I’m not from the UK, but I’ve been trying to understand more about UK politics because of the election and I’ve seen headlines saying the Starmer has been pushing the Labour party to the center. What does that mean in terms of policies he’s said he will push? Also, now that they have won an overwhelming majority, do you think the party will actually use this opportunity to push the UK more left?

  • frankPodmore@slrpnk.netEnglish
    133·
    5 months ago

    Labour’s two headline policies are:

    1. Green investment through a new state-owned company
    2. A big expansion of workers’ rights

    The green investment will be the biggest in the country’s history and the workers’ rights expansion will be the biggest in decades. Now, for me, those are two necessary, excellent, leftwing policies.

    I think people criticising them from the left are mainly criticising omissions: why no wealth taxes? Why not nationalise the water companies? And that’s fair enough. Labour could do more and I hope they will. But the platform is a leftwing one, and I’m happy with it, even if it could always be more leftwing.

    • FlaxEnglish
      5·
      5 months ago

      I just want the bloody NHS fixed and houses to be affordable lol.

      • frankPodmore@slrpnk.netEnglish
        3·
        5 months ago

        They’re hoping to do that, too! A cash injection for the NHS and planning reform, so more houses can get built more quickly, are both in the plan for the first 100 days. I imagine the planning reform will be in the King’s Speech, but the NHS thing should be able to happen pretty quickly. If not, it will be in the first budget.

      • frankPodmore@slrpnk.netEnglish
        2·
        5 months ago

        From the manifesto:

        banning exploitative zero hours contracts; ending fire and rehire; and introducing basic rights from day one to parental leave, sick pay, and protection from unfair dismissal. We will strengthen the collective voice of workers, including through their trade unions, and create a Single Enforcement Body to ensure employment rights are upheld. These changes will improve the lives of working people across the entire UK.

        Labour will also make sure the minimum wage is a genuine living wage. We will change the remit of the independent Low Pay Commission so for the first time it accounts for the cost of living. Labour will also remove the discriminatory age bands, so all adults are entitled to the same minimum wage, delivering a pay rise to hundreds of thousands of workers across the UK.

        • FlaxEnglish
          2·
          5 months ago

          That’s quite nice. Especially getting rid of the wage bands. A bit mad how a 20 year old can be paid £8 an hour while a minimum for a 21 year old gets £10 an hour. It doesn’t really make much sense apart from an assumption that a 20 year old is still living with their parents