UK Politics Thread part II

[Jimbuna]

'Sick kids will pay price!' Labour's disastrous NI hike to cripple children's hospices

Rachel Reeves' crippling National Insurance hikes will cost England's children's hospices nearly £5m more every year, according to new research.

Without urgent action services will be cut, leaving families at crisis point. And it's seriously ill youngsters who will pay the price, says one leading palliative care charity.

Together for Short Lives surveyed 20 of the 35 children's hospice organisations across the country.

It estimates that the increase in Employers' NI Contributions announced in the Autumn Budget translates to £134,000 extra in staff bills next year. And in total the cost of providing care will rise by a staggering £4.9m.

The charity wants the Government to reimburse hospices for the rise in ENICs, as well as maintaining NHS England's funding and increasing it from £25m to reflect growing costs.

Chief Executive Nick Carroll told the Daily Express: "Rachel Reeves' decision to increase employer National Insurance contributions at the Budget is ramping up the financial strain on children's hospices at a time when they are already grappling with significant funding challenges.

"If the government does not reimburse children's hospices for the rise - and if it fails to maintain, increase and centrally-distribute the NHS Children's Hospice Grant - services will be cut, jobs will be lost, and seriously ill children will pay the price."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/fam...4bde878f&ei=79

[Jimbuna]

Asylum hotel rioter jailed for nine years

A man who tried to set fire to a hotel housing asylum seekers has been jailed for nine years, the joint-longest prison sentence in connection with the UK's summer of riots.

Levi Fishlock smashed windows and stoked a flaming bin at the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, Rotherham, during a spate of disorder on 4 August.

Fishlock, 31, of Sheffield Road, Barnsley, initially denied violent disorder and arson with intent to endanger life but later pleaded guilty to the charges.

Jailing him, the Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, said: "This is one of the worst cases of its kind stemming from the Rotherham disorder."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c878p3l93rqo

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

Labour plot to buy 800 homes to house 35,000 asylum seekers languishing in hotels

The Home Office plans to buy hundreds of properties for asylum seekers could make "the acute shortage of housing" even worse.

The Government is to purchase up to 800 properties in an attempt to re-house the 35,000 asylum seekers currently languishing in hotels, at a cost to taxpayers of £5.4million every day. The number has risen by almost 6,000 since the election despite Labour's manifesto pledge to "end asylum hotels".

It follows Labour's decision to scrap the previous government's policy of placing asylum seekers in large sites such as disused prisons and military bases - even though almost £80 million had already been spent on this scheme.

The Local Government Association, which represents councils across the country, has warned that providing homes for asylum seekers risks making it harder to provide homes for existing residents. In a submission to Parliament, the association said: "Given wider housing pressures, asylum and resettlement also affects all councils' capacity to source accommodation both for new arrivals and for all those in housing need in their local area."

It stressed that councils want to help the Government solve the problem but warned: "Given increased demand and the acute shortage of housing across the country, this requires a national, regional and local approach."

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner last week announced that councils will be ordered to build 370,000 properties a year, even if it means using green belt land.

And the Sunday Express revealed that London councils moved 15,280 households to other local authority areas in just one year due to a shortage of homes, with some going as far as County Durham.

Conservatives say Labour is failing to cut asylum numbers because it scrapped the previous government's plan to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda, even though £715 million had been spent on the scheme.

And last week the most senior civil servant in the Home Office suggested the Rwanda policy would be operating today if Labour had not won power.

Home Office Permanent Secretary Sir Matthew Rycroft told a Commons inquiry: "If the election outcome had been different, I am very confident that Home Office civil servants would be busy operationalising the scheme to Rwanda. That would have been our job in that circumstance."

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "Labour scrapped the only deterrent before it even got started and rolled out the red carpet to criminal gangs trading in human misery. Their failure to control our border has led to an 18 per cent increase in small boat crossings since they came into power, and the British people are paying a very real price.

"The Home Secretary needs to wake up, take notice of what her Permanent Secretary has said, and get a grip on this crisis before it spirals further out of control. Labour should hang their heads in shame. They have left our borders unprotected, without the Rwanda deterrent."

The Home Office has identified 800 potential properties across the country that could be bought either outright or on a "long leasehold" basis to house asylum seekers.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...1290c8e0&ei=25

[Jimbuna]

Keir Starmer forms EU ‘surrender squad' to negotiate reversal of Boris Johnson's Brexit

Keir Starmer has been accused of establishing a "surrender squad" of civil servants ready to hand back powers to Brussels as part of his EU renegotiation.

A team of over 100 civil servants has been brought together to head the renegotiation, which critics have warned will see the Prime Minister unpick Brexit and tie Britain closer to the EU.

The new team will be housed within the all-powerful Cabinet Office, and headed by a £200,000-a-year mandarin reporting to Europe minister Nick Thomas-Symonds.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/new...7eec3f5f&ei=39

[Jimbuna]

UK economy flatlines in run-up to Christmas with 'worse to come'

The UK economy is flatlining in the run-up to Christmas as firms struggle to cope with Labour's tax bomb Budget.

Closely-watched PMI figures for December show a reading of 50.5 - underlining fears the country is on the brink of recession.

