UK Politics Thread part II

[Jimbuna]

What tax cut?

[mapuc]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

What tax cut?

It should be this one mentioned in the article

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u...hing-rcna50407

As it says in the link title pm Liz truss scraps tax cut
Which for me means she didn't tried to get it through the Parliament.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

All of Kwartengs tax cut proposals were scrapped as soon as Truss stood down and was replaced by Sunak.

A mini budget (from Hunt) is scheduled for 17th November.

[Jimbuna]

UK foreign aid being spent in Britain passes £4bn mark, experts say

The government is now spending more of the UK's foreign aid budget at home than on direct help for poor countries overseas, development experts say.

More than £4bn meant for development aid will be spent in Britain this year, largely to support rising numbers of asylum seekers and refugees.

This means less money can be spent elsewhere, because the total budget is capped at 0.5% of national income.

The government insists the UK remains one of the largest global aid donors.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63432585

[Catfish]

This is from yesterday's Today-Show and Oliver Welke

England has had three Prime ministers within a month. One of the reasons is brexit of course..
There were a lot pro-brexit voters who did so to get rid of those bloody foreigners.
Now they just of all have an Indian Prime minister.
This tells us two things:
There is a god.
God is a Hindu.

[Aktungbby]

And no Brit is a "pukka Sahib" anymore! errrr "Gunga Din is a better man Than I"; with apologies to Rudyard Kipling

[Jimbuna]

Brexit was predicated on lies.

[Jimbuna]

Sturgeon could exploit 'advisory' vote to push through independence in Brexit-like coup

Nicola Sturgeon's SNP could force through a second independence referendum by replicating the Brexit model and imposing the referendum's results on Westminster, a constitutional expert said. The Scottish First Minister is now hoping for the Supreme Court to rule in her favour and rule an advisory referendum on Scottish independence can be legally held. In the same way Boris Johnson's Government made the Brexit advisory vote a reality, Ms Sturgeon could push independence over the line with a yes vote from the Scottish people.

When asked if Nicola Sturgeon's SNP could use that same strategy, Prof Aileen McHarg told Express.co.uk: "I think there is the risk of that.

"Certainly, unionists have argued and are still arguing that even if the Supreme Court says this referendum is within the competence of the Scottish Parliament and can go ahead that they'll boycott it and simply refuse to engage.

"If you get a referendum result that is overwhelmingly supportive of independence, then yes but in circumstances where the turnout is very low, then you know that voters have boycotted it.

"That significantly reduces its political authority. So, this argument of 'we will ignore this' are already being made. Not terribly helpful for the UK Goverment's argument in court because one of the oddities of this case is the UK and the Scottish Government could have to argue for the effect of the referendum being the opposite of what it intended to be."

In 2017, the Supreme Court ruled in the Miller case that the Brexit vote in and of itself did not constitute a sufficient ground to trigger Article 50 to leave the European Union. Then Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to pass the European Union Act in 2017 through Parliament to trigger article 50 and start Brexit talks with the EU.

Pr McHarg said: "One of the things that was emphasised in the first Miller case back in 2017 was that did not in itself trigger the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

"There had to be another act of the UK Parliament to authorise that withdrawal, so in that case, they drew that distinction between the legal effect and the political effect.

"And by saying that there had to be another legal step, we know that the majority of MPs voted to leave the EU - but they did not all.

"There wasn't a pure formality that that would happen, that we would leave the EU."

Prof McHarg said: "By sending the issue back to Parliament, there was then the scope for MPs and Peers to vote against it under certain terms and conditions.

"In the end, none of that happened but it could've happened. By adding that extra step, it did leave the possibility that the EU's referendum results would have been void.

"Even after we triggered article 50, we had years of people trying to still stop Brexit to say we needed another referendum. There was the Wightman case when we went to the European Court of Justice and asked: 'Can we cancel article 50 notification?'

"So, the result of that referendum was in no way self-executing. Even though ultimately it prevailed, not everybody thought that it should and lots of people tried to stop it."

