The Labour Party: Not Much of a Party

*I apologise in advance for the length of this article, I had a lot to say and much material to talk about.*

A tidal wave of political repercussions were unleashed on June 24th following the vote to Brexit which have been felt nationwide but possibly most profoundly within the Labour Party. David Cameron resigned from his post following his defeat in the referendum and a general election is almost certain to follow, despite what new Prime Minister Theresa May might say, this is the root cause of the unrest in Labour since then.



Our almighty leader

The prospect of a general election has driven the majority of MP's to push for a change of leader and at it's heart a change of focus and belief. Jeremy Corbyn has thus far shown little appetite or strategy for winning an election and has made little to no in roads into the Conservative lead in the polls and the country, all of this while the cabinet and party in power have been split like never before. Corbyn's backers, Momentum, have admitted no desire to win an election. The leader of this group tweeted, "Democracy gives power to people, "winning" is the small bit that matters to political elites who want to keep power themselves." It cannot be argued that this does not reflect Corbyn's ideals, as someone who repeatedly attends and speaks at Momentum events, such as this one where fellow Labour MPs were labelled, "f****** useless" by ally John McDonnell.

This belief, principles over power, is the battle at the heart of the Labour Party. 172 MP's who backed a motion of no confidence in Corbyn know the importance of stopping Conservative law making for their constituents who have suffered cuts, taxes, wage freezes and more. The only way for this to be stopped is winning an election, which Corbyn has not only no desire to do but has shown little ability or competence to.

The Electoral Evidence

First let's look at the evidence we have from the year of Corbyn rule. It is true that there have been some by-election victories however these were safe Labour seats and an opposition should be increasing their vote share especially immediately after an election. The council elections, while not as bad as predicted, cannot and should not be called anything but a failure. Corbyn became one of the worst ever performing opposition leader with these results.  

Then came the referendum, while I don't dispute that Corbyn made more appearances than other Labour MP's, the question is impact and passion. Look at how hard Corbyn has fought for his own job, then compare to how hard he fought to save the jobs that will be lost by Brexit. Look at the arguments he put forward during those appearances (no upper limit on immigration, climate change) while admirable, these are not the issues the public were most concerned with and his thoughts particularly on immigration are unlikely to chime with most of the electorate. The result was Brexit and it is hard to take any confidence from that election strategy and performance forward to a general election.

His confusion and lack of strategy following Brexit also pours fuel on the fire, first calling for article 50 to be called immediately then changing his mind, he has yet to contribute any ideas on what sort of relationship we should have with Europe to this day. Added to this, I don't believe he has commented on our new Prime Minister or shown any hint of a strategy against her and this has resulted in a major lack of Labour presence in the news. This is the where the doubt, lack of confidence and belief in the leader stems from for the 172 MP's. It is this lack of confidence balanced with the desire, the importance, the imperative nature of winning the next election. I for one could not bare the thought of 11 years of Conservative government.

The Removal Process

With the issue of winning an election and the reasoning behind the push for his removal, I turn to the process of his removal. Over the past 2 weeks we have seen dozens of resignations, a vote of no confidence, a legal battle and the announcement of a leadership election. It has been a mess and has turned very ugly at times, partly due to those who want Corbyn to quit and partly due to Corbyn himself. I would expect under most other circumstances, in a work situation or with flatmates for example, if the majority of your colleagues or friends declare their support for you leaving, most would not hang around and make the situation worse. We've seen David Cameron and Andrea Leadsom realise their inability to command the confidence of those they would work with and stand down. However Corbyn is different.

Corbyn's stubbornness, arrogance, selfishness has seen the situation get much worse and drag the Labour name through the mire. On the other hand, I would have liked a more ruthless party to cut him loose and move onwards and upwards. It has been a situation badly handled on both sides. At this point, Corbyn cannot realistically expect 172 MP's, a huge majority, to simply backtrack and support him...it wouldn't work in Parliament or crucially on the doorstep. Therefore it is Jeremy that must be the bigger person, accept that even if he wins a leadership race he cannot achieve the things he wants to achieve, and step aside. Will he do that? Not likely. He and his backers seem set on splitting the party for their own means. This is the sad predicament we face.

