These Labour voters REALLY don't like Labour | Andrew Marr | The New Statesman

[@SimonWallwork]

ffs! It wasn't a labour win, it was a tory loss. The ice is a lot thinner than Starmer realises.

[@Wolf-hh4rv]

Reform got close to half the Labour popular vote. Labour has 400 plus seat and Reform is in single digits of seats I parliament.

[@whywowisdieing2604]

@@Wolf-hh4rv Oh give it a rest will you. You had the governing party being investigated by the police and the weakest candidate in living memory in charge of Labour, plus historically high levels of immigration. You STILL somehow managed to win almost nothing with your nasty little party. Which is why you are here in youtube comments one of the few places people can't kick you out.

[@TrevorEden]

Not quite

[@TrevorEden]

@@Wolf-hh4rv no only 20% of old Tory voters is reform most a nasty lot .

[@Wolf-hh4rv]

@@TrevorEden “nasty lot”. What the hell is that all about?

[@roslynclark6690]

Andrew trying his best make Labour look good. What he really means is, those plebs don’t know what they’re talking about.

[@ScruffyTubbles]

If they get houses built in green belt. Great.

[@jamesthomas4841]

Do you think they do?😂

[@ScruffyTubbles]

@jamesthomas4841 In the main no. On immigration they may have a point on numbers and infrastructure stress. But that's controversial. A lot of the building could be done upwards and on out of town supermarket sites etc., still leaving the countryside intact. Once built on you don't get it back.

[@22448824]

@@ScruffyTubbles On supermarket sites? Great idea. Take away food suppliers so the taxpayers can pay more to house immigrants.

[@judithcressey1682]

​@@ScruffyTubbles You are clueless.

[@1pauljs]

The Labour leadership didn’t realize just how thin their support is. They are on a knife edge and are apparently oblivious to that.

[@infohound41]

Actualy I think they just know that now is the time to annoy people as in 4 years people will have forgotten

[@James-zp5he]

​@infohound41 yes but everything is probably going to be even worse in 4 years.

[@infohound41]

@@James-zp5he Tony Blair and Gordon Brown did a good job and KS has alot of their staff in his team so I am hopeful.

[@ScruffyTubbles]

They want to fill their pocket before Reform come screaming in at the next GE. They've managed to expunge the Labour Party from the current history books. Welcome to Fascist Britain in 2028-2029.

[@robhemsley9181]

Martin Lewis doesn’t lie !

[@terry9819]

When you talk about distrust you should include the media. One of the reasons trust is so low is the media seems more interested in pushing political agendas than holding politicians accountable.

[@willdon.1279]

You've been taking different media to me. They have been very hard - just not very rude and abusive. Is that what you want?

[@ladypoppy6117]

My 75yo Mum, who lives alone has lost her winter fuel payment. She's £12 over the limit for pension credits. Labour might not worry about the pensioners vote but they should worry about the vote of those pensioners children and grandchildren. There are millions who will not vote for them again because of this and their farce of the government of working people pfft!

[@CMILLHOUSE-lf4uh]

I wonder how many pensioners will go cold this winter so they can buy Christmas presents for the grandchildren? I pay the heating bills for my 87yo independent mum and don't let her worry about what the state may or may not provide - that's the debt children owe to their parents who have from my personal experience made enormous sacrifices to bring us up

[@DavidsonJamesHow-jf9dq]

The majority of pensioners voted for a poorer weaker Britain in 2016 with less money for services. Who did they think was going to pay for their decisions ?

[@superted6960]

​@@DavidsonJamesHow-jf9dqSo blame all on Brexit then. The biggest drain on public finances was the covid lockdown etc. with £400bn+ up the spout in months. And before you blame Tory cronyism, remember Labour wanted lockdowns for longer and harder.

[@DavidsonJamesHow-jf9dq]

@@superted6960 but Tories funneled 59bn of that money into the pockets of party sponsors with no benefits to the general population.

[@robertjones3189]

Concentrate on the bigger picture, we need all parties to commit to an excellent basic state pension so nonsense like winter fuel allowance is consigned to the history books.

[@bobbyb379]

A lot of people voted Labour to remove the Conservatives rather than love for Labour. A lot of the anger people felt at the Conservatives was due to the way they behaved in office - lockdown parties, donors paying for gold wallpaper, contracts to friends. Then Labour get in and appear to be behaving the same way. So all that anger, which hadn’t gone away, just switched from the Conservatives to Labour.

