Question time man top 5 percent.

[refraction]

Did anyone see the man on QT asking about tax?

Apparently he doesn't even think he is in the top 50 percent of earners.

All doctors earn more apparently and solicitors.

How out of touch with reality?

He didn't come across well and very out of touch.

Definitely a load of ignorant rubbish about doctors pay.

@refraction

Mad as a box of frogs! Does not understand maths [or the real world. Plenty of hospital doctors £30000 to £60000

He may have been confusing personal income with household income I suppose. There was a calculator I saw a while back where it told you where you were statistically for a family rather than an individual. So while someone on 90k was individually in the top 5% if they had a few dependants and a high council tax it was estimated they may only be in the top 40% for example.

I know teachers on 60k

I don’t!

I was cringing watching him

The problem is the steepness of that graph at the top. The top 5% - 2% encompasses people earning £80k to £165k. The top 1% also has a very wide range in itself.

So someone on £20k is around 30 percentage points away from someone earring double their salary at £40k. Someone on £80k is a couple of percentage points away from those earning double their salary.

This is what happens when the vast majority of workers are so low earning, and a very tiny number earn so much.

Apologies if I missed someone else posting this but BBC did a fact checked on this BBC News - General election 2019: Does £80,000 put you in the top 5% of earners?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/50517136

What doesn't help that housing costs are so ridiculous in some areas that earning 80k makes it hard to buy a bog standard property, so one doesn't feel rich.

Yes. But he lives in Greater Manchester, where this is simply not applicable.

I'm now seeing that he's from Bury not Bolton so that makes it ever so slightly less batshit, there are some affluent for the north areas in Bury and perhaps he's in the Prestwich bubble. Still very stupid though.

QT idiot is Rob Barber, 36, from Bury. He's an outsource IT consultant and co owner of a Motorcycle Racing Team.We works as a contractor to the NHS, so we're all paying this numbskull.

Well, I hope that every day he is contracting for the NHS, doctors go up to him and tell him how much they actually earn! Every single day.

There are some affluent areas around Bolton too. It is commutable to Manchester, so is footballer territory. There is also old money around there based on businesses created during the industrial revolution.

Hmm, I was under the impression median incomes were higher in Bury than Bolton but it seems it depends how you look at the data. Bolton women earn more than Bury women, but vice versa with the men. And there's a much bigger difference between median male and median female salary in Bury than Bolton... not sure why that is. In Bolton there's barely a gender gap at all.

www.plumplot.co.uk/Greater-Manchester-salary-and-unemployment.html

@fedup21

you can see inner london teacher salaries here

www.nasuwt.org.uk/uploads/assets/uploaded/d81f622c-84dd-4ba1-ad792d269aa79329.pdf

The guy in QT is supposedly an IT Consultant but he doesn't seem very bright.

He races motorbikes in the TT, so he must be mad, stupid or both. There are deaths every year racing on the Isle of Man, and usually a couple of riders pretty seriously injured, too.

Having watched this I think he was just emotional and confused. He’s saying he’s not the richest 5% of people, and that the Labour Party are taking the easy option by taxing people on PAYE

He doesn’t understand he’s in the top 5% of earners, which is different to the top 5% wealth. Just a poorly made point i think

@Passthecherrycoke I agree

He's an utter dickhead. Cites doctors and solicitors (many of whom earn less than him), and completely overlooks that the vast majority make less than half of what he does. Twat.

QT idiot is Rob Barber, 36, from Bury. He's an outsource IT consultant and co owner of a Motorcycle Racing Team.We works as a contractor to the NHS, so we're all paying this numbskull

I’m rather hoping Monday morning sees him relieved of his duties.

He’s going mad at the thought of paying a few extra quid a week, what a bellend.

Thing is £80k doesn't make you well off in the south east.

Our mortgage alone is nearly £2k a month to live in a semi. DHs train ticket is £420 a month just to get to work. That is without the other bills and any food.

Also bear in mind over £50k you don't get child benefit.

Also those on lower wages will get benefit top ups.

At the moment over £100k you lose half of your personal allowance and effectively get taxed at 60% will that be removed under these new plans?

Thing is the middle classes are an easy target for labour.

Also it's not just a few extra quid a week. It 00s a month

There is no need to spend £2k a month on a 3 bed semi in the South east

The way south east is used on MN drives me crackers. The south east is a HUGE place and most of them do not require a £500k mortgage to buy a 3 bed semi. You can easily move somewhere cheaper, don’t pretend you have no choice. Just own your choice to stay in a nice area

Thing is £80k doesn't make you well off in the south east.
Piss. Right. Off.

You're as bad as he is.

At the moment over £100k you lose half of your personal allowance and effectively get taxed at 60%

Genuine question but how does that work? Isn't the top rate 45%? And the personal allowance that you lose will be taxed at the lower rate of 20%? Where does 60% come from?

Also those on lower wages will get benefit top ups.

Lol. You're right, I'd much rather earn £10k and get tax credits than earn £100k and have to pay more tax.

Well to live in the area where the children go to school, my husband grew up and our community is that is what our mortgage is.

Further into London is even more expensive hence the high commuting costs of living a bit further out.

Yes we could live in a cheaper town but we still wouldn't be rich.