Westminster Politics

They can't. Labour won't either, and for the exact same reason.

Both are wedded to the idea that growth is natural. It isn't, it is driven by investment or asset inflation.

Neither party will invest, in fact both are talking about reducing government spend.

This was OK for blair, who simply inflated assets to compensate (house prices tripped between 1997 and 2010). The asset increases and cheap borrowing meant growth was fuelled by value extraction - people borrowed against the increase in value of their homes, and then spent it in the economy.

But since 2008 that doesn't work. People can't afford to borrow any more, and government are not investing.

The world changed at the crash, and our politicians, with the exception of corbyn for a while, have spent the last 12 years trying to hammer the square peg of what they did before into a round hole to achieve the same results.

It cannot work. Ever.

And whether you agree with corbyn or not is irrelevant. He at least understood that 2008 meant we had to change direction. Not one of the 'adults in the room' before or since had the sense to see it.

As well of course as the self inflicted problem called Brexit.
I mean how can you reasonably expect to increase trade when you tell your biggest trading partner that you are better off without them.
 
Just skimmed the autumn statement, essentially tax cuts funded by further cuts to services?

What could possibly go wrong!
 
Unless you are inheriting above half a million quid, or a million of you have a sibling, I would not worry about inheritence tax.
Regardless of the amount or value of the assets, it’s the most disgusting tax there is (imo).

It’s essentially a death tax.
 
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So what do you think about the Autumn Statement.
One of the key things I noticed was that growth has been downgraded.... again.
After 13 years in government, they can not even get the UK economy growing by a minimum of 1%.

Houses aren't selling because people either can't afford or are put off by the interest rate. That means the prices have to come down which means growth is very difficult because negative equity is a big no and one of the biggest drivers to affordable income is how much your mortgage/rent is. A couple of percent off NI tax isn't going to compensate for your house costing you an extra £250-£350 a month despite its value not increasing at all. Plus petrol and energy prices are still significantly higher than they really should be.

Its a mess of their own making but hardly a surprise. I'm not an economic expert but on the face of what I'm seeing and some of the nasty things hidden round the corner next year, 0.7% still seems pretty optimistic. Where is that 0.7% coming from? What industry or facet of life is in a position to prosper in anyway over the next 12 months? Is it based on the assumption the tories are going to lose an election?
 
Honestly find it so frustrating to see Rishi and Hunt harping on about how they have halved inflation. Have Labour called them out on this dishonest rhetoric?
 
Houses aren't selling because people either can't afford or are put off by the interest rate. That means the prices have to come down which means growth is very difficult because negative equity is a big no and one of the biggest drivers to affordable income is how much your mortgage/rent is. A couple of percent off NI tax isn't going to compensate for your house costing you an extra £250-£350 a month despite its value not increasing at all. Plus petrol and energy prices are still significantly higher than they really should be.

Its a mess of their own making but hardly a surprise. I'm not an economic expert but on the face of what I'm seeing and some of the nasty things hidden round the corner next year, 0.7% still seems pretty optimistic. Where is that 0.7% coming from? What industry or facet of life is in a position to prosper in anyway over the next 12 months? Is it based on the assumption the tories are going to lose an election?

Very fair point.
 
Regardless of the amount or value of the assets, it’s the most disgusting tax there is (imo).

It’s essentially a death tax.
It is actually quite important to stop the hording of wealth that could be used for investment
 
ngo
Have you woken up yet?

No, I'm locked in the 'theatre of dreams' ;)

.... this is the crucial bit... everyone gets a job of some kind, this is not a job offer, but a legal requirement to be employed...a bit like national service use to be!

But, it's not a 'one size fits all' approach, the Department for Employment has/is required to find a job for every school leaver, College leaver, University Graduate, either in private industry or the public sector commensurate with the individuals skill set. Employers who participate in this scheme, are assessed for their requirements and work loading, a bit like the ITB's some years back (this is where the 'dreaming' comes in) and get returns of either direct grants related to how many they take on, or limited wage support/contribution for over a certain number, but they have to provide training and career path's within the company or its related suppliers.

