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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

So what is your top 5 issues you want the government to work on?

119 replies

deancasetmoi · 09/05/2023 22:58

Climate change related top 5 for me

-Solar and wind power investment (bring in jobs)
-degrading soil and mono farming we need a new way.
-Building on green spaces needs to end. something needs to be done about the thousands of decrepit buildings, car parks etc build on them.
-bike lanes
-plant more trees, specifically fruit trees/ but trees/ bushes and give access to local people to pick their own like when you go to a strawberry farm but everywhere. (also to help with flooding, and air pollution)

OP posts:
dontlookbackyourenotgoingthatway · 10/05/2023 12:27

Swrigh1234 · 10/05/2023 12:25

Quite telling that no one thinks economic growth or enterprise is a priority. It almost as if people think money grows on trees. Like no it has been doing for the last few years. Hence creating the mess we are in.

The biggest priority has to be educate people to make them economically literate. So they understand how stuff is paid for and demand better economic growth.

Which school of thought would you educate them in?

Any analysis to suggest that this would benefit society?

Swrigh1234 · 10/05/2023 12:29

dontlookbackyourenotgoingthatway · 10/05/2023 12:27

Which school of thought would you educate them in?

Any analysis to suggest that this would benefit society?

Any analysis to suggest that being economically illiterate and just having a wishlist of things you want is the way to go.

Again, how is all this being paid for without economic growth? Printing and borrowing more money? Or raising the tax burden to even higher than it has been in the last 70 years. Yes, that’s worked out well so far.

BumpyaDaisyevna · 10/05/2023 12:33

Long term psychodynamic psychotherapy available wherever you are in the country for anyone assessed as suitable to make use of it

Massive investment in early years 0-5 parenting and education. So that all parents who are able to make use of it are supported and educated around what an infant/child needs for psychological and emotional health and development

Green energy

NHS

Teaching and schools

National living wage

Efficient and reasonably priced transport

Jellycatspyjamas · 10/05/2023 12:34

@Scottishskifun totally agree with all you say (also in Scotland). I’d also look at the tax system, 40% on salaries over £43k is quite a thought and can discourage people returning to full time work after having kids, particularly when combined with NI.

dontlookbackyourenotgoingthatway · 10/05/2023 12:35

@Swrigh1234

You haven't answered my questions.

Science can't prove a negative, that's a given.

Neededanewuserhandle · 10/05/2023 12:36

dontlookbackyourenotgoingthatway · 10/05/2023 11:40

Actually, I have ONE priority:

Evidence based policy.

Base all public policy decisions on actual data, analysis and evidence.

That would be brilliant but will sadly never happen.

Jellycatspyjamas · 10/05/2023 12:37

Long term psychodynamic psychotherapy available wherever you are in the country for anyone assessed as suitable to make use of it

I agree with long term therapy being much more available but would expand that to include humanistic therapies. Definitely a move away from short term the alphabeti spaghetti approach used just now.

Rainbowqueeen · 10/05/2023 12:41

Link passport control and cms so if you have a debt you can’t travel abroad until it is paid. Same with drivers licence - can’t renew your licence until cms debt is paid.

more action on climate change

sugar tax

additional taxes on anyone who owns more than 2 properties

reform of the buying and selling of properties

Corrienation · 10/05/2023 12:49
  1. nhs
  2. dial back the laws on protesting. There is a core lack of faith in politics, which is not helped by blatant corruption, free pass for burglars and rapists and lack of faith in the police and draconian laws. So the police can’t help when you are raped or burgled but happy to arrest you when you complain?? Stop the rot before it destroys the foundations of your government. 3)cost of living
  3. corruption (see above)
  4. police (see above)
Idratherbepaddleboarding · 10/05/2023 12:50
  1. The NHS.
  2. education
  3. mental health. We need to address the causes of mental ill health as well as being able or actually receive treatment instead of just signing them off sick.
  4. tax dodging.
  5. reform benefits so that everyone who can work, must unless they can sustain themselves and employers must pay a true living wage at least.
lavenderlou · 10/05/2023 12:53

Social care - I think dealing with this would also have a positive impact on the NHS.

Health - improving access to healthcare.

Education - change curriculum and assessment. Make teaching an attractive job. Get rid of Ofsted.

Housing - build lots of new social housing

Roads - sort out the the potholes and road markings. Introduce tolls on some roads to pay for it like they do in France.

CurlewKate · 10/05/2023 12:57

@Swrigh1234 "Who are the rich? Anyone that earns more than you?"

Interesting that you homed in on that one of my policies. I mean higher rate taxpayers. I might lower the threshold a bit too. And FYI that does include my family.

ScienceDragon · 10/05/2023 13:01
  1. Change salary increases from % to £: i.e. when it is calculated as a % people on top level salaries get huge actual increases, while people on minimum salaries get small one. As a result actual income gaps between top and bottom levels keeps increasing

  2. completely reform rules and conditions for MPs.

