UK General Discussion: Rishecession

[Pericles]

I know the timing is unlucky, but this really makes the election of Boris Johnson in 2019 look like an absolute catastrophe for the UK. A whole parliament of lost economic growth. Big change to the UK's economic policies can't come soon enough.

[Pericles]

The idea that an economic recovery will save the Tories looks extra silly now. Just like in 1997, voters hate the government too much to give it any benefit of the doubt.

A YouGov poll for the Times found that only 8% of voters credited government policy for the fall in inflation, which dropped to 6.8% last month, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics last week.

More people, 17%, believe the Bank of England is responsible despite criticism of its response to high inflation. In June Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, blamed flaws in the Bank’s economic forecasting after it failed to get a grip on runaway inflation.

The polling suggests that the most commonly believed reason for the fall in inflation is external factors such as global oil and gas prices. Thirty-eight per cent cited external factors, but 31% said they did not know what was responsible for the easing of price rises.

The polling is more stark in red wall seats in northern England, where only 5% thought government policy had brought inflation down.

Only 8% of voters give Sunak credit for falling inflation

[Pericles]

Having a spreadsheet is a skill in Westminster? Even in Atlasia lots of people had spreadsheets, you'd think that with their jobs and the future of the nation on the line these factional operations would be way more sophisticated at keeping track of MPs.

[Pericles]

Funny result from Lord Ashcroft's survey given New Zealanders are also negative about the direction of our country and have the same complaints that Brits do. I think we do know it is worse in the UK, and politically our government is not as toxic as the Tories are. 

[Pericles]

Impressive that Truss has managed to take the worse traits from all the postwar PMs and put it into one bundle with todays speech.

She really is stupid and so out of touch. Amazing how she can fail so massively and learn nothing. She should be treated like the joke she is, and so should her supporters. If the Tories do take another 'holiday from reality' in 2025 then that will surely lock in a second term for Starmer almost regardless of how he does.

[Pericles]

I wonder if any prospective candidates could lose their seats like Portillo did or if they're all safe?

[Pericles]

Sunak is doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons. This is the last gasp of a doomed government but will ensure he is despised by future generations long after the upcoming election.

[Pericles]

Amazing that dozens of Tory MPs would voluntarily associate themselves with Liz Truss and her mini-budget, let alone genuinely think it was a good idea. MPs who are paid to serve the public should not be so out of touch and stupid.

[Pericles]

Braverman demonizing refugees is foul, but she is really going full nut-job this week. Politicians should not demonize large parts of the electorate and treat their beliefs as illegitimate.

[Pericles]

I'm a little sceptical of those figures, but if they're accurate then the main thing it suggests is that a lot of readers go nowhere near the opinion pages.

I think that media influence is more effective when it comes to how they frame regular news stories and which stuff they choose to highlight. Why would I vote one way just because some stuffy commentator says so?

[Pericles]

https://twitter.com/PolitlcsUK/status/1718701646425759983

The Tory Halloween fixation continues, remember October 31 2019 and the Halloween lockdown in 2020.

[Pericles]

Looks like Rishi woke up today and chose violence.

He needs to bring this energy every day, he's probably doomed anyway but at least the public would respect him. Well done!

[Pericles]

Impressive work by Braverman that she is so toxic that she got both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to fire her.

[Pericles]

[Pericles]

It's just ridiculous how much ministerial turnover there has been and it makes it impossible for important portfolios to be done well.

[Pericles]

I was never able to tell whether People Polling were a Corbynite or a hard-right outlet - I’m guessing the latter?

They’re Matthew Goodwin’s firm.

No wonder it's a clown show.

[Pericles]

He spent one day of his premiership acting like the adult in the room, and he's spent the rest of it turning that into a punchline.

[Pericles]

Is Braverman even a good media performer? She has mostly built her reputation by being a.minister and one that hasn't really been challenged in interviews, etc as far as I can see. Farage was the only one skilled and natural enough to lead such a force to breakthrough the media, and he ironically benefited from his status as an MEP to ensure his recorded speeches lambasting the grey suits in front of him were viral.

Lol.

[Pericles]

Yet another reminder of what a scumbag Boris Johnson is.

Boris Johnson pushed to “punish people who aren’t doing the right thing” and for “massive fines” when it came to lockdown rules, the Covid-19 inquiry has heard.

An extract from the diaries of the government’s chief scientific adviser at the time, Sir Patrick Vallance, recorded discussions he had with the then prime minister and health secretary in September 2020, when cases, admissions and deaths had all risen.

While Vallance recorded that he had argued that levels of isolation were key, the others chose to “go straight” to enforcement.

The diary reads: “PM ‘punish people who don’t self-isolate’, ‘Punish people who aren’t doing the right thing’, ‘Close some pubs and bars’, ‘We need a lot more punishments and a lot more closing down’.”

[Pericles]

Another U-turn, really?
The Guardian: Starmer likely to shrink 28 billion pound green investment plan

The Guardian understands that Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves will discuss the party’s flagship economic policy next month, with senior Labour figures pushing to drop the £28bn commitment entirely while others want to retain key elements of the plan.

Labour officials say they intend to keep central parts of their green policy, but want to recast them in a way that allows them to stop talking so much about what they cost, focusing instead on what the policies will achieve.

One insider said some were concerned about how a Labour government would grow the economy without the green plan, and whether it could be politically damaging for Starmer as it could leave him open to charges of “flip-flopping” by the Tories.

But they added: “There will be a pivot in the new year and the £28bn price tag as it exists now is unlikely to survive that. Whatever ultimately happens will be a further watering down of the position. This will be the Tories’ number one area of attack so they need to deal with it."

Any change in government will be a relief. A presentational change like a "Bringing Down Bills Act" could work, but undermining the policy is not smart.

However, what the public I think deep down want and need is someone who will deliver radical change and who shows credibility and confidence by just using whatever mandate they get. You could interpret Starmer's Thatcher comments to mean he thinks a Labour version of Thatcher's style of leadership is required, and I'd agree with that.

[Pericles]

Now there is someone who definitely needs next year to be better.

[Pericles]

Can Westminster keep the issue settled if the public verdict is so damning?
UK public overwhelmingly say Brexit has clearly failed

[Pericles]

I seem to remember people respected him for putting up with Parliament through the Brexit process.

[Pericles]

Darkly hilarious that the UK has had such a bad 2020s that the political meltdown of the Brexit crisis is now seen as a normal year.

[Pericles]

She hasn't gained any brain cells since leaving Number 10 clearly.