It's funny because no one want to admit that the Triple-Lock Pension is draining Britain's finances but neither Labour, Conservatives nor Reform will touch the Triple-Lock.
Starmer needs to either raise taxes or cut spending and he's done absolutely nothing despite his supermajorty.
He's gonna lose the left or the center-left but with his supermajorty, he can afford to piss off one side of the party for the good of the country.
34
Anatares20002 days ago
+28
The populists wants zero immigration while maintaining their triple-lock-pension.
To fund the triple-lock, the UK needs to increase their economic output while increasing thier taxes on *everyone,* not just the rich.
Increasing economic output is going to need some sort of investment and immigration, but the populists said no to Europe.
28
Scr0talGangr3n32 days ago
+14
Problem is the cost of living means tax increases on the middle and lower class are unpopular, difficult to afford and seem unfair.
And the UK seems somewhat allergic to investment.
14
jimicus2 days ago
+6
The UK has an overwhelming difficulty in differentiating between spending and investing. And if you don’t invest, you soon find you’re not making any money.
6
TonberryFeye2 days ago
+1
People talk endlessly about GDP as if that means anything. What we need is VALUE generation, but if anything the government wants to make it impossible to produce anything of actual value.
1
Mailman72 days ago
-5
The way to create economic growth is to lower taxes and create a positive business environment - the exact opposite of what Labour has done.
-5
Sensitive-Throat92782 days ago
History disagrees with you completely there.
0
Mailman71 day ago
+1
lol no it doesn’t. Ever major successful economy has competitive tax rates and pro business regulation.
History disagrees with you, unless your idea of success is the Soviet Union.
1
LikePissInTheRain2 days ago
+7
That ship has already sailed I feel. He and his ilk have already made it abundantly clear that they have no interest in appealing to the left. They dragged Jeremy Corbyn through the mud and purged the left leaning MPs in favour of reinstating this Tony Blair flavoured New Labour (Read: Tory-Lite). So where did those left leaning voters go instead? Greens, SNP, PC. A continued fractured left: just the way the far-right like it
7
Scr0talGangr3n32 days ago
Cutting spending would be a terrible idea. 15 years of austerity is what got us into this mess.
Spend more. On defence, the NHS, certain aspects of social welfare, transport and infrastructure, research, housebuilding.
Once that effect starts to kick in people will be less resistant to tax raises too.
0
Timbershoe2 days ago
+3
Not sure you’re quite following what’s happening in the economy.
Austerity ended almost a decade ago. The fiscal hangover is from Covid, furlow and the economy pausing during the pandemic.
Labour isn’t able to ‘spend more’ like they have magic reserves of cash, the budget is still recovering and events like Ukraine and Iran war continues to take bites out of the economy.
The NHS budget was sharply cut, 50% of non clinical staff were made redundant, to fund increased defence spending as that’s needed to counter current military threats.
They have also sharply cut welfare. Unemployment is rising and will continue to rise as AI removes more jobs, they can’t afford to subsidise the predicted jobless population at the current rate.
Basically the situation isn’t easy to fix and they can’t shit out trillions of pounds to increase spending across the board. That would collapse the economy.
3
tarpdetarp2 days ago
+2
NHS and welfare spending is at record levels, so I don’t know where you think they’ve been “sharply cut”.
2
Timbershoe2 days ago
+1
I’m afraid you’re out of touch. The government announced the cuts almost a year ago, they are being implemented at the moment. The first tranche of NHS redundancies happened last month (the increased NHS spending was temporary to cover the redundancy payouts).
The plan is to reduce the deficit and increase defence spending to 5%.
[https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2026/04/more-than-20000-nhs-posts-to-be-axed-over-1-1bn-budget-deficit/](https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2026/04/more-than-20000-nhs-posts-to-be-axed-over-1-1bn-budget-deficit/)
[https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper/spring-statement-2025-health-and-disability-benefit-reforms-impacts](https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper/spring-statement-2025-health-and-disability-benefit-reforms-impacts)
1
tarpdetarp2 days ago
Again I will reiterate - health and welfare spending is still increasing from an already high rate, and continues to rise in absolute terms.
I'm not trying to deny that specific departments, services are having to make reforms to deal with budget pressures. But these are about slowing spending growth instead of sharp cuts to their budgets.
