A socialist analysis of the Labour manifesto

Andrew Fisher was Director of Policy of the Labour Party, and was at the heart of Jeremy Corbyn's manifestos in 2017 and 2019.

He swung by JOE Towers to speak to us about Keir Starmer's Labour manifesto, and what the country should expect if he takes power in July.

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[TheCreativemammal]

This is the most thoughtful analysis I've seen throughout this whole election. I feel like a man who has been walking through the desert for days under the baking sun who has finally found a small sip of water.

[hollyhead]

you know the economic state is really bad when journalists can't even afford socks

[chrisengland]

Tax the super wealthy, close tax loopholes. Wealth inequality is destroying this country.

[jackoh]

How can disabled people return to work if not given enough health care to be healthy enough to work?

[steven]

Labour are well aware of the reason they are going to win. It's not through popular support, it's through popular hatred of the Tories. The reason Labour aren't promising anything is because they don't want to screw up there undeserved popularity.

They will coast for the next parliament doing very little to improve anything, but equally trying to stay so mundane that the public don't get pissed at them. If they succeed you'll see another watered down, we promise nothing manifesto next term. If they screw things then you'll see the radical manifesto in an attempt eek out at least another term.

It's a race to the bottom with British politics.

[El-Burrito]

Really do feel like Labour are just gonna status quo on issues where they need drastic change, the public will feel the lack of change and we'll be right back with the Tories in an election or two.

[samlawrence]

To put £7bn into context. The difference between the defence budget that we need to spend to be a member of NATO (2%) and the amount we currently spend (2.3%) is around £7bn. And Labour will raise it to 2.5%. £7bn is around £100 per person - for context, an MRI examination costs the NHS around £300. It's quite telling that for health spending they use big number, whilst they use small % for military spending.

[wattbenj]

This time instead of the 'eat s*** and die' variety of austerity that we had under Osborne, Reeves is going to bring us the 'there is no austerity and if it so happens that there is, you will thank us for it' variety of austerity.

[tomtom-gieo]

Whos smart arse idea was it to privatise care homes? 🤦‍♂️

[JustME-ftdi]

The problem is the Labour Party’s inability or refusal to make the argument for growth based on borrowing.
Nobody ever stands up and makes it clear that the economy is nothing like a household budget. They never point out that even Thatcher knew her economic policy was wrong and rolled back on e.g. monetary policy. They never explain how the NHS etc was initially funded or that Japan has debt of 200% is GDP. Those on the left who should care about making ppls lives better need to be saying these things out loud at the same time as giving hope by telling ppl that things really can change.
They need to explain that inward private investment comes from public investment and building a happy successful society; that all the millionaires won’t leave if the country is a generally good place to live, that other countries with less wealth inequality get higher investment because they have better wellbeing scores.
The left needs to have the balls to make the argument in ways that everybody can understand. They need to do so with feeling and hope and back it up with facts that appeal to ordinary ppl. The Attley example is a very good one. They should use it.

[jacquelinemcmenamin]

Health and social care has been destroyed by successive governments ( going back to Thatcher and including Blair). More and more disabled and elderly have to rely on neighbours, friends and family. That has a knock on effect of family members having to give up work to care for a sick/ disabled family member. That’s usually a female member of the workforce. Leads to even more poverty and inequality.

[taranjk]

This is why I'm voting green.
Lib Dems and Greens have the only left leaning economic plan not based in continued austerity.

[gtijohn]

We need a goverment that will make the wealthy pay all the tax they owe, then there'd be no need for austerity!. Also stop people making a fortune from essential public services, and re-nationalise all of them.

[Maey]

i get called a Tory for saying things like Labour will bring in new austerity measures if they get in..

[Tiz]

The labour party won't be doing anything that negatively effects the wealth of their donors.

[razorednight]

They keep talking about disabled people returning to work. And people who have been adjudged by a work capability assessment as unable to work. Labour are going to scrap the WCA. Why? Because they want people who've been assessed as incapable of work to go and work anyway. They want everyone who can't work to go work anyway or face benefit sanctions and go die quietly in a corner. There's been a big rise in people not working since the pandemic. Why? Because there are now more people who can't work. A Labour government will strip the the sick and disabled of all protection. Why? Because they want sick people to either do work they just can't do, or go die in a corner somewhere.

[ericaceous]

As I commented on another video, am voting Green. If the right can play silly buggers and do protest/anti-establishment votes for Brexit and Reform, then I shall do so leftward.
Two fingers to the climate deniers and austerity merchants.

[LeornianCyng]

I’m praying that we don’t have to live through that. At present the progressive independent candidates, Plyd, Greens and Lib Dem’s have the best offer on the table in England and Wales. Hopefully SNP will do the same in Scotland this week. As for NI, fingers crossed for SF, SDLP and Green.

[Talentedtadpole]

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE WAR ON DISABLED PEOPLE??? RADIO SILENCE.

[Alski]

Dont understand this "we are not going to borrow" approach. The UK government average borrowing per month is circa £20B, of which £8.5B is to cover debt interest. Every month. The books haven't balanced one month...this century.

Please don't appease this nonsense by going with the "we won't borrow" narrative

They will borrow. Proof: visit ONS on 21st August to see borrowing for July 2024, borrowing will be £20B, debt interest will be £8.5B