Current Affairs Cost of living…

[COYBL25]

It's not just businesses low on traffic that are folding either, places that are at capacity sometimes can't foot the bills.

What I can`t get my head around, is that when each one of these places shuts, the government loses a bucket load of tax income, people become unemployed, suppliers go out of business, etc then multiply it across the country. Each one supports other businesses that suffer / end up going bust too.

Yet, there seems to be very little done to stop it all.

From talking to the licencee of the pub that shut, it was the VAT at 20% and the cost of heating that finally did them in.

Surely it`s better and more cost effective to have places open with a bit of support ??

 

[orchard]

What I can`t get my head around, is that when each one of these places shuts, the government loses a bucket load of tax income, people become unemployed, suppliers go out of business, etc then multiply it across the country. Each one supports other businesses that suffer / end up going bust too.

Yet, there seems to be very little done to stop it all.

From talking to the licencee of the pub that shut, it was the VAT at 20% and the cost of heating that finally did them in.

Surely it`s better and more cost effective to have places open with a bit of support ??

A lot of places have support in the form of in work benefits. How far do we go ? Wouldn't it in this case just be channelling even more money to the energy sector ? Wouldn't a stronger energy cap be better in this instance ?

Maybe business models need to change if energy is going to remain relatively expensive, and pubs need to change accordingly. Maybe unravel some elements. It's not going to help some associated businesses, but may help others. There's a lot hanging off of public houses, whether that be rent extraction, tenancy agreements, banks, Sky, brewing corporations, entertainment and governmental bodies.

Some of the best pubs i've frequented (in my subjective opinion) hadn't changed much in centuries. Relatively small unheated rooms walled with their own casks of ale and cider, pour your own and put the cash in the till yourself. This model maybe doesn't inspire the larger economy, but the local thrives.

 

[COYBL25]

A lot of places have support in the form of in work benefits. How far do we go ? Wouldn't it in this case just be channelling even more money to the energy sector ? Wouldn't a stronger energy cap be better in this instance ?

Maybe business models need to change if energy is going to remain relatively expensive, and pubs need to change accordingly. Maybe unravel some elements. It's not going to help some associated businesses, but may help others. There's a lot hanging off of public houses, whether that be rent extraction, tenancy agreements, banks, Sky, brewing corporations, entertainment and governmental bodies.

Some of the best pubs i've frequented (in my subjective opinion) hadn't changed much in centuries. Relatively small unheated rooms walled with their own casks of ale and cider, pour your own and put the cash in the till yourself. This model maybe doesn't inspire the larger economy, but the local thrives.

The last bit may work for country pubs mate, but not for city / suburban pubs.

The final nail in the coffin for my local, was not turning the heating on until 9pm, by then the pub was freezing and it made little difference.

The older fellas and the women just stopped going in, as it was no fun sitting with your coat on.

 

[Rita_Poon]

Pubs will become like holidays, available for a bit in the height of summer and that's your lot. Derelict the rest of the year and the pressure on the land owner the pub is stood on.

Who needs the pub anyway, you should be at work or in the queue at the foodbank or toiling caring for an elderly relative because you and they can't afford to put them in care.

Take a good look at the homeless crisis in the US, the floodgates of poverty and repossessions are about to be unleashed here in the UK.

 

[cronullasharks]

Pubs will become like holidays, available for a bit in the height of summer and that's your lot. Derelict the rest of the year and the pressure on the land owner the pub is stood on.

Who needs the pub anyway, you should be at work or in the queue at the foodbank or toiling caring for an elderly relative because you and they can't afford to put them in care.

Take a good look at the homeless crisis in the US, the floodgates of poverty and repossessions are about to be unleashed here in the UK.

I used to look at the US and wonder how people with full time jobs could only afford to live in trailer parks. My country has hit the fast forward button at a rapid speed to start joining them. And owning 1 house isn't enough for the greedy, they want 10 or 20 and gouge the eyes out of the tenants for rent, some of the stories I hear about rent increases when peoples leases are up has floored me lately the agents playing them all off against each other so people are offering hundreds of dollars a week more just to get a roof over their head. Sickening.

 

[Rita_Poon]

I used to look at the US and wonder how people with full time jobs could only afford to live in trailer parks. My country has hit the fast forward button at a rapid speed to start joining them. And owning 1 house isn't enough for the greedy, they want 10 or 20 and gouge the eyes out of the tenants for rent, some of the stories I hear about rent increases when peoples leases are up has floored me lately the agents playing them all off against each other so people are offering hundreds of dollars a week more just to get a roof over their head. Sickening.

here in the uk the authorities are pretty good with a firm stance on illegal firearms. as and when trump loses I'd not like to be in uniform on duty (in the us) that day. What's the scene in Aus re guns and the culture of crime? I only ask this as when people have been pushed so far and stripped of everything including their dignity, there's nothing left to lose and fighting and dying is the natural next step.

