Category: Politics

I wonder what it will be like? The RWPress have already trashed every possibility so she can’t win, whatever. The last budget was to clean up the mess left by the incompetent tories, however it did seem to create a new mess! Taxes take money out of the economy, borrowing just feeds the fat bankers and Labour cannot go down the austerity path. The Tories have sold off our assets so there is basically little room to manoeuvre. Taxing the very rich and actually stopping offshore investments to avoid tax, and multinatinal companies using Luxembourg or Ireland to avoid tax would be a start. Traditional tax grabs like petrol, tobacco and alcohol are no longer cash cows. The international situation offers little scope for growth of the economy. A rent freeze would enable more spending and may result in more properties on the market and thus lower prices?

Oil companies are still exploiting fossil fuel reserves and making massive profits so a windfall tax would be good and decoupling energy prices from gas would help.

Although disappointed with Starmer, the last government were awful, alternatives at present are also potentially a whole lot worse. Reform have screwed just about every council they have won, and seem to led by a racist bigot (however that is an attraction to many!). Sorry for being pessimistic – not my normal attitude.

The clamour for growth of the economy is in my view stupid. Basic fact – we live on a finite planet, despite tech mega rich idiots going to Mars!! – fuckwits). What is needed is not growth but a cleverer, smarter and more sustainable economy. However under our present democracy with a 5 year cycle this is difficult. PR would probably lead to greater co-ordination after elections as many parties would remain (albeit with changes of emphasis). But no MP is likely to vote for PR – turkeys voting for Xmas! With PR about 50% would become unemployed!

Another attempt to understand! With Employment: There were 34.19 million people aged 16 and over in employment during July to September 2025. The employment rate for 16 to 64-year-olds was 75.0%. Unemployment is about 5%. As there always needs to be unemployment for the job market to work, this figure is not overly great. However the overall figure means that about 50% of the population is not working! or paying meaningful tax. With the demographic facts of an ageing population something needs to change. I think we can excuse the 14.4 million under 18’s from the discussion for now. So 48.59 m are excused – for now. I also realise that of the 13.1m pensioners, many are working, often full time. So 62 million have an excuse. I have missed out those on sickness benefits. Apparently up to 3 million. And here is a harsh reality – are we pandering to those who really should just get a backbone and get on with it? I suspect that austerity hit the services that could help people back to work. And I would guess that the majority of the 3 million would love the independance that an earned income would provide. This is of course controversial. A living payment to all adults at a living wage level would encourage the unemployed to gain more money and get jobs. How many of those on sickness benefit and other benefits would get additional income?

Pensioners in Germany have just been given a tax free allowance to continue working. This makes sense – as a teacher I am not sure that an 70 should have 30 students to control, but as a teaching assistant part time their experiance would be beneficial. Old people have paid for their pensions and should have a choice, but employment opportunities that benefit children and society should not be spurned.

Then education as promised. I can name every USA state, every country in the world, most capital cities, the former names of colonial countries – hoo fucking ray! The world has moved on, faster than me, but certainly faster than those in Westminster. Education needs to be brought into the 21st century – it is in many ways still in the 19th century.

An excellent interview with Zac Polanski in The Observer today

There are 3 things about him that I do not fully understand – being gay (I am in my seventies!); being Jewish; and being vegan (bacon sarnies!). But what I liked was his honesty and his views on just about everything. Including a new definition of the difference between a million and a billion “A million minutes ago was January 2024, a billion seconds ago was during the Roman Empire!”. Also the fact that a committed Jew could castigate Labour for being complicit in genocide in Gaza was heartening given Strmers perfidy. I suspect that he is correct regarding migrants – as ever the disadvantaged and poor will blame those even worse off than them for their hardships rather than the ‘untouchable’ billionaires. The climate crisis must remain at the forefront of policies as COP30 seems to have been normal lobbying by mega rich fossil fuel companies and countries.

Amongst the many possible taxes that MAY be in the Budget next week is road pricing. There is no doubt that fuel tax returns are going to steadily fall and the Treasury will need to find an alternative source of income. As a very low mileage driver a cost per mile would be fine by me (if I had an EV!). However this would be counter to the desire to encourage the move from petrol to electric. It would also penalise the drivers who need to do a high mileage. And yes we should try to encourage people to use the car less. there are also too many taxes. I would propose the abolition of fuel tax all together and replace it with an increased vehicle. licence tax – this could discriminate between EV and petrol/deisel, and also allow discounts for very low mileage users and also essential users like the police and other blue light agencies. There would be no reason for concern from the civil liberty lobby about monitoring and data collection. A simplified system which could be cheaper to run. People would bulk at a vehicle licence of ? Maybe 4 figures but like other taxes they would get used to it.

