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.

In my fantasy, there will also be proper funding cycles to end the public sector nonsense of May- December we can't afford it, oh shit its January and if we don't spend our budget we'll lose it - quick buy something. Anything.,

Surprised more people haven't mentioned Dentistry. We are heading for a crisis for the current child/teen generation. Where I am even children over 6 cannot access NHS care and have to pay privately. We are probably at the higher end of the wealth spectrum around our area and we can't even afford the cost of private once DC turn 13 (currently 12 so its £10 a month but obviously this doesn't cover treatment needed) in 20 years time there will be a generation with appalling teeth.

Schools - get rid of OFSTED and let teachers get back to teaching like they used to.

Defence - unfortunately this is going to matter

100% @laclochette plus it also results in clinicians doing admin/management tasks rather than clinical work

Your long list is similar to mine. Along with accessible public services and public spaces.

None of the tube or train stations within 2 miles of me are wheelchair accessible, which is absolutely shocking. Neither is the tube station nearest my work. Contributes to cutting physically disabled people out of society, including cutting them
out of the workforce and education.

Shit pavements and potholes contributes to this too. It’s only since using a pram that I’ve realised how completely unusable the streets around me are for wheelchair users.

Yes. I’d like 5 year spending cycles with fungible budgets. Rather than year by year resource spending which leads to the cycle
youve suggested.

Education
NHS
Social care

I would like to see childcare reforms that don’t just involve making schools do it.

All education, including more specialised SEN schools/units, FE and HE etc.
Restoring the rail network to provide many more trains at subsidised costs, leading to much less car use.
Investing in industry, including helping small engineering firms and maybe renationalising some manufacturing.

NHS and social care.

We need lots of investment locally, but that's a different thread!

Mental Health care
Dentistry
Animal welfare

Domestic abuse services. 1 in 4 women.

I'd reinstate free uni for nurses
I'd invest in more midwives and retention
I'd stop wasting money on "small boats and Rwanda" which would pay for the above

1. Education and training. They’re the key to everything. Education can even improve the NHS, since educated people tend to take better care of their health; and it reduces crime, since skilled and educated people no longer feel hopeless or trapped or worthless. The better educated a society is, the more civilised and prosperous it tends to be. I would even include funding the armed forces under ‘education and training’. I have seen boys completely transformed by the armed forces. They join with no purpose or self-esteem, and within a few months they’ve matured into confident, proud young men (not always, but it does happen). Obviously such investment brings problems, because many young people (especially those with rich parents) see university as an opportunity to laze around and avoid work. But in general it pays off.

2. Stamping out anti-social behaviour. It ruins lives. And I’m not just talking about violence and drug dealing. People who drive around in noisy cars, let their children ride their bikes up other people’s driveways, or play loud music with the windows open, etc, should be punished. Countless good people live in terror of scumbags who do whatever they like whenever they like. I have known people driven to nervous breakdowns and suicide attempts by nightmare neighbours.

3. The ruthless defence of our borders. I’m all for helping the developing world. The richest countries have a moral duty to help the poorest. But they should be helped in their own country. Where I live (rural Essex) the traffic is now so bad I hardly bother going out. My local woods have been hacked down to make way for a new housing estate, and at the other end of the village a giant new estate has been built that is more like a new town. I would guess that at least a third of the people on those new estates weren’t born in the U.K. The migration crisis isn’t going away. Africa has the highest birth rate in the world, and the African population is going to double by 2050. Either we start deporting illegal immigrants (particularly those who break the law), and take a much tougher line, or our quality of life is going to seriously deteriorate. I’m sorry, but I don’t believe that these boatloads of young men are all genuine refugees.

1. Health and social care. (Yes this means giving not just the NHS but local authorities money for this.)
2. Education of all types (Yes this means giving local authorities money for this)
3. Housing - Stops people's health deteriorating plus cheaper housing means people in the country can spend their money on other things.

Health, education and facilities for young people in the community such as more accessible green spaces / sports fields / running tracks etc.

Secondary Education
Nurses pay
NHS Dentistry

School, particularly SEND education support and NHS.

Sort out social care - it has such a massive knock on impact to everything else

Education, particularly SEN.
Fix the bastard potholes, it’s like driving on the moon round my way.
NHS in general. I don’t know what’s wrong with it admittedly, just it doesn’t work terribly well. I’d probably start with better wages and working conditions, that I know is a massive problem!
I’d also allow more building of houses because we’ve a massive problem.

NHS and Education

They (Scottish SNP Government (Tories at Westminter aren't the only shit show in town)) could fund some of it by stopping spending money on planning for independence and gimmicks like Baby Boxes.

Education
Social care - because that would have a knock on good effect for the NHS.

On the chance that this is a serious post, there's a massive flaw in your plan and that's demographic changes. The baby boomer cohort and subsequent reduced birth rate from the contraceptive pill have meant that there aren't enough workers to support an economically inactive group. Let's face it the 75yr olds won't be emigrating. I hope you're not in that group because that will be a rough end of life.

Not in my top 3, but people have already mentioned all the big stuff.

Get rid of all the 'odds and sods' of public infrastructure in towns and use to fund purpose built, efficient 'civic zones.' e.g. sell off police station, courts, council offices, library etc. and put in one building. one lot of lighting, one lot of alarms, one lot of drainage, one staff room, one car park, one lot of building services - just generally cheaper and more efficient to run. A welcoming place.

Merge and restructure health and social care.

Def' end meal and bar subsidies in parliament.

Invest in prisons so people are actually afraid of breaking the law as they might go to prison, but once there get proper rehabilitation like mentioned above.

SEND more support and easier access

NHS

Education ,

Actually put back the funding they have taken from Local Authorities so they can afford social care, local needs, universal services etc and all of that.

A thought out comprehensive plan on public transport that works everywhere. Public transport in my city is so unreliable.

The NHS.

But where would they be built? Or city centre is full.