The process has been ugly, and will likely get more gruesome, but this is not due to a badly organised 'coup'. It is a result of Jeremy Corbyn's insistence that staying as leader is more important than having a well oiled, efficient parliamentary party that can effectively oppose, and more important than getting Labour into power.

The Man Himself

I want to finally say something about Jeremy Corbyn the person. While it is admirable that so many people have been engaged in politics through him, I think they are following a false prophet. Either he massively misunderstands how politics works, he actively doesn't want to engage with it or he is simply incompetent. I say this on the evidence that he has actively backed away from attacking the Conservatives (see Vice documentary) after Iain Duncan Smith's resignation, he has regularly missed PLP meetings, he has performed badly at PMQ's, he speaks to a membership rather than an electorate, he actively dismisses rather than persuades and has shown no strategy or future planning. You may hope this is a learning curve, but the time for learning is quickly evaporating.

I have to admire Corbyn in some respects, while he positions himself as the epitome of truth, honesty and lack of spin, he is in fact the master of spin and dishonesty. While his speeches talk of empathy for the pressures of the working class and his anti austerity stance, it is all hot air. He has not, or not to my knowledge, produced a single policy regarding job creation or the type of job he would encourage. He has not talked about encouraging small businesses or entrepreneurs. I have no idea on his education policy or if he even has one. He has no policies that will connect with the electorate, get him elected and give him the power to help those he 'claims' to have empathy with and want to support. It is doubtful whether he even wants to win an election, therefore claiming he can help those who need the help the most is meaningless, politics talk. He talks about democracy and principle but won't stand aside when 80% of an PLP party vote against him. He talked about legal action should a democratic NEC vote go against him. This is a man that stands for truth, justice, honesty but is in fact a selfish, self absorbed, arrogant man.

Corbyn is the only leader I can remember who would attend a protest in his honour. He is the only leader I can remember that believes he knows better than 80% of his own party. He is the only leader who focuses on the issues that matter to him not the issues the electorate care about. The cult of Corbyn sweeps all this aside and instead focuses on conspiracy theories and an elite whitewash. If Corbyn really wanted to help those he continually claims he wants to help, he should be doing all he can to become the elite and stack the decks in the favour of those people. Instead his focus is on maintaining his personal power, a paranoia of dethronement which gives rise to conspiracy theories which rely on friends of friends and leaps of imagination. Once again self preservation is his first priority.

If Corbyn wants to judge people by their friends, then maybe he should look at himself. His close links with Hamas, Hezbollah and people with a history of anti-Semite comments do him no favours. (Watch this Select Committee meeting and listen to the links he has with numerous wayward characters) Why is it that so many anti-Semite related suspensions and controversies have appeared under his leadership than under Miliband, Brown, Blair and before that? His surge in popularity has inspired a belief within the people holding these extreme views that they now have a backing, a following and a license to speak out. While Theresa May was being crowned the new Conservative PM, Corbyn was addressing the Cuba Solidarity Fund. This shows both the friends he keeps but the lack of political awareness, the lack of connection with the issues that matter. It shows he is in it for self interest, not to represent those that most need representation.



Coming soon: Leadership election round 2

Where Now?

As a lifelong Labour supporter, I have tried to get on board with the Corbyn party but I have become massively disengaged and disinterested with where he has taken the party I love. I want, more than anything, to have Labour in power making decisions that can rebalance inequality, provide stable jobs, invest in things, get a good relationship with Europe, improve the education system but not only do I not see this being achieved with Corbyn, I don't hear him speaking with any details or conviction on these subjects and to be honest, I'm not sure he is in politics for these subjects. In fairness he is entitled to have his own interests but when they are dragging the party in to areas it cannot go, that's when problems occur. As a lifelong Labour supporter, I can't stand by and let this happen.
 