Personally I cannot wait for the budget – an end to the meaningless speculation, about how the rich will all leave – could solve the housing problem as many mansions could house many families.

PS. Has Trump lost it completely? – posting that opponents should be prosecuted and hanged. He says he has never drunk alcohol – what drugs is he on?

Personally I think he is a smarmy git. But why do so many others adore this rich privileged Pratt? It must be more than just the racist views? People are fed up with Westminster politicians, the last government were useless and the present one appears no better. Labour were voted in to bring about change, but Starmer & Co. appear to be stumbling between cock ups with no idea of how the future will pan out. Reform are not promising much – less migration (and we know that this is a populist policy which is not practical). Otherwise mutterings about cutting waste (always popular), and abandoning net zero – one chance we have of gaining a worldclass industrial base again. Otherwise he relies on being different from other politicians – he smokes and drinks beer, and keeps a high profile with weekly press briefings where he says not a lot!

However there is a while before the next election – his buddy Trump will be gone in 2028 (if not toasted before). Just possibly Labour will halt the boats coming across the channel. This may not be the policy that many want – but we live in a democracy and if the majority want this ‘island’ mentality then the rest of will have to live with it. however Brexit showed us that a majority at the ballot box does not represent a mandate a majority should mean at least 50% of all potential voters – and if affecting civil rights it should be at least 75%.

The Greens have an opportunity to fill the anti-Westminster gap. Zac Polanski. shows promise but needs to overcome being young, Jewish and gay, however Mamdami in New York has shown that the status quo is not invulnerable with grass root support. Polanski needs to mobilise social media and the appeal of environmental issues for the young. He also needs to address the distorted and insane housing market. Cut rents and mortgage fees and pay farmers to produce wholesome food and manufacturers to do the same. Less stress will = less time off work (and enable hours to be cut). We need a revolution of society.

New revalations about the relationship between Trump and Epstein. I suspect that the privilege and domnence afforded by wealth and political power are such that, those accused actually do not understand what they are accused of! Most women to them are inferior beings. It is their right as an alpha male to shag whoever they want, what ever their age or circumstance. VG stated this in her book when she mentioned Andrew Windsor, who is guilty of … exercising his God given Right to shag whoever he wants whenever he wants (violence perhaps excepted?). They would claim that history supports them – Genghis Khan may have had 3000children whilst Rameses had over 100.

Trump is a bully who flouts his power via lawyers and his web site. He attempts to bully even countries – Putin is not impressed, nor most of Europe. Brazil has ignored him, and even the UK has stepped back from his actions in the Caribbean. Sudan seems to be outside his remit, whilst he can claim great credit for settling a skirmish between Cambodia and Thailand (although the peace has broken down).

They is a ****. Ad Farage worships him, as does Badenoch. Stupid fuckers!

Losing support is not uncommon for a new government – but Labours woes look dire. Starmer has moved to the right in an attempt to ward off Reform, and it is not working. The RWPress has had a field day with the impending budget which will definitely include tax rises and be met with howls of pain (and delight!) by the press, whatever it is unlikely to be met with anything approaching sympathy or delight – by anyone! Basically Starmer lost out when he refused to raise tax for the very rich – it was generally accepted that the last government were beyond useless and had left a gigantic mess – but over a year later things do not seem to have got better. Starmer has allowed Farage to set the agenda with weekly press meetings. Reform have fucked up in many councils – Labour should be capitalising on this, as should Davey and Polanski. The Tories are doomed at the moment – Badenoch trying to pretend she has support and Jenprick pretending that he is not about to join Reform.

So who can Labour turn to? Streeting is mentioned but lacks socialist credentials – surely a must for a Labour leader- even Blair had some! Milliband is a possibility but has a ‘been there and got the t-shirt” look, it is probably too soon for Rayner to reinvent herself, although she could break records for Daily Mail front pages? Shabana Mahmood is too right wing, has not shown leadership at the Home Office and Middle England is still a racist country. So labour will, after the Budget, plummet even further in the polls. My prediction is that Reform will gain and Starmer will move further to the right. Will Polanski have enough volunteers to do a Mamdani? I sincerely hope so. A Green Party/Your Party coalition whould be great for the UK. Will anyone give Gen Z an optimistic future?