So I don't think that saying spending has been "sharply cut" is accurate.
0
Timbershoe2 days ago
Did you read either of those links?
I mean, cutting 20,000 staff isn’t increasing spending. I suspect you have some naive idea that Labour wouldn’t cut benefits or NHS budgets and simply don’t want to admit that they are.
But they are. Read the links.
0
Scr0talGangr3n32 days ago
+2
The links do not explicitly say the NHS budget is being cut that I can see?
2
Timbershoe2 days ago
Yes, they implicitly state the huge cuts to 20,000 staff are to address the deficit in the NHS budget.
Now you’re being fairly squirrely in positioning that’s somehow not a cut, as the overall budget isn’t impacted if you completely ignore the NHS deficit. But it is a huge cut.
I think it’s pretty intellectually dishonest, in fact. I suspect that if the Conservatives had implemented this policy you’d be screaming to the rafters about the cuts. You’d also be angry about Palantir being handed a three hundred million pound contract with zero bid or tender process, which is effectively taking the NHS Digital funding as a gift to Palantir.
It’s time to have honest conversations now, I really don’t want to see Reform gaining control because people are just wilfully intent on ignoring what Labour is doing.
0
Scr0talGangr3n32 days ago
-1
Nonsense.
If Austerity had ended almost a decade ago then every public service wouldn't be on its knees. The NHS, police, justice system, youth services, military, are all not performing as they did. We're seeing the consequences of all of this in poor public health, poor crime rate and poor economic performance.
They can actually shit out trillions of pounds to increase spending. They're a government with control over fiscal policy, monetary creation and an independent currency. They just have to do so carefully and deal with the consequences of doing so.
You do not improve the debt to GDP ratio by cutting spending. You do so by spending and allowing spending in order to grow the GDP.
The catastrophic mistake the Conservatives made with austerity broke the country. You use public spending and the public sector to support the country and the economy when the private sector needs support. We are still stuck in that rut. We can't keep cutting spending and expecting something different, we need to spend hugely to fix the problems and return to growth, and rely on that to support our spending.
-1
Timbershoe2 days ago
-1
\>Nonsense.
I’m afraid not.
\>If Austerity had ended almost a decade ago then every public service wouldn't be on its knees.
Austerity ended around ‘18.
Then Covid happened. The economy stopped dead, worldwide.
You do remember that, the lockdowns, the business closures, the supply chains shutting down.
The economic effects were massive. That’s the issue Labour is dealing with, nobody has mentioned austerity for nearly a decade.
\>You do not improve the debt to GDP ratio by cutting spending. You do so by spending and allowing spending in order to grow the GDP.
You don’t buy a Rolls Royce with a handful of loose change and a can do attitude. You actually need the money to pay for it.
While it’s nice to think the Government has a magic money tree, it actually doesn’t. There is already significant debt. If it were that easy to fix the economy, I assure you, it would already be fixed.
And I can’t be fucked with this blaming the conservatives. Labour, conservatives, same policies and same problems. I’ve been hearing it’s the other guys fault all my life. It’s way past time to just press the government to do its f****** job.
-1
Johnny-Caliente2 days ago
+8
Serious question: What is it about UK politics and their always unpopular leaders?
8
jimicus2 days ago
+12
Deep, systemic issues what will take decades to resolve and a population that would much rather hear from someone claiming they can fix everything almost overnight.
12
D0wnInAlbion1 day ago
+1
Those with ambition and talent aren't attracted to it as the hours are long, pay is low and making a real difference is almost impossible due to the amount of power Parliament as delegated to QUANGOS.
1
JetBrink2 days ago
+1
MSM bought and paid for
1
Scr0talGangr3n32 days ago
+22
Given that they had (and have) a big majority and the country really needs saving from 15 years of being broken by the Tories their policy actions have been remarkably milquetoast.
22
angusthermopylae2 days ago
-14
as an American, this just sounds like every dem president post-ww2
-14
MonkeyCube2 days ago
+6
JFK / Johnson with the Civil Rights Act, space race, and their economic miracle?
Clinton with the balanced budget and budget surplus?