I will be supporting Owen Smith in the leadership election. Smith is someone who, in calling for a second referendum on the nature of our post Brexit Europe relationship, has already inspired more hope and faith in me than Corbyn has. This is after only a day of his leadership campaign. It shows a strategy, a political stance for the many and not just the membership. I hope we will see a leadership election full of policies and detailed content on the issues that matter....jobs, education, NHS, the economy, the EU. It is not only how elections are won but it is how Corbyn can be found out.

I hope it will be a safe, orderly, friendly but content filled and detailed campaign. Ultimately I hope I will feel a lot more hopeful and inspired about Labour's future by September than I do now. Should Corbyn be returned, I fear not only for the Labour Party but for the country facing a decade of Conservative government.

If you read all this way.....good on you!

Much Ado About Corbyn

I positioned this picture on the far left.

Post Brexit Britain is shaping up well so far. Not only do we have a lame duck Prime Minister, the opposition are also in meltdown following the vote to take Britain out of everything we are familiar with.

Tony Blair explained it well this morning, comparing the Brexit vote to moving house. Choosing to leave the house you know well, the benefits and the flaws, swapping it for a house you have no clue about, the flaws or problems there might be or what the house looks like. However this is the situation we're facing and I don't blame David Cameron for quitting, having no appetite to lead Britain in to a world he campaigned endlessly to avoid. He will leave as one of Britain's worst ever Prime Ministers but his departure is the catalyst for huge political upheaval. A new Conservative leader and because of a high likelihood of a snap general election, it has sparked a race for a new Labour leader.

My Background

I have to admit a bias before I enter this discussion. I have never, and baring a dramatic change of aptitude, will never be a Corbyn supporter. So much so that a couple of months ago I began to consider moving my support to the Liberal Democrats. There are many reasons behind this but mainly I want a leader and a party that has a drive, ambition and focus on winning. Corbyn has openly admitted he feels it is not his job to attack Conservative mistakes and his political moves in his 12 months in charge have been uninspiring, disappointing and underwhelming. I cannot think of a single achievement, you may point out the tax credits U-turn however this was a House of Lords victory mainly.

My other reason is the political approach Corbyn and particularly his supporters have adopted. His is not a persuasive voice, his is not a democratic voice, his is instead a dismissive voice. If you choose to criticise Corbyn you are a Blairite, you are a red Tory, you are a traitor to your party. There is no attempt at discourse, no attempt to persuade or even listen to your point of view. This is not how you win supporters, it is not how you win over an already biased media and it is not even how you win over members of your party. If the repeated phrase of Labour is a broad church is true then you do not win around more critical members of your church by shutting them out, dismissing them and accusing them. I myself have suffered from this and it is what first started my slide in to the arms of another political party. It is not disloyal to question if the leader is the right person for the party. A party the country so desperately needs right now. 

Coup Coup

With this out in the open I arrive onto todays events where 11 (at time of writing) members of the shadow cabinet has resigned. I firstly point out these MP's are people who have served in the Labour party for decades, they have a wide range of political stance (Seema Malhotra was close to John McDonall) and none of them will be options for future leader. Suddenly each of these MP's have been abused, past stances examined and criticised all because they fear for the future of the party. I also want to note that none of these MP's can realistically be called Blairites, there are not many Blairites who would serve in the shadow cabinet currently, nor would they be wanted by Corbyn.

Regarding the timing, it comes after a disappointing and underwhelming performance in the referendum by Corbyn and it is also done in mind that a snap general election could be called even before the turn of the year. Corbyn's past performances - the first opposition leader to lose seats in council elections and losing Labour voters in the EURef - do not inspire any belief that Labour would be successful in defeating a Boris led Conservatives.

