A Labour government must hold the centre | Andrew Marr | Election 2024 | The New Statesman

Prime Minister Keir Starmer will face attacks from the left and the right of politics.
Subscribe on KZbin: / @newstatesman
Labour are likely to win the election - but how long will their majority last?
Andrew Marr joins Hannah Barnes on the New Statesman podcast to explain why the threat of Reform UK and the Greens could make life extremely difficult for a Starmer government.
They also discuss the "return" of Boris Johnson, and what Keir Starmer should have said in response to the Jeremy Corbyn question.
Watch more from Andrew Marr on the New Statesman channel: • Andrew Marr
--
The UK general election will take place on July 4, 2024 - and the New Statesman will be with you every step of the way.
Our journalists including Hannah Barnes, Andrew Marr, Rachel Cunliffe, Freddie Hayward and Ben Walker will bring you analysis of the Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem, SNP, Green and Reform election campaigns as well as the best polling analysis and reaction from around the UK.
The 2024 election will be the biggest shake-up of UK politics in years. Subscribe to the New Statesman on KZbin to stay informed.
Watch all the latest episodes of the New Statesman podcast here: • The New Statesman Podcast
--
The New Statesman brings you unrivalled analysis of of the latest UK and international politics. On our KZbin channel you’ll find insight on the top news and global current affairs stories, as well as insightful interviews with politicians, advisers and leading political thinkers, to help you understand the political and economic forces shaping the world.
With regular contributions from our writers including Political Editor Andrew Marr and Anoosh Chakelian - host of the New Statesman podcast - we’ll help you understand the world of politics and global affairs from Westminster to Washington and beyond.
Sign up to Morning Call, the daily UK politics newsletter from the New Statesman: morningcall.substack.com
Subscribe to the New Statesman from just £1 per week: www.newstatesman.com/podcasto...

[@NewStatesman]

Watch all our daily election episodes here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKCYpnd4rcqibbc

[@dh1380]

In fairness you can't really expect Labour to talk about progressive tax policies AND "bring people to the centre."

[@Gordon.Pinkerton]

Because when push comes to shove centrists will lean right on economic matters

[@ER1CwC]

@@Gordon.Pinkerton Depends what you mean by “lean right.” It has been reported that Starmer’s team has been taking notes on Biden’s economic approach, and that approach has been heavily informed by the inner circle of Elizabeth Warren, who is progressive. Jake Sullivan, the NSA, is also on record saying that “The Washington Consensus is dead.” So if that’s any indication, the center is leaning towards industrial strategy. Perhaps that isn’t socialist, but it isn’s right wing or neoliberal either.

[@christophernunn943]

@@ER1CwC Wish the term progressive would disappear it's been so devalued and abused. Use common sense look at the front line-up of the forthcoming administration? all grossly intellectually challenged in the most frightening way, It's purely ideologically driven by emotion and devoid of any content or qualification!!

[@lordcharfield4529]

@@ER1CwCA constant drive towards war, a failure to provide healthcare for all without sick and inhumane exclusions? Most credible commentators on the left and right call Biden a ‘neocon’, although with increasing totalitarianism, corruption, corporate capture of politicians & media, plus increasing censorship makes Biden (and most USA politicians) a fascist by every metric!

[@keithparker1346]

@@ER1CwC Warren is hardly progressive

[@archerversuslight]

Capital gains tax. Remove VAT tax break on private education. Claw back the PPE billions. Make regulators like Ofwat truly independent rather than recruiting stations for water companies and let them fine them. That's for starters.

[@cv990a4]

Tax non-resident Brits. The US taxes everyone - if you choose to live overseas, you still have to pay tax to the US IRS (usually reduced by whatever tax you pay to place you live - in other words, there's no double taxation, but there's no net benefit to living in a tax haven). Ex-pat Brits should pay like anyone else.

[@andybrice2711]

Yeah, I can't fathom why capital gains tax is lower than income tax. That just seems like penalizing hardworking people and rewarding people who are lucky.

