Labour Liars Caught Saying The Quiet Part Out Loud.

Right, so the Labour Party, once a bastion of social justice and established to represent the working class, are now just a bunch if grubby little Tory-style liars, not an ounce of difference between them and as such now stands accused of abandoning its core principles under the leadership of a man who lies like a rug and a chancellor who can’t seem to be able to read a calculator the right way up.
Recent announcements of plans to cut billions from social security, the proper term for welfare or benefits, a safety net to catch us all should we need it at some point in our lives, has sparked outrage and none of that has been justified more than in rancid abusive terms by Labour’s Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood, who basically has said the quiet part out loud, exposing this sham of government and what is driving it and who they feel the really stand for, because it isn’t ordinary working class people any more and certainly the millions of people who depend on these benefits to survive, even if they happen to be in work.
These cuts are again all being justified by claims of a £22 billion fiscal black hole inherited from the Conservatives, yet despite that claim, billions have been found to hand to Ukraine and increase defence spending, which has no positive economic impact at all. Neither does taking more cash out of people’s pockets. Expect a further economic downturn, with even less to cut going forward and more hardship, but at least we got the Tories out eh?
Right, so that was Shabana Mahmood there attempting to justify the proposed cuts coming up and she frankly sucked at it. Ignoring the question about her own department, she bleated about the £22billion fiscal black hole that Labour still refuse to evidence, she talked about balancing the public finances, when actually this is completely unnecessary, given the government can print any money it ever wants to spend, there is no such concept as living within our means at governmental level, offset by taxation as it needs to be, yes, but they could always tax the rich to do that – yeah right. She spouted a load of nonsense there, but it wasn’t the half of it.
You see Shabana Mahmood’s further comments about social security recipients have been particularly egregious. She has been accused of perpetuating harmful stereotypes by suggesting that Labour is a party for “people who actually work,” having said the clue is in the name, implying that those on benefits are somehow undeserving of support even if they are in work, their employers being the ones getting subsidised by the government with benefit top ups to poor wages. This is offensive and deeply dishonest rhetoric, as well as being sneeringly condescending. It ignores the reality that many people on benefits are in work but rely on top-ups to survive due to low wages, while others are unable to work due to illness or disability, or can work despite disability, but depending on what cuts get made, may end up being prevented from being able to work, no longer able to access it, due to their additional needs no longer being met. If there is supposedly dignity in work, where is the dignity in this?
Mahmood’s comments are a clear example of what critics have called “the quiet part being said out loud”—a tacit admission that this Labour government does not represent the entire working class, just those in work who earn enough to not require a state top up. By selectively choosing who they support, Labour has just effectively millions of low-paid workers, the sick, and the disabled, many of whom will have voted Labour to get the Tories out, that they don’t give a stuff for them any more than the Tories did before them. This divisive rhetoric is a carbon copy of the Conservative Party’s demonisation of benefit claimants, reinforcing the fact, that Labour under Starmer is really no different. This language not only stigmatises those in need but also undermines the social solidarity that should be at the heart of any progressive government and undermines the UK as a state that is supposedly civilised, because that is measured in how you treat your poorest and most vulnerable.
Labour has repeatedly cited this £22 billion fiscal black hole inherited from the Conservatives as the primary justification for all of its planned cuts. But the lack of transparency surrounding this figure has raised serious questions for many months now. The government has refused to provide a detailed breakdown of how this figure was calculated, leading to accusations that it is being used as a convenient excuse to push through ideologically driven cuts, rather than necessary ones.
In addition to that, the claim that these cuts are necessary due to economic constraints is undermined by the choices Labour has been making in other areas. For example, the government has committed to increasing defence spending and has sent billions of pounds in aid to Ukraine and whilst aid to Ukraine particularly might have widespread support, if we have a £22billion fiscal black hole, surely we can’t afford it then? Labour can’t have it both ways. These deliberate choices, as meritorious as they might be for some, also blatantly point out the fact that Labour’s austerity drive is a matter of political choice for them rather than economic necessity. The prioritisation of military spending over social security reveals a government that is willing to sacrifice the well-being of its most vulnerable citizens in pursuit of Starmer being able to wave his willy around with the big boys on the world stage.
Also come under fire here in no small part for her mishandling of the economy, is Rachel From Accounts, mishandling which has left the government with very little room for manoeuvre and is more the likely reason Reeves wants to slash social security, her apparent hatred for those on benefits a matter of record, little miss we’ll be tougher on benefits than the Tories is now making good on that threat. Reeves not so long ago had apparent fiscal headroom of some £9.9 billion, but her economic decisions, which have led the economy to broadly flatline, have effectively wiped out that buffer. Her failure to address structural issues in the economy, such as low productivity and stagnant wages, more money in our pockets which stimulates growth as we go out and spend, has left the government seemingly with no choice but to resort to austerity measures, though of course they could instead, tax the rich and make them pay for something for once, instead of ordinary working class people.
