir, expect a sound beating”.
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
To be fair I feel sorry for Charles who must feel compromised and uncomfortable
Indeed Beth Rigby announced Streeting to stand just before Charles started speaking
He can always abdicate.
Haddaway and shite, as I believe they say oop here in t’north
This pitiful political chaos makes me evermore thankful we have a monarchy, above it. Despite pillocks like Andrew it is a consoling and important source of stability
Least friendly: Burnham 6/10, Raynor 3/10, Miliband 1/10 Most friendly: Streeting 9/10, Miliband 1/10
So an immediate contest is viewed less unfavourably than one that waits for Burnham.
Would leftish Labour people think differently about government bonds if instead of describing it as the 'bond market' it was described as the funds in which their UK pension funds hold nearly a trillion pounds of the worker's cash, out of which the boilermakers, train drivers and factory workers draw their hard earne pensuions?
Do they know any of this?
You'd like to think they would but who knows. Also, if you don't like the bond markets, don't run a deficit (although given you also have to roll debt worth 90% odd of GDP that ship has sailed anyway).
I think the likes of that particular MP think that 'bond markets' are in the UK so have to do what the government tells them. I don't think it's clicked that these are foreigners whom we cannot force to lend us money.
Well... I'm not advising this approach mind, but if a government was minded to try to coerce the bond market they could pass a law that forced British pension funds to invest a certain proportion of their money into British government bonds - this isn't a new idea, various owner have raised the idea of using pension fund money to pay for infrastructure investment for example.
I'm sure it would have terrible long-term consequences, but for a government determined to impose its will on the bond market it is a temporary expedient that would kick the can that bit further down the road.
If you’re the Health Secretary, and you want to take over from a Labour PM, and you’re doing it in and around the King’s Speech; shouldn’t you manufacture some sort of dispute over NHS funding or services so the Party thinks you’re great? Why wouldn’t you?
We're really going to get chaos with Ed aren't we. Sigh.
Or anarchy with Ange
All very exciting. What is certain is a hideous civil war, lasting months, which sends the bond markets mad and probably leads to a gennylec and then Prime Minister Big Nige by Christmas Eve
Heh
Labour has a big majority, even if we had 99% unemployment and an economy consisting solely of EDI officers, human rights lawyers and civil servants Labour MPs still wouldn't vote for an early general election
You don’t understand the mechanics
If there is a bond strike (really quite possible now) and Britain teeters towards bankruptcy, the markets will demand massive brutal cuts in benefits. As that’s the only way to grow the economy and therefore service the debts. Massive tax hikes will just make it all worse
So then the Labour PM has to persuade Labour MPs to vote for the most severe welfare cuts since thatcher. Or beyond. How many will vote for that?
Very few. Political stasis ensues. But the bond markets won’t wait. Cue: General election as the only way to break the deadlock
They won't, Labour MPs will tell them tough, they have paid for their big spending with tax rises and aren't budging even if every bond trader and half the FTSE100 company HQs moves abroad. Labour has a big majority for 5 years, which you helped give them and now if you get pure raw socialism with Rayner, Ed Miliband or Burnham don't say you were not warned!
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
The fact there are already a range of options to prove your identity makes the case for yet another even weaker.
A minister resigning just as the king arrives in Parliament?
No, he's purposely delayed resigning until after that, if the stories in the header are correct. (And has yet to comment directly himself.)
Letting his friends announce he's resigning tomorrow, so as to not distract from today's events?
That's fucking mental.
I would imagine it is rogue MPs rather than authorised allies. 24 hour rolling news huh?
Wes had the choice over who he told; if he wanted to keep it secret he didn't need to tell anyone
He had to leak it now otherwise the idea would have been established that he'd chickened out, that Starmer had seen him off, and he would have looked absurd belatedly going over the top tomorrow.
There was a young fellow called Streeting Who went to a very short meeting. He looked at Sir Keir With nothing to fear And said “Sir, expect a sound beating”.
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
I paste here the contents of a letter I sent to my MP last year on the subject:
I am writing to you as a constituent in North Leith to express my deep concern regarding the proposed UK Digital Identity Bill, particularly the mandatory “BritCard” system. While I understand the government’s stated aims of improving service delivery and tackling illegal immigration, I believe this proposal raises serious issues that merit your attention—especially given your commitment to parliamentary integrity, civil liberties, and protecting vulnerable communities.
Firstly, the Bill was not included in the Labour Party’s 2024 election manifesto. Introducing such a significant change to the citizen-state relationship without a clear democratic mandate undermines public trust and the principles of parliamentary accountability. As a member of the Procedure Select Committee, I hope you will agree that legislation of this scale should be subject to full scrutiny, consultation, and a free vote.
Secondly, the proposed system centralises biometric data and links it to facial recognition infrastructure already being deployed across the UK. This raises profound civil liberties concerns, including the erosion of anonymity in public spaces, the risk of surveillance creep, and the potential for exclusion of digitally marginalised groups. These issues intersect with your work on the APPG for Commercial Sexual Exploitation, where protecting vulnerable individuals from systemic harm is a core concern.
Thirdly, the claim that this system will effectively address illegal immigration is questionable. Most undocumented work occurs outside formal systems, and enforcement—not identification—is the real bottleneck. Without stronger oversight and resourcing, this policy risks being symbolic rather than substantive, while introducing new risks to liberty and privacy.
I urge you to raise these concerns in Parliament and advocate for:
A full public consultation Independent statutory oversight A voluntary, privacy-preserving identity framework A free vote on any future legislation The UK has a proud tradition of protecting civil liberties and resisting compulsory identification schemes. I believe we must ensure that any digital transformation respects those values and does not compromise the rights of the people it aims to serve.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Also please don’t write anything good in the Knappers Digest about Northumberland or the North East. We don’t want any more southerners coming up here.
A minister resigning just as the king arrives in Parliament?