[@tonyaustin4472]

@@andybrice2711 it’s low because a lot of traders in the City are paid so they are not liable for Income Tax but Capital Gains Tax :-) The clever little munchkins

[@tonyaustin4472]

Just to illustrate how unfair Council Tax is…I live in a Band A property in East Anglia worth now just under £200K and I pay over £1250 CT per annum with a 25% discount as a single occupier. In Westminster a Band D property…modern value around £8 million, pays £973 CT per annum before any single occupier discount

[@christophernunn943]

@@andybrice2711 To attract business and investment, provide jobs for ''hardworking people''

[@brandon_youtube]

Holy sh9t. Andrew Marr nailing the temperature of politics in this video. He suits this format more than being at the Beeb!

[@sarahcurteis8435]

Good for you Andrew, thanks for saying what you did about intending to vote for Labour despite your likely increased tax bill, because you want better public services. As James O'Brien says, being in the privileged position of paying higher taxes to support the public finances and services should be seen as a good thing, not avoided!

[@colingourley1222]

I thought Labour said they weren’t going to increase taxes!!

[@jonathanbayley1551]

I like Andrew Marr for the shear fact that he reminds me how much of a Machiavellian droid you need to be to be successful in politics.. it's so depressing..

[@jonathanbayley1551]

Jesus.. he's such a bore

[@isbestlizard]

I hate how Starmer NEVER ANSWERS THE QUESTION

[@isbestlizard]

Why is he so shifty and mendacitous

[@mrw2941]

No competition and a biased media. Who says we live in a democracy

[@michaels8638]

mariana mazzucato has worked with Labour, she has outlined how a government can invest with private money, how to stop crumbling services, how to innovate in public services with private public companies, like Sweden, yet Labour haven’t told us how they deliver change, instead they have gone to great lengths to tell us its no change its just better management, i say this isn’t enough change if Labour want more than 4 years. If i see Labour employ more consultants to tell us how other corporations can fix our services at triple the cost of a private public company then Labour will lose in 4 years time.

[@DickusCopernicus]

Starmer has missed a trick. The public are in favour of higher tax if it protects and rebuilds public services.

[@robc7162]

Will they still be in favour when they are in the polling booth with a pencil in their hands?

[@boulevard14]

But the fact is that people do not trust politicians with spending and public services. They're sick of getting taxed more and seeing nothing from it.

[@sama2086]

No they aren't. the British public is NEVER up for higher taxes no matter what the polls say. The election results of the last 50 years show this

[@JfK--OBJECTivE]

You do talk nonsense. Oh wait you're a leftie lol.

[@petergreen8477]

When the two party system is thoroughly decayed and first-past-the-post decides who’s in Government, I can’t see how it’s morally distinct from gerrymandering.

[@domm1341]

Happy to pay more tax, but not for “more of the same”.

[@hawsrulebegin7768]

When Labour get in they are going to have a mountain to climb and will the people give them the time to achieve the numerous goals? Doubt it. We expect miracles.

[@michaelstanley3961]

Johnson back. Yeah....proven liar, to his wife, his employers, his Country, Parliament and the Queen. Excellent bring him back. We won't forget...

[@ECECECECEC]

Also a traitor, we don’t know what damage he’s done.

[@jackn4853]

The trouble is many many people will forgive and forget.

[@Putnamsmif]

@@jackn4853 Maybe a few, the bigger problem is those that really don't care. Everyone knew what he was like before he was made Conservative Party leader but the party members didn't care as long as they thought he would get them what they wanted.

[@johnwealthy6044]

@@jackn4853yep, just like weapons of mass distruction. Only a little lie wasn’t it? But hey ho, its ok, it wasnt a tory lie.

[@christophernunn943]

A proven liar before PM and after making all those broken promises....yep the perfect Tory bring him on😄

[@andrewalston1]

Andrew has just shown us just how inadequate Kier is as a leader

[@lcg8220]

Not sure how, are you posting this hoping people don't watch the video?

[@joellejeanmarie]

so who represents the left of the electorate?

[@monty6491]

People who've supported FPTP "because it creates strong majority governments" are now upset about the prospect of a strong Labour majority. You can't have it both ways

[@WEMAKINITOUT1]

People aren’t voting Labour because l they want a Labour government they’re doing it because they’re fed up with the Tories. This isn’t the win you or Labour think it is.