[@robertsmith9810]

You are being polite it appears that the public hate starmer and dislike labour, LABOUR accredited with running a clever election campaign in certain constituencies was it hitting the most vulnerable of our society ,

[@oneoflokis]

💯

[@22448824]

I dont think the anger at the tories was really about lockdown parties or someone paying for wallpaper to improve state property. The anger was against massive immigration causing housing shortage and exasperating the NHS' problems. Not being able to see a GP. Massive taxes on ordinary folk. Labour are continuing these policies and introduced political imprisonment. Thats where the anger is.Someone buying Starmer's wife clothing or Starmers personal relationships mean nothing.

[@jeffreyharris3887]

The Tories were thrown out because in 14 years they have not delivered and are probably finished .The people voted Labour ,just 33 6 percent ,because they are still brainwashed by FPTP into believing Labour support the working class .They don't and haven't for most of that last 4 decades

[@bigjonS4]

The myth is that a lot of people voted for Labour. They didn’t. Labour received fewer votes in 2024 than in both 2019 and 2017 (substantially fewer than 2017). They won by a ‘landslide’ because of Conservative voters staying at home or voting Reform.

[@advocate1563]

It's a government of chips on shoulder. Starmer simply can't take criticism.

[@Stibsart]

Observing clueless Oxbridge Centrists trying to understand how working people feel is like watching toddlers learn.

[@kevinwoplin9322]

Nailed it!

[@oliverdesvaux]

100%…. Andrew Marr used to hand out Karl Marx leaflets outside Euston train station, according to Peter Hitchens. In more recent years, he has celebrated his birthdays at Number 10 Downing Street, courtesy of Tony Blair, when he was in power (according to Aaron Bastani)

[@ScruffyTubbles]

@oliverdesvaux Student politician like the rest of New Labour then? Is that what you claim?

[@richardoliver4997]

Ha! This is hilarious..

[@willdon.1279]

Stibart, Trump, over in America, loves "The uneducated" as he sneers at them. Do you feel the same about the surgeon who saved my life? Personally, I'm happy to have educated people doing things - and am just smart enough to know they are human, not the infallible gods, all the toddlers here think they themselves are. 😞

[@nickinthefield4202]

Politics is not just about balancing the books, it’s about perception and the intelligent framing of policies. Labour are on a lot of borrowed votes. They need to sharpen up…

[@infohound41]

By the next election, no-one will remember what's going on right now.

[@superted6960]

​@@infohound41They might, if they continue making a horlicks of it. John Major was done after Black Wednesday, nobody forgot that

[@infohound41]

@@superted6960 True, but that was near the end of a long stint

[@ifeyhome]

Absolutely terrible comms & messaging

[@ifeyhome]

​@@infohound41they will if social care, the NHS & housing is still a mess!

[@christinefiedor3518]

I live in Australia. My mum in the uk needed a hip replacement but went private as the nhs waiting list was so long. No complications but it cost her £16000! Meanwhile a friends father in law who had retired out here had the same op, no complications and went private but it cost him AU$18000. Which equates to £9000! That’s 16000 in the uk but £9000 in Australia. And the care in Australia is just as good if not better than uk , what’s more our health care professionals get paid infinitely better. Somethings seriously wrong in the uk. Something that’s not spoken about is whether we get public of private there is still the same number of health care professionals. I either way it’s going to cost the nhs a fortune. And somebody’s making a killing if you’ll forgive the unfortunate pun. There’s so much greed and corruption which is very upsetting.

[@jontyb123]

Starmer is not working class. He grew up in leafy and affluent Oxted in Surrey and went to a grammar school in Reigate. Why he keeps banging on about his working class roots is beyond me.

[@peterjohnson350]

Yes, he went to a grammar school that became a private school. He didn't need to pay fees in the first instance and then was granted a bursary in the sixth form. Point 1, he's used to getting funds given to him. Point 2, he and his labour buddies hate grammar, private and public schools and don't want anyone else to have access to them.

[@lindapitcher2392]

​@pete 😂😂😂rjohnson350

[@joetotale6354]

@@peterjohnson350 boo hoo won't someone pwease think of those poor Eton boys...

[@peterjohnson350]

@joetotale6354 Not all public schools are Eaton or Harrow and many of the parents sending their kids to these schools aren't rich, just working extra jobs to afford the cost.

[@joetotale6354]

@ Course they are. Maybe they can cut back on eating out or Netflix then?

[@sebastianfusc3374]

Watching deluded Centrists is hard work.

[@johncallaghan9156]

There's nothing at stake for people like this NS set

[@whywowisdieing2604]

Starmer isn't a centrist. The government is simply very right-wing.

[@microwaves25]

​@@whywowisdieing2604spoken like a true centrist.

[@penguinegg01]

What Labour need to do is purge the wokeness - and the Wokerati - from the Labour Party and return to it's working class roots. They wont do it, of course.

