I think they're doing quite well, for the circumstances (which are extremely tough), and 100x better than the Tories. Just by winning (or not losing) the election they have done well enough in my book, stopping the further rapid decline and reversing it in a lot of instances.
They've had no absolute nightmares (imo), which makes a massive change from the 14 years before.
I don't get why people were expecting massive visible changes, and immediate impact when the budget and economic circumstances clearly doesn't allow it, and it's only been a year FFS. Everyone should know it's going to take at least a decade to get back onto a good track.
They've tried to make cuts (to fund other areas in need, or plug "the black hole"), and too many of the public don't seem to want those, or the media kicked up a fuss (surprise), so they've had to rewind a bit on some of them. I get this, as they're going to need to stay in power, so they're going to need some of these d*ck heads votes unfortunately. I don't think it's a big deal they've had to rewind, as far as the optics go (people are making a mountain out of a mole hill with the rewinds), but I wish they had stuck to their guns.
They've raised income tax on the higher earners by not putting up the higher tax bands along with wages increases beating inflation, so this causes fiscal drag. So to say they've not increased tax is a lie, they're certainly bringing more in.
I would have liked them to put up those tax rates too though, but I get why they haven't, as you will get literally millions of people like some clown on >50k in Ingleby Barwick voting against it as he thinks he would be worse off for it (he wouldn't). No doubt there are people on way less than this who would get conned into thinking tax rises are a bad idea too.
We'll have some tax rises in the next budget though, by the looks of it, which is good. Hopefully they can use the line "well you didn't want the pension cuts for the well off, or us trying to limit the disability benefits, which 1 in 10 people claim (which most agree is too many), or x, or x, so this is what you get". The tax rises could bring in a lot more money too, than any of the cuts, so if they do it I hope they make it a meaningful increase. The press are going to go wild, so might as well make it something worthwhile for the flak that's going to come.
They've supported Ukraine as I would expect them too, and I think that will continue as long as it takes.
They didn't really get involved with the Iran thing, which is good.
The Israel/ Palestine/ Hamas/ West Bank/ Gaza Strip thing is a tough one, extremely complicated, a politic hot potato and I'm not an expert (like 99% of the UK public). I still don't actually think I've met anyone who has actually mentioned this conflict as a priority for them or had a major stance on it.
The way most people seem to understand it is do one thing and you're supporting Hamas/ terrorists and are anti semitic (Labour have had problems with this previously), and do another and you're seemingly supporting some very heavy handed actions from Israel. It's not that simple of course, but the voters are not going to learn more about this.
Labour have asked for an immediate ceasefire, hostage release, increased aid and cut certain arms sales to Israel. Labour want the two party state solution I think, which is possibly the only solution, but I don't think the various sides will agree to it, so this will just go on until one of them "wins".
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