[@keithparker1346]

An unrepresentative govt with a huge majority of seats compared to vote percentages is bad whatever the party

[@bloodwargaming3662]

​@@keithparker1346you can't have everything in Life

[@keithparker1346]

@@bloodwargaming3662 I expect representative democracy not the cobblers we have

[@majortwang2396]

We could possibly end up with the Lib Dems coming 4th in the popular vote, but getting enough seats to form the official opposition, and Refuk Ltd coming second in the popular vote, but getting only half a dozen seats.

[@paulneedham3608]

Yes people say they want services improving. But they don't want to pay more TAX.you can't have it always. Give up dragging up Jeremy Corbyn

[@rw31415]

Agreed. I think people (at some point) have to realize that Br£xit has something to do with where we are.

[@shaun906]

@@rw31415 theres so many area's the tories are wasting cash, and creating stagnation in the economy. when the books are opened i think it will terrify labour at first, but they will find lots of scope to unlock the economy, some/ alot of that comes from brexit. a deal needs to be done with the EU! so I'm optimistic!

[@kzm1934]

The tax burden is at its highest since WW2, yet public services have never been worse. Your argument would hold water if taxes were historically low, but they aren't. We can't just tax our way out of the problem.

[@beanoboy62]

​@@kzm1934the problem has been and continues to be austerity, if we don't increase spending then things will continue to get worse. A lack of investment has stagnated our economy partially causing that increased tax burden.

[@Gordon.Pinkerton]

​@kzm1934 in your opinion, how do we solve the problem then?

[@mbs7966]

I love Marr's analysis.

[@DanPhillips-in6qn]

If you are in favour of mass immigration, you are in favour of more traffic on roads , more queues in shops, more crowded beaches and beauty spots in summer, more overcrowding in high streets, more overflowing bins, more sewerage in rivers as more people use water and flush toilets, less free seats on trains, and just generally everything feeling more and more busy with each passing year that this madness carries on for. Oh and less and less countryside as.more and more building needs to be done in a deranged and futile effort to keep up. Sounds like a great future.....

[@Steve-fk1jg]

Yeah, well said👍 Unfortunately a very large number of people who vote for the left think the UK is a Tardis.

[@davidsimpson8192]

Did you know the birth rate is falling and people are living longer .. I ll leave to work it out from there

[@DanPhillips-in6qn]

@davidsimpson8192 .You are not seriously suggesting replacing one problem with a far bigger one and calling it a solution are you?

[@davidsimpson8192]

@@DanPhillips-in6qn So we should force people to have kids so we have taxpayers to pay for the growing elderly population.... what's your solution 🤔

[@alayneperrott9693]

Not true if you live in one of the rural parts of the country that is subject to serious outmigration and a sick, aging population, like much of Wales and many of the hillier parts of the UK. We need more working people with skills who pay taxes. Skilled Europeans would have been particularly welcome.

[@scottroberts4169]

PR coming into play could be one of the best things to come from the next government

[@keithparker1346]

Yet it's not a Labour policy

[@scottroberts4169]

@@keithparker1346 2nd term policy I think/hope.

[@keithparker1346]

@@scottroberts4169 why would they change their mind during a first term if they get a huge majority?

[@scottroberts4169]

@@keithparker1346 1. most Labour members are behind the idea 2. any other party that forms a sizeable opposition will also be keen on the idea 3. If they have a difficult 1st term changing to PR may help them hold onto some seats

[@keithparker1346]

@@scottroberts4169 so you expect Labour to be so crap that they will lose their huge majority very quickly?

[@khar12d8]

If Labour really wants to change things they need to remove the bias towards older people in terms of public spending. Abolishing the triple lock would be a victory for younger working people. Younger working people are paying more tax to service the retired. This is not a healthy economic situation. Labour will win the next election with its support overwhelmingly coming from people below 65. Polls show the majority of pensioners will vote Reform or Tory. So Labour have an opportunity to change things in the way the Tories couldn't.

[@patcampton7163]

How is making pensioners worse off going to help young people. It's what the right want to divide and conquer. It's between rich and poor, not young and old.

[@khar12d8]

@@patcampton7163 Abolishing the triple lock would save billions which could be used to pay for more spending on working age people i.e. child support etc... Taxes could be cut for working people. The idea that we can just tax the rich and solve our problems is very simplistic. For a start, the very rich tend to be international, have wealth tied up in assets that are hard to tax long term... We already are taxing higher income people by record amounts.

