To ask what one or two policies you think could make the biggest difference to the U.K.?

[whatkatydid2013]

To me the big one is social housing. I feel like if we could build up a large supply of social housing at reasonable rates all over the country the benefits would be massive. It would make life affordable for many more people and lead to them being less likely to need in work benefits. The affordable rents would cover maintenance and could keep large numbers of people in stable employment doing said maintenance (as well as creating administrative roles). It would make it less challenging to staff key worker roles in more expensive areas. In the short term I appreciate it would be a massive expense but it seems like in the long term it would cost less than our current system on a going basis and it would make many people a lot more financially secure. I find it disappointing that all main parties seem so focused on home ownership in their policy statements. I know there are many important policy areas but this just always feels like one that’s very central and totally glossed over by all parties. Maybe because there isn’t a quick, easy fix?

1. Tax earned income at the same level or less than unearned income eg inheritances and capital gains
2. Increase taxes on second homes significantly, at the same time as imposing rent controls for tenants
3. Change accounting rules and fiduciary responsibilities to promote long term capital investments

@Newusername1273 🙄 Why does volunteering have to involve leaving the home? It could be doing something like checking accounts or making phone calls or typing letters.

The instant negativity is depressing 😞.

And how do you do that with small children?

I’ve had small children and done it - in the evenings. I said it wouldn’t be compulsory. Jeez. Life doesn’t stop when you have small children 🙄. I was a governor for 4 years when my children were small.

If you own a second home (not a furnished holiday let thats a business but a second home) then you pay 5 times council tax on it. if you own any other property other than your main home that isnt a second home or a furnished holiday let business then you must, by law have tenants in it. In London there are huge numbers of flats owned by big companies and just left empty. this has to stop. secondly, I would reduce the restrictions on private landlords so that eviction for non payment of rent or property damage is swift. this will weed out the shit tenants and encourage more people to let properties knowing that they wont be trashed by tenants or stuck with tenants paying no rent that takes 18 months to evict. the pendulum on this has swung so far to tenants rights that landlords are leaving in their droves.

Where to start???
More social housing is a necessity (without the right to buy)
Stop subsidising private companies by raising the minimum wage to a level where UC isn't needed as a top up.

@mummymeister totally agree - and would also ban non doms from buying homes here and inflating house prices. It’s outrageous in London - foreign millionaires snapping up properties and then leaving them empty 🤬

Tax multinational corporations properly, and not allow them to slip through loopholes.

The amount of tax dodging is insane. If we sorted that we could fund the NHS and social housing adequately with loads to spare.

Re reforming and properly funding the NHS - it has been run down by successive governments of varying politics, which needs to be addressed.
“pump more money in” is rather a loaded phrase, but of course it should be properly funded.
The NHS is sufficiently important for funds to be diverted from other sources, if necessary.

Privatising cherry picked sections of the NHS should also stop and be reversed, so that profits go back into the organisation, rather than to shareholders.

Address A and E attendance for trivial matters, make it as socially unacceptable as drink driving, likewise missing appointments, etc.
More emphasis on the preventative and on health as well illness
Are there still surplus management tiers?

I know I have already given far too many items, but I want to add one more thing: bring back all the government information shorts that used to terrify the life out of us as children. Not only the safety info but also the social messages, such as not dropping litter and dazzling drivers with headlights.

What a stupid idea. You want to tie students into the local universities and scupper their life choices. Born in west Wales? Tough shit, you can’t train to become a doctor unless you want to cycle to Birmingham everyday.

The private rental sector will always be needed.

Affordable housing because couples who both work full time struggle financially. Mortgages and rent need to be reduced. We also need to fund women's healthcare instead of the default 'cure' being to put us on hormonal birth control.

Combine NHS with social care and properly fund,

Address housing crisis. Both owned and rented.

There are other critical issues that need addressing (education, climate change, crime, equality etc) but I don't think any will be properly tackled until we get the basics of housing and health sorted.

Haven't RTFT but pay taxes in the UK but am not accorded a vote

Rent controls.

All of these things would be paid for by taxing corporations correctly.

It's not just small children - it other carers as well or anyone with serious shit or inability to cope to extra with demands or has a period of life were shit is just overwhelming them - that perhaps wouldn't fit in some nice little tick box to get them out of it.

My Dmum is already overwhelmed with Dad needs and the constant phone calls drop by and inability to communicate or sort anything - she doesn't have the mental bandwidth for any more.

It's one of those things that sounds really good when life is easy and ignores that sectors tendency to make what should be paid positions volunteer unpaid ones - could actually get rid of some jobs.

To make every able bodied person make a positive contribution. We definitely aren't all in it together .

I would love to make a proper contribution and work myself and my DC out of poverty. Unfortunately, there is no childcare/social care/support available which would enable me to work with having 2 disabled children.

How do you suggest can able bodied carers make a contribution when there is nobody there to care for the disabled family member in the meantime?

Build more social housing
Be more realistic about what the NHS should be expected to do vs what is personal responsibility/nature.

I'm pro lots of these things but they are all big public spending. We can't afford them now based on the tax system we have. The basic rate is too low.

No party wants to admit it. No party wants to say, yes the benefits system is subsidizing low wages. No one will say, the triple lock is unaffordable.

Unless we face these things and tackle what we spend already, little change will occur.

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-06-02/digital-giants-avoided-15-billion-in-uk-tax-in-2019#

“Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, eBay, Adobe and Cisco collectively avoided paying an estimated £1.5 billion in tax on their profits in the UK in 2019, according to analysis of their accounts by the think tank TaxWatch.”

@hattie43 i agree - I would agree in a rise in benefits for people in genuine need but the 4.5million in this country who are economically inactive I believe there are many who could be working. Agree doesn’t have to be a full time job but some contribution.

Sorting out the backlog of asylum applications.

Anything you read says the major problem with the property market is a lack of social housing, pushing low earners into the private rental market thus incentivising rent increases etc (and a bloody great housing benefit bill)…

However it makes me uneasy to think of social housing being a norm. It would be great if everyone in them trotted out to work in their low paid jobs with smiles on their faces and a spring in their step. But a lot aren’t - for no particular reason - which makes me uncomfortable about opening the opportunity wider for more of the same.

I’d rather second home owners and outside investors be targeted and have rent controls introduced.

My main two policy objectives would be health (massive nhs investment/restructuring) and education (better SEN resources, more apprenticeships, better quality Uni courses/less debt/more integration with Europe).

And now I come to think of it I think disabled people should be treated equally whether married or not. Many cannot work, and if they get married they lose a vast amount of income and personal independence, opens them to abuse and control. It needs to stop.

They've capped rent rises to 3% in Scotland which just seems to have caused other issues according to a news article I read earlier. Some renters are being told that the landlord will sell the property or move into it themself if they don't agree to a rent increase.

They’re not stuck here though. It is a competitive market to attract them too.

This is how much the government has messed with everyone’s heads. “There’s no money” when tech giants aren’t paying tax, and would easily cover the holes in budgets.

So lower corporation tax to 12% - lower than Ireland, and they’ll come back in. 12% is better than 0%.

They are exploiting loopholes and the government just turns a blind eye.