Chancellor’s spring statement

[Cheesecakeandwineinasuitcase]

AIBU to think that today we are about to be hugely disappointed by what Rishi says in his spring statement and just to realise just how out of touch he is with the grim reality that normal people (I.e. not millionaire politicians) in the Uk face?

My prediction is that he won’t back down on the 1.25% increase in NI contributions that he is making people pay from April. There will be a paltry reduction in fuel duty (maybe a few pence if we are lucky - but that will easily be cancelled out within a few days as prices increase to compensate). Maybe he will reduce the duty on champagne this time or some other gimmicky sweetener (wasn’t it Prosecco last time?). He might raise the threshold from which people have to start paying tax but for most working families that won’t make a jot of difference.

So it feels like we are sitting ducks and that as time goes by more and more people end up really struggling.

@deadlanguage the fuel cost does affect all though , whether you have a car or not as your food comes by road and things you buy
When companies expenses go up such as fuel where do you think the prices get passed on to

@worriedatthistime it’s not as acute of a problem as people not being able to afford to boil a potato.

@deadlanguage it is if they can't afford that potato
Fuel prices affect us all thats just a simple fact and whilst I think 5 p considering how much its going up is pissing in the wind
I do think fuel cuts aren't just for those who have a car

It's showing how many people are living on the edge and have accepted the 'ever rising house prices' narrative, the black swan was always around the corner as the world was at historically low interest rates, Covid was not a time to move house based on WFH and ignore the increase of interest rate we would need to pay back lock down, Russia has added to that, MN is going to become a lot more 'right wing' in the future when the belt fully tightens as a lot of people who don't understand the geopolitical situation try and paint it as a simple anti tory problem that can ve solved if x party come into power

Covid was not a time to move house based on WFH and ignore the increase of interest rate we would need to pay back lock down,

Part of me feels I missed out not moving during lockdown. I know a few friends that did because the SD made it possible. They also got quite hefty reductions on what they bought. Prices have definitely increased where I was looking although I felt they were overvalued.

Having listened to the Chancellor, I'm even more convinced most of you are being mean. He said he simply can't be expected to take account of every single person's circumstances so his generous announcement is something or other. And no one can absolutely know the exact prices of energy over the next 6 months so he can't have done more, obviously. Everyone will benefit from the new price cap over the next 6 months anyway so it's not an issue, well except users of community heating, fuel oil and LPG. And car fuel. So that's why he can announce a tax cut just before the election because we understand the position in two years better than the next six months. How can he be expected to build an election war chest to chow prudence and tax cuts if we don't share the mild discomfort now? We're all in it together, remember. And something about more accessible toilets for wealthy people with mobility issues and those with the gumption not to freeze or starve. And no one should say he's got the tinnest ear in government, many in the Cabinet would fight for that. Of course he knows what it feels like, after all he has to think about rising energy costs in his 12? houses, well the ones that aren't let out.

He might be tied up in media training for the next few months so he is better positioned for the Conservative leadership contest.

Tally Ho!

And the price of bread Zilla as everyone in his house houses eats different bread.

I understand the ‘makings sure there’s money to invest in green energy pot’

However, why is that not coming from profits?
If a car manufacturer wants to carry on making cars they have to invest in new technology.

If an independent garage want to carry on trading they have to future proof the business by investing in new tools and computers.

Baker / food producer, keep up to date with new legislation, change ingredients if something becomes banned.

IT department, go on training courses and buy new equipment, upgrade cyber security. as technology and needs evolve

Every business has to invest to future proof themselves and ensure they can continue trading. Railways had to do it after steam. It comes from profits and outsourced investment, not solely the customer.

It's just mean people who are observing that he made a ludicrously poor attempt at justifying and owning his decisions. It is unclear whether his constituency will see that as a defect or a feature for a new PM. No not his geographic constituency, the important constituency of Conservative MPs for the leadership contest and the constituency of donors and important stakeholders to that contest and the government in general.