No, he's purposely delayed resigning until after that, if the stories in the header are correct. (And has yet to comment directly himself.)
Letting his friends announce he's resigning tomorrow, so as to not distract from today's events?
That's fucking mental.
I would imagine it is rogue MPs rather than authorised allies. 24 hour rolling news huh?
Wes had the choice over who he told; if he wanted to keep it secret he didn't need to tell anyone
He had to leak it now otherwise the idea would have been established that he'd chickened out, that Starmer had seen him off, and he would have looked absurd belatedly going over the top tomorrow.
Surely Starmer should just fire him now? Badenoch fired Jenrick when it leaked that he was defecting
A minister resigning just as the king arrives in Parliament?
No, he's purposely delayed resigning until after that, if the stories in the header are correct. (And has yet to comment directly himself.)
Letting his friends announce he's resigning tomorrow, so as to not distract from today's events?
That's fucking mental.
I would imagine it is rogue MPs rather than authorised allies. 24 hour rolling news huh?
Wes had the choice over who he told; if he wanted to keep it secret he didn't need to tell anyone
He had to leak it now otherwise the idea would have been established that he'd chickened out, that Starmer had seen him off, and he would have looked absurd belatedly going over the top tomorrow.
He could have had it leaked ten minutes after the speech rather than ten minutes before.
A minister resigning just as the king arrives in Parliament?
No, he's purposely delayed resigning until after that, if the stories in the header are correct. (And has yet to comment directly himself.)
Letting his friends announce he's resigning tomorrow, so as to not distract from today's events?
That's fucking mental.
I would imagine it is rogue MPs rather than authorised allies. 24 hour rolling news huh?
Wes had the choice over who he told; if he wanted to keep it secret he didn't need to tell anyone
He had to leak it now otherwise the idea would have been established that he'd chickened out, that Starmer had seen him off, and he would have looked absurd belatedly going over the top tomorrow.
Surely Starmer should just fire him now? Badenoch fired Jenrick when it leaked that he was defecting
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
The fact there are already a range of options to prove your identity makes the case for yet another even weaker.
Why spend vast sums setting up a new system?
A driving license which doesn't allow one to drive, and therefore to which everyone is entitled, would be a good incremental start.
They were already at extremely low levels due to incredibly high.demand over the past few years.
I believe there are huge numbers of popcorn ships stuck in the Gulf as well, unable to transit Hormuz. The UAE have announced that they are building one of those reinforced glass pressurised air tubes to bypass the Straights but it could be a few years before it comes online.
Thus, the high price of popcorn in your local Odeon.
What we need is a coalition of the willing to break the blockade.
Assuming he follows through I have to say I'm very impressed by Streeting's "actually run against the leader" approach to running against the leader as opposed to everyone else's "scheme and bitch and brief the press a lot" approach.
What I can’t get out of my head is that if Streeting *does* resign and run tomorrow (and assuming he’s got the numbers). Even if he wins how is his position going to be stable? Even if he beats a Burnham-adjacent candidate on the list (say Rayner or Milliband) that is not the same as having beaten Burnham.
There is nothing I have seen from Burnham’s character that suggests in the event of a Streeting win he’ll just slope off to Manchester Town Hall and get on with the job. To be sure a Streeting PM may get some period of grace - but assuming he faces the same or similar brickbats that Starmer has (lets be honest the fiscal maths won’t have changed - and may have got worse) how long before Burnham (and his related fans) starts agitating for a seat? And the farce goes on.
Back in the day we used to mock the Belgium for being ungovernable. However, ever since the Brexit referendum the Belgium appears to be the exemplar of stability. What has gone wrong in UK politics?
They were already at extremely low levels due to incredibly high.demand over the past few years.
I believe there are huge numbers of popcorn ships stuck in the Gulf as well, unable to transit Hormuz. The UAE have announced that they are building one of those reinforced glass pressurised air tubes to bypass the Straights but it could be a few years before it comes online.
Thus, the high price of popcorn in your local Odeon.
What we need is a coalition of the willing to break the blockade.
"...Ajax. The numbers tell that story by themselves. 5.5 billion. 589 vehicles ordered 8 years late. Crew limited to 105 minutes inside the vehicle and 20 mph because the noise and vibration were causing nausea, hearing loss, and tingling hands. 310 soldiers needed hearing assessments. 11 were medically discharged with permanent hearing loss. The cannon could not fire on the move. The vehicle could not reverse over an obstacle higher than 20 cm.
In November 2025, the Ministry of Defense declared the Ajax at initial operating capability. 16 days later, after 30 Household cavalry and Royal Lancer soldiers reported the same symptoms during exercise Titan Storm, the program was halted again..."
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
The fact there are already a range of options to prove your identity makes the case for yet another even weaker.
Why spend vast sums setting up a new system?
A driving license which doesn't allow one to drive, and therefore to which everyone is entitled, would be a good incremental start.
Much like the last time this was tried, the idea of a national id card per se could work, there are fairly obvious objections but if it were Just A Card (tm) then I may be persuaded. That was/is not the issue here, the actual card is not the debate, the id is digital, could be on your phone (how handy is that? lolz) and it's the system behind it that is the problem. It is the shift in relationship between us and the state that is the problem. Once a government approved digital id id rolled out, it will become the gold standard and every agent, body, company will require it.
Assuming he follows through I have to say I'm very impressed by Streeting's "actually run against the leader" approach to running against the leader as opposed to everyone else's "scheme and bitch and brief the press a lot" approach.
What I can’t get out of my head is that if Streeting *does* resign and run tomorrow (and assuming he’s got the numbers). Even if he wins how is his position going to be stable? Even if he beats a Burnham-adjacent candidate on the list (say Rayner or Milliband) that is not the same as having beaten Burnham.
