2min clip - Is there a £22 billion black hole in the economy?

Some Fullfact.org fact checkng of politicians claims since a UK general election was announced

I've taken Fullfact.org ‘s corrections to factually incorrect or partial statements from UK political parties, and amended the original text in the claims by politicians so the text corrects/clarifies what was claimed.

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

Labour Party

On 23/5/24, claimed “seven and a half million cases people are on waiting lists, about some 6.3 million people”

On 27/5/24 Sir Keir Starmer’s made his first major campaign speech  The claims he made are in black font, the strikethrough and red font corrects/clarifies his claims

On the governments approach to Rwanda he claimed “it’s cost £600 million, (Includes some future costs)” and that the “Prime Minister has spent forecast spend is £600 million”. But part of this figure appears to refer to future costs, rather than the amount that has already been spent.

That the “chaos” under the Conservatives was “hitting every working family to the tune of £5,000, compared to a hypothetical scenario”.

Repeated a claim “that the UK army is the smallest it has been since the Napoleonic Wars size is comparable to the period shortly after the Napoleonic wars. “

Claimed that taxes are "were higher in 2022/23 than at any time over the last 70 years since the war".

 

Conservative Party

23/5/24, during an interview Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed the text in black font, the red font corrects/clarifies his claims.

 “the economy is growing faster than almost any other major country including the United States if you look at the latest quarterly GDP growth for G7 countries, but the UK has seen comparatively slower growth since the pandemic than most other G7 countries, including the US.”.

On LBC on 24/5/24 energy secretary Claire Coutinho claimed that “Labour did not complete build any [nuclear power stations] in their time in government and neither have any been finished since the Conservatives came into office in 2010”.

In a 24/5/24 post on X Rishi Sunak claimed: “Since I became Prime Minister, net migration has fallen by 10%, but it is four times higher than in 2019, when our manifesto said we’d bring’ ‘overall numbers’ down.”

In a 26/5/24 TV interview, Home secretary James Cleverly was asked about figures showing a 7% increase in knife crime. In response, he claimed the text in black font.“If you took Labour-run London out of the equation, that figure would be down up for year ending December 2023 in England & Wales.” The strikethrough and red font correct/clarify his claim.

27/5/24 online election adverts claimed the text in black font, the red font clarifies the claim  “small boat crossings are coming down” and “small boats [are] down 36% (comparing 2023 to 2022) but as at 26/5/24 are up 38% compared to the same period last year”.

On 28/5/24, during TV and radio interviews, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride repeated the following claim in black font, that the government having reduced National Insurance contributions by one third, “is worth a tax cut of £900 to an average earner, but once all tax changes since 2021 are factored in, the saving is some £340 in 2024/25.  Below average earners will actually be worse off.”  (the red font corrects/clarifies his claim)

Science Minister thinks Tories "are the party of facts and evidence" despite 3 clips of Tories speaking untruths which are fiction and completely and utterly made up

Ms Derbyshire "How can you be the party of facts when none of that is true?" Ms Donelan "We are the party that stands up for facts." Ms Derbyshire I'm not going to let this go. There was never a proposal to use seven bins. We can't find any council that wants to decide how often people can go to shops and Labour have never proposed taxing meat. They are untruths, they are fiction, they are completely and utterly made up and it's really disrespectful to voters." Ms Donelan "I genuinely believe we are the party of facts and evidence."

Learning about politics - conservative party conference 3/10/23

Scaring people and pandering to their prejudices is a noble way forward - and Suella Braverman, Home Secretary blew hard as she warned a 'hurricane of migrants is coming' for Britain with 'millions' of new arrivals.  In some sophisticated analysis Suella warned conference that Labour voters want open borders because they have the 'luxury' of not needing to worry about their jobs or child grooming gangs.

Photo by Peter Forster on Unsplash

And brave Suella continues her fearless war on woke with the following pithy interventions 

'We stand with the many, the law abiding hardworking, common sense majority.  Against the few, the privileged woke minority with their luxury beliefs who wield influence out of proportion to their numbers' .  For a conservative politician, in a party bank rolled by rich individuals, it takes some blindness to accuse others of having 'luxury beliefs who wield influence of of proportion to their numbers' Or maybe this is the brilliance of a politician so wedded to their craft that they can take the criticisms other smake of their position and turn it round as a criticsim on their critics?

'Our message to the people is clear. We are raising our game, we are fighting for a Britain that puts your first. We are on your side.'  The austerity packages of the early conservative years comes as a reminder of how very much they are 'on your side'

' We are the trade union of the British people' - in which case they need to learn how to start standing up for their members. 

'The British people will get to decide if they want to curb woke with Rishi Sunak or let it run riot with Keir take-the-knee Starmer.'  Yes well spotted on the decision point - its called an election, a quaint feature of a democratic country

Now we're planning to rent prison spaces from other foreign countries because we don't have the prison capacity - announces Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, citing the Government intends to have a  look 'at the Norwegian example and explore renting overseas capacity'.  At least he is now planning to do something.  But only a politician could make an announcment which basically says 'we've only been in charge for 23 years but have only just noticed that we're running out of prison space, so we're going to plan to do something about that, somthing we should have done 5 years ago'

And with friends like these, who need enemies? - Mr Farage apparently told GB News: 'Would I want to join a party that's put the tax rate up to the highest in over 70 years, that has allowed net migration to run at over half a million a year, that has not used Brexit to deregulate to help small businesses?  No, no and no .....I achieved a lot more outside of the Tory party than I ever could have done from within it.'