[@kathrynwilson2813]

What is wokeness and Wokerati (capital W)? Sounds like the ravings of Braverman.

[@ScruffyTubbles]

You mean Liz kendal types?

[@sarahjaneross2918]

Please can you explain some "woke" policies? I see myself as on the side of social justice, so often put down as "woke", but Labour seems like another bunch of neo liberals, pro Israeli war crimes type, hence why I didn't vote for them.

[@DavidsonJamesHow-jf9dq]

@@penguinegg01 what is wokeness or did you just read the word on a toilet door?

[@csharpe5787]

Starmer should remember that the Tories lost, rather than he won. He is treating his traditional labour voters with distain. I think Starmer should never be allowed to practice as a human rights lawyer again!

[@mickduffy6903]

I'm an old bloke and I've seen governments of various political spectrum come and go.I have never in all my years seen a person so universally hated as Starmer

[@andrewgifford7740]

For me, Labour's heavy signalling about coming after those with the least (pensioners, long-term sick, disabled) has felt distasteful, cruel and short sighted. I feel we need to rebuild after the damage of the past decade or more. We need to support people into improved health and function, and not by force. We need investment to make this happen, and benefits must be increased, not decreased to help facilitate this - better living conditions, nutrition, well being. Pushing us into deeper harship will only worsen the situation. Trying to shame millions of people with long term health conditions and/or disability about 'worklessness' is also needlessly punitive. We're broken, we're not thieves, nor slackers or fraudulent. For the first time in four election cycles I didn't vote Labour. I think this first budget will be telling of its true colours. Hoping for positives, but fearing the worst based on Labour's own messaging.

[@susanmiller14]

Andrew are you really so blinkered as to the reality of Starmer’s direction of travel? Please wake up!

[@johnwhyte7834]

Starmer is operating like putin. Peter lynch...

[@andrewwebb9426]

I wish I knew where Andrew gets his optimism from, I’d like some too! These first months have been an unmitigated disaster for this Labour government. I think we’re led by two wooden-tops: both rule-followers with total lack of imagination and creativity. That’s not what leaders are for! We choose leaders to lead, not follow.

[@microwaves25]

An unmitigated disaster is way over the top. The media has predictably created a circus and your average Joe has just latched onto the fabricated drama. No ones actually focusing on some of the policy they've pushed through. We've a budget this week which is what should be setting the tone but all we're talking about is Starmers tickets to the Arsenal game.

[@andrewwebb9426]

@@microwaves25 I understand, and to some extent, agree with your comments but the whole point of modern government by media is to manage the media! These presumably intelligent people have been at least one step behind at every stage. Of course the Tory press was destined to go for them. Their job was to get ahead not just to react.

[@microwaves25]

@@andrewwebb9426 their delivery has left a lot to be desired and maybe the party naively thought the electorate would give them space and breathing room to enact their plans which we've seen now was not the case. They have a pack of wolves at their door already. I just despair that we seem to be already systematically breaking this govermwnt in half when they haven't even got out of first gear. They need time and they will make mistakes. There isn't a perfect party out there.

[@andrewwebb9426]

@@microwaves25 We’ll see on Wednesday whether they have imagination or are merely plodding

[@Cosmoscosmos1]

I imagine the 20% of Labour voters are really scratching their heads at what they’ve done!

[@DavidsonJamesHow-jf9dq]

@@Cosmoscosmos1 there is no alternative available.

[@briandelaney9710]

Labour “for the working man “? That hasn’t been the case since way before Blair!

[@crayontom9687]

Well they had a few years between 2015 and 2020 but we don’t talk about that here

[@theolddog5129]

The reality is that the working man of today doesn't look or smell like the working man of 30+ years ago.

[@briandelaney9710]

@@theolddog5129 smell ?? Hmm

[@hughwilson2219]

not since the end of WW2

[@DavidsonJamesHow-jf9dq]

Is that why the worker's rights Bill has been condemned by businesses.

[@DrEnglander1999]

How can they be in opposition for that long and not hit the ground running? Did they spend so long hounding Corbyn et al that they didn't have time to get any policies together? This isn't a question of "messaging."

[@JAYFD2929]

You clearly have not read the manifesto!

[@DrEnglander1999]

@@JAYFD2929 Oh come on. A manifesto is a best a letter to Santa Claus. It is not an accurate guide to what the party will do while in government.

[@199019852007]

@@DrEnglander1999a message to Santa classic line

[@ScruffyTubbles]

Cornyn wasn't the problem per se. The fact he couldn't be rented like a taxi was.

[@whywowisdieing2604]

@@JAYFD2929 The manifesto said almost nothing tangible. It is all vague sounding statements no one could disagree with.

