David Laing

21 • Aberdeen/Manchester • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 • Chair @CultsLibrary Trust📚RT - not endorsements

[David Laing @daviddalaing]

📉Declining footfall
🚫businesses closing
6️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ people sign a petition
📊Polling shows 87% think council policies are damaging the city.

❓When will the council administration finally accept they are barking up the wrong tree and reverse their damaging decisions?

[The Press and Journal @pressjournal]

Poll results revealed: Hundreds say ‘anti-car��� Aberdeen is driving shoppers away from struggling city centre https://t.co/iMdNVj9a5r

[Daniel Priestley @DanielPriestley]

Everyone is piling on to @garyseconomics - his wealth tax documentary has bombed. Even the Guardian has given it a 2-star review and watched in horror as experts and onlookers alike call his ideas a car wreck.

It’s disappointing that he stuck to the same scripted lines that he said to me over a year ago. I raised the core issues with him back then and he did nothing to evolve his thinking.

Now with all of that said, I want to urge that we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Wealth Taxes won’t work but that doesn’t mean we can’t look for ways to improve things for people who are struggling.

Gary’s popularity stems from a real issue. Millions of people see no way of keeping up with the costs of living. For millions of people in the UK their living standards are getting worse year on year and it needs to be addressed.

Here’s my thinking:

THE CAUSE:
- technology is devaluing jobs by making them easy to automate, outsource or simplify.
- we’ve had an un-targeted immigration policy that has flooded the UK labour market with millions of additional low skilled workers who compete with local entry-level workers.
- we have a UK government that has exploded debt and spending. Government spending that doesn’t result in productivity gains creates inflation.
- We have massive global businesses who do business in the UK but don’t contribute anything in tax revenue. They put local retailers, code shops and publishers out of business and move their profits to low tax zones.

SOLUTIONS TO EXPLORE:
- Special economic zones that offer lower taxes for small businesses that set up in parts of the country that need economic activity.
- Broadcast licenses for social media giants.
- IP licensing taxes for companies that take the piss with profit shifting.
- Lower taxes for startups. Reinstate the Entrepreneurs Relief. Expand SEIS/EIS.
- Allow home based businesses to claim childcare, cleaners, company car etc so they can run a better business.
- Allow tax deductions for home renovations (other countries have seen massive stimulus from this).
- Set up a British Sovereign wealth fund using oil and gas reserves.
- Reduce regulations and get builders building homes.
- Full support for the British farmers who create jobs and provide domestic food security.
- Entrepreneurial apprenticeships.
- Financial literacy and business skills taught in schools.

What would you add to the list?

[Alan Brown @AlanBrownSNP]

Referring to Dunblane as “one murder” is a shameful distortion of one of Scotland’s darkest days.

16 children and their teacher were massacred in the UK’s deadliest mass shooting.

A stark reminder of just how out of touch Britain’s privileged elites really are.

[Stephen Flynn @StephenFlynnSNP]

Listen to how this hard-right blowhard MP frames the massacre of little children and their teacher in Dunblane.

Just disgusting.

[Natalie Fleet MP @NatalieFleetMP]

“I need your help to beat a man in fancy dress.”

This has got to go down in history as the most ridiculous by-election ever.

I’ve never laughed so much…it’s going to be a funny few weeks! 🤣

#RubbishVBin

[Gavin Barwell @GavinBarwell]

I wouldn't be calling anyone else a snowflake when your boss has just had a hissy fit, caused an unnecessary by-election and is now going to spend his summer arguing with a bin

[Andrew Griffith MP @griffitha]

Possibly the first time Rachel Reeves has put someone into - rather than out of - a job!

[Benjamin Butterworth @benjaminbutter]

He’s got to do this day in, day out for 6 weeks, on his own, to defeat a bin 😂

[Laura Trott MP @LauraTrottMP]

The fact that Farage can’t see the conflict of interest here explains a lot about the mess he’s in…

[Archie🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @CymraegATFC]

Back in the day you could wear full suits of armour into parliament until woke came in 1313

[Labour Press @labourpress]

Turns out we were wrong. Reform UK really are re-writing the rules of modern politics.

[Rachel Reeves @RachelReevesMP]

I will accept Nigel Farage’s request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead.

It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better.

But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him.

[Jon Brady @_jonbrady]

BBC: "have you ever been to Clacton?"

@CountBinface: "no, because I understand from the current incumbent that is part of how you do the job."

politics is BACK, baby

[(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges]

What’s genuinely funny is to see how Reform and their supporters cannot adjust. They have one pitch - all out, hysterical attack. They’re literally arguing with a bin. And they can’t recalibrate.

[(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges]

Kemi Badenoch is killing it at the moment. Every intervention pitch perfect.

[Ashley Cowburn @ashcowburn]

Count Binface asked on the Today programme what his appeal is in Clacton?

"I'm not Nigel Farage," he says.

Also repeats pledge to nationalise Adele.

[(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges]

Lee mate, you're arguing with a bin...

[Andy Burnham @andyburnham]

Always worth knowing when bin day is.

[Paul Scully @scullyp]

I've been hounded by a DPD driver, the postman and my neighbour's cat and that's just today

[Harry Eccles @Heccles94]

New plan:

Every party apart from Reform boycott this charade.

Binface stands as an independent, we all work together to get Binface elected.

Agreed?

[(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges]

The smear operation against BinFace has begun...