I’d be going as Rachel from customer service if I was her, admitting to being an economist would be too embarrassing.
Rachel from accounts getting good value for our money I see. Not.
Those in glass houses…
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That would apply if I was a Tory supporter, but as I’m not it’s irrelevant
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Surely then you would appreciate how much more efficient the current govt has gotten? At this rate, if they are elected a few more times, they may be able to undo all the tory waste and destruction.
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Sorry, that was aimed at the Telegraph.
As far as I can see, the Labour plan is costing half of what the Tory scheme cost and has removed an order of magnitude more failed asylum cases on a single flight. The owners of bargain basement hotels must be crapping themselves.
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I kinda can accept the immigration restriction stuff as it can somewhat still be reconciled with leftism, but attacking welfare recipients is a true own goal which will totally undermine Labour’s own political agenda - especially when the attempts to go after welfare cheats often cost more than the cheats themselves and also hurt the majority of legitimate welfare recipients.
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That’s my point.
It’s a constant theme that what politicians say does affect sentiment – look at all the reactions to Labour’s rhetoric about the country not having any money.
There were some really valid points in the interview that Cooper I think it was gave, that there seem to be some interesting patterns, but instead of emphasising how the government needs to find a way to get these people back into employment, including treatments as necessary or funding retraining schemes, all of the coverage simply focused on the supposed spongers.
For someone who’s been in politics for longer than some voters have been alive, that was either deliberate, or extremely incompetent.
Yeah I get that, the wastage from the Torys was off the scale.
But, FFS it’s still an astronimical waste of tax payers money.
Problem is, whoever is in office, they’ll have a team dedicated to organising stuff like this, and when it’s other peoples money they’re spending they don’t really give much of a fuck about getting value
But the problem is they feel the need to engage in such performative nonsense because of the press and the anti-immigration sentiment. If a sober, competent message worked, then it wouldn’t matter as much. But the media seems intent on blowing smoke up the arses of Farage.
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The Telegraph article didn’t go into any detail about where the money was spent. Is that just the cost of a single flight, or does it include additional (potentially one-off) costs?
You can’t use commercial flights for this type of thing. The risk is far too high. A quick search shows that the lease cost for an A321 is $460,000 and you would have to include conversion costs and restoration costs to use it for carrying “unwilling passengers”.
I’m guessing that they aren’t going to use this for a single flight as they have a ongoing requirement to remove failed asylum seekers and other irregular migrants.
Another quick Google reveals this contract:
Obviously a different configuration, but an A321 at £75 million over five years works out as £1.25 million per month.
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I still believe that’s more a fault with those covering the article misrepresenting the weight of the points Kendall made. It’s become fairly noticeable that even the BBC has become more tabloidy in its headlining.
As you say most of that article is recognizing that the majority of people claiming benefits having a genuine need to do so and wanting to work, and much of the noises made by the government since last summer has been on emphasizing giving more support to help people get back into employment.
However, I would also say that it’s worth noting that Kendall was speaking shortly after the chair of the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee spoke out about its inquiry into the Welfare system and long-term sickness ("and once in receipt of them they have neither the incentive nor support to find and accept a job – work doesn’t pay.) Urgent action needed to tackle the spiralling costs of the health benefit trap - Committees - UK Parliament
And there are a number of white and green papers currently looking to make changes to the welfare system, particularly for those with health conditions - with the interview most likely being used to prepare for some of those announcements.
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Yep, the BA price link was tongue in cheek.
Still far cheaper options out there though
Maybe write to Angela Eagle about it then?
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This bugs me (not your post, the whole left and immigration thing). It’s certainly become seen as a left wing “thing” but I’m struggling to believe its roots were born in left wing politics.
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That is my point, that Kendall (not Cooper, sorry) should have known better.
Thanks for the link though, it is interesting and I’ll read it.
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I already did.
She redirected me here, said someone somehow will end up blaming Farage or Musk
Interesting article on a very important policy.
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Haven’t you heard though fighting climate change is a woke ideological crusade.
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