Prof McHarg argued Nicola Sturgeon could adopt the same strategy, meaning she could drive through a bill through Parliament - like Theresa May did in 2017 - after a yes vote and get independence.

However, the outcome of a Scottish referendum remains unclear with half the Scottish people against independence. According to a polls aggregate conducted by The Herald newspaper, the yes vote only had a lead at the beginning of the year, with the no vote consistently winning by a razor-thin margin since.

Professor Sir John Curtice, one of the authors of the social attitudes survey, said the Scottish people's vote to remain in the EU in the 2016 Brexit referendum has made the Union "decidedly less popular north of the border".

If the Supreme Court rules in the SNP's favour, Nicola Sturgeon said a vote will be held on October 19, 2023.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...7ca43828d46ca3

[Jimbuna]

The German state pension system could collapse unless the retirement age increases experts have warned, leading to fears the same could happen in the UK.

Germany has one of the oldest populations in Europe with 22 percent of its population aged 65 years or older. However, the UK is not far behind with 19 percent of the population aged 65 and older - a figure that is expected to increase to 22 percent in just 10 years’ time.

Under Germany’s current system, the state pension guarantees retirees at least 48 percent of the average wage until 2025.

Its current state pension age is 65, but, similar to the UK, the German Government is in the process of gradually increasing this to 67-years-old.

Rainer Dulger, president of the Confederation of German Employers’ Association, told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper the current system could crash within five years unless the state intervenes.

He said: “For every 100 contributors, there are currently about 50 pensioners; in 15 years, there will be 100 contributors for every 70 pensioners.”

Mr Dulger said the retirement age needs to increase or the current system will not hold up.

He said: “This means that the financing of our pension system is on the verge of collapse.

“The retirement age should be linked to the increase in life expectancy.

“It must not be the case that the further increase in life expectancy leads to an ever longer retirement.”

The British Government is also in the process of raising the state pension age to 68-years-old but experts here are also warning it may have to rise even further.

Simon Jones, CEO of InvestingReviews.co.uk warned the Government may change its policy as the state pension becomes more expensive to fund.

He told Express.co.uk: "The Government currently plans to increase the state pension age from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028, and again to 68 between 2044 and 2046.

"Because people are living longer, it's becoming more expensive every year for the Government to fund the state pension.”

An Express.co.uk poll showed significant concern among readers over the Government's refusal to commit to the state pension triple lock.

The Government is considering whether to suspend or scrap the triple lock.
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss committed to the policy but since Mr Sunak took office last week he is yet to clarify his stance.

The Prime Minister's press secretary said Chancellor Jeremy Hunt would address the future of the triple lock in his autumn budget on November 17.
https://www.express.co.uk/finance/pe...retirement-age

[Jimbuna]

The Bank of England raises interest rates by 0.75% to 3% - the biggest hike in more than three decades.

It also forecasts that the UK is facing a “very challenging” 2 year recession - which would be the longest on record.

The interest rate influences things like mortgages, repayments on credit card debt and the interest paid on savings accounts.

Interest rates have been rising since December in an effort to curb inflation - the measure of the rate at which the cost of everyday goods and services is rising.

Today's rise follows economic turmoil under Liz Truss's government; though things have calmed slightly since Rishi Sunak took over.

Sunak has promised a new plan to repair the nation's finances later this month but tax rises and spending cuts are expected.

The war in Ukraine and the long recovery from the pandemic are also contributing to rising energy and food costs.

[Jimbuna]

The prime minister believes expletive-laden text messages sent by Sir Gavin Williamson to a colleague are "unacceptable", No 10 has said.

A series of messages sent by Sir Gavin to ex-chief whip Wendy Morton were published on Sunday.

Downing Street confirmed the prime minister knew about a complaint against Sir Gavin before appointing him to cabinet, but had not seen the messages.

The Liberal Democrats have called for Mr Williamson to be sacked.

