And is your opinion of blanket free school meals
Yes!
A loveliness of ladybirds. So what are politicians?
Gransnet forums
News & politics
Lest we forget what we have just lost ....
(163 Posts)Since Labour took office, Keir Starmer’s government has:
- Scrapped the two-child benefit limit, lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty and putting money back into some of the hardest-pressed households in the country.
- Expanded free school meals, cutting costs for families and making sure more children get a proper meal during the school day.
- Expanded funded childcare, reducing one of the biggest monthly costs facing working parents and making it easier for people to stay in work.
- Raised the National Living Wage, increasing pay for millions of low-paid workers.
- Strengthened workers’ rights, giving people greater protection against insecure work and bad employers.
- Introduced statutory sick pay from the first day of illness, so workers are less likely to choose between their health and their wages.
- Ended no-fault evictions, giving renters more security in their homes.
- Brought rail operators back into public ownership, taking key services out of failed private hands and giving the public a stronger stake in how they are run.
- Cut NHS waiting lists from their post-pandemic peak, meaning more patients are being seen sooner.
- Raised the state pension through the triple lock, protecting pensioners’ incomes against rising costs.
- Scrapped the old non-dom tax regime, making some of the wealthiest people in the country pay more fairly.
- Added VAT to private school fees, raising money from those most able to contribute.
- Removed business rates relief from private schools, ending an unjustified tax break.
- Increased neighbourhood policing, putting more officers and PCSOs back into communities.
- Helped bring knife crime down, meaning fewer families face the devastation of serious violence.
- Recorded the lowest homicide rate since the 1970s, a material improvement in public safety.
- Created Great British Energy, giving Britain a publicly owned clean energy company.
- Created the National Wealth Fund, backing investment in industry, infrastructure and clean energy.
- Passed planning reforms aimed at getting homes and major projects built faster.
- Improved relations with the EU, reducing diplomatic hostility and rebuilding practical cooperation.
- Agreed a UK-EU security partnership, strengthening cooperation on defence and European security.
- Signed a long-term partnership with Ukraine, reinforcing Britain’s support against Putin’s invasion.
- Secured new trade agreements, opening up markets for British businesses.
- Helped restore seriousness to government after years of scandal, chaos and decline.
- Revived Sure Start under the guise of Best Start Hubs.
- Stood up to Trump and kept us out of Iran without the US/UK relationship falling apart.
- Restored international faith in the UK
And this is the man who has been hounded out for not being flashy enough and not courting the media.
Madgran77
*Not all pensioners need WFA obviously*.
Absolutely! A blanket payment regardless of income is daft!
And is your opinion of blanket free school meals the same?
Madgran77
*Not all pensioners need WFA obviously*.
Absolutely! A blanket payment regardless of income is daft!
That is true but the cost of means testing usually goes a long way towards balancing out any savings made by paying it to the few.
Not all pensioners need WFA obviously.
Absolutely! A blanket payment regardless of income is daft!
StoneofDestiny
One of the problems with Labour was they did not communicate their achievements well. Some things were done after U-turns and that is never a good look.
Starmer inherited an absolute mess - he has left us stronger in many areas. We’d have been involved in a war by now if clowns like Farage or Truss were in power!
I do think the two child benefit cap is an issue - and vouchers would have been better than cash to families ie vouchers that could only be spent on certain things for the child - food, clothes etc. People have to be responsible and not keep producing children they cannot afford and we need to be certain the mo et we pay is used for the child’s needs.
I do think the winter fuel allowance should have gone - the assumption that all pensioners are in need of it is wrong. Look at these heatwaves - many are spending more on trying to be cool ! Labour should have stuck to their guns on this - not backed down. Winters are increasingly milder. Those that really need such benefits should be targeted.
I agree so quoting your post Stone of Destiny. I’m a Labour member I remain surprised and slightly shocked that Starmer introduced then back tracked on WFA and changes to pip and other benefits. I could write the book on benefit fraud (and a chapter on tax fraud). Not all pensioners need WFA obviously.
One of the problems with Labour was they did not communicate their achievements well. Some things were done after U-turns and that is never a good look.
Spot on.
All those in receipt of benefits should not be labelled scroungers - that is offensive. There are many people in genuine need of support from a caring society. There are many disabled or out of work for reasons not of their own making. Many people are entitled to benefits AND working! Certainly id like to see a huge reform of the super rich ‘benefits’ and their ability to hide assets and not pay taxes. That includes the Royal Family.
Yes it was MOnica, and I am still joyful about that.
But it was a lot from which to recover.
Unreasonable to expect a complete reversal of fortunes in just 2 years.
One of the problems with Labour was they did not communicate their achievements well. Some things were done after U-turns and that is never a good look.
Starmer inherited an absolute mess - he has left us stronger in many areas. We’d have been involved in a war by now if clowns like Farage or Truss were in power!
I do think the two child benefit cap is an issue - and vouchers would have been better than cash to families ie vouchers that could only be spent on certain things for the child - food, clothes etc. People have to be responsible and not keep producing children they cannot afford and we need to be certain the mo et we pay is used for the child’s needs.
I do think the winter fuel allowance should have gone - the assumption that all pensioners are in need of it is wrong. Look at these heatwaves - many are spending more on trying to be cool ! Labour should have stuck to their guns on this - not backed down. Winters are increasingly milder. Those that really need such benefits should be targeted.
Luckygirl13
And this is the man who has been hounded out for not being flashy enough and not courting the media.
Hounded by his own ministers too. Surprising they don’t realise that they too are responsible.
Ilovecheese
The Labour party as a whole achieved these things. They are not due to Starmer.
23/06/2026 17:19 Luckygirl3
They achieved these under his leadership. We cannot ascribe all good things to the whole party, but all shortcomings to Starmer himself.
