As things get tougher I hope perhaps we will finally get a shift away from shopping at and in the big supermarkets / retailers. Certainly they sometimes give us low prices and they are convenient but their low prices are rarely at their expense but at the cost of their suppliers - obviously this means their suppliers are either abroad or struggle to pay minimum wage here in the UK.
Big business means big profits for small numbers of people. Small business means less convenience, sometimes higher prices but many more jobs and a better / wider distribution of profits - usually locally.
I don't think any political party can totally fix our current economic issues, the majority of our society is likely to need a shift to lower incomes (or as a minimum lower disposable incomes).
As a society we have been living on credit (or living on the government / someone else's credit) in a global and mobile society taxing the rich at high levels is only likely to produce one result (they will avoid it or leave).
We must stop supporting non-dom retailers and businesses who use the global taxation environment to minimise their local UK tax whilst taking our income abroad, it is difficult to legislate against this so we need to stop using businesses that do this. If TopShop, Orange, Dail Mail, Kraft( Cadburys) etc want to escape UK taxation then we need to stop giving them our earnings and shop/ buy services elsewhere. This is probably more effective in getting them to re-examine their business strategies. If their UK profits / turnover reduce substantially then paying local taxes may just become a cost of doing business for them.
I would like to see legislation on tax clarity and tax paid which would make it easier to see which busineses / individuals accept their societal responsibilities and pay a fair rate of tax on their UK income. We can all then make a sensible choice in where and how we spend our money.
Personally I think that higher earners / businesses should pay a fair rate of tax which should be a % of income / profit - the same % as everyone else not higher. Many high earners have made lifestyle choices to earn their money and should of course pay more as a value in £'s - but they should not be punished / penalised by paying higher rates of tax. Ultimately this will almost certainly increase taxation revenues.
I do think we may face a substantial change in what we can expect as a day to day standard and style of living with both the poor and the highly indebted facing substantial challenges. Property prices will need to fall - but this does of course mean that all of the suppliers and employees to the property sector will have to adjust their wages / profits etc.
Hopefully people will be able to adjust and hopefully this will come at the expense of big business as we re-examine our household expenditures and shed or reduce our reliance on those essential (but in reality optional expenses) such as mobiles, subscription TV / cable, ready meals and many of the trappings (or in truth) traps of current society.
I vote Tory because I believe they are more likely to allow us all to make (at least) some of our own decisions. My experience of history shows (living through the 60's to now)is that Labour with good intentions tries to - legislate / make all decisions - on our behalf - but those decisions are based on what they (and their paymasters the unions) believe we should want.
The unions serve a valid purpose in ensuring the excesses of businesses / employers are curbed. But businesses and employers create our jobs and need to be given the freedom to do so.
Big government is grossly inefficient in delivering its (often laudable) aims.
Sorry for the big rant - but I think we all need to take more personal responsibility for ourselves (and take more personal responsibility for those who can't) and be given the tools, opportunities and information that will allow this.
Merry Xmas 