Aibu to think the new Sunak scheme is woeful

[Marg33t]

New scheme is going to make lots of people lose their homes and starve.

Employers to pay 1/3rd of wages is way too high. They will cut viable jobs that will bounce back otherwise.

I'm happy to pay my taxes for all that need it to continue to receive furlough as this scheme will keep people in poverty.

Aibu to think it's a mistep?

I think it's an ok solution, lots of people would be very happy to receive basically double hourly rate, plenty of time off to retain, get another pt job or for hobbies etc until this blows over well until Brexit fucks it up even further

The answer always seems to be put up the tax for high earners, but high earners are more mobile - if you put taxes up too much they will leave and your tax revenue goes down. It's a balance and you get to a point where there is just no more money. We're at that point now. All public money spent on x is at the expense of spending it on y. How much money can you justify going towards propping up the arts when you could put that money into the NHS or schools?

I work loosely in 'the arts' and I think that while the arts are an important part of the economy they are also different from 'businesses' and should be treated as such. I don't think extending furlough is the answer as so many in live performance arts are not PAYE and some parts of 'the arts' are still working or have re-started. I think that arts and culture need to be supported separately by Govt via Arts Council etc. funding designed specifically for the sector.

How much money can you justify going towards propping up the arts when you could put that money into the NHS or schools?

I repeat, you do realise that there are actual children and families who depend on "the arts" for their food and housing? "Propping up the arts" does not just mean banging money to the Royal Opera House so Horatio and Venetia can go and watch La Boheme.

@ilovethesmellofthesea

The answer always seems to be put up the tax for high earners, but high earners are more mobile - if you put taxes up too much they will leave and your tax revenue goes down. It's a balance and you get to a point where there is just no more money. We're at that point now. All public money spent on x is at the expense of spending it on y. How much money can you justify going towards propping up the arts when you could put that money into the NHS or schools?

People always say this but again, I don't see Germany struggling.

Our low tax, low investment, low benefit economy is a political choice.

People are entitled to vote for that but it's a lie to pretend it has to be this way.

Although I completely agree something needs to be done to protect jobs I'm not sure this is the right way. Not sure what the answer is either. Before eat out to help out the government was going to give us all money to help the economy.
I thought about possibly buying tickets to a show with it to be told it wasnt for wasting on things like that
If that's peoples attitudes I can see why theyed want to throw the arts under the bus.
Very difficult times ahead for everyone.

It's a lot more generous than I expected. I had to keep reminding myself that Sunak is a Tory, tbh.

I think that the job protection stuff strikes about the right balance between putting businesses on life support when they have no chance of surviving and buying a breathing space to help viable businesses keep going and preserve jobs.

I'm sad about the lack of arts funding, but I think that was inevitable. Tories never look after the arts. My mate used to be heavily involved in arts funding (regional arts council, on the board of an arts festival, National Lottery Board, that kind of thing) . She really noticed a difference from 2010 and jacked it all in 2015, because the lack of funding was so dispiriting.

Yes this is a disaster for certain sectors. Live events, normally a very profitable sector, have now been barred from resuming on the planned 1 October date but this scheme does not acknowledge sectors such as those that are normally viable but just blocked from actually operating.
Everyone I know in these industry would much rather be working btw, no-one wants to be relying on handouts, but the lockdown fans have won the day there so we are all to sit and starve as a vibrant, profitable industry goes down the shitter.

Does anyone hear ‘jobs in the arts’ and just think ‘hobby’?

No.

If anyone does actually think this then they are woefully dim.

Self employed have just been given 20% of their profits. My industry has been dead for months. I've earned 5% of my yearly wage this year. And now I have to survive on 20% of my profit at the same time as continuing to pay my business expenses and my taxes on the 20% I'm being given, whilst still having zero work due to my industry being restricted until at least April/May.

Our low tax, low investment, low benefit economy is a political choice

Someone should print that on a t-shirt or something.

No-one voted for Covid, but they could have voted for a government that cared about the welfare of its citizens.

Everyone I know in these industry would much rather be working btw, no-one wants to be relying on handouts, but the lockdown fans have won the day there so we are all to sit and starve as a vibrant, profitable industry goes down the shitter.

This x100.

@KenAdams

Ah, yes, this image makes it clearer - I misheard.

