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Original poster

what are the top 3 things that you think the government should be tackling?

287 replies

MentholLoad · 05/10/2023 03:53

after reading various headlines related to the Tory Party Conference and also not related to the conference, I am interested to hear what people think the priorities should be for the government?

because to me they are just mincing around the edges, HS2, smoking bans, so much emphasis on stopping immigrants, post 16 qualifications....huh?

for me, these are the 3 top priorities (subject to change, as I read other people's!)

  1. the NHS
  2. social housing (need more) and rental properties (the STATE that landlords are providing and controlling the cost
  3. poverty....cost of living/wages
  4. the environment....water pollution (water companies discharging sewage to rivers etc) and air pollution
OP posts:
panelbottle · 05/10/2023 05:47

Pensioners aren't on benefits, the state pension they receive is what they've paid into for 35 years!!!

The state pension is a benefit & we need to get away from this idea that everyone has paid for it. The generations below pay for it. And obviously there things like pension credit which is also a benefit. What part of that don't you understand @Joystir59

PerfectMatch · 05/10/2023 05:48

I assume @beAsensible1 is saying they should work part time, and contribute to the tax burden of the state pension scheme.

beAsensible1 · 05/10/2023 05:49

And honestly she’s had 6 kids if 3 of those work she’s contributed to the future workforce, to their tax offering to the state and propping up pensions.

someone with 6 kids is unlikely to work much. It’s just her class that means she’s derided while the country’s birth rate is on its knees.

MidnightOnceMore · 05/10/2023 05:50

Joystir59 · 05/10/2023 05:34

Pensioners aren't on benefits, the state pension they receive is what they've paid into for 35 years!!!

Show quote history

High numbers of people in the pensioner population haven't paid in. For example women were credited whilst in receipt of child benefit for more years in the past. Or they themselves were credited whilst on the previous more generous benefits systems of the past.

Millions of people in receipt of pension credit haven't paid in.

And many of us are at risk of being unable to work due to sickness or disability. The numbers on sickness benefits are rising due to the NHS waiting lists.

Original poster
MentholLoad · 05/10/2023 05:50

PerfectMatch · 05/10/2023 05:48

I assume @beAsensible1 is saying they should work part time, and contribute to the tax burden of the state pension scheme.

ah, ok thanks...I wasn't sure if it was that or; shouldn't take part time roles, that younger people could be doing/need, to fit round family life etc

OP posts:
echt · 05/10/2023 05:52

early retirees and pensioners need to stop pulling up the ladder behind them and get into part time roles contribute to the massive burden they’re placing on young people after getting everything for free

Just how are they pulling up the ladder?

How are early retirees and pensioners making a burden for young people?

What is this "everything" they got for free?

beAsensible1 · 05/10/2023 05:52

Should. Or stop voting against the interest of young people.

this whole country is crumbling around us and they just keep blaming young people for not working hard enough.

with their 3-1 mortgage, free uni education and good pensions.

panelbottle · 05/10/2023 05:54

@PerfectMatch it could be a good opportunity as you say ease the burden of falling teaching numbers & it could be a way of getting rid of old, inefficient buildings etc. However I think we will see it create more division in schools. The good ones will become even more oversubscribed & the less popular ones will limp on for a bit as schools just won't be able to stretch the funding.

Festivfrenzy · 05/10/2023 05:55

Tories couldn't do this because they don't value honesty but I'd tackle fraud and corruption in govt and raise taxes to fund:
Free buses
Free own brand supermarket food
NHS reform
Education overhaul- not so much qualifications although I agree that breadth at 16-18 would be better- that could be achieved cheaply though by re-dividing A levels into AS and A2 modules and requiring students to take eg 6 AS and max 2 A2. Instead I'd increase teacher pay and provide more mental health support on site, plus zero tolerance to behaviour issues with more specialist PRUs to help kids struggling to settle in mainstream school.

Hellaweirdhuh · 05/10/2023 05:56

MentholLoad · 05/10/2023 05:40

I don't think it's so much that 'the benefits system works so much in their favour'. more that 'the employment system doesnt pay people enough or accommodate caring responsibilities sufficiently'

Show quote history

Or...maybe the benefits for her are too much if she was only £200 a month better off working part-time is another way of looking at it. And the job she did have for 2 months accommodated her caring responsibilities completely. She gave it up because she was getting enough from benefits that an extra £200 a month just wasn't worth it to her.

Many, many people who work and always have done would find an extra £200 a month would make a massive difference to them and their families because they're already struggling and going without things they need or want. She isn't so an extra £200 a month wasn't worth the effort for her as she'd rather be at home 'making memories with the kids'. Which I think most people would really rather do than work but they have little choice.

echt · 05/10/2023 05:57

Free university education went to a very small proportion of the population, 8-19% in the 70s and 80s. Less in the 60s. Often, in the case of the working classes, they would have been the first of their family to get such an education.

Who is this "they" who blame the young? Any evidence of this?

Festivfrenzy · 05/10/2023 05:57

Nat6999 · 05/10/2023 05:34

Social housing, we built hundreds of thousands of council homes after the war when the country was practically bankrupt, why can't we afford to build now?

Health & social care, the NHS needs restructuring, bring it all back under one umbrella instead of separate authorities, clear out the executives & directors & pass on the money saved to where it is needed, for patient care. Bring all social care back under council control, get rid of care agencies who cream off profits instead of paying care workers a good wage. Bring in a structured training scheme along the lines of nursing for care workers.

The cost of living, increase basic personal tax allowances to £15k increase tax rate for anyone earning over £200k to offset it. Increase Carers Allowance to living wage hourly rate. Reverse the withdrawal of Child Benefit for parents earning over £50k. Close all tax loopholes for shipping income abroad & Non Dom tax status.

