If Labour raises taxes what will you think?

Yes, what a brilliant idea. Remove financial support from vulnerable low income people, that’ll fix everything

We need a proper tax on the 1% and big corporations. Close the loopholes that allow people to hoarde wealth and make Starbucks etc actually pay taxes.

Reducing welfare actually causes the economy to stagnate. Low income households spend their money, on food, bills, rent, transport, clothes etc. Their money goes back into the economy and supports businesses. Take their financial support away and not only do people end up cold and hungry, but businesses lose revenue.

Raising high earners and big company taxes will actually put money into the public purse and keep vital systems running.

Benefits should be an unattractive option not a sought after destination. Only a specific amount should be paid as cash, the rest should be in the form of vouchers you can trade for food, utilities etc The middle has had enough!

You can if you get yourself signed off sick.

Could you explain what you feel would be gained by taxing benefits. Do you not think it would just add an extra layer of bureaucracy and expense? Why spend money assessing the amount of benefits someone is entitled to, only to spend more money assessing the amount of tax then due? Why give the money, only to require it back? It seems to be creating extra unnecessary costs.

I'm not sure I understand the point about PIP and motability cars either. People with "flash or expensive BMWs" will be paying to top up the motability allowance. You can't just decide to have an expensive car and get it completely paid for.

B
I am old and remember the 70s.
And what @hattie43 said 100%

And Labour have created a dung mountain. . There is absolutely no sign of any growth except the number of corrupt ministers by the day . Nothing Labour have done have set the path for future prosperity.

A

A

If Labour increases income tax, NI or VAT in a way which breaks their manifesto promises, they have a death wish and they will deserve everything which is coming to them at the next election. It is political suicide to increase taxes on working people while spending billions to house illegal immigrants in luxury hotels and pay benefits to people who are playing the system by claiming to have fake illnesses, disabilities, anxiety & depression.

I’m so sick of hearing this old trope . Pensioners have contributed for decades to the system with their taxes and national insurance . Most of them are still tax payers through private pensions and savings interest etc . What about all the money earmarked for pensioners who didn’t reach pension age , that will have gone back in the pot .
Welfare needs to sort out all those who are able to work but choose not to . The biggest threat going forward is not pensioners it’s economically inactive youngsters .

B
We are well beyond the point of tax saturation. It's now the highest it's been since 1947, and little to show for it.
Raising it further on any sector rich or poor will continue to stifle growth and discourage investment. Taxing billionaires won’t raise a significant amount unless punitive percentages are applied and many have already moved their liquid assets out of the UK and will continue to do so.

Corporation tax could be raised from 25%, but it is already 17% higher than the European average of 21.3%. Investment is very sensitive to corporation tax rates and any increase will largely “trickledown” to the consumer as happened with Employer NI.

In economic parlance we are now on the wrong side of the “Laffer curve” aka “The rider is fatter than the horse”.

Public spending has exceeded our means since the 1970s but is so unpopular with the electorate that no party is prepared to implement meaningful cuts. The Conservatives did reduce public spending in real terms but this is generally accepted to have contributed to their loss in the 2024 general election.

The recent debacle with the Government attempting to reduce public spending further demonstrates that this is unlikely to happen under the current administration.

The painful truth is we need to slash public spending to have any chance of survival.

The bond markets will throw them under the bus if she pushes it much further, (bearing in mind most of them probably live in houses worth more than 2M.)

They (the bond markets) are deeply concerned the with the clown-car antics of the last couple of weeks, see the gold price if you're in any doubt a storm is brewing.

If? They already have.

A. The Tories left a shit show

But the bulk of the welfare budget is spent on pensioners?

Totally agree.

and they do have a choice, they’ve made could do something about the spiralling benefits bill. Means test pip, cut down the amount they’re spending housing asylum seekers….maybe the barracks idea will help? Means test test winter fuel allowance . Problem is people are up in arms and they back down.

Growth? This was always a ridiculous hope. Their policies have stifled the possibility of growth.

I will think that they are incompetent.

The obvious solution was a penny on income tax LAST YEAR. I said this at the time of the budget. But they pretended they could raise money but putting a grenade into the private education sector, fucking over farms and having elderly people go cold. And “growing” our way out of this mess by driving away wealth creators.

Bellends. It’s not even a case of being duplicitous. It’s just straight up incompetence.

With a labour government, this of course, was always going to happen

B they are taxing the aspiring classes to oblivion. They waste the huge amount of money raised already. I do not believe they will ever have enough but will always look at squeezing a bit of tax here and there. B bastards

A

A.
Also:
Clamp down on tax evasion. Including individuals and corporations.
Clamp down on all cash in hand employment.
Reevaluate the benefit system.
Cut expenses for MPs.
Look at in work benefits.
Stop throwing money at virtue signalling.

Yep and about 80% of them will be promising to vote Reform. Oh irony.

There must be thousands of absent fathers that take no responsibility nor provide adequate financial support for their children resulting in single mums turning to benefit. Govt need to tackle this and get fathers to pay for their kids, not expect the taxpayer to fund them.

If it comes with the planned reduction in NI I'd be ok with it, it will raise extra as lots don't pay NI but would pay tax, but the drag that's led to so many people on very ordinary salaries paying higher rate tax has gone on for too long to just whack extra tax on top.

Also I work in the public sector and see how much is wasted on corporate services , procurement, estates and facilities charges, it would make your eyes water to know how much it costs just to put up a noticeboard, and god forbid you do it yourself! There are things that aren't front line services that need dealing with

I do agree with this. Unfortunately they were scuppered by their own party but also the huge press coverage and criticism

But taxes have to go up to get the huge debt down so A - I can afford more tax and want better public services