I think the referendum is the key point, Labour could have won huge support if it had led the way, made a positive and crucially relatable message to the electorate. Instead Corbyn refused to play any part in cross party events, whereas Sadiq Khan, Tim Farron, Natalie Bennett all did. Instead Corbyn chose to comment on global warming (a valid issue but not in a majority of voters' eyes) and completely, overwhelmingly misread the public's opinions on immigration, stating he had no upper limit in mind. Being so out of touch with the opinions and interests of working class voters probably contributed to a leave vote in areas like the north east and north west, usually Labour strongholds.

What Now?

With all of this mind, his approach to politics, his record in opposition, his election record and his misreading of public opinion plus his many disappointing PMQ's performances and his positioning too far on the political left, I believe it is perfectly understandable why Labour MP's have acted the way they have. I could have mentioned much more, such as the shocking poll released today about Labour voters and his poor delivery of speeches but I can only write so much. I want a Labour government so much, this country needs the positive, equal and fair governance badly but under Corbyn I just cannot see the party I love going anywhere but backwards. While the change might be ugly, it's a change that has to be done. Cameron had the decency to stand down when he saw he could not command his party's loyalty, I hope Corbyn has the same decency.  

A Sad Day

After an immensely sad 24 hours following a depressing 12 months before a rubbish 5 years, we have arrived at this. A Labour MP, Jo Cox, being murdered in broad daylight for little more than her political views it seems. It is a sad state of affairs and every time I read about it or see it on the news, it's just sad. No other way of saying it, simply bone-numbingly sad. Sad because a bright burning light has been put out all too soon and hundreds of lives changed but sad because of what this says about political debate and the background it stems from.

The one hope that I have is that this awful event could maybe raise the level of political discourse in the country, something Jo Cox was able to fight against as she battled for her beliefs and stuck to her principles, over refugees most prominently. I hold this hope having been completely disengaged with politics since May 2015 when fear and division won. This has lead, on an increasingly downward spiral, to the hate filled, fear fuelled, emotion driven referendum debate. My belief is that this negative and divisive campaigning, tone and policies are the reasons behind the horrendous killing of Jo Cox.

I am hesitant to raise politics at this difficult period of time, especially as others have been criticised for doing so but when a politician is killed for apparent political reasoning then I feel there has to be some reflection, retrospection and investigation. Personally I feel all politicians and the media need to have a long hard look at themselves and ask if they have always kept the tone elevated and campaigning on the right topics and have used the facts accurately.

I want to raise the ugly face of patriotism and look back to the fear of the SNP coming and "taking over" our 'British' Parliament in the general election of 2015. I look back at the 'British votes' law which was voted through. I look at the fear and hate filled campaigning on immigration, those foreigners coming here and taking our jobs, money, houses and all the rapists, murderers and criminals coming from abroad. Can anyone realistically say this rhetoric, which is quite clearly designed to rile, anger and fuel emotion, is not at all to blame for Jo Cox's murder?

All that I have mentioned used to be the discussion kept to the outer reaches of politics but the sudden lurch to the right in British politics has brought it very much front and centre. This fear, anger and desperation is enough to make even a right thinking person consider their beliefs but imagine where these words might lead someone who suffers from mental health issues and what might go through their mind. Politicians, media and advisors need to carefully consider the potential effects of their words in the future and if there is one thing I hope comes from these dark days I hope it is this.

Much of my sadness and my words have been aimed at the right of politics but the left also needs to look at themselves. The rebuttal of this fear and hatred has to be a stronger message of hope, togetherness and positivity, Labour and their friends haven't had an answer to immigration and this should be a priority to push back against this awful narrative. Corbyn needs to begin to start discussing with and persuading his detractors not simply dismissing or ignoring it as a criticism of him, the left needs to be winning over people across the spectrum and bringing people together.

Famously the pen is supposed to be mightier than the sword and so the entire country needs to learn its lessons from this tragedy. We need to return to factual politics, not the politics of emotion. We need positive, thoughtful, empathetic words to reunite the country not divide it. Jo Cox's death is a tragedy of the grandest proportions, the only way to honour her is to fight for what she believed so passionately in.