Introduce a permanent windfall tax on energy & water companies, fine water companies for polluting rivers & seas, make it a criminal offence with a prison sentence for any CEO of a water company that does pollute rivers or seas.

Yes to all this 🙌

panelbottle · 05/10/2023 05:58

And many of us are at risk of being unable to work due to sickness or disability. The numbers on sickness benefits are rising due to the NHS waiting lists.

yes, the "silver exodus" has spooked the government but many have left the workforce due to ill health.

"It suggest the number of pensioners on disability benefits could increase 60 per cent in the next decade, from roughly 1million now to 1.6million in 2033.
That could see the bill for the benefit to the taxpayer rising from £6billion to £10.5billion. "
It's important to have a functioning health service so society is healthier.

Original poster
MentholLoad · 05/10/2023 05:59

echt · 05/10/2023 05:57

Free university education went to a very small proportion of the population, 8-19% in the 70s and 80s. Less in the 60s. Often, in the case of the working classes, they would have been the first of their family to get such an education.

Who is this "they" who blame the young? Any evidence of this?

I got free uni in the mid 90s

OP posts:
autiebooklover · 05/10/2023 06:00

Climate change

Cost of living

Tax evasion

panelbottle · 05/10/2023 06:02

Or...maybe the benefits for her are too much if she was only £200 a month better off working part-time is another way of looking at it.

Yep, let's ignore how wages have stagnated over the last few decades. it's really likely she was getting a good wage but her benefits are even better 🙄

Chchchanging · 05/10/2023 06:04
  1. Climate change (we cannot afford to not do this, its heart breaking to me watching Sunak pull back on the UKs promises, made at COP)
  2. Nhs
3 education

I would scrap the triple lock. Raise income tax on high earners. Make sure business pay their tax in the UK if operating here.

The problem is our political system means that no leader/ party thinks long term because they are always worrying about the next election. The issued facing us require long term seismic shifts and that is just not going to happen. It also requires global co-operation. Again that isn't happening in a real meaningful way.
I find it all very very depressing. We are all in denial about the massive issues facing us and our survival.

panelbottle · 05/10/2023 06:05

27k today is the equivalent of 15k in the early 00s, wage stagnation is a huge issue particularly for young people.

PerfectMatch · 05/10/2023 06:10

Definitely agree to scrapping the triple lock.

Bathtimebubble · 05/10/2023 06:15

I can’t believe how few people have said the environment.

Hospitals, education, somewhere to live all won’t matter if the earth is uninhabitable

Chchchanging · 05/10/2023 06:16

Bathtimebubble · 05/10/2023 06:15

I can’t believe how few people have said the environment.

Hospitals, education, somewhere to live all won’t matter if the earth is uninhabitable

Agreed. It should be top priority..

BarbaraofSeville · 05/10/2023 06:21

AlwaysFreezing · 05/10/2023 05:38

We need someone with vision. Someone who can see past a 5 year term, who really thinks about life in this country.

Projects that cost billions of pounds should be overseen by an anti corruption watchdog to make sure the money is spent wisely, and doesn't end up wasted (there is so much wasted money on these expensive projects, largely due to corruption. Ppe in the pandemic is a brilliant example, as is test and trace). In fact as pp said, all public money should be spent in this way, checking that it is going where it needs to.

Then, all social initiatives, whether it is housing, schools, benefits, the NHS need the cash they need to make them functioning and world class (the money comes from the previous point). This should give children brighter futures, help with knife crime and crime in general, because everyone should have opportunity and prospects and enough money to live.

Then, finally, we tackle climate change. I know kne country going all out isn't a magic bullet, but so what, why should that stop us leading the way? Green energy, better public transport, new infrastructure projects where for every metre of concrete poured, trees are planted or a metre of wildflower is planted. Creating jobs, and a real sense of the future being possible for the kids.

Pie in sky stuff, but that's my take on it. Radical rethinking. Oh, and tax the shit out of the super rich and companies. Close that disgraceful gap.

This. Basically look at the Nordic countries and do that.

We've just been and the difference is so stark. There's much less crime, less inequality, hardly any poverty or homelessness.

Hardly any litter. In the country we went to, hardly any chain restaurants or fast food, everything was made fresh and good quality and lunch places were actually cheaper than Costa, Starbucks etc.

Infrastructure just works. A lot more public housing and its a nice place to live not 'the ghetto' where people only live if they have no other choice.

The weather is worse than the UK and taxes are higher but the 5 countries always dominate the top 10 happiest countries in the world and usually make up most of the top 5.

I'm sure it's not complete utopia and there must be a downside. Much less diverse population is an obvious one, the weather would take some getting used to, but otherwise definitely a lot of things are done for the benefit of the population not a corrupt self serving government.

panelbottle · 05/10/2023 06:28

Basically look at the Nordic countries and do that.

Culturally we are so far apart. They generally believe in higher taxes, good public services for all & trust the gov to provide this. Here we have people moaning about a lazy women having 6 dc. They also see benefits across generations eg better pensions, better childcare funding etc so all buy into the system. We have a pretty big generational divide We have a lot more inequality in general (much driven by housing costs) & it's very hard to switch that.

MintJulia · 05/10/2023 06:30

NHS (health)
Secondary & adult education
Immigration

The first two benefit every individual, support a growing GDP and are the foundation for a more equal and healthy life. It also creates a better educated electorate.

Immigration because as an island we cannot support unlimited and unmanaged immigration. We need to create a safe route for true asylum seekers, and a fairer system of visas for skilled workers the UK needs. And speed up the asylum process, so people aren't left in limbo for years. Plus deportation for those committing serious crimes.

panelbottle · 05/10/2023 06:30

I would prefer a French style healthcare system but I don't think the majority would vote for it.

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