The Starmer Years - Can The New Broom Sweep Clean?

[Sir Ralph]

Delving into the OBR's economic forecast, the UK's official forecaster says welfare spending is expected to rise this year by some £18bn to a total bill of £333bn.

The OBR estimates the bill will rise by an average of £11bn a year, to reach £406bn in 2030-31 and swell to 11.2% of the total size of the UK economy.

To put this into context we spend 4% of GDP on education (which I believe decreased last year). Prioritising state reliance rather than education which facilities independence from the state. 

Edited 7 hours ago by Sir Ralph

[Gloucester Saint]

26 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

She’s probably applied for PIP and wants a Motability car…

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me, a Mercedes Benz…

 

Edited 7 hours ago by Gloucester Saint

[badgerx16]

37 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me, a Mercedes Benz…

 

No longer available, maybe a SEAT or KIA will do instead.

[AlexLaw76]

6 hours ago, Weston Super Saint said:

I'm sure Soggy will be along any minute now demanding that she is removed from her post for being convicted of corruption (but I won't hold my breath).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g9dyd84lwo

 

 

[Winnersaint]

5 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

My wife works for the NHS and I can confirm that your first post about the pandemic pressures pushing back cancer treatments for patients with advanced stages is sadly 100% accurate.

My wife was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in March 2020. First Saturday of first lockdown. She required  immediate life saving surgery. I wasn't ware of any real delay in the chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment which followed. CAT/PET Scans were not delayed either; she was in the system. She was part of the bowel cancer community and quickly became aware that the treatment she had was not being replicated across the country. In short, I couldn't fault her initial treatment however when the cancer returned in June 2021 the cracks in the system were beginning to show. Access to specialist treatment centres like North Hampshire Hospital in Basingstoke was impossible and her only other lifeline was through UCH in London. Despite several consultations with the latter and proposed ways forward nothing materialised quickly enough as her condition worsened. 4 years ago I was sat in exactly the same spot I am sat now and was told that she wouldn't see out the week. That sadly proved to be the case.

[Wade Garrett]

Surely Reeves has misled financial markets with her pre-budget news conference?

Makes no difference if she and Starmer go.  Unless there's a general election we'll just have another couple of numpties subservient to the idiot left of the party.

 

[sadoldgit]

3 minutes ago, Winnersaint said:

My wife was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in March 2020. First Saturday of first lockdown. She required  immediate life saving surgery. I wasn't ware of any real delay in the chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment which followed. CAT/PET Scans were not delayed either; she was in the system. She was part of the bowel cancer community and quickly became aware that the treatment she had was not being replicated across the country. In short, I couldn't fault her initial treatment however when the cancer returned in June 2021 the cracks in the system were beginning to show. Access to specialist treatment centres like North Hampshire Hospital in Basingstoke was impossible and her only other lifeline was through UCH in London. Despite several consultations with the latter and proposed ways forward nothing materialised quickly enough as her condition worsened. 4 years ago I was sat in exactly the same spot I am sat now and was told that she wouldn't see out the week. That sadly proved to be the case.

I’m sorry to hear that Winnersaint. Deepest condolences for your loss.

We have recently lost a good friend/neighbour to this dreadful disease after a long fight. It started as breast cancer but gradually spread through her body. She never complained about issues with her treatment which she had been having since before the pandemic.

. Mrs. SOG’s niece’s parter was diagnosed with testicular cancer a few weeks ago and had it removed last week. Fortunately no further signs of cancer and no further treatment needed. 
We also heard recently that a previous work colleague of my wife is spending this Christmas with her new born son in Great Ormand Street Hospital, the baby having been diagnosed with brain cancer.

In the last two cases the treatment apparently  has been dealt with in a very timely fashion and has been first class.

Walking through Canterbury hospital yesterday we were surprised at how little activity was going on at the weekend in such a large hospital. We assumed that it would be fully operational 7 days a week.

[Winnersaint]

29 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Surely Reeves has misled financial markets with her pre-budget news conference?

Makes no difference if she and Starmer go.  Unless there's a general election we'll just have another couple of numpties subservient to the idiot left of the party.

 

Certainly the budget was designed to placate Labour MPs rather than deliver for the country as a whole. No different from the Tories, nor I suspect ReformUK.