The Sunday Times published texts said to have been sent by Sir Gavin to Ms Morton in which he accused her of excluding some MPs from the Queen's funeral.

Ms Morton lodged a complaint against Sir Gavin, which is currently being investigated by Tory HQ.

Cabinet minister Oliver Dowden, a key ally of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said Sir Gavin sent texts to Ms Morton "in the heat of the moment at a very difficult time".

Mr Dowden told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg Sir Gavin was "frustrated" at the then government, but accepts that he "shouldn't have sent them and he regrets it".

It was "no secret" that Sir Gavin and other backbench MPs did not enjoy "a good relationship" with Ms Morton.

But he added the messages were "not acceptable" and "should not have been sent".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63530070

[Jimbuna]

Downing Street has said it is seeking to establish the facts about abusive comments allegedly made by Cabinet Office minister Sir Gavin Williamson.

A senior civil servant told the Guardian Sir Gavin had bullied them and told them to "slit your throat".

He has also been reported to the MPs' bullying watchdog over messages to Tory colleague Wendy Morton.

Sir Gavin denies the allegations. No 10 said it was looking into the claims and was prepared to take action.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the language Sir Gavin had used was "not acceptable", but No 10 earlier insisted the PM still has full confidence in him.

A series of text messages by Sir Gavin to Tory colleague and then-Chief Whip Wendy Morton were published on Sunday.

In them, he appears to complain MPs not "favoured" by then-Prime Minister Liz Truss were being excluded from attending the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey.

He accused Ms Morton of "rigging" the ticket allocation to punish people - including himself - who were not supportive enough of Ms Truss.

Sir Gavin reportedly warned Ms Morton "not to push him about" and that "there is a price for everything".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63555085

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

Several more Conservative MPs had been ready to make formal complaints about Sir Gavin Williamson's behaviour had he not resigned, the BBC has been told.

Sir Gavin resigned on Tuesday after bullying allegations from two former colleagues were leaked to the media.

But a number of MPs were in discussion about making formal complaints to Conservative head office unless Sir Gavin resigned, the BBC understands.

They are now unlikely to do so.

Separately, the BBC understands that two formal complaints to Parliament's "bullying watchdog" - the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) - have been submitted.

Sir Gavin had a meeting with the prime minister on Tuesday - at his own instigation - at which he tendered his resignation.

It was the first time the two men had discussed the allegations face-to-face.

Despite some reports that Sir Gavin had been "forced" to resign, neither No 10 nor sources close to the former cabinet office minister said Rishi Sunak asked for Sir Gavin's resignation.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63578525

[Jimbuna]

Recession looms as UK economy starts to shrink

By Michael Race
Business reporter, BBC News

The UK appears to be heading into recession after the latest official figures showed the economy shrank between July and September.

The economy contracted by 0.2% during the three months as soaring prices hit businesses and households.

A country is in recession when its economy shrinks for two three-month periods in a row. The UK is expected to be in one by the end of the year.

The Bank of England has forecast a "very challenging" two-year recession.

A recession has been widely expected in the UK due to the prices of goods such as food, fuel and energy soaring, which is down to several factors, including the war in Ukraine.

Higher prices for goods has led to many households facing hardship and cutting back on spending, which has started to drag on the economy.

When a country is in recession, it's a sign that its economy is doing badly.

During recessions, companies typically make less money and the number of people unemployed rises. Graduates and school leavers also find it harder to get their first job.

This means the government receives less money in tax to use on public services such as health and education.

The Bank of England expects the UK recession to be the longest since records began in the 1920s and said unemployment will almost double.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said he would try to make any recession "shallower and quicker" than predicted.

But he has warned of "eye-watering" decisions needed on public spending and taxation to "restore confidence and economic stability".

Mr Hunt said he was "under no illusion that there is a tough road ahead".

He is set to unveil his tax and spending plans next week in the Autumn Statement, which comes as households are being squeezed by the worst cost-of-living crisis since the 1950s.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63582201