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Bleating goat

@porteous.bsky.social
46 followers 12 following 154 posts

Bleating into the void.

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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Point is that a minimum wage can be set too high and unemployment rises and low wage workers suffer. Have two of those in my family. I expect you know best though.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Hope you’re right Juj. You sound like a splendid person greens are lucky to have you.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Not really. Just arguably two layers - can a minimum wage ever be set too high so that it it’s actually counterproductive for working people because it causes too much unemployment. If no, I’m wrong. If yes, I’m not wrong, but is £15 too high or not. If not, I’m wrong on that second layer.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
There’s a limit to how high you can raise it. Where that limit is who knows but from what I see we already reached it.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Yes you may be right. Hopefully you are!
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Lol fair enough. What a waste of my 300 characters.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
There’s only lux higher I think. But I think our unemployment rate is artificially low. Lots of people on PIP and lots of people work part time and on UC top up. If we raise minimum wage wage any higher I think we will see explosion in unemployment figures. Cos small businesses already struggling
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Look we don’t disagree on that. Maybe we move to much higher minimum wage but there’ll be a shock to the economy and lots more unemployment and automation. In long run it may be a good thing. I think a jump to £15ph now without help for small business and better training for young people’ll be bad
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Sigh. Sure thing.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
But don’t you accept minimum wage can be too high? Or can it never be too high? If it can never be too high let’s increase it to a level where everyone is well paid and doesn’t need any top up benefits. I’m saying it can be too high and that it then causes too much unemployment.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
I don’t. I just want them to have a job. 12.71ph is not so bad. But even that is maybe a bit too high for many business round here. There are very few jobs.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Maybe youre right I never studied economics. I get that in theory if you pay people loads then they have more money put money back in and everyone wins. But there must be a point where min wage is too high and unaffordable for employers and it stops working. May be 15ph. May be £30ph. May be 100ph.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Ok I give up. Harlequin. Good luck to you anyway. If you are a green supporter we are on the same side.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
I’m whining that my kids can’t get jobs yes. Even at minimum wage.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
As I said my son is entitled to about £400pm.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Don’t you accept that there is a link between minimum wage and unemployment? And that theres a point where a minimum wage might be too high and damaging for people trying to find work, or stay in it?
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Impolite facetious comment. I’m just trying to engage in an important policy point. I’d hope green supporters would be better than this.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Wow. So anyone who supports greens but disagrees with any policy is a troll? Can’t you see that this might be a limiting factor for greens growth? Surely there needs to be a more welcoming and thoughtful approach?
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Im sure you’re right sardines. Good luck to you anyway sounds like we are in the same side in any case.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
By your logic there should be no problem increasing wage to much higher than £15 ph as there’s no link between unemployment and minimum wage. Why stop at £15ph if there’s no link?
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
2 members of my family are on minimum wage and one has regularly claimed UC and his girlfriend claims it. And so does my sister and her husband. I’ve been to job centre with my son quite often. Meanwhile you pull off totally incorrect figures off internet!
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
I get that. But increasing minimum wage isn’t just a magical solution. It leads to job losses. There’s a trade off is all I’m saying and right now I think min wage is high enough. Speaking as someone with 2 kids struggling to find full time employment at minimum wage.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Of course there’s a link. Do you seriously believe that if minimum wage was £100 ph it would not increase unemployment. With every increase there are some employers who decide to reduce the number of employees and hours employed. Doesn’t mean we scrap minimum wage but there’s always a trade off.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
What are you talking about. I just told you my son has been on UC. 400 a month as a single 25 year old. He lives with us so doesn’t have hosing costs. Why are you so argumentative and aggressive what is your problem I support the greens as maybe you do.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
I just dont understand why you are so abusive and aggressive towards a fellow Green supporter. Just cos there’s a disagreement over one policy. Baffled.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Some people may, most won’t. If you’re arguing that minimum wage should be high enough that no full time worker needs benefits, then I’d say great, but the effect of raising to £15ph will be the disappearance of a lot of full time jobs and more part time ones. Net result - fewer jobs more benefits
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
£12.71 mate. Shows how close you are to the minimum wage! Talking out your ****.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Yeah you’re right. Cos I don’t agree with every policy. Ideologically purity above all else.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
What because I don’t agree with every policy? I’m a paid up member. Or should I be thrown out because I don’t agree with every policy. What’s more important to you. Greens getting lots of support and perhaps power or ideological purity m- don’t answer I think I already know.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Yes I agree with you.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Patronising and ill considered response. Of course there’s a link between hiring and minimum wage. I don’t think you have relevant experience of trying to find minimum wage jobs or know many struggling small business owners..
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
You’re being rude. The government does not have to subsidise full time minimum wage earners. It does have to subsidise part time workers. And that’s what most jobs are these days. Part time. Cos minimum wage is high. My kids can’t get full time jobs there aren’t many around.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Why do you say that? What experience do you have of looking for work in current economy? How many people do you know trying to keep businesses running in current economy? Just another privileged ill informed idealist with your head in the clouds.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
lol. Imagine going home and thinking about your day after saying that. I don’t think I could live with myself after that. Couldn’t get it out of my head. Would have to kill myself.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Yes thanks. It’s quite restrictive. He worked for 6 months one time then lost his job but still wasn’t eligible. You need to have paid a fair bit of NiCs or tax or whatever to qualify.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Big businesses will be fine. Just increase prices lay off staff and increase automation. Small local businesses though may fail. And young people will be chasing even fewer jobs.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
I can agree with that!
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Let’s hope so! My worry is there wouldn’t be a job for him at all. Anyway we are on same side I guess. Go greens.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Ken, it’s our economic model - flexible low wage labour force, low unemployment. Like America. Compared to Western Europe - higher automation less flexible employment. Why we attract more immigration as well. I’m not against a change necessarily. But be prepared for a lot more unemployment for young
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Agree with that
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
I never said he was broke! But when he’s out of work, as he often is because these jobs come and go, he gets about £400 pm. My wife and I earn 15k pa between us so we can’t exactly bankroll him. It’s not a lot of cash for a 25 year old. Withholding benefits from someone living at home would be harsh
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
I agree but you must accept there’s a limit. I think we reached it. There aren’t many full time jobs out there.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Fine. We also have low unemployment. We will move to a higher unemployment higher paid higher automated higher price economy. Most people will be fine. Most businesses will be fine. Quite a few people and businesses won’t.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
There’s a link between automation and wages. If min wage is £1ph I take on lots of staff at a rate they will accept. If rate is £100ph I can’t afford to hire any and either pack up or work as hard as I can myself with smaller business, or use Ai or a machine as much as I can. Not good for employment
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Profits increase because they keep laying off staff and automating. Increasing minimum wage to £15ph would just accelerate that, to detriment of young people looking for jobs
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Wow. No benefits for someone living with their parents. Very Victorian of you
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
No idea either you are on about
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
I don’t think that. I just think that raising it to £15ph right now will lead to small business failures and more unemployment. Big businesses will just increase automation. There aren’t many jobs out there right now for young people.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Look I’m not against a minimum wage but if it’s too high it does affect employment. It encourages automation and short hours contracts. Makes it hard for young people to get full time job.
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Bleating goat @porteous.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Look at the evidence. Availability of jobs. I’ve got 2 kids looking for them. There aren’t many.
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