Fuck it - the government will look me

[Phonicshaskilledmeoff]

I am becoming increasingly frustrated with the way our country is run. I love my country, but what on earth can I do to fix it? the Rachel reeves pension and stamp duty rumours have tipped me over the edge.

I believe 90% of our lives is the summation of our own choices. Bar (some of) our own (and families) health and tragic life events, there is very little we can’t choose in this country.

I’m not saying that the playing field is fair - I absolutely acknowledge that some groups face structural barriers that make good choices harder. Others are unaware those choices even exist. That’s where government should step in—not to equalise outcomes, but to equalise access to meaningful choice.

I think we all acknowledge that bad governments are ones that take away choices. This government, however is also taking away choice by incentivising bad choices. Policies should nudge people toward self-sufficiency, not make state reliance easier than self-reliance, or rewarding short-term decisions over long-term

Our Government should be working towards equitable availability of choice (not equal - see below) to make sure those choices are as easy and available to everyone. Policies should be in place to make sure people are encouraged to make the right choices.

I increasingly feel like I make the right choices and think what was the bloody point!

I’m going to wish I never paid into my pension soon and went on holiday instead! Should I just spend my money, move into a smaller house and quit my job. At this point I think I’d be better off.

Jargon Buster - EQUALITY - It’s assumed there is a level playing field and everyone gets the same resources. EQUITY - Everyone gets what they need to succeed, which may mean different levels of support.

I think the country is definitely much more unequal however it sounds like Labour are hoping to get more money from the slightly more affluent than average citizens rather than targetting the super rich and the corporations who use tax planning to avoid tax (amazon etc..). For example, small terraced houses might be worth more than £2m in London which seems a bit crazy as they are probably smaller than the average UK house. Mansion tax might be a reasonable idea but target those who have big incomes rather than pensioners who bought properties 50 years ago.

Not news, I didn't say news. Mind you, The Week is quite good because it rounds up all the news from different sources so you get more balance.

Maybe an economics book? Or some political history?

Yes, it doesn’t fill anyone with joy knowing how hard they’ve worked to arrive at the same if not worse outcome than someone that did not work hard

I‘m still digging into this myself - it was mentioned by a contributor on Sky News Press Preview earlier this week.
So far, I’ve got to ‘46.7% of people live in households that are net contributors’, and I think the 30% comes from a further breakdown within those households.
When I get to the crux of it, I’ll come back and post!

I wonder if I'm included on the "mobility cars for ADHD" list. ADHD is first on the list of conditions from the GP that I give PIP as evidence, either because it's alphabetically first or was diagnosed first.

I get a motability car and full PIP because of the brain tumour and uncontrolled epilepsy, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if I'm included in the "motability for ADHD" statistics people keep talking about.

What economic theory is the op getting wrong in your view?

Mansion tax might be a reasonable idea but target those who have big incomes rather than pensioners who bought properties 50 years ago.

@nomoreforks why just higher earners though who are likely paying mortgages?

@Polaris81 what do you mean?

And when that fails to raise the required revenue, then what?

What happens when Reeves starts going after the more narrow shouldered - which is already plausible for the 26th.

Discussing hypotheticals is a healthy thing to do. Being prepared is a key to making good decisions and surviving uncertainty.

If you don’t want to, scroll by. Don’t be rude and sanctimonious.

Austerity, the result of the 2008 financial crash, was an apparatus to control out of control government borrowing and to reassure the markets (we have all become educated in gilt bond markets under this government), in order regain market confidence.

As a result of austerity, interest rates on government borrowing did fall.

But austerity made our institutions poorer and as a result less productive. Institutions that are the backbone of our society, health, education, policing. And it went on for too long.

Successive governments have continued austerity measures, by stealth, which we now know of as fiscal restraint. Manage the economy,
avoid collapse.

We are borrowing more and more for welfare payments, the NHS, debt interest and pensions.

As to whether austerity should or should not have happened, I think there was no choice. But I do think today’s government does have a choice, stop managing decline and stop punishing ambition.

Completely agree op. The education tax for example, based on the premise that parents would send their children to a state school if priced out and buy a new car with the money saved. What Government nudges parents away from investing in their children’s education? Utter madness.

But I do think today’s government does have a choice, stop managing decline and stop punishing ambition.

But how does one do that after years of under investment?

Not everyone is equal in their contribution to the UK - economically, or otherwise.

Nor is everyone equal in their ability to contribute.

The world is not egalitarian - never has been, never will be.

Socialism does not work - never has done, never will do.

This the pp having a go is posting anyway rather than not.

Plus Labour is kite flying to gauge opinion. If you don’t want something to happen say so.

Ah that would explain the recent thread where RR was apparently planning on stopping people from overpaying into pensions to avoid income tax cliff edges.

I dunno what they don’t incentivise
I’ve lost my job through no fault of my own after being employed since I was 13 on a work permit, I also have a degree

the government gives me £400 UC and that’s it to live on until I find a new job. It just covers my mortgage. No money for gas, electric, council tax, food…

So you just want a Government who encourage self reliance and personal responsibility for their own lives?

Sounds a vote winner to me - Welfare for those who cannot support themselves, for genuine reasons, not the work shy and grifters.

@Polaris81 I never claimed otherwise? But what does that have to do with my post? We have high inequality vs other similar countries, why do you think that is?

Lie. Motability cars are taxpayer funded. Almost one in 4 new cars are taxpayers buying cars for people who don’t work.

What's bad? How is anything you said different?

Me neither. I understand the discontent - but I do not think she articulated her discontent in any meaningful way; so, it was a rant about nothingness.

How is your mum ‘living very comfortably’ on the state pension which is just of £900 per month? It is lower than most European countries and cost of living is high, in particular our fuel and food bills.

People talk about ‘the government’ but forget this one has only been in for a year and a half. You can’t sort out over 18 years of austerity and bad decisions in that time. I don’t know what the solution is but it is not the fault of disabled people or pensioners surviving on the most basic of pensions. We always punch down in this country.

No point trying to explain to people who didn’t pay attention in GCSE economics or don’t pay attention to how economies of countries around the world are functioning.

Read her subsequent posts.