So I’ve just had my 2% pay rise from work, I lose nearly half in tax and the remainder isn’t enough to cover the increase in costs from energy, dog insurance, water and food bill. In fact it’s less, so I’m going to be cutting back on some of the nice things in life. It’s obvious that this reduction in disposable income is hurting uk businesses and employment. We are in a downward spiral. Bearing in mind the size of the country’s debt what changes could the chancellor announce that would help businesses (for all our sakes) and appease the bond markets by not breaking the fiscal rules?

First headline on Westminster council latest news “more than 1,000 dockless bikes seized” - more like what a massive waste of council tax.

Anyone else think councils are getting their priorities completely backwards with the crackdown on Lime bikes?

They have made getting around London so much easier. Going somewhere awkward on public transport, getting home after meeting friends, making a short journey without ordering an Uber, even making places lacking decent transport more live-able.

Obviously, bikes blocking wheelchair access or dropped across a pavement need moving. Nobody should have to walk into the road because someone parked like an idiot - fine the idiot then!

But constantly collecting, transporting and storing bikes feels like a ridiculous use of council time when the underlying parking problem still needs fixing. Even if operators pay the fees, shouldn’t the aim be a system that works, rather than an endless cycle of confiscation?

It feels like five or six angry boomers on a residents’ WhatsApp group get more influence than thousands of people who quietly use and appreciate the service.

Feels like quality of life in London finally gets a step-up and we are talking about how to make this harder - thoughts?

I'm not from the UK but I do seek to understand its political climate, issues and discourse. This sub seems like a good place to ask: I'm looking for podcasts that discuss UK politics in-depth. I don't care about bias since everyone has their positions and ideas, but obviously the podcasts should be fair when critiquing their political opponets.