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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask if you were Prime Minister for a year, how would you combat the cost of living?

230 replies

MzGG · 27/11/2025 21:53

To ask if you were Chancellor of the Exchequer, how would you combat the cost of living?

OP posts:
UserFront242 · 27/11/2025 23:21

Almondflour · 27/11/2025 23:17

I’d freeze benefits for the next 5 years so 0% growth in UC, PIP etc.
I’d reduce the amount people can have in savings to £5k before they lose benefits.
Reduce UC payments to single parents who receive stable and regular cms payments from non-resident parents. For example 1 year of bank statements showing regular transfers -the UC is reduced by that amount. Cash cms payments would be forbidden.
Benefits only available to those who have been in the country for a minimum of 5 years and employed.
Zero benefits or housing support to rejected asylum seekers.
I would have kept the 2 child benefit cap.

The savings I would use to lift the income tax thresholds significantly (40% rate from £75k) and fund very generous pay increases to nurses and teachers.

Edited

How would any of that reduce the price of food in supermarkets? Or reduce fuel bills? Or reduce the sky high rents that private landlords charge?

You will just just push more people into poverty.

Dinnerplease · 27/11/2025 23:21

IndigoIsMyFavouriteColour · 27/11/2025 22:24

I would stop sending money abroad, focus on tightening security on our borders, fixing our roads and funding the NHS

Do you know how much money we 'send abroad'? It's basically a rounding error in government budget terms.

juggleit · 27/11/2025 23:22

Start producing cheaper energy especially with the Business sector in mind.
Scrap the Employment reform agenda- this adds so much cost to absolutely everything we buy or services we need - the NHS will be very grateful. They will all be busting their budgets next year otherwise.
Reduce corporation tax but increase wealth taxes on assests owned over 10 million quid.

Autumvibes · 27/11/2025 23:26

MzGG · 27/11/2025 22:36

I forgot to add mine. I’d tax the ultra wealthy more, but I’d also increase the personal allowance so ordinary workers can earn more before paying tax.

Like a PP, I’d invest more in renewables. We don’t utilise our renewable energy anywhere near as much as we could! There’s so much missed opportunity.

I’d also impose a higher tax on vapes and Shein/Temu etc. imports to encourage shopping second-hand within the UK.

Edited

Rule number one in the ultra wealthy game is to alleviate your wealth in real terms so there’s little tangible to tax. You get the benefit of wealth without personally attaching it to yourself as an entity.

CrazyGoatLady · 27/11/2025 23:28

SJone0101 · 27/11/2025 22:37

Benefits for British Born citizens only.

NHS only free for British Born citizens. You must pay a fee to go to A&E, GP etc if not British.

Lower Corp Tax and VAT to encourage people to start and run businesses.

Free Stamp Duty for over 60s to encourage downsizing.

I'd get rid of all the whining racists like you.

Dinnerplease · 27/11/2025 23:30

Wealth tax, universal free childcare (all projections show this has a net positive impact on national budgets). I'd start to phase out the triple lock, which is crippling us and disproportionately benefits the wealthiest pensioners, and reinvest that in affordable housing and community amenities and education and health. Basically start to move money from the older wealthier, to the younger and poorer. I'd need more than a year though!

I wouldn't freeze the income tax thresholds, I'd tax wealth more instead. This helps people feel like increasing salary has more of an impact on their finances.

WhitegreeNcandle · 27/11/2025 23:34

I’d have scrapped rollover tax. I’d have taxed shit plastic from abroad massively and put a huge tariff on Ukranian Egg

Almondflour · 27/11/2025 23:34

I agree with the idea of universal free (or very cheap) childcare. One of the many benefits would be encouraging women to build their careers and remain employed, therefore reducing financial vulnerability in case of divorce.

labamba18 · 27/11/2025 23:34

I would approach Google, Amazon, Facebook etc and start negotiating better tax. No they’re not going to pay 25% corp tax here but I would negotiate more than they are currently paying with incentives. If they refuse I’d threaten a ban.

Dinnerplease · 27/11/2025 23:34

Actually, I'd rejoin the EU. Simple.

whatsnewpussycat34 · 27/11/2025 23:36

HeddaGarbled · 27/11/2025 22:22

Pray that Trump will stop being a dick, that Putin will pull out of Ukraine and that there won’t be any other wars, climate events or foreign actions that impact the global economy negatively. Otherwise, piddle about pretending anything I do makes more than a tiny bit of difference (Liz Truss excepted, of course).

I’m a bit dumb. How does trump affect what happens with the COL in the UK?

Genevieva · 27/11/2025 23:40

Reduce the taxes and levies that make energy so expensive. Cheap energy would help everyone. Warm homes without the need for WFA. Cheaper transportation costs. Cheaper business costs. More money to employ people. Job creation would generate prosperity.

I'd also reduce business rates on high street shop spaces for small independent retailers. Our local town now only has charity shops (not business rates for charities) opticians and, more recently, barbers. There are boarded up shops. Reducing the cost of opening a high street shop would encourage entrepreneurs and job creation.

Dinnerplease · 27/11/2025 23:44

I also don't think a goal should be reducing food prices. The UK has insanely cheap food by global standards as a proportion of income, and it's damaging our food security, and farms can't keep going. We only have 24 hours food supply in the UK at any one time. I appreciate prices have really risen but the issue there is really wage stagnation and other rising costs. I'd want to make it easier for people to afford good quality food by freeing up more of their income.

HopSpringsEternal · 27/11/2025 23:46

SJone0101 · 27/