The Labour Government

hampshireblue said:
But not because of any government policies. We had this debate months ago when Big Joe was blaming the government for his car insurance going up ( it actually went down), his food bills, his council tax. I'm not sure the governmnet has control over coffee prices, what Tesco decide to charge you, or your car insurance etc...
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The NI rise for employers has seen prices rise and in part has contributed to the cost of living rise and inflation.

Unless you want to pretend otherwise?
 
melrose40yarder said:
I have been taxed all my life. Why when i have bought a house improved it payed it off should my daughter be taxed?
Why should my wife and daughter be taxed on my death for a pension lump sum that goes to them?
The most money i have ever earned is 40 k a yr.Worked hard all my 40 yrs in employment never had a penny of the state never moaned about tax.As i approach my retirement have i not payed my dues?
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Your spouse won't be taxed on anything you leave to her.
 
blueinsa said:
The NI rise for employers has seen prices rise and in part has contributed to the cost of living rise and inflation.

Unless you want to pretend otherwise?
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It has contributed a bit. The minimum wage more but I'm sure you wouldn't begrudge a pay rise for the very worse off?

As I've said before Tesco moaned endlessly about both of the above increase but took the opportunity to put prices up by even more incraesing their profit margins and therefore profits-at your expense.
 
hampshireblue said:
It has contributed a bit. The minimum wage more but I'm sure you wouldn't begrudge a pay rise for the very worse off?

As I've said before Tesco moaned endlessly about both of the above increase but took the opportunity to put prices up by even more incraesing their profit margins and therefore profits-at your expense.
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So government policy has contributed then?

You can’t say it hasn’t then say it has a bit.
 
blueinsa said:
So government policy has contributed then?

You can’t say it hasn’t then say it has a bit.
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If it makes you feel better, then yes, a bit, but the retailers and service providers by more by increasing margins. The fuel retailers have doubled their profit margins since 2022.

You do want people at the bottom to be well paid?

And the NI does go towards providing pensions and government services that you/we may well rely on. But maybe you're so rich you don't need anything off the state?
 
mosssideblue said:
Which of those are attributable to the Government?
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Energy prices control the price to consumers it is something the government could control if they wish the last time energy prices were cut/capped 2022/2023
Energy price cap: How much are energy prices going up? - BBC ...
The UK government uses the energy price cap, set by Ofgem, to limit the maximum amount energy suppliers can charge for each unit of energy and standing charge for standard variable tariffs.For a typical household paying by direct debit, the cap is set at £1,755 per year for October to December 2025. While the government set the previous Energy Price Guarantee, the price cap is now determined by the independent regulator, Ofgem, to ensure prices reflect the cost of energy.

Energy Price Cap (October - December 2025)
  • Typical annual bill: £1,755 for a dual-fuel household paying by direct debit.

  • Increase from previous period: A 2% increase from the £1,720 cap that was in place from July to September 2025.

  • Unit prices: The average price for gas is 6.3 pence per kWh, and for electricity it is 26.3 pence per kWh.

  • Average standing charges: 34.03 pence per day for gas and 53.68 pence per day for electricity.
How the cap works
  • It applies to standard variable tariffs (default tariffs) for both gas and electricity.

  • It is a cap on the unit rates and standing charges, not on your total bill, which depends on your energy use.

  • The cap is reviewed and set quarterly by Ofgem.
Other government support
  • The government provides additional support, such as the Winter Fuel Payment, to help with heating bills.

  • Energy-intensive businesses can also receive government support to reduce their electricity costs”
  • Energy price hikes is behind rises in manufacturing food and clothing etc.
 
melrose40yarder said:
I have been taxed all my life. Why when i have bought a house improved it payed it off should my daughter be taxed?
Why should my wife and daughter be taxed on my death for a pension lump sum that goes to them?
The most money i have ever earned is 40 k a yr.Worked hard all my 40 yrs in employment never had a penny of the state never moaned about tax.As i approach my retirement have i not payed my dues?
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Daughter wont get taxed on the pension payout.
 
hampshireblue said:
If it makes you feel better, then yes, a bit, but the retailers and service providers by more by increasing margins. The fuel retailers have doubled their profit margins since 2022.

