Tuesday 18 April 2017

Not Up For Debate

Theresa May has absolutely ruled out head-to-head debates, due to her having no policies. Or at least, as we shall see, no policies of her own.

As to Jeremy Corbyn's, domestically, are they unpopular?

Protecting the Triple Lock up to 2025? Compensating the WASPI women? Protecting the pensions of British citizens living abroad? Keeping the Winter Fuel Allowance and the free bus passes for pensioners?

Cancelling the inheritance tax cut, in order to spend the money on paying carers properly? Scrapping the VAT exemption for private school fees, in order to spend the money on free school meals for all state primary pupils?

No wonder she won't debate them.

She is, however, in favour of workers' and consumers' representation in corporate governance, of shareholders' control over executive pay, of restrictions on pay differentials within companies, of an investment-based Industrial Strategy and infrastructure programme, of greatly increased housebuilding, of action against tax avoidance, of a ban on public contracts for tax-avoiding companies, of a cap on energy prices, of banning or greatly restricting foreign takeovers, and of a ban on unpaid internships.

Two years ago, the only politicians advocating all but one of those were Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, while the energy price cap, proposed by Ed Miliband, was being screamed down by the people who wish that they themselves were still running the Labour Party, something that they have not now done for as long as Tony Blair was ever Prime Minister.

These days, though, such are the policies even of the person who can be elected unopposed as Leader of the Conservative Party.

No comments:

Post a Comment