I've been suckered. Again

[JBR]

In my view, the Conservatives have been incompetent for at least the past ten years.
Labour for about fifty.  Their last reasonably competent PM, again in my view, being Harold Wilson.
The last Liberal PM was Lloyd George in 1922, that's one hundred years ago, so I think we could discount them as an option now.

As neither of the 'two main parties' have been particularly successful for such a long time, I believe that it is high time that we should consider giving a new political party a chance of showing what they can do for the next four or five years.

If they then turn out to be as equally unsuccessful as the Tories and Labour, we shall have the opportunity to think again.

[Diasi]

In my view, the Conservatives have been incompetent for at least the past ten years.
Labour for about fifty.  Their last reasonably competent PM, again in my view, being Harold Wilson.
The last Liberal PM was Lloyd George in 1922, that's one hundred years ago, so I think we could discount them as an option now.

As neither of the 'two main parties' have been particularly successful for such a long time, I believe that it is high time that we should consider giving a new political party a chance of showing what they can do for the next four or five years.

If they then turn out to be as equally unsuccessful as the Tories and Labour, we shall have the opportunity to think again.

Harold "the pound in your pocket" Wilson.!! Lol

The most corrupt PM we've ever had, who presided over the devaluation of the pound & far higher interest rates than today & handed 25% inflation to 'Sunny Jim'Callaghan.

[JBR]

Harold "the pound in your pocket" Wilson.!! Lol

The most corrupt PM we've ever had, who presided over the devaluation of the pound & far higher interest rates than today & handed 25% inflation to 'Sunny Jim'Callaghan.

True.  But I did say 'reasonably competent', and I was desperately searching for at least one Labour PM who might fit that bill!

[klondike]

Tough challenge that. As is finding the last half way competent PM of any flavour. It's certainly beyond the memory of most. Beyond mine anyway. 

[Michael Rolls]

Thatcher

[klondike]

She got rid of our manufacturing and turned us into a service economy. She also consigned vast numbers to the dole queue. The economy prospered at the time and she destroyed union power but it seems those gains have both vanished now. 

Millions are in low paying jobs that only exist because they are subsidised by the taxpayer in the form of universal credit. In my day you were either working or on the dole. What we have now is a chunk of the country with a foot in each category.

[Raven]

Not helped IMO, by employers taking on foreign folk and paying them peanuts. It's no wonder Brits are refusing the jobs as they can't live off the pay.
Maybe it's time employers were made by law to pay a decent wage. You can bet your life they will be on good money.

[Michael Rolls]

minimum wage?

[Raven]

For the boss? Not on your life. Top whack for them. 

[klondike]

> Maybe it's time employers were made by law to pay a decent wage.
That's what the minimum wage is supposed to do but it is set way too low unless subsidised by the taxpayer.

January 09, 2023, 12:30:03 PM

For the boss? Not on your life. Top whack for them. 

They are better off paying themselves rock bottom and living off dividends. At least that used to be so but tax changes may well have made it less attractive in which case there will be evasion going on rather than the avoidance of yore. Once into evasion you may as well be hung for a sheep. Another reason why increasing tax rates rarely increases the tax take for those able to avoid it. Not folks on PAYE naturally - they just get creamed.

[Diasi]

Not helped IMO, by employers taking on foreign folk and paying them peanuts. It's no wonder Brits are refusing the jobs as they can't live off the pay.

For years I've been saying the same thing in reply to those who say that the Brits are too lazy to do land work.

Well the Brits did it long before Blair opened the floodgates to the Eastern Europeans, but as you say, the Brits can't survive on £2 an hour as they have families to support & don't live 10 to a caravan.

[Ashy]

Part of the problem, no doubt, is that pay that looks attractive to young men from Poland &c isn't enough for British people to live on.

The labour party resisted a legal minimum wage when it was proposed after the war, the argument was that minimum wage would become the unskilled wage, and they weren't far wrong.

[JBR]

Thatcher

Yes.  The best PM we've had since Churchill.

January 10, 2023, 11:58:39 AM

Not helped IMO, by employers taking on foreign folk and paying them peanuts. It's no wonder Brits are refusing the jobs as they can't live off the pay.

Why do you think the government is inviting in ever more illegal immigrants?

[klondike]

Yes.  The best PM we've had since Churchill.

It's over 30 years since the men in grey suits told her it was time to step down. 

[JBR]

It's over 30 years since the men in grey suits told her it was time to step down.

One thing about Maggie: she wasn't afraid of anyone.
I've been watching The Crown on Netflix, and the episode where she stands up to the Queen and basically tells her to mind her own business, as it isn't her job to interfere in politics.
At the end of the day, the Queen lost!