Industry/Business sector is expected to take up providing around 60% of the employment roles, the Government will provide direct support and related employment for around 20% for those whose skill sets don't match the market requirements, and various NGO's will provide for the other 20% who may have disability/illness issues which predicate against regular employment and need special adjusters/job related.

The important thing is everyone has a legal right to a job, backed by government; everybody has to receive and provide official confirmation of their skill sets, via government agencies (mostly approved assessment/accreditation bodies); everybody receives payment commensurate with their defined job and everybody pays tax on their income*, on a sliding scale..... and... oh, sorry I just woke up

(* this could in some cases be a negative figure... not sure just now, but Starmer's lads can sort that one themselves)
 
ngo

No, I'm locked in the 'theatre of dreams' ;)

.... this is the crucial bit... everyone gets a job of some kind, this is not a job offer, but a legal requirement to be employed...a bit like national service use to be!

But, it's not a 'one size fits all' approach, the Department for Employment has/is required to find a job for every school leaver, College leaver, University Graduate, either in private industry or the public sector commensurate with the individuals skill set. Employers who participate in this scheme, are assessed for their requirements and work loading, a bit like the ITB's some years back (this is where the 'dreaming' comes in) and get returns of either direct grants related to how many they take on, or limited wage support/contribution for over a certain number, but they have to provide training and career path's within the company or its related suppliers.

Industry/Business sector is expected to take up providing around 60% of the employment roles, the Government will provide direct support and related employment for around 20% for those whose skill sets don't match the market requirements, and various NGO's will provide for the other 20% who may have disability/illness issues which predicate against regular employment and need special adjusters/job related.

The important thing is everyone has a legal right to a job, backed by government; everybody has to receive and provide official confirmation of their skill sets, via government agencies (mostly approved assessment/accreditation bodies); everybody receives payment commensurate with their defined job and everybody pays tax on their income*, on a sliding scale..... and... oh, sorry I just woke up

(* this could in some cases be a negative figure... not sure just now, but Starmer's lads can sort that one themselves)
What about people who's health changes? Are they going to have constant tests to make sure they are capable or not wasted?
 
ngo

No, I'm locked in the 'theatre of dreams' ;)

.... this is the crucial bit... everyone gets a job of some kind, this is not a job offer, but a legal requirement to be employed...a bit like national service use to be!

But, it's not a 'one size fits all' approach, the Department for Employment has/is required to find a job for every school leaver, College leaver, University Graduate, either in private industry or the public sector commensurate with the individuals skill set. Employers who participate in this scheme, are assessed for their requirements and work loading, a bit like the ITB's some years back (this is where the 'dreaming' comes in) and get returns of either direct grants related to how many they take on, or limited wage support/contribution for over a certain number, but they have to provide training and career path's within the company or its related suppliers.

Industry/Business sector is expected to take up providing around 60% of the employment roles, the Government will provide direct support and related employment for around 20% for those whose skill sets don't match the market requirements, and various NGO's will provide for the other 20% who may have disability/illness issues which predicate against regular employment and need special adjusters/job related.

The important thing is everyone has a legal right to a job, backed by government; everybody has to receive and provide official confirmation of their skill sets, via government agencies (mostly approved assessment/accreditation bodies); everybody receives payment commensurate with their defined job and everybody pays tax on their income*, on a sliding scale..... and... oh, sorry I just woke up

(* this could in some cases be a negative figure... not sure just now, but Starmer's lads can sort that one themselves)
Theatre of Dreams or not it's a pipedream that isn't and won't ever happen, especially when UK businesses operate on the principle that the taxpayer subsidies them to employ people
 
It is actually quite important to stop the hording of wealth that could be used for investment

This. The Baldwin government after WW1 used inheritance tax to fund home building and investment.

If you sell a home your profits are tax free. If you make a gift and live for the next seven years it is tax free too.
 
It's going to be tougher for small businesses off the back of today, an increase in wages in April next year, very slight change on National Insurance. Full expensing benefits the larger businesses so offers nothing for small business. Still no reform on business rates which is desperately needed, support on energy costs or even a stretch to review corporation tax.

