Do you want to discuss boring politics? (37 Viewers)

tisza

Well-Known Member
You talk about it being 'bloated' so what do you think the correct number is and why?

UK is below the OECD average: Share of people employed in government by country 2019 | Statista
Those stats don't apply solely to civil service. Many of those countries utilities & railways (for example) are still govt-owned and so included in these particular OECD stats. UK civil service is currently aound the 510 k mark. Not sure where I said bloated but the context was why it was still contracting out so much work when employee numbers had risen so much.
 

Nick

Administrator
Nvidia became the world’s most valuable company with an almost entirely WFH staff. Blaming it is cope from bad managers.

It depends on the managers, where I worked last he hated WFH even though people were much more productive with certain things. It's a control thing, even if the work is all done faster and things get done. He didn't want it because he couldn't see what was going on.
 

CCFCSteve

Well-Known Member
Nvidia became the world’s most valuable company with an almost entirely WFH staff. Blaming it is cope from bad managers.

It’s a bit different, the Nvidia staff benefitted from share schemes that made many millionaires. Their hard work and productivity ultimately helped increase the value of the company and therefore they were highly incentivised as they benefitted personally

Productivity in the public sector is down 7% from pre pandemic levels. I’m guessing this will be for a variety of reasons like ill health, strikes etc as well as possibly WFH. ultimately in large organisations (private and public) where it’s hard to monitor specific tasks etc certain people can and will hide more when WFH. It’s the reason why many large private organisations have pushed for return to the office. This just wouldn’t happen if productivity was as high/higher than pre pandemic

FWIW I think flexible working is a good thing overall. However, I do think 100% WFH in certain roles and/or for certain people isn’t.
 

fernandopartridge

Well-Known Member
Tough choices ™️

Reeves says winter fuel payments to be restricted to poorer pensioners​

Reeves says pensioners not in receipt of pension credit will no longer get the winter fuel payment.

That means it will only go to poorer pensioners.

She says this is not a decision she wanted or expected to make.

But this is an urgent decision she has to make.

Reeves said adult social care charging reforms delayed by the Tories (imposing a cap on how much people have to pay for adult social care) will not be taken forward, saving more than £1bn by the end of next year.
 

fernandopartridge

Well-Known Member
This is just nauseating

Reeves says he will set up a new Office of Value for Money, to make public spending more effective.

Presumably the set up and operating costs of that office will be zero and its role in relation to the OBR crystal clear.
 

CCFCSteve

Well-Known Member
I think they’ve been mainly caused by Brexit though, replacing bureaucrats in Brussels with bureaucrats in the UK and to do the extra bureaucracy caused by Brexit.

After the 2010 spending review we lost over a 100K civil servants right up to 2016. We’ve not necessarily been reinstating the jobs lost to austerity.

There’s also no measurable loss in productivity at the HMRC through working from home. Whatever issues HMRC is having there’s no evidence that it’s due to WFH. Even the Tories couldn’t fudge the figures to prove it regardless of what the likes of Rees-Mogg were claiming while in government. The official figure is 57% of HMRC staff by the way, it also doesn’t mean that they never go into the office, it actually means that they go in 3 days a week and WFH the other 2.

Yeah, I think the initial increase was brexit driven, then they were supposed to reduce numbers in 2019/20 but the pandemic came along. Think we’re still carrying those higher numbers

So we’re carrying 140k more civil servants (civil service not public sector workers) than previously, public sector productivity is way below pre pandemic levels and consultants fees running into billions, somethings not quite right.

This isn’t an anti public sector post, I’d personally rather a lot of any cash savings filtered through to the lowest paid in the public sector and used to incentivise higher productivity and better performance
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
So we have 22% pay rises for Junior Doctors over 2 years and further un-budgeted 5% pay rises for other Public employees when inflation is 2%. I am sure private sector unions will be looking at this with interest.

"It is the responsible thing to do to fix the foundations of our economy and bring back economic stability."

OK Rachel
 

MalcSB

Well-Known Member
Tough choices ™️
Bastards.

Although, on reflection, no pensioners should need the winter fuel payment because Labour are going to reduce every bodies fuel bills by £300 a year.