You do want people at the bottom to be well paid?

And the NI does go towards providing pensions and government services that you/we may well rely on. But maybe you're so rich you don't need anything off the state?
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You’re making an assumption about an economy-wide increase in profit margins by all retailers and service providers solely on the basis of one company, Tesco.

For the record Tesco has had one interim trading update covering the first three months of the NI increase and their trading profit margin increased by a few basis points, due reportedly to previous investments on efficiency programmes. The guidance for the full year is still that margins will decline, due in part to tax increases.

To call your evidence wafer thin would be extremely generous. Meanwhile a number of key business surveys, such as the BoE Decision Maker Panel report - which the MPC places considerable weight on - reported a significant proportion of businesses intending to raise prices in direct response to the NI hike.
 
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Brewster's millions said:
You’re making an assumption about an economy-wide increase in profit margins by all retailers and service providers solely on the basis of one company, Tesco.

For the record Tesco has had one interim trading update covering the first three months of the NI increase and their trading profit margin increased by a few basis points, due reportedly to previous investments on efficiency programmes. The guidance for the full year is still that margins will decline, due in part to tax increases.

To call your evidence wafer thin would be extremely generous. Meanwhile a number of key business surveys, such as the BoE Decision Maker Panel report - which the MPC places considerable weight on - reported a significant proportion of businesses intending to raise prices in direct response to the NI hike.
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No, I'm making a point that some, not all, retailers take the opportunity to increse profits whilst hiding behind government policy. For the record, supermarket margins are pretty thin anyway but I picked Tesco as most people can relate to them and they are nationwide.

"Intending" is not the same as "have". But let's not forget what NI pays for. Maybe the country really couldn't afford the NI reduction bribe that the Tories came up with?
 
hampshireblue said:
No, I'm making a point that some, not all, retailers take the opportunity to increse profits whilst hiding behind government policy. For the record, supermarket margins are pretty thin anyway but I picked Tesco as most people can relate to them and they are nationwide.

"Intending" is not the same as "have". But let's not forget what NI pays for. Maybe the country really couldn't afford the NI reduction bribe that the Tories came up with?
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You’re contradicting yourself now, and also attempting to shift the argument to what NI pays for, rather than sticking to your initial argument, which was disputing the inflationary effect of the NI hike.

Do you just want to admit that the NI hike has been inflationary and that government policy has in fact added to the cost of living?
 
Brewster's millions said:
You’re contradicting yourself now, and also attempting to shift the argument to what NI pays for, rather than sticking to your initial argument, which was disputing the inflationary effect of the NI hike.

Do you just want to admit that the NI hike has been inflationary and that government policy has in fact added to the cost of living?
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I've already done that and agreed it has had a minor impact on overall inflation, probably as little as a few basis points. The biggest contributors to inflation have been airfares, fuel costs, water rates (profits doubled in last 6 years) and utility costs.

What NI is used for is very much part of the argument for raising it and I've alluded to it in the past, as is the increase in minimum wage.

The fact is the your beloved Tories chose to cut NI when the country couldn't afford it and Labour reversed that cut but getting it from an alternative source, as they had stupidly backed themselves into a corner over NI, tax and VAT.
 
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Before the last election a lot of economists said the same thing: regardless of who wins we're screwed. And they were right. All of them said vote for me and I'll sort it all out. And for all of them it was somewhere between insane optimism and downright lies. But that's politics: you can't run on a platform that says it's all a mess and I haven't a clue. So here we are with a lot of the electorate opting for the 'fuck it' option: i.e. Reform. Which is a great way to put two fingers up to the establishment. Even though there is overwhelming evidence that Farage couldn't be trusted to run a whelk stall. How many electors will press the 'fuck it' button when it really matters? Who knows.
 
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