Do you want to discuss boring politics? (25 Viewers)

[MalcSB]

A first time buyer in Grimsby could buy this stamp duty free.

Check out this 5 bedroom detached house for sale on Rightmove

5 bedroom detached house for sale in Augusta Oaks, Grimsby, DN34 for £399,950. Marketed by Lovelle, Grimsby

www.rightmove.co.uk

Yeah, but would have to live in Grimsby.

 

---

[MalcSB]

Which is also my point, it’s an optimistic pipe dream but it would solve the energy problem for two continents at once. Something as an intermediate measure is needed.

Haven’t we had enough optimistic pipe dreams?

 

[oakey]

Ok. He has pledged at most modest tax increases in a limited number of areas, while also pledging higher spending and investment while fixing serious societal problems.

How does he make that work? Why is he so afraid to support raising taxes on the wealthy and big business?

I think he left a lot of wiggle room by mentioning income tax, NI and VAT, calling them taxes on working people. We all know this is political rhetoric to cover future changes of direction.
Labour will raise other taxes in 1-2 years time. He did say he can't write budgets ahead of time. He is ultra cautious and most of us are impatient for more.

 

[Liquid Gold]

Haven’t we had enough optimistic pipe dreams?

No?

We can't even own homes and the country is in the shite.

A big job creating project that actually aims at going a long way towards solving a huge issue would be great actually.

 

[MalcSB]

It’s overbudget in large part because of reactionary opposition and regulation. As I say SK builds for 1/6 of the cost.

What do SK workers earn as a percentage of UK workers?

 

[MalcSB]

As you are making this prediction, why do you believe Starmer will break his pledges?
Do you think they are too ambitious, impractical? Will events make some changes inevitable? Does he have Machiavellian secret plans? Is he just insincere or incompetent?

Yes

 

[MalcSB]

No?

We can't even own homes and the country is in the shite.

A big job creating project that actually aims at going a long way towards solving a huge issue would be great actually.

Given the financial history and delivery of the vanity project HS2, would such a pipe dream run on time and to budget, and when it didn’t, who would be picking up the costs? Standing charge on domestic electricity bills is more than high enough already, They would go through the roof.

 

[MalcSB]

As you are making this prediction, why do you believe Starmer will break his pledges?
Do you think they are too ambitious, impractical? Will events make some changes inevitable? Does he have Machiavellian secret plans? Is he just insincere or incompetent?

Further, will Starmer remain as leader of the Labour Party?

 

[Liquid Gold]

Given the financial history and delivery of the vanity project HS2, would such a pipe dream run on time and to budget, and when it didn’t, who would be picking up the costs? Standing charge on domestic electricity bills is more than high enough already, They would go through the roof.

In a normal country HS2 wouldn't be a vanity project it would already go all the way to Glasgow and HS3 to Edinburgh, HS4 to Penzance etc.

 

[MalcSB]

In a normal country HS2 wouldn't be a vanity project it would already go all the way to Glasgow and HS3 to Edinburgh, HS4 to Penzance etc.

So you accept it is a vanity project. How much time does it save for someone travelling from Coventry to London? And how much will the ticket cost? And has WFH, video conferencing etc fucked the business case?

 

[Liquid Gold]

So you accept it is a vanity project. How much time does it save for someone travelling from Coventry to London? And how much will the ticket cost? And has WFH, video conferencing etc fucked the business case?

Building high speed rail isn't vanity.

Listening to every NIMBY to quadruple the cost has made it an absurd spectacle.

 

[MalcSB]

Building high speed rail isn't vanity.

Listening to every NIMBY to quadruple the cost has made it an absurd spectacle.

How much time does it save for someone travelling from Coventry to London? And how much will the ticket cost? And has WFH, video conferencing etc fucked the business case?

 

[Liquid Gold]

How much time does it save for someone travelling from Coventry to London? And how much will the ticket cost? And has WFH, video conferencing etc fucked the business case?

How much time will Stephenson's rocket save over my horse, I already own my horse so the cost is absurd. Hasn't telegraph messaging ruined the business case?

