RichardJMurphy

RichardJMurphy, 10 hours ago to random

Who will represent the voice of the person the state should protect when we get a government that is determined that all who might speak for them should be silenced? https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/31/who-will-represent-the-voice-of-the-person-the-state-should-protect-when-we-get-a-government-that-is-determined-that-all-who-might-speak-for-them-should-be-silenced/ Labour is suppressing the voices of those who speak for workers, the vulnerable and the oppressed. Who will speak for them when those who might have done so have been removed from that party, which once saw itself as being on their side?

RichardJMurphy, 1 day ago to random

Multiplier effects https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/30/multiplier-effects/ Today's YouTube short video is on a vital economic issue

RichardJMurphy, 1 day ago to random

Rachel Reeves has one chance to U-turn. She’ll make or break her reputation on whether she does so https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/30/rachel-reeves-has-one-chance-to-u-turn-shell-make-or-break-her-reputation-on-whether-she-does-so/ Labour is seeking office by offering unsustainable, undeliverable, and deeply unpopular austerity. They’ll get elected nonetheless, but that will give Reeves just one chance to change direction. She either does so by September, or she dooms Labour to failure.

RichardJMurphy, 1 day ago to random

What chance for sustainability when accounting students are told profit is the goal? https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/30/what-chance-for-sustainability-when-accounting-students-are-told-profit-is-the-goal/ If we tell people who are being trained to be in charge of the financial assets of the future that profit is all that matters then sustainability will always be a Cinderella issue to them. No wonder we are in deep trouble, because that’s what we’re still doing. .

RichardJMurphy, 2 days ago to random

There is only one acceptable owner of the Royal Mail https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/29/there-is-only-one-acceptable-owner-of-the-royal-mail/ Should the Royal Mail be under the control of a Czech billionaire, or the UK state? There’s a question for Labour to address.

RichardJMurphy, 2 days ago to random

Politics is about ideas, not brands https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/29/politics-is-about-ideas-not-brands/ Politics should be about ideas. Instead, it's become about brands.

With both the Labour and Conservative Parties - and some others, come to that - wanting to offer almost identical core policy agendas at this election, the branding is what seems to count now. But as a result, big ideas - like the difference between parties representing people and wealth - have disappeared, and that is a massive loss to us all.

RichardJMurphy, 2 days ago to random

If the SNP can tackle child poverty in Scotland why can’t Labour in England? https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/29/if-the-snp-can-tackle-child-poverty-in-scotland-why-cant-labour-in-england/ The SNP, working within the constraints laid down by the Tories in Westminster, have done more to tackle child poverty in Scotland than Labour is planning to do in England. Why is that? Could it be that caring about the issue makes a difference?

RichardJMurphy, 3 days ago to random

Why won’t Labour end child poverty at this election? https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/28/why-wont-labour-end-child-poverty-at-this-eection/ Labour is saying it cannot afford to end child poverty. That, however, is only because it is refusing to charge more tax on the wealthy. For example, if it simply equalised the tax rates on income and capital gains, it could raise the money needed to end child poverty six times over. No reasonable person could object to that. So why is Labour refusing to consider it?

RichardJMurphy, 3 days ago to random

Starmer’s incredible claim that he cannot afford to tax wealthy people https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/28/starmers-incredible-claim-that-he-cannot-afford-to-tax-wealthy-people/ Starmer has made the incredible claim that he cannot afford to raise tax on the rich because of the mess the Tories have left behind, from which the rich were the only beneficiaries. The claim makes absolutely no sense unless, of course, Labour is now the party of the wealthy.

RichardJMurphy, 4 days ago to random

Would you put your savings into a fund that financed the NHS? https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/27/would-you-put-your-savings-into-a-fund-that-financed-the-nhs/ Labour says there is no money to invest in schools, hospitals, transport, and energy infrastructure. But hundreds of billions of savings lie idle in bank accounts. Suppose they were saved with the government to fund investment in these projects. Those savings could provide all the money needed to transform our economy. So why is no political party offering to do this?

RichardJMurphy, 4 days ago to random

My best hope is that Wes Streeting is incompetent, because every other option is worse given his hatred of the NHS https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/27/my-best-hope-is-that-wes-streeting-is-incompetent-because-every-other-option-is-worse-given-his-hatred-of-the-nhs/ Wes Streeting wrote an article for the Sunday Times this weekend from which only three conclusions can reasonably be drawn, which is that he hates the NHS, everyone who works in it and everyone who believes in it, despite which he wants to be in charge of it. Could that be because he really wants to destroy it?

RichardJMurphy, 5 days ago to random

Putting the N back into the NHS

https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/26/putting-the-n-back-into-the-nhs/

The NHS is a mess, created by meddling politicians who have broken it into hundreds of organisations that they pretend trade with each other. The result is not efficiency or productivity. The result is an admin mess and a failure to meet needs.

