[Cherie]

how is this different to life under the Tories?

When Rachel Reeves pledged last week that a third runway at Heathrow would put money in the pockets of “working people”, the chancellor gave a bigger hint about the government’s plans than the headlines suggested. The phrase didn’t just claim that the economic benefit of big-money infrastructure projects would somehow trickle down to workers struggling to pay the rent. It implied that anyone who didn’t do their duty for the labour market – say, people too disabled or ill to work, family carers and jobseekers – should expect very little from Labour.

Such sentiments could be dismissed as empty rhetoric, of course, but by all accounts are actually a preview. In the autumn budget, Reeves committed to keeping the £3bn of disability benefit “savings” the outgoing Conservative government planned. It is now expected that a package of spending cuts will be finalised in the next fortnight, in what the Times describes as a “radical overhaul of welfare” that could see hundreds of thousands of disabled and chronically ill people lose their benefits.

Under one option reportedly being considered, the universal credit “limited capability for work or work-related activity” category would be abolished, which would require often severely disabled or ill people to make preparations for work. That could see claimants lose about £5,000 a year.

At the same time, personal independence payments (Pip) – which pays for some of the extra costs of disability and is unrelated to whether someone is in work – is said to be being lined up for an “overhaul”, with those with conditions such as depression and anxiety, the fastest-growing reasons for disability benefits, likely to be targeted. Options being looked at include one-off rather than monthly payments for some, or means testing. Vouchers for specific equipment or aids instead of cash – as planned by Rishi Sunak last year – have reportedly been ruled out. No change for either benefit has been confirmed.

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If any of this feels familiar, it’s because it is – and not just that it was only a decade ago that the coalition government was “reforming” the system. Since the election last July, Labour ministers have been dripfeeding rumoured benefit crackdowns to the rightwing press, from specific plans to remove fraudsters’ driving licences to vague pledges to get hordes of people off out-of-work sickness benefits.

Related: A reader with a terminal illness emailed in despair. What she told me should shock us all | Frances Ryan

The point of these constant briefings may seem baffling, but there are two likely explanations: testing the waters before announcing firm policy; and/or communicating a message. For the latter, just look at the seemingly innocuous lines in the Times story: ministers have told business leaders that changes to Pip eligibility “will be the first priority” in spending cuts in March, as Reeves is “desperate” to reassure City bosses that “welfare savings” will cool the need for a tax-raising emergency budget.

It is not simply that such things invite uncomfortable questions about the influence of the rich on governance, but that they signal very clearly who matters to Labour – and who doesn’t. That is not necessarily an accident. Back in January, Reeves weakened changes to non-dom status after hearing “concerns” from business leaders. In contrast, concerns from disabled people – as well as multiple thinktanks and charities – about the proposed disability benefit cuts over the past six months have, funnily enough, not had the same effect. Disabled voters are apparently expendable. Wealthy potential donors less so.

Politics, at its core, is a matter of priorities: where public money will be spent, where it won’t, and how it will be raised. That a Labour government is seemingly willing to sacrifice poor and disabled people’s benefits in order to protect the wealthy and healthy from paying a bit more tax is the kind of dystopian deal that feels at best perverse and, at worst, a betrayal.

None of this is to say that Britain having an increasingly sick population is not a crisis that must be addressed. But it is to say that arbitrary cost-cutting is not the same as genuine reform, or that complex public policy should be dictated by the Treasury. I can’t help but wonder how many of those currently crowing to get disabled people “off benefits” will speak out against failings in the Access to Work scheme that are causing disabled people to lose their jobs. Wanting to get disabled people off the “welfare bill” is not the same as wanting to help them work.

In some ways, austerity under Keir Starmer and Reeves looks different than the last time we were here: unlike under David Cameron and George Osborne, there is no ideological drive to shrink the state nor an explicit nasty impulse to punish “skivers” – more a couple of management execs looking to balance the books. And yet even this bean-counting is flawed. Recent research for anti-poverty charity Z2K found the economic value of disability benefits far outweighs the cost: while there is a £28bn annual bill for administering the benefits, they give a potential £42bn economic boost due to how they improve wellbeing.