Oh, hang on a minute, they can’t guarantee that promise because the cost of fossil fuels is so volatile.

Hang on another minute, why should that make any difference when electricity will be carbon free?

Hang on yet another minute apparently there will be a reliance on fossil fuels for many years. So why cancel new exploration licences - or have they been cancelled.

Many on here have expected competence from this government. What we are getting is confusion and lies.
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
Bastards.

Although, on reflection, no pensioners should need the winter fuel payment because Labour are going to reduce every bodies fuel bills by £300 a year.

Oh, hang on a minute, they can’t guarantee that promise because the cost of fossil fuels is so volatile.

Hang on another minute, why should that make any difference when electricity will be carbon free?

Hang on yet another minute apparently there will be a reliance on fossil fuels for many years. So why cancel new exploration licences - or have they been cancelled.

Many on here have expected competence from this government. What we are getting is confusion and lies.

Where is @PVA and @David O'Day
 

torchomatic

Well-Known Member
Winter Fuel Payments to be means tested. About time.
 

torchomatic

Well-Known Member

Grendel

Well-Known Member
It's amusing seeing the left and right nosh each other off.

The funny think is Torch thinks he is left wing but essentially is looking at the John Major Tory party reincarnated and supporting it
 

torchomatic

Well-Known Member
The funny think is Torch thinks he is left wing but essentially is looking at the John Major Tory party reincarnated and supporting it
If you say so.
 

fernandopartridge

Well-Known Member
Imagine Nye Bevan was a centrist

1. “Illness is neither an indulgence for which people have to pay, nor an offence for which they should be penalised, but a misfortune the cost of which should be shared by the community.”

1. “Illness is neither an indulgence for which, subject to their means, people have to pay, nor an offence for which they should be penalised, but a misfortune the cost of which capped at the value of x per x should be shared by the community to the extent allowable by my cast iron fiscal rules.”
 

torchomatic

Well-Known Member
Labour to set up anti-Covid contract corruption probe. Hopefully, they'll be nowhere to hide for Michelle Mone and other friends of Tory Ministers.
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
If you say so.

in what ways are he and Starmer different? Reeves is a classic moderate Tory chancellor in the same way as Lamont - it’s funny you think you are a Labour man. Bevin would laugh in your face.
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
You are so cringe it is unbelievable, so desperate to be liked by your new pals on the left :ROFLMAO:

I have zero pals on the left. Admiration for at least sticking to principles but I’ve always said this essentially is a Tory government from the Major years and even some elements of Thatcherism but with a far weaker leader.

Enjoy.

I certainly have more respect for people who believe in Labour princip of McDonnell and Foot rather than pretend they are hip and cool by wearing a red rosette but are manipulated by twitter vibes into thinking they are remotely left wing.
 
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CCFCSteve

Well-Known Member
I have zero pals on the left. Admiration for at least sticking to principles but I’ve always said this essentially is a Tory government from the Major years and even some elements of Thatcherism but with a far weaker leader.

Enjoy.

I certainly have more respect for people who believe in Labour princip of McDonnell and Foot rather than pretend they are hip and cool by wearing a red rosette but are manipulated by twitter vibes into thinking they are remotely left wing.

I’m not sure you can say that taking money away from pensioners to help cover above inflation pay rises for the public sector is your standard Tory policy
 

Razzle Dazzle Dean Gordon

Well-Known Member
So we have 22% pay rises for Junior Doctors over 2 years and further un-budgeted 5% pay rises for other Public employees when inflation is 2%. I am sure private sector unions will be looking at this with interest.

"It is the responsible thing to do to fix the foundations of our economy and bring back economic stability."

OK Rachel
Your line of argument might work if previous public sector pay awards had been linked to the rate of inflation. They weren't. Something above inflation now will go some small way to repairing the gradual erosion over time of those employee's remuneration but there's a fuckong big delta all the same.
 

PVA

Well-Known Member
It’s like 2013 all over again, with you playing the role of the Sky Blue Trust, and Starmer playing the role of Preston Haskell IV


th GIF
 

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