There is nothing I have seen from Burnham’s character that suggests in the event of a Streeting win he’ll just slope off to Manchester Town Hall and get on with the job. To be sure a Streeting PM may get some period of grace - but assuming he faces the same or similar brickbats that Starmer has (lets be honest the fiscal maths won’t have changed - and may have got worse) how long before Burnham (and his related fans) starts agitating for a seat? And the farce goes on.
Back in the day we used to mock the Belgium for being ungovernable. However, ever since the Brexit referendum the Belgium appears to be the exemplar of stability. What has gone wrong in UK politics?
Parties gave members the votes instead of MPs and allowed standing leaders to be challenged. It was regarded as a democratising exercise. It did not take into account the fact that people panic.
We're really going to get chaos with Ed aren't we. Sigh.
Or anarchy with Ange
All very exciting. What is certain is a hideous civil war, lasting months, which sends the bond markets mad and probably leads to a gennylec and then Prime Minister Big Nige by Christmas Eve
Heh
Labour has a big majority, even if we had 99% unemployment and an economy consisting solely of EDI officers, human rights lawyers and civil servants Labour MPs still wouldn't vote for an early general election
You don’t understand the mechanics
If there is a bond strike (really quite possible now) and Britain teeters towards bankruptcy, the markets will demand massive brutal cuts in benefits. As that’s the only way to grow the economy and therefore service the debts. Massive tax hikes will just make it all worse
So then the Labour PM has to persuade Labour MPs to vote for the most severe welfare cuts since thatcher. Or beyond. How many will vote for that?
Very few. Political stasis ensues. But the bond markets won’t wait. Cue: General election as the only way to break the deadlock
They won't, Labour MPs will tell them tough, they have paid for their big spending with tax rises and aren't budging even if every bond trader and half the FTSE100 company HQs moves abroad. Labour has a big majority for 5 years, which you helped give them and now if you get pure raw socialism with Rayner, Ed Miliband or Burnham don't say you were not warned!
You have the economic literacy of the average Labour MP
You can’t say “tough” to the bond markets, no more than you can ignore the laws of gravity or mathematics. Britain runs a huge deficit and debt is now about 100% GDP. We are entirely reliant on the kindness of strangers to keep paying for the NHS and the army and the pensions and the bennies of 3m foreigners on UC
So if you say “tough” to the market they stop lending to us. That’s it. How do we then pay for the indebted British state? The only choice is to print our own money but then, if we still keep spending and don’t do savage cuts, we swiftly become Argentina, then Zimbabwe, then Weimar Germany and then a British Hitler takes over
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
It’s the utterly mental scope creep every time.
An ID card system could be *one* table in a database - might need a bit more, but not much.
Simple website to access the data. A few endpoints.
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
It’s the utterly mental scope creep every time.
An ID card system could be *one* table in a database - might need a bit more, but not much.
Simple website to access the data. A few endpoints.
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
The fact there are already a range of options to prove your identity makes the case for yet another even weaker.
Why spend vast sums setting up a new system?
A driving license which doesn't allow one to drive, and therefore to which everyone is entitled, would be a good incremental start.
Surely it wouldn't be a driving license if it doesn't license driving?
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
It’s the utterly mental scope creep every time.
An ID card system could be *one* table in a database - might need a bit more, but not much.
Simple website to access the data. A few endpoints.
But not sexy then.
I do not trust the government to safely implement anything like this, at all. The honeypot of all honeypots for id fraudsters.
Yes. I distrust the oft-heard line that he can't win because the membership hate him. Most of that comes from people on the left left who used to be members. The left left left because of Starmer and McSweeney.
Disclaimer: I'm long of him in decent size and need the profit to cure my nasty loss on laying the SKS 2026 exit.
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
The fact there are already a range of options to prove your identity makes the case for yet another even weaker.
Why spend vast sums setting up a new system?
A driving license which doesn't allow one to drive, and therefore to which everyone is entitled, would be a good incremental start.
That is the answer in a number of American states - a non-driving driving license.
I note that my eldest daughter and many of her friends already use the provisional driving license in exactly this manner - as an ID card, not necessarily for driving lessons.
🧵The "Energy Independence Bill" just mentioned in the King's Speech is something of a bombshell. Why? Because it compels the govt to rally Parliament behind fresh legislation to ban new North Sea oil/gas licences (this has NOT been written into law yet). This is a v big deal!
Assuming he follows through I have to say I'm very impressed by Streeting's "actually run against the leader" approach to running against the leader as opposed to everyone else's "scheme and bitch and brief the press a lot" approach.
What I can’t get out of my head is that if Streeting *does* resign and run tomorrow (and assuming he’s got the numbers). Even if he wins how is his position going to be stable? Even if he beats a Burnham-adjacent candidate on the list (say Rayner or Milliband) that is not the same as having beaten Burnham.
There is nothing I have seen from Burnham’s character that suggests in the event of a Streeting win he’ll just slope off to Manchester Town Hall and get on with the job. To be sure a Streeting PM may get some period of grace - but assuming he faces the same or similar brickbats that Starmer has (lets be honest the fiscal maths won’t have changed - and may have got worse) how long before Burnham (and his related fans) starts agitating for a seat? And the farce goes on.
Back in the day we used to mock the Belgium for being ungovernable. However, ever since the Brexit referendum the Belgium appears to be the exemplar of stability. What has gone wrong in UK politics?
I don't think the situation you describe shows anything being ungovernable. There's a government today, they're governing things. If they change leader the new leader will be doing mostly the same things.
Some countries change leader a lot. Japan does, the LDP leadership is a 3 year post and there's no assumption you'll get another one when it ends. If anything the ones with frequent leader changes actually seem to have more stable policy direction.
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
The fact there are already a range of options to prove your identity makes the case for yet another even weaker.
Why spend vast sums setting up a new system?
A driving license which doesn't allow one to drive, and therefore to which everyone is entitled, would be a good incremental start.
