I lean neither one way or the other politically and I think for a supposed party of "business" the Tories are setting about destroying small businesses.

However Labour do themselves no favours. Let's take the latest comments on John Mcdonnell shall we

[Link]

So let's analyse this

"Taxpayers whose incomes top £1m a year would be forced to make their tax records public under Labour, shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said.
He claimed the measure, inspired by Norway and Sweden, would restore trust in the system and reduce tax avoidance.
He also called for a specific chunk of taxes raised to be "hypothecated" - earmarked - for the NHS, which he said was "in a state of profound crisis".
Chancellor Philip Hammond will deliver his first full budget next Wednesday.
Outlining his thinking in a pre-Budget speech, Mr McDonnell urged the chancellor to "reverse the £70bn giveaway to the super-rich and giant corporations between now and 2021".
He said under a Labour government "there'll be no place to hide for tax avoiders""

What you are basically doing there is accusing everyone earning above £1 million of being a "tax avoider". Now aside from the fact he really should learn the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion he should also equate himself with the APN/DOTAS legislation introduced by this Government that pretty much ensured anyone who partook in even the mildest of tax avoidance (and was honest enough to tell HMRC they were doing it) has been hung out to dry by a body that is acting as judge, jury and execuctioner. What the Government did here was a blatant disregard of human rights, and if they will shaft the rich they will shaft the poor. HMRC sat on it's hands for years and then lurched the other way.

He then goes on to say

"Hypothecation, allocating taxes raised to specific purposes, can make absolutely clear where tax money is being spent," he said.
He accused the Conservatives of adding £750bn to the national debt since 2010, while at the same time imposing the first spending cuts on schools for 40 years and cuts to social care amounting to £4.5bn since 2010 that "have brought the system to the brink of collapse".
Mr McDonnell also called on Mr Hammond to end the "discrimination" which had seen cuts to public services "disproportionately" affect women.
He said "the cruel £3.7bn cut to Personal Independence Payment for disabled people must be halted", and he pledged that Labour would introduce a £10-an-hour Real Living Wage "to make sure work always pays fairly".

So adding £750bn to the National Debt whilst simultaneously cutting public services. So on that basis he is borrowing simply to slow down the cuts. I can also tell you he has no experience of running a small business, as introducing a minimum wage of £10 will simply push the price of everything up, hence your £10 an hour in real terms is worth the same as now. Acknowledge that the services are over stretched for a number of reasons (not just under-funding and admit the previous Government screwed it up just as badly - (especially in the case of tax credits and tax collection) and you might redeem some credibility.

Now I appreciate those comments were by John Mcdonnell not Jeremy Corbyn but the point is they go straight to the heart of the argument.

The whole of British Politics is divisive. No doubt the Tories could cure cancer and the left wouldn't be happy and the same is true in reverse. In voting I always subscribe to the mantra which is "vote for those who would do you the least harm". I don't identify with Corbyn and Mcdonnell. That said I don't identify with May and Hammond either and would rather James May and Richard Hammond were running the country.

If Corbyn et al have a credibility issue or negative press it is entirely of their own making for not reading the sea of change washing through a country. Believe it or not (most) people are intelligent enough to make their own decisions and see through the press coverage. In my opinion his biggest mistake was appointing Diane Abbott (but then I could just be a white person playing divide and rule). Jeremy Corbyn gets bad press because he is completely misreading the mood of the majority of people.

Edited by robdave2k (02 Mar 2017 3.19pm)

[Link]

Poll of Corbyn-supporting Labour members

Corbyn was responsible for the Stoke win: 62%
Corbyn was responsible for the Copeland loss: 5%

YouGov

And of course Cat Smith claimed copeland was a success

He is apparently. And engaged. Need a link for this though. I find NG far more a caricature than (say) Willo. A teacher who cannot spell. A Wolfie Smith for our age. A Diane Abbott and Jeremy Corbyn apologist. If he wasn't so sad, he would be funny. But, most importantly, Nick is a Palace fan. So all is forgiven.

Jackson.. Wan Bissaka.... Sansom.. Nicholas.. Cannon.. Guehi.... Zaha... Thomas.. Byrne... Holton.. Rogers.. that should do it..

As you know there was no Tory candidate. Plus you then had the specific issues around Brexit and the airport.

I would also say that there was a fair bit on the tv at the time

Of course you could also argue that the tories boxed clever and avoided a sticky situation. Something Jezza could learn from

I take it from your response you were one of those surveyed above.

He he.

At least he declared his tax returns. Where's the clamour in the media for others (cough cough philip hammond) to declare / release theirs?

I heard he hadn't cocked them up.

Why shouldn't the public see if mps are paying their fair share in tax?

Corbyn set himseof up re the Tax Returns, most people are ambivalent until the odd pop star in tax avoidance shocker

If you have Twitter it is worth reading through this thread by Jolyon Maugham. If you look at his other stuff, he takes no prisoners on either side of the political spectrum. Worth a read.

[Tweet Link]

Edited by Y Ddraig Goch (07 Mar 2017 11.11am)

I'll check him out. But in essence, I don't think Corbyn has done anything wrong. He has paid all his taxes and attempted to be open and transparent about it. He is then being slated for this. Yes he set himself up as a paragon of virtue hoping that other would look poor in comparison, but he should come out of it looking like a guy who doesn't fully understand a tax form, but is effectively a paragon of virtue on this issue (in terms of tax paid).

But that isn't how it is being reported in the media. That does appear to me as a entrenched bias against him.

I don't think anyone should have to publish their tax returns so Hammond is fine if he doesn't want to. But as far as I can see Corbyn has done little wrong but fill in an amount in the wrong box.

"It's almost like a moral decision. Except not really cos noone is going to find out," Jez, Peep Show