We don't want the government to lurch to the left

The reality is that most net tax payers will have families and friends here and like living here, speak the language and so on. The sort of wealth and mobility where people have houses in different countries and can afford to jet between them is very rare.

Generally they have property elsewhere because they have dual citizenship or leave to remain.

A lot of far from wealthy people will leave over the next 10 years as they reach retirement and retire back to their relatively prosperous native European country (Poland is a case in point).

What’s your yardstick for ‘rich’ though?
I’m gobsmacked that we have billionaires. Nobody needs to be a billionaire.

the difference between a millionaire and a billionaire is beyond comprehension for most people.

As an aide for comparison, a million seconds is about 11.5 days.

A billion seconds is over 31.5 years.
This is why the country is broke. We rent everything off the billionaires.

I feel it doesn’t matter which party is in power, the issues will not change, because they are global in nature (not counting the self harm of brexit and 6% wiped off GDP).
There is no quick fix. Taxing more will be like a drop of ink in the ocean, even with a wealth tax (assuming that seriously rich billionaires have already moved much of their assets from the uk, so even a five year retrospective application won’t mop up as much as forecast) , as we are paying crippling amounts of debt interest daily.

All it needs is for another global event to happen forcing costs up and we are literally fucked as we can’t borrow much more than we already have.

I really wish the PM had picked another Chancellor. Even Ed Milliband might have done a better job, and I’m really not keen on him. Wish his brother would come back in to UK politics.
They should just move Westminster to somewhere like Salford Quays for a few years so HOP can be properly repurposed as a kind of political museum for ceremonial openings etc and portcullis house could actually have a proper debating chamber installed thus reducing the schoolboys jeering effect.
No point in keeping to tradition if it no longer serves us.

This is why Dubai etc is attracting a lot of these people.

• it's interesting you bring up Dubai as for the minority of ethnic Emiratis who live there, it's actually the opposite setup: many do not work at all and the government gives them huge subsidies due to the oil. Christopher Davidson' books are very interesting on the tensions caused by this.

@DrPrunesqualer

People would work longer hours as they would no longer receive state benefits to top up their part-time hours. The cliff edges (caused by our ridiculous benefits systems on childcare etc) for higher paid would also disappear providing more incentives for everyone to work longer hours.

Employers, free from NI contributions would offer a more widespread private insurance schemes which would be tax deductible for both employer and employee. The more extensive and inclusive these schemes become, the more affordable they are - much like some European models.

For those that can't afford the private health insurance premiums, the same doctors would be available, just like many are now (e.g. working half the week on NHS and the other half private), but the costs would be met by the state. Gradually, as the take up of private insurance increases, the cost to the state of routine proceedures decreases. This has to be a good thing.

I am with you on the idea of choosing which school gets the teaching budget for your child (state or private). It might improve all schools as they would need to compete for pupils. I would also allow private school fees to be tax deductible.

I am suggesting a higher basic rate income tax would be needed but it would be balanced out for hard-working taxpayer by the benefits and incentives built into the system along with the abolition of many of the back-door taxes to make the whole system more much transparent. There would also be huge savings made by the abolition of numerous unnecessary civil service departments at local and central goverment levels! A slimming down of the civil service and all those fat-cats at the top that they support is essential. It appears that many of these people's raison d'être is to create more and more bureacracy. In every department these days, there are staff who don't have a clue about the laws they are themselves trying to enforce, so what chance do the general public have. Simplification and transparency are the only way forward.

Before anyone mentions redundancies, I am not suggesting this could happen overnight, but it should be the ultimate goal. Hopefully natural wastage would reduce the numbers over time.

@FalseSpring
in an ideal world with a few additions that all seems good

Unfortunately people don’t work enough hours to contribute in this ideal world to make it work . We’d love it if they would
How would that attitude change be achieved and how would the full working week be forced on people

The nhs idea of mainly private falls apart for those who can’t pay into a private system. If doctors within the nhs care are only carrying out emergency ops then who carries out the booked in ones for those with no insurance. It can’t be the nhs doctors as they wouldn’t have the practice experience and private doctors would stick the non private’s well at the back of the queue.
So how would this system guarantee everyone was treated equally. We’ve already seen a shocking attitude change since the euthanasia proposals were put forward.

In terms of tax incentives for those with private healthcare and again in order to be fare and equal there should also be tax incentives for those who pay for private education. It’s a saving every year for 14 years to the state so the same as the healthcare saving
Perhaps a system similar to that used in parts of Scandinavia ( can’t recall which) whereby all parents are given the child’s budget and can choose which schools it goes to.