[@terryT-r5o]

The thing about Martin Lewis is that he’s honest and hasn’t wavered on his convictions, even though he’s become relatively wealthy. But he’s still out there, speaking truth to power. The thing about this Labour government is that they still appear to be being steered by a neoliberal agenda.

[@superted6960]

Hardly. They're being steered by a Union agenda. It's the private sector going to get the grief this week, not the public

[@22448824]

Good grief! Marr thinks people warm to Raynor when they see her, hear her and learn her background. When I see her and hear her vacuous speeches I think the opposite.

[@judithcressey1682]

Andrew Marr has just shown himself to be a complete fool.

[@marknewton7212]

I know but it's great to see the handbrake is finally off, Marr to see how bizarre and out of touch he really is.

[@el2i-y8z]

Sir Keir's working-class background yapping sounds like Posh Spice claiming a Rolls Royce dropping her off at school was just a regular working-class thing. Somebody needs to tell him to be honest already.

[@UKsoldier45]

It is all a big joke to this panel. They are never affected by the struggles of day to day living. You need to show some humility.

[@ifeyhome]

Who are these surgeons who'll be 'working round the clock'? The capacity is just not there, also aren't a number of them part-time due to working in the private sector?

[@macsmiffy2197]

I had my hip replaced May bank holiday Sunday. My surgeon was doing 4 replacements a day over the holiday weekend. One night stay in hospital and then home. There were 2 other surgeons doing the same in other theatres. 36 hip replacements in 3 days when theatres and beds in the day surgery units are normally empty.

[@KevC1234]

The issue is, so far this government has been absolutely clueless and they have shown no political ability at all, which is concerning people. Also they had a very low voter turnout and those that did vote just wanted rid of the Tories, so now labour are in and they are doing labour things those that voted for them are getting upset

[@HelenHunt-d8h]

You encouraged people to vote for Labour. I was never going to vote for people who hate the working class. My Great Grandfather, was a founder member of the South Wales coal mining union. These people are abhorrent, he would be inconsolable.

[@willdon.1279]

We oldies may appreciate having power to make lives better - rather than virtue signalling from opposition. Been there - done that. Doesn't work.

[@joetotale6354]

@@willdon.1279 Power goes to people's heads, don't forget. As was proved by the absurd freebies scandal. Labour left power in 2010 pretty much hated by everyone.

[@joetotale6354]

That is forbidden history now for the Staggers and the other collaborator ‘left’ media (Graun,Mirror etc).

[@evolassunglasses4673]

Immigration is the issue of our time.

[@RobertoLeo3]

But the right-wing party doubled it.... So easy beer for Stamer now.

[@clairearmon-jones867]

And one could argue that the mainstream media have had a big role in inciting the negativity you are hearing.

[@radjew]

The average member of the public is like some demanding child with little memory of a few months ago

[@martineyles]

@7:50 This kind of thing worries me. If I needed a hip replacement I wouldn't want a tired surgeon to make mistakes during the procedure and leave me in a worse state than I started. I'd rather wait and have it done well by a surgeon who is alert.

[@MrNewtonian]

If needed a hip replacement , you would want it ASAP, you're talking shite

[@artistglyn]

It's hard to believe that this country is in such a state. Considering we are supposedly one of the richest countries in the western world, how have we managed to get ourselves into a position where we can't actually run the country effectivly ? The free market economy has a lot to answer for.

[@Lawrence4000-s3k]

It's nothing less than gross mismanagement of the whole country. We need to look at our political class and who we elect. That we can't provide houses for the population, build power stations or train lines, etc, or even run a prison service is damning. It's all of them, red and blue.

[@stevenwilliamson6236]

40 years of Toryism.

[@Lawrence4000-s3k]

@@stevenwilliamson6236 I think that's too easy - Blair and his lot were a disaster however you look at it. I can't think of any government since the war that has done anything other than overseen decline. I don't know what can be done, however. Harold Macmillan famously advised young people in the 1950s to emigrate and that advice would have been well heeded at any point since.

[@rflameng]

All the politics happens in London, where the politicians are. And that's also where the money is generated. The rest of the country is waaaayy poorer.

[@stevenwilliamson6236]

@@Lawrence4000-s3k I included Blair in the 40 years of Toryism.

[@jabezhane]

These people all live in nice safe bubbles. As a normal citizen it's so apparent what needs to be fixed in this country but for some reason (cash from oligarchs and foreign governements most likely) politicians refuse to see it. The only way to sort this out it to make make ALL politicians feel uncomfortable. They work for us remember, not the corporations and the 1%.