[@Steve-fk1jg]

How about saving money on student loans that are never going to be paid back.

[@pencilme1n]

God forbid that a politician might have an opinion. A political opinion at that.

[@dh1380]

In fairness it's gonna be tricky to talk progresaive tax policies whilst simultaneously "bringing people to the centre."

[@keithparker1346]

And courting billionaires

[@alexlincoln7201]

Really enjoying the insight provided by Marr, I am finding no one else manages to portray the gravity of this election, and how the result may have repurcusions for the evolution of British politics in the coming decade

[@mick947]

Left to Marr and his rewriting of history there will be no evolution.. just a cosy little establishment stitch up.

[@ricktownend9144]

A great answer by Andrew for Sir K - and, as Hannah said, a refreshingly honest approach. I am not particularly a Corbynista, but ir was the same refreshing honesty in Corbyn's replies to interviewers which impressed me - such a change from the mealy-mouthed New Labour establishment. I don't think I was alone - remember the tumbling Labour membership numbers before Corbyn, and the reliance on rich donors. Imagine Corbyn had not won the leadership, and another clone had presided over a nearly-Tory shadow cabinet: would they have had the guts to campaign in 2017 with the slogan 'for the Many not the Few'? I'm not denying the 2019 result, but does anyone seriously think that with Starmer (or Blair, or even Mandelson) in charge, the leave-leaning red wall constituents would have flocked to vote Labour?

[@Afterthoughtbtw]

Largely agree. It's a misunderstanding (deliberate or not) to say that it was Corbyn's economics, or his Leave leanings, that drove people away. It wasn't; it was social issues (antisemitism, for example, but also the original sin style politics of the far-left that wants to punish people for sharing a skin colour or sharing a biological sex with a small minority of historically oppressive people), and foreign affairs (his beliefs - still not disowned - about Russia and NATO, Islamist terror groups, nuclear deterrent and the like) that killed Labour. Rightly so, as world affairs shows us not monthly, not daily, but hourly. But as utterly misguided as I find much of Corbyn's beliefs*, he was/is a vocational politician rather than a career politician. That enthused a lot of voters - the very same kind of voters that the likes of Trump and Farage have enthused (many would say duped). That is to say, disaffected people who would otherwise probably be non-voters. None of those three populists give the sterile pat non-answers that are regurgitated day in, day out by other politicians. That's a large part of their popularity and goes a long way. *Arguably, I was enthused as a disillusioned voter by Corbyn when he first became leader. It was just as I learnt more and more about his beliefs that my eyes were opened.

[@Simon-zb6fp]

1945 the new Labour Government had to be a rebuilding government after the war. It did just that with the National Health Service, Free compulsory secondary education, National Insurance, Nationalisation of Coal, Gas and electricity and the Bank of England. There was no money at the end of the war but the Clement Atlee Labour Government achieved all this. So why oh why can't the Starmer Labour Government be like that?

[@Chad-qw8ok]

I agree with the sentiment but voters rejected this under Corbyn. Labor had a similar policy platform here in Australia in 2019 and lost. Moved into the Centre then won. Unfortunately the centre is where elections are won even if the country is in disarray.

[@mick947]

Because people have been indoctrinated to think that the economy works on the same basis as a typical household does. Outgoings and income. And why we outsourced our income streams is a separate question. Strange how Corbyn’s labour was never identified with the Atlee government… propaganda works.. good ole BBC!

[@adamhaycock7982]

Delivery is the most important thing for people. I know it's dry but all political parties should make this core to how they present themselves to the country: how can you deliver (management structure, process reform, target making or incentives etc.). People are turning to extreme parties because the parties in the middle have not prepared themselves in how they can realistically achieve their stated goals, and have focussed instead on ideological positioning.

[@danellis-jones1591]

To rebuild properly, Labour needs to shift left.

[@abuyusufabdulhakim952]

If PR happens, Greens will have the biggest jump

[@bobsingh7949]

My, my, if the average Brit was as thoughtful as Andrew the future would be alright.

[@robc7162]

That's a big IF!

[@helios7170]

It’d be lovely

[@keithparker1346]

Andrew Marr said the Iraq war would be bloodless...let that idiotic statement sink in

[@Schiltron]

"A Labour government must hold the centre". Who decides what policies define the "centre"? If you are against mass migration and also in favour of nationalisation of critical infrastructure such as the water industry are you "left", "right" or "centre"?

