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Original poster

What Rachel Reeves does next? Surprised no thread on this yet. It's all over Twitter

552 replies

Sharingsomewisdom · 21/08/2024 13:50

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13764547/Rachel-Reeves-mulls-tax-hikes-spending-squeeze-raising-rents-social-housing-Chancellor-sees-Government-borrow-3bn-forecast-month.html

Or am I the only one interested what she is eying next? Any comment on the reasonableness or otherwise of Rachel's next focus?

Chancellor sees Government borrow £3bn more than forecast last month

According to the Office for National Statistics ( ONS ), public sector net borrowing stood at £3.1billion in July.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13764547/Rachel-Reeves-mulls-tax-hikes-spending-squeeze-raising-rents-social-housing-Chancellor-sees-Government-borrow-3bn-forecast-month.html

OP posts:
Thread gallery
17
llizzie · 23/08/2024 01:27

RufustheFactualReindeer · 22/08/2024 22:29

Over the course of the whole of winter 2021/22 there were 2,731 excess winter deaths in England caused by living in cold damp homes. [2]
Figures calculated by the Coalition using official government data (including that from devolved statistical bodies), puts the total excess winter deaths in the UK for winter 2021/22 at 15,069. [3]
3,240 of these were as a result of living in cold conditions
Over the last ten years, the average number of deaths each winter in the UK caused by cold damp homes now stands at 7,409.

Last winter my boiler flue was blocked three times. The boiler people fixed it twice, and said never again until I got the flue installers back. Then it went again at Christmas. They wouldn't come until April, and the manufacturer tried to force a payment of £200 to guarantee the work of the installers. I fought back, and they finally fixed it in June.

From Christmas 23 to June 24 I had no central heating or hot water. I know what cold is.

llizzie · 23/08/2024 01:36

EasternStandard · 22/08/2024 20:42

Exactly. How is that even possible? The demand for trafficking is huge, all it takes is someone willing to take the money and find a shoddy boat.

Plus trafficking networks are multi million organisations with marketing and recruitment, take out one leader and the next steps up

The UK thinking it can clean this all up just sounds so unrealistic, and endlessly costly

Countries already do this and still the networks are there

Show quote history

They use Bitcoin, the currency of terrorism. A bit of washing before they get in the boats, and the rest is history.

VimtoVimto · 23/08/2024 07:22

llizzie · 22/08/2024 21:52

Reading some of the posts: does anyone know what communism is?

Yes, do you?

BrownBirdWelcomesWhiteWave · 23/08/2024 08:32

llizzie · 23/08/2024 01:27

Last winter my boiler flue was blocked three times. The boiler people fixed it twice, and said never again until I got the flue installers back. Then it went again at Christmas. They wouldn't come until April, and the manufacturer tried to force a payment of £200 to guarantee the work of the installers. I fought back, and they finally fixed it in June.

From Christmas 23 to June 24 I had no central heating or hot water. I know what cold is.

Show quote history

There's not much more miserable than a house without heating

I grew up without heating, and it's my one non negotiatable

Miley1967 · 23/08/2024 08:37

ForestofDoom · 22/08/2024 23:11

I’m in a HA flat. Just over the saving limit for any benefits but living of a small fixed income after having to retire early. As it is I go to the wire each month when it comes to what I live on. My HA puts up the rent the maximum they’re allowed to each year but it’s the service charges that are the killer as they’re uncapped . I can barely afford the rises of both of these elements each year. I don’t know what else I can cut back on if rent and charges go up much more .

I guess if rents go up then it may bring you into qualifying for some housing benefit maybe ?

1apenny2apenny · 23/08/2024 08:50

I must admit I don't understand the more social housing obsession but maybe I just don't understand how it works.

Social housing is heavily subsidised housing. The more we build the more it will cost, this cost never comes to an end. Many people living in social housing have their rent paid by taxpayers through benefits. They expect to get things fixed and get a new kitchen every x years without any responsibility. If we keep going down this route we'll end up with vasts amounts of social housing and people will be stuck in a trap. I mean what's the incentive to move if you're getting g charged a lower rent and getting everything sorted for free?

It would be better surely to start to turn the ship so that more people own their own houses and are responsible for them. Developers do not want to build these houses (they are built at a lower cost and with no profit to them) and many people, if buying a private estate, don't want to live next to social housing.

We need to work towards being paid a proper wage without top ups and things like housing and a basic standard of living being affordable out of that wage.

ThreeFeetTall · 23/08/2024 09:05

@1apenny2apenny but a large part of the Housing Benefit bill is currently being paid to (much more expensive) private landlords...at least with social housing the council/HA gets to keep the asset at the end of the tenancy.

