To reduce hours when labour win election

[Parttimeplay]

I fall into the “60%” tax bracket. With the upcoming elections and knowing the government always hammer the middle ground….woudlnt it make more sense for me to cut my hours for a more relaxed life, eligibility for childcare, reduced tax?

Increased taxes are going to have to be fact of life if people want to continue to receive public services. Labour wouldn't be able to borrow - that would immediately invite the usual tropes about Labour being fiscally irresponsible. No-one wants to pay more tax but we all need to be able to rely on public services.

Actually I am involved - I’m not going to say how as it would give too much away but I took a massive step down in salary and move in career to go into a job where I aim to make a difference. But please do carry on making baseless assumptions about other people :-)

‘If you're on the Titanic you are better off trying to get your place in the lifeboats’

Sure thing. As only rich folk had lifeboat access on the Titanic, we will be ok. 🙌

It's laughable that after 14 years of Tory economic experiments - some are still trying to spook us over Labour. The bar could not be any lower under this Tory government.

But we have poured money in over the past decade and they’ve got worse. I don’t think money on its own is the answer.

People are sceptical of paying taxes now in the UK because we've all seen how the Tories have played fast and loose with taxpayers' money - huge contracts to mates during Covid, Baroness Mone siphoning off millions, stupid amounts of money wasted on pointless and hopeless divisive vanity projects like Brexit and Rwanda. The absolute shitshow that was HS2 (which could have been a flagship project and a positive legacy for the Tories but they even fucked that up). So Labour has the challenge of this kind of cynicism to deal with, for sure.

Actually it was women and children but don’t let facts get in the way of a good jibe will you!

The last Labour Government had a lower tax burden.

As only rich folk had lifeboat access on the Titanic

Totally off topic, I realise but more 3rd class women were saved in lifeboats than 1st class men. It was not solely (or even mostly) about wealth.

I think you might be surprised by how many people will quietly manoeuvre themselves so that they aren't paying more tax in some cases, or in cases were people are in striking distance of retirement, on a tipping point with the cost of childcare or who throw the towel in with private education, might step away from their roles completely with more punitive tax measures.

This is me. I've started the process to take my (small) company pensions early. I don't trust what they will do with pensions and I would rather be in a position where I am already drawing my pensions. I'm self employed so will reduce my hours to keep below the next tax threshold. I had planned to keep working until I get my state pension (9 years to go unless it changes) and take my pensions later but I'm changing my plans and getting ready to withdraw from the workforce. I know of others who are doing similar.

It's unlikely a Labour government would mess with pensions. Everyone knows there's a massive pensions crisis in the making as the current system is unsustainable and massively underfunded as it is. This sounds like more scaremongering - although obviously there are a few very well off people who would rather not contribute to society that benefits everyone and hang onto their own money and would thus prefer a Tory government.

Well since Sir Beer Korma won't stop the boats we will have plenty of new migrants to take up the slack.😁

The boats that massively, massively increased in number under a Tory government?

They are more likely to increase them.

I haven't forgotten the 98% tax rate under Labour in the 1970s.

What's the tax rate under the Tories when earning £1 more costs you £2k?

Yup those ones it was half a joke but you can see the Tory press trying them out (not the Sir Beer one though - that's ancient now and was their riposte to Partygate which failed to land unlike the boats ).Here we go just had a look at the Mail - it's Captain U-Turn. Must be a lot of war gaming going on at Tory HQ of the key messages that we will be sick to death of come election day.

I’m taking my children out of private school and giving up my job to home school them once they add 20% onto school fees. So Labour will not get any tax from me! We will actually be better off!

Totally this. I just can’t fathom how anyone thinks a tax rate of 60% is fair. High earners will simply leave the country leaving even less to fund the ever expanding state.

I love the way posters are saying that people need to get used to paying more tax. We are already taxed to the hilt. There is no more to give and what people are saying, and will do, is take measures to minimise their exposure. These are people who have wiggle room, can cut back, move, go abroad.

Taking more tax is not the answer and the people paying the tax have had enough! There is so much waste and inefficiency.

I hope you are not too tired at work today OP, after posting so much in the middle of the night.

Oh and welcome to MN!

One thing I will say for Keir he is a fair , decent and honest man that will put fairness at the heart of his goverment and I don't he won't want to unfairly hammer hard working folks if the impact in total returns is marginal and he can get them on board with trying to fix the country. Just a hunch.

Why don't you just wait and see what the new policies are?

Yes, it would make sense. I will be considering this depending on how things go.

Scaremongering about a Labour victory is more fun than waiting to see what the actual policies will be.

I must say I am mystified. OP is bewailing the situation she is in at the moment. Has she not noticed who has been in charge for 14 years?

...at 1.40 in the morning whilst most of us were sleeping. It's what hard workers do. Maggie only needed 4 hours apparently.