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Original poster

Conservatives and Labour - is there really any difference for middle class working families

208 replies

Sweetcup · 28/10/2024 08:14

Please convince me otherwise as I'm feeling utterly depressed.

I really can't see what is on offer to middle class families from either party - it appears to be exactly the same. High taxes, no guarantee of decent state education or access to medical care, horrible driving on roads, criminals out of prison early picked up in luxury cars. Our salaries are worth less than they were 7 years ago.

In principle I don't mind paying high taxes but it really doesn't seem to be a guarantee of anything. Our local state secondary is dreadful as a few (non-working) families seem able to disrupt the education of the rest. As a tax payer I don't feel either the Conservatives or Labour have ever spoken to me directly about what my money is doing and what they are guaranteeing for it.

We cut right back (no Netflix, eating our, no takeout) to put money into our pensions and now I just feel like that means we will have done it to pay for other people's state funded retirements.

OP posts:
thepariscrimefiles · 28/10/2024 08:35

Sweetcup · 28/10/2024 08:21

@randomchap I do realise that. It's clear taxes will go up again. Labour haven't said anything during the campaign or after which makes me think they will improve things for my family or community. That is what I find depressing.

I'm sure that some taxes will go up but I doubt that income tax or employee national insurance contributions will go up.

Possibly they will make changes to CGT and inheritance tax, but no-one will know for certain until after the budget. If you are affected by rises in these two taxes, you are probably in the wealthier demographic and any changes are unlikely to mean that you will need to choose between heating and eating.

Didimum · 28/10/2024 08:33

I agree, but think that was obvious from their manifestos. Both parties are central leaning and fiscally very similar. The difference to me was from a moral and characteristic standpoint.

Original poster
Sweetcup · 28/10/2024 08:32

@Hateam this is exactly how I feel. We claim nothing - paid for our child's autism assessment ourselves, don't go to the doctors unless we really need to, pay a fortune to commute and on childcare. I feel there is very little respect for tax payers.

OP posts:
Hateam · 28/10/2024 08:27

I've gotten our of bed every morning for 35 years and gone to work.

I pay everything, I claim nothing.

All I ever get told is stop moaning and pay more.

twomanyfrogsinabox · 28/10/2024 08:26

randomchap · 28/10/2024 08:18

You do realise that Labour haven't even produced a budget as yet? It's way too early to judge.

Your wages being with less than 7 years ago, those 7 years were under the Tories.

The nhs, roads, and education which you complain about have all been neglected under the Tories, maybe Labour will fix them, maybe not, but at least give them a chance before judging them.

This "they are all the same" narrative is obviously incorrect

Why obviously incorrect? I've lived through many changes of Government and for all the posturing fundamentally things don't change much for most people. And it's probably a good thing that both the left and right are still fairly central politically, extreme left wing or right wing governments start to be dangerous to democracy.

Original poster
Sweetcup · 28/10/2024 08:21

@randomchap I do realise that. It's clear taxes will go up again. Labour haven't said anything during the campaign or after which makes me think they will improve things for my family or community. That is what I find depressing.

OP posts:
randomchap · 28/10/2024 08:18

You do realise that Labour haven't even produced a budget as yet? It's way too early to judge.

Your wages being with less than 7 years ago, those 7 years were under the Tories.

The nhs, roads, and education which you complain about have all been neglected under the Tories, maybe Labour will fix them, maybe not, but at least give them a chance before judging them.

This "they are all the same" narrative is obviously incorrect

twomanyfrogsinabox · 28/10/2024 08:17

What labour are going to do will be clearer after the budget. But yes usually lesser of evils, not one is so much better than the other for anyone really. Both parties are pretty central politically.