The 'flash' figure was unchanged from the 13-month low of November, and below than the 50.7 analysts had expected. Anything under 50 represents contraction.

S&P Global Market Intelligence, which runs the index, warned there is 'worse to come' as businesses cut back employment at the fastest rate since the Credit Crunch, excluding Covid.

Chris Williamson, chief business economist, said: 'Businesses are reporting a triple whammy of gloomy news as 2024 comes to a close, with economic growth stalled, employment slumping and inflation back on the rise.

'Economic growth momentum has been lost since the robust expansion seen earlier in the year, as businesses and households have responded negatively to the new Labour Government's downbeat rhetoric and policies.'

He added: 'Firms are responding to the increase in national insurance contributions and new regulations around staffing with a marked pull-back in hiring, causing employment to fall in December at the fastest rate since the global financial crisis in 2009 if the pandemic is excluded.'

'While the December PMI is indicative of the economy more or less stalled in the fourth quarter, the loss of confidence and increased culling of jobs hints at worse to come as we head into the new year.'

Fears have been mounting for the British economy after a second consecutive month of falling GDP.

Activity was down 0.1 per cent in October, after recording the same reduction in September.

That was far worse than the 0.2 per cent growth analysts had pencilled in, and the first contraction in successive months since the height of Covid.

Although UK plc was still marginally in positive territory over the quarter, businesses voiced alarm that the full impact of Labour's £40billion Budget tax raid had yet to be felt.

Economists have warned Britain is on 'recession watch', while even Ms Reeves admitted the official figures last week were 'disappointing'.

The grim numbers could give the Bank of England pause for thought as it decides what to do on interest rates this week - although the MPC is widely expected to keep the level on hold.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/othe...f34c2ee&ei=142

[Jimbuna]

UK companies cut jobs at fastest rate in nearly 4 years as firms respond to Budget tax changes

The private sector in the UK has seen the fastest rate of job cuts in nearly four years, as companies react to new tax rules announced in the Budget.

The latest S&P Global Flash UK Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) revealed that while business confidence remained steady from November due to a slight increase in business activity, other sectors experienced a significant decline, as reported by City AM.

Manufacturing output and PMI both dropped to an 11-month low, at 45.7 (from 48.3) and 47.3 (from 48) respectively, while companies reported the steepest decrease in workforce numbers since January 2021. This reduction in UK workers was attributed to softer demand, increased employment costs, and squeezed company margins, as price pressures escalated at the fastest pace in nine months.

"Total new orders decreased for the first time in 13 months amid widespread reports of weaker business and consumer spending patterns," the report stated. The manufacturing and services sectors displayed contrasting trends, with the rate of decline in manufacturing accelerating to its quickest since January, while there was a modest rise in service sector output to 51.4.

Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith labelled the figures as "shocking, but to anyone in touch with real businesses, not surprising." He called on the Chancellor to "change course."

"Firms have opted not to replace workers as rising employment costs squeeze margins and the gloomy post-budget mood continues to weigh on confidence," stated Kyle Chapman, FX markets analyst at Ballinger Group. "For sterling, the uptick in inflationary pressure and the increasingly hawkish Bank of England rate path for 2025 are outweighing the soft growth outlook."

This follows a Bank of England survey earlier this month revealing that over half of companies plan to increase prices in response to the Budget, while also reducing jobs and wages.

Concurrently, KPMG's latest report on jobs indicates that salary growth has slowed to its lowest rate since February 2021, due to an increase in redundancies and low demand for workers. "Businesses are reporting a triple whammy of gloomy news as 2024 comes to a close, with economic growth stalled, employment slumping and inflation back on the rise," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/othe...e0960707&ei=40

[Jimbuna]

Keir Starmer branded ‘dictator' as he delays 2025 local elections

Nigel Farage has torn into Prime Minister Keir Starmer after it emerged this morning some crucial local elections will now not be held next year.

It's understood that some local elections will now no longer take place in May 2025 as originally scheduled, but instead be delayed until 2026 or 2027.

All 21 county councils have been asked to send in restructuring plans by mid-January. Reform UK is now running a social media graphic accusing Labour of wanting "to silence you".

Mr Farage blasted: "The two old parties' century-long stranglehold on British politics is breaking and they are terrified.

"Their day of reckoning is fast approaching."

He added that Labour has imported the US Democrats' doctrine of claiming their opponents are a threat to democracy.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...8b6146fd&ei=15

[Jimbuna]

Reeves faces growing Labour revolt over winter fuel raid

Rebellious Labour MPs have once again urged ministers to backtrack on its decision to strip winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners.

Pensions minister Emma Reynolds on Monday ruled out reversing the punitive policy despite interventions from her own party in the House of Commons.

Backbenchers Rachael Maskell and Neil Duncan-Jordan openly lambasted the Government’s decision to means-test the universal payments, worth up to £300 per year.

Mr Duncan-Jordan, MP for Poole, said: “The poorest pensioners in our society are those who are eligible for the pension credit but don’t claim it, or are just a few pounds above the threshold and miss out on passported support.