That is the answer in a number of American states - a non-driving driving license.
I note that my eldest daughter and many of her friends already use the provisional driving license in exactly this manner - as an ID card, not necessarily for driving lessons.
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
The fact there are already a range of options to prove your identity makes the case for yet another even weaker.
Why spend vast sums setting up a new system?
A driving license which doesn't allow one to drive, and therefore to which everyone is entitled, would be a good incremental start.
Surely it wouldn't be a driving license if it doesn't license driving?
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
The fact there are already a range of options to prove your identity makes the case for yet another even weaker.
Why spend vast sums setting up a new system?
A driving license which doesn't allow one to drive, and therefore to which everyone is entitled, would be a good incremental start.
Ok, assuming Steeeting has 81 MPs who all sign up to trigger a leadership contest, what happens next, is it a straight Streeting v Starmer face off like what Corbyn had against him in 2016? If Streeting wins that is there another round of candidates/voting to decide who the PM is?
Alex Wickham @alexwickham · 12m NEW: Friends of Keir Starmer say he will stand against Wes Streeting in a leadership contest if the health secretary has the numbers to trigger one
Assuming he follows through I have to say I'm very impressed by Streeting's "actually run against the leader" approach to running against the leader as opposed to everyone else's "scheme and bitch and brief the press a lot" approach.
What I can’t get out of my head is that if Streeting *does* resign and run tomorrow (and assuming he’s got the numbers). Even if he wins how is his position going to be stable? Even if he beats a Burnham-adjacent candidate on the list (say Rayner or Milliband) that is not the same as having beaten Burnham.
There is nothing I have seen from Burnham’s character that suggests in the event of a Streeting win he’ll just slope off to Manchester Town Hall and get on with the job. To be sure a Streeting PM may get some period of grace - but assuming he faces the same or similar brickbats that Starmer has (lets be honest the fiscal maths won’t have changed - and may have got worse) how long before Burnham (and his related fans) starts agitating for a seat? And the farce goes on.
Back in the day we used to mock the Belgium for being ungovernable. However, ever since the Brexit referendum the Belgium appears to be the exemplar of stability. What has gone wrong in UK politics?
I don't think the situation you describe shows anything being ungovernable. There's a government today, they're governing things. If they change leader the new leader will be doing mostly the same things.
Some countries change leader a lot. Japan does, the LDP leadership is a 3 year post and there's no assumption you'll get another one when it ends. If anything the ones with frequent leader changes actually seem to have more stable policy direction.
Fair point. It makes sense to look beyond the parochial. I guess UK are used to PMs going for a little bit longer than a couple of years - and not simply lurching about while in power. To be sure Thatcher, Major, Blair and Brown didn’t have things their own way all the time. But their period in office (yes even Brown) felt a bit less chaotic as the recent residents of Number 10.
Ok, assuming Steeeting has 81 MPs who all sign up to trigger a leadership contest, what happens next, is it a straight Streeting v Starmer face off like what Corbyn had against him in 2016? If Streeting wins that is there another round of candidates/voting to decide who the PM is?
All hypothetical, thanks in advance
Other people can also run, provided they can get the signatures. Starmer can run even if he can't get the signatures. It's ranked choice voting so you don't need to worry too much about splitting the vote. I expect there will be at least one more candidate.
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
It’s the utterly mental scope creep every time.
An ID card system could be *one* table in a database - might need a bit more, but not much.
Simple website to access the data. A few endpoints.
But not sexy then.
The scope creep isn't the ID card, that scope creep already exists with One Login - it's just most people haven't picked up on it yet.
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
It’s the utterly mental scope creep every time.
An ID card system could be *one* table in a database - might need a bit more, but not much.
Simple website to access the data. A few endpoints.
But not sexy then.
The scope creep isn't the ID card, that scope creep already exists with One Login - it's just most people haven't picked up on it yet.
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
The fact there are already a range of options to prove your identity makes the case for yet another even weaker.
Why spend vast sums setting up a new system?
It’s all about the massive tracking database, with your unique ID number following you around every government and a a number of private services.
As someone who lives in a country with ID cards, there will quickly be scope creep and it will be pervasive, no other ID will be acceptable for anything.
The safeguarding - the WHO and WHY - needs to be there in detail and right from the start, but those in the Home Office pushing the system want as few safeguards as possible.
Starmer has played that card, so what is Wes’s big pitch to members, and via them to us, going to be, then? It can’t just be that he can sell the same mush a bit better than Kier
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
The fact there are already a range of options to prove your identity makes the case for yet another even weaker.
Why spend vast sums setting up a new system?
A driving license which doesn't allow one to drive, and therefore to which everyone is entitled, would be a good incremental start.
Surely it wouldn't be a driving license if it doesn't license driving?
LICENCE!
Ok, I'll use your c if you must. Have you thought of setting up a licencing scheme to police spelling perhaps?
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
The fact there are already a range of options to prove your identity makes the case for yet another even weaker.
Why spend vast sums setting up a new system?
It’s all about the massive tracking database, with your unique ID number following you around every government and a a number of private services.
As someone who lives in a country with ID cards, there will quickly be scope creep and it will be pervasive, no other ID will be acceptable for anything.
The safeguarding - the WHO and WHY - needs to be there in detail and right from the start, but those in the Home Office pushing the system want as few safeguards as possible.
Remember I spent years running around Europe doing CRM systems for Microsoft.
It's so much easier with ID cards rather than the 50 page flow charts of if buts and maybes that customer identification requires in the UK.
Reality is the scope creep is already there and One Login is going to facilitate it anyway.
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
The fact there are already a range of options to prove your identity makes the case for yet another even weaker.
Why spend vast sums setting up a new system?
A driving license which doesn't allow one to drive, and therefore to which everyone is entitled, would be a good incremental start.
That is the answer in a number of American states - a non-driving driving license.