@Justanotherlurker

It's showing how many people are living on the edge and have accepted the 'ever rising house prices' narrative, the black swan was always around the corner as the world was at historically low interest rates, Covid was not a time to move house based on WFH and ignore the increase of interest rate we would need to pay back lock down, Russia has added to that, MN is going to become a lot more 'right wing' in the future when the belt fully tightens as a lot of people who don't understand the geopolitical situation try and paint it as a simple anti tory problem that can ve solved if x party come into power

A lot of problems faced by ordinary people are Tory problems. The geopolitical situation doesn't require us to steal from the poor and give to the rich continually - that's a Tory policy.

But how on earth can wealth be expected to trickle down if it doesn't flood upwards in the first place? Basic economics. Keep up. The only reason the nation is in the state it is in is because of the contribution of oligarchs and corporates. They could just leave and then where would we be?

@worriedatthistime in the article I mentioned, it was people turning down potatoes from food banks because they couldn’t afford to cook them, so the cost of the potato is less relevant.

Give a rich person £1 they save it

Give a poor person £1 they spend it, helping provide jobs and economic stimulation.

It’s really not rocket science is it

[quote deadlanguage]@worriedatthistime in the article I mentioned, it was people turning down potatoes from food banks because they couldn’t afford to cook them, so the cost of the potato is less relevant.[/quote]
This is genuinely one of the most depressing thing I’ve ever read.

@Zilla1

But how on earth can wealth be expected to trickle down if it doesn't flood upwards in the first place? Basic economics. Keep up. The only reason the nation is in the state it is in is because of the contribution of oligarchs and corporates. They could just leave and then where would we be?

Aye, the horror of life without them (the cunts) - it doesn't bear thinking about.

Give a rich person £1, they earned it.

Give a poor person £1. Scounger. Or benefits. or benefit scrounger.

and we can't pay ourselves what we can't afford. Unless it's privatising the profits and socialising the losses because that's different.

The £1 a poor person is given comes back in tax from the wages where they’ve spent it, and production of that item they’ve bought.

A lot of problems faced by ordinary people are Tory problems.

Council house sell off - and not replacement

Housing crisis anyone?

privatisation of utilities
Energy crisis anyone?

We are paying now for the 80’s recession and how Maggie got us out.

@Zilla1 I got it now. The missing link. All I need.

Gumption!

Now how could I have missed that!!

Gumption. Or wealth. Or both. Wouldn't want to exclude any of those three categories as we're all in it together.

The R4 Today interview today was outstanding.

Hope you manage OK and understand the spirit in which I'm posting.

"We can't have scandinavian type services and pay US type taxes, it doesn't add up"

@DenholmElliot summed it up perfectly

Also, I think we need tax on wealth, not income

And if we can't have Western European services and US level taxes then we'll just have to have USA-level services and Western European taxes on the non-wealthy. We can't tax the wealthy as they'll leave. And take their houses with them. And companies. Then we'd have lots of gaps on our streets. And the 55 million people wouldn't have any companies selling them things. And the wealthy and the corporates wouldn't have the money to make donations to political parties, groups and MPs.

@Zilla1 don’t worry I understand. Hence my stellar replies

Honestly, I admit I am really scared

@Becca19962014 Thank you. I'd hate my whimsy to cause offence to the unintended.

I'm genuinely sad at the desperation I'm seeing.

That said, Ive seen many who've lived in desperate straits for year before who have faced unsympathetic people but that doesn't mean more people becoming desperate is a good thing.

I might be mis-remembering but I think the uplift to UC during COVID and later down-grade caused legitimate surprise when others had had to live on the non-uplifted benefit prior to all the new UC previously working claimants making a claim and facing the wait.

Hard times.

Consequences of ill thought out schemes during Covid such as dishing out £47 billion of bounceback loans to businesses regardless or not of whether they needed it or were going to pay it back, paying furlough to workers owned by multibillionaires etc etc

Rather than just pay all working age people everyone a universal basic income over Covid, they chose to increase the wealth gap and let people fall through the cracks, and let fraudsters take advantage and the rich get richer. Not to mention all the wasted money on duff ppe etc.

Now we're going to be paying for our lifetime and I like many others didn't receive a penny of furlough or any other funds. So happy people got new extensions with their bounceback loans that we'll now be paying for...