To ask what ONE thing you’d want the government to spend more money on? Or top three perhaps…

[AngryBirdsNoMore]

Inspired by one of the threads on the £100k cut off for funded nursery hours. On these threads, there are always replies that there are better things the government could be spending money on than paying for childcare for higher earners.

I don’t disagree - but I think we’ve all got so used to the idea that there isn’t any money for ANYTHING.

So if you could fund or increase funding to any one thing (or top three if you can’t choose), what would it be? Blank chequebook time.

And is there anything you would stop funding to…

For me, it’s education. Fund more teachers (reducing workload) on better pay, improve facilities in all schools, and make sure there are no black spots with no primary school provision.

Meanwhile, I’d stop funding subsidised bars and restaurants in parliament. There are loads of food and drink options in Westminster - or they can eat in parliament but pay for it.

1. Environment. Invest in green technologies. Reduce pollution. Ensure access to green spaces. Invest in connected active travel routes. Invest in organic farming, allotments and market gardens.

2. Leading on from 1) focus on improving health. Not by funding the NHS to deal with health issues once they’ve already happened, but preventing people becoming ill in the first place. Support people to eat well (plant based, whole foods, organic, enjoyable food) through education, subsidies and a different model of agriculture. Support people to live a healthy lifestyle – better work-life balance, promote exercise (gyms, classes, and pools should be free), access to nature, etc.

3. Education. Whether academic or vocational

Take away all the free or subsidised food for the Lord's and give every DC in the country at school/college until 19 a free hot meal every day or regardless of their parents salary.

Ooh. I feel like you’ve thought about it, so can you explain your one in two out system more?

I think I’m ideologically at almost the opposite end of the spectrum to you - I don’t think lots of immigrants is a problem, although I want anyone who comes here to assimilate and work - but I’m always interested in different ideas!

Affordable decent housing. Having somewhere safe to go is a must.

Affordable utilities ie gas, leccy, water, broadband. All essentials these days.

NHS. Everyone should be able to access health care without being made destitute.

As always though, with rights come responsibilities.

Childcare, statutory maternity pay (a joke) and enforcing child maintenance payments by NRPs.

Hard to day which one thing, tbh.
Tax cuts, infrastructure, defence all seem reasonable.
But definitely NOT the NHS which already wastes far too much money and can't be trusted with any extra. Or perhaps spend the money on a Royal Commission to investigate how to completely restructure health care?

This. I agree with cutting subsidies to MPs too as mentioned in the OP.

I wouldn't be averse to paying them more but would like to see a ban on second jobs unless they need to do some work to maintain registration in their professional field.

Defence
The NHS
End homelessness

Thinking about it, so much comes down to short-term thinking and not properly funding things so they become a bigger, more expensive problem down the line. Good front-line services (like health, or youth clubs, or education), mean you have healthy, engaged citizens who actually have a future to look forward to. Cost-cutting means you end up with kids who feel they've been written off, people with long-term illnesses that go untreated, and just the stuff around us crumbling. It doesn't have to be like this!

Adequate funding for children with SEN and services that are appropriately staffed, available and easy to access.

Properly overhaul the nhs; cut down on waste/layers of admin. Payrise for ‘junior’ doctors, you know, the ones operating on your brain in the middle of the night when they have worked 12 hours and are now on call..
Fix potholes
Increase funding for schools
Increase pensions

Stop funding school meals for those who can pay

If I had to pick three, they would be:

Education - at every level, including SEN provision

Benefits - Make them enough to actually live in and get rid of the pointless 6 week wait

Mental Health - Support should be available fast to anyone at their point of need.

My top 3 priorities are:
NHS
Climate change
Poverty

Social services and social care packages. This would take a huge weight off buckling NHS, Police, Mental Health teams and schools who are backfilling the massive cuts.

SEN education

Early years support for families with disabled children.

Health and Care - This doesn't mean just dropping another $billion on the NHS bottom line but really addressing issues such as bed blocking. Also a reduction in basic NHS wasting and stupidity.

The service is not balanced. We can easily access audiology for my daughter but paediatric hospital based dentistry is fundamentally unaccessible... We've been waiting on a referral for years but I could get an audiology appointment for her next day if needed.

Fund Adult social care properly & bring it back in house

properly find public health & prevention services

invest in proper council or social housing for people to rent at affordable rates

oh and a fourth, bin the provider/purchaser split in the NHS.

Definitely social housing. But make sure areas aren't turned into ghettos. Encourage a wide range of people to live in the housing. Ensure nobody is subjected to antisocial behaviour.

Green energy - insane that we rely on importing gas from abroad when we have so much access to renewable sources (including the actual sea that surrounds our island)

Fixing schools - disgrace that children (and teachers) have no option but to spend their days in unsafe buildings, it would rightly be deemed totally unacceptable in any other context or workplace (asbestos and that godawful concrete) but somehow people are not raging about this

NHS - just properly fund the fucking thing for Christ's sake

Elderly social care, the NHS.

Mental health services, SEN education provision, adult social care.

Child mental health, adult mental health, dentistry

Actually if I can only have 3 pull out dentistry and out in SEN provision

Education
Mental health services
Social care

Affordable housing built to a high spec with space for children to play safely.So many new builds with no outside space, NHS waiting times,Dentistry that is available to all.That is just a start that affects so many lives now.

came on to say exactly this