EasternStandard · 23/08/2024 09:11

llizzie · 23/08/2024 01:01

So what you are saying is that the winter fuel payments were so successful that less pensioners died of cold that died of heat?

That will be reversed during the winter months now, and a cull of the elderly, not from covid, but from hypothermia.

All that will please are those who resent disability payments and Attendance Allowance.

Welcome to Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.

Show quote history

I'm pretty sure over the last few winters heating has been seen as important, enough for people to want the extra payments from the gov

Not sure why it's ok for pensioners to not have it. Well other pensioners, those on the basic state pension

ChallahPlaiter · 23/08/2024 09:28

llizzie · 23/08/2024 00:57

You can not get NHS waiting lists down. Think about it. It needs not explanation. Ever thought that for some people DLA and PIP is sometimes compensation for the NHS failing?

If she taxes private health, then there will be a lot more NHS patients.
Having taxed private education, the state schools with be overcrowded. She just could not wait, like a child working in a sweet shop or bakery, told they can eat what they like, and don't know where to start and takes a bite out of everything. People who pay for private medicine, still have the national insurance deducted from their salary.

We have state schools made of dodgy concrete waiting to be rebuilt. There is a universal shortage of teachers. Where do you put the pupils who have to leave private schools? Parents who educate their children privately still have to pay for state education.

Why is this government raising taxes? If you think it is because there is a hole in a budget somewhere, it is not. There may be tears in budgets, but not a hole such as her tax increases make.

Sir Keir promised in June that he would process illegal immigrants faster. He did: he let them all stay. If that was wise, wouldn't the previous government have done that? If the conservatives had said ''let them all stay we cannot process them fast enough'', what would your reaction be to that.

Show quote history

You can’t get NHS waiting lists down? Oh well that’s that then!

Everything you say is nonsensical, hyperbolical, unfounded in reality.

ChallahPlaiter · 23/08/2024 09:33

llizzie · 23/08/2024 01:01

So what you are saying is that the winter fuel payments were so successful that less pensioners died of cold that died of heat?

That will be reversed during the winter months now, and a cull of the elderly, not from covid, but from hypothermia.

All that will please are those who resent disability payments and Attendance Allowance.

Welcome to Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.

Show quote history

Brave New World? Would you like to outline the similarities?

ChallahPlaiter · 23/08/2024 09:35

1apenny2apenny · 23/08/2024 08:50

I must admit I don't understand the more social housing obsession but maybe I just don't understand how it works.

Social housing is heavily subsidised housing. The more we build the more it will cost, this cost never comes to an end. Many people living in social housing have their rent paid by taxpayers through benefits. They expect to get things fixed and get a new kitchen every x years without any responsibility. If we keep going down this route we'll end up with vasts amounts of social housing and people will be stuck in a trap. I mean what's the incentive to move if you're getting g charged a lower rent and getting everything sorted for free?

It would be better surely to start to turn the ship so that more people own their own houses and are responsible for them. Developers do not want to build these houses (they are built at a lower cost and with no profit to them) and many people, if buying a private estate, don't want to live next to social housing.

We need to work towards being paid a proper wage without top ups and things like housing and a basic standard of living being affordable out of that wage.

Social housing is not subsidised.

RufustheFactualReindeer · 23/08/2024 09:40

llizzie · 23/08/2024 01:27

Last winter my boiler flue was blocked three times. The boiler people fixed it twice, and said never again until I got the flue installers back. Then it went again at Christmas. They wouldn't come until April, and the manufacturer tried to force a payment of £200 to guarantee the work of the installers. I fought back, and they finally fixed it in June.

From Christmas 23 to June 24 I had no central heating or hot water. I know what cold is.

Show quote history

Not sure how that relates to my post as i was countering blossoms links saying more people die from heat (as i said much closer than i expected)

riceuten · 23/08/2024 09:54

edwinbear · 21/08/2024 14:03

What the OP might not know is that Council rents were capped at 1% less than inflation mainly to punish stock holding councils (mainly Labour).

1apenny2apenny · 23/08/2024 10:03

Social housing is subsidised it dies not pay for itself @ChallahPlaiter.

The costs to councils in building and maintaining social housing and the amount paid out from taxpayers in housing benefits costs more than the amount of actual rent they bring in. A net cost, madness.

But I do agree paying private landlords is an absolute disgrace however councils and the government have failed to deal with this. The taxpayer loses and is expected to pay more - I don't think so.

As regards the NHS - it's not all about money, how about people start to take responsibility for themselves. Diabetes, largely can be avoided, if people look after themselves. But no let's just ask those paying all the tax to pay more tax. Just no, it has to stop.

ChallahPlaiter · 23/08/2024 10:12

1apenny2apenny · 23/08/2024 10:03

Social housing is subsidised it dies not pay for itself @ChallahPlaiter.

