The Labour Government

[Chippy_boy]

A surprising number of people earn £1m/yr. Really ? According to the ONS its only 18700 people out of a population of 60m plus. With those figures its not even the top 1% we are talking about its the top 0.03%.

As regards people being selfish, too much emphasis is placed on tax paid and not enough on what someone's remaining disposable income is. Tax someone earning minimum wage an extra percent and its the difference between having food or not, tax someone on £1m one percent more and it has no effect to their standard of living whatsoever, it just means they have 10k less to invest to make even more money.

Im lucky enough to earn a very good salary and fall well into the highest tax bracket, but likewise I know what is and isnt fair, when the country we live in is falling apart. When you get past the gates at the end of your drive or gated community, what do you want to see ? Somewhere pleasant or somewhere crumbing with food banks, crime and poverty.

So you'd be in favour of what 90% tax on incomes over say £150k? Those people would surely still have plenty left over. Sure that would work, comrade.

Suggest you and I don't debate further on anything. We have diametrically, irreconcilably opposed views. Good luck with your life (genuinely).

 

[Blackley_Blue]

They had to inherit 14 years of Tories and the damage they have done to every aspect of our nation.

I’ll repeat

where’s the sky high inflation ? Where’s the sky high interest rates ? Where’s the NHS strikes ? Where’s the weekly train strikes ? Where’s the right wing riots ?
NHS waiting lists down to lowest in 3 years , energy bills down, workers rights bill introduced, landmark US deal that has saved thousands of jobs in British and Steel industry, India trade deal, closer ties with EU, Massive increase in defence budget, major infrastructure projects, Immigration figures gone from 800k to 400k, arrests of illegal workers up 51% since last year, introduction of neighbourhood health centres, 750+ schools set up for Breakfast clubs and much much more.

Re. The NHS strikes... We're all being balloted at the moment for new strike action...

 

[Kompany Car]

So you'd be in favour of what 90% tax on incomes over say £150k? Those people would surely still have plenty left over. Sure that would work, comrade.

There no comrade about it. You can go to the extreme of 90% or you could apply something much more reasonable that limits things like pension contributions and other ways people offset tax.

The tapered relief for pensions for instance kicks in at £260k, I would argue thats much too high and should start at probably £150k. Likewise benefit in kind for vehicles being a flat rate of 3% for electric cars regardless of income, theres a reason why there are so many Porsche Taycan's knocking about. Use of share schemes as either salary sacrifice or as part of remuneration could be hit harder. Its about ensuring that those who can afford to pay have more of their salary being taxed rather than increasing the percentage figure. That said I also dont think it would be unreasonable to hike it up to 50% for salaries above £150k.

 

[johnny crossan]

The Lib Dems. The trouble is, they're not getting nowhere near as much airtime as Reform are getting despite having dozens more MPs. Farage and Reform are never off our TV screens these days it seems.

Could have something to do with their lack of anything to say?

 

[Chippy_boy]

And regardless of who’s policy, since Labour has been in power we’ve let in 400k less people, 50% reduction , you should just be happy with this right ? Of course we still have immigration problems notably the boat crossings but they’re looking to seriously tackle this far more than can be said of the Tories.

Of course I'm happy about it but for the 3rd time, this is down to changes implemented by the Tories! Please stop claiming it as some Labour victory. Even the Guardian says so!

Net migration to UK down by half in 2024 compared with year before

Office for National Statistics estimate shows fall from 860,000 in 2023 to 431,000 last year

www.theguardian.com

"The drop from 860,000 in the year to December 2024 follows a series of policies implemented by the last Conservative government that have been continued by the present Labour government."

 

[mancityvstoke]

My new energy tariff offer is currently a 7% increase on last offer yet price cap supposedly gone down.

All lies.

 

[BlueAnorak]

They had to inherit 14 years of Tories and the damage they have done to every aspect of our nation.