“Means testing by its very nature is simply not the best way to get help to those who need it most, so will the minister reconsider the recent decision to means-test the winter fuel allowance?”

Ms Reynolds replied: “We won’t reconsider that decision because in a very tight fiscal environment when we inherited a £22bn black hole from the party opposite, we had to take some very tough decisions.”

Ms Maskell told the minister that people in her York Central constituency were going to “really struggle this winter” because of the cut. She asked: “What additional steps will be taken to ensure that those who miss out on the 21 December [pension credit] deadline will still be able to get support to keep warm this winter?”

Ms Maskell has also been a vocal critic of several of Labour’s controversial policies including the decision to implement a 20pc VAT on private school fees from January.

Ms Reynolds said that 500 extra staff had been tasked with ensuring pension credit is given to those who need it. Claims for pension credit had more than doubled since the policy was announced, she added.

However, over half of pension credit claims processed in the past nine months have been rejected, according to data from a Freedom of Information request.

Some 92,000 claims were rejected between April and December 2024 while 91,000 were awarded the benefit. Eligible pensioners have until Saturday to claim it.

Pension credit is a means-tested benefit for those above state pension age with a low income. It tops up your income to help with everyday living costs, providing an average income boost of around £3,900 per year.

Up to 880,000 eligible households do not claim pension credit, according to government figures.

Around 10 million pensioners have lost out on winter fuel payments this year because of the decision to means-test the benefit. The move is expected to save the Treasury £1.4bn.

It has been a divisive policy for the party, with 52 Labour MPs refusing to vote on it back in September.

Labour has admitted that abolishing universal winter fuel payments will push as many as 100,000 pensioners into poverty by 2026.

Labour Party analysis from 2017 found 4,000 pensioners would die if the support was removed.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/othe...ba577e06&ei=13

[Skybird]

How much of Starmer's term is still left...?

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

"He added that Labour has imported the US Democrats' doctrine of claiming their opponents are a threat to democracy."

Ah, now I feel at home like in Germany!

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Skybird

How much of Starmer's term is still left...?

Far far too long

[Jimbuna]

Yet more shame on two-faced Two Tier Keir the most reviled and hated PM in UK post war history.

Keir Starmer's own words make plain how Labour has betrayed WASPI cause

The DWP's decision not to grant compensation to 1950s-born women will particularly infuriate WASPI campaigners (Women Against State Pension Inequality) as Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously backed their cause.

Speaking in a radio interview in July 2022, he said there was a "real injustice" on how the women had been treated, after they were not properly advised by the DWP of the increase of the state pension age, from 60 to 65.

Expressing his sympathy for their cause, the then-opposition leader said: "All your working life you've got in mind the date on which you can retire and get your pension, and just as you get towards it, the goalposts are moved and you don't get it, and it's a real injustice.

"We need to do something about it. That wasn't the basis on which you paid in or the basis on which you were working."

He went on to accuse the then-Conservative Government of putting "its fingers in its ears". But Labour work and pensions secretary, Liz Kendall, said today (December 17) there would be "no scheme" for compensation, as it "isn't fair or value for taxpayers' money".

This was despite a Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report that came out in March, recommending payouts of between £1,000 and £2,950.

Ms Kendall argued that "the vast majority" of the women knew the state pension age was increasing, so it would not be right to have a flat compensation payout.

After her announcement, the disappointed WASPI campaigners shared a picture of Ms Kendall holding a sign stating: "I will work with WASPI to identify a fair solution for all women affected."

They campaign group said: "Hard to see how your statement refusing #WASPI women justice today is a 'fair solution'."

Angela Madden, chair of the WASPI campaign, said: "This is a bizarre and totally unjustified move which will leave everyone asking what the point of an Ombudsman is if ministers can simply ignore their decisions. It feels like a decision that would make the likes of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump blush."

Ms Kendall said the Government would be sure to provide "clear and sufficient" updates on future changes to the state pension age, which is scheduled to increase from the current 66 to 67 and then to 68.

But Ms Madden was unimpressed with this promise, saying: "The idea that an 'action plan' to avoid such mistakes in future should be the result of a six-year Ombudsman's investigation is an insult both to the women and to the PHSO process.

"An overwhelming majority of MPs back WASPI's calls for fair compensation and all options remain on the table. Parliament must now seek an alternative mechanism to force this issue on to the order paper so justice can be done."

Several political parties have consistently supported WASPI compensation, including the Liberal Democrats, the SNP and the Green Party.

Big name Labour MPs who previously backed the cause include work and pensions minister, Sir Stephen Timms, and chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, Debbie Abrahams.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/othe...cc76c230&ei=10

[Gorpet]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Keir Starmer branded ‘dictator' as he delays 2025 local elections

Well, He has to do that.The socialist progressives in the usa have got to deal with,donald trump.and they can't afford for the people of the uk.to get any ideas.that would be bad for the agenda.right ? the plan is the destruction ukraine and russia.then there will be work for all the immigrants.after all the ukraine and the russians are dead.nato countries move in and provide cheap labor and replacements for the dead men.all the surviving women will become comfort women. and ukraine gets repopulated with cheap labor for the next 5 decades.win,win.