Current Affairs The General Election

[Billy Dean]

Instead of fuming about a comment about billionaires, I'd rather wait to see what Labour's proposed tax rates would be. I'd imagine any increases would be to corporation tax rather than income tax.

 

[jackyboy]

No idea why the privately educated daughter of a Manchester pimp would want to protect the super rich .

 

[catcherintherye]

The whole "Tax the rich more" line is such a blunt and frankly absurd statement. But is lapped up. And the minute you start applying a % of wealth as a measure of "fairness" you will just run into a pointless cul de sac.

For example, Joe Soap delivering parcels pays a larger % of his wealth in tax when he puts £30 of petrol in his van than David Beckham does. Its utterly ridiculous.

Why is it a stunt though?

Surely the stunt is to assume if you don't bring more money in, you can continue to spend to improve public services to improve them when growth rates sit at below 2%?

The money needs to be found from somewhere. The grown up approach is to stipulate where it can come from.

 

[Kurt.]

 

[roydo]

Why is it a stunt though?

Surely the stunt is to assume if you don't bring more money in, you can continue to spend to improve public services to improve them when growth rates sit at below 2%?

The money needs to be found from somewhere. The grown up approach is to stipulate where it can come from.

Never said it was a stunt mate. I said its a daft argument to use % of wealth against tax paid. My putting petrol in the car point illustrated the absurdity of it. The argument that is.

And yeah money does have to come from somewhere. My grown up approach is to make the country as attractive as is decent to encourage businesses, new and established, to both come here, and be confident in starting one here.

I am not convinced Corbyn sees that road. He would prefer to play the gallery and suggest that making the rich pay more will overnight square his circle.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

General election 2019: Have the Conservatives 'slashed taxes for the richest'?

Jeremy Corbyn says the Conservatives have slashed taxes for the richest. Is that true?

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Brexit: Could US companies run NHS services after Brexit?

Several US companies are already involved in small ways in the health service.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[roydo]

General election 2019: Have the Conservatives 'slashed taxes for the richest'?

Jeremy Corbyn says the Conservatives have slashed taxes for the richest. Is that true?

www.bbc.co.uk

Like I alluded to, its a blunt, bordering on the absurd, argument.

 

[catcherintherye]

Never said it was a stunt mate. I said its a daft argument to use % of wealth against tax paid. My putting petrol in the car point illustrated the absurdity of it. The argument that is.

And yeah money does have to come from somewhere. My grown up approach is to make the country as attractive as is decent to encourage businesses, new and established, to both come here, and be confident in starting one here.

I am not convinced Corbyn sees that road. He would prefer to play the gallery and suggest that making the rich pay more will overnight square his circle.

Apologies Roy I misread that.

Do you think it's any more absurd than stating that the top 1% pay 27% of tax without any wider context. Or without considering for example how much they may be able to afford to pay, or as you say the stealth taxes (that have grown under all parties over the last 20 years)?

I fully agree with making the country more appealing. However we've been trying to do that for 20 years and for the last 10 or more it hasn't worked really. It's a long term solution and is not going to be as immediate as raising taxes might be, is it?

I'd also say, for businesses to strive, we need a more equal society, where those at the bottom and in the middle have a little bit more disposable income.

I don't think making our country open to business and having a different redistributive approach are mutually exclusive, I'd even go as far as to say they go hand in hand, as currently the equilibrium feels very out. I respect Labour for opening up the possibility of the concept being discussed.

 

[roydo]

Roy

First. FFS!

On balance, I reckon the tax take for UK Plc is pretty much ok. One could tinker round the edges for a few billion here or there but in the scheme of things, its enough. Coupled with normal long term borrowing. (Which every nation does pretty much).

What I have an issue with is politicians saying the cure to all evil is to make rich people /companies pay more. It is vacuous nonsense.

 

[catcherintherye]

First. FFS!

On balance, I reckon the tax take for UK Plc is pretty much ok. One could tinker round the edges for a few billion here or there but in the scheme of things, its enough. Coupled with normal long term borrowing. (Which every nation does pretty much).

What I have an issue with is politicians saying the cure to all evil is to make rich people /companies pay more. It is vacuous nonsense.

Fair enough. I'm not sure I agree though, our public services are struggling and need more investment. We are amongst the lowest taxers on companies, so seems sensible to me to make a move in that direction.

I'm not sure why it's vacuous nonsense though? I mean you may not agree with it, but it one wants more investment in public services, fairer pay for their employees etc it's a pretty logical solution to me.

I do understand what you are saying about investment etc, but that has been peddled now through I can recall 4 election cycles by different parties, none of them have delivered. I would say it's sort of the magic beans of politics to assume that alone can resolve the difficulties. I'd love to be proven wrong, but I think we need a more structural change than that.

 

[orly]

Tell you what, Jeremy Corbyn does a brilliant Donald Trump impression on the phone.

 

[onlyme]

3 words
Jacob Rees Mogg.
How people who don't own their own castle can contemplate voting for the party who appointed him as leader of the House of commons is to me an endorsement of the theory, control the press and you control the electorate.

 

[roydo]

I'm not sure why it's vacuous nonsense though? I mean you may not agree with it, but it one wants more investment in public services, fairer pay for their employees etc it's a pretty logical solution to me.

Its a nonsense to pretend that the problems in the UK can be solved by taxing richer people a bit more. Its utterly ridiculous. The tax take is generally fine. Its how its spent.

 

[Jib in lad]

Its going to be like this wherever he goes.