WEBVTT - TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak Talks Andy Burnham's Economic Agenda

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<v Speaker 1>Let's get more on the economic challenges that face Britain's

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<v Speaker 1>next Prime Minister, can Andy Burnham, who looks set to

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<v Speaker 1>take over from Keir Starmer, help Britain escape weak activity,

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<v Speaker 1>high debt and elevated boring costs. Joining us now as

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<v Speaker 1>Paul Novak, General Secretary of the Trade Trades Union Congress.

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<v Speaker 1>The TU see the umbrella body for dozens of trade unions,

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<v Speaker 1>many of whom are affiliated with Labour. Good to speak

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<v Speaker 1>to you again.

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<v Speaker 2>Paul, morning, Carolyn, good to speak to you.

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<v Speaker 1>Been speaking to the British Chambers of Commerce this morning.

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<v Speaker 1>Obviously they represent business. They've got a lot of the

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<v Speaker 1>leaders that Rachel Reeves speaking to them today. They employ

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<v Speaker 1>millions of people in Britain. The BCC boss says that

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<v Speaker 1>increasing taxes for business is will be a road to ruin.

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<v Speaker 1>But you do want more support for voters. What do

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<v Speaker 1>you want to see from potentially Andy Burnham if he

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<v Speaker 1>does become PM.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, whoever is our next Prime minister. Andy Burnham at

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<v Speaker 2>the moment is the only candidate. I want them to

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<v Speaker 2>show from day one that they're on the side of

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<v Speaker 2>working people, their families and communities, and to set out

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<v Speaker 2>an ambitious program on that first one hundred days of

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<v Speaker 2>a labor government about what they're going to do. So, yes,

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<v Speaker 2>get our economy growing, but get our economy growing in

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<v Speaker 2>a way that puts pockets in the money in the

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<v Speaker 2>pockets of working people. So there are lots of things.

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<v Speaker 2>I've got a long list of suggestions Karen on but

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<v Speaker 2>just on that issue around tax I mean, so, for example,

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<v Speaker 2>we think it's important that you know we've we've got

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<v Speaker 2>a fully costed plan for the government to introduce a

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<v Speaker 2>social tariff on energy bills. Now hard to think on

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<v Speaker 2>a daylight today where the sun is cracking the flags

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<v Speaker 2>about the cost of heating, but we know in the

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<v Speaker 2>autumn and winter, because of that conflict in Iran, lots

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<v Speaker 2>of people are going to see big spikes in the bills.

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<v Speaker 2>So support for low middle income households. How can you

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<v Speaker 2>pay for that? We think an increase in the bank

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<v Speaker 2>seur charge to bank levy on windfall profits can help

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<v Speaker 2>the government do that. I think that would be the

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<v Speaker 2>right thing to do to support families. I think it

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<v Speaker 2>would help bring down inflation, and frankly, I think Britain's

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<v Speaker 2>banks can afford it because they've been doing very well

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<v Speaker 2>over the course last eighteen months two years, because we've

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<v Speaker 2>been in a relatively high interest rates environments. So they're

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<v Speaker 2>the sort of policies I think they could make a

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<v Speaker 2>massive difference to millions of people from down the country.

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<v Speaker 3>We spoke to. When we spoke to the BCC, they

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<v Speaker 3>said they wanted to have a discussion about the Employment

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<v Speaker 3>Rights Act to make sure it works for business. Are

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<v Speaker 3>you worried about elements of that Act being rolled back?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I think it would be real mistake for the

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<v Speaker 2>government to roll back on the Employment Right Sack then,

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<v Speaker 2>and we've seen it already. I mean, I think the

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<v Speaker 2>new Prime Minister will have a short honey moon period

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<v Speaker 2>and there will be a lot of vested interests making

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<v Speaker 2>the case for, you know, change this or that, and

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<v Speaker 2>there will be some dodgy bosses out there who don't

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<v Speaker 2>want to see improvements and employment rights. Now, where I

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<v Speaker 2>would agree with the British Chambers of Commerce is that

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<v Speaker 2>there's going to be a lot of change as a

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<v Speaker 2>result of the Employment Rights Act. I think there's a

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<v Speaker 2>responsibility on government to work with unions and employers to

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<v Speaker 2>help employers understand those changes. But fundamentally this is about

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<v Speaker 2>making work pay for millions of working people. So whether

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<v Speaker 2>that's giving a million people on zero hours contracts the

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<v Speaker 2>right to guaranteed hours, whether that's making sure that people

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<v Speaker 2>have access to sick pay, to flexible working, We're very

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<v Speaker 2>clear this is a packaging measures that's good for working people.

