UK and European Politics 2024 Thread

[BigBanker]

What is true is that for some reason our employees have not returned to work post-Covid in the same way as employees abroad have done but it cannot be overall said that our sickness record is more of a problem than it usually is elsewhere:

Chronic illness makes UK workforce the sickest in developed world (ft.com)

I wonder if it's to do the wealth generated for boomers through home ownership. We've traditionally had higher home ownership rates than in continental Europe and our house price increases have, I believe, been way over and above anything experienced elsewhere in Europe. Home owning Boomers have done very well in the UK. And after a taste of the retired life during Covid, why not release some equity from the house or downsize to pull retirement forward?

 

[Phil Sayers]

I wonder if it's to do the wealth generated for boomers through home ownership. We've traditionally had higher home ownership rates than in continental Europe and our house price increases have, I believe, been way over and above anything experienced elsewhere in Europe. Home owning Boomers have done very well in the UK. And after a taste of the retired life during Covid, why not release some equity from the house or downsize to pull retirement forward?

Good thinking and I suspect there probably has been quite a bit of that but it wouldn't fully explain the situation. From the FT article:

"Chronic illness is the main driver of this stalled labour recovery. Of the roughly half a million Britons aged 15-64 missing from the workforce, two in three cite long-term illness as their reason for not holding or seeking a job."

 

[tavyred]

I would never claim that any political campaign was 100% honest, no.

But the key difference for me is that we already knew what we were getting with EU membership. It was the status quo. So people had direct experience of the truth of it (for better or worse). The pro-active choice to depart from that status quo should have been informed by rational, calm, objective, realistic discourse. And it really was not.

…….but people were being asked to change that status quo, and that potential desire should’ve also been informed by things you said were lacking on the opposite side of the argument. That too did not happen.

 

[BigBanker]

…….but people were being asked to change that status quo, and that potential desire should’ve also been informed by things you said were lacking on the opposite side of the argument. That too did not happen.

Of course. But that's a separate issue.

Encouraging folk to vote for a radical change by using lies and exaggeration and unbridled, unchecked optimism just ain't good form, IMO.

 

[tavyred]

Of course. But that's a separate issue.

Encouraging folk to vote for a radical change by using lies and exaggeration and unbridled, unchecked optimism just ain't good form, IMO.

Not good form also to unduly seek to frighten people (with lies and exaggeration) in order to stop them making that radical change, a change that some of us think was and still is a good idea.
Forgive me but I think you’re being a tad one eyed on this.

 

[BigBanker]

Not good form also to unduly seek to frighten people (with lies and exaggeration) in order to stop them making that radical change, a change that some of us think was and still is a good idea.
Forgive me but I think you’re being a tad one eyed on this.

It's a fair point and yes, I probably am being one-eyed. Not least because we have been lumbered with Brexit, so my focus lies (sic!) on how we got here.

 

[Avening Posse]

Good speech and spoke well for all the questions. I quite like Rishi. But then again I quite liked Starmer until relatively recently.

 

[tavyred]

Good speech and spoke well for all the questions. I quite like Rishi. But then again I quite liked Starmer until relatively recently.

Uncharacteristically bullish I thought, Sunak right as well to link national security with our ability to protect ourselves from illegal immigration.

 

[Mr Jinx]

But then again I quite liked Starmer until relatively recently.

What put you off?

 

[tavyred]

The Belfast High Court disapplies the Rwanda policy for NI as it would run contrary to the Windsor Framework.
Two quick observations, this will act surely as an even bigger draw for migrants to the island of Ireland, and what price continuing Unionist participation in Stormont going forward with more evidence (as unionists see it) of a real border between NI and GB.
Over to you Rishi!