[@ellenoneill7853]

Did Andrew say that Anas Sarwar was someone that might appeal to the white working class of this country? He has a popularity rating of -16 and 40% of Scots have an unfavourable opinion of him. Just shows you how out of touch Andrew is with the public mood. May I remind him of a speech he gave (before Humza's) And here’s Anas Sarwar: ‘In Scotland, every chief executive of every council and every Government department: white. Every director of a department: white. Every principal of our colleges and universities: white. Every headteacher: white. Every chair of a public sector body: white. Every High Court judge: white. Every prisoner governor: white. Every editor of a news organisation: white.’ He's not going to win any hearts or minds after that racist rant!

[@martynaustin8073]

I would hardly call it racist...just accurate! 😮

[@garyb455]

This will be the last Labour Government in our lifetimes

[@ScruffyTubbles]

The last Pseudo Labour Govt, I agree.

[@leemccccccc999]

I hope so the last Labour government should have been enough for people never to vote labour again

[@blue47er]

@@ScruffyTubbles Spot on. Starmer, Streeting, Reeves...are anything but socialists. A trio of Tories masquerading as politicians, when in reality they are merely right-wing stooges currently filling their pockets with "donations" and steering the UK into a financial cesspit. As to whether they will survive for longer than a year is, in many people's opinion, highly unlikely.

[@deadandburied7626]

Hope not! 😅

[@shaunperth]

Stupid response, its been said before people have very short memories

[@BrokenHill56]

Labour appear to be be on the side of the rich, this may be an unfair perception, but this is a widespread perception.

[@nicksimmons7234]

Oh you’ve seen the budget. Do you want to share it?

[@BrokenHill56]

@@nicksimmons7234 hmm, the denial of reality. So, look at Labours policies on the water 💦 industry, city bonuses, winter allowances, etc al. I support Labour but acting like Tories is not a vote winner

[@nicksimmons7234]

@@BrokenHill56 you think we can nationalise the water industry for free. And you seem to have seen the budget could you share it please?

[@Claire-dg3gh]

​@@nicksimmons7234 compulsory purchase of the physical assets at bankruptcy rates... I could buy a water company & so could you.

[@Claire-dg3gh]

​@@BrokenHill56judging by their actions & not their words & promises is the only valid performance metric & so far the fail list dwarfs the wins list.

[@simonlewis6276]

Lots of IFS Mr Marr .Winter fuel allowance is their poll tax moment and will not be forgotten .Labour are proving to be utterly hopeless at PR and messaging . All we are getting on the NHS is a national talk shop ! The last thing we need is yet more blah blah blah about the health service .

[@jabezhane]

I was 19 or so during the Poll Tax and thought it perfectly fair. Didn't have an issue. I bet those students from back then that protested over it feel a bit daft seeing their two kids working and living at home and not paying anything. I wish they would bring it back, spread the burden.

[@simonlewis6276]

@@jabezhane the problem with the poll tax was that the burden was not spread equally according to individuals ability to pay it .Ie The tax was the same whether you were very rich or very poor .So for the poor it would represent a big proportion of their income and for the rich a very small proportion .If it had been based on individuals income

[@simonlewis6276]

As a % It would have been fine but it wasn’t .As designed it was a highly regressive tax but properly calibrated against individual incomes it would have probably been accepted eventually .

[@jabezhane]

@@simonlewis6276 But council tax is far worse. One person in a household essentially pays it. Sorry but now Community charge would be far better.

[@AlienatedNortherner]

The UK electorate clearly have political 'learning difficulties'. Voting for the two cartel parties time after time, after time, after time.

[@julieholden7343]

I always say, people never vote a party in, rather they vote the governing party out, but this vote was clearly out of the frying pan and into the fire, and the labours tone shows the total disconnect and sheer arrogance and stupidity at the top, driven by lies and two tier governance, 50 years a labour voter but never ever again.

[@rideitpodcast]

How did anybody think that voting labour would NOT be worse?? I'm bamboozled by that, it was obvious!

[@georgethompson453]

The local elections will be very interesting

[@quadq6598]

Mar forgets everyone's main concern IMMIGRATION, they either sort it out or they will go nowhere

[@jamesgill6213]

Marr is a twisted man

[@chrisrobinson860]

I do like Andrew Marr but I’m not sure quite where his head is at the moment.

[@krob2327]

He thinks working class areas need mass migration, not his

[@jedjones9047]

I've got a good idea let's spend billions on the net zero racket and make everybody poorer 😢

[@annehaughton3968]

Our media let us down by gotcha gossip not contextual information to the public

[@allanfitz3535]

Andrew Marr looked her in the eyes, and she's telling the truth. Ffs yea ok then.

