They were discussing pensions on Sky News the other day and someone referred to a study showing ours to be the third worst in the world behind only Brazil and South Africa. Remember thinking that can't possibly be right but maybe it is.I think it’s worse than that isn’t it? Worst in the developed world I think.
The right tax is almost always a wealth tax. Especially for a service that’s for the elderly. They’ll never tax wealth.
How would you implement it? The rich put that wealth in lots of different places and would argue that a lot of it isn't liquid so taxes on it would cause them cashflow issues (whether true or not).
We've got a diverse range of taxes to try and tax wealth via various sources (Income, sales, CGT, dividend, interest, inheritance, import etc) so whether they save it, spend it or whatever it's fair share goes towards helping society overall but they rely on money moving around in some form or another. If they just sit on it it can't be touched. So how do you measure that wealth that is being sat on?
How would you tax someone who owned a Da Vinci for example? Would it be taxed on the value it was bought at? Would it have to be revalued periodically?
What if Banksy did a piece on the wall of your property?
How would you keep track of everything everyone owned and what they were worth? Rely on everyone telling the truth?
Would you force the sale of things like property/land/shares/art if they could not pay the wealth tax on the value of those assets? IMO that'd be more likely to affect the middle class and you'd end up with a lot more property and land ending up in the hands of the wealthy who would likely be more cash rich and able to pay.
If you set a tax whereby a percentage of the balance in a bank account is taken each year then people will just stop keeping money in them. You'd probably have to work it out on a daily basis or people would just move the money/take it out on the day the tax is calculated then put it all back in the day after.
Even if you figure all that out and manage to implement it how do you stop people hiding their wealth offshore or in trusts/charities?
Although not a solution perhaps one thing that could be of use is to add in a sliding scale like we have for income tax into sales tax, so the rich who are likely buying more expensive items pay a larger amount (property would need consideration or possibly exemption). So for example items up to £100 = 10%, £1000 = 20%, £10k = 30%, £100k = 40%, £1m+ = 50%. But even that wouldn't tap into much of the wealth and the truly wealthy could source the most expensive items abroad to avoid the tax in exchange for import tax, unless you did the same with that.
Wealth tax would be the best way but I don't see how to make it work without the rich finding some way to avoid it. Hence why it's never been implemented.
They do not need to put up taxes to pay for anything. How do taxes pay for services already delivered?I don't actually mind them putting up taxes to pay for services. Am not convinced they've picked the right tax to put up, however...
They do, ultimately. Else we end up Zimbabwe.They do not need to put up taxes to pay for anything. How do taxes pay for services already delivered?
I think fuel duty is set to go up as part of the budget. Certainly rumoured.Also
What the actual fuck are these petrol prices
1.36 I paid today
Crazy pricesI think fuel duty is set to go up as part of the budget. Certainly rumoured.
Also
What the actual fuck are these petrol prices
1.36 I paid today
They do, ultimately. Else we end up Zimbabwe.
It really isn't! What's nonsense is assuming in the current system, you can pay for whatever you feel like without taxation.Sorry, that's nonsense.
It really isn't! What's nonsense is assuming in the current system, you can pay for whatever you feel like without taxation.
Well... they do. I just read the prelude to the book you recommended. There's a very big difference between not being scared of a budget deficit, and letting a deficit be whatever you want it to be.The government creates via the Bank of England the money, it does not need tax to do that. Taxes have other functions but they do not fund public spending.
Anything that goes against a manifesto promise should automatically trigger a general election.
The argument against is that the situation has changed but if it's changed that much then we should have the opportunity to say how we want our government to tackle it.
Tories would still win of course but it makes it more democratic than puling the old Clegg at any opportunity.
At that would provide an opportunity for another party to pledge and promise stuff and call the other out on being non-comital and wanting to swindle the countryManifesto's would change to be even more vague and carefully worded so as to not fall foul of it.
Things like
'we do not intend to raise taxes'
'we will not raise taxes immediately'
'pensions will have increased by the end of the parliament'
Well... they do. I just read the prelude to the book you recommended. There's a very big difference between not being scared of a budget deficit, and letting a deficit be whatever you want it to be.
