To wonder why the conservatives won't just tax people more ??

[stopfuckingshoutingatme]

Am I missing something here ?

Clearly there is a scarcity of money - and certain areas are rightly ring fenced .

But don't tell me that most working families can't afford an average of £50 a month - this would exclude people on low income , and for some families it £10 and for some £200 -

The UK is full of families and individuals with disposable income - a minor tax increase for 40% of the working population could raise £11bn

So why won't they do it ??? Baffles me - I would personally rather pay more tax and know that the vulnerable are cared for

I would definitely be happy to pay more tax to train and hire more doctors, nurses, teachers, etc. And to protect the more vulnerable members of society.

Unfortunately there is a widespread myth that our tax money is mostly wasted on scroungers and inefficiencies. It's not true, but it helps the Tories justify their ideological cuts, so they don't fight too hard against the perception.

Because, as France found out, taxing people more doesn't necessarily save more money:

uk.businessinsider.com/france-ended-75-super-tax-2015-1

It takes a huge whack of money out of the economy which normally means that tax revenue decreases elsewhere, eg point of sale, or money being spent decreases so jobs disappear and hence less tax is paid.

Personally I would absolutely love if we had a party who would come in and spend sensibly so the vulnerable were protected and essential services ran properly, but I don't think we have one. We have a choice between one which is ideologically committed to eroding public services as possible, and one which is wasteful and profligate and throws money at non-essential ideological vanity projects.

It's depressing that's our choice.

Isn't it just, Bill

I think the tories throw more at vanity projects... garden bridge? Hs2?

Would much rather a tax cut and get rid of benefits. Just give out food vouchers.

The cynical part of me says that the answer to the OP's question is because if they taxed people more they'd lose the vote of the people who want to pay the least tax (whilst still having some public services).

My 18 year old nephew was talking about politics, we agreed on a very simplistic level that it is about redistribution of wealth, and your stance on that may well depend on whether you have wealth to lose or gain. So those with wealth to gain would mainly be in favour (of tax cuts) and those with wealth to lose mainly not.

This is possibly oversimplifying things but I can't think of how else to answer the OPs question without writing a dissertation.

Why should people who work be penalised. People pay enough tax already! £50 per month is £600 a year, that's not a small amount to the majority of workers.
A ridiculous proportion of people salaries already goes to tax, council tax, vat, etc.

I would pay more tax. And I'm not a labour voter (was lib dem before they imploded).

I would be much happier if the Tories cut spending to a lesser extent but kept taxes at their current position or raised them.

Personally I would absolutely love if we had a party who would come in and spend sensibly so the vulnerable were protected and essential services ran properly, but I don't think we have one. We have a choice between one which is ideologically committed to eroding public services as possible, and one which is wasteful and profligate and throws money at non-essential ideological vanity projects.

Agree 100% BillSykesDog.

I don't necessarily see large infrastructure projects as vanity projects - as they create work , boost the economy etc - Crossrail will provide a huge boost (to London - sorry !)

I just don't buy the stretched middle class sob story - or stretched lower middle class - I find it hugely sad that spending money on consumer shit and holidays is seen as preferable to paying a small amount more tax

Anyway - I got my answer

I can't say how much The disabled benefits proposal upset me - am largely politically lax but that scared me - that it's got that bad

Also that's £11bn less in the economy. Businesses would suffer. People would lose their jobs.

Punitive taxes on those on very high incomes is not a good way of raising revenue, but slightly higher taxes on the top quartile of earners (or simply not cutting existing taxes further!) would help enormously.

For the NHS it probably would help to have some form of hypothecated contributions, as is the case in most European countries. I pay an enormous amount of money for my French healthcare (upwards of €12k pa) but I do not resent a single cent of it.

Because it would upset a lot of voters

Fact is we need to be paying more into the NHS or we simply won't have it soon

This could be done by tax increase payments but most feel they pay enough because others don't

It's a choice I rather pay a bit more and can just about afford to pay a bit more tax I am struggling at the moment but rather that than a huge health insurance payment every month that my family pay on the states

is it really being "penalised" though, if in return for a little more tax we get a safer and more equal (and therefore happier) society?

You don't buy it because ... ?

I don't want to pay any more tax. I worked for 40yrs, paid tax, have savings that are taxed, get works pension, pay tax on that! I'm taxed out!!!! I'm sick to death of paying for the professionally idle.

You're very naive OP.

I was one of the squeezed middle, I am now on ESA as a single mum.

As a middle income earner I didn't have hundreds of pounds to throw around in holidays etc as a large portion of my income went on childcare and various requirements to enable me to work full time.

As an ESA claimant I have no childcare to pay, no transport costs etc.

I'm forever grateful that there's a safety net in this country, but that can only continue as long as people are willing to allow it to.
Start taxing more and the very rich become very creative with avoiding the extra.

So OP you want me to pay an extra £600 tax per year to benefit society but not have a holiday. Because you judge my holiday as irrelevant shit.

can I then decide what the recipients of my extra tax get to spend the money on?

Benefits bashing again? Benefits are not what costs the country money really.. the "professionally idle" cost less per year than the amount that hmrc fail to collect in vat.

All of these ideaologys are pointless when a large majority of the highest earners pay little or no tax.
Why is the government not clamping down on company directors etc who pay thier entire salaries in dividends? Thus paying no tax!

The goverment therefore is only able to penalise the paye earners, now how fair is that? Why not put a cap on the amount of wages taken as diividends?

Oh no, who started this up again??

Please God, don't let younggirlgrowingold or whatever her name is find out about it. I don't think I can take another round of her Tory bollox :(

Idelogies*

Ideologies even!!

Loving the suggestion that people on higher incomes work harder than those on minimum wage.

I have meet people who have never worked and have chosen to

I think many are caught in a rut, it's not a position that I would want to be in some maybe are happy this way I don't believe most are as achieving something in life is good for our self esteem what sort of life is it if you have no desire to want to achieve anything

No one wants to pay more tax but I can't resent those that are living this way what is there to resent