I note that my eldest daughter and many of her friends already use the provisional driving license in exactly this manner - as an ID card, not necessarily for driving lessons.
Yes, you’d need to add a third category for non-drivers (e.g. medically disqualified) but via the DVLA would be the way to do it - if of course it wasn’t actually about the massive database of everything.
Ok, assuming Steeeting has 81 MPs who all sign up to trigger a leadership contest, what happens next, is it a straight Streeting v Starmer face off like what Corbyn had against him in 2016? If Streeting wins that is there another round of candidates/voting to decide who the PM is?
All hypothetical, thanks in advance
There is a two week window in which the candidates have to show they have the support of 5% of the constituency parties or 5% of the affiliates including unions.
Any other challengers can join during that period but must also show they meet the same criteria including at least 81 MPs. Starmer as sitting leader does not need the 81 MPs or affiliates etc. He is automatically on the ballot.
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
The fact there are already a range of options to prove your identity makes the case for yet another even weaker.
Why spend vast sums setting up a new system?
A driving license which doesn't allow one to drive, and therefore to which everyone is entitled, would be a good incremental start.
That is the answer in a number of American states - a non-driving driving license.
I note that my eldest daughter and many of her friends already use the provisional driving license in exactly this manner - as an ID card, not necessarily for driving lessons.
You don’t really need to be able to drive to get a US licence, anyway
Alex Wickham @alexwickham · 12m NEW: Friends of Keir Starmer say he will stand against Wes Streeting in a leadership contest if the health secretary has the numbers to trigger one
“I am certain he will stand,” one says of the PM
I don’t believe this. Because I simply don’t believe Starmer has “friends”. He has supplicants, like Tiny Tears Reeves, who relies on him to stay in the job, and he has allies in treachery, ie Lord Hermer
Assuming he follows through I have to say I'm very impressed by Streeting's "actually run against the leader" approach to running against the leader as opposed to everyone else's "scheme and bitch and brief the press a lot" approach.
What I can’t get out of my head is that if Streeting *does* resign and run tomorrow (and assuming he’s got the numbers). Even if he wins how is his position going to be stable? Even if he beats a Burnham-adjacent candidate on the list (say Rayner or Milliband) that is not the same as having beaten Burnham.
There is nothing I have seen from Burnham’s character that suggests in the event of a Streeting win he’ll just slope off to Manchester Town Hall and get on with the job. To be sure a Streeting PM may get some period of grace - but assuming he faces the same or similar brickbats that Starmer has (lets be honest the fiscal maths won’t have changed - and may have got worse) how long before Burnham (and his related fans) starts agitating for a seat? And the farce goes on.
Back in the day we used to mock the Belgium for being ungovernable. However, ever since the Brexit referendum the Belgium appears to be the exemplar of stability. What has gone wrong in UK politics?
Burnham's fans can certainly agitate. But
1. Streeting, if PM, has powers of patronage to try and keep Burnham's supporters happy and might be better at recognising the value of this than SKS has been.
2. The current leadership crisis is very much focused on the personal failings of SKS e.g. his incapacity to communicate and do politics. Burnham, as with all the other contenders, looks viable as an alternative because they aren't as incapable. Replace SKS with someone more competent and Burnham is going to have to offer something more substantive as an alternative and viable platform for solving the country's and Labour's difficulties. I'd be delighted if any Andy Burnham fans can explain what this would be.
3. Burnham's term as Manchester Mayor ends in May 2028. There's going to be pressure on Burnham to serve out his term as that clock ticks down. Why should everyone go through the gymnastics of accommodating the ambitions of the King of the North when he can step down and return via a by-election once his term has ended and before the next general election?
OK then. Why hasn't Canada at 111% debt to GDP been subject to a bond strike and forced to institute swingeing welfare cuts? Since it isn't in the Euro?
Ok, assuming Steeeting has 81 MPs who all sign up to trigger a leadership contest, what happens next, is it a straight Streeting v Starmer face off like what Corbyn had against him in 2016? If Streeting wins that is there another round of candidates/voting to decide who the PM is?
All hypothetical, thanks in advance
If Streeting has the 81 Labour MPs to challenge he is a candidate and Starmer as incumbent Labour leader is automatically a candidate too.
So it would be a straight Streeting v Starmer ballot sent to members unless another Cabinet member or Rayner also got the 81 Labour MPs to nominate them needed.
If Streeting wins he is automatically the new Labour leader and having defeated Starmer then would be appointed PM by the King
Assuming he follows through I have to say I'm very impressed by Streeting's "actually run against the leader" approach to running against the leader as opposed to everyone else's "scheme and bitch and brief the press a lot" approach.
What I can’t get out of my head is that if Streeting *does* resign and run tomorrow (and assuming he’s got the numbers). Even if he wins how is his position going to be stable? Even if he beats a Burnham-adjacent candidate on the list (say Rayner or Milliband) that is not the same as having beaten Burnham.
There is nothing I have seen from Burnham’s character that suggests in the event of a Streeting win he’ll just slope off to Manchester Town Hall and get on with the job. To be sure a Streeting PM may get some period of grace - but assuming he faces the same or similar brickbats that Starmer has (lets be honest the fiscal maths won’t have changed - and may have got worse) how long before Burnham (and his related fans) starts agitating for a seat? And the farce goes on.
Back in the day we used to mock the Belgium for being ungovernable. However, ever since the Brexit referendum the Belgium appears to be the exemplar of stability. What has gone wrong in UK politics?
Burnham's fans can certainly agitate. But
1. Streeting, if PM, has powers of patronage to try and keep Burnham's supporters happy and might be better at recognising the value of this than SKS has been.
2. The current leadership crisis is very much focused on the personal failings of SKS e.g. his incapacity to communicate and do politics. Burnham, as with all the other contenders, looks viable as an alternative because they aren't as incapable. Replace SKS with someone more competent and Burnham is going to have to offer something more substantive as an alternative and viable platform for solving the country's and Labour's difficulties. I'd be delighted if any Andy Burnham fans can explain what this would be.