Besides, that Labour ministers’ motivations are (perhaps) distinct from the Tories is hardly much comfort to the disabled people reading yet another story musing how their only income could be taken away. If their disability benefits are cut when Labour wins an election, as well as when the Conservatives do, what exactly is the difference?

Much of this goes far beyond whether the red team or the blue team is in office. It is about the systems that normalise impoverishing and isolating disabled people while protecting the assets and power of the privileged. It is about the attitudes towards disability and poverty that make those with the least seem the right group to lose the most, and the dehumanisation that says their suffering doesn’t really matter.

As more potential benefit cuts are inevitably briefed in the coming days, it is worth remembering there are human beings behind every speculation. What to politicians and pundits is an abstract game is to others the fear of whether they will be able to eat regular meals or charge their electric wheelchair next year. That’s the thing about leaks. Drip-drip long enough and someone will eventually drown.

The Guardian

[bots]

I actually think they are going to end up worse than the tories

[Crimson Dynamo]

It's a few months into their government and noone on here now is defending them. That says it all

[Cherie]

Pensioners
Farmers and now
the disabled, it is some roll call from the party that are here to serve us

[Livia]

I don't think they will last a full term.

[Vanessa]

But no chance of targeting the rich

[Vanessa]

Originally Posted by Livia

I don't think they will last a full term.

I think I'm missing the tories. Labour is that bad.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Crimson Dynamo

It's a few months into their government and no one on here now is defending them. That says it all

They're unfortunately not really defensible; it's the first and last time I've voted Labour, I flipped my vote from SNP because SNP have also been dire ... but I should have stuck with the devil I know. I disagree with a tonne of their politics but at the very least I'm confident that, whether one is pro-full-independence or not, they're geared towards putting Scotland at the head of their agenda. The irony of this sounding very "Scotland First" is not lost on me .

Stats are suggesting potentially the biggest-ever SNP majority in the next Holyrood elections, after a significant drop in SNP support at the GE, which in itself is basically an indication that Scottish Labour is permanently trashed. A lot of us who flipped have regretted it and won't be tempted back again.

At the end of the day though it's just pretty damning on British politics in general. Labour are shyte, Tories were shyte, a lot of people similarly being lulled into believing that Reform is the answer but 99.9% guarantee they'd also be shyte. The electioneering promises would dry up and people would have to admit to themselves that it was all smoke and mirrors. Reform groupies still have the luxury of pretending it would all be roses and exactly what they voted for .

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Vanessa

I think I'm missing the tories. Labour is that bad.

They'd be doing largely the same stuff, the only reason they weren't doing it a year ago was because they already knew they were not winning the 2024 GE.

[Livia]

Has a government ever fallen from grace so quickly? I don't think so. Starmer, Reeves and Rayner are the least likeable, most smug, least relatable people. They don't seem to be able to do right for doing wrong. They're giving Reform a golden ticket through their awfulness.

[Vanessa]

I think we should give Reform a chance. They can't be any worse surely.

[Vanessa]

They're targeting the weakest and most vulnerable in society and that's really wrong.
How about targeting the ones who actually have money?

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Vanessa

They're targeting the weakest and most vulnerable in society and that's really wrong.
How about targeting the ones who actually have money?

They have rolled back on promises to target non doms....naturally

and Angela Rayner has decided to knock down Grenfell even though its against the wishes of many of the bereaved families, but hey its a prime site for building on

[Crimson Dynamo]

Its alarming how similar the tories and labour now are

[Livia]

I bet Nige is laughing his arse off...

[user104658]

Meh. If (and that's a big "if") Reform was to get anywhere near power in 2029 they'll be so stacked with Tories that the purple will be almost blue.

That's if it's not (more likely) some sort of Tory-led coalition.

No one will remember a jot of what's going on today in 5 years time.

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Crimson Dynamo

Its alarming how similar the tories and labour now are

We've basically had a uni-party for decades at this point.