[@MrTzimisces]

How's "holding the centre" working out for Macron and Schultz?

[@Seajay1504]

The political class lost touch with the electorate a long time ago.

[@Sunflower-sp2go]

The tax burden is at its highest level for 80 years and you expect us to willingly pay more?

[@lukeool]

He’s too well off to understand people even in higher tax brackets are already struggling.

[@shaun906]

its still only 37%? same as Germany?the highest is 46% in France, with about 15 countries between us and France. we were 33% based on 2022 numbers!

[@Sunflower-sp2go]

@@shaun906 And yet Germany has largely better infrastructure, bigger industry, an effective health service, far fewer potholes, cleaner waterways, and an all round better functioning state. Clearly there is something deeper at play here, or is your solution just tax, tax, tax?

[@MrBoboiscool]

@@Sunflower-sp2go But people refuse the solutions and labour isnt offering them. Germany has non nimbyphilic planning laws, you try and tell people they are going to eat into green belts etc that is logical for better infrastructure, new rail lines, new hoem etc... things dont get done becausse they take to long or can be blocked or posponed by ridiculous people.

[@abuyusufabdulhakim952]

@@Sunflower-sp2gobecause there isn’t as much corruption in Germany

[@badcarlos551]

When bankers, big corporations and the rest get bailed out, it comes from the public coffers and we don't have any choice in it: too big to fail (allegedly)

[@MrBoboiscool]

Socialism for the rich, serfdom for the poor, that is all neoliberalism is.

[@scottanderson2458]

Well said Andrew. 👉 voters talking to pollsters in 1992 " oh yes Kinnock has the right idea, we need to pay a little bit more tax to get the country back on track and ill be voting Labour " but....in the voting booth 💭 thinks " my house is worth more now than 5 years ago and I feel richer, maybe next time, once I've paid my mortgage off and anyway I work hard and they'll just give money to the unemployed. So Tory it is then. "

[@ashroskell]

I read that headline and thought, “Well, that shouldn’t be difficult, seeing as how the only Tories left are far right nut jobs.” There’s a huge swathe of people just looking for a government that does its job and isn’t completely craven!

[@l3eatalphal3eatalpha]

At some point since watching Marr interview Chomsky I have gained enormous respect for Andrew Marr. His wide-arc description of the state of Britain is so brutally outside of any single issue that politics generally has reported, but it is easy to criticise when it is in post-BBC years that you get to finally hear it.

[@leo1961berlin]

Bravo Andrew for saying what most intelligent people have been thinking and saying for years. The key reason why our European neighbours have a better infrastructure, leave fewer patients standing in the rain and pay more attention to cultural heritage is because they have higher revenues. Why? Because taxation levels are higher. Their politicians explain this simple connection to the electorate. Unlike the Tories who trot out their mantra of ever lower taxes. Unlike the pitiful Labour Party which under Starmer has done nothing but ape and echo what the Tories say and do. Labour the tax-and-spend party? Own the insult, Starmer, and for once spell out the need for more money from higher taxes. Oh yes, and while you're at it, recognise that Brexit has been an unmitigated disaster and needs to be corrected.

[@Gramsci]

The Starmer / Corbyn question is easy to answer “A lot of people work in big organisations where you disagree with your boss. I was in that position. We all know the inside the tent or outside analogy. I wanted to be inside. That meant playing ball and gritting my teeth. I’m sure a lot of people have had this experience.” Easy, honest answer

[@happychappy7115]

Bodger back to remind the electorate of his Brexit lies, parties, incompetence during Covid killing our loved ones😢

[@user-eh3qm4vh7m]

What about Starmer's dreadful answers to questions about Gaza? He hypocritically refuses to condemn Israel's war crimes while condemning Putin's Russia.

[@Seajay1504]

Starmer has corrected himself on that - look at the manifesto agreeing to Palestinian Statehood.

[@alayneperrott9693]

Starmer seems to think that ~31 Palestinians killed in revenge for every Israeli murdered by Hamas is acceptable. It most certainly isn't. He only changed his tune when he began to lose votes. I find this stance weak and unprincipled.

[@alayneperrott9693]

Wales is currently rebranding council tax. Again. England could certainly do this too.