Jane Thank you for your comment, my problem was with eazybee flippantly referring to benefits as a ‘scroungers charter’, clearly she/he stands by it which is very sad since most claimants are far from scroungers
Yes and I agree with you.
Most claimants are indeed not scroungers, just as most people are not rich tax dodgers. Each are in the minority and each are equally unacceptable.
Each are playing the system in their own different ways. I suspect we lose a great deal more to the very rich whose accountants just aim to make them richer and richer.
Madgran77
*eazybee Yes. The Scroungers' Charter*
Jane43 So you are labeling everybody on benefits a scrounger? Many are working with low pay topped up by benefits, then there are the sick and disabled unable to work and of course pensioners are included in the benefits bill. To make it personal my daughter in law, 55, has worked since she was 16 and she is now living with breast cancer, it has taken away the use of her right arm and hand, she has had to give up the well paid job she loved and is claiming ESA and PIP which is a fraction of what she earned when she was working. Scrounger my foot!
I am so sorry to hear about your DiL Jane
And it's not about "scroungers" is it. Its about ensuring:
- the right people get financial help; (your DiL being one of them, as was mine before she died);
- the right people get employment help
- ....and so on.!
The whole benefits system needs reform but done strategically across all relevant areas, not piecemeal and/or just to save money!
Thank you for your comment, my problem was with eazybee flippantly referring to benefits as a ‘scroungers charter’, clearly she/he stands by it which is very sad since most claimants are far from scroungers.
What is happening in terms of the younger generation in terms of benefits is deeply worrying, there should be societal curiosity about it as a bare minimum.
I do of course agree that our benefits system need to be better targeted, and actually cant think of anyone I know what actually disagrees, but the question is how.
The admin in better sorting out each individual and assessing needs is actually huge and expensive.
I do feel that it's all very well the conservatives say well we will reduce welfare in order to free up money, but I haven't actually heard how they plan to do it without real harm to some. It might be possible to design a more efficient system, but even then, in the end it all comes down to accurate and effective assessments, back to problem as per above.
eazybee
The whole benefit system needs reform; it should not be used to top up low pay, or people who choose to work limited hours, 'because of my mental health issues.'
Or the mother who was pleased about the lifting of the two child cap, but 'it doesn't go far enough because now I have to pay for my oldest child's dinners as he is in the Juniors. I could work extra hours but I don't see why I should.'
True examples plus others. None made up.
Erm....speaking as someone with a good knowledge of the MH sector, isnt it better that someone genuinely vulnerable in that way works the hours they can cope with, rather than not at all? Surely?
Truly, eazybee, it's good for them, it's good for us all? I've sat with grown men crying because they cannot work and were looked down on for it, the social pressure being so great.
As it happens the two I'm thinking of particularly were kind and gentle people, always there for others when they could be.
Maremia
Yes, MOnica, the election result was a good effective use of tactical voting .
But, there was a lot of undeniable 'joy' when the big change was achieved.
But the joy was about getting rid of the Conservatives, not welcoming Labour because people wanted a Labour government. In fact i think most of us expected more of the same - but different- and that is what we got.
Luckygirl3
The benefits system has been and always will be problematical. Successive governments have grappled with this. Some people are thought to be getting too much, some too little; the vexed question of means testing and the cost/benefit of this; paying for care in disability or old age .... and so it goes on.
But please do not tell me that anyone here expected KS to wave a magic wand in the short time he has had and sort it all out.
No I didnt expect that. But I did expect better political and strategic nous rather than presenting such significant and crucial changes as a "cost cutting" exercise!
I agree welfare has always been problematical. I also think that there is potential in some of the strategies now being brought forward by this government. But presenting a complete strategy; explaining and keeping ones own MPs and the public on side are key factors in success along with clear steps to get to the planned aims! Failure to do that in several areas has played a BIG part in what has happened within this government! Sadly!
Jane, not very pleasant to hear such nonsense about people on benefits.
💐
Can you imagine if we had joined in.
All that 'boots on the ground' nonsense.
Would our troops have been sent in first?
Kudos to Starmer 👏
Paperbackwriter
Macaydia
Keeping the UK out of Iran was the most intelligent decision of all. Everyone of us can applaud that.
I agree. It took some guts to stand up to that Trump idiot.
He also managed to protect us from a lot of Trump’s tarrifs.
Oreo
Susieq62
Oreo of course she was but then she came to life in 2024
It’s not good to be obsessed with what another GN member is doing or not doing.
It isn’t obsession to wonder why someone in another country is filled with dislike for our Prime Minister but seemed quite happy that Trump was re elected ( especially given that we knew what he was like from the first time round and on top of that was the insurrection that he was responsible for). But nanna8’s dislike of Keir seemed obsession like to me because the criticism was endless. And imo unfounded because, like you, I am a Labour supporter.
The benefits system has been and always will be problematical. Successive governments have grappled with this. Some people are thought to be getting too much, some too little; the vexed question of means testing and the cost/benefit of this; paying for care in disability or old age .... and so it goes on.
But please do not tell me that anyone here expected KS to wave a magic wand in the short time he has had and sort it all out.
The whole benefit system needs reform; it should not be used to top up low pay, or people who choose to work limited hours, 'because of my mental health issues.'
Or the mother who was pleased about the lifting of the two child cap, but 'it doesn't go far enough because now I have to pay for my oldest child's dinners as he is in the Juniors. I could work extra hours but I don't see why I should.'
True examples plus others. None made up.
Macaydia
Keeping the UK out of Iran was the most intelligent decision of all. Everyone of us can applaud that.
I agree. It took some guts to stand up to that Trump idiot.
Join the conversation
Registering is free, easy, and means you can join the discussion, watch threads and lots more.
Register now »Already registered? Log in with:
Gransnet »