Not sure if its politics , but when the fuck are we going to scrap our strict school uniform policy over here that is making struggling families struggle even more .
It's ridiculous.
I thought quite a few schools didn't have uniforms now?
The argument is that it makes everyone equal. What you're wearing becomes another potential bullying tool. Kids being made fun of because they don't have the £100 trainers or the right brands. Puts even more pressure on parents to get that stuff because the kids want to fit in, or at least not be teased.
It's an extra expense on top of normal clothing though. Ideally they'd be provided by the school for free (or at least heavily subsidised) if it were considered that important. In these days of be whoever you want to be I'm surprised someone hasn't challenged uniforms as a restriction of freedom of self expression.
If every school wore the same colour trousers/jumpers/blazers etc and only the badge and tie changed they should be able to be mass produced cheaply but if it was done via a centralised contract undoubtedly some mate of a minister's company would get it and each pair of trousers would end up costing £100.
At that would provide an opportunity for another party to pledge and promise stuff and call the other out on being non-comital and wanting to swindle the country
The price of a gallon of petrol doesn't affect me, as I alway put a tenners worth in each time.Also
What the actual fuck are these petrol prices
1.36 I paid today
It’s nonsense though isn’t it. Every uniformed school I’ve been at every kid knew who the rich and poor kids were and were never short of things to bully each other about.
Yeah, at school it was pretty clear who were the haves and have nots.
Thing is with your own clothes if you wear something decent someone may well try and nick it. When I was at school a kid came into school once with a brand new pair of Air Jordan's cos he wanted to show off. Someone jumped him on the way home and nicked them.
Schools should have standard blazers, shirts trousers etc along with PE kit. If they want personalised badges or embroidery, the school should cover the cost.I thought quite a few schools didn't have uniforms now?
The argument is that it makes everyone equal. What you're wearing becomes another potential bullying tool. Kids being made fun of because they don't have the £100 trainers or the right brands. Puts even more pressure on parents to get that stuff because the kids want to fit in, or at least not be teased.
It's an extra expense on top of normal clothing though. Ideally they'd be provided by the school for free (or at least heavily subsidised) if it were considered that important. In these days of be whoever you want to be I'm surprised someone hasn't challenged uniforms as a restriction of freedom of self expression.
If every school wore the same colour trousers/jumpers/blazers etc and only the badge and tie changed they should be able to be mass produced cheaply but if it was done via a centralised contract undoubtedly some mate of a minister's company would get it and each pair of trousers would end up costing £100.
Thats going to happen wherever they are thiugh. Every kid brings £500+ of electronics with them these days.
Im actually a fan of uniform generally but the new “buy this specific overpriced thing from one specific store” can get bent.
I’ve said before but my ideal system would have three schools: primary (Y1-5), middle (6-9) and secondary (10-13) and I feel then you could do away with uniform in secondary.
I agree entirely about the having to buy from specific suppliers. Another way private enterprise and a profit motive has worked its way into public services.
Although it was all on one site my primary was 'split' into infants (R,1,2,3) then juniors (4,5,6) but I think yours probably makes more sense, especially now education goes up to Y13.
The tories in coventry have tabled a motion to privatise the waste collection .
Labour are to vote against it
Memo we got today
Wankers mateCrass opportunism after all the issues with COVID and stuff affecting collections IMO.
Nor is it rational to just print whatever cash it wants.They do not. The treasury doesn't get on the phone to HMRC to ask them to transfer across tax receipts before issuing a department with a budget.
Nor is it rational to just print whatever cash it wants.
Seriously, it's absolutely crazy to assume you can just devalue your currency by printing what you feel like, in a global economy. If you're suggesting the treasury just pluck a figure out of the air when setting a budget, then that is absolute madness too (well, tbf maybe not under this lot!). There are enough examples of that failing spectacularly to show it's naive at best, totally irresponsible at worst.
Finally something interesting in polictics
The Labour minister for climate change, Juliet James, is the sister of the Aphex Twin
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