[@JfK--OBJECTivE]

How about you condemning the Palestinian war crimes of 7/10/23.

[@Seajay1504]

@@alayneperrott9693 False indignation. So you invent what you want Starmer to think (ie put false words in his mouth) and then you condemn your imaginary Starmer for things that you just invented. Bonkers or what?

[@geegnosis8888]

Labour must stick to its principles. Holding the centre is just a cop-out - it diminishes the party and playing to the lowest common denominator of trying to please everybody will fail in achieving anything.

[@TheGinglymus]

The public seems to want to have their cake and eat it. They want services and to not have to pay for it.

[@garywinter6149]

By moving to the far right? Just nonsense.

[@robinstevenson6690]

Andrew, it seems possible that Labour will focus tax increases on the high-income corporations and the wealthy. A kind of Robin Hood tax - - that's what I'd love to see from "across the pond."

[@mick947]

Robin Hood was a myth and so are Starmers promises. He could play the role of king John.. he may well play the role of king John, there won’t be anyone to stop him. And the poor will become poorer. He’s like the Clintons compared to Bernie.

[@keithparker1346]

Labour have ruled that out

[@robinstevenson6690]

@@keithparker1346 Well, if so, I hope that they will rethink their position on that.

[@keithparker1346]

@@robinstevenson6690 it's unlikely

[@Tybourne1991]

In politics, you need to step up and make your case, not just keep your head down. Obama did it. Johnson did it. Why isn't Starmer doing it? Can he? Let's hope we get a Labour revolt on proportional representation, we badly need it. #UKElection #GeneralElection2024 #VoteGreen

[@smoozerish]

Absolute nonsense Andrew.

[@TheLucanicLord]

1:55 The public are hypocrites. Kinnock was caught out, Starmer won't be.

[@andrewalston1]

Andrew has just demonstrated how inadequate Kier is as a leader

[@JohnShaw-zm2pc]

Reform wants to take away your rights on employment working conditions. You could get sacked and no employment law. Read reform .

[@tonyaustin4472]

Re the Council Tax Revaluation. The Government has, like everything else, hollowed out the Valuation Office Agency which is responsible for maintaining the Council Tax List. The number of offices left are a fraction of what they were in 2010. There’s no way they could just ‘Re-band’ every property; it’s a massive job and will take years…on top of that millions of house owners will appeal those new Bands (they’d be fools not to). People make these promises just assuming it’ll get done: it won’t; the Tories have ripped out the heart of Government Departments far more than people realise in their drive for the small state. To do it now would cost billions in outsourcing and would you trust the private sector to increase the tax bands on the wealthy ?:-)

[@wb1956]

The govt takes too much in tax or growth in debt. They need to focus on core needs and spend better.

[@jennetdecaresle5174]

You should have been PM Andrew Marr, after I heard what you would have said in Sir Keir's shoes re Jeremy Corbyn question posed by Nick F. Wisdom and genuineness❣ such is lacking with people in powerful political positions...

[@Lamartine111]

Labour's programme as stated so far will not fix the deep seated issues we face. They better be preparing to pull a bait and switch after they win the election.

[@nl5828]

if there was any inkling that is about to happen, i would consider voting labour. however, given the multiple policy u-turns (along with the demonizing of a significant section of their own party by the leadership), i am not prepared to give then that chance!

[@keithparker1346]

They ain't going to do that and upset their donors

[@rogerpitcher2636]

We pay a high level of tax at the moment, not much less than highest European countries.

[@Seajay1504]

The lower and middle income people pay too much tax. The tax free allowance needs to be at least £15,000 and preferably £24,000. However this would need to be progessively clawed back further up the income chain.

[@saturdayplayer2492]

Close tax loopholes available to those who earn huge amounts and who pay little or no tax. Recover PPE payments for the rubbish that was purchased.

[@ianredpath7294]

How does rebanding council tax level up north south??? I pay my tax to my council based on the relative value of my house in the 90s as a proportion of my council’s budget. My tax payment will not subsidise someone in the north of the country. Until I see a comparison of the relative value increases between bottom and top end properties to ensure the bottom end does not get stung I don’t think I would support this change.