 

[cronullasharks]

here in the uk the authorities are pretty good with a firm stance on illegal firearms. as and when trump loses I'd not like to be in uniform on duty (in the us) that day. What's the scene in Aus re guns and the culture of crime? I only ask this as when people have been pushed so far and stripped of everything including their dignity, there's nothing left to lose and fighting and dying is the natural next step.

Guns aren't really an issue here thankfully, I don't really watch news or read papers so am blissfully ignorant about crime stats as such.

 

[peteblue]

The last bit may work for country pubs mate, but not for city / suburban pubs.

The final nail in the coffin for my local, was not turning the heating on until 9pm, by then the pub was freezing and it made little difference.

The older fellas and the women just stopped going in, as it was no fun sitting with your coat on.

Yep, heating is a big deal for pubs. We light two open fires and put the heating on at least thirty minutes before opening, customers really appreciate this during the cold winter months. We also have electric heating in the outside smoking area that the customers switch on and it automatically cuts off after five minutes but press a button and it’s back on. For us it’s a must have. As you said earlier and all publicans and restaurants would agree it’s that 20% VAT that is the real killer. I honestly don’t know how tenant licensees manage to make a living while paying that level of VAT and rent to the brewers and they put so many hours in…and as I keep saying, once a pub is gone it’s usually gone forever……

 

[BullensRoad]

What I can`t get my head around, is that when each one of these places shuts, the government loses a bucket load of tax income, people become unemployed, suppliers go out of business, etc then multiply it across the country. Each one supports other businesses that suffer / end up going bust too.

Yet, there seems to be very little done to stop it all.

From talking to the licencee of the pub that shut, it was the VAT at 20% and the cost of heating that finally did them in.

Surely it`s better and more cost effective to have places open with a bit of support ??

They don’t care about the money into the public purse, they only care about what’s going into theirs.

Sunak has made his family, and friends, very wealthy at the expense of our livelihoods.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

 

[Titus Bramble]

Cost of living caught up with me and the wife last year.

We were living in Hertfordshire, a place called Bishop's Stortford right on top of Stansted airport. Nice place, but right on the commuter belt to London and Cambridge. We were renting an end of terrace Victorian 2 up 2 down house, the bathroom was a flatroof-ed extension out the back which was always cold and damp and the 'garden' was a patch of grass just about big enough to put up a washing line.

All this to the tune of £1095 per month.

Not so much of an issue when we first moved in as an un-married couple. But after the first was born, my wife had to jack in work to become a full time mum, because the cost of putting the boy into nursery in that area would basically have eaten up the part-time wage the wife would be earning while he was in nursery, so financially there was no point.

My wife fell pregnant with our second... to move to a place with 3 bedrooms we were looking at having to spend another £200/£300 a month rent on top of what we were already paying.

I was earning £46k at the time, which is a pretty good salary... and yet we simply could not afford to live there anymore if we wanted our kids to have the luxury of a bedroom each and a garden to play in.

6 months on, I've actually taken a pay cut and we've moved to Norfolk. The 4 of us are now living in a 3 bed detached house, with a garage and garden big enough for all of the kids outdoor toys you could imagine with space to spare for the veggie patch at the back. This is for £1k a month. Even with the pay cut, we can afford the nursery fees around here (we're paying £9 for a morning session, as opposed to £10 an hour in Herts) and still have a few quid to squirrel away at the end of the month.

The house we moved out of is now up for sale for over £400k. The price you pay for living in and around London is criminal.

 

[orchard]

View attachment 248685

Yeah, 'Cost of Living Crisis' or 'Distribution of Wealth Crisis'. The cost of living is a fairly small proportion of income for the truly wealthy, whilst their assets are raking it in, for the increasing poor however...

 

[Agent Blue]

Pubs will become like holidays, available for a bit in the height of summer and that's your lot. Derelict the rest of the year and the pressure on the land owner the pub is stood on.

Who needs the pub anyway, you should be at work or in the queue at the foodbank or toiling caring for an elderly relative because you and they can't afford to put them in care.

Take a good look at the homeless crisis in the US, the floodgates of poverty and repossessions are about to be unleashed here in the UK.

Sadly this is so true.
I've just watched this vid by Gary Stevenson, a guy who worked as a trader at Citigroup and retired age 27 having made millions. Here he more or less explains this very point.

 

[Del-boy]

Another 5% pay rise for MP’s though..

 

[Rita_Poon]

Trickle down economics. No one is fearing drowning are they...