Politics, politics, politics (so long and thanks for all the fish)

[glasgowspur]

If they own 50% of the wealth, shouldn't they pay 50% of the tax?

It's the dukes and barons and other large landowners (remember 92% of the UK landmass is held by these people, with no public access) who a land value tax would bring into line. With fudges and schemes to get around capital gains, council tax and inheritance tax, they pay very little.

I like this idea, I own 0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000394% of the wealth, i reckon if I send HMRC £173.13 that's me paid up until I'm 85.
Where do I send my cheque?

 

[Finney Is Back]

His hero is the tax dodging socialist Tony benn, that's really all you need to know.

Wonder what his thoughts on 'earn a 6 figure salary but "have no moral duty to move out of my council house" Bob Crow' are?

 

[Finney Is Back]

Same experience, as someone who has recently had the big C scare and has monthly tests and came through a battery of tests not only did I find access to the NHS and centres easy, I found the staff utterly world class.

Again same issues found, also with the benefit of a mother who did 30+ years running three practices, one of the biggest strains now is timewasting, aka, people taking appointments no showing. There has according to my mum also been a case of people using appointments for non medical issues, aka loneliness or not having the right path ways in later life/knowing or being comfortable with those pathways to certain services.

The NHS should operate like a members club. There should be certain rules that one has to adhere to in order to gain and keep one's membership.

3 missed appointments - lose membership.
Not fully vaccinated - lose membership.
Physical or verbal abuse of NHS staff - lose membership.

We could go further and set weight limits and exclude the morbidly obese or smokers but let's start small and work our way up!

I read a while back that NHS trusts are having to revamp their ambulance fleets to buy 'bariatric ambulances' which are reinforced and equipped with wider access and heavy duty stretchers and hoists capable of carrying up to 70 stone. If one has no desire at all to take care of their own health then why should the government do so?

 

[Grays_1890]

The NHS should operate like a members club. There should be certain rules that one has to adhere to in order to gain and keep one's membership.

3 missed appointments - lose membership.
Not fully vaccinated - lose membership.
Physical or verbal abuse of NHS staff - lose membership.

We could go further and set weight limits and exclude the morbidly obese or smokers but let's start small and work our way up!

I read a while back that NHS trusts are having to revamp their ambulance fleets to buy 'bariatric ambulances' which are reinforced and equipped with wider access and heavy duty stretchers and hoists capable of carrying up to 70 stone. If one has no desire at all to take care of their own health then why should the government do so?

There have been long conversations about that and I am of the thought process that we fail there from early years on food education, social care and mental health care thats linked to problem eating. I truly believe if there is better and more emphasis in youngsters on the benefit of exercise and food education we would be in a far better place than we are now.

I don't disagree with your sentiment BTW but I think alot of the corners we cut early backs up the system for people later in life

 

[SissokoWasGood (BoL)]

Not jumping on you but just seen this comment, prices are indeed soaring - inflation almost doubled since they came into power and much of that was caused by their policies. Again that's a choice only time will tell if long term it will work out. Mortgages have barely come down - borrowing costs have been pretty high all year I believe and for many days higher than they ever were under Truss.

Hasn’t there been 5 interest rate cuts since they came in?

Are the policies you’re referring to the public sector pay rises?

 

[Finney Is Back]

Hasn’t there been 5 interest rate cuts since they came in?

Are the policies you’re referring to the public sector pay rises?

Are you really giving the current government credit for BoE interest rate cuts?

Interest rates rocketed due to the shock that Russia declaring war on Ukraine had on energy prices - and the knock on impact that has to everything else that is tied to the price of energy. Inflation was tumbling fast prior to Labour taking over in July 2024 and had actually fallen to the 2% BoE target. It has since increased from just under 2% to its current rate of 3.6%. By rights the BoE shouldn't have made any interest rate cuts in 2025 with inflation being persistently above 2% and climbing. They have decided to cut interest rates mainly due to the rising unemployment rate and danger of recession.

What policies do you think Labour have implemented that have resulted in interest rates reducing? If anything their policies have fuelled inflation and caused interest rates to drop more slowly than they would otherwise (an example here is food inflation being higher as a direct result of the government's policy to increase employer NI - the main supermarkets have all said they have had to pass most of this cost on to consumers).

 

[SissokoWasGood (BoL)]

Are you really giving the current government credit for BoE interest rate cuts? Interest rates rocketed due to the shock that Russia declaring war on Ukraine had on energy prices - and the knock on impact that has to everything else that is tied to the price of energy. Inflation was tumbling fast prior to Labour taking over in July 2024 and had actually fallen to the 2% BoE target. It has since increased from just under 2% to its current rate of 3.6%. By rights the BoE shouldn't have made any interest rate cuts in 2025 with inflation being persistently above 2% and climbing. They have decided to cut interest rates mainly due to the rising unemployment rate and danger of recession.

What policies do you think Labour have implemented that have resulted in interest rates reducing? If anything their policies have fuelled inflation and caused interest rates to drop more slowly than they would otherwise (an example here is food inflation being higher as a direct result of the government's policy to increase employer NI - the main supermarkets have all said they have had to pass most of this cost on to consumers).

To quote Blair (I think) stability is sexy.

You’re probably right on the NI rise. The trade off is the NHS got much needed investment. So as I say, look at this as a 5 year program for government. Let’s see what the picture looks like at the time of the next GE.