6
angusthermopylae2 days ago
-8
Clinton was elected on a healthcare mandate. He let the insurance lobbyists write the bill and then they campaigned against it anyway. The fact that "balancing the budget" is his biggest achievement is embarrassing. The civil rights act I'll give you.
-8
Cynical_Classicist2 days ago
+20
We've been here before. Starmer is a failure and is paving the way for Reform.
20
Additional-Sky-83842 days ago
+19
is farage even the right guy? isn’t the reason for a lot of UK’s issues his disastrous brexit policy
19
KreativeHawk2 days ago
+13
A good chunk of the mess we’re in can be attributed to him but once again the general population have decided to stick their fingers in their ears and go “LA LA LA” really loudly.
13
clicksallgifs2 days ago
+4
Following in Americas footsteps
4
AllChem_NoEcon2 days ago
+2
Hey man, we learned it from you.
2
calstanfordboye2 days ago
+7
The dumb right wingers don't care. They just want foreigners out until their island is the island of misery again it was in the 60s
7
Zuropia2 days ago
-16
Still upset over Brexit?
-16
WorgenDeath2 days ago
+11
Yes, any sane person would be, it ruined any future prospects the country had and made the absolutely tory shitshow even more catastrophic.
11
Zuropia2 days ago
-17
Ah yes "the future of the country is ruined". Stop whining and get on with life. The sky hasn't fallen.
-17
OffbeatDrizzle2 days ago
+11
"I've chopped my own leg off, for no reason, but instead of reattaching it I'm just gonna struggle around on one leg because I'm too stubborn to admit I did something stupid"
11
Zuropia2 days ago
-12
"life's unfair - Brexit has ruined my future. I'm going to go through life blaming everyone but myself"
Neither side of the political fence care about you. Instead of the constant whinging, go make some money and control your own future for your and your family.
-12
jimicus2 days ago
+2
He’s not even that much of a failure.
He has terrible PR, but by all accounts what he’s doing isn’t, on the whole, all that bad.
2
j0kerclash1 day ago
+1
Him simply being boring and rebuilding the economy would have been enough, instead he feels the need to also make these bold authoritarian leadership decisions that inspire vitriol against him.
1
Gisschace2 days ago
-1
Any labour leader would have terrible PR right now, it's nothing to do with the leader its those (on both sides of the political spectrum) who want to see Labour fail. The same thing will happen to the next leader expect it will come with a 'Labour can't get a decent leader' message
-1
Gisschace2 days ago
+1
Nah this is just bollocks, whoever was in charge of Labour would be branded in this way. Don't believe bullshit you're fed.
Reform are peaking, we need solid leadership to take us into the next election. Labour need to pull themselves together and not repeat the mistakes of the tories and get right of their leader every 6 months.
1
69ubermensch692 days ago
+16
This is what happens when you abandon the working class, they flock to the populists who appear to be addressing their concerns. His Neo Liberal bullshit is just political small "c" conservatism with a coat of rainbow paint and a greenpeace sticker.
Leftist parties need to stop trying to win elections by only chasing middle class, cause du jour having social liberals and get into the business of representing working people and put wealth distribution and public services front and centre or this slide towards populist right wing grifters will continue.
16
LowBornArcher2 days ago
+7
The Davos class won’t like that.
7
69ubermensch692 days ago
+7
Yup, and will do everything in their considerable, unelected and unearned power to prevent it. Someone summon the spirit of Guy Fawkes and point him at Switzerland.
7
Anatares20002 days ago
+8
The populists wants zero immigration while maintaining their triple-lock-pension.
Explain that to me.
8
jimicus2 days ago
+1
When was the last time a politician stood up and said “Birth rates are so low we aren’t even replacing people who die. It’s been this way for some years now; we might be able to change that but we need people in the country to pay tax while we’re waiting for people to (a) make babies and (b) for those babies to grow up”?
Because that’s what it boils down to.
1
JetBrink2 days ago
+3
You’ll all be wishing he, or someone like him, was still in charge once Farage gets in and fucks us all for another decade.
Do people really expect ANY politician to turn the country around at a drop of a hat after being raped by the conservatives for nearly 2 decades?
3
Idiot_Savant_132 days ago
+2
You made me promises, promises
Knowing I'd believe
Promises, promises
I knew you'd never kee-eep...