I’ll repeat

where’s the sky high inflation ? Where’s the sky high interest rates ? Where’s the NHS strikes ? Where’s the weekly train strikes ? Where’s the right wing riots ?
NHS waiting lists down to lowest in 3 years , energy bills down, workers rights bill introduced, landmark US deal that has saved thousands of jobs in British and Steel industry, India trade deal, closer ties with EU, Massive increase in defence budget, major infrastructure projects, Immigration figures gone from 800k to 400k, arrests of illegal workers up 51% since last year, introduction of neighbourhood health centres, 750+ schools set up for Breakfast clubs and much much more.

Even NHS waiting lists were starting to come down under the Tories.
And the Torries would never have touched the WFA but Labour gave in to the Mandarins.
The rise in ENICs has killed recruitment and the economic growth we were seeing has now flat lined. A disaster.
Then we have been attempts to cut PIP. Horrific.

 

[BlueHammer85]

The Lib Dems. The trouble is, they're not getting nowhere near as much airtime as Reform are getting despite having dozens more MPs. Farage and Reform are never off our TV screens these days it seems.

Yep, Libs are a great alternative but they have zero chance.

 

[BlueHammer85]

Of course I'm happy about it but for the 3rd time, this is down to changes implemented by the Tories! Please stop claiming it as some Labour victory. Even the Guardian says so!

Net migration to UK down by half in 2024 compared with year before

Office for National Statistics estimate shows fall from 860,000 in 2023 to 431,000 last year

www.theguardian.com

"The drop from 860,000 in the year to December 2024 follows a series of policies implemented by the last Conservative government that have been continued by the present Labour government."

So again, why the f*ck you moaning about immigration, it’s come down 50%

 

[Chippy_boy]

So again, why the f*ck you moaning about immigration, it’s come down 50%

And AGAIN, as I said before, 400k is WAY too many. In the future, maybe a couple of hundred thousand might be OK. Right not we are FULL. We cannot accommodate any more people until we've had chance to build the infrastructure to support them. We don't have enough housing (and cannot build them), school places, hospitals, GPs, jobs. The UK is FULL.

So for now, it needs to be close to zero. Yes, we can review it later. But only later.

Cameron committed to get it down to "tens of thousands" in 2010. Since then another 4.5m (net) have arrived. It's COMPLETELY unsustainable and has made everyone poorer.

Starmer will never deal with this, because he is passionately in favour of EU membership and with it, freedom of movement. He doesn't want to control it.

 

[Chippy_boy]

That said I also dont think it would be unreasonable to hike it up to 50% for salaries above £150k.

Not that doing so raises much if any money, as discussed.

Anyway, you have your views mate I have mine. As I say, peace and goodwill :-)

 

[BlueHammer85]

And AGAIN, as I said before, 400k is WAY too many. In the future, maybe a couple of hundred thousand might be OK. Right not we are FULL. We cannot accommodate any more people until we've had chance to build the infrastructure to support them. We don't have enough housing (and cannot build them), school places, hospitals, GPs, jobs. The UK is FULL.

So for now, it needs to be close to zero. Yes, we can review it later. But only later.

Cameron committed to get it down to "tens of thousands" in 2010. Since then another 4.5m (net) have arrived. It's COMPLETELY unsustainable and has made everyone poorer.

Starmer will never deal with this, because he is passionately in favour of EU membership and with it, freedom of movement. He doesn't want to control it.

Ok, so it’s 200k more than your required taste and you think it’s far to high, how exactly did you expect it to come down 80% in a year, ridiculous.

 

[Chippy_boy]

Ok, so it’s 200k more than your required taste and you think it’s far to high, how exactly did you expect it to come down 80% in a year, ridiculous.

No, I said it need to be zero for now.

The reason it's 400,000 and not zero is mere lack of political will. We could make it near-zero tomorrow.

Perhaps you are unaware (I was until a few weeks ago) that about 400,000* leave the UK every year? So we could still let 400,000 in and that would achieve net zero migration.