For some further thoughts which follow a similar tone but are probably far more eloquent that mine, I would urge you to watch the video of James O'Brian on LBC posted in this Mirror article......http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/james-obrien-launches-passionate-rant-8220381

Regardless of your view, your political position or background I would also urge you to add your name to the no doubt thousands in the book of condolence here....https://donation.labour.org.uk/w/jo-cox-condolences

The Labour State

We are Labour

Hi folks, long time no see, haven't blogged much since the general and labour elections. To be fair not much has changed since then, the Conservatives are continuing a lot of policies that I disagree with and Labour are frustrating me as much as they were back in September conference season. I decided to write a little blog about the problems I think are still facing Labour and how they might be tackled.

It isn't too much of a secret that Jeremy Corbyn was not my choice of Labour leader, but unlike many, I was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt as I agreed with most of his key policies. I would scrap Trident, I think the railways should be renationalised and I would generally agree with his belief in discussion instead of war. What has, and continues to, frustrate about Jeremy is the way he has run the party, his lack of leadership and the rudderless, toothless approach. I can't think of one area where Labour have made advances against the Conservatives. I think it is telling that even while Tories use awful language to describe refugees and benefit receivers, the NHS is in an appalling state and Tories are split over Europe, that no progress has been made in any sort of polling.

The man in charge

I believe this is because the Labour party are being allowed to appear like a disjointed, disunited, unfocused bunch of MP's with very different policies. Other than the railways I struggle to think of any clear policies that Labour stands for. While the leadership continues to allow MP's to openly disagree with each other, argue and confuse the electorate it not only simply looks bad, it splits media attention and sends no clear message. I want to compare this to the opposition, the current government, who even over Europe have no cabinet members speaking out against each other and won an election by consistently repeating phrases and messages that got drilled in to the electorate, about the SNP, about the economy and Labours record on it. Even if these were pure fiction, they were repeated so often they became fact.

This lack of leadership means Labour can make no clear stance on a subject, MP's can not go in to the media and repeat it, no pressure is built on the Tories and no progress is made in the polls. This is the very core of modern politics. These problems are on display regularly every Wednesday during PMQ's, a range of questions are asked, no follow up or rebuttals are offered and no pressure is built. There are a lot of things that can be thrown at this government, pick one for a period of time, focus on it and attack. Labour loses a lot of any potential momentum built by answering questions or even philosophising over issues that not only aren't in huge public interest but only serve to offer more bullets for most of the media to aim at Corbyn. I'm thinking Falklands, IRA questions and Trident. It is almost sadomasochistic.

Labour's record in government versus Tory rule.
Thanks to LabourEoin on Twitter

One other issue I wanted to talk about is this new found desire for many Labour members to criticise and denigrate the achievements of the last Labour government. If Labour wants any hope of winning in the future, it has to embrace its past and make the public remember the great things that Labour were able to do and could do given another chance. This includes cutting homelessness by 41%, opening over 3500 Sure Start centres, record low NHS waiting times and introducing the national minimum wage. These facts should be praised, shouted from the rooftops not brushed from history because it's 'blairite'.

To have any chance of repairing after just 10 years of Tory rule, Labour has to win over 2 million new voters. This means people who voted Conservative, UKIP, SNP, Green. It will require clear, wide reaching policies and reversing lies over the economy in particular. I am not saying Corbyn needs replacing, I am saying Corbyn must wake up to real politics. Focus on issues that capture public focus, get the whole party repeating this issue, target Tory records and speak as one party. It will take leadership and a plan, it's time to step up.


P.S. As an added bonus I've added a video by Kate Tempest. She is an awesome spoken word artist who has released a poem/song about the current state of Europe. Have a look at the lyrics, they are spot on and they cut deep. I particularly liked, "It’s big business baby and its smile is hideous.
Top down violence, structural viciousness." I believe she actually read this at a Labour party gathering over Christmas.

An Evening With The 'Unelectable' Jeremy Corbyn

Frontrunner Corbyn?

