Levelling up

[jgw1]

I thought that there was an excellent example of levelling up in the budget earlier in the week.

The reduction in air passenger duty for UK domestic flights.

This means that people from London and the South East will find it cheaper to fly to other parts of the UK, meaning they are more likely to buy second or thirds homes in those other areas, thus levelling up house prices.

I don’t know if I’m being uncharacteristically dense or what but I do not understand how you’ve drawn this conclusion at all.

And once again pricing local people out of the market. How wonderful.

@WheelieBinPrincess

I don’t know if I’m being uncharacteristically dense or what but I do not understand how you’ve drawn this conclusion at all.

Now that the regions are better connected to the capital due to the foresight of Rishi, then the wealth in the capital will be used to buy second homes in the regions, increasing house prices.

@LadyMonicaBaddingham

And once again pricing local people out of the market. How wonderful.

Another good example of levelling up. It means that the poor local people in the regions will be in the same position as those in London.

I think you are being sarcastic?

I also think that enticing people to fly instead of investing in rail travel in the current climate situation is criminal.

Of course OP is being sarcastic!

And agreed, promoting flying short distances when we are facing climate disaster is just insane

So you are expecting that vast swathes of people will fly rather than take a train? So all the hassle that entails even to fly domestically, and still presumably need to travel to and from the airports in the first place, will be incentive for them to buy a second home in Newcastle or Bradford?!

Oh right fair play if you’re being sarcastic

@EatYourVegetables

I think you are being sarcastic?

I also think that enticing people to fly instead of investing in rail travel in the current climate situation is criminal.

Do you think it was Rishi trolling Boris and showing him who is actually in charge?

I am astounded by this. Absolutely stupid policy. It promotes short haul flights for which there are alternatives and taxes long haul flights for which there are no alternatives. It’s the opposite of what we need. Short sighted and meant to support the rich few. I’m so angry about the lack of discussion about the air industry and it’s impact. The air industry must have some very powerful lobbyists.

And yes, OP, the people in the North must be feeling so grateful to Rishi.

I know you are being sarcastic but you've misunderstood (maybe deliberately) why they've removed this. We currently pay this duty on any flight taking off in the UK, so if you go abroad you only pay it once whereas if you fly domestically you pay it twice. This makes it cheaper to fly to Spain etc for holidays. It's about addressing this imbalance.

The irony is that many voters would fall for your rationale, they hear a few buzz words and ignore the detail.

user1471457751

I know you are being sarcastic but you've misunderstood (maybe deliberately) why they've removed this. We currently pay this duty on any flight taking off in the UK, so if you go abroad you only pay it once whereas if you fly domestically you pay it twice. This makes it cheaper to fly to Spain etc for holidays. It's about addressing this imbalance.

Nevertheless it’s stupid to do anything that encourages flying. Especially short haul. I’m so cross about this. Taxes on any non essential flights should be sky high to pay for the infrastructure needed to tackle climate change and as aid to the countries that will be most effected by climate change.

@CorrBlimeyGG

The irony is that many voters would fall for your rationale, they hear a few buzz words and ignore the detail.

That is because my rationale is impeccable.

You really thought you did something there, OP.

@Suspiciousmind20

I am astounded by this. Absolutely stupid policy. It promotes short haul flights for which there are alternatives and taxes long haul flights for which there are no alternatives. It’s the opposite of what we need. Short sighted and meant to support the rich few. I’m so angry about the lack of discussion about the air industry and it’s impact. The air industry must have some very powerful lobbyists.

And yes, OP, the people in the North must be feeling so grateful to Rishi.

I am sure that the advantages this brings to airports like Leeds-Bradford will lead to a massive surge in the Northern Powerhouse.

@user1471457751

I know you are being sarcastic but you've misunderstood (maybe deliberately) why they've removed this. We currently pay this duty on any flight taking off in the UK, so if you go abroad you only pay it once whereas if you fly domestically you pay it twice. This makes it cheaper to fly to Spain etc for holidays. It's about addressing this imbalance.

Upping the cost to fly to Spain would also address the imbalance.

You can drive from one end of England to the other in less time than it takes to get door-to-door via commercial flights. No one is regularly commuting from a second home that far away to a job in London. No one who can afford a second home, and who wants it to be that far away, will change their mind about location based on ticket duties.

@PurpleOkapi

You can drive from one end of England to the other in less time than it takes to get door-to-door via commercial flights. No one is regularly commuting from a second home that far away to a job in London. No one who can afford a second home, and who wants it to be that far away, will change their mind about location based on ticket duties.

Can you explain the Chancellors thinking then with this move?

@PollyIndia

And agreed, promoting flying short distances when we are facing climate disaster is just insane

Yeah great isn't it! Just as they're throwing 77 billion @ HS2!

Well done Rishi!

@PurpleOkapi

You can drive from one end of England to the other in less time than it takes to get door-to-door via commercial flights. No one is regularly commuting from a second home that far away to a job in London. No one who can afford a second home, and who wants it to be that far away, will change their mind about location based on ticket duties.

Can you now? It probably takes about 8-10 hours to drive from Newcastle to Newquay. If there was a flight between those airports, even with the parking and security pissing about it won't take more than about 3-4. And if we're talking about getting people from the far north of the UK or even just England, flying can be far quicker. I live near Leeds Bradford and I know that there are flights to Southampton and possibly London City.

I can see the OPs point. It's just like HS2. Everyone pretends its about giving people who live and grew up in 'the north' better access to good jobs in their own area, but the reality is that the main benefit will be to extend the area that people who have the big jobs in London can live, especially now that no-one expects anyone to actually turn up in person more than once or twice a week at most.

If they were serious about levelling up, we'd be well on the way to have a high speed high capacity rail line between Liverpool and Hull with a branch going up to Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh and possibly even Aberdeen. Plus some of the big jobs would be in this area not concentrated in a tiny overcrowded corner of the SE.

Well done Rishi!

Maybe it is. Perhaps it is not supposed to be for you or I, but rather those who will elect the next Tory leader, the party members, who will have applauded him in claiming to have done something that wasn't possible in the EU, and also those members are probably among those most likely to benefit from it?

Indeed, and it will also level up the UKs carbon emissions! Oh.....

@Charliealphatangorara

Indeed, and it will also level up the UKs carbon emissions! Oh.....

So what was the point of the tax reduction?