[@liaminwales]

Wales has always been Labour, today more and more people are looking at new options & it wont be conservatives. People are not happy, we where sure Labour was going to make a change and there still pushing topics that will raise costs for normal people who are broke. If they cant lay out plans to help normal people in clear language, no double talk.

[@OneAndOnlyMe]

Andrew Marr is correct. Five years is a VERY long time in politics. The world will be quite different in five year's time. Digitisation of workflows and processes in private and public sector are about to undergo incredible transformation. The jobs market for knowledge workers will be massively impacted (good and bad ways).

[@kerrynewnham8946]

A factor is that we have a fractured country for whom a 2 party system doesn’t work. There will only be very weak governments who have to too much compromise and lie just to wangle enough votes to get over the line now. They will be be immensely disliked by many. Keir Starmer does not have the warmth and charisma that the country needs right now. Martin L in my opinion is not leadership material either, few are. Andy B could be a good leader hopefully soon and was authentic and empathic even before he became mayor

[@theroomfloor]

Great discussion. All the key points given time here.

[@papi8659]

Much of the electorate is really really stupid at the end of the day, something Boris has always understood

[@danielwood8904]

Sorry to say it but Andrew appears increasingly out of touch with the reality especially since the election (even slightly patronising) I voted labour but don’t have the wool over my eyes. Freddy seems a lot more level headed.

[@hiddencornersofnorthyorkshire.]

Catch 22 for Labour. Wooing a business community which for years has neglected reinvestment and preferred inflated share prices and big bonuses. And the need for higher taxes from sections of that community.

[@superted6960]

Oh dear. There's precious little incentive to invest. Want to put up a new factory? Spend years going through a labyrinthine planning process, spend millions, and get turned down anyway because you're spoiling someone's view. Better still, put up employers NI contributions, rightly called a tax on jobs, and wonder why the investment goes abroad. We've turned risk averse and anti growth, and it's afflicted us for decades, with the possible exception of the Thatcher years. But the left won't talk about her....

[@1701enter]

I personally think the delay to the “plan” and budget has done nothing but harm. an interim budget an announcement of just what was the thinking , even with caveats to allow for changes. All of that kind of thing has been missing for years. The feeling that “they” are not “us is a profound, and disturbing, (and growing ) concern

[@lem5288]

If Marr thinks we will forget that they rushed straight in to take WFA from the elderly he is deluded. I had very little respect for this man and now I see him for what he truly is. A defender of an evil act. As for him saying this is not a 'posh' government. Indeed, it is not. However, it is not a government of the people either. As for Angela Rayner, words fail me!

[@krob2327]

The people behind them are posh. The home office. Who openly mock grooming gang victims. The treasury. Who are behind the cuts. The mps are actors basically not their fault. Blair made parliament redundant.

[@KimJacobson-l1w]

Luxury houses being built! Fat cat developers making £££££.

[@hughwilson2219]

Student debt, for every course, is madness if a nation needs skilled people. It should just go.

[@YesYes-xb6he]

You cannot describe Starmers background as "working class" and expect to be taken seriously ever again. His father owned the factory, he lived in a big house in an exclusive area and went to a very selective school. Now, I've no problem with his background as no-one chooses the family/circumstances they're born into. Yet calling himself working class comes across as both dishonest and embarrassing for him to me.

[@colincampbell4261]

Stop lying toryboy.

[@YesYes-xb6he]

@@colincampbell4261 His background is public record, everything I said can be verified.

[@Jeannettebeswick]

So who exactly is labour for. Not working people as starmer can't explain what a working person is. Starmer is weak and controls by bullying. IMO

[@dingopisscreek]

The general public has no influence over who is the next Conservative leader. So why should they give a damn who is?

[@Pirake123]

The overarching principle for any government, is when life is getting harder for ordinary people and you are in charge then its your fault. Labour is in charge and will be raising taxes to being with and also spending cuts. The first couple of years will be very painful it seems.

[@paulgilliland2992]

I used to live in the UK but moved to the USA 20 years ago. I still have friend’s and former colleagues there who I stayed in touch with. I had breakfast with a friend who is visiting here last week and he told me his sister in law waited 1580 days , that’s 5 years for a badly needed hip replacement. They live in Northern Ireland where apparently the NHS has been gutted. I think a means tested copayment for doctors appointments is coming.

[@juliamaitland7160]

Its all very well doing conveyor belt surgery but not everyone recovers the same. Until the social care is improved if not fixed there'll still be the same bottlenecks

[@jabezhane]

The electorate had a choice between dog crap or cat crap, that's basically it. I'm usually a Labour voter but I refused to vote for anyone this time round. None of them were worthy of my vote.