The past two months have seen the rise and rise of Jeremy Corbyn, to the point where he is likely to become the next Labour leader. Having watched on television and online at the rapid rise of Corbyn and his policies, I was unsure what to make of him especially given the opinions of many Labour big hitters. So it was with interest and curiosity that I spent an evening with Jeremy last night in Newcastle.

A host of left wing political speakers had their five minutes including a speech from the Unison leader who has backed Corbyn wholeheartedly. After much fist pumping, lecturn thumping and being called 'comrades' Jeremy was greeted with rapturous and lengthy applause. What he said was convincing and was clearly well researched and principled, talking about the need for equality, empathy, a levelling of the economic playing field and the values of the NHS.

It is hard to argue with anything that he spoke about and his ideas were clearly honest, full of thought and passion which brings me to why so many Labour veterans are so passionate and vocal about the need to not elect Corbyn as leader. Despite everything that Corbyn said, with which I could not find fault as a leftist myself, the evening left me leaning towards the opposition rather than joining Corbynmania.

Unelectable?

My reason for turning against the tide go back to the reasons for electoral defeat in May this year. I voted Labour and had, still have, much time and support for Ed Miliband so I was as shocked as anyone to see the exit poll and the evening that followed in May. However in reflection Ed, as much as I admire him and his policies, made a couple of crucial mistakes that made it easy for the Conservative party and their attack, which I fear Corbyn plays in to once again.
 
The Tories consistently and regularly labelled Labour as irresponsible, untrustworthy and reckless in charge of the country's economy. No matter the facts (of course Labour were not the cause of the GLOBAL financial crisis) the public bought in to this story and could not trust Labour despite the excellent and prudent manifesto that Ed Miliband put forward, proven by the fact David and George stole a number of policies for the following budget.

The reason I bring these painful memories back up is because I feel Corbyn plays perfectly in to the Conservative stereotyping of a Labour government. Listening to the speakers last night, as admirable and visionary the ideas were, I simply do not think his vision for the country is achievable and crucially affordable. Lynton Crosby and David Cameron can stick to their simple line of attack and say Labour would spend and spend, painting the reckless picture once again. This line of attack has proven to be successful and I fear would reopen the phrase, "cleaning up Labours' mess."

The Centre Ground

Four candidates, one winner....announced in September.

As a leftist myself I would prefer a Labour that positions itself slightly more to the left of the argument and a Labour that actually opposes the Conservative agenda much more to show the public there is a choice and a difference between the parties. However Corbyn would move the party dramatically to the left, leaving room for the Conservatives to control the centre and right of politics. This is something that they are already looking to activate with the talk of one nation Conservatives and the party of the working people.....no matter how ridiculous that sounds.

If Labour is to win in 2020 votes must be gained from UKIP and Greens, it would not be enough for Labour to simply take from the Green party or the much maligned Lib Dems. No matter how much I might agree with what Corbyn says and his beliefs, the fact of the matter is the public are a wide variety of people, beliefs and opinions, taking the party to one side of the argument is unlikely to win enough votes to regain power.

The Way to Win?

I am no electioneer or strategist, as much as I'd like to be, but I believe it does not require a dramatic change for Labour to win in 2020. In England Labour's share of the vote increased and I believe showing a bit more opposition and difference in policy, particularly towards the need for austerity, would win further votes. Showing a willingness to tackle tax avoidance and the massive gap in equality would be another vote winner and show a difference to the Conservatives.

Crucially the next four years should be spent changing public opinion that Labour caused the financial crash, that lie needs to be addressed in a large way and Labour needs to stand up to the Tory fear and lies strategies.

As much as I admire Corbyn for his policies and strongly held beliefs I do not think he is right for the leader of the party because he plays straight in to the Conservative stereotyping and affords them the chance to grasp the centre ground of politics. I believe this is what Blair and co. have been trying to point out albeit in the worst possible, heavy handed way. I would therefore give my backing to Andy Burnham for leader and Tom Watson as deputy.

Whether you agree or disagree with me I would love if you share my blog, post a comment and spark a discussion. At the end of the day many who read this I'm sure want a Labour government and have the party's best interests at heart.