Ultimately i think
along with your proposals
we will need higher taxes and
as you say a reduced welfare state
to have the funds to ensure equality of care for all.

@FalseSpring I would be happy with all of that.

My suggestions will be considered outrageous by many, but we can't carry on bankrupting the country.

Tweaking benefits and taxes is never going to resolve the long-term issues. Our whole system of financial government needs a complete and drastic overhaul but obviously that can't be changed overnight. These proposals would be very long term and we would work gradually towards the goal of simplification and streamlining of government.

IMHO the way to go is increasing the income tax personal allowance annually until it reaches the equivalent of a living wage. Why on earth should we be taxing people who don't earn enough to live on and then paying them benefits to make up for it.

National insurance and Council Tax should be abolished/combined with income tax - it would be much fairer and the multiple departments right across the country that are needed to manage this could be scrapped. Capital Gains could also be taxed as income and Inheritance Tax could be abolished too.

I would keep VAT but have more levels, to allow for an increase in the rate for luxury or human and environmentally damaging goods to curb irresponsible spending.

To offset the loss of revenue from the above measures we need to do two things - firstly raise the basic rate of income tax, and secondly get rid of Universal Credit and other in-work benefits for anyone above a set wage level. They should become unnecessary for those who are able to earn a living wage. Benefits should be confined to those who are unable to earn a living wage for whatever reason but with very defined and strict criteria to avoid mis-use.

We need to incentivise employers to pay better wages to avoid the need for in-work benefits. I would not increase Corporation Tax for small businesses but would have increasing rates for high profits, and would set limits on pay differentials between highest and lowest paid. Tax reliefs given for providing lower paid employees with tangible benefits such as help with transport costs and local housing (to reduce travel times). Tax incentives could help increase employee shareholding or bonus systems, etc. to improve job satisfaction at the lowest levels.

We should offer tax relief for private health care to reduce the pressure on the NHS. These reliefs could benefit employers and employees/self-employed through huge increases in private insurance and allow for a lot of scheduled surgery etc to be taken out of the NHS. The NHS would should become much more focused on emergency and critical care as well as care of the elderly whilst outsourcing more scheduled sugery and medical care. This should help avoid some of the delays and remove inefficiency in the system. Mental health and addiction services should be separated and include more local community-based initiatives to tackle the problem at source (and as far as possible keep the issues away from A&E).

Childcare in nurseries should be free for all, just like schools, but parents should be able to opt to stay home with very young children. Working parents should be given extra tax allowances to help fund a parent staying at home or they could receive longer paid maternity from their employers (again a company tax deductible benefit). The complex childcare credit rules etc could all be abolished.

Simplifying the system will reduce bureaucracy and costs enormously. It will create a much fairer system where everyone is taxed once on their income, regardless of source (earnings, self-employment, rental or passive income, gains etc). A simple system with tax incentives could encourage a much more employee-focused working environment and increase productivity and employee motivatation.

Our government has become increasingly bureaucratic over my lifetime to the extent that I now feel I want to escape but realistically I'm not able to go anywhere that would be much better. My young working adult DCs are both depressed as they cannot see a decent future where they can earn enough to be comfortable. I was lucky to have a great career that paid me well, but for most young people, the outlook is very bleak. I can completely understand why so many of their generation are suffering mental health issues. For their sakes, we need to make work and even just staying alive seem worthwhile.

yes and you changed my wording and formed opinions on statements I have never made .. so I put them forward

Time will tell if Reform will ever govern. Personally I do not think they will we do not tend to vote to far to the right or left in this country and a week is a long time in politics and we have a few years until an election needs to be called. The Tories have gained more support recently and Reform now have a number of heavy weight egotistical senior members lets see how this plays out

Media does inform people and have an influence, if it did not why would the parties bother with making statement through the media

We have racists in this country, we have a racist leading Reform. People are openly spouting racist opinions. People may choose to overlook Farage's racism (as they did with Trumps sexism or Corbyn's lean towards antisemitism) voters are quite happy to overlook such issues when they believe in the bigger picture but ask a person who holds racist views who they shall vote for in the next election I am confident in saying the vast majority will vote Reform.

Ok, with respect, your latest post comes across as a little confused, and is confusing.

To recap, I asked you how would you explain Reform’s (strong) polling.

You replied -

‘right wing media backing Reform’
‘people are struggling and want simple answers and people to blame’
‘Farage does connect with some people with his simple blame and hate filled politics’
‘we have many racists in the UK‘

All of which diminishes those who would vote Reform, and a) do not need the media to inform their choice, b) do not subscribe to ‘hate filled’ politics, and c) are not racist.

