Is there money to do what Labour wants to do?

Calm down, she's been dead for 31 years.

Well I don't have children but I do pay for private dentist and private medical all the while handing over more mo ey to subsidise other people's choices and so no I don't want to pay anymore tax thanks

I guess some of you are just worried the good times are over now

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/dec/29/only-top-half-of-uk-earners-to-benefit-from-lower-ni-payments-thinktank-warns

Well she’d be wrong. Labour have historically borrowed less per year in government than the Conservatives, but people parrot the lie as if it’s a fact.

Liam Byrne didn’t weaponise it, it was Cameron and Osborne that weaponised it. Byrne apologised because he was being slaughtered left, right and centre even though EVERY outgoing Chief Executive to the Treasury had left a similar ‘funny’ note for the new administration for donkey’s years. It proves how nasty and viscous the Tories are.

My exh's grandmother always said "a Labour government always borrows money".

"Tax raids". What hyperbole.

Middle earners in the UK are taxed comparatively low vs other European countries whereas higher earners pay more. The trouble is housing costs and wage stagnation which doesn’t leave much left over.

The More or less programme on radio4 a couple of days ago explained the problem. Govs have been borrowing money and now we have huge interest payments to make on the loans.
I think the Blair Gov borrowed money, hence nhs doing ok, then the 2008 banking crash before loans had been paid back and we borrowed more to bail out those nice bankers, then Brexit mucked up industry, then Covid needed billions spent - more borrowing.
The global interest rates have gone way up (maybe due to wars,idk) so countries are skint trying to pay the high interest, sadly us more than most due to past and recent borrowing.

@LutonBeds wages have stagnated which is another problem.

Agree, while chanting 'the greater good' nonsense, and tax payers are expected to be so pleased and happy to get heavily taxed to fund the lives of those who won't work, but seem to be the only people that matter, or people who work the bare minimum required and are incandescent that UC dare query anything.

@MissAmbrosia are wages higher too? Genuine question, I’ve no idea. In my last job I earned under £22k for f/t (37.5 hours per week). I’m lucky that I have a fantastic husband who has a good pension and can do some consultancy work. The people I worked with who were on their own in rented accommodation really struggled.

None of the parties that have been in power in my 44 years have ever done anything to help single, childless, low-paid people.

Reginal Maudling (Conservative ) first said that to Jim Callaghan in 1964.

It was a JOKE that continued since then and even Liam Byrne has now apologised for weaponising it.

Our taxes are lower than other Euro countries but we have more inequality eg too much burden on PAYE vs other taxes. Housing is a huge issue because it perpetuates the inequality and disadvantages the young.

Why are people still banging on about Gordon Brown selling (half of) the gold, when the Tories have sold public assets worth ten times as much since? Huge chunks of the NHS, Northern Rock, RBS and Lloyds’ shares, London Fire Brigade, most of our police stations, our stake in Eurostar, Royal Mail and lots more…

All while tripling the debt, plus the whole Trusterfuck. We’ve had years of listening to people bleating on about how “Labour have bankrupted the country”. Yet when the Tories do it on steroids, nobody even blinks. Labour may have spent a fortune, but at least we had jobs and excellent public services to show for it. The Tories sold off the family silver, hoiked up the debt (even before Covid) and we’ve had nothing to show for it.

No.
They will get us into debt yet again.

This with bells on..

I don’t know why people in the UK have this idea they pay high taxes. I live in Spain and we pay way higher taxes and the self employed pay even higher due to paying exorbitant fees for the privilege of being self employed (and then paying tax on top).

I suspect there is an ignorance with age too. Those who have only been adults 15 years or so don't have a comparison.

When I started work, Income tax was 30% (not the higher rate - that had just been slashed from 83% to about 60%).

I said so many times on here that I just don’t understand how they expect to get 5bn off non doms. If I was a non dom, I’d be on a plane to Monaco.

I don’t know why people in the UK have this idea they pay high taxes. I live in Spain and we pay way higher taxes and the self employed pay even higher due to paying exorbitant fees for the privilege of being self employed (and then paying tax on top).

I’m not convinced public services are any better here either! (The weather is however vastly superior).

I don’t think this is the case. I think people in the uk are worried that what we will end up with is much higher taxes, and then STILL have the highest childcare costs in Europe, uni tuition fees of 10k ( or more) per year, no nhs dentists and difficulty getting same day gp appts.

They'll raise the money the same way the Tories did and will spend it on public services rather than squandering it on failed, hopeless projects and contract for their mates.

Rachel Reeves was getting businesses on board before the election so they could be up a running from day one and The Economist and The Financial Times backed Labour. Just because the Conservatives were poor at managing our money, doesn't mean Labour will be.

National Service, how else can we guarantee a landslide to the opposition?
Bonkers

I have zero expectation. More shit, different shitters.

This.
The UK isn't short of money, it is just very, very, very unfairly distributed.

Personally I'd rather pay more tax for good quality health services, social housing, education, policing, probation and social care. I'm a higher rate tax payer and feel under-taxed. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I would too, and I'm NOT a Higher rate tax payer, by a long way.