Budget 2015: A Rosier Picture?

The first fully Conservative budget in 18 years but it contained very few surprises. Apparently the BBC 'experts' were shocked at a rather "rosier picture" as the timeline to reach a surplus was extended. Now I'm sorry, it is no rosier than it was in 2010, we are simply now faced with an even longer period of this farcical austerity programme. However, the way austerity is being carried out has changed, we're seeing slightly fewer cuts but that has been replaced with tax rises.

I have a short memory but even a goldfish could remember the promise, actually legislation, that David Cameron and co made during the election to not raise VAT or national insurance. Of course what the sneaky Tories were hiding from the voting public is that tax rises would come in other areas or as it happened, completely new taxes.

A Politician Always

The national living wage, that's the branding and the hoped headline catcher. Labour had it in their manifesto (something I could say a lot in this post) but were only proposing a rise to £8, generous George has suggested a rise to £9 today. But wait, as usual you can't take the Tories on face value because not so generous George also announced a freeze on working age benefits, a large tax credits cut not to mention a housing benefit cut for under 21s and a new tax on motorists. George stuck to something that has become a tradition in the past 5 years, give those foolish enough to ignore the details a juicy worm (the living wage increase) while hiding the sharp hook underneath. Don't be fooled, George has not had a Scrooge moment and realised he could be nicer to  people, this budget still makes young, disabled, low wage workers lives harder.

Another caveat that George hopes to hide below his national living wage increase headlines is the fact that this will not take full effect until the end of the parliament while his cuts and tax rises take effect almost immediately leaving a hole in the finances of families up and down the country. George also stuck to his beliefs with regards to the public sector, imposing a harsh 1% pay cap on nurses, teachers and police for the next 4 years while naturally receiving a healthy increase in his own wages. So this living wage is designed to increase the private sector yet further, while the public sector that educates and keeps those private employees safe suffers again.

Osborne’s “living wage” is a con trick. Cuts to tax credits mean wage to live on would need to be much higher than £9 in 2020 #budget2015

— Liz Kendall (@leicesterliz) July 8, 2015

The 'Yoof' Is Punished

Don't vote or don't vote Tory and get punished. That's the message George sent out to the young people in this country. After having tuition fees increased and EMA support pulled in the previous parliament, they now have to suffer maintenance grants being turned in to loans. Placing students in to yet more debt before even earning a wage. Yes the wage required to start paying these loans back has increased but this is not a defence. What frustrates me about that argument is the fact university is supposed to help you get on and reach a good level of employment, if you do actually achieve this you are then punished by having to pay loans back.....FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Of course the nature of the job market under this government means your hopes for your future are raised at university only to be sunk by only having options open at low levels of employment but "Hey, at least you don't need to pay your loans back."

Not only have grants been removed but the much heralded national living wage doesn't apply to those under 25. Young people also face having to earn or learn until they are 21, that means no support from the state if you have aspirations of high levels of employment, do your paper round or go homeless. Housing benefit for young people is cut too, just for good measure. That's why young people need to vote, politicians save those who vote.

Osborne removes benefits for 18-21 year olds and introduces new regime to be known as the Hunger Games. #budget2015

— David Schneider (@davidschneider) July 8, 2015

The Labour Approach

The budget announcement only finished a matter of hours ago yet to some areas of the media George is already being spun as generous and plotting a far lighter route than feared. Labour needs to be forceful in its reply, it needs to point out the underlying issues that look like going hidden under the pretty distraction that is the living wage. One argument post election was that Labour looked anti-wealth generators, well point out this budget will punish those who strive to earn a decent living, who will lose benefits for their third child or the young who face a dark start to working life. Point out that small businesses may have to make redundancies to cope with the living wage increase or the lack of skills and productivity needed to make a successful economy.

