32 minutes ago, Gezza said:

We have record number of millionaires leaving the UK (16.5k in 2025 according to adam smith institute). Thanks in the main to the UK being considered as expensive to set up business and more heavily taxed than other countries. That's a sizeable lack of tax income that the government won't be getting.

Always a pernicious one to combat so excuse me:

The 16.5k is only about 1% of UK millionaires , enough that regular immigration churn can and probably does offset it, and it's a little hard to truly ascertain when high net-worth individuals change their tax residence.

The UK kinda does need higher taxes to keep itself somewhat solvent - though high net-worth individuals aren't really where we should be looking either (corporations as well as an international effort to tackle tax avoidance and constrain the financial power of multinational super-companies).

I agree that the UK does need higher tax rates to keep solvent or reduce spending. With corporation tax at 25% we are already at the higher end of European tax rates in that regard. An increase may make the UK look even more like a bad choice for business.

I'm working on the basis that the more you increase tax the more billionaires will leave, which i admit is an assumption but it has some basis.

42 minutes ago, Gezza said:

I agree that the UK does need higher tax rates to keep solvent or reduce spending. With corporation tax at 25% we are already at the higher end of European tax rates in that regard. An increase may make the UK look even more like a bad choice for business.

I'm working on the basis that the more you increase tax the more billionaires will leave, which i admit is an assumption but it has some basis.

Which is basically why we are pretty knackered and you have these great "tax" policies which the wealthiest can just bypass. Likewise, Labour trying to get rid of the Pensioners winter fuel allowance was suicidal for them, just imagine what it would be like if they got rid of the triple lock which has to happen, but nobody has the balls to do it yet.

Seen a great quote from someone supporting Burnham today saying "the bond markets will have to get in line with Andy Burnham's agenda". Just absolute lunacy. The irony being as a country we are on an okay path, but it will take 10-15 years, but politicians can't be honest and understandably people want results quicker.

Remarkably no sign of a Wesignation today. Yet.

1 minute ago, Iz様 🌟 said:

Remarkably no sign of a Wesignation today. Yet.

The Times are saying Streeting might delay as he's now struggling to get the numbers.

LabourList/Survation poll also has Streeting losing a contest against Starmer, as well as Streeting struggling against Burnham, Rayner or Miliband...

13 minutes ago, blacksquare said:

The Times are saying Streeting might delay as he's now struggling to get the numbers.

Nevermind. He resigned.

Here we go 🤢

Now to see how long it takes until we see posters with “Wes He Can” in it.

I personally don’t think he has the numbers. Seems a bold move, he’s been a pretty good Health Secretary though, but I just can’t see him getting the numbers needed.

Luckily Rayner's tax issues got "cleared up" just in time to enter it too. A stroke of good fortune.......

ijbol

Rayner I feel is the only one that could maybe change the narrative at least in terms of being more popular with the public, but given Starmer's treatment by the press, she will get that and tenfold so it won't feel all that different.

I'd struggle to find even a muster of enthusiasm in the public for Wes Streeting, and the support from cabinet seems pretty muted, This feels a bit risky and I don't think he'll get the numbers required. Certainly won't get remotely close to solving Labour's issues even if he does manage it.

1 hour ago, Gezza said:

Luckily Rayner's tax issues got "cleared up" just in time to enter it too. A stroke of good fortune.......

I don’t think she’d support Streeting, think she’s far more likely to support Burnham.

I’m not sure there’s really a unity candidate, I suppose Burnham is the most likely, but I have the feeling it’s a disaster in waiting and he’ll likely pull a ‘Starmer’.

The one positive of Streeting is he's a great attack dog and you can see it in that letter, he's very good at manipulating the conversation to his advantage when given a stage.

I don't have any fundamental expectations that Labour would change with the names being floated so I don't particularly care which, but if it is to change, or even if Starmer stays to preserve stability, they have to fight to show principally that they are still on the left and also that they are doing well for the country (economic figures today show us top of the G7!), and the country would be far worse off choosing any option to the right of them.

I don’t like Starmer at all but this feels like an absolute circus. I can’t see Labour winning the next GE even with a new leader at this rate and all this messing around.

I found myself agreeing with Kemi Badenoch yesterday. That is where we are with this.

2 hours ago, T Boy said:

I don’t like Starmer at all but this feels like an absolute circus. I can’t see Labour winning the next GE even with a new leader at this rate and all this messing around.

I found myself agreeing with Kemi Badenoch yesterday. That is where we are with this.

We're basically in our Joe Biden era. Doing pretty well through difficult times, but ultimately pretty boring. So people get attracted to populism and sexy slogans and we'll be exactly where we are in 5 years time, but most likely even worse off.

Will Burnham win a by election even given the other parties will throw everything at it. If he loses it it’ll be pretty embarrassing!

36 minutes ago, Steve201 said:

Will Burnham win a by election even given the other parties will throw everything at it. If he loses it it’ll be pretty embarrassing!

Well that's the gamble isn't it. It will be majorly embarrassing for Labour and Burnham if this happens. I'm not sure the Lib Dems or the Greens have the resources or reach to compete in the seat, but you can be sure as anything Reform will throw everything behind it.

On a different note - I'm surprised by Streeting's response. I'm not sure he could beat Burnham in a leadership content, as not sure which way Starmer's allies would go. Maybe he sees it as shoring up his own position in a future cabinet and MP in is constituency. Don't think Burnham could afford to fill his cabinet with which faction he seems to have allied himself with for the time being.

I am cackling at "After the financial crisis, austerity, the disaster of Brexit, Liz Truss, the covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine and now the war in Iran.

"Liz Truss" looool.

2 hours ago, Spiceboy said:

I am cackling at "After the financial crisis, austerity, the disaster of Brexit, Liz Truss, the covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine and now the war in Iran.

"Liz Truss" looool.

And that deluded f***wit will be claiming until the end of time that she did a good job, was misunderstood and sabotaged!