Stop being a luddite.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Stunningly stupid manifesto from the Greens. They want to ban nuclear power.

Not a serious environmentalist movement.

Had this discussion in union circles for yonks

 

[MalcSB]

How much time will Stephenson's rocket save over my horse, I already own my horse so the cost is absurd. Hasn't telegraph messaging ruined the business case?

Stop being a luddite.

I’m not a Luddite at all, just think HS2 is a load of bollocks that relatively few people will benefit from. Certainly not the average working man. It’s interesting that you won’t answer my questions.

There would have been far more social benefit if the money had been spent on significantly increasing the number of university places for medicine and dentistry, maintaining the bursary for nurses in training, bringing UK diagnostics and hospital bed capacity , including ICU capacity, up to the European average (Romania and Germany has 3 times the UK bed capacity, Germany has over 5 times the ICU capacity).

 

[Skybluekyle]

How much time does it save for someone travelling from Coventry to London? And how much will the ticket cost? And has WFH, video conferencing etc fucked the business case?

I think what gets ignored is that passenger services going onto HS2 frees up space for haulage on the existing pieces of the West Coast Main Line. The business case remains, in my opinion.

 

[Philosoraptor]

Had this discussion in union circles for yonks

Out of interest, are there plans to put someone forward to run against Kevin Maton next year?

 

[MalcSB]

I think what gets ignored is that passenger services going onto HS2 frees up space for haulage on the existing pieces of the West Coast Main Line. The business case remains, in my opinion.

Only if people use it. How affordable will it be for the average working person?

As I have said, more social benefit could have been gained by investment elsewhere.

 

[Skybluekyle]

Only if people use it. How affordable will it be for the average working person?

As I have said, more social benefit could have been gained by investment elsewhere.

Passenger railways services on HS2 is a bit up in the air, granted, but haulage replacing these services on the WCML could be crucial to supporting supply chain issues domestically, especially given our deficit of HGV drivers.

 

[wingy]

Only if people use it. How affordable will it be for the average working person?

As I have said, more social benefit could have been gained by investment elsewhere.

Isn't that why we've had half of it and the remainder ( joke) has been spent or apportioned to potholes etc ?

 

[MalcSB]

Passenger railways services on HS2 is a bit up in the air, granted, but haulage replacing these services on the WCML could be crucial to supporting supply chain issues domestically, especially given our deficit of HGV drivers.

But if passengers don’t switch in numbers to HS2, no capacity for freight will be released on existing lines. It will take longer for someone from Coventry to get to London using HS2 compared with the fastest existing service. Why would I even consider using HS2?

 

[MalcSB]

Isn't that why we've had half of it and the remainder ( joke) has been spent or apportioned to potholes etc ?

That decision should have been taken years ago.
The pothole situation is a disgrace considering how much tax motorists pay.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

But if passengers don’t switch in numbers to HS2, no capacity for freight will be released on existing lines. It will take longer for someone from Coventry to get to London using HS2 compared with the fastest existing service. Why would I even consider using HS2?

Because inevitably in time they'll cut back the Coventry and Rugby services, whatever they say now

 

[MalcSB]

Because inevitably in time they'll cut back the Coventry and Rugby services, whatever they say now

Are, so compulsion! Silly me for not realising that was the plan all along.
All those greenhouse gases propelling cars from Coventry to Birmingham and back.

 

[Nuskyblue]

What do SK workers earn as a percentage of UK workers?

Not much different to us here.

 

[Skybluekyle]

But if passengers don’t switch in numbers to HS2, no capacity for freight will be released on existing lines. It will take longer for someone from Coventry to get to London using HS2 compared with the fastest existing service. Why would I even consider using HS2?

Footfall at New Street and Euston will dictate whether to reduce services on the WCML, which I suspect will rapidly decrease when HS2 goes live. Whether we like it or not, HS2 is going to affect the WCML, and sitting on the Birmingham Loop is not going to be great for us, but we're a fraction of the total passenger footfall on the WCML as a whole, so best to look at the positives.

