The Conservative Party

[abu13]

Sunak looks like a little kid.

 

[Kompany Car]

Electrifying the line would make only a marginal difference in journey times.
I doubt the reduction would be more than 2 minutes.
Is it worth all the expense to electrify it?
47 mins non stop. How long does it take when station stops at Stalybridge, Huddersfield and Dewsbury are taken into account?

Electrification is more about carbon net zero than improving journey times.

 

[Saddleworth2]

The pain coming is unfortunately inevitable because it's the long price we must all pay for COVID

For the eagle eyed amongst you. Can you spot the one three letter word beginning with a that might be wrong?
it’s a toughie, I know.

 

[mat]

The

I agree that you can’t quadruple it, but you can reduce the headway by rolling out level 2 or level 3 ERTMS which should significantly increase capacity. The problem will be where do you get your extra trains from ?

There's hundreds of trains in sidings all over the country that aren't being utilised because the DFT won't pay ROSCO's to release them to TOCs.

Another great part of privatisation was creating of rolling stock companies that charge ridiculous hire charges for them and expect the renter to maintain them.

 

[domalino]

The arguments on here around austerity are a little hypocritical and illogical.

This is a genuine question - if we do not impose austerity and instead increase spending then what will happen to the markets and the £? We could fill the black hole with taxes but why would the markets react positively to increases in tax that would inevitably fall on the markets?

The pain coming is unfortunately inevitable because it's the long price we must all pay for COVID and not even a Labour government would be able to escape it.

It was proven post-2008 that spending cuts just reduces income more and increasing spending increases growth and income more than the cost of the borrowing.

The rate of recovery from the global financial crisis was directly inverse to the amount of austerity measures.

The fact is, we’re not ALL paying for covid. The USA isn’t in a recession, inflation and cost of living increases in the UK is worse than other countries.

 

[abu13]

Anyone know what the key bullet points are in regard in increased taxation?

 

[Kompany Car]

The


There's hundreds of trains in sidings all over the country that aren't being utilised because the DFT won't pay ROSCO's to release them to TOCs.

Another great part of privatisation was creating of rolling stock companies that charge ridiculous hire charges for them and expect the renter to maintain them.

It’s not as simple as just putting a train on a different line. Gauging, compatibility with track circuits, stopping positions etc all needs to be considered.
I agree that the leasing companies take the piss when it comes to charges but that’s what you get with privatisation. Typically shiny new stock starts off in London and then when it’s knackered it gets a quick refurb and sent North. The only new stuff I think we have had is the CAF vehicles that were built to very tight cost margins and seem to be less reliable than the rust bucket pacers.

 

[Kompany Car]

Anyone know what the key bullet points are in regard in increased taxation?

Tax rates frozen for 20% and 40% brackets. 45% bracket will now start at just over £125k.
Didn’t hear anything else.

 

[domalino]

Anyone know what the key bullet points are in regard in increased taxation?

Confirmed announcements:

• The threshold for the Additional Rate band (45% marginal rate) of income tax is being reduced from £150,000 to £125,000.
• Other tax bands to be frozen until April 2028
• Dividend allowance to be cut from £2k to £1k from April 2024, then £500 from April 2025
• The Capital Gains exempt amount is dropping from £12,400 to £6k next year, then £3k from April 2024
• Electric vehicles to be subject to VED from April 2025
• Windfall tax on energy producers up to 35% (currently 25%) from 1st January, to last until March 2028
• A temporary levy on electricity generators of 45% from 1st January
• Stamp duty cuts remain until March 2025
• Defence budget to be maintained at at least 2% of GDP to be consistent with our NATO commitment
• £3.3bn extra to the NHS, £2.8bn extra for schools, £2.8bn extra for social care.
• A new nuclear plant at Sizewell C to go ahead
• Target to reduce energy consumption by 15% by 2030
• Energy Price Guarantee to be continued for a further 12 months from April with a new price cap of £3k/year for the average household
• Social rent increases capped at 7% in 2023-24
• National Living Wage to increase by 9.7% from April 2023 (the new hourly rate will be £10.42)
• The State Pension and means-tested benefits (including Universal Credit and Pensions Credit) to rise in line with inflation (by 10.1%)

 

[Cheesy]

Shafting small businesses and entrepreneurs again :-(