The only reform the NHS needs is to get rid of this mess by consolidating the NHS into regional and national care services that treat us as whole human beings. Then we, and it, might get better.

RichardJMurphy, 5 days ago to random

The force dividing society that Sunak so obviously fears is the Conservative Party https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/26/the-force-dividing-society-that-sunak-so-obviously-fears-is-the-conservative-party/ The Tories have failed so badly that Sunak is planning to reintroduce national service to oppress the young people who have the temerity to question the Conservatives' judgement.

RichardJMurphy, 5 days ago to random

Rachel Reeves does not understand what is happening and why in the economy for which she wants to be responsible https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/26/rachel-reeves-does-not-understand-what-is-happening-and-why-in-the-economy-for-which-she-wants-to-be-responsible/ Rachel Reeves has claimed that the Bank of England's interest rate rises brought inflation down. There is no evidence to support that claim.

RichardJMurphy, 6 days ago to random

Rachel Reeves’ crass claims on growth https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/25/rachel-reeves-crass-claims-on-growth/ Rachel Reeves claimed today that:

"Economic growth only comes from businesses: big, medium and small. That's the model to grow the economy I believe in – and it's the only one that works."

Economic stupidity is rarely seen on this scale.

Have none of the lessons from the failures of the last 40-plus years not been noticed by her?

RichardJMurphy, 6 days ago to random

This is the last election where we can save the planet https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/25/this-is-the-last-election-where-we-can-save-the-planet/ We all know that climate change is now the biggest problem that we as a human race face. And yet you'd never think it from what most political parties are saying at this election. Don't they care about the future, our children and grandchildren and the calamity facing us all? Their indifference is quite staggering.

RichardJMurphy, 7 days ago to random

We need an end to Bank of England independence and the power of the Treasury https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/24/we-need-an-end-to-bank-of-england-independence-and-the-power-of-the-treasury/ The basis of power within government is rooted in the Treasury / Bank of England axis of oppression of all that is necessary in this country. It's time to end the Bank of England's power and to break up the Treasury.

RichardJMurphy, 7 days ago to random

Where does the buck stop at the Post Office? https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/24/where-does-the-buck-stop-at-the-post-office/ Paula Vennells' performance at the Post Office inquiry appears variously naive, incompetent or brazen. We cannot be sure. However, what can be suggested is that it seems likely she was never suited to the task of being Post Office CEO. In that case, who appointed her, why, and are they also responsible for what has happened?

RichardJMurphy, 8 days ago to random

A dull sense of dread hangs over this election https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/23/a-dull-sense-of-dread-hangs-over-this-election/ This election will see us rid of the Tories, probably forever in their One Nation pretence. But it will not deliver change. Things will not get better for most people. How can anyone get excited about that?

RichardJMurphy, 9 days ago to random

The real crisis facing Labour https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/22/the-real-crisis-facing-labour/ Labour has suggested it might face six crises when coming into office, all of which could be solved by spending more money and taxing the wealthy. The real list of crises that they face is much longer and more serious and it seems that they are in denial about them.

RichardJMurphy, 9 days ago to random

Am I an extremist? https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/22/am-i-an-extremist%e2%80%8a/ The government is cracking down on those they call extremists, who seem to me and, I suspect, most people, to be those holding exceedingly normal opinions. Woe beside nature lovers, democrats and those concerned about poverty, let alone anyone not a neoliberal. So, is Rishi Sunak the extremist in reality because I certainly don’t feel that I am?

RichardJMurphy, 9 days ago to random

Inflation is down. Now we need bank base rate to be cut to 2% https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/22/inflation-is-down-now-we-need-bank-base-rate-to-be-cut-to-2/
Infaltion is at 2.3%. There are no excuses left for high interest rates. The economy needs a base rate of no more than 2% now. The benefit to everyone but the wealthy would be enormous. So why aren't cuts going to happen? Could that be because the Bank of England is run to benefit the rich?

RichardJMurphy, 11 days ago to random

Labour is making a virtue of the fact that its plan for office is to manage a steady ship where nothing will change. That would be a great policy if all was going well, but everything is falling apart all around it, and that means that the actual message is that it has no idea what to do about that fact.
https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/20/stabilty-is-not-change-its-acceptance-of-a-failing-status-quo/

RichardJMurphy, 12 days ago to random

Starmer, the cuckoo https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/19/starmer-the-cuckoo/ Like a cuckoo, Starmer has foisted himself into alien territory, ousted its natural occupants, demanded blind loyalty from those who are left, and will then deliver something totally opposite to their best interests. Of course, we have to create an alternative to that. What other choice do we have?

RichardJMurphy, 12 days ago to random

Answer the ****** phone https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/19/answer-the-phone/ How many times have you been told your call matters to a company or government department you're ringing, only to be put on hold again? Are they just lying to us? And isn't time that they really did value us, and not just say they do, if only be answering the ****** phone?