The Labour Government

[PPT]

It is obvious but did they have to make the pensioners pay for it ? Tell me why they couldn’t have gone after Tax fraud and introduce a staged withdrawal of WFP

Because it’s left wing ideology and it has blown up in their faces rather spectacularly. It’s easy to criticise and point the finger when you are in opposition, but a tad more difficult when you are in power as this bunch of amateurs are now finding out.

 

[hampshireblue]

It is obvious but did they have to make the pensioners pay for it ? Tell me why they couldn’t have gone after Tax fraud and introduce a staged withdrawal of WFP

I assume you haven't heard of a Qualifying Week. The reason I suspect they rushed this through, and in some part botched it, is to do with the QW. Otherwise they would have held off until the Budget.

 

[Vic]

27% contributions to public sector pensions made by tax payers money. Immoral.

Politics of envy again.

 

[hampshireblue]

Because it’s left wing ideology and it has blown up in their faces rather spectacularly. It’s easy to criticise and point the finger when you are in opposition, but a tad more difficult when you are in power as this bunch of amateurs are now finding out.

If it was really left wing ideology, they wouldn't be doing it this way. A bit of incompetence maybe, but I'm more convinced that the Qualifying Week has something to do with it being announced early and in isolation.

 

[bluethrunthru]

27% contributions to public sector pensions made by tax payers money. Immoral.

why is that immoral. They are people who are doing a public service - don't give them a decent pension and do you know what? They claim benefits off the system when they retire on a shit pension. You are aware whose money (taxes) fund the benefits system yeah?

 

[BrianW]

I'm left wing and I believe in universal benefits balanced by taxes to claw back from the better off. That way, no one who needs the benefit is left out. In addition, you avoid a shit load of bureaucracy where Doris works through your form and judges whether you are eligible or not.

Means testing is a classic Tory Policy, not left-wing at all. We'll be back to the 1920s at this rate, with some woman coming around to see what you can sell before you get anything.

Tories should be made up that their 'argument' on social policy has triumphed to the point that a Labour government goes down this path. On the one hand it's appalling. On the other hand, it demonstrates what philosophy is in the ascendant.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

He epitomises a horrible human trait. Someone who’s worked hard, and done well, who makes themselves unhappy at the thought of losing some of it.

Looked him up - left school at 15, trained to be a plumber, set his own business up, became the leading domestic plumbing services company in the country, floated on the stock exchange.

What an incredible story, and rather than be happy to give a bit back, even though he’ll always be alright, even though he must see homeless people every time he leaves the house, he wants to leave the country because his £20 million net assets might dip by a few percent. What a horrible ****.

Money fucks so many people up.

This ****’s got me seriously mad. Like, if you took 75% of his wealth off him he’s still be absolutely fine. And still would be better off than over 99% of humans alive.

How can that not be enough?

It’s not him, it’s us. We’re utterly selfish cunts.

 

[Kirkstall Blue]

I think it was most likely a complete misjudgement.

They probably thought that with the price cap being more than £300 lower than last year, and by retaining it for the poorest pensioners, it would be a relatively painless way to look "tough but fair".

Reeves was probably looking for a benefit to cut for the optics, and they completely underestimated the backlash.

Sorry I’m behind the thread, Reeves has misjudged the mood, the large majority of pensioners are just above the pension credit limit. So won’t be able to claim extra benefit.
The part that annoys me is treating the state pension as a benefit when it’s been paid for by workers or people who paid their N.I. stamp WFP was because the cost of heating.
If they are serious they would realise that when people get old they need the heat on so more heart attacks, hypothermia ending up in hospital.

 

[bluethrunthru]

state pension as a benefit when it’s been paid for by workers or people who paid their N.I

incorrect - the workforce today pays tax and NI through the front door and their money goes out the back door to pay todays pension. The "stamp" element is your contributions that establish the amount of your pension. If you pay tax today its paying your next door neighbours state pension on Thursday - thats why the ratio to working people paying tax and wealthy people stumping up their tax is important because there is no element of investment in the state pension.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

It is obvious but did they have to make the pensioners pay for it ? Tell me why they couldn’t have gone after Tax fraud and introduce a staged withdrawal of WFP

Ah, but we've just heard on the BBC ten o'clock that they rather not do it, so as they voiced their reluctance it's now perfectly alright to go ahead and, er, do it!