like the queen this thread will never die: in which we ALL resign (ourselves to disgusting miseries to post-boris politics 2022)

Ofgem raising the definition of what "over the odds" is every couple of months doesn't seem to concern Reeves too much

Cons and Lab are in pretty much the same place. They don't care to know how people struggle, this is the world they've made and as it falls apart they will be least equipped to make the necessary changes. They'll be forced to do the min on a day-to-day basis.

At least the Cons enrich themselves and loot the public purse and know how to enjoy themselves. Starmer is just a fucking nerd.

Even Guardian writers are turning into shitposters with his disappearance from public life.

If your house was on fire, Keir Starmer would give you a bottle of water.

— Frances Ryan (@DrFrancesRyan) August 12, 2022

lol yeah. I'm delighted Dr Francis has turned against Kieth. I like her a lot but found it distressing when she was stanning for him.

A knock-on effect of their uselessness is an almost complete lack of serious discussion about what the parameters for action are. Brown’s intervention last week is probably the closest anyone’s come to making a constructive suggestion but even that was pretty vague. Would the government negotiating energy prices make a difference? Would taking the retail element into public ownership? Can you impose windfall taxes on electricity producers legally? Can producers be compelled to sell energy below cost price?

Labour engaging seriously, even to oppose proposals, would at least be vaguely informative.

They've got a cheek criticizing Johnson for disappearing when Starmer's been equally as mute and invisible.

I think even Brown might have gone a bit further and more detailed if he wasn't carefully trying not to embarrass Kieth. His shadow cabinet is mostly garbage as well but he has that same dampening effect on them as well.

media has to step in and outline what’s possible if politicians won’t, and they have to illustrate the tough choices people face, and tbf the bbc has been doing some of this (which i think shows just how bad things have gotten)

Which countries are doing the most to tackle energy bills? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/61522123

or

People can't wait for energy help - Citizens Advice https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62509970

I rang up British Gas to try and persuade them to lower my direct debit, just as a one off until there is more money in my bank. The call centre guy couldn't do it and was quite brusque with me. I was thinking fair enough it was probably the 50th call they'd taken like this, but I was quite angry and thinking fuck their bosses and fuck all the execs and shareholders etc.... And then a couple hours later I got a text from them: Just a few quick questions. First, how likely are you to recommend us?

lmaooooo

I’m with EDF and they’ve been after me for a meter read since the end of June. My meter is read every three months on the 15th (so due NEXT WEEK) so they can GTFO. The letters get more and more bellicose despite being plain wrong. I don’t do direct debits with energy suppliers and I am very lucky to have central heating and hot water included in my rent, where the service charge is roughly £30/month.

And yet they plaster every email and their website with "if you're having trouble paying please talk to us"

just meaningless PR blather

i’m with ecotricity and weirdly i am now in credit. my bill last month was less than £100 for gas and electricity together.

Those with the least shouldn’t pay more to heat their homes and turn on their lights.

But under the Tories, they do.

Labour would end energy prepayment premiums, giving 4m households relief on bills.

This is part of our energy package to tackle the cost of living crisis.

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) August 12, 2022

xp

mine, for both gas and electricity is £242 a month, whereas it was previously £118. I was seriously thinking about linking out my electric meter, but there is an anti tamper seal that I fear if I cut it then I might be in serious legal trouble, perhaps even the doing time variety!

I'm with Scottish Power and they reduced my DD earlier this year because I was in credit, now I owe them £300+.

Truss: "No solar panels, I want to see fields of fruit and veg"

Alarming effects of dry weather on food production. pic.twitter.com/cI9TTX4EPx

— Dave (@MediocreDave) August 12, 2022

We have spent so many years here documenting the failures of politics and now we are seeing the effects.

yeah but have u considered that the civil service are woke antisemites tho

This is the most unhinged thing I’ve seen from Liz Truss on the campaign and that’s a high bar: pic.twitter.com/7Ael8SYpTU

— William Kedjanyi (@KeejayOV3) August 12, 2022

Food inflation is going to rocket up because of this drought. Blaming it on Russia won't be enough if there is no food on the plate.

we're rapidly approaching german levels of "all antiracism is antisemitism" at this point xp

(also is there anything more embarrassing than british people inveighing against "wokeness"?)

I shouldn't but I find it quaint and gently amusing and a nice easy shibboleth to identify fuckwits and scum

The essential Jewish value of being a business owner pic.twitter.com/JNrTJZXqn3

— jewdⒶs // ייִדהודה (@jewdas) August 12, 2022

liz added: happymerchant.jpg

Almost literal boilerplate:

https://i.postimg.cc/J0sx1t6b/2-D1-F36-BB-D1-A1-4-A07-9-AC6-33-FF4-C6-D7-CDD.jpg

Subtext: unlike those feckless untrustworthy Muslims who keep voting Labour.

who also are also hated by Starmer's campaign team for deciding not to vote Labour in a byelection as a protest against the rampant and unchecked Islamophobia in the party. They just can't win really.

