The key stumbling block is that UC is now deeply embedded in all groups in our society, including in those who claim disabilities, such as mental health. The old 'get on your bike and get a job' mantra will be political suicide, especially for Reform if they took loudly vocalise it before 2029. It is now a deeply felt entitlement for many 'working' class British people. I see it on many pages where they gather or those they know.
I'm aware that it's not a Pimlico-favoured policy, but I believe more attention should be given to considerations around Sovereign Money, as outlined by people like Adair Turner and Richard Werner, as a complement to traditional bank credit. A transition period with a ten year plan.
And a remigration policy, which both opens up more lower level employment, whilst marginally raising wages.
I like how cuts to defense is waved away with “But the Americans won’t be happy!” As if that means anything to British voters.
Because OF COURSE, defense cuts are a huge part of fixing the budget.
Scrap both aircraft carriers, along with Trident and nuclear subs. Britain doesn’t need them, and though British politicians will loathe to admit it, they’re a very expensive leftover from when Britain was a world power. It hasn’t been for decades, and it can’t afford pretending.
Defence spending needs reforming and the military needs changing, but destroying what little military power we have left is not a good idea.
A renewed Britain internally can and should become a sovereign power in its own right with an independent foreign policy. Plenty of smaller countries than GB manage this to one degree or another.
More practically, defence is a relatively small part of government spending compared to the behemoths of health, welfare and debt servicing.
I'd prefer for us to not be tethered to the USA either but it would be good to keep them on side if we're looking at a President JD Vance in 2029. If Britain is going to reform itself totally then we'll need all the friends we can get.
Hard veto on us ever giving up our nukes. They may be an anachronism now with morons like Starmer in charge but they really are a useful, and exclusive, thing to have on hand.
We should also look at General Public Services spending (£158bn. compared to £242 for health and £384 for social protection). We have an inflated public sector administrative class (high in positive discrimination) that manages the Byzantine processes, laws, regulatory demands and entitlements of the sclerotic central government. If Reform's DOGE unit is up to anything, it should be looking to halve this.
It's clear that pensions aren't going to last much longer. So tax breaks for savings will have to featherbed people's retirement. Private pensions make up about 40% of peoples retirement, state pensions about 35%. Most people don't have private pensions, those who do it's under £100,000.
This is directionally correct, the welfare state - at least in its current form - is the major financial issue (indeed the American deficit issue is fundamentally the issue of a ballooning social services cost, as is the joke that is the French pay-as-you-go system where pensioners are getting more money then the working age population.) however I simply do not see the political movement or actor that can change this trend. I genuinely think a France or some other country being rejected by the bond market - and the consequent shock this will cause - is what will open up the space for a program of seriousness economic reform. The same with the fertility crisis, you need dramatic events in a developed country to help concentrate minds. People will continue to highlight things that won't substantially stop the trend, e.g., less defense spending, wealth tax, efficiency, pay politicians less, etc.
*Scrap the convention on refugees, send all boats back and deport all recent arrivals. (5-10 years?) No more refugee hotels.
*Cut foreign aid. Not a single pound. (Tbf it mostly goes towards the NGO class.) Scrap the BBC.
*Cut the aircraft carriers, nuclear subs and Trident. Cut airforce and land forces too. UK military should be small and only used to protect Britain. (And turn away refugee boats!)
*Remittance tax of 30%.
*Cut all carbon neutral nonsense. Make a deal with Russia* or whoever (Qatar?) for cheap gas and oil.
Use the lower energy costs to reindustrialize.
There ya go! Fixed the budget without touching welfare!
*Im sure Russia will give the UK a good deal if we recognize Crimea and Donbas as being Russian.
The key stumbling block is that UC is now deeply embedded in all groups in our society, including in those who claim disabilities, such as mental health. The old 'get on your bike and get a job' mantra will be political suicide, especially for Reform if they took loudly vocalise it before 2029. It is now a deeply felt entitlement for many 'working' class British people. I see it on many pages where they gather or those they know.
I'm aware that it's not a Pimlico-favoured policy, but I believe more attention should be given to considerations around Sovereign Money, as outlined by people like Adair Turner and Richard Werner, as a complement to traditional bank credit. A transition period with a ten year plan.
And a remigration policy, which both opens up more lower level employment, whilst marginally raising wages.
I like how cuts to defense is waved away with “But the Americans won’t be happy!” As if that means anything to British voters.
Because OF COURSE, defense cuts are a huge part of fixing the budget.
Scrap both aircraft carriers, along with Trident and nuclear subs. Britain doesn’t need them, and though British politicians will loathe to admit it, they’re a very expensive leftover from when Britain was a world power. It hasn’t been for decades, and it can’t afford pretending.
Defence spending needs reforming and the military needs changing, but destroying what little military power we have left is not a good idea.
A renewed Britain internally can and should become a sovereign power in its own right with an independent foreign policy. Plenty of smaller countries than GB manage this to one degree or another.
More practically, defence is a relatively small part of government spending compared to the behemoths of health, welfare and debt servicing.
I'd prefer for us to not be tethered to the USA either but it would be good to keep them on side if we're looking at a President JD Vance in 2029. If Britain is going to reform itself totally then we'll need all the friends we can get.
Hard veto on us ever giving up our nukes. They may be an anachronism now with morons like Starmer in charge but they really are a useful, and exclusive, thing to have on hand.
We should also look at General Public Services spending (£158bn. compared to £242 for health and £384 for social protection). We have an inflated public sector administrative class (high in positive discrimination) that manages the Byzantine processes, laws, regulatory demands and entitlements of the sclerotic central government. If Reform's DOGE unit is up to anything, it should be looking to halve this.
It's clear that pensions aren't going to last much longer. So tax breaks for savings will have to featherbed people's retirement. Private pensions make up about 40% of peoples retirement, state pensions about 35%. Most people don't have private pensions, those who do it's under £100,000.
I see a future where CBDCs will fill the gap.
This is directionally correct, the welfare state - at least in its current form - is the major financial issue (indeed the American deficit issue is fundamentally the issue of a ballooning social services cost, as is the joke that is the French pay-as-you-go system where pensioners are getting more money then the working age population.) however I simply do not see the political movement or actor that can change this trend. I genuinely think a France or some other country being rejected by the bond market - and the consequent shock this will cause - is what will open up the space for a program of seriousness economic reform. The same with the fertility crisis, you need dramatic events in a developed country to help concentrate minds. People will continue to highlight things that won't substantially stop the trend, e.g., less defense spending, wealth tax, efficiency, pay politicians less, etc.
Fix the budget?
I got ya.
*No more billions of pounds for Ukraine.
*Scrap the convention on refugees, send all boats back and deport all recent arrivals. (5-10 years?) No more refugee hotels.
*Cut foreign aid. Not a single pound. (Tbf it mostly goes towards the NGO class.) Scrap the BBC.
*Cut the aircraft carriers, nuclear subs and Trident. Cut airforce and land forces too. UK military should be small and only used to protect Britain. (And turn away refugee boats!)
*Remittance tax of 30%.
*Cut all carbon neutral nonsense. Make a deal with Russia* or whoever (Qatar?) for cheap gas and oil.
Use the lower energy costs to reindustrialize.
There ya go! Fixed the budget without touching welfare!
*Im sure Russia will give the UK a good deal if we recognize Crimea and Donbas as being Russian.
Excellent article