2
urmumr8s8outof82 days ago
+5
On a scale of 1-10, how much do we think he's going to double down on absolutely nothing unless it wasn't in their manifesto.
5
Far-Entertainer35552 days ago
+5
He'll try mimicking Reform. Which will go really badly.
What's even worse is that there's no obvious improved replacement for him. Some say Andy Burnham, but he's just a local mayor, with limited appeal outside the Labour left.
Angela Rayner might have more appeal and more relevant experience, but I remain skeptical.
Labour need a proper competitive leader selection process.
5
urmumr8s8outof82 days ago
+7
Should have just stuck to what was in their manifesto and not dabbled with Tony Blairs Digital ID and all the other stuff, can't see what difference either of them would make, Labour is on borrowed time now, in my opinion.
7
Far-Entertainer35552 days ago
+2
In my opinion, the dabbling is the result of not having an overall plan or vision. Labour are doing stuff, with no grand vision or story to tell.
Labour are currently rudderless. Continuing the '*carrying the Ming vase*' strategy worked when it came to winning the election, it's completely inappropriate for running a country.
2
jimicus2 days ago
+2
The problem isn’t Starmer per se. It’s how Labour deal with the media.
If there’s a replacement for Starmer lined up, that person needs a clear media strategy from day one. Historically, thats not been Labour’s strong point.
2
Inner-Thought96652 days ago
+1
Have a vote to rejoin the EU
1
cool_and_froody2 days ago
+1
lol ok. just lean harder to the right. that'll fix it. /s
1
CryptographerMore9442 days ago
-1
Yeah would have been great if you did that when you had a super majority mate, instead of because the last bi election didn't go your way.
-1
Eshanas2 days ago
+13
The latest elections were councils, not nation wide legislative. They still got it. Mostly they just have terrible pr. Not saying they’re perfect but they only get on the news when admitting wrong or defending. They need to boast and glaze like no tomorrow.
13
Khal_Doggo2 days ago
+6
It's not an excuse for their lack of real action but they did inherit an absolute bin fire from the last government. The problem being that they're now terrified to do anything that's remotely seen as unpopular and making tough decisions when you're in the red in every aspect of government needs bold, unpopular decisions. But instead they decided to get weird about trans people and pile on the AI train despite neither of those things really being helpful to anyone
6
RedofPaw2 days ago
+7
He's still got majority.
7
pointlesspulcritude2 days ago
+1
Ironically, resigning wouldn’t be a bold move
1
Mobile_Antelope10481 day ago
+1
Giving full access to Palantir to NHS is bold!
1
Scotty-Raspberry-361 day ago
+1
The only thing he needs to be bold about is proportional representation. He's bleeding to the greens and lib dems because the left is diverse and many don't align with him. He is an arrogant fool who is gifting this country to the far right
1
nus011 day ago
+1
is it putting more working class people in Jail for disagreeing with his immigration policies?
1
VibgyorTheHuge23 hr ago
+1
This is even more pitiful than usual.
1
AYK20262 days ago
+1
Yeah stay on Starmer you doing a wonderful job....said no ever.
1
AcadiaUpset92612 days ago
+1
Get rid of him.
1
regeust2 days ago
-2
>bolder action
"Today i am announcing our governments intention to bend over even further than before, and take it from Israel far harder."
-2
Prior_Industry2 days ago
+1
Who's manifesto will he be picking those responses from though?
1
Limo_Wreck772 days ago
-7
I hate this guy.
Maybe if he stopped trying to lock up musicians for Israel and concentrated on doing actual things to improve peoples lives, he wouldn't be in this mess of his own making.
-7
According-Classic6582 days ago
He's going to neoliberal so hard.
0
Cyclone0502 days ago
How about just some pertinent action. Address fuel poverty and curb energy cap hikes.
0
MarcusQuintus2 days ago
-7
Sometimes I'm not sure who's having a harder time, Americans or the British.
Pretty sure it's us because our guy is actively trying to destroy our system but everything I hear about your guy is worse than last.
-7
RedofPaw2 days ago
+33
Assuming you are American: You. Definitely you.
33
MarcusQuintus2 days ago
-3
Politically maybe but the economics reporting shows that the UK is now poorer than every American state.
-3
RedofPaw2 days ago
+5
You think the UK is poorer than Alabama?
