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Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 8m

But there is no evidence that I’m aware of that says that reducing immigrant workers will improve living standards or wages. Indeed the opposite is true that it will lower growth and thus reduce potential wage increases?

Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 37m

Or maybe they are just convinced that they need to reduce immigration and don’t have a joined up economic plan? I mean how do they think reducing labour is impacting their growth drivers like house building?

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Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 6h

Starmer is sounding more and more like John Major in PMQs to me. Vocally and stylistically.

Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 9h

Well yes that’s my point. Labour are trying to reduce immigration - regardless of where it’s from. Which is one of the major issues Brexit brought us - a contraction of the labour market.

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Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 9h

Isn’t it broadly the same? But regardless I don’t think a believe in free market economics, free movement of goods, services and labour is a bad thing and the part of the working class that does think that’s a bad thing certainly isn’t voting for Labour or anything to the left of them.

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Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 10h

Being unable to live off assets is most of the population isn’t it? I think that’s a very broad definition. I think it would be hard to claim any single party or political movement represents those people singularly.

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Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 11h

Who are you defining as the working class and who do you think really represents them?

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Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 11h

Occasionally I feel sorry for Rachel Reeves - not often but occasionally. This is one such occasion.

Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 12h

The problem is that Reeves saying Brexit has done economic harm is a good step but one of the primary reasons is a contraction of available labour something the gov are making worse.

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Reposted by Ian Boucher

JWexTheSpa @jwsidders.bsky.social · 14h

The real world:
1. Engage with the EU and seek a closer relationship.
2. Ensure the permanent electoral defeat of the pro-Brexit right.
3. Make and win the case for freedom of movement and, yes, the Euro at some point.
4. Begin accession talks.
5. Rejoin the EU, at the earliest, in the 2040s.

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Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 13h

63% regret Brexit or want to rejoin? I haven’t followed the polling but it’s a different question and a different question again once there is a specific process for people to decide on. I think rejoining is about as realistic as labours prospects of increasing their majority.

Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 15h

What’s inflation been like? As I suspect that’s the more critical economic indicator that electorates are noticing daily.

Reposted by Ian Boucher

RickChasey @rickchasey.bsky.social · 1d

Yes! House builders need to make money on these things to want to build them.

Immediately declaring 20% of everything they built to be a net loss makes the profitability bar very high indeed!

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Reposted by Ian Boucher

RickChasey @rickchasey.bsky.social · 1d

There is also some evidence (not conclusive) that even just building properties for the rich can lower overall property prices, as they still impact the supply positively.

(Who moves into the houses the rich move out of, to their new swanky pads?)

It doesn’t need to be “affordable” to help.

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Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 1d

It’s infuriating. Building houses especially ‘affordable ones’ - which they are failing at - is the most obvious case for linking labour and skills to economic and social outcomes. Yet somehow they have a target with no plan and are making it harder to build houses and harder to make ‘affordable’!

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Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 1d

We had/have one of the most efficient ways to spread wealth more evenly promoted by Covid and that is to move as many roles to fully remote home bases as possible. That way you negate some of the uneven regional wage distribution. And talent is rewarded irrespective of geography.

Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 1d

That is the same argument the wealthy or high income earners make. Not saying it’s wrong but it’s the same one. We are dependent on high earners and the south east economically - that’s the reality.

Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 1d

Fund every council equally with what?

Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 1d

LVT doesn’t entirely cover use of services though does it?

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Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 1d

They are arguing essentially for reform of it - getting rid of it and replacing it with something ‘fairer’. Which is fine and I don’t think many disagree with the idea it’s currently a mess. But they don’t say what that is. And when you see it covers blue Labour to scg it’s hardly surprising!

Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 2d

It’s invent a reality. The worry is that supposedly reputable journalists and politicians are egging them on - if you said the Times of all publications would be indulging in this even a decade ago…..

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Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 2d

Contacting an MP is also easier. Very easy to find their email address - and many have visible constituency offices. A council whilst the front door is easy to locate it’s often not as easy to find out how to contact those you need or indeed how to find out who it is you need.

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Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 2d

We are in very serious danger of letting algorithms and AI become our new inescapable truth.

Ian Boucher @desolationrow5.bsky.social · 2d

Across so many areas of life it is clear now that social media is completely distorting reality. Facts and evidence have become completely irrelevant counterpoints to ‘online vibes’. This goes for politics, sport, entertainment and everything in between. Yet govt sits there nodding into the abyss?

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Reposted by Ian Boucher

Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 2d

I bang on about this a lot: I think the combination of a global pandemic, underregulated internet/SM, collapse/corruption of trustworthy media, plus now unregulated genAI, is a wildly toxic environment for radicalisation & mental health. We see the results of that in our politics & lives every day

James Austin @jamesdaustin.bsky.social · 3d

Everyone knows at least one person (normally, but not exclusively, a guy) whose gone properly mental due to net rabbit holes.

We see public figures regularly go mad and destroy themselves.

And we have, at a policy level, just decided to put our fingers in our ears and go nahnahnah

Alastair Meeks @alastairmeeks.bsky.social · 3d

Last night I heard of another friend of a friend who has been lost to a rabbit hole of online propaganda. We need to start treating this as a serious public health concern.

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