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Yes, it’s getting quite ridiculous now. Labour, for sure, have not done themselves any favours in their first 18 months in charge, but the level of attack and v

by louthy 11mo ago

Yes, it’s getting quite ridiculous now. Labour, for sure, have not done themselves any favours in their first 18 months in charge, but the level of attack and vitriol is exceptional and beyond any reasonable level. It makes me wonder what exactly is driving this.

dboreham 11mo ago
Money.
mytailorisrich 11mo ago
This is politics so attacks will always follow blunders on either side. In this case this is an extremely unpopular government to start with that increases taxes across the board while handing out more benefits and claiming that they had no choice because of the state of the public finances, and we learn that they possibly misled the public on that latter point. So, yes, in politics and especially British politics this means a riot against the Chancellor (who was also caught recently having let her house without the required legal licence, btw, after the [now former] Deputy PM was caught dodging taxes on the purchase of a second home...) because everyone "smells blood" but that's the game and it's not completely undeserved, either.
physicsguy 11mo ago
The fact that they were elected as a 'change' government and have barely done anything that really faces up to the scale of the challenge the country faces? If you're below the age of about 55, then the budget did absolutely nothing for you except put taxes up, and not even to improve services. I appreciate things time but so far the government have enormously walked back their planning reform proposals, which was one of their few pro-growth policies, and haven't really made any dent in anything else substantive. It's been pretty clear since even before the election that they didn't really have a plan, and they got a fairly light scrutiny through the campaign because the Tories were so appalling. Then since they got in they're just scrambling around looking fairly incompetent and the dearth of talent on the cabinet has been pretty plain to see as well. Largely I want Labour to succeed but they're not making it easy to like them.
- louthy 11mo ago
  I don’t disagree with any of that, but the vitriol doesn’t match the disappointment imho. Especially as they’ve done pretty well in other areas. I realise “it’s the economy, stupid”, but still it feels like outsized outrage.
  - mytailorisrich 11mo ago
    The public do not see or agree that they have done well in any areas, hence their appallingly low popularity. And that was before this budget announcement. It does not take a crystal ball to understand that the British media, which are vitriolic on a good day, will have an absolute free-for-all. It's nothing new.
  - qcnguy 11mo ago
    Starmer was already the most unpopular PM on record before the budget, and Labour's voting intention is the lowest it's ever been. It's just a really, really unpopular government so of course it gets a lot of attacks.
    - dfawcus 11mo ago
      Well even at the GE, his party was less popular than the previous offer by Corbyn. Labour only really got in because of the collapse of the Tory vote. 2019 GE Votes Labour: 10,269,051 22% R 32% T Tory: 13,966,454 29% R 44% T LibDem: 3,696,419 8% R 12% T 2024 GE Votes Labour: 9,708,716 20% R 34% T Tory: 6,828,925 14% R 24% T LibDem: 3,519,143 7% R 12% T Also % Registered, % Turnout So that he got even more unpopular seemed a given, unless he managed to be competent and actually improve things for the people who elected his party.
- exasperaited 11mo ago
  > The fact that they were elected as a 'change' government and have barely done anything that really faces up to the scale of the challenge the country faces? They have done a lot. But they haven't even stopped the runaway train yet. And the fundamental mistake they have made is not explaining to people clearly enough, during the election campaign, that it would take the first three years just to stop it. Then you have the absolutely shameful, racist, nihilistic, fact-free intervention of five MPs that the media thinks will run the country in future so they are getting ten times the airtime of anyone else.
RobotToaster 11mo ago
They were elected with 33% of the vote thanks to our FPTP system, the lowest in history. They were unpopular when they were elected and have done nothing to change that.

by louthy 11mo ago

dboreham 11mo ago

Money.

mytailorisrich 11mo ago

This is politics so attacks will always follow blunders on either side. In this case this is an extremely unpopular government to start with that increases taxes across the board while handing out more benefits and claiming that they had no choice because of the state of the public finances, and we learn that they possibly misled the public on that latter point. So, yes, in politics and especially British politics this means a riot against the Chancellor (who was also caught recently having let her house without the required legal licence, btw, after the [now former] Deputy PM was caught dodging taxes on the purchase of a second home...) because everyone "smells blood" but that's the game and it's not completely undeserved, either.

physicsguy 11mo ago

The fact that they were elected as a 'change' government and have barely done anything that really faces up to the scale of the challenge the country faces? If you're below the age of about 55, then the budget did absolutely nothing for you except put taxes up, and not even to improve services. I appreciate things time but so far the government have enormously walked back their planning reform proposals, which was one of their few pro-growth policies, and haven't really made any dent in anything else substantive. It's been pretty clear since even before the election that they didn't really have a plan, and they got a fairly light scrutiny through the campaign because the Tories were so appalling. Then since they got in they're just scrambling around looking fairly incompetent and the dearth of talent on the cabinet has been pretty plain to see as well. Largely I want Labour to succeed but they're not making it easy to like them.

louthy 11mo ago
I don’t disagree with any of that, but the vitriol doesn’t match the disappointment imho. Especially as they’ve done pretty well in other areas. I realise “it’s the economy, stupid”, but still it feels like outsized outrage.
- mytailorisrich 11mo ago
  The public do not see or agree that they have done well in any areas, hence their appallingly low popularity. And that was before this budget announcement. It does not take a crystal ball to understand that the British media, which are vitriolic on a good day, will have an absolute free-for-all. It's nothing new.
- qcnguy 11mo ago
  Starmer was already the most unpopular PM on record before the budget, and Labour's voting intention is the lowest it's ever been. It's just a really, really unpopular government so of course it gets a lot of attacks.
  - dfawcus 11mo ago
    Well even at the GE, his party was less popular than the previous offer by Corbyn. Labour only really got in because of the collapse of the Tory vote. 2019 GE Votes Labour: 10,269,051 22% R 32% T Tory: 13,966,454 29% R 44% T LibDem: 3,696,419 8% R 12% T 2024 GE Votes Labour: 9,708,716 20% R 34% T Tory: 6,828,925 14% R 24% T LibDem: 3,519,143 7% R 12% T Also % Registered, % Turnout So that he got even more unpopular seemed a given, unless he managed to be competent and actually improve things for the people who elected his party.
exasperaited 11mo ago
> The fact that they were elected as a 'change' government and have barely done anything that really faces up to the scale of the challenge the country faces? They have done a lot. But they haven't even stopped the runaway train yet. And the fundamental mistake they have made is not explaining to people clearly enough, during the election campaign, that it would take the first three years just to stop it. Then you have the absolutely shameful, racist, nihilistic, fact-free intervention of five MPs that the media thinks will run the country in future so they are getting ten times the airtime of anyone else.

RobotToaster 11mo ago

They were elected with 33% of the vote thanks to our FPTP system, the lowest in history. They were unpopular when they were elected and have done nothing to change that.