And of course Labour’s approach to more austerity and more social security cuts now stands in stark contrast to demands being of them that have now been made by the United Nations, who has called on the UK government to scrap the two-child benefit cap and increase benefits to eradicate poverty. You know, one of those things Labour are actually supposed to stand for. Instead of heeding these calls, Labour is doubling down on policies that will exacerbate that poverty and that inequality and hardship.
The impact of these welfare cuts on poverty levels cannot be overstated, especially after 14 years of devastating cuts by the Tories and the damage to people’s lives that came with that.. According to the Big Issue, cuts to social security are likely to push millions of people into deeper poverty, including those who are already struggling to make ends meet. The two-child benefit cap, which Labour has refused to scrap, is particularly harmful, particularly evil as we know it to be, punishing kids for being born for not being born first or second, it disproportionately affects larger families and those living in deprived areas.
So what cuts exactly are coming than? We haven’t the details just yet, they’re a month away, but its enough that more cuts to social security are coming to make this newsworthy, especially when the figures being alleged are being counted in the billions. They may include stricter eligibility criteria, reductions in the value of benefits which will plunge more people into poverty, or the introduction of new sanctions regimes. With the wickedness of this government you can imagine them dreaming up such notions. Whatever form they take, the result will be the same though: increased hardship for those who are already struggling. This is not just a matter of statistics; it is a matter of human lives. Families will be forced to choose between heating their homes and feeding their children, while disabled people will face even greater barriers to living with dignity, but then with the Assisted Dying Bill becoming ever more a profit driven exercise heading closer to becoming law, a way out is being offered at the same time, with less and less oversight the longer the Bill gets debated.
Labour have simply continued the austerity agenda pursued by the Conservatives, most notably that of Mr Omnishambles himself George Osborne, who Rachel Reeves appears to idolise. Many people voted for Labour in the hope of a break from the harsh policies of the previous government and they haven’t got it, in fact what they’ve got could be even worse. Instead of reversing the cuts made by the Tories, Labour is deepening them, making matters worse for those who rely on social security.
It is a betrayal of trust and one that is particularly galling given Labour’s historical commitment to social justice, this is the party that created social security after all, yet look at them now. The party’s shift to the right under Keir Starmer has left many of its traditional supporters feeling alienated and disillusioned. The fact that Labour is now seen as the party of austerity is a damning indictment of its current leadership. And they totally deserve that.
But in light of all of that, there is growing dissent among backbenchers, who are becoming increasingly vocal in their opposition to further austerity. These MPs are arguing that cutting social security is not only morally wrong but also economically counterproductive. They point out that reducing benefits will lead to increased demand for other public services, such as the NHS and social care, as people are pushed into deeper poverty, with all the associated knock on effects of that, notably to health. They’re not wrong, but will they end up voting that way if whipped to support the government? There’s not much evidence for a spine amongst them these days.
It doesn’t have to be this way though. One of the most glaring omissions from Labour’s economic strategy is the failure to consider alternative sources of revenue, because they are there. Instead of targeting the least well-off, Rachel Reeves could choose to implement a wealth tax on the richest in society, Green Party policy as this is, such a tax would not only raise significant revenue but also address the growing inequality that has been exacerbated by years of austerity, the trouble is it hits Labour right in the donors and that is why Reeves won’t do it. Only a party or a government completely bought and paid for, would refuse to tap such a resource, according to Oxfam, there are approximately 685,500 Britons in the richest 1%, with a total wealth of £2.8 trillion. In comparison, the lowest earning 48 million Britons, 70 per cent of the population, have a total wealth of just £2.4 billion. The inequality in this country is off the charts and still it isn’t considered an option.
Labour is sending a clear message that it values the interests of the wealthy over those of the poor. They are another Tory Party now therefore.
Labour’s planned welfare cuts rare a profound betrayal of the party’s values and the people it claims to represent and the foundations the party itself was built on. By targeting the most vulnerable in society, the government is not only deepening poverty but also undermining the social fabric of the country. The offensive rhetoric used by ministers like Shabana Mahmood, the lack of transparency around the £22 billion fiscal black hole, and the refusal to consider alternatives to austerity all point to a government that we need to see the back of ASAP.
For more on the billions we’re sending to Ukraine, the affordability of that in light of cuts to come a justifiable issue to question, for as much as some might laud it, there’s enough of that in the mainstream coverage, so lets talk about the other side and I’ve done just that in this video recommendation here as your suggested next watch. Please do hit like, share and subscribe to the channel if you’ve not already done so to ensure you don’t miss out on all new daily content as well as supporting the channel as well which is enormously appreciated, holding power to account for ordinary working class people and I will hopefully catch you on the next vid. Cheers folks.