You didn't 'mishear'. What's on that picture is not what he actually said.

Jesus though, will someone get rid of Annalise Dodds!

Oh ffs, raising taxes always get trotted out as an easy answer on threads like these.

Whatever the hot topic of the day is - NHS, social care, security / police, benefits, childcare, education & now the arts - the answer (from some people) is always to tax high earners more.

I’d love to know exactly how much more tax - no one ever has an answer - high earners should pay to foot the bill for the HUGE list above considering the top 5% in this country already pay 31% of all direct tax revenue & as a demographic, I imagine, also take the least out of the system too.

Sure there are lots of people who have jobs in the arts and depend on these jobs. There were coal miners who's families depended on their income. Industry changes. Industries collapse, new industries emerge. On a side note, I always thought jobs in the arts were for rich people only. The vast majority of arts jobs aren't paid very well and it's not stable - the arts is essentially a luxury item and will be first to go in a recession. It was always a risky career choice.

I had tickets to see ‘Six’ at the Lowry, booked ages ago.

I was thrilled to hear it was going ahead in the largest of their theatres. I want to support the arts.

However, I was not impressed when they suddenly cancelled my tickets and refunded them because there were eight of us and they are not seating blocks of eight. They didn’t bother refunding our pre-paid car park tickets.

Our ‘lead booker’ is a member of the Lowry. She’s so pissed off that she’s not renewing her membership, and nor is she rebooking - only crap seats left for the night we wanted, when we’d originally booked seats with a good view.

No way to treat your patrons at a time you need their support.

I’ve also booked for the Minack at half term but goodness knows what will happen there.

Wow, some of the attitudes on here are appalling.

The arts are what bring colour and vibrancy to our lives and sense of connectedness to us all. Films, TV, physical art, galleries, museums, the theatre, illustration, design, fashion, live music, recorded music, festivals, comedy, open mic, choirs, theatre groups, books, publishers, orchestras, etc. Where would we be without any of it?

Life truly wouldn’t be worth living, existing in greige to work, sleep and pay taxes, spending our evenings watching sporadic briefings from our Tory overlords, while the rest of the time the blank screen flickers.

He's saying that now though 🙇🏻‍♀️

I think it sounds fair to be honest. I do feel for the arts and other jobs that aren't going to be viable for the forseeable future because they involve bringing people physically together. If I worked in one of those jobs I'd be truly gutted but thinking about ways I could transfer my skills into another industry for the time being. I wouldn't want to be paid to do nothing until I can do my job again, goodness knows when.

It's not just the arts though - plenty of other industries have been decimated. Aviation for one.

My best friend is a UK based pilot for Qantas. Qantas has had no international flights since April and will not have any for the forseeable future. She is just waiting to be made redundant. She's spent nearly £100k to qualify and now has no way to pay back the loan. And she's just one example.

On a side note, I always thought jobs in the arts were for rich people only.

Well you are utterly wrong about that and clearly very ignorant.

I think this a a wake up call to the world at large, and the UK in particular, that there needs to be a radical re-think on basic needs, employment taxes etc.
At the risk of sounding harsh, and this is very much my own opinion, a civilised society needs to ensure that its population has
a) an adequate roof over its head
b) can keep itself warm
c) can keep itself fed
d) has access to basic medical facilities
e) education appropriate to the abilities of its population and the requirements of the local (and possibly world) economy
f) can provide necessities it is not able to produce itself by trading/exchanging quid pro quo
The events of the past 6 to 9 months have only served to highlight the "synthetic" nature of most modern, "advanced" nations.

I assume there are some quite wealthy backers of the Arts, maybe they can help out.

Even when we can go back to theatres etc, who will be able to afford £80+ tickets? Will we have as many tourists going to see shows?

If I worked in one of those jobs I'd be truly gutted but thinking about ways I could transfer my skills into another industry

There. Aren't. Enough. Jobs.

Everyone in the arts can't suddenly just go and work in Tesco or whatever. Yet again, we aren't talking about a few people, we are talking about an entire industry.

@ChromaBook
"And what do you plan on doing in the meantime, because my relative who is a salaried musician is trained for nothing else and has three young children (single parent) and a mortgage."

Suggest they start hitting job advert sites ASAP.