That Starmer fella...

the number of older folk I have spoken to in recent times who say they don't want to vote Tory but won't vote for labour because "socialist policies will bankrupt the country"

It's weird, isn't it. The "old" (and I'm generalising here) seem willing to fuck the country's future in so many other ways (NIMBYism, Brexit etc etc) but they care a lot about the national debt (except the bit of it that funds the triple lock).

Suck Here Starmer

Did LOL! 👏👏👏

It’s understandable. You’ve worked hard your whole life, hated the relentless debt treadmill of your 30s and 40s, just about getting comfortable in your 50s, maybe even starting to enjoy life again and you get worried that someone might change something that sets you back. Small c conservatism is the safest bet if you’re finally doing Ok.

But why care about the national debt, which probably only impacts taxes after you die?

Because it's seen as prudent, got to fix the leaky roof

My only experience of top level politics is Yes Minister and The Thick of It tho.

So you're over qualified?

My mum has huge anxiety over the state of the world her generation is leaving - including national debt.

I find this a bit weird as her generation lived with the post-war debt throughout their working lives as she never even considered this as a thing that impacted them.

Maybe they can see loads of stuff is f**ked, but given they can’t fix most of it fixate on one thing that seems possible to understand (not that most people really do) - public debt?

Makes sense (tbf she's also anxious about climate change, unaffordable higher education for her grandkids, housing issues and loads more). But definitely tied in to 'what will it be like when I'm gone/will my grandkids be ok'.

I find this a bit weird as her generation lived with the post-war debt throughout their working lives as she never even considered this as a thing that impacted them.

The UK only finished paying the Americans back for WW1 in 2015!

Your mum sounds nice.

She is but also very very anxious due to Radio 4 being on in every room of the house all the time.

She’s also happily married if that’s your angle 😂

I think older folks, as in much older, have a sense of national pride as well that we are a great nation, so having the national debt of what they would describe as a banana republic is seen as unbecoming of our place in the world

The UK only finished paying the Americans back for WW1 in 2015!

I find the fact we only finished paying off the debt of compensating slave owners for abolition in 2015 more shocking

that was kind of my point. It was just a thing everyone was ok with / accepted while dealing with all the other shit/the next crisis.

so having the national debt of what they would describe as a banana republic is seen as unbecoming of our place in the world

Or just average for the UK for over 300 years, as well as being pretty average today in comparison to others in the G7.

It's just vibes isn't it?

https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2021/april-2021/chart-of-the-week-the-debt-of-g7-nations

Yeh it isn't grounded in economics, just "common sense" and nostalgia

She’s also happily married if that’s your angle 😂

If that's their thing I'm interested.

This image made me laugh over the weekend. The black and white looks like he had died or done something very wrong. Probably not done like that on purpose of course.

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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/16/keir-starmer-nhs-reform-tory-labour

Yes

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I was going make a sarcy comment about hyperbole, but a quick read of the thread makes it sound like that's their genuine position.

Whenever I see people like that I wonder what they'd be like with a couple of life changes. £10 says a bit more rejection and they'd be on a chan incel thread.

Onward argued that to properly secure its advantage, Starmer’s party needed to appeal more to so-called left authoritarians – those who have leftwing views on economics but are more conservative on social issues, many of whom supported Boris Johnson in 2019.

These represent 61% of all voters, and 78% of potential switchers to Labour, the report says.

The polling involved asking all non-Labour voters about their main reasons for not supporting the party, with 24% agreeing with the reply “It represents the very woke and leftwing” – the second most popular option after “not competent” – and 19% saying “It’s not for people like me, I don’t share its values”.

In 48 of the 60 seats that Labour lost in 2019, Onward said, at least two-thirds of voters were more socially authoritarian than average.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jan/20/keir-starmer-labour-could-win-big-with-shift-to-right-on-social-issues-says-thinktank

https://castbox.fm/vb/564105412

^Starmer on the news agents

Beginning to like the cut of his jib

Beginning to like the cut of his jib

You aren't alone