To think putting vat on private healthcare when many people use it because the NHS won't treat them is monstrously cruel

Link to 6000 closed farms please

Well I wouldn't put it on food, home grown or imported. That's a need. But white goods, TVs, technology, cars. That's a want.

Nine years ago we bought a new flat screen TV a big one. Last month it blew up. Husband dug out the old one from under the stairs. We went from a 50 inch tv back o a 32 inch. Weirdly it's much easier to read the picture is much sharper.

Our last washing machine, bought on marketplace.

We've forgotten how to buy second hand.

And who pays the most currently for all the state services?
Nearly half of people in the UK pay no income tax at all.

Meanwhile:

↳The wealthiest 0.1% cover around 1 in every 10 pounds collected.

↳The top 1% fund nearly a third of all income tax.

↳The top 10% contribute well over two thirds of the total.

To put it in perspective:

↳Someone earning £150,000 parts with more than £53,000 in tax.

↳Someone on £25,000 pays under £2,500.

The person on 25K will then take more in terms of education, healthcare, universal credit etc. That's fine BUT don't then blame the actual people who are paying to fund these services.

Well maybe they shouldn't also be threatening our food security by taxing farms out of existence. Over 6000 have closed in last 12 months, highest number since ONS started publishing data in 2017.

"💥 EU VAT Rates Table 2025: Complete by-Country Guide 2025 ?" https://www.eurofiscalis.com/en/vat-rates-in-ue/

A lot of countries in Europe have higher standard VAT rates than us. Hungary 27% . To raise it would be the fastest way for Reeves to raise the monies she requires.

So the vast majority of our basic food provisions should be taxed heavily? Things like tomatoes and carrots and most fruit? How are people supposed to eat a healthy diet (given that most fresh and non-upf food in the UK is imported!).

Would the tax ‘incentives’ to use private education and healthcare just be for those who currently use the public service but switch to private or would they just be tax cuts for those who already use private healthcare and educate their children privately because it is already affordable?

Because the latter is just a variant of trickle down economics. There is no evidence to support the notion that increasing the disposable income of the already wealthy by decreasing their tax burden has any beneficial impact on those who can’t afford private services and rely on state provision.

Whilst it is true that some who never used private services when state services were better resourced have found the means if possible to access private services, the vast majority of those using private services have always done so and can afford to do so in addition to owning expensive assets and living a luxury lifestyle (whilst paying taxes they can’t legally avoid).

For example, the policy of increasing the threshold at which tax starts being paid has a marginal impact on the poorest but the greatest impact is on the richest. But the benefits to the poorest are touted as the reason for the policy, not the far greater benefits to the richest.

If you are already rich, fill your boots, it makes economic sense to vote for those who will make you even richer (as long as they don’t scare the horses). But if you are not and rely on taxation to fund public services that you use or may use, you might want to vote in line with your own economic interests and not those of populist millionaires who dominate the messages the media pump out daily.

I don't know Eastern, it was also the reflex cringe that a poster decided to write in French just to make a point about France. And the sheep thing second. 😂

It was probably the thinking and sheep part which is a bit eye rolly in any language.

Bayrou was pretty good at pointing out the reality of the situation. Although it didn’t help him either.

Apologies - I’ve not read the whole thread but Wes Streeting categorically said that they will NOT be charging VAT on private healthcare on this mornings BBC Breakfast, so no need to panic.

VAT should cover any form of educational luxury, from university fees to vocational courses. It should also apply to private education services like tutoring, online schools, and any paid educational resources.

Imported food, being a luxury, deserves appropriate taxation.

The same principle applies to imported goods, as they are considered luxuries and should fall under VAT.

All imported items should face significant taxes.

The list feels endless.

By adding VAT and possibly other taxes to everything, the Labour government will achieve the revenue they aim for.

There are far too many "free" things in this country. It's time to end it all.

Anything considered a luxury should face significant taxation, ensuring the Labour government secures the funds it requires. But who gets to decide what counts as a luxury? Predictably, Labour supporters will, and it’ll be intriguing to see how far they go in exempting themselves from the taxes they propose on the luxuries they indulge in.

Yep, it's about as fair as doing it for private schools (i.e. It isn't).

I know MN letting French speakers on here .. quelle horreur 😮

At least they have a head start on us so they can play the cautionary tale when a nation indulges its delusion of wealth.

🙄

Tu sais bien que le système français est vraiment différent. Chez nous, les retraites, l’aide sociale et tout ce que l’État fournit sont parmi les plus bas d’Europe, et clairement bien moins généreux que le modèle plus “socialiste” en France.
Résultat : ça a creusé un énorme déficit. Les manifs récentes, c’était surtout contre les gels et les coupes budgétaires qu’on voulait imposer pour combler ce trou, pas pour demander plus de services.
Heureusement, en France la philo et l’esprit critique font partie du bac, du coup les gens sont souvent moins moutons et plus prêts à s’opposer.

😂 Never going to happen and I'm too pragmatic for the wishful thinking game.

Rejoin

It’s what we voted for. The idea we’d go for tax rebates on private health and education wasn’t going to happen. I agree with you though. Maybe after we’ve experienced Labour people will vote differently.

I was a remain voter. I'd still be a remain voter now. But, what can you do?

@twistyizzy

I agree that we should give tax incentives for private healthcare and private education, not punish people via taxes. People going private are saving the taxpayer and that needs to be reflected and incentivised, not punished. Like you say, some other more enlightened countries do exactly that!

Also, we also need to follow other enlightened countries re tax relief for employment related expenses such as commuting to work and other costs such as work clothes, personally paid for training/exams, self development, etc to encourage people to work, work more, and develop themselves to improve skills etc.

We're so backward in this country as regards tax, it's a national embarrassment.

Although not having done this isn’t helping France much. They too have an electorate demanding higher spending and borrowing.

Health insurance is our biggest outgoing, we go without holidays and other luxurys, drive an old car. Kids did not go to private schools. We aren't flash or elitist in any way, initially we had the insurance through work, but chose to take on the policy after redundancy.
I'm bloody grateful that we did as I now have cancer and I've been shocked at the poor level of NHS care, very grateful that I have other options.
Private healthcare is also asfaik taxed with insurance tax already?

@SomethingFun

Everyone agrees someone needs to pay more tax and everyone also agrees that this should be someone else as they feel they already pay enough tax. It’s exhausting. I wish we could try making more money but there is no political will to make the country more attractive to growth businesses and investors.

Nail on the head. We need genuine economic growth, not the constant lazy "increase tax" or "reduce spending" which never works. We're in a global marketplace and need to be competitive Worldwide. Govt spending on benefits and public spending etc to "drive the economy" doesn't work because it stokes inflation and increases imports (balance of payments deficit), so the money just leaves the country.

Good one. Guessing you still believe the big red bus too 😂