[@BioHazardCL4]

"We need to get more money into the NHS" Right! But where is it going to come from? If people want a tax and spend government, they need to accept the tax so they can get the spend!

[@davidroberts3995]

I think people like Martin Lewis not just because he saves them money, but he seems consistent in his principles.

[@smurf9857]

A private hospital business I worked for runs 3 operations per theatre per day. The NHS typically runs one.

[@andrewkeen7828]

Pointless conversation 3 months into a parliament. Let's see where we are in three years or so. I understand that the media needs something to talk about but this endless minute by minute minutae is fairly tiresome.

[@simondebeer9917]

I take it you are a labour supporter & are very concerned about how bad things are under labour. Poor performance so far bodes badly for their future

[@quickjab_r6589]

So Andrew is saying their plan is to spend more money on the NHS to get patients on a "conveyor belt" in operations and working round the clock. So doctors will be worked round the clock. So doctors will feel underpaid/undercompensated. So they will strike. And then while they strike the waiting lists will increase even more AND the NHS will then need even more money to pay them after the government inevitably folds to the the strike action. So in other words: Spend money on the NHS to make the NHS demand more money while increasing waiting times in the long run. Great idea

[@TheNotrac]

Thank you Andrew. "This is the Government and that is the problem."

[@webmart70]

bloody hell, its been 3 months...!!!😆

[@TheBinLid]

This is an important podcast for Labour to think about.

[@VinceLammas]

People just want things to work ... not listen to expert opinions (Gove was right in that respect). Voters don't follow or understand the UK's economic and social realities and they often rely on whatever headlines the press generates to inform their views. Labour have to deliver recognisable improvements over the next 4 years AND improve their communication with the public.

[@OneAndOnlyMe]

Makes you wonder who the people who say "Labour should've known about the state of the finances in opposition" are really working for. Jeremey Hunt himself (the previous Chancellor) is on record (BBC Radio 4) saying he did NOT give Rachel Reeves full access to the books.

[@rogerjubb9092]

Has anybody read “Animal Farm”, it sums the labour government up to a tee.

[@rflameng]

Please, Labour did NOT score a "massive victory", they won an awful lot of seats with a third of the votes cast (thank you, Saint FPTP).

[@1violalass]

She said 'majority' not 'victory'.

[@TheTomcantdecide]

Andrew mar consistently late to the party and always has the dumbest takes ever I can’t believe people take him seriously haha

[@greentombdive]

In September the bbc news app had a story that, shock horror there was as long as ‘an average of two weeks on GP waiting lists’ - I’m in Brighton, and I’ve had to wait FIVE weeks. Meanwhile, what a curious choice of location … corner-office-snug? Lastly, what is going on with Barnes’s hair; looks like an oil slick. P.S. bear in mind left-winger Mike Danson is the NS proprieter…

[@MrNewtonian]

Way too late Andrew , way too late.

[@widebleek8138]

After 45 years of Free Market Economics is the government poorer?

[@evolassunglasses4673]

We live under oligarchy now unfortunately

[@wills2552]

It's not about messaging, we're sick to death of "messaging" it's action we want on the things that really matter, Labour have blown it.

[@markrozee]

I was a first time Labour voter. Very happy so far, particularly the winter fuel payment 😊

[@susanmiller14]

Wake up! First they came for.......

[@simondebeer9917]

Do you hate poor, old people ?

[@mediacloud1043]

Fully agree. Means testing of EVERYONE and that includes the non productive segments like retired is essential. People of a certain age have been voting for many more years than youngsters so they are clearly to blame. People need to be accountable for their decisions.

[@richardambrose6616]

Goodness me Marr is stupid or naive, very much like the the 10 people in Kent. Everyday labour lurch from one, self made, balls up to another completely of their own making. And yet he thinks they can turn it around, yeah right 😂😂😂😂

[@_xeere]

How did they manage to find a whole ten people who swung from Conservative to Labour? I didn't think there were that many in the country.

[@johncraske]

I have an obvious solution to the current row over Labour's tax increases. The British public don't like paying tax, so don't impose any new taxes on them. Just let public services, the NHS , the benefits system etc go down the pan. Simples.

[@celiacresswell6909]

Well, ending the welfare state would sort out the mass immigration problem too. If you collapsed the economy at the same time, we would slash our carbon footprint. You for PM!

[@johncraske]

@@celiacresswell6909 You are hereby appointed my deputy.

[@22448824]

Anyone who finishes their comment by putting "Simples" as if it's a plural automatically has their opinion discounted.