Currently we have circa 16,000 per week coming in (rough figures) resulting in net 400,000 per year. (800,000 in minus 400,000 out = 400,000 net). If we just halve it to 8,000/w arriving, we reduce net migration to zero*

That is achievable by next week if there was real politcal will to do it. There is none. The ONLY reason it's come down is because of what Cleverly implemented. Had he not we'd still be at 800,000 net and Starmer would still be doing nothing about it because he doesn't want to. In fact he's taking measures to make it worse, by providing tax incentives to hire Indian workers more cheaply than British ones, and by cosying up to the EU regards a "youth" migration scheme for the under 30's. Honestly you could not make it up.

* Rough figures. In the year ending June 2023, approximately 414,000 people emigrated from the UK. The number of emigrants has fluctuated in recent years, with the highest number being 645,000 in the year ending March 2020 and the lowest being 414,000 in the year ending June 2023.

 

[metalblue]

They may have targeted the disabled, but that hasn’t materialised as the bill was all but scrapped

Re pensioners, I assume you mean wfa? That has now been resolved

Inflation is a funny one as there are both internal and external influences on that.

Making bills up on the fly. How many are now legislation?

Thats some mind gymnastics there…


But let’s have some fun, by your measurements of the decision is reversed it no longer matters… so I assume you also think Truss was ok as all her madness was reversed?

 

[metalblue]

They had to inherit 14 years of Tories and the damage they have done to every aspect of our nation.

I’ll repeat

where’s the sky high inflation ? Where’s the sky high interest rates ? Where’s the NHS strikes ? Where’s the weekly train strikes ? Where’s the right wing riots ?
NHS waiting lists down to lowest in 3 years , energy bills down, workers rights bill introduced, landmark US deal that has saved thousands of jobs in British and Steel industry, India trade deal, closer ties with EU, Massive increase in defence budget, major infrastructure projects, Immigration figures gone from 800k to 400k, arrests of illegal workers up 51% since last year, introduction of neighbourhood health centres, 750+ schools set up for Breakfast clubs and much much more.

Some good things in there….but “incredibly well”? Come on!!

Everything they have fucked up has all been of their own making.

 

[Chippy_boy]

Thats some mind gymnastics there…


But let’s have some fun, by your measurements of the decision is reversed it no longer matters… so I assume you also think Truss was ok as all her madness was reversed?

<Stands back and watches with amusement...>

 

[Hertzblue]

The Lib Dems. The trouble is, they're not getting nowhere near as much airtime as Reform are getting despite having dozens more MPs. Farage and Reform are never off our TV screens these days it seems.

They are there because they repeatedly lead the polling , they have the momentum , they are the news . No more no less.
If the same were true of the LibDems they would never be off your TV screen either .
Ed Davey in a spandex suit attempting any number of puerile stunts, I never realised they were so popular.

 

[hilts]

They may have targeted the disabled, but that hasn’t materialised as the bill was all but scrapped

Re pensioners, I assume you mean wfa? That has now been resolved

Inflation is a funny one as there are both internal and external influences on that.

Making bills up on the fly. How many are now legislation?

I think saying they thought up shit that failed and wasted a lot of time and credibility isn't much of a positive. In a year they given money to well paid drivers and tried to take money from the vulnerable. Junior doctors fine.
The economy inflation growth etc.... neither great or bad, workers rights meh but okay.

So in a year they have managed what? Only someone with very low expectations would say that was particularly good.

A tad underwhelming and a tad too cruel. Thank god for some decent back benchers.

 

[mosssideblue]

My new energy tariff offer is currently a 7% increase on last offer yet price cap supposedly gone down.

All lies.

Doesn't your supplier set your tariff?

 

[hilts]

Will it though?

Downing Street Admits Fresh Rail Strikes Are 'Extremely Disappointing' As Pressure Grows Over Pay Award

Downing Street admitted it was “extremely disappointing” that passengers face being hit by more rail strikes despite train drivers winning a pay hi...

www.politicshome.com

It's seems the only people who are not worth bothering with in the train industry is the passengers