Do you want to discuss boring politics? (22 Viewers)

[fernandopartridge]

If she actually lowers personal allowances and then tries to claim she’s kept her promises she really is a fucking idiot

from your pov as a business owner, what do you think is the first thing she should do?

 

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[Grendel]

from your pov as a business owner, what do you think is the first thing she should do?

It’s never going to happen but you’d lower VAT on material purchases for a period. The NI increase was idiotic and it stops recruitment. Increase capital allowances back to 130% as it was in COVID to try and get investment back into industry

What if course you really need though is no uncertainty and having to wait and speculate white latest dead rabbit will be pulled out of the hat

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

It’s never going to happen but you’d lower VAT on material purchases for a period. The NI increase was idiotic and it stops recruitment. Increase capital allowances back to 130% as it was in COVID to try and get investment back into industry

What if course you really need though is no uncertainty and having to wait and speculate white latest dead rabbit will be pulled out of the hat

To add onto this, our energy policies are disastrous and some of the most expensive in the developed world. To generalise, we’re almost voluntarily deindustrialising.

Energy prices and economic growth are closely linked.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

To add onto this, our energy policies are disastrous and some of the most expensive in the developed world. To generalise, we’re almost voluntarily deindustrialising.

Energy prices and economic growth are closely linked.

We should have invested heavily in nuclear power decades ago, and simultaneously cut our dependence on fossil fuels while reducing prices and maintaining employment. The ship has probably sailed now but it was a huge missed trick.

 

[CCFCSteve]

It’s never going to happen but you’d lower VAT on material purchases for a period. The NI increase was idiotic and it stops recruitment. Increase capital allowances back to 130% as it was in COVID to try and get investment back into industry

What if course you really need though is no uncertainty and having to wait and speculate white latest dead rabbit will be pulled out of the hat

Not sure about VAT as guessing that would be costly but agree with the other stuff. There’s been nothing to encourage growth in the private sector and the continued anti-wealth background noise is not going to encourage people to invest or set up here. Couple that with poor productivity in the public sector and it just feels bad at the moment and I say that as a pretty optimistic person

edit - my mate who works in housing development said nothings changed in planning either, certainly not with the local authorities he’s dealing with. Planning officer signs off as ticks all boxes, planning committee (a load of unqualified councillors) still gets involved and want a load of additional changes, leading to delays/appeals which is increases funding and development costs making some projects unviable others get delayed or mothballed

 

[fernandopartridge]

It’s never going to happen but you’d lower VAT on material purchases for a period. The NI increase was idiotic and it stops recruitment. Increase capital allowances back to 130% as it was in COVID to try and get investment back into industry

What if course you really need though is no uncertainty and having to wait and speculate white latest dead rabbit will be pulled out of the hat

It's one of the most disappointing things about Brexit is that VAT 'reform' has never really been considered. I think VAT is regressive for both small businesses and low earners.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

It's one of the most disappointing things about Brexit is that VAT 'reform' has never really been considered. I think VAT is regressive for both small businesses and low earners.

Fully agree. It was hiked up to 20% as what I thought was a temporary measure but it’s just stayed ever since.

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

It's one of the most disappointing things about Brexit is that VAT 'reform' has never really been considered. I think VAT is regressive for both small businesses and low earners.

Agreed and particularly on energy costs. One of the fundamental problems with the OBR is that is inherently biased against any tax cuts. Removing 5% VAT from energy bills would technically mean less revenue, but there's a multiplier effect when people will spend cash elsewhere, probably on 20% VAT goods.

Longer term, I'd like to see VAT be reduced to 15% and in other areas like hospitality, VAT reduced to 7.5-10%. One of the striking things about being in Portugal is that their VAT on food in restaurants is 7.5%. If that were the case in the UK, people would be more willing to go out more.

The OBR is something that should probably be scrapped imo, it's not even an accurate forecaster.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Agreed and particularly on energy costs. One of the fundamental problems with the OBR is that is inherently biased against any tax cuts. Removing 5% VAT from energy bills would technically mean less revenue, but there's a multiplier effect when people will spend cash elsewhere, probably on 20% VAT goods.

Longer term, I'd like to see VAT be reduced to 15% and in other areas like hospitality, VAT reduced to 7.5-10%. One of the striking things about being in Portugal is that their VAT on food in restaurants is 7.5%. If that were the case in the UK, people would be more willing to go out more.

The OBR is something that should probably be scrapped imo, it's not even an accurate forecaster.

OBR was brought in to provide political cover for austerity whether in the form of spending cuts or tax increases, agree with you that it should be abolished. I find ministers referring to the OBR as the reason why it has made a certain decision is anti-democratic.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Agreed and particularly on energy costs. One of the fundamental problems with the OBR is that is inherently biased against any tax cuts. Removing 5% VAT from energy bills would technically mean less revenue, but there's a multiplier effect when people will spend cash elsewhere, probably on 20% VAT goods.

Longer term, I'd like to see VAT be reduced to 15% and in other areas like hospitality, VAT reduced to 7.5-10%. One of the striking things about being in Portugal is that their VAT on food in restaurants is 7.5%. If that were the case in the UK, people would be more willing to go out more.

The OBR is something that should probably be scrapped imo, it's not even an accurate forecaster.

On the second paragraph, 100% agree. VAT in the UK has not tracked the structure of the economy at all, we are a service based economy.

176k businesses in the hotel and catering sector in 2025 up from 132k in 2014. It's a big sector which employs a lot of people and is provider for some real hygiene human needs (food and socialisation).

You mention Portugal, but Spain isn't much different, I think the rate is 10% there.

 

[mmttww]

Whats streeting done?

I meant I'm gutted about how sh*t all parties are.

 

[PVA]

Agree on VAT. We do work for both commercial and private clients and so many of the private clients ask if they can pay cash to avoid the VAT (I don't do it, just to clarify).

 

[Sick Boy]

On the second paragraph, 100% agree. VAT in the UK has not tracked the structure of the economy at all, we are a service based economy.

176k businesses in the hotel and catering sector in 2025 up from 132k in 2014. It's a big sector which employs a lot of people and is provider for some real hygiene human needs (food and socialisation).

You mention Portugal, but Spain isn't much different, I think the rate is 10% there.

It’s the same in Italy - the standard is 22% but most essentials are either 10% or 4%.

 

[chiefdave]

The problem with Reform is that they don’t really have anything apart from going on about immigration. Their councils seem to be a shambles; I’m no longer convinced they’ll maintain the momentum for the GE - maybe we’ll end up with a coalition of all parties!

The weekend of the reform conference was the first time I've seen Farage on his regular TV rounds actually being challenged on policy. It was an absolute car crash. He had no answers to anything. The issue of course is both if that sort of questioning will continue and if it even cuts through to their potential voters.

That isn’t their platform at all. The polling data shared on here shows that they cut through on other issues.

I think there's a subtle, but very important, difference between voters being concerned about a particular issue and believing any party has the answer to that issue.

It highlights the issue Reform faces. It has drawn support with a very basic platform. What happens when, for example, their policy on climate is published. How do they please both climate change sceptics and climate change activists they have attracted to the party?

 

[fernandopartridge]

Agree on VAT. We do work for both commercial and private clients and so many of the private clients ask if they can pay cash to avoid the VAT (I don't do it, just to clarify).

It is an industry in itself, one of the services the company I work for sells is VAT advice, and no doubt the big four who are all firmly entrenched in the major parties make a lot of money advising on VAT themselves.