[@JupiterThunder]

*Save Britain - Vote Reform UK*

[@BobfmBali]

How fake can you get, not withstanding that more is spent/distruted per household in the North than the South😮

[@sisiphas]

A Labour Government can’t hold the centre ground. It will avoid the rebuilding except in a few areas. Most of us know ways in which the NHS could be rebuilt, and that it will probably have to be a Labour government that will do it. (Remember that Blair’s ‘ reforms’ were really messy ‘public private partnerships’ that were always just putting off the cost and these are wrecks now - for the most part). However in order to do this he will choose to leave all the nonsense on gender . Women (andmothers) ought be really wary…

[@fortuner123]

I'm surprised Anna Soubry hasn't opened her big mouth again!

[@JohnShaw-zm2pc]

Reform economics has been compared to Liz truss economics that crashed the economy. This would scare the financial markets again.

[@elkpaz560]

It will be a bad day for our essential freedoms of thought and discussion, a bad day for children who will continue to be subject to manipulative ideologies and the destruction of our farms in pursuit of crazy eugenicist adjacent obsessions.

[@CountScarlioni]

I'm sure in your head that sounded portentous and insightful. Whereas in reality it just sounded hilariously crackpot!

[@JohnnyinMN]

If this Andrew guy was really honest and smart, he’d say exactly what the world thinks: Neither party can save England.

[@advocate1563]

England? Terngl8sh don't even have a parliament. It's a subjugated entity...

[@stuartg380]

You raise Corbin I give you Truss, Boris et al.

[@martincheeseman5809]

Come on kier we know you will do it!

[@davidcoard1978]

Did'nt the Institute of Fiscal Studies state there will be a decline in our standard of living, running into 2028. Starmer has promised there will be no wealth tax. So with an increase in taxes i guess its the Middle Class in the cross hairs.

[@Seajay1504]

I doubt it and I hope not. Reeves has said that most of us are already paying too much tax.

[@ashroskell]

But the Tories have raised taxes than ANY government, so Labour doesn’t need to break our banks. They just need to shift the money going to squalid, rich, tax dodging none-doms and businesses FROM them and TO the NHS, Education and Housing.

[@alejandro_mery]

Could an explicit property tax (exempt up to 500k per person for example) help alleviate the council tax burden and fuel levelling up?

[@rogerjubb9092]

I plan to vote labour because the conservatives have destroyed our local infrastructure through their local government budget cuts - no public conveniences, no police, pot holes; failing councils etc while at the same time passing laws requiring more local expenditure. In the USA local government can ask their electors for more money for schools etc without having to ask central government. Finally, the conservatives have sold off our strategic infrastructure (water, power, gas, etc) to enrich themselves and their sponsors.

[@MrBoboiscool]

You are going to be very disapointed. Conservatives fucked the country, but labour are now bought and paid for by the exact same people so nothing will be fixed.

[@Buy_YT_Views_921]

A new vlog from is the best way to start my morning 🌄💗💫🙂

[@JohnShaw-zm2pc]

Reform wants to privatise the NHS similar to the American style of health care you pay. take a good look at reform

[@andrewbishop3078]

Should the argument be made that labour, should they win this majority predicted, needs to put out a report detailing the slow deconstruction of various British Government sectors by the Conservatives. Allowing them to point a finger post election, and propose the changes necessary in a way that is digestible by as many as possible ?

[@keithparker1346]

The public expects govts to sort out problems not blame the previous one

[@nosuchthingasshould4175]

I think that the current, realistic leadership of Labour have finally come round to the idea that the electorate are not necessarily nice people.

[@SlowhandGreg]

If you look at the past 25 years the tax base hardly moved from 33% till Sunak took charge in 2019 since then it's jumped to 38% , the big change was Osborne adding +5% to VAT to start on the relentless rounds of trickle down tax changes which were supposed to stimulate growth but never did. Sunak has followed the Osborne playbook to a certain extent there's billions salted away in what I'd regard as trickle down cr*p and cuts to public services including capital investment in rail and energy. Everyone also needs to be aware any Tory tax cut is going to be paid for by shifting the pension age to 68

[@dexstewart2450]

Unfettered Marr is the best thing in Politics, along with John Crace

[@mick947]

You’ve just made me feel nauseous. Marr is rewriting history, with a pleasant and very acceptable, to the establishment, face. A true propagandist, subtle but effective.

