Can I just ask a question of Labour voters? Starmer signalled The Big Lie - 'There is no money' - well in advance of the election. So... where else did you think he was going to get needed expenditure from if not rearranging the crumbs that fall from the overladen table of the rich?
For balance, in Starmer's speech to the Commons today he was at pains to stress that he wasn't one bit happy about having to make the decision to cut aid.
(For the record, I was very upset to hear about this cut, particularly given what Trump & Co have done to USAID.)
The world has spun on it’s axis Edwin. Things have changed dramatically.
Money for defence in Trump 2.0 world has to come from somewhere.
Where would you suggest it comes from?
Wealth tax? In time, absolutely.
But we don’t have time.
The explanation for the change of heart lies in the change of job title. I had expected little but most days am made a bit more disappointed. Today I am bigly disappointed.
I’m not happy about this but I think it was the best option given the difficult circumstances. I’m not convinced that there was scope for further spending cuts or tax rises within the UK and this is probably the least unpopular option, with voters.
Circumstances have changed. I found Starmer sincere this afternoon in his statement that he didn’t want to do it. This is the Trump factor and the acceptance in Europe that with him in the White House the US cannot be relied on as an ally and Europe needs to make its own arrangements.
Talking of Boris Johnson we had the remarkable moment when he was saying Europe now needed an army. Although Johnson wouldn’t say it publicly he also understands that Trump is unreliable as an ally and I am sure of the Baltics were attacked Trump would not come to their defence.
@SNP @scottishgov.bsky.social
have passed a budget
❗️ #Labour abstained the vote aka #Liebour voted against ❗️
*Record £21 billion for our NHS
*8,000 new affordable homes
*Winter Heating Payment for every pensioner household
*Ending Labour’s 2 child cap, lifting 15k kids out of poverty
#YouYesYet
I don't like it either but the circumstances are not the same because we are facing a European war that could break out across the World if America & China start querrelling over the scraps of what's left of Russia when Putin's Regime falls.
Do you think Starmer/Labour can risk reversing Brexit in the current climate ‘now’? I think their judgement is that the right wing media system would go for jugular, propelling Farage into power.
Starmer said this >4 years ago. The world has changed massively since then, most dramatically in the last few weeks. As a leader, you have to be prepared to change your stance on these things in the face of huge geopolitical change. Not to do so would be irresponsible. Nothing to see here.
What he said all those years ago still holds true today. Defence, green energy and foreign aid are the very things that will provide the boost to the economy we need and ensure our future security. We should be ploughing money into all 3 whether through borrowing or taxation
The chess thing is unlikely. He's a politician, that's all. Changes his mind with the times. I'm no great fan of his after he changed his stance on brexit, but I won't be waving a copy of this 2021 comment at him if he ever drives down our road..
He also clearly said that some of the budget was being used for hotels for asylum seekers (not it’s intended purpose), and hoped that by continuing to sort out the backlog, the money would be available again through that.
And if they’d raised more taxes instead, would you be calling them out on not meeting their manifesto pledge? I’m not a fan of a cut to international aid, but their choices are limited at this point.
I can only invoke political expediency to defend Starmer here. Geopolitically, the world is very different to four years ago, and he’s already hiked taxes.
A 1% Robin Hood tax on financial services transactions in the UK would do it, but Tufton St would probably have him killed.
Haven't our national interests moved dramatically given the apparent loss of our decades old largest ally? Is this not a different position despite the same action?
Not to be an apologist, but I think things *may* have changed between 2021 and 2025 what with the entire collapse of the entire Western security arrangements that have been in place since the end of World War 2. But yeah screen grabbing old tweets is definitely a good argument 👍
the average voter will grumble about it and move on after a day, or go "we were spending too much on it anyway", not knowing its a fraction of our gdp for good results.
Comments
Like eg a nuclear empire committing war crimes on the border of countries you are allied with?
Nah, didn't think so. Just keep pushing, whatever the circumstances.
(For the record, I was very upset to hear about this cut, particularly given what Trump & Co have done to USAID.)
Money for defence in Trump 2.0 world has to come from somewhere.
Where would you suggest it comes from?
Wealth tax? In time, absolutely.
But we don’t have time.
Tough times, tough choices.
And still the Tories took a battering six ways from Sunday for having the temerity to cut international aid.
Can't be one rule for them, another for Labour.
When things change we need to change with it, Edwin.
have passed a budget
❗️ #Labour abstained the vote aka #Liebour voted against ❗️
*Record £21 billion for our NHS
*8,000 new affordable homes
*Winter Heating Payment for every pensioner household
*Ending Labour’s 2 child cap, lifting 15k kids out of poverty
#YouYesYet
Trump hadn’t aligned himself and the US when that tweet was published.
So it's fine to rip the manifesto to shreds when it comes to foreign aid, but Brexit is concreted-Superglued-and-welded in place?
Wall-to-wall attacks on Labour all day, every day.
They're already screaming at max.
Their hate dials are already on "11".
There are other ways to raise the defence budget, but it needs to be done quickly.
https://x.com/keir_starmer/status/1414971494308929539?s=46
Are you saying pointing out that Starmer is a liar is promoting hate?
US has abandoned Europe, & the UK needs to step up at this critical moment in history
Any increase in budget, as Truss showed us, has to be matched with a way to fund this
With the speed of events, there was limited ability to do anything else
Hope future budgets will address
ITS NOT HARD
A 1% Robin Hood tax on financial services transactions in the UK would do it, but Tufton St would probably have him killed.
https://bsky.app/profile/sloanefragment.bsky.social/post/3lizfmj3eis2o