Learning about politics - conservative party conference 2/10/23

Media reports say mobiles in schools banned but Minister says she'll update guidance - Media reports were that smartphones are set to be banned in schools.  Education Secretary Gillian Keegan actually says the Government will update its guidance to urge state schools across England to ban mobile phones throughout the school day in a bid to improve distraction, disruption and bullying among pupils.

Mis-focusing on the non issues - Therese Coffey says 'bent or straight', it is not for the Government to decide 'the shape of bananas you want to eat'.

Sounds like a good idea - Enforcement times against parents who are not paying the appropriate child maintenance will be slashed, Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary says.  'A process that is taking six months, we will slash to just six weeks'.  ''We will make it easier for mothers who aren't receiving the money they are due to have the child maintenance service collect payment directly. And we will get rid of the application fee for using that service.'

The woke wars continue - Critical race theory is divisive and Labour bends its knee before the altar of intolerance says Kemi Badenoch the Business Secretary, who is also the minister for women and equalities.  'If that puts us in conflict with those who would re-racialise society, who would put up the divisions that have been torn down, then, conference, all I can say is bring it on.... we will keep building a country that is in every way stronger and fairer for all.'

Cut the civil service to save £1 billion is one of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's announcements. I know where he can find another £16 billion.

To be fair, Chancellor Hunt also announced an increase to the national living wage to at least £11 an hour next year.

'Let's make Britain grow again' says 49 day Prime Minister Liz Truss, who seems unwilling to apologise for the damage she did whilst PM, and unable to understand the problems were a little more than mis-timing on her part.  Still, its the people at the conference we can thank for such discernment and insight in choosing Liz as leader.

HS2 - apparently there is some minor debate about whether part of this high speed railway is liekly to be cut.  But this issue is in no way overshadowing the confernece and in any case, nobody has decided anything, at least until its announced they have.

The Political Legacy of Ted Heath: A Balanced Evaluation

Introduction Sir Edward Heath, commonly known as Ted Heath, served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974. His time in office was marked by several key policies and decisions, some of which continue to influence British politics today. In this article, we will explore the three pros and cons of Ted Heath's political legacy.

Photo by Everyday basics on Unsplash

Pros:

European Integration: Ted Heath is celebrated for his role in leading the United Kingdom into the European Economic Community (EEC), now known as the European Union (EU), in 1973. His commitment to European integration is seen as a major proponent of the UK's subsequent participation in the EU. This move had significant economic benefits, including increased trade opportunities and access to a larger market, which has influenced the UK's trade policy for decades.

Education Reforms: During his time in office, Heath's government introduced several significant educational reforms. One notable achievement was the abolition of the tripartite system of education, which replaced the 11+ exam with a comprehensive system. This move aimed to provide more equal opportunities for students of all backgrounds and is still considered a positive legacy in terms of promoting educational equality.

Equal Pay Act: Ted Heath's government introduced the Equal Pay Act in 1970, which prohibited pay discrimination based on gender. This landmark legislation has had a lasting impact on gender equality in the workplace, as it laid the groundwork for further advancements in women's rights and equal pay.

Cons:

Economic Turmoil: Heath's tenure as Prime Minister was marked by significant economic challenges, including stagflation, a combination of stagnant economic growth and high inflation. His government struggled to effectively address these issues, leading to industrial disputes and strikes, which culminated in the "Three-Day Week" in 1974. These economic difficulties cast a shadow on his legacy.

Coal Miners' Strike: One of the most significant and contentious moments of Heath's time in office was the 1972 and 1974 coal miners' strikes. These strikes led to energy shortages and contributed to the economic turmoil of the era. Many view Heath's handling of these strikes as inadequate, as they resulted in a loss of confidence in his leadership.

Decline in Conservative Majority: Despite being the first Conservative Prime Minister elected in nearly two decades, Ted Heath's government lost the 1974 general election to the Labour Party. This decline in the Conservative majority and subsequent loss are often attributed to the economic challenges and industrial disputes during his leadership, which diminished his political legacy.

In conclusion, Ted Heath's political legacy is a mix of pros and cons. His commitment to European integration and his educational and gender equality reforms are notable achievements. However, his inability to effectively address economic challenges, the coal miners' strikes, and the decline of the Conservative Party's electoral performance during his tenure cast a shadow on his legacy. As with any political figure, his legacy remains a subject of debate and interpretation, with differing views on the impact of his policies and decisions on the UK's political landscape.

Source:  I asked Chat GPT3.5 to "write a short article summarising the 3 pros and cons of  Ted Heaths political legacy". The text and post title above was what it produced.  I have made minor fomratting changes and added the picture.

3min #fullfact clip - three #labour and #three conservative claims which may have misled you this uk #election