3. Burnham's term as Manchester Mayor ends in May 2028. There's going to be pressure on Burnham to serve out his term as that clock ticks down. Why should everyone go through the gymnastics of accommodating the ambitions of the King of the North when he can step down and return via a by-election once his term has ended and before the next general election?
If he wins, Streeting would be as ruthless as Starmer at using the party machinery against his opponents, probably more so. One more reason why many members don’t want him.
Streeting would also keep Reeves in post, which might help him with the markets, if not the public
We're really going to get chaos with Ed aren't we. Sigh.
Or anarchy with Ange
All very exciting. What is certain is a hideous civil war, lasting months, which sends the bond markets mad and probably leads to a gennylec and then Prime Minister Big Nige by Christmas Eve
Heh
I’ll take the other side of that bet, thanks.
In fact I’ll be more generous to you: Big Nige will not be PM in 2026. What are your odds?
Serious question. Why does British debt to GDP ratio of 97% indicate imminent meltdown when France at 115% and Italy 137% doesn't?
That's the advantage of being in the Euro.
It's also the advantage of borrowing at 3.5% rather than 5.1%.
France's 115% of debt is costing less than 4% in interest, we are paying 5%.
Yes which comes about from having the ECB as the lender of last resort.
Larger monetary systems (Euro, Dollar) can get away with more - smaller ones need to run a tighter ship.
It largely comes from having lower central bank interest rates presently. Default risk is not the biggest factor either here or in the Eurozone at the monent.
I'm disappointed in Streeting, assuming he goes ahead. What's the rush? To beat Burnham to it? If Streeting's the right leader (and he may be), he should be content to bide his time and beat all-comers, whoever they are, including Burnham. This unseemly panic on the back of awful local election results won't play well, I don't think. Just because Starmer is widely despised doesn't mean that the public think he should be replaced at the whim of Streeting's ambition.
The long-term interest of the Labour Party would be better served by having an open contest later this year or early next year. I suspect many members share my view, and this could damage Streeting's chances of beating Starmer or whoever else stands.
Genuine question - If Miliband became Prime Minister by hook or crook, presumably the headlines would write themselves that Labour have engineered Miliband becoming Prime Minister despite losing a GE.
Has there ever been a position where a party leader has lost a GE, but has then gone on at a later point to become PM without then winning a subsequent GE?
We're really going to get chaos with Ed aren't we. Sigh.
Or anarchy with Ange
All very exciting. What is certain is a hideous civil war, lasting months, which sends the bond markets mad and probably leads to a gennylec and then Prime Minister Big Nige by Christmas Eve
Heh
Labour has a big majority, even if we had 99% unemployment and an economy consisting solely of EDI officers, human rights lawyers and civil servants Labour MPs still wouldn't vote for an early general election
You don’t understand the mechanics
If there is a bond strike (really quite possible now) and Britain teeters towards bankruptcy, the markets will demand massive brutal cuts in benefits. As that’s the only way to grow the economy and therefore service the debts. Massive tax hikes will just make it all worse
So then the Labour PM has to persuade Labour MPs to vote for the most severe welfare cuts since thatcher. Or beyond. How many will vote for that?
Very few. Political stasis ensues. But the bond markets won’t wait. Cue: General election as the only way to break the deadlock
They won't, Labour MPs will tell them tough, they have paid for their big spending with tax rises and aren't budging even if every bond trader and half the FTSE100 company HQs moves abroad. Labour has a big majority for 5 years, which you helped give them and now if you get pure raw socialism with Rayner, Ed Miliband or Burnham don't say you were not warned!
You have the economic literacy of the average Labour MP
You can’t say “tough” to the bond markets, no more than you can ignore the laws of gravity or mathematics. Britain runs a huge deficit and debt is now about 100% GDP. We are entirely reliant on the kindness of strangers to keep paying for the NHS and the army and the pensions and the bennies of 3m foreigners on UC
So if you say “tough” to the market they stop lending to us. That’s it. How do we then pay for the indebted British state? The only choice is to print our own money but then, if we still keep spending and don’t do savage cuts, we swiftly become Argentina, then Zimbabwe, then Weimar Germany and then a British Hitler takes over
You forget the key point, while Labour MPs have a majority in parliament they decide the PM and government and they aren't going to vote for another election while Reform lead polls.
You talk about deficit but Labour MPs can say big spending funded by big tax rises does not lead to further deficit. If Labour increase tax significantly then they can say they won't need to borrow more and the market won't need to lend to us. Indeed some nations like Sweden, Finland, Greece, Spain or Denmark or France or Cuba, even Canada now spend more as a percentage of their gdp even than we do but they largely do so with more tax than we have
OK then. Why hasn't Canada at 111% debt to GDP been subject to a bond strike and forced to institute swingeing welfare cuts? Since it isn't in the Euro?
2.1% deficit, 1.7% real GDP growth. Oil & $25 Bn wealth fund investing in energy, mining & tech.
John Rentoul @JohnRentoul · 34m It’s going to be Streeting vs Rayner, then; I think Starmer won’t stand, nor will Miliband; Burnham will complain but won’t be let in
John Rentoul @JohnRentoul · 32m There may be other candidates (John Healey, Darren Jones, Bridget Phillipson, Lucy Powell), but it will come down to Streeting and Rayner
I cannot express how much I hate the idea of this government implementing any form of digital ID
Its already there. I use it for child care allowance etc. You probably have a driving licence and the photo is stored electronically. You have a passport. And on and on.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
It’s the utterly mental scope creep every time.
An ID card system could be *one* table in a database - might need a bit more, but not much.
Simple website to access the data. A few endpoints.
But not sexy then.