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<v Speaker 2>The government itself is clear that this could deliver a

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<v Speaker 2>thirteen billion pounds boost of the UK in terms of productivity,

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<v Speaker 2>and I would ask employers to get on board with

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<v Speaker 2>that agenda and final point on that. Our post election

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<v Speaker 2>polling was very clear, it doesn't matter whether you voted

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<v Speaker 2>reform at the last election. Labor, Green, conservative people support

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<v Speaker 2>improvements in employment rights and I would hope that employers

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<v Speaker 2>would respect that.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, a bank tax would be an absolute bombshell. But

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<v Speaker 1>you know Jamie Darmond, if you look at him JP

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<v Speaker 1>Morgan chief. He has directly told Bloomberg recently that if

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<v Speaker 1>there were to be an increase in terms of taxes

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<v Speaker 1>on banks that JP Morgan would scrap plans to invest

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<v Speaker 1>billions in a new London headquarters in Canary Wharf. He

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<v Speaker 1>said specifically that JP Morgan, in his words, we paid

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<v Speaker 1>probably ten billion dollars in extra taxes by now I

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<v Speaker 1>don't think that's right or fair. What would that mean

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<v Speaker 1>an extra bank tax if a major global bank were,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, not to progress with you know, investment in

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<v Speaker 1>London in the UK.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I'll be honest with you, Krol and I take

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<v Speaker 2>those comments with the pinchers of salt. I mean the

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<v Speaker 2>toy has reduced the bank SAT charged by three percent

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<v Speaker 2>three years ago it is now. I think, at the

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<v Speaker 2>very least, considering those windfall profits of the banks and

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<v Speaker 2>making the government should reverse that. But I think they

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<v Speaker 2>can go further. I mean the Tories themselves putty thirty

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<v Speaker 2>five percent levy on the win for profits of the

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<v Speaker 2>energy companies, and we're in a similar situation now with banks.

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<v Speaker 2>And I would say to JP Morgan and everybody else,

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<v Speaker 2>reflect on the fact that last year was a record

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<v Speaker 2>year for bonuses in the City of London, twenty four

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<v Speaker 2>billion pounds handed out. At the same time, one in

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<v Speaker 2>three people were worried about taking on the heating because

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<v Speaker 2>they're heating bills. One in five was skipping meals because

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<v Speaker 2>they can't make ends meet. We need an economy that

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<v Speaker 2>works for everybody, not just those at the very top.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think that those at the very top have

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<v Speaker 2>done well over the last few years. They haven't been

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<v Speaker 2>through a cost of living crisis. Millions of families have,

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<v Speaker 2>so I think and incoming prime minister has got to

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<v Speaker 2>be prepared to take on those vested interests and show

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<v Speaker 2>who side they'rerong.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, but is Bernham really going to deliver that? Has

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<v Speaker 1>he not lost the supportive unions? United Sharon Graham, for example,

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't want the Energy secretary you know, Edmitt Abound to

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<v Speaker 1>become chance that has Burnham actually lost union support? Is

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<v Speaker 1>he in danger of losing your union support if he doesn't,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, come up with those all of those measures

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<v Speaker 1>that you want to see delivered quickly.

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<v Speaker 2>No, No, I mean as I say, I mean, were

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<v Speaker 2>we yet to say if any other candidates declare, I'm

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<v Speaker 2>very clear if it's Andy Burnham or anybody else, we

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<v Speaker 2>want to work with the new prime minister to deliver

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<v Speaker 2>the change that people voted for back in July twenty

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<v Speaker 2>twenty four. I think we've got an opportunity now to

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<v Speaker 2>really reset things and really show working people that they're

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<v Speaker 2>on the government is on their side. You know, there's

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of disillusionment with politics. I mean that same

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<v Speaker 2>post election. Pollar talked about before when you ask people

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<v Speaker 2>who which party is best at sorting the fundamental problems

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<v Speaker 2>like getting the economy back on track, that don't know's

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<v Speaker 2>beat to any particular party at the moment. There's a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of lack of faith in the political process and

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<v Speaker 2>that's why I think any Petian just needs to nail

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<v Speaker 2>coldorus to the mast. Who side of you're on, and

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<v Speaker 2>my answer very clearly and unequivocally should be on the

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<v Speaker 2>side of working people.

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<v Speaker 3>Are you then concerned or what's your view on the

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<v Speaker 3>people who are advising Andy Brown on as economic policies.

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<v Speaker 3>There's a whole list of them that have been reported,

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<v Speaker 3>the likes of Andy hal Dane Jim and Neil Karis Roberts.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. No, Well, I think a lot of those people

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<v Speaker 2>who have got really good qualities and we've done a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of work with them, and I'm not going to

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<v Speaker 2>advise Andy on who he appoints as economic advisors, or

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<v Speaker 2>Andy or any future prime minister or indeed their cabinet members.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, that sort of fantasy politics isn't isn't my job.

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<v Speaker 2>Whoever's doing those key jobs, whether it's Prime minister, Chancellor, secretary,

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<v Speaker 2>of State for Business and Trade. We want them sort

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<v Speaker 2>of setting out an agenda where where people can see

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<v Speaker 2>this is going to make a difference to me and

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<v Speaker 2>my family, This is going to put more money in

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<v Speaker 2>my pocket, and that that's absolute essentially, because if you

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<v Speaker 2>want a growing, sustainable economy, where can people need money

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<v Speaker 2>in their pockets? And for far too many people household

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<v Speaker 2>budgets are squeezed, work is insecure. I think the government's

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<v Speaker 2>got an opportunity to do something about that.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, okay, not the vested interest that you're concerned about, No.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah. It's no surprise, Carol, that social media billionaires

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<v Speaker 2>will rail against any efforts to raise wealth taxes and

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<v Speaker 2>dodgy bosses will oppose any improvements in employment rights because

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<v Speaker 2>that's what they did with the minimum wage, and that's

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<v Speaker 2>what they've done with every single progressive change in employment law.

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<v Speaker 2>The new Prime Minister just has to be clear who

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<v Speaker 2>side they're on and nail the colors to the mass

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<v Speaker 2>on day one.