You also dismiss Labour’s torrid 18-odd months in government, unless you would call it a success.

Many issues in the UK are structural, no question - and just as Labour won a protest vote in the last GE, Reform looks set to benefit from the same protest vote in the next.

Personally, I am not convinced of Reform’s ability to govern, which makes it all the more telling when a significant part of the electorate would rather roll the dice on Reform, than live with a Labour government.

I said some of the reasons... not the only reasons

Blair courted the right wing media knowing he needed them on his side, its nothing new that the right wing media has sway over public opinion in this country. Surely if you have an interest in politics you will know this

I posted we have many racists in this country - not too many a nice added touch from yourself. Many many people have reported an increase of racism since Brexit and also since Gaza war (including my family). People have not just been putting up the union jack to celebrate being British. I also would not claim that second and third generations who come from immigrant families do not hold prejudice views

Being concerned about immigration is not being racist and I have never claimed it is

I have not claimed all that Labour have done is right, that they are not without fault

Brexit won (imo) because they had they ran a better campaign that voters connected with, few gave much thought about the EU beforehand. I blame MP's that supported having a referendum with minimal debate and discussions beforehand, how they allowed this to go ahead is an absolute travesty

You have decided I am arrogant over opinions that I have not even posted ....

Blaming a supposedly ‘right wing media’ as opposed to damaging left wing policies, scandals, and u-turns. Brilliant.

’We have too many racists in the UK’. Lazy and insulting to those who are concerned about unchecked illegal immigration, many of whom are second and third generation immigrants themselves.

Honestly, is that the best you can do? So, the dire polling for Labour has nothing to do with Labour then? Straight out of Starmer’s playbook - blame everyone else.

This is precisely how you got Brexit, and Trump - an arrogant, condescending dismissal of the majority.

If it was an understood preparation for family planning in the wider world aswell a reduction in births is a positive
Its not news that We are overpopulated

A few reasons

right wing media backing Reform

people are struggling and want simple answers and people to blame

Farage does connect with some people with his simple blame and hate filled politics

we have many racists in the UK

We both still work. Our “plan B” is to enhance our earnings to have as much money as is possible, for those extra costs, and to stay in our larger house that meets his needs.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to do that, or to plan for a hypothetical disabled child and the approximate additional £1k per month they cost.

If making that plan, for those extra costs, became a requirement for having children, there’d be a huge drop in births - disabled or otherwise.

This is what I don’t get. You have a child knowing that they might be disabled and you might have to look after them, surely? It happens. You’ve got to have a plan B. Downsize our house and one of us stop working was our plan B. It’s our child. I expect to be provided for healthcare services for free by the government but I don’t expect government cash compensation for a disabled child of ours. That’s a crazy attitude.

One way to achieve a higher tax income for the Government without extra taxes is for everyone to work full time
( appreciate some can’t )
It has become more prevalent for many to limit their hours to 16 hours for example. When This ‘required work hours’ was increased from 12 to the current 16 I recall many upped their hours

Which proves people are chosing to work part time when they could work more

16 hours contrary to what the Government say is not full time.

Britain has been “colonised” by immigrants who are “costing too much money”, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said.

The billionaire co-owner of Manchester United, who also owns chemicals empire Ineos, called on the country’s politicians to “show some courage” by tackling immigration, welfare dependence and the weak economy.

“You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” he told Sky News.

“If you really want to deal with the major issues of immigration, with people opting to take benefits rather than working for a living ... then you’re going to have to do some things which are unpopular, and show some courage.”

Terrific post.

On the basis that most people are not net providers there are going to be a lot of cars in people’s gardens
but at least we won’t have to wait for care in hospital corridors anymore

Agree
The new Employment Act will make it even harder for employers and whilst I agree with some aspects anything that costs businesses more will result in job losses and lower wages
The new Landlord constraints will, as we’ve seen before ,result in fewer rental properties and a less diverse type of landlord. Result = less choice, availability ,higher rents and the rental market monopolised by large corporate landlords.
These are policies which in the long term will not have a positive effect on people or the economy.

having taken an absolute battering for having a disabled child

What do you mean? Parents are primarily responsible for their children, people have children knowing this.

DIYSteve has just said he has lived and worked outside the UK for ten years. 😳

Please move your car onto private roads and motorways. If you have a medical emergency, please don't let anyone call 999 for you. Wear a special bracelet to let them know to call your private provider.

I have lived and worked outside the UK for approx ten years, and have been asked to relocate with my current role.

My simple answer has been yes, subject to where.