5
MarcusQuintus2 days ago
+3
It factually is.
3
RedofPaw2 days ago
+4
Can you provide any evidence.
4
MarcusQuintus2 days ago
+3
Institute of Economic Affairs.
3
Sweettoastbama2 days ago
-7
[https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-the-50-richest-countries-by-gdp-per-capita-in-2025/](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-the-50-richest-countries-by-gdp-per-capita-in-2025/)
US gdp per capita $85k+
UK \~$55k
I didn't start comparing these two btw but numbers are numbers. I wouldn't personally compare UK and US like that but UK could be a lot better if they stopped voting for socialists and fixed long term issues like their pension situations.
-7
RedofPaw2 days ago
+7
What is the gdp per capita of Mississippi?
7
Sweettoastbama2 days ago
-7
What is it in Wales? your weak gotchas wont work on me lol.
-7
RedofPaw2 days ago
+8
It's not my claim that the UK is 'poorer' than every state.
8
Less-Cauliflower-9502 days ago
-2
Absolutely, and it isn't even close anymore
-2
RedofPaw2 days ago
+4
On what metric?
4
MarcusQuintus2 days ago
+1
Per Capita GDP
1
RedofPaw2 days ago
+1
Would you say that GDP per capita is the best metric to judge quality of life in the UK vs Missisipi for instance?
1
MarcusQuintus2 days ago
+1
It's the traditional method.
1
Quick-Albatross-92042 days ago
+6
I don't like starmer and want him to go, but would take him over Trump any day of the week lol
6
MarcusQuintus2 days ago
+1
Probably but I'd still rather live in America than in the UK.
At least our dudes don't stick around for a decade plus.
1
Quick-Albatross-92042 days ago
+1
Think we are on our 6th or 7th pm in 10 years lol
1
MarcusQuintus2 days ago
+1
The last but one were the same party though so different clown, same car.
1
Quick-Albatross-92042 days ago
+1
You only have the two car's
1
faffc2602 days ago
+5
america has it much, much worse. at least until farage is possibly elected.
5
MarcusQuintus2 days ago
+1
I equate Trump and Brexit to the same level of disastrous, and at least economically, the UK is suffering worse.
1
faffc2602 days ago
+4
even if they're economically worse off at least they have a government that isn't ruining 100 years of built up soft power by antagonizing our allies who we rely on to be able to operate all around the world. who's arbitrary war is wrecking the global economy, and helping russia, our geopolitical rival by doing so. and that's just the tip. until farage starts that shit over there, we've got it worse off.
4
MarcusQuintus2 days ago
+1
People were saying the same thing under Bush, to the point where Obama got a Nobel for not being him.
Geopolitics is transactional.
If a leader that brings value and cooperation is elected, people will come back around.
1
mixxituk2 days ago
-12
Step one push through the under 18 vote
Step two address the things greens just offered to Londoners, The Young, The Left, Muslims - legalised marijuana
Step three address all the Muslims and left wingers who left over everything we've been doing in the middle east
Step four give the left what they asked for - Proportional Representation
Step five is a tough one but you could platform your election on another referendum over brexit
Step six give center-lefts back a 24 hr news channel they can stomach to watch, get rid of unbiased news
Step seven promise an income tax rise band increase to at least 80,000
-12
AndreLeGeant882 days ago
+2
PR is the right thing to do but it forecloses any future Labour majority most likely.
The best thing Labour can do is drive through anything possible to reduce housing costs and boost NHS spend.
2
mixxituk2 days ago
+1
Whoever solves the housing crisis honestly solves the country
1
FantasticTangtastic2 days ago
+3
You do realise one of the biggest issues Labour has is the general publics rejection of left wing ideology, right?
People aren't leaving Labour to vote Lib Dem. They're voting Reform.
3
mixxituk2 days ago
+2
Green + lib + lab > reform + con
2
IgnoranceIsTheEnemy2 days ago
+1
They have the same issue Labour do- it’s the public’s fault, not Labour!
1
Scr0talGangr3n32 days ago
+1
People are voting reform just because of immigration. Not because reform matches their economic preferences.
1
TeeBeeSee2 days ago
-3
He’s still the PM? I assumed there was a new PM as usual. Honestly UK, do your usual jig.
106 Comments