 

[chiefdave]

I think what gets ignored is that passenger services going onto HS2 frees up space for haulage on the existing pieces of the West Coast Main Line. The business case remains, in my opinion.

Messaging for HS2 has been an absolute mess. All we've heard is how you can get to London a few minutes quicker. How did they ever think that would get the public onside?

 

[shmmeee]

Ok. He has pledged at most modest tax increases in a limited number of areas, while also pledging higher spending and investment while fixing serious societal problems.

How does he make that work? Why is he so afraid to support raising taxes on the wealthy and big business?

Id say rebanding council tax is a tax on the wealthy. It’ll lead to a rebalancing of the tax base away from the poorer north towards the south. As is the rumoured tax on banks mentioned in Tony’s video he posted.

The tax burden is at an all time high and the rich and big business also tend to be the hardest to go after quickly and easily as they can change their behaviour the easiest. Annoying but true in a world of global capital. Also parties don’t tend to win elections promising huge tax rises.

We managed to fix public services without huge tax rises on working people before. I don’t see why now it’s suddenly supposed to be impossible.

What do SK workers earn as a percentage of UK workers?

Average wage is about £28k according to Google but I’d imagine in nuclear it’s a bit more.

 

[shmmeee]

Messaging for HS2 has been an absolute mess. All we've heard is how you can get to London a few minutes quicker. How did they ever think that would get the public onside?

Counterpoint: you shouldn’t need the public onside for basic infrastructure. Just build it. I don’t care if Doris doesn’t think we need another prison, reservoir or train line.

 

[shmmeee]

No?

We can't even own homes and the country is in the shite.

A big job creating project that actually aims at going a long way towards solving a huge issue would be great actually.

No let’s just build nothing ever. Let’s have low growth and low productivity and outside of London remain a poor nation miles behind other first world countries. Because building things might be bad or something.

 

[shmmeee]

We did it guys! We got the right to support proportional representation!

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

Id say rebanding council tax is a tax on the wealthy. It’ll lead to a rebalancing of the tax base away from the poorer north towards the south. As is the rumoured tax on banks mentioned in Tony’s video he posted.

The tax burden is at an all time high and the rich and big business also tend to be the hardest to go after quickly and easily as they can change their behaviour the easiest. Annoying but true in a world of global capital. Also parties don’t tend to win elections promising huge tax rises.

We managed to fix public services without huge tax rises on working people before. I don’t see why now it’s suddenly supposed to be impossible.



Average wage is about £28k according to Google but I’d imagine in nuclear it’s a bit more.

So why continue with fiscal drag?

Any new prospective government can quickly provide relief to a lot of people by raising the tax bands In line with inflation or at least a plan to lift tax bands up.

 

[shmmeee]

So why continue with fiscal drag?

Any new prospective government can quickly provide relief to a lot of people by raising the tax bands In line with inflation or at least a plan to lift tax bands up.

It’s a pretty regressive tax break. If you’re concerned about providing relief there’s far more effective ways of doing it than giving everyone a tax cut. I don’t need a tax cut, my kids do need teachers

 

[Philosoraptor]

It’s a pretty regressive tax break. If you’re concerned about providing relief there’s far more effective ways of doing it than giving everyone a tax cut. I don’t need a tax cut, my kids do need teachers

Sounds to me like you are looking for a political party who are more concerned with public services than with wealth creation for the individual.

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

It’s a pretty regressive tax break. If you’re concerned about providing relief there’s far more effective ways of doing it than giving everyone a tax cut. I don’t need a tax cut, my kids do need teachers

Disagree, everyone is at 12k and increased that band in line with inflation would take that close to 20k. Immediately helping low earners.

The issue also relates to welfare system because, with the tax-free limit so low, in some cases it costs people more to work longer hours. Some people choose to remain reliant on the state rather than themselves because work really doesn’t pay for those people.

The tax band freezes and pensions threshold are also forcing people into retirement and this is an issue particularly in the NHS.

More growth = more tax receipts. We’re barely keeping our heads above 0% growth.