The scope creep isn't the ID card, that scope creep already exists with One Login - it's just most people haven't picked up on it yet.
Oh sure. The same mentality at work.
But the ID card schemes become attempts to speed run decades of this. Every time.
OK then. Why hasn't Canada at 111% debt to GDP been subject to a bond strike and forced to institute swingeing welfare cuts? Since it isn't in the Euro?
Good question. I’ll have a go at an answer
Comparative political stability. Better fundamentals (all those natural resources). The huge growing American market next door. No idiot/crazy premium (they haven’t had a truss or a Starmer, they haven’t done a Brexit or indyref). No capital flight (that I can think of). Thats a starter
Assuming he follows through I have to say I'm very impressed by Streeting's "actually run against the leader" approach to running against the leader as opposed to everyone else's "scheme and bitch and brief the press a lot" approach.
What I can’t get out of my head is that if Streeting *does* resign and run tomorrow (and assuming he’s got the numbers). Even if he wins how is his position going to be stable? Even if he beats a Burnham-adjacent candidate on the list (say Rayner or Milliband) that is not the same as having beaten Burnham.
There is nothing I have seen from Burnham’s character that suggests in the event of a Streeting win he’ll just slope off to Manchester Town Hall and get on with the job. To be sure a Streeting PM may get some period of grace - but assuming he faces the same or similar brickbats that Starmer has (lets be honest the fiscal maths won’t have changed - and may have got worse) how long before Burnham (and his related fans) starts agitating for a seat? And the farce goes on.
Back in the day we used to mock the Belgium for being ungovernable. However, ever since the Brexit referendum the Belgium appears to be the exemplar of stability. What has gone wrong in UK politics?
A pedant notes: Manchester Town Hall is the building from which Manchester City Council is run. The GREATER Manchester Combined Authority - and therefore, I think, the mayor - is based in Churchgate House.
Comments
Who went to a very short meeting.
He looked at Sir Keir
With nothing to fear
And said “Sir, expect a sound beating”.
The issues are about WHO can access your data and WHY. That's where the safeguarding needs to be.
This pitiful political chaos makes me evermore thankful we have a monarchy, above it. Despite pillocks like Andrew it is a consoling and important source of stability
Question is is he leading us to a Dead End World.
Given that We've got no future, We've got no past
I'm sure it would have terrible long-term consequences, but for a government determined to impose its will on the bond market it is a temporary expedient that would kick the can that bit further down the road.
Just reporting the media response
You are a bit tetchy aren't you
Why spend vast sums setting up a new system?
Nonetheless - 9 out of 10.
We need a clerihew, or two.
I am writing to you as a constituent in North Leith to express my deep concern regarding the proposed UK Digital Identity Bill, particularly the mandatory “BritCard” system. While I understand the government’s stated aims of improving service delivery and tackling illegal immigration, I believe this proposal raises serious issues that merit your attention—especially given your commitment to parliamentary integrity, civil liberties, and protecting vulnerable communities.
Firstly, the Bill was not included in the Labour Party’s 2024 election manifesto. Introducing such a significant change to the citizen-state relationship without a clear democratic mandate undermines public trust and the principles of parliamentary accountability. As a member of the Procedure Select Committee, I hope you will agree that legislation of this scale should be subject to full scrutiny, consultation, and a free vote.
Secondly, the proposed system centralises biometric data and links it to facial recognition infrastructure already being deployed across the UK. This raises profound civil liberties concerns, including the erosion of anonymity in public spaces, the risk of surveillance creep, and the potential for exclusion of digitally marginalised groups. These issues intersect with your work on the APPG for Commercial Sexual Exploitation, where protecting vulnerable individuals from systemic harm is a core concern.
Thirdly, the claim that this system will effectively address illegal immigration is questionable. Most undocumented work occurs outside formal systems, and enforcement—not identification—is the real bottleneck. Without stronger oversight and resourcing, this policy risks being symbolic rather than substantive, while introducing new risks to liberty and privacy.
I urge you to raise these concerns in Parliament and advocate for:
A full public consultation
Independent statutory oversight
A voluntary, privacy-preserving identity framework
A free vote on any future legislation
The UK has a proud tradition of protecting civil liberties and resisting compulsory identification schemes. I believe we must ensure that any digital transformation respects those values and does not compromise the rights of the people it aims to serve.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=carney+speech+yesterday#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:432d0cac,vid:m3zUvFqKANU,st:0
I do not want to see a RefCon Government under any circumstances.
There is nothing I have seen from Burnham’s character that suggests in the event of a Streeting win he’ll just slope off to Manchester Town Hall and get on with the job. To be sure a Streeting PM may get some period of grace - but assuming he faces the same or similar brickbats that Starmer has (lets be honest the fiscal maths won’t have changed - and may have got worse) how long before Burnham (and his related fans) starts agitating for a seat? And the farce goes on.
Back in the day we used to mock the Belgium for being ungovernable. However, ever since the Brexit referendum the Belgium appears to be the exemplar of stability. What has gone wrong in UK politics?
I may be wrong!
In November 2025, the Ministry of Defense declared the Ajax at initial operating capability. 16 days later, after 30 Household cavalry and Royal
Lancer soldiers reported the same symptoms during exercise Titan Storm, the program was halted again..."
Source: https://youtu.be/-yYJM7QxP7M?si=gv_sU93pVMERxN9R&t=729
That was/is not the issue here, the actual card is not the debate, the id is digital, could be on your phone (how handy is that? lolz) and it's the system behind it that is the problem. It is the shift in relationship between us and the state that is the problem. Once a government approved digital id id rolled out, it will become the gold standard and every agent, body, company will require it.