[@Conorguill]

Starmer has been woeful on Israel/Palestine

[@kerrynewnham8946]

Yes , another aspect that will be his deserved down fall

[@carltaylor6452]

Indeed, he's been very woolly over his support for our ally, Israel, and Lammy has been a disgrace.

[@superted6960]

Like either side in that mess take any notice of what the UK says.

[@davidclark1545]

People don’t want to see houses built on green belt land that they see out their windows. Marr is complete deluded to stage he may have mental health issues.

[@dukemasters6829]

What is the true effects of the cutting winter payments because I’ve personally not heard any people complaining about it and my parents are working class not to Mention other pensioners . As long as it’s going to the people that need it

[@selene3149]

One thing missing from this discussion is the possibility that c. £10millon per day is being spent on irregular immigrants who come here illegally. So, when you say there’s no money, that springs to mind. The irregular immigrants haven’t paid a penny NI so they should not be able to claim support, their costs on arrival should be a loan. And that goes for school kids as well going straight from school to benefits. If we don’t pay house insurance, we can’t make a claim- it’s the same thing. Can you discuss whether it is true or false that irregular immigration is bankrupting our country, costing £10million per day, or not?

[@KimJacobson-l1w]

Tax the rich would be a start. They font want to touch their backers, the courtiers

[@MrNewtonian]

Like Lord Alli?

[@superted6960]

The share of tax revenue paid by "the rich" has been going up steadily for the last decade and a half. It's a fantasy that there's a bottomless pot of money there that can be creamed off.

[@evolassunglasses4673]

They have already left.

[@eddieobrien1411]

Mental health is a term developed in early 90’s to take the emphasis of the idea of it being an illness.Before that,there was the idea that everything can be fixed with a tablet,and selling tablets required diagnosis.Therefore things we used to call melancholia,having the blues,under the weather,being uptight and neurotic etc etc,became a certified illness needing a cure.The problem now is that fixing these issues on a personal level,is very difficult to quantify and often creates unrealistic expectations.This all leads to the biggest concern about how much this all costs,in time and resources;without any guarantee of optimal outcomes.The painful truth is a bottomless pit of money and a culture seeking victim hood,everywhere you care to look

[@LindaSmith-xo8qb]

For some reason every single one of their voices really grates on me.

[@SiPhillipson]

We've been keft with a high tax, high spend fiscal poicy from the tories that hasn't worked. Labour apoear to be doubling down. The country is screwed. No-one ever seems to mention a big elephant in the room though. Covid. The amount of borrowing and damage to our country from Draconian measures that shut our economy down never seems to be covered in any depth. Probably because Labour wanted to, and would have gone further.

[@andrewhickling8810]

So how an you make an incredibly inefficient NHS suddenly work like a Ferrari? It has nothing to do with money and everything to do with the structure of the NHS. The only way the NHS can cut waiting lists is to pay private hospitals to do operations. This will only reflect on how much more efficient the private sector is compared with the public sector. Lesson in economics 101 from the Soviet Union.

[@OneAndOnlyMe]

I generally hate Reform Ltd and everything the populists stand for. Howeber I have long been also saying that NHS nurses and doctors should be taken out of the tax system altogether. This can be easily implemented by assigning a new tax code (NHS) nurses and doctors a tax code (or just using the existing NT - not taxed, tax code).

[@Pastaface]

The electorate needs to understand It's going to get worse before it gets worser.

[@jezlawrence720]

The problem with Labour claiming - truthfully or not - that the Conservatives left us with a massive financial hole is that if the hole is that big... surely someone should be being prosecuted for fraud, corruption or ideally both? The fact they aren't suggests there really is zero accountability for politicians outside of the ballot box. I mean... this is totally true, but the public really don't like being reminded of it. So it just sounds weak and pathetic. Basically: If it's not that bad, then get a grip. If it IS that bad, it can really only be due to lying about the finances - and if a company or self-employed person did that, there would be prosecutions. So let's see some arrests, or investigations, or something. I'd like to see it because I really feel like we've just had 15 years of being ruled by absolute crooks (possibly that's only a safe claim since the demonstrable liar Boris came in, but the tories did CHOOSE the liar, at the end of the day). But we won't see it because there's no accountability. Labour are playing a dangerous game for themselves by playing this up but doing nothing about it except making the public suffer more. That won't result in (please god), loathing of the conservative party, it will result in even more loathing for ALL of them.

[@ExpendableRedshirt]

Labour aren't doing great, as was noticed by everyone, but it is early days and even now they are far better than the alternatives ever were. The Tories would run a mile before even considering the Worker's new deal or giving doctors a raise. I'm disappointed so far, but we will see, in the coming budget, exactly what kind of government they are. I have a bad feeling they are firmly centrist and will cut benefits even more, which is not good.