I reckon it’s time to call it. The threat to freeze personal independence payment (Pip) disability benefits shows that the fears voiced in the run-up to the general election were well founded. Keir Starmer’s government, cratering in the polls, with Reform snapping at its heels, is in serious trouble. Weekend reports suggested the latest cuts are being reconsidered after a backlash from Labour’s own MPs, charities and campaigners. It’s all vintage Labour, swinging between collected callousness and then flustered chaos.
Prior to the election, sceptics were told to keep the faith. Focus on the prize of getting the Tories out. It’s all three-dimensional chess, to whisper to rightwing voters. Starmer’s caution and inconsistency is only pragmatism, which could turn to radicalism in office.
But you don’t hear that much any more. The radicalism not only has not transpired, but something else, something cold and stomach-sinking, has emerged: a government clear in its intent on making savings by targeting the most vulnerable in society – the sick, disabled people, mentally ill people. This isn’t simply a locking in of the austerity state Labour inherited, but an extension of it.
I mean, sure. If you ignore all the good things they’re doing, they’re only doing bad things.
Genuine question, what good things? Part of the problem of only getting news from podcasts and social media is that I very loudly get all the bad things and maybe the good things are being drowned out.
Sure! These are some things that I think were good. Obviously it’s fair enough if you don’t agree! I’ll try and keep these fairly recent.
On the environment:
UK emissions fall 3.6% in 2024 as coal use drops to lowest since 1666
Record breaking funding for clean energy in Britain
The Nature Restoration Fund in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill
On workers’ rights:
On housing, homelessness and renting:
Renters’ Rights Bill. (I had to use the government website for this because it’s been so under-reported that literally all I could find about it other than this was landlords moaning about it!)
Rough sleeping winter funding tripled to help people off the streets
On health:
Pledge of two million extra NHS appointments met, PM says
Abolition of NHS England ‘final nail in coffin of disastrous’ 2012 Tory health reorganisation
On foreign policy:
I could go on but I don’t want to take up too much of your time (or mine!). Byline Times had a good recent list (some overlap with my suggestions).
Of course you might think that the bad outweighs the good, but it’s important to acknowledge the good is really happening. Also, a lot of the above I would argue doesn’t go far enough (but that’s typical of me), so if that’s how you feel, you’ll get no argument from me.
On the particular issue Nesrine Malik is discussing in the original post, I completely agree that it’s a terrible decision (I actually just emailed my MP about it this morning to ask him to vote against it), but even on that, the government has been listening to criticism and they have walked back some of the worst aspects of it (as this article describes). That said, I still think it’s a horrible plan.
Renationalising the railways is the main one that comes to mind.