You can’t say “tough” to the bond markets, no more than you can ignore the laws of gravity or mathematics. Britain runs a huge deficit and debt is now about 100% GDP. We are entirely reliant on the kindness of strangers to keep paying for the NHS and the army and the pensions and the bennies of 3m foreigners on UC
So if you say “tough” to the market they stop lending to us. That’s it. How do we then pay for the indebted British state? The only choice is to print our own money but then, if we still keep spending and don’t do savage cuts, we swiftly become Argentina, then Zimbabwe, then Weimar Germany and then a British Hitler takes over
An ID card system could be *one* table in a database - might need a bit more, but not much.
Simple website to access the data. A few endpoints.
But not sexy then.
An ID card system could be *one* table in a database - might need a bit more, but not much.
Simple website to access the data. A few endpoints.
But not sexy then.
Manfully contended.
But his career
was already ended.
Disclaimer: I'm long of him in decent size and need the profit to cure my nasty loss on laying the SKS 2026 exit.
I note that my eldest daughter and many of her friends already use the provisional driving license in exactly this manner - as an ID card, not necessarily for driving lessons.
https://x.com/EdConwaySky/status/2054514539895414792
🧵The "Energy Independence Bill" just mentioned in the King's Speech is something of a bombshell.
Why?
Because it compels the govt to rally Parliament behind fresh legislation to ban new North Sea oil/gas licences (this has NOT been written into law yet).
This is a v big deal!
Just so we can read the massive petulant strop Team Burnham is going to throw over it.
Some countries change leader a lot. Japan does, the LDP leadership is a 3 year post and there's no assumption you'll get another one when it ends. If anything the ones with frequent leader changes actually seem to have more stable policy direction.
Why does British debt to GDP ratio of 97% indicate imminent meltdown when France at 115% and Italy 137% doesn't?
All hypothetical, thanks in advance
@alexwickham
·
12m
NEW: Friends of Keir Starmer say he will stand against Wes Streeting in a leadership contest if the health secretary has the numbers to trigger one
“I am certain he will stand,” one says of the PM
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/13/wes-streeting-plans-to-resign-and-mount-leadership-challenge-allies-say
As someone who lives in a country with ID cards, there will quickly be scope creep and it will be pervasive, no other ID will be acceptable for anything.
The safeguarding - the WHO and WHY - needs to be there in detail and right from the start, but those in the Home Office pushing the system want as few safeguards as possible.
It's so much easier with ID cards rather than the 50 page flow charts of if buts and maybes that customer identification requires in the UK.
Reality is the scope creep is already there and One Login is going to facilitate it anyway.
France's 115% of debt is costing less than 4% in interest, we are paying 5%.
He has some communication skills and has a normal voice.
Any other challengers can join during that period but must also show they meet the same criteria including at least 81 MPs. Starmer as sitting leader does not need the 81 MPs or affiliates etc. He is automatically on the ballot.
England calls for Robinson, Gay, Rew & Baker
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/c936d74e74qo
Larger monetary systems (Euro, Dollar) can get away with more - smaller ones need to run a tighter ship.
Friends? No
Farage to be investigated by the parliamentary standards commissioner
1. Streeting, if PM, has powers of patronage to try and keep Burnham's supporters happy and might be better at recognising the value of this than SKS has been.
2. The current leadership crisis is very much focused on the personal failings of SKS e.g. his incapacity to communicate and do politics. Burnham, as with all the other contenders, looks viable as an alternative because they aren't as incapable. Replace SKS with someone more competent and Burnham is going to have to offer something more substantive as an alternative and viable platform for solving the country's and Labour's difficulties. I'd be delighted if any Andy Burnham fans can explain what this would be.
3. Burnham's term as Manchester Mayor ends in May 2028. There's going to be pressure on Burnham to serve out his term as that clock ticks down. Why should everyone go through the gymnastics of accommodating the ambitions of the King of the North when he can step down and return via a by-election once his term has ended and before the next general election?
Why hasn't Canada at 111% debt to GDP been subject to a bond strike and forced to institute swingeing welfare cuts?
Since it isn't in the Euro?
So it would be a straight Streeting v Starmer ballot sent to members unless another Cabinet member or Rayner also got the 81 Labour MPs to nominate them needed.
If Streeting wins he is automatically the new Labour leader and having defeated Starmer then would be appointed PM by the King
Streeting would also keep Reeves in post, which might help him with the markets, if not the public
In fact I’ll be more generous to you: Big Nige will not be PM in 2026. What are your odds?
The long-term interest of the Labour Party would be better served by having an open contest later this year or early next year. I suspect many members share my view, and this could damage Streeting's chances of beating Starmer or whoever else stands.
Has there ever been a position where a party leader has lost a GE, but has then gone on at a later point to become PM without then winning a subsequent GE?
You talk about deficit but Labour MPs can say big spending funded by big tax rises does not lead to further deficit. If Labour increase tax significantly then they can say they won't need to borrow more and the market won't need to lend to us. Indeed some nations like Sweden, Finland, Greece, Spain or Denmark or France or Cuba, even Canada now spend more as a percentage of their gdp even than we do but they largely do so with more tax than we have
John Rentoul
@JohnRentoul
·
34m
It’s going to be Streeting vs Rayner, then; I think Starmer won’t stand, nor will Miliband; Burnham will complain but won’t be let in
John Rentoul
@JohnRentoul
·
32m
There may be other candidates (John Healey, Darren Jones, Bridget Phillipson, Lucy Powell), but it will come down to Streeting and Rayner
https://x.com/JohnRentoul/status/2054522253879005212
But the ID card schemes become attempts to speed run decades of this. Every time.
Comparative political stability. Better fundamentals (all those natural resources). The huge growing American market next door. No idiot/crazy premium (they haven’t had a truss or a Starmer, they haven’t done a Brexit or indyref). No capital flight (that I can think of). Thats a starter
An expensive way to kill the story, but probably sufficient.
Let us take our pleasures where we can.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tootal,_Broadhurst_and_Lee_Building,_Manchester
(aka the Tootal Buildings. I rather wish that was the name it was known by.)