[user104658]

As I said above though, I predict Scotland will be pretty much solid yellow once again. Labour convinced Scottish voters to take another punt on believing in Westminster - and it proved to be a scam. And (in reality) there's no real interest in Reform outside of Ibrox and a few dusty orange lodges and I reckon even that will continue to wane if Farage keeps up nonsense like sooking on Elon Musk's undercarriage within hours of being trolled by him on Twitter . No one likes cuck vibes.

[arista]

Originally Posted by Quantum Boy

As I said above though, I predict Scotland will be pretty much solid yellow once again. Labour convinced Scottish voters to take another punt on believing in Westminster - and it proved to be a scam. And (in reality) there's no real interest in Reform outside of Ibrox and a few dusty orange lodges and I reckon even that will continue to wane if Farage keeps up nonsense like sooking on Elon Musk's undercarriage within hours of being trolled by him on Twitter . No one likes cuck vibes.

When is the Next Local Elections
in Scotland?

[joeysteele]

I do not think that all they're doing is wrong.

However I have fought for the sick and disabled to have more protection for years.
I was furious with the heartless criteria the Cons put in place to assess the sick and disabled.
If Labour REALLY start to hit and cause distress to the sick and disabled.
Then that will be more than likely the last straw for me.

The winter fuel payment was bad enough, had that been done from this year it would have been more acceptable.
Especially since with the wage increases Labour did which then meant pensioners will get over £9 a week extra from April as opposed to around £3-£4 from the Cons.

The Farmers I've not a scrap of sympathy for.
I still recall my Grandfather stating that all through his life, all he's ever seen or heard from Farmers is complaining.
Farmers believed the grossly misleading Farage and Johnson as to Brexit.
Now Farmers are moaning they got far less after Brexit than BEFORE.

They've been happy being exempt on inheritance tax for around 40 years never bothered about all others having to pay the full 40% inheritance tax on all assets over only £300,000.
I've NO sympathy for them.
Plus their care of animals on some of their farms leaves a great deal that needs improving.
There's a joke going round saying a chicken roasting in the oven has more space there than during its life on a farm.
Gross.

However, my patience is wearing thin and while all Parties were going to look at welfare
IF Labour takes away from the sick and disabled then I'll be livid with that.

The Cons have no moral base though on that either.
They were extremely heartless and cruel pre the pandemic.
Along with the LibDems in the coalition too

A couple of things I'll say as to Reform is I cannot ever support their prejudiced attitude to immigration.
It is a major issue but it's not what's ALL to blame for the UK's ills.
That might have more to do with having near 5 decades of the 8 decades post war, being governed by the more capitalist orientated Party.

Reform too as to the NHS, I would never want that lot anywhere near the NHS.
Never ever and not the narcissistic Farage certainly.

However my disillusionment with politics is just ever growing.
I will wait to fully judge this government for up to 3 years of it's 5 years term.
I never expected around the last 10 years of chaos to be resolved in a year or two.
If though, things are no better in 2027.
If the compassion remains shelved.
Particularly if the sick and disabled are caused more distress.
My Labour membership will be out the window.

I never ever thought I'd have the disappointment and dismay I feel at present.
As to this really concerning start.
It's on a par with after trusting the LibDems in 2010.
Where they threw out all they'd fought and stood for to become voting machinery for the Cons in the coalition.

Plus my view remains until we get PR, I believe the governments we will have will be really poor governments.
Yes, I get thrown at me that under PR the likes of Reform could gain considerably.
Well, as much as I'd REALLY HATE to see that.
If we had PR, if there was higher turnouts.
Then Reform did gain considerably.
Then that is democracy.

However I still believe it would more empower voters than this absurd voting system.
Plus help to curb most extremes of policymaking.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by arista

When is the Next Local Elections
in Scotland?

2026, current polling suggesting biggest SNP majority yet is possible. Anything can happen in a year, of course.

Labour support has almost halved since last summer which is almost impressive. Shocking really.

And Tories vote is being slightly split by Reform...

Labour AND Tories are pretty much wrecked north of the border IMO. Trust in both is gone.