+ Visit Cardiff FC for Latest News, Transfer Gossip, Fixtures and Match Results |
The one thing that you can be sure of about the great British public is that the one thing they don't like is politicians who gloat and take the electorate for granted by making statements like Starmer did indicating they think they have already won the next general election. As for the Lib Dems, they fall for it every time - win some seats and councils, think they are the best thing since sliced bread and then disappear without trace at the next main election.
That's generally been the way of it for years.
1997 was arguably the last time we had an election where people really voted for something positive.
The Tories got back in with a coalition in 2010 as Labour's time had run its course, bit like what is happening to them now.
Theresa May managed to blow a huge lead in the polls and people forget that Jeremy Corbyn managed to increase Labour's support to the point where May lost her overall control over Westminster and had to fork out lots of wonga to buy out the DUP.
People voted for Boris Johnson because he was popular with the public, probably because he'd shagged about 17% of them.
Since then, the further right of the Tory party have made their move on the back of Johnson's popularity, resulting in Truss's failed government in record time and plummeting in the polls.
The opposition are split
And both starmer and Ed davey are hopeless
I think a hung parliament with Labour the biggest party is on the cards
Probably no bad thing
As long as we get the Tories out
Hardly “terrible”, was Starmer expecting better when he was in Medway yesterday morning talking about forming a majority Government? Probably, but it seems that the country isn’t yet fully convinced by him or his party - that’s no bad thing as far as I’m concerned if it brings about a rethink on the dubious attack ads and leads to the leader applying the same meaning to the word “pledge” that ninety five per cent of the population does.
If the country is still making their minds up about the Labour party, it would appear that they have done about the Tories and there is a pretty broad based and large majority of anti Tory voters who feel that getting this shower out, as opposed to their party in, is the biggest priority in the general election.
I asked google, what is the definition and measurement of UK unemployment?
Answer - Unemployed people are defined as those aged 16 or over who are without work, available to start work in the next two weeks and who have either: a) been actively seeking work in the past four weeks, or. b) are waiting to start a new job they have already obtained.
ONS data for February 2023 - Employment in the UK: February 2023 - https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentand...k/february2023
Says: February 2023 UK unemployment rate: 3.7%, employment rate: 75.8%.
Or, 24.2% are not employed, but just 3.7% of those are counted as unemployed.
Of course, but within those you class as not-employed will be full time students and those training for work. It's not as if nearly 25% of the population sits on its arse. There will be a small percentage of people who choose not to work as a partner earns enough to keep both of them plus family.
Interestingly, the 75.8% employment rate includes those working part time and those on zero hour contracts. It's not as if three quarters of the population are in full time, meaningful employment.
Interesting that UKIP was wiped out in the local elections, and Reform only have 6 councillors.
The Tory Party has hoovered up the splintered right wing vote and is once again the disunited party of the right - apart from the self defined Independents in local elections who are Tories without the blue rosette.
Meanwhile on the left of the spectrum the Greens have doubled their councillor numbers (close to 500), taken their first council, and continued to run others in coalition with Labour. The Lib Dems have recovered more. Other new left parties and groups are emerging as the Labour purge of its socialist membership continues.
Put the nationalists into the mix and the realignment of electoral politics shows a right wing united in a single party (even if that covers a range of hostile factions) and a very fragmented centre and left.
That doesn't mean that parties won't informally co-operate in the next general election nor that electors (those allowed to take part with the new ID rules) won't vote tactically.
Yeah unemployed isn't literally without a job, it's looking for a job but not having one. I may be wrong, but the definition is pretty standard across the world I think.
In short, the UK does NOT have an unemployment problem. This is really good news.
We do however have something of an under employment problem. Lots of people not working but not entirely sure why. This is why the Govt are trying to lure many older workers back into the workforce.