Why won't any political party focus or help the squeezed middle

[Winterday1991]

Off the back of another thread, has got me thinking about the next general election.

Why is there not a party that will focus on the middle earners in the squeezed south east , where both partners work full time, who are struggling juggling mortgages, cost of childcare and self fund everything and are over threshold for any help or subsidies ie child benefit, cost of living payments, free childcare via universal credit?

We are a middle/highish income family and are just so sick of paying into the system and getting nothing back! The amount of tax we pay is insane, certainly not anywhere near value for money. Labour just seem to want to focus on single parent families and those on universal credit.

Any party who focuses on the middle will surely win the election?

If it was that simple it would have been done ages ago, it's not a new issue. Time will tell anyway. I hope I'm wrong because it would be very helpful to people!

To be fair that sums up the universal credit system!

I probably get one of the highest UC awards achievable as I have two disabled DC (and work 0.7 FT). It definitely is not 95k salary equivilant. We do get by okay but it takes planning and fully living within my means.

There's plenty far worse off than us who can't even figure how to put the next meal on the table. In my opinion, being in a position where your roof is secure, your children are fed and your home is warm. You have footwear without holes and season appropriate coats. It is a privilege

Absolutely agree!

It is only what I think you are coming across as. If you aren't then I am sorry. You need to aim your ire elsewhere though.

@NameandShame gets the award for being completely oblivious to just how much some people are struggling month to month.

I don’t know many couples with no children who are struggling. And of course I appreciate that some people have it a lot harder than others.

I always failed to understand on these threads is how people cannot have a grand for Nursery before they even stop taking the pill I mean it’s fucking ridiculous.

If you haven’t got your ducks in order before you have a baby, you’ve got nine months to get it sorted. That’s the wonder of pregnancy.

Me and DP work 50 hours between us a week. We earn around 28k a year combined. We get child benefit for one child. That's it. We take every hour of overtime we can get. At the moment DP is working 12 hours days Mon to Fri. I'm working this weekend 7.30- 4 both days. We have very little family time. We won't even earn £1000 for the 75 hours we've worked this week. We would have to work over 150 hours a week between us to earn 95k a year on our wages. Maybe the OP thinks we should?

Why op needs a perspective? It's like telling an emotional abuse victim that you were physically abused so her struggles don't matter.

She lives in South East, housing is so much more expensive there.

Why don't posters like you demand more from politicians. Why can't there be policies to increase overall income, for people working full time in lower wage jobs and those who work in jobs they studied and trained hard for years.

Another poster talked about she should be greatful roads are clean and she doesn't live in a country where there are no piles of garbage on side of roads, cars not getting stolen? Which developed countries have these problems? What about countries like Singapore, Switzerland. What special natural resources they have to create such solid economies. People earn good wages and have decent standard of livings across different work classes. What does UK export? Any natural resources like middle east, Australia, Russia do - no they don't have. Manufactured goods like Germany - barely. Low cost services like India did which gave it dollars which then Indian government invested in others areas and which also employed its young people.

Where is the money company in the country?

In Canada, taxes are high but those in power are by and large decent people. UK has corrupt politicians and people demand very little out of them.

You can fight with each other and pull others down because they are better of than you. But as a country, UK is failing its people across the board. And highly skilled people who pay higher taxes, if they don't feel they are getting worth of their hard work, emmigrate to other countries where they can get more. Parties should focus on overall economy, generating jobs, and increase in wages. It is a long term policy. But unless people demand and show anger towards their politicians nothing will happen. In a few years UK will have massive brain drain. You may think you can replace that with high skilled immigrants but high skilled immigrants are not lining up to move to UK.

Maybe you should set up the middle earners in the squeezed south east , where both partners work full time Party. You'll see how small a proportion of the population middle earners in the squeezed south east where both partners work full time is.

I had nine months to sort my life out and I did, so yes you can increase your wages during the nine months that your mother nature Very kindly afforded you to sort this stuff out.

Don’t forget those on 100k. Who will be approximately 10k per child, per year worse off net. This is due to the anomalies of personal allowance and child care. 1 pence over £99k you literally are thousands worse off. Those people should actively swallow that, bring home tens of thousands less a year because it’s the right thing to do. 😂 It’s immoral to avoid marginal tax rates of over 100% by reducing hours and increasing pensions. However waaaahhhhh, I can’t work full time as childcare means I am paying to work - so UC.

The sense of entitlement is real.

You actually think that not knowing someone in a certain situation means said situation doesn't exist?
You fail to understand how that £1000 is a huge sum of money for some parents, just because it wasn't for you?
You think that your judgement helps in any way?

As it is, we had savings and were organised for when DS was born, but I was fortunate to have a decent wage and low outgoings at the time. Not everyone is that fortunate.

No, I don't think that's the sentiment. It's really sad that despite working hard your family income is so low. Government should increase minimum wages and overall wages should be increased. Of course, you should be supported. But governments in UK do not have accountability and I don't think they use tax money efficiently. It seems like they prioritise their and their rich investors need first

I voted YABU. The country only has a limited amount of money. That money needs to go to people who are struggling the most: Can't afford food, housing or heating - the people who are skipping meals and missing rent payments.

The "squeezed middle" usually complain because their sainsbury/waitrose/m&s shop has increased. Or they had to holiday in the UK instead of abroad. Or they can't afford "little treats" like nails, hair, coffee/cake, lunch out as often.

No, I don't want my taxes going to you. Cut back, get rid of sky/Netflix the two leasehold cars, work some more hours, get a second job, retrain in a better paid career... you know all the things you've been telling people who receive benefits to do. FFS people on benefits get complained at for daring to have a flat screen tv and a house (see your comment about your neighbour with kids who dares to actually live in a house!). You're well off, the median income in the UK is something around £35k, so you're earning well over that.

FWIW I'm an additional rate tax payer, and could class myself as the "squeezed middle" as I'm also having to cut back on holidays etc, and my mortgage is a lot. But for fucks sake, I can see how privileged I am and want financial help to go to the poorest not the most well off.

Well as a Singaporean, I can tell you the government builds subsidized housing for 85% of the population which they own. Employers are forced to contribute 16% of the employee's wage to a fund that is used for housing healthcare and pension.. so while taxes are very low, people are forced to save a lot of money (36% including employer contribution) and they can only take it out for housing healthcare and pension..the government invests that money and while they do award interest to the savers, the excess profits on that huge pot of money is used to invest in the country. But it means that people have far less money on a day to day basis than you would expect (though incomes are higher), the only thing a 30 something can do with that giant pot of money is buy a flat, pay healthcare insurance or perhaps use it to fund some necessary healthcare procedures (less common in your 30s).

So while the income taxes are low, this is why the government has money. Not to mention the huge 6 figure taxes on cars and the corporate tax (same as here) it's a very paternalistic way of government, almost like the government doesn't trust people to save for their homes, pensions and healthcare needs.