    No second jobs (obviously, a scheme for people such as health professionals who have to put in X amount of hours to retain registration - but it should be unpaid work, as they are still being paid MP salary).

    No hiring of family members to work in MP's constituency office.

    Pay increases linked to minimum wages.
    Statutory sickleave only.
    KPIs for every MP, and annual review by independent body to prove they are meeting targets.

    Statutory amounts of annual leave (no skiving off for long weekends on working time). If parliament is not sitting, then they should be in their constituency office.

    The government can buy a hotel building, and assign rooms to all MPs when parliament is sitting (no more overnight allowances to be pocketed).

    Grace-and-favour country residences ONLY to be used for state occasions - not personal use.

    Random, ongoing checks of MPs claiming of assorted allowances, to make sure they are not being abused (paying back of monies within 30 days, plus a % based fine)

I got stuck on the MP reform concept - but lots of other excellent ideas in this thread

Swrigh1234 · 10/05/2023 13:03

CurlewKate · 10/05/2023 12:57

@Swrigh1234 "Who are the rich? Anyone that earns more than you?"

Interesting that you homed in on that one of my policies. I mean higher rate taxpayers. I might lower the threshold a bit too. And FYI that does include my family.

So you think that people earning £50k a year need to pay more tax. Interesting too. That will go down well in the current climate.

CurlewKate · 10/05/2023 13:06

@Swrigh1234 "So you think that people earning £50k a year need to pay more tax. Interesting too. That will go down well in the current climate."

<shrugs> I wasn't asked to provide popular policies.

user1497207191 · 10/05/2023 13:08

Education - we need a massive increase in non academic options, both at school and in further education, plus a massive increase in adult education, i.e. GCSE and A levels at evening classes, funding for college courses for plastering, plumbing, electricians, mechanics, etc., plus HGV/PSV driver training and tests. Basically encourage people, young and middle aged, to get better qualifications, skills, trades, etc. We've had far too much emphasis on Unis for 18 years to the detriment of other options/other ages, etc.

Taxes - complete reform and simplification, scrap NIC and increase income tax instead, smooth the cliff edges, ban any marginal tax rate over 50%, take a hatchet job on lots of allowances/reliefs that are manipulated, massive recruitment for tax inspectors so that there are the personnel to tackle the black economy, VAT fraud, "back pocket" traders, etc.

Policing - massive increase in numbers of police officers on the streets, do whatever it takes to reduce paperwork, set up country wide/regional depts to tackle things like money laundering, drug dealing, people trafficing, scams/frauds which aren't restricted to "local" areas. So basically get back to "local" policing for local matters such as anti social behaviour, traffic offences, burglaries, etc., but national policing for national "cross-border" issues.

NHS - again, massive restructuring needed, from the ground up, scrap GP surgeries as the "gatekeeper role" and create a network of small "clinics" for treatment of minor injuries, and basic prescriptions, - like in many countries in mainland Europe. More "self referral" for things like hearing aids so you can go direct like you can with opticians/dentists, etc. More smaller hospitals, i.e. back to one in every town, instead of these "super" hospitals that can be an hour away even in towns and small cities. We shouldn't need to travel from one county to another just to get a broken bone x-rayed! Sort out the dire communication problems where one consultant can't see the x-rays, blood test results, scan images etc that another consultant/doctor has done!

Localism - I'd like to see a reversal of the "centralisation" over the past few decades and incentives for shops, employers, organisations to move back into local areas. For retail, that's more local shops in villages, precincts, etc rather than the High Street or out of town retail park. For offices, that means more regional area offices, more satellite offices in smaller cities and towns. I'd love to reverse Gordon Brown's crazy idea of closing all the small tax offices and centralising tax advice/processing into a tiny number of huge "call centre" type offices. Basically stop the centralisation of everything into London and other big cities and get back to decent jobs being available for people in smaller cities and towns to stop the "flight" of local people leaving to go to Uni and never coming back to their home town due to lack of decent jobs!

GasPanic · 10/05/2023 13:12

For me :

i) Environmental issues.

Accelerate the build of the new nuclear plant (Sizewell C).
Build the tidal barrage over the River Severn.
Increase taxes on non recyclable plastic products, with the money invested in new recycling centres.
Subsidise the install of solar panels.
Fund new projects with money raised within the UK by national savings bonds, not big deals done with China so the Tories and their mates can make lots of cash.

ii) Taxation

Increase CGT to put it in line with income tax.
Increase inheritance tax and make it unavoidable.
Make stamp duty payable by house sellers and not buyers.
Increase taxes on air travel hugely.

iii) General

Complete review of the training environment for young people. More places and subsidies for people we actually need (plumbers, doctors, nurses, electricials, trades) rather than loaning money for people to do worthless degrees that are not needed and importing people from overseas to do the jobs we actually do need.

Sort out the NHS (god knows how).

Dog registration and licensing scheme. Money collected goes to fund dog wardens and administration. Dogs over a certain mass/breed muzzled at all times in public.

