UK and European Politics 2024 Thread

[angelic upstart]

Unless the two main parties get their act together Reform will win more seats than has been expected.

Farage has been given a free ride as neither Labour or the Tories have wanted to attack Reform - Labour because it feels Reform will take Tory votes and help it win, the Tories because they have chosen to stand on the same platform and appeal to the same voters.

But with a large number of undecided voters who see the election as already decided the potential for a significant Reform vote is huge.

Farage might have done us all a favour by forcing the major parties to up their game (both of them have been dire so far), but I'm not holding my breath

About time too. The main parties have needed to up their game hugely for decades. Almost nothing any of them decide is genuine, worthwhile or has a positive effect on the people. Screw their focus groups and pandering to specific age ranges and focus groups on issues of the day.

On that note, for many years I've voted the "fourth party" on the ballot as it's the one most likely to gain traction nationally with the issues they represent. However, this time round I'm stuck as who to vote for as the current govt and member of the big two is largely fourth in the polls. Might actually choose a party this time round.

 

[cannockred]

Re " a hell hole" do the Office of National Statistics (ONS) publish statistics about wealth / income distribution or the base wage needed to be able to buy "necessities". If not why not ?

Be interested to see peoples definitions of necessities.

For me, a roof over your head, food, heat and light and basic entertainment ie terrestrial television are the basics.

Fags, booze, the latest 65" tele, latest playstation game and sky sports are not basic necessities.

Unemployment benefit/pension/sickness benefit should be enough to pay for the basics. Whether or not it is, it should be.

 

[elginCity]

Be interested to see peoples definitions of necessities.

For me, a roof over your head, food, heat and light and basic entertainment ie terrestrial television are the basics.

Fags, booze, the latest 65" tele, latest playstation game and sky sports are not basic necessities.

Unemployment benefit/pension/sickness benefit should be enough to pay for the basics. Whether or not it is, it should be.

Terrestrial tv - colour or black and white ? Only there’s over a hundred quid difference in the licence fee.

Thousands still watch TV in black and white https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46125741

 

[Mid Devon Grecian]

Re " a hell hole" do the Office of National Statistics (ONS) publish statistics about wealth / income distribution or the base wage needed to be able to buy "necessities". If not why not ?

The ONS as far as I can deduce do have data via a survey but last data from this was 2020.

Others use that data as part of their research e.g. Res Foundation/IFS

Research indicates around 22% of UK population is in relative poverty - circa 14,000,000 people. UK also has one of the highest income inequalities of all developed nations.

Income and wealth inequality explained in 5 charts | Institute for Fiscal Studies

We document how economic inequalities have changed over the last sixty years, and how experiences have varied for different groups.

ifs.org.uk

 

[Mr Jinx]

About time too. The main parties have needed to up their game hugely for decades. Almost nothing any of them decide is genuine, worthwhile or has a positive effect on the people. Screw their focus groups and pandering to specific age ranges and focus groups on issues of the day.

On that note, for many years I've voted the "fourth party" on the ballot as it's the one most likely to gain traction nationally with the issues they represent. However, this time round I'm stuck as who to vote for as the current govt and member of the big two is largely fourth in the polls. Might actually choose a party this time round.

The choice is quite simple - vote uniparty for more of the same. Or vote Reform for change.

 

[Mr Jinx]

Terrestrial tv - colour or black and white ? Only there’s over a hundred quid difference in the licence fee.

Thousands still watch TV in black and white https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46125741

Even more don't pay either.

 

[angelic upstart]

Be interested to see peoples definitions of necessities.

For me, a roof over your head, food, heat and light and basic entertainment ie terrestrial television are the basics.

Fags, booze, the latest 65" tele, latest playstation game and sky sports are not basic necessities.

Unemployment benefit/pension/sickness benefit should be enough to pay for the basics. Whether or not it is, it should be.

I agree with this. I'll caveat this though as a erstwhile child who's mother never worked. It was extremely difficult for her to balance the needs of the children who were constantly begging for stuff and trying to give her children things. Money was very tight. If I wanted the school pe kit, I had to pay for that myself. I got no money for after school clubs etc, school holidays often meant we ate cauliflower for tea and sometimes lunch.

I read on here the other day something about equality of opportunity, which is something I didn't have. If we want a functional society in future we need to help dragging these children into work and not a life of benefits and following those around them.

 

[angelic upstart]

Even more don't pay either.

Everyone surely uses a dodgy fire stick for everything anyway?

 

[Mid Devon Grecian]

Be interested to see peoples definitions of necessities.

For me, a roof over your head, food, heat and light and basic entertainment ie terrestrial television are the basics.

Fags, booze, the latest 65" tele, latest playstation game and sky sports are not basic necessities.

Unemployment benefit/pension/sickness benefit should be enough to pay for the basics. Whether or not it is, it should be.

The roof over your head is an interesting one. More and more people have insecurity in this basic need. Rents are high property is in short supply, landlords can evict at a whim, there’s no critical mass in social housing now.

Maslow’s theory shows how the building blocks must in place to thrive

 

[lamrobhero]

The choice is quite simple - vote uniparty for more of the same. Or vote Reform for change.

Yes more grammr schools bring back the way the old circle line worked ...