The costs to councils in building and maintaining social housing and the amount paid out from taxpayers in housing benefits costs more than the amount of actual rent they bring in. A net cost, madness.

But I do agree paying private landlords is an absolute disgrace however councils and the government have failed to deal with this. The taxpayer loses and is expected to pay more - I don't think so.

As regards the NHS - it's not all about money, how about people start to take responsibility for themselves. Diabetes, largely can be avoided, if people look after themselves. But no let's just ask those paying all the tax to pay more tax. Just no, it has to stop.

Of course social housing pays for itself, in a matter of years. It then becomes a lasting public asset.
By your logic all housing is subsidised.

It’s a shame that ideological austerity meant preventative/public health was seen as dispensable and funding was cut. It’s a disgrace that people were then blamed for not looking after their health when their means of doing so has been removed.

ThreeFeetTall · 23/08/2024 11:30

@1apenny2apenny how is HB paid out more than the rent?

cardibach · 23/08/2024 11:30

llizzie · 23/08/2024 01:05

Now that, is rubbish. When was the last time you looked at homes for sale?

It is the Labour Party telling the people they say they represent that there are enough rich folks out there who can be taxed sufficiently to make all the poor rich.

It is a myth. There are rich people, but not enough to make the 'poor' rich.

It depends on how you spend your money, whether you keep it, gamble it, buy drugs with it, go on fancy holidays with it, or save it.

Show quote history

I showed you this before. Are you saying HMRC are lying or talking nonsense?

Edit to address the rest:
Nobody is trying to make everyone rich.
It truly is nonsense to say everyone would be fine if they just didn’t waste their money.

What Rachel Reeves does next? Surprised no thread on this yet. It's all over Twitter
MellersSmellers · 23/08/2024 11:35

cardibach · 21/08/2024 16:37

Growth is a bit of a weird measure though, isn’t it?
If a country’s GDP was £1, increasing it to £3 would be 200% growth.
It still wouldn’t be doing better than a country whose GDP was £5 then increased to £10 which would only be 100% growth.
Growth doesn’t really tell you much about the economy at all.

Show quote history

Yes, and the oft quoted Tory line that we're "growing at a faster rate than country x" is also misleading if you previously fell more than the aforesaid country! And if the actual GDP is abysmal. It's called Maths...
Current growth rate of o.6% for Q2 2024 is hardly stonking 😆

BIossomtoes · 23/08/2024 11:40

Social housing is heavily subsidised housing

It isn’t. And I have no idea where this idea comes from. Maybe someone invented it to suit their agenda.

Greybobblyowl · 23/08/2024 11:44

kerstina · 22/08/2024 08:57

Can someone please explain to me in simple terms why if we are so much in debt do we give billions to countries such as Ukraine to fund a war ?
Will we ever say No more sorry we can’t afford it .

Exactly.

Greybobblyowl · 23/08/2024 11:50

edwinbear · 22/08/2024 20:00

By not lifting the 2 child UC child element limit and then scrapping the household support fund I think families in poverty will suffer enormously.

Rosscameasdoody · 23/08/2024 11:52

Greybobblyowl · 23/08/2024 11:44

Exactly.

Show quote history

Because government (of any colour) is more interested in how they look on the world stage than the actual welfare of their own people.

Rosscameasdoody · 23/08/2024 11:58

ThreeFeetTall · 23/08/2024 11:30

@1apenny2apenny how is HB paid out more than the rent?

It’s not. What that poster is saying is that housing benefit is paid to private landlords who charge much more rent than social housing.

Rosscameasdoody · 23/08/2024 12:02

Greybobblyowl · 23/08/2024 11:50

By not lifting the 2 child UC child element limit and then scrapping the household support fund I think families in poverty will suffer enormously.

Show quote history

They’ve indicated their intentions from the start. Scrapping the WFP for those not in receipt of pension credit reintroduces cliff edge benefits - hundreds of pounds of support withdrawn if you’re 50p over the threshold. It’s fine saying that more people will be encouraged to claim pension credit but not everyone will be eligible.

So, no intention of lifting the 2 child UC element limit and scrapping household support fund will just be the start of everyone elses’ ‘contribution’ to balancing the budget. Next will be sickness and disability benefits - the intention to look closely at welfare and announce at the budget in October is a clear signal for that. And this is supposed to be the party of the people. Tories under a different name as far as I’m concerned.

I’m waiting for a government that will look just as closely at tax evasion by large corporations. Not to mention rich companies paying wages you can’t live on. So the tax payer steps in with UC and housing benefits - effectively footing the bill while they hand out obscene bonuses to their execs and dividends to shareholders.

ThreeFeetTall · 23/08/2024 12:03

@Rosscameasdoody ah thanks! I think I got it back to front