The Politics Thread 3.0

[Knoyleo]

People declaring her as 'leader of the free world' look increasingly foolish in my opinion.

Especially as that is Donald Trump's title.

[satriales]

No magic money tree for the NHS but May can find £40bilion to give to the EU.

[Hexx]

She's not "found" $40bn to pay them - they're (based on language) payment's we'd already committed to/would have to pay

[Lagamorph]

As far as I know it's also not going to be a huge lump sum like some of the papers like to imply. It will just be a continuation of existing payments to the EU until accounts are settled.

[satriales]

If we owe £40 billion then why was May only offering £20 billion until now?
I just find it ridiculous that she can suddenly add £20 billion just to move talks along. It seems that, like with DUP bribe, she thinks that throwing our money at the problem will make it goes away.

[Hexx]

If we owe £40 billion then why was May only offering £20 billion until now?
I just find it ridiculous that she can suddenly add £20 billion just to move talks along. It seems that, like with DUP bribe, she thinks that throwing our money at the problem will make it goes away.

I'm not even sure we owe £40bn it could be £60bn etc.

She's not "adding", she's "admitting".

She's not "throwing our money" - all the EU wants is whatever the UK already committed to as part of an agreeable split.

They believe that represents a figure of X. The UK is trying to say it's Y. Or it's Y+20. Neither side is (at least publically) showing it's work.

It's why her Florence speech of "We'll honor our commitments" was met with ridicule.

May: "We'll honor our commitments"
EU: "Yes, but what do you think they are?"
May: "Our commitments"
EU: "Yes but what are they?"
May: "Honored"
EU: "How are you calculating this?"
May: "Very carefully"
EU: "But how much do you think this is?"
May: "As much as we need to pay"
EU: "But what is it a figure?"
May "Up to £100 billion billion. Hey let's talk about trade!"

And so forth. And then May/Davis played to headbanging Brexitters "We've made our position clear! Why won't the EU move on!"

And it works

[Grumpy David]

Anyone expecting anything particularly good from The Budget?

Talk of stamp duty changes but unfortunately Sajid Javid's "spend 50 billion on housing" idea seems unlikely to be part of it.

[Lagamorph]

Hammond's hands are completely tied with it really. I don't expect much beyond him getting sacked to make way for a Brexiter in the next week or two.

[DML]

This is a very good comedy routine from Hammond here.

[Cuttooth]

twitter.com/SamCoatesTimes/status/933316091304202240

strawberry floating terrifying economic future ahead.

[KK]

I will have the look on McDonnell's face in a minute. It was brilliant.

[KK]

Hammond brings up lack of job losses that McDonnell (and probably others) predicted back in 2011...



He then made a joke about I'm a Celebrity, followed up by a Clarkson joke about disagreeing with him on driverless cars 'not the first time you've been snubbed by Hammond and May'

[Squinty]

That is a pretty good joke.

[KK]

New council powers to charge '100% council tax premium on empty properties'.

Boy, does that sound like a Labour policy.

[Moggy]

New council powers to charge '100% council tax premium on empty properties'.

Boy, does that sound like a Labour policy.

I am stunned that isn’t already the case.

I don’t think it’ll make much difference to those that own second homes though. It’ll be annoying, but if they can afford to own more than one property then I am sure they can afford the council tax on the empty one.

[Garth]

Giving £28m to Kensington and Chelsea Council, where they already had a budget surplus of £274m, seems like paying lip service to the issues raised by the Grenfell Tower fire.

[KK]

First-time homebuyers will no longer have to pay stamp duty for properties of up to £300,000.

The chancellor announces he is abolishing the charge from today.

It will also be available on the first £300,000 of the purchase price of properties up to £500,000 [for places like London].

Noteworthy point from the Chancellor was that he now referred to the UK as the "6th largest economy", overtaken by France. Irritating.

[Lagamorph]

New council powers to charge '100% council tax premium on empty properties'.

Boy, does that sound like a Labour policy.

I am stunned that isn’t already the case.

I don’t think it’ll make much difference to those that own second homes though. It’ll be annoying, but if they can afford to own more than one property then I am sure they can afford the council tax on the empty one.

Don't most councils already offer no council tax discounts for empty properties now?
Or is this that an empty property will be subject to 200% Council tax rather than just 100%?

[KK]

Very heated during the response from Corbyn. The Speaker having to tell the Tory benches to shut up multiple times.

[Errkal]

New council powers to charge '100% council tax premium on empty properties'.

Boy, does that sound like a Labour policy.

I am stunned that isn’t already the case.

I don’t think it’ll make much difference to those that own second homes though. It’ll be annoying, but if they can afford to own more than one property then I am sure they can afford the council tax on the empty one.

Don't most councils already offer no council tax discounts for empty properties now?
Or is this that an empty property will be subject to 200% Council tax rather than just 100%?

A premium means additional to doesn't it, so it would mean you pay double.