Implement fully reconcilable VAT system to end VAT fraud.

Implement a neighbourhood court system to resolve neighbour disputes.

Free school meals for all.

Changes17 · 10/05/2023 13:12
  1. Invest in a green economy, with a particular focus on creating jobs for people left behind by the end of investment in fossil fuels.
  2. National Social Care service, to operate alongside the NHS. Both to be properly funded, but also reformed to remove inefficiencies (NOT in order to semi-privatise).
  3. Properly funding education, from early years (Surestart) to university and alternative methods of post-18 training, including for career changers. Cut down on teacher workloads by investing in areas from administrative support to social services to CAMHS.
  4. Housing: build more homes, with a focus on brown field sites first and tax incentives for developers who tackle difficult to reuse sites such as wasteland. Rent caps, social housing that is available to more people (taking Vienna, where most people can live in affordable good quality housing, as a model).
  5. Pay for the above by introducing a more progressive tax system, to include closing tax avoidance loopholes and schemes/removal of non-dom status/proportionate taxes on second home owners to benefit the community in which the second home is located (and that basically make it unattractive to have more than one home)/removing charitable status of private schools (but investment in state schools/teaching etc would make these unnecessary in any case).

I feel I've shoehorned a lot more than five in here but broadly it's investing in green economy, streamlined social care/NHS, lifelong education, properly housing people in a range of good quality housing types in the places where they want to live, funded by a more progressive tax system (and these measures paying back by reducing waste anyway). Waste ranges from excessive use of consultants to overpaying on things that aren't used effectively or have to be thrown away unused.

Greenfairydust · 10/05/2023 13:14

This government?

They should focus on calling a general election in the autumn...

The Tories have destroyed our country over the past 13 years and it is time for a change. There is nothing else they can do to improve their woeful record.

The next government:

  • build more affordable housing
  • renationalise gas/electricity/water and public transport which will go a long way to address the cost of living crisis
  • a fairer tax system so that the wealthy/big corporations pay their fair share
  • better NHS funding
  • more measures to address climate change.
DoubleShotEspresso · 10/05/2023 13:14

OP @deancasetmoi respectfully, your list I think is not high on anybody that I know priority list.

-Cost of living crisis. Enforce guidelines and caps for utility companies or stop them trading here
-Brexit/Food retail prices and so ,much more
-NHS All services and care for vulnerable young adults, the elderly, availability of GP's, fair pay for all NHS employees
-Education: Pay teachers better, train all incoming better in SEND, provide adequate funding for SEND and make LA's accountable immediately
-Review all foreign policy and revisit the fact we are supposedly a Christian country and let our legislation fully reflect this.

I cannot really believe the above list fall above bike lanes or wind power at this stage.

Whatt · 10/05/2023 13:16
  1. Vaping
We were just coming out of cigarette addiction era, it was being seen as dirty, unhealthy and an age identifier. But then vaping came. Under the guise of a stop smoking aid, vaping will now bring nicotine addiction back.
  1. Housing
I would love to see interest free mortgages as a Muslim who cannot deal with interest. How would the government make money this work? Well, they would buy the house and sell it back to you at a higher, agreed price. So it works in the premise of a trade agreement.
  1. Following through with "Leveling up"
I think the government could bring a lot of areas up if they built more Universities in areas that are run down. Young students will move in and bring the area up with shops, trade, jobs and travel. Instead of encouraging OAP'S from cities to move to the seaside.
  1. Education
Teaching needs to be seen as a great, respectable career so that it can attract really good teachers. The money needs to increase and so does the facilities and SEN support.
Changes17 · 10/05/2023 13:17

Lots of great ideas here

Scottishskifun · 10/05/2023 13:21

Jellycatspyjamas · 10/05/2023 12:34

@Scottishskifun totally agree with all you say (also in Scotland). I’d also look at the tax system, 40% on salaries over £43k is quite a thought and can discourage people returning to full time work after having kids, particularly when combined with NI.

Yep it's now 42%.....all well and good saying tax the "rich" but reality is we struggle to fill highly skilled positions in the NHS and other sectors that's at the detriment of people.

If you can't attract and fill those positions then it's less tax overall.

fluffiphlox · 10/05/2023 13:22

NHS

Get the admin sorted for migrants (ie process people quickly and allow them to work)

Improve our relationship with the EU

Public transport

Teachers’ pay

(I’m not a teacher, medical professional or bus driver).

PerrinAybara · 10/05/2023 13:22
  • education. Complete restructure so that it works for most children, regardless of learning difficulties, neurodivergence, academic capabilities, etc. And proper levels of funding.
  • NHS, including availability of NHS dentists, mental health support (including cahms), waiting lists, women's health, evidence based healthcare, etc.
  • tackling tax avoidance by big corporations
  • promotion of low carbon economy
  • addressing VAWG, including root cause analysis, accurate data capture, handling by police and prosecution services and sentencing.