[@georgesbrewery7266]

I simply cannot agree with you Andrew that you expect higher, even much higher taxes and ask us to expect the same. The tax levels currently are high, the problem with each and every government, this one especially, is the misdirection of spending of our taxes and the blatant steadfast refusal to tax the rich and ultra rich and super companies so that the burden of the workers to pay what seems like it all is lifted and those that really could make a difference in the countries coffers do so. Who is going to look beyond the taxation of work and workers?

[@Morning404]

I agree. I was digusted with Andrew Marrs excuses for Starmer.

[@nicholasjagger6557]

Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. (W B Yeats)

[@johnwealthy6044]

Politicians talking the truth??? Why does the deluded electorate suddenly have trust in politicians come election time??

[@RunOfTheHind]

Trouble is, what is considered the centre has been moving steadily rightwards for the last 30 years... Happy to pay more tax...but not for private, outsourced services. Also, tax wealth and corporations properly. Plenty of 2nd homes, Bentleys, Lambos and Ferraris suddenly popped up round my way, so somebody's alrite, jack.

[@cakesmithofnorwich]

Very interesting conversation

[@SuezWSuezW]

I think your local and regional administrations should be funded by a separately accounted-for income tax. Canada does this for regions (provinces) although it's integrated so the federal government collects the tax and sends it down without question.

[@justinspendlove8600]

It is just lazy to assert that the necessary re-building simply requires higher taxes. How about pressing the Labour people on the measures they will take in order that the tax moneys are effectively spent. How and what is rebuilding? I don’t remember any serious commentator pursue this issue, talk about meeting targets, reducing waiting lists etc is not about how it is to be done. Effective governance has been swept away by the hunger to be elected.

[@davecross4493]

I didn't think starmer struggled at all to be fair.

[@user-zg3gj9sk9i]

Marr is voting Labour? Wow! That's extraordinary.

[@nenehermannfoundation1187]

andrew makes the case he wants to pay more tax. for most, people are living pay cheque by pay cheque. So, a bit rich coming from a multimillionare broadcaster. Not least, tax rates are the highest theyve been since the late 40's. Its not about more public spendings, its good governance,.

[@Seajay1504]

Andrew Marr is saying the well-off like him should pay more tax. And absolutely - the lower and middle income earners already pay too much tax.

[@patcampton7163]

He is saying the rich should pay more.

[@lindsaycaress450]

Bravo Matt well said ?!

[@Its.all.a.game.m8]

They’ll understand it until it hits them hard in the wallet. Where is all the money going? We’re being taxed to the hilt.

[@phil637]

Labour goverment needs to move overtion window more to the left like most of europe.

[@davidsimpson8192]

Bang on in his opening comments about being bolder and more honest about taxation for rebuilding the decimated services.. people in the main would be on board and its something to be positive about and enthuse the electorate about .. played way to safe in my opinion

[@zachlind5417]

9:09 He doesn't have an incentive to help the conservatives now. HIs time would be after they lose. If they lose to labor then he would have an opening to return.

[@azurhadzinurbegovic4707]

Real problem is so much time of Tori rule and some parts you cant even express in few hours not few seconds.Look sharp and relaxed on tv shows while citizens do the rest implementing your policy on net.

[@Gilambesh]

I'm looking forward to a Labour government: higher taxes, worse services, more migration and infighting that will make the Tories loom sane.

[@stevenhenry5267]

The UK has had enough limp twisted policies.

[@OneTrueScotsman]

Labour's supposed to be left wing. We've just had 14 years of right wing chaos. And Labour's going to continue delivering that. Until the Tories return and move even further right, which Labour will of course emulate.

[@Alantj22]

How is having to pay 2 or 3x for a property in London some sort of bonus that justifies having to pay higher council out of what little is left over after paying an oversized mortgage.

[@vincentblack7467]

Vote Reform...you know it makes sense...

[@nikkinoo47]

Reform ❤

[@oehle1]

I'm an outsider, but isn't it true that any (shadow) cabinet consists of reprisebtatives from all factions in order to ensure stability?

[@mick947]

They have a voice but no say in anything. It’s ..let’s pretend we’re a democracy.. bags I be in opposition.

[@ruthfhunt2613]

I’m voting Labour - uK needs change.