Oh sorry I meant to say they didn't vote Labour cos of their inherent Antisemitism

Lol

1) Lobbying. 2) Boycott & Divest. 3) An option we will reveal soon.

Direct action in this situation is counterproductive.

— Rescue Britain (@RescueBritain) August 2, 2022

We don't have anything do do with them, and for the record we don't have any comment about them, and just to make ourselves very extra-specially clear here is a comment about them which we agree with

Hi Pete. We dont. We have no relationship with DontPayUK, and have no plans to do so. Also for the record, we provide no comment about DontPayUK.https://t.co/VidyuU2ni2

— Rescue Britain (@RescueBritain) August 7, 2022

i'm waiting for the one organised by @GritishBas

rescue brian

couldn't deal with all the angst of NOT PAYING. Like fantastic, now I'm 2 grand in debt rather than the current £190 and it's spiralling on and on the longer I don't pay it. Got more than enough stress in my life already.

It feels like Keir Starmer is working for the energy companies and this can be easily explained, with some research it shows he hasn't be totally honest about his conflicts of interest pic.twitter.com/xabCXuZOoy

— Jonny Mao (@JonnyMao) August 15, 2022

"we asked a director at one of the major energy companies what his position on nationalising energy was.. and he said it was an ideological position to take and not the correct solution."

obv a fake but a fake that is absolutely true!

They'll be lobbied to shit.

"Jobs, Jobs, Jobs"

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/aug/16/uk-wages-in-june-fall-at-fastest-rate-for-20-years?

More debt great

Interest-free loans to be rolled out in UK to help with food bills https://t.co/Cz7lDboPBt

— Guardian news (@guardiannews) August 15, 2022

ok as a one-off solution to people in desperate circumstances, but like with UC advances, the debt is carried on to the next month - then back to square one but even more skint.

North Sea Oil ran out and we are back where we started because we mistook what happened as being the result of the Thatcherite policy mix instead of the arrival of said oil.

— Metatone (@Metatone2) August 17, 2022

i see they're preparing us for winter pic.twitter.com/B7NcEJh93E

— Nate (nice mode) (@inthesedeserts) August 17, 2022

the accompanying photo sums up the Torygraph poverty cosplaying at work here as well, let's see if you can make the same albeit small, but nutritious and healthy looking salad portion from a food bank visit.

i see they're preparing us for winter pic.twitter.com/B7NcEJh93E

— Nate (nice mode) (@inthesedeserts) August 17, 2022

the only downside to this is that some Tory donors will bail them out so normal service can be resumed when their main party becomes unelectable.

Labour loses nearly 100,000 members and makes £5 million loss in 2021

this I meant, won't link it because it's the Independent

That Torygraph thing is also the usual insanity.

reading live blog of the latest tory hustings is wild. neither of them seem even to be conscious of the magnitude of the trouble we’re in, much less have any answers. sunak responded to a question about the nhs having to put mattresses on the floor by saying he’d get tough on people who miss appointments! maybe i’m naive but i’m shocked by how little of a grip they have on the crisis staring them in the face. it ain’t 1997 any more guys! it ain’t even 2010!

starmer’s an idiot obviously but the nature of opposition at least means that his job is to point out problems and problems is what we’ve got

I think the below is optimistic given that we don't know the direction of the War and that we don't know whether a climate event might happen to further strangle supply of food, and push prices.

---

"Despite the grim outlook for the economy, there is still a possibility that the Conservatives could win a fifth term. Inflation will start to fall rapidly in the second half of next year. Growth and living standards might be rising by 2024. Voters might not be convinced that Labour would be significantly different. The election might be fought on the basis of culture wars rather than the economy."

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/aug/14/like-thatcher-truss-wants-radical-change-but-could-she-avoid-a-crisis-rishi-sunak

The next election might be fought on culture wars if inflation goes down and standards pick up, otherwise I doubt that's going anywhere.

even when inflation falls and “growth” rises again the backdrop of all this is decades of productivity gains going to the 1% and everybody else staying flat (in the face of historically high housing inflation). this current bout of inflation is the “finish him” moment, but the damage has been inflicted for years

how’s this for a culture war: fuck the bosses

BREAKING: Arriva buses will be back on the streets of Merseyside tomorrow after 30 days of strikes after workers secured an historic 11.1% pay increase from the company https://t.co/gDkwtxX3Dc

— Liam Thorp (@LiamThorpECHO) August 17, 2022