Tax cuts but is it enough?
It’s three in a row of ” Put Britain first ” from Andy Burnham. In a 6 am a press release has been announced that Drinking establishments will get a tax cut
It’s three in a row of ” Put Britain first ” from Andy Burnham. In a 6 am a press release has been announced that Drinking establishments, pubs, clubs and live music venues will get a 20% business rates tax cut from next April.
We have had VAT relief on electric bills for 6 months, bus fares capped to £2 per route and a cut in business rates for drinking establishments. But what’s on people’s mind is how this all is to be funded.
It’s good to think we have a government that’s doing for the general public, but is it too little too late?
Kemi Badenoch, Conservative, has called the PM’s plans a spending spree and has called on him to rule out tax rises to pay for them. She also said it’s too small for Britain; we need to look in a bigger way.
Drinking venues will save approx. £1100 on their tax bill per year. But really, is this enough to save the drinks industry? With approximately 8 venues closing weekly, it’s clear more needs to be done. It’s estimated 540 pubs will close in 2026.
Cafés, restaurants and hotels won’t benefit from these tax cuts and many of their businesses are under threat.
Funding will come from bad businesses like Vape shops that seem to promote sad business for the UK.
But the cost-of-living UK idea seems to have been floundering before it even began. It does not seem enough really to help our pockets. Business tax has gone up 50%, so a cut of 20% is not good at all and still leaves publicans under pressure.
We had 3 boats and 173 illegal immigrants land at Dover yesterday and no word or acknowledgement from Andy Burnham. Besides the cost of living, stopping the boats is a huge subject for the people of Britain.
What’s the PM’s game? Getting the public to like him with Micky Mouse pledges. He still has not been grilled by the press yet, and everything is staged. Is this the best we can do, Andy Burnham and his staged cabinet?
Government
1200 More Illegal Immigrants In 8 Days
Another bad week for the Government on illegal immigration.
Another bad week for the Government on illegal immigration. Complacent with the fact that illegal immigration is down from last year, many factors could cause this. The gangs can lack equipment, or basically the weather is not good enough.
From the 27th of September to the 4th of October, the 8 days showed 1260 small boat arrivals. Looking at stats for the year Thu 1st Jan 26 to Thu 1st Oct 26, 19,196 illegal immigrants arrived, down 44% from last year but still way too many.
The incentives are too high to come to the UK. Anything we do in life has to have an incentive, and we seem to have what these people need.
But 19,000 people arriving this year will influence the UK economy and, lest we forget, morale among British people. All these immigrants must be paid for, and as an example, housing, transport, clothing and personal allowances.
The other problem we see now is protests concerning illegal immigration. Towns are being singled out as landing spots and are being met by protesters. Dover seems a far cry from new landings in Hampshire; they are using more dangerous routes.
Another important point is that illegal immigrants should stay in the first safe country they reach. But they travel from Italy, which is safe, through Europe to France, where they cross to the UK.
The problem with the let-them-in lefties is that they don’t seem to have any concept of size. It could be land size or money. Our little island can only take so much immigration. We are currently struggling to increase defence spending, so how can we keep paying for immigration?
It’s time the country settled down from the Burnham bounce and got on to securing our borders because 19,000 illegal entries are not secure. Instead of looking at past years’ sm
Government
Profile of political Parties in the UK.
What governs the UK is political parties. They are voted in on a mandate from the people and govern for 5 years till the next election.
What governs the UK is political parties. They are voted in on a mandate from the people and govern for 5 years till the next election. Each party has a manifesto that tells the public what they stand for. On this, we go to the polls.
The current Labour and New Labour leader is Andy Burnham. The past PM was Keir Starmer, who was a very weak leader. The current PM has no mandate to govern and is currently just looking to woo the public, but it’s not working.
All the current issues that matter, he pushes aside for gimmicks to make everyone believe he cares for the country. He hired a weak chancellor who’s been shown to be weak, and his cabinet is as weak as him.
Because they are a party on the left, they bring their own problems too. But people have started seeing through the soft left and are looking for strong leadership and strong action on immigration, cost of living and defence. They have 403 Labour MPs
The Conservatives have Kemi Badenoch as their leader. She speaks loudly and precisely, but it is falling on deaf ears. The Tories were in power for 14 years from 2010 – 2024 but nearly ruined the country. We must remember the Tories are a right-wing party.
Because of them, we have military problems, welfare problems and immigration issues. The major problem they have now, being in opposition, is that no one wants to go back to austerity and live in misery. To be honest, they are finished for many years to come.
