Winter fuel allowance

[Notch7]

But, headlines!

Indeed, it’s the Daily Mail level of political discussion

Personally I think Labour have made a big mistake on winter fuel allowance, I agree wealthy pensioners should be given out free money they don’t need, but that should be secondary to protecting pensioners who will find the loss of WFA a hardship.

Labour should’ve either found a way to means test it so those that need it do not lose out or they should’ve done nothing.

I suspect Munroast will be having a seizure on autumn budget day, the poor chap can’t cope with a grown up govt in charge telling us the bad news instead of the right populist boosterism we’ve been fed since 2019

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Also the govt have to pay train operating companies the revenue lost on strike days, so by ending strikes by giving pay rises (below inflation) will not cost anything like the increase in wage bill.

So you agree, that the train drivers are basically holding the country to ransom?

 

[carmanmemoranda]

Indeed, it’s the Daily Mail level of political discussion

Personally I think Labour have made a big mistake on winter fuel allowance, I agree wealthy pensioners should be given out free money they don’t need, but that should be secondary to protecting pensioners who will find the loss of WFA a hardship.

Labour should’ve either found a way to means test it so those that need it do not lose out or they should’ve done nothing.

I suspect Munroast will be having a seizure on autumn budget day, the poor chap can’t cope with a grown up govt in charge telling us the bad news instead of the right populist boosterism we’ve been fed since 2019

It's a tough call on wfa.

But we NEED a government that will make such calls. Some will be right, some probably not.

But when forced into a corner (or a hole) we need decisive action not popularist waffle that just hides the problems.

If you think this action was bad, I think I can safely predict there's worse to come yet.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

So you agree, that the train drivers are basically holding the country to ransom?

No, the government set the rules, not the train companies.

 

[ajohn]

The problem is that Tory supporters will never back any Labour initiatives, whatever they are.

The real problem is that the change is in an unexpected direction. Shock horror, Not much thought about long term aims of if they have the numbers right. Forget that fuel costs are averaged across the year.

Another type of moaner cropped up on the box. People with a pension and the state pension who pay tax. Indexed increases on both are taxed. Fact of life Many pensioners will get poorer over time. Fix that as well?

Use a wealth tax? Some say Spain has the right idea. Don't include what they own. Boats, houses and aircraft mentioned but hang on many will own businesses. Those with pots of money will have it in things that earn income. The income really is the only thing that can be taxed.

 

[fillyboy]

Starmer's won the vote. Nothing much to talk about now..

 

[Murdochcat]

In your opinion.

I’ve been using driverless trains today. That is the future

 

[Murdochcat]

Apparently 53 Labour MPs didn’t vote

That speaks volumes

 

[ajohn]

Starmer's won the vote. Nothing much to talk about now..

Some say they will abstain so that they can continue to work on changing it - they hope. It's not the cut they see as a problem only the cut off point for pension credits etc and the actual level of the state pension. They feel it's boarder line and needs softening. Really this means that it must be set on the basis of actual pensioner total income.

Jon Trickett was the only sitting Labour MP to explicitly rebel and back the Tory motion.
A total of 53 Labour MPs didn't vote in today's motion - including Cabinet minister Hilary Benn and veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott.
And another two MPs recently suspended from Labour also didn't cast a vote - Imran Hussain and Rebecca Long Bailey.

Winter fuel vote live: Cut to winter fuel payment set to go ahead after government wins Commons vote

An opposition motion is defeated by 348 to 228 votes, meaning bill help for pensioners will be means tested.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Murdochcat]

Starmer's won the vote. Nothing much to talk about now..

Not hard with the majority he has

 

[mitch66]

And when they moved on they could be let to someone else. Not now.

Don't be silly. You can let them back to the housing association and they rent them the usual TTs. You take a cut for being in the chain, which doesn't help the HA or TT but the the house is still full of the same people as if it were a "council house".
I think you know the maths on this really. It's just the allocation of money you don't like and you have a very valid point.
I respect your view on that.

 

[Notch7]

I’ve been using driverless trains today. That is the future

not possible on most of the network without upgrading infrastructure

 

[Notch7]

So you agree, that the train drivers are basically holding the country to ransom?

No

I would say that the failure of railway privatisation is holding the country to ransom

the train operating companies make loads of profit for their shareholders....whilst they try and cut service standards, maintenance schedules thus safety............the way the private contracts work allows them to do this.

the train drivers are quite well paid, but they havent had a pay rise for 5 years. Have the Chief executives had a pay rise in the last 5 years?

 

[Murdochcat]

No

I would say that the failure of railway privatisation is holding the country to ransom

the train operating companies make loads of profit for their shareholders....whilst they try and cut service standards, maintenance schedules thus safety............the way the private contracts work allows them to do this.

the train drivers are quite well paid, but they havent had a pay rise for 5 years. Have the Chief executives had a pay rise in the last 5 years?

The railways are not privatised

 

[Notch7]

No one seems to want to answer this - what has changed that makes Starmer and his cronies think cutting help or the elderly to heat the homes is now not a very dangerous thing to do, ?

I am surprised there are any pensioners left after Matt Hancock seeded care homes with covid and killed thousands of them off