If you want to see the difference between the two parties at the minute, look at their chancellors. Hammond has been conspicuously invisible for the past year, while in that time, John McDonnell has been offering some really inventive policy proposals. We’ve had UBI, more detail on the National Inveetment Bank, and now this [Link] offering workers in private companies dividends to shore up their declining wages.

It isn’t so much a left right issue for me. It is an issue with an inefficiency in how ur state is run. So much tax is paid to subsidise some of the biggest companies in the country through in work benefits. I’m supportive of subsidising start ups, but if your balance sheet has 8 or more 0s on it, you should pay your employees enough for them to live comfortably, and so they shouldn’t suffer the humiliation of taking state handouts.

Workers have been utterly shafted for the past 4 decades. That Labour are trying to reverse the tide while the media fulminate our Boris’ love life is a glimmer of hope in dark times.

Edited by serial thriller (09 Sep 2018 11.45am)

If punk ever happened I'd be preaching the law, instead of listenin to Lydon lecture BBC4

The first words in the headline
'He would FORCE companies to do this.
That must be like what happens in other socialist countries. Hence why they are shagged.
In a free society you cannot do that without major repercussions.
And what is living comfortably because until he also forces you to spend your money how he sees fit
People will always piss it up the wall on crap.

But we already force companies to do many things, like pay corporation tax, implement employment laws and audit transparently. Why is this such a massive extension of that?

We are in crisis times, where income inequality is having observable negative effects on those being left behind, and where living standards have dropped at a faster rate than at any point in the past 200 years. For many in my generation, rent takes up 40%of your income in London, and after tax and food bills there is almost nothing left, even on the living wage. We are at crisis point, and we need radical solutions to solve it.

If punk ever happened I'd be preaching the law, instead of listenin to Lydon lecture BBC4

Income inequality is part of a capitalist environment. Unfortunatly.
Its not only rent but mortgages leave as many people potless. We get on with it. Like i said in another post.
Our methods for calculating poverty is way different to other countries.
Its a comparison to a mean average of incomes.
Personally i think the system for welfare does need changing whereby you are rewarded for working not penalised.
Ie if your benefits are say total with rent etc leaving you with £300 , if you get a job then the goverment should calculate you are left with say £500 after you have paid your own bills.
At the moment if you come off the chat and work you can be worse off. That isnt right, but going back on track it does no one any good to force a payment as then the cost of whatever service or manufacturer is supplying will rise to cover it.
Then your back where you started.

Perpetual low wages are directly linked to our dreadful productivity.

At a recent chat-in of economists I caught on RT they all zoomed in on that problem as the UK's main defect.

The economy should be boosted by workers cash in their pockets to create demand.

I don't think the economy drops down from rich to poor, for me an economy must work for people, or what is the point of it.

I think one of the major issues - from experience - is the emergence of flexible hours contracts in our economy, which in effect allows companies to get round the minimum wage via legal technicalities.

You may disagree with this proposal but at least Labour and McDonnell are trying to do something. The slide towards eroding workplace rights in this country has almost felt inevitable in recent times. It is a major crisis in my eyes, leading to worse conditions for many of us, higher mental health issues and ultimately a worse service.

If punk ever happened I'd be preaching the law, instead of listenin to Lydon lecture BBC4