Public spending down, and tax thresholds remain the same. Looks like a new version of austerity on the horizon.
 
Regardless of the amount or value of the assets, it’s the most disgusting tax there is (imo).

It’s essentially a death tax.
It’s not. It’s a tax on the wealthy. The only issue is that the government are terrible at redistributing it to where it’s needed.

If you’re inheriting £500k to million tax free, plus 60% of anything over that, shut up and take it. You’re going to have a far easier life than almost everyone on this planet.
 
Regardless of the amount or value of the assets, it’s the most disgusting tax there is (imo).

It’s essentially a death tax.

It’s arguably the most justifiable and necessary tax there is.

If you are fortunate enough to have £1m, I appreciate you won’t like it.

But it’s the easiest tax to make sense of.
 
Regardless of the amount or value of the assets, it’s the most disgusting tax there is (imo).

It’s essentially a death tax.
It's the fairest tax there is, the people being taxed are too dead to notice. And only the rich pay it. And it helps prevent inherited privilege accumulating (not as well as it should, mind).

Of course, what you really object to is not being able to inherit a load of someone else's money tax free.
 
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It’s not. It’s a tax on the wealthy. The only issue is that the government are terrible at redistributing it to where it’s needed.
There’s nothing ill-gotten or illicit about this ‘wealth’. And, as you’ve alluded to, the idea that the state should get a chunk when it’s terrible at ‘redistributing’ wealth is just the icing on the cake.

If you’re inheriting £500k to million tax free, plus 60% of anything over that, shut up and take it. You’re going to have a far easier life than almost everyone on this planet.
Not a penny (hopefully). A portion of it would just go towards whichever illegal and immoral war Britain’s involved in at the time, so I’m more than content with my stance.
 
Easy game. Push the wages up and keep the tax thresholds the same. Not even sure what’s stealthy about it
 

He didn't call it a shithole.

I mean, the audio makes it clear that he did indeed call it a shithole, but his defense is that he didn't call it a shithole even though he clearly fecking did.

I fecking hate these cnuts so much.
 
He didn't call it a shithole.

I mean, the audio makes it clear that he did indeed call it a shithole, but his defense is that he didn't call it a shithole even though he clearly fecking did.

I fecking hate these cnuts so much.
So is it a shithole or not?
 
So is it a shithole or not?
As the resident of another shithole I can safely say that if you don't live there then it's not your place to say. It's like cats; my cats are arseholes but only I get to call them that.
 
There’s nothing ill-gotten or illicit about this ‘wealth’. And, as you’ve alluded to, the idea that the state should get a chunk when it’s terrible at ‘redistributing’ wealth is just the icing on the cake.


Not a penny (hopefully). A portion of it would just go towards whichever illegal and immoral war Britain’s involved in at the time, so I’m more than content with my stance.
Well there is nothing ‘illicit’ about most wealth, but they are taxed higher, that’s how society works. As always for the rich, there are plenty of simple enough ways around it anyway so I’m sure you won’t have an issue avoiding paying your share if that’s what you’re worried about.
 
There’s nothing ill-gotten or illicit about this ‘wealth’. And, as you’ve alluded to, the idea that the state should get a chunk when it’s terrible at ‘redistributing’ wealth is just the icing on the cake.


Not a penny (hopefully). A portion of it would just go towards whichever illegal and immoral war Britain’s involved in at the time, so I’m more than content with my stance.
It's probably just lucky asset inflation that wasn't worked for (house price increase).
 
Energy bills in Great Britain to rise by 5% from January as cap hits £1,928

Ofgem increases minimum price for energy suppliers to charge customers after rise in global gas prices

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2...ls-great-britain-rise-january-price-cap-ofgem
There's something seriously messed up when the organisation that is apparently set up "to protect consumers by working to deliver a greener, fairer energy system" ends up parroting the same bullshit excuses that the companies make whenever they hike prices.

It's like HR departments at work, who are apparently there to protect workers. Shite; you're all there to protect the business from getting into trouble.