All of this is disguising the fact that more homeowners can avoid the inheritance tax, supporting wealthy landlords. It disguises the fact that public sector workers are hit yet again, no pay increase but more taxes. It disguises the fact that the already lowest corporation tax in Europe gets another cut eventually to 18% by 2020, boosting the companies who already own a majority of the wealth. The budget could be Labour's chance to hit back, if it opposes forcefully and vocally.

Corporation tax rate cut now means that wealthiest can shelter income from tax at lower rates than their cleaners pay #budget2015

— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) July 8, 2015

Osborne has just cut the lowest corporation tax in the G8, and then cut it again.

— Mark Ferguson (@Markfergusonuk) July 8, 2015

This budget has at least confirmed one thing I had thought on May 8th, it's going to be a long 5 years.

If I Were In Charge.......

The election was a difficult time, obviously the result didn't go the way I expected or many people expected this was swiftly followed by colds and stresses around work. Hence the lack of action on the keyboard. I'm back though and I thought a nice idea might be to discuss how you might run the country if you were in charge.

Naturally I don't agree with how things are being run at the moment, I won't go in to detail but asking for economical growth while choking supply and magically producing money for the NHS and other election promises aren't my idea of good government. If I were PM I would have three priorities, education, wealth distribution and a reminder of how democracy works.

How Democracy Works

I want to start with my last point first because I think this is where the country has disappointed me most with this election result. Democracy should be about supporting one another, in the form of the NHS, Welfare state and pensions, this is what we pay taxes for. I believe that the wealthiest should share the biggest burden and show empathy and support for those unfortunate people striving to get on. Jeremy Corbyn put it perfectly recently, "From each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs."

The first 5 years of Conservative led Government exemplified anything but this, removal of safety nets for those struggling to make ends meet, disabled, young people and unemployed. George the Poet in 'Search Party' put it eloquently, "I don't believe the unemployed are nul-en-void." While those at the bottom and the squeezed middle have been almost punished, those at the top have gotten richer and have benefitted from tax evasion, zero hour contracts and asset sell off from George Osborne. This government has encouraged greed, selfishness and uncaring attitudes, which is why I felt so disappointed in the election result reflecting this in society.

Therefore, if I were Prime Minister, I would almost re-educate in how democracy should work and promote a happier, more equal and supportive society.

Wealth Distribution

This area follows on nicely from my previous, I feel there is a growing inequality not only in Britain but in the world and this has only been widened, in the UK, by this Conservative government. This area of inequality is why I remain such a big supporter of Ed Miliband, he seems the only politician aware of this growing problem. Immigrants are escaping dire poverty in Middle Eastern and African countries, risking theirs lives to reach Europe. More than a million people use food banks in the UK. Greece is being punished by austerity with over 60% youth unemployment. The world needs to look at itself and ask if it is happy with things.

This links to the ethos this country is showing at the moment, greed appears to be thriving, Osborne looks set to take more from the poor to give to the rich in the next Budget. Instead of crushing more from the impossibly squeezed welfare and public state, we should be spending to get people out of poverty and rescue children who come to school without a breakfast. Foreign aid should be increased and spent effectively so that people there don't feel desperate to escape to a "better life" in Europe. This money should come from those who have the wealth, "from each according to their abilities."

Education

Education cuts to the root of both the issues above. Give children a relatable, useful and creative education which would allow future generations to recognise these issues and slowly target them. Teach children proper skills so that they can make a decent living wage and bring more out of poverty. Teach children the need to build a world together, not just make what they can for themselves and neglect others.

Once again I don't feel this is being done by the current government. Assessment of children has been botched in the new curriculum, schools are free to make up their own assessment gauge and children are being tested more than ever. This testing leads to purely memorising of facts, information to pass a test, information that does not serve a purpose for life outside or after school. Creativity is being slowly supressed within education, targets, results and work is more important.

There is a lot I would change about the country but I think these three issues are the keys. Give children a decent education, to make a decent wage, to lower the amount of people in poverty and to truly appreciate the responsibilities of being in a democracy. I don't see any of this on the horizon sadly.

What would your priorities be if you were Prime Minister?