RichardJMurphy

RichardJMurphy, 6 hours 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, 8 hours 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, 1 day 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, 1 day 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, 2 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, 2 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, 3 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, 3 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, 3 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, 3 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, 4 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, 5 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, 5 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, 6 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, 7 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, 7 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, 7 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, 9 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, 10 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, 10 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?

RichardJMurphy, 11 days ago to random

When the pursuit of ever greater wealth for the already wealthy is the goal of society something has to break https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/18/when-the-pursuit-of-ever-greater-wealth-for-the-already-wealthy-is-the-goal-of-society-something-has-to-break/. The Dow Jones Index has hit 40,000 in the surest sign that the US, like the UK, is being hollowed out to make the aheady rich even richer.

RichardJMurphy, 12 days ago to random

What Starmer did not say about education that he should have done https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/17/what-starmer-did-not-say-about-education-that-he-should-have-done/ Keir Starmer's promise on education is to increase the number of teachers by just over 1%. What he has not promised to do is tackle any of the deep-seated problems that make the delivery of education in the UK so hard. And that is why he will be a dismal Prime Minister.

RichardJMurphy, 13 days ago to random

Starmer’s plan is for a government offering platitudes, minor admin reforms and a few more teachers in England alone. Ambition has rarely been as small as this. https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/16/starmers-plan-is-for-a-government-offering-platitudes-minor-admin-reforms-and-a-few-more-teachers-in-england-alone-ambition-has-rarely-been-as-small-as-this/. Starmer’s six new pledges amount to almost nothing of any consequence that will have any real impact on most people’s lives. Has someone so lacking in vision, hope or expectation ever sought power in the UK before?

RichardJMurphy, 14 days ago to random

The sectoral balances show that the government has very little control over the national debt https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/15/the-sectoral-balances-show-that-the-government-has-very-little-control-over-the-national-debt/ When the government discusses what it calls national debt, it forgets something really important - that if it supposedly owes money, there must be someone it owes to. Those people it might owe it to are either households, businesses, or people from overseas saving in sterling in the UK. And if all those three groups decide to save then the government has no choice but to borrow.

RichardJMurphy, 14 days ago to random

Labour has predicated all its plans on economic growth, but there is none in the UK and it has said nothing about how it will change this https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/15/labour-has-predicated-all-its-plans-on-economic-growth-but-there-is-none-in-the-uk-and-it-has-said-nothing-about-how-it-will-change-this/ The OECD has forecast almost no population adjusted growth for the UK and Labour has not said how it will change that. But, without growth Labour says it cannot deliver any change for the UK. So is there any substance of any sort to any promise Labour has made on anything?