Currently, they are stealing other parties’ policies, like Reform, to make you believe they are the party to vote for. It’s poor stealing policies and it shows they are weak. If only we could believe them. There are 118 Conservative MPs
The Liberal Democrats are led by Sir Ed Davey. They are classified as a centrist to centre-left political party. For a medium-sized party, Ed gets his 2 questions at PMQs, but most of the time nothing seems to stand out.
Their 2024 manifesto welcomes immigrants, including illegal ones, with open arms. This is something the public doesn’t want and will make them few friends.
One of their other manifesto promises is that non-binary identities would be recognised in law, but they also want to rejoin the single market. There are 71 Lib Dem MPs.
Then we have Reform, a right-wing party with strong feelings on immigration and immigrants. They really are going to do it, and the threats are real. All countries are struggling with immigration in the EU, but to have a stance like Reform’s lasts.
But can we trust Nigel Farage, who is now mixed up in a donation scandal worth 5 million pounds? It’s such a new party, and dishing out promises they may not be able to keep is wrong.
But the basis is there, and maybe Laila Cunningham, if she does not win the Mayor of London race, could run as an MP and with Nigel stepping down, she could be the next Reform Leader. Watch this space. They have 8 Reform MPs
Finally, the Green Party has come a long way since Caroline Lucas started as an MP, and their non-MP leader is Zach Polanski. With 5 MP’s now, they feel the time is right for the Greens at the next election.
The Green Party is considered a left-wing political party, focusing on environmental issues and progressive social policies. But the Green Party always picks the argumentative subjects to canvass, like transgender and nonbinary issues.
But one policy that’s a worry is for us is having open borders. Total freedom of movement. Last year, boat crossings of illegal immigrants were 41,472. Imagine how many people would come with open borders, putting strain on the UK.
Finally, look at the Greens leader. Zach Polanski stated in the past that he could increase the size of women’s breasts using hypnotism. Statements like this make the party look like a joke.
So, these are the players, but do they have any thoughts for their constituents? Does any party stick by their manifesto? It seems from the past that broken manifesto promises are common.
John Healey, being the current bandit, quit his job as defence secretary under Keir Starmer in a row over spending. Now, as Chancellor, he is doing nothing about what he quit over. It’s two-faced governing.
But at the end of the day, we put our trust in these people, and we get a higher cost of living and everyday life being made unbearable.
Think long and hard before voting; it’s the only way to make your life matter.
Understanding the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)
The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is an international treaty designed to safeguard human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law across Europe. Drafted by the newly formed Council of Europe in 1950, the ECHR entered into force in 1953. It established a legal framework to hold member states accountable to their citizens and to anyone residing within their jurisdiction.
Core Rights and Freedoms
The Convention outlines fundamental rights and protections divided into specific legal articles:
- Right to Life (Article 2): Mandates that governments must protect the right to life by law, with strict limits on the use of lethal force.
- Prohibition of Torture (Article 3): Strictly bans torture, as well as inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
- Prohibition of Slavery and Forced Labour (Article 4): Prohibits human trafficking, forced labour, and holding individuals in servitude.
- Right to Liberty and Security (Article 5): Guarantees protection against arbitrary arrest or unlawful detention.
- Right to a Fair Trial (Article 6): Enforces entitlement to a fair and public hearing before an independent court, alongside the presumption of innocence.
- Right to Respect for Private and Family Life (Article 8): Guards against arbitrary interference in an individual’s personal life, family connections, home, and personal communications.
- Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion (Article 9): Protects an individual’s freedom to hold, practice, or change their religious or philosophical beliefs.
- Freedom of Expression (Article 10): Guarantees the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information without government interference, forming the bedrock of press freedom.
- Prohibition of Discrimination (Article 14): Ensures that the enjoyment of all Convention rights is protected without discrimination on grounds such as sex, race, religion, or background.
Additional Protocols
Over time, the Convention has expanded through additional agreements known as “Protocols”. Key updates include:
- Protocol 1: Adds protections for property ownership, the right to education, and the right to free elections.
- Protocols 6 and 13: Abolish the death penalty in peacetime and under all circumstances, respectively.
The Role of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)
To enforce compliance, the ECHR established the European Court of Human Rights, based in Strasbourg, France.
If an individual believes their rights under the ECHR have been violated by a member state, they can apply directly to the ECtHR after exhausting domestic legal options and appeals. Rulings from the ECtHR are legally binding on signatory nations, often prompting changes to national legislation, administrative practices, or the payment of compensation to victims.
ECHR vs. The European Union
A common point of confusion is the distinction between the ECHR and the European Union (EU):
- The Council of Europe: An independent international organisation encompassing 46 member states that oversees the ECHR.
- The European Union: A separate economic and political union of European nations.
A nation can leave the European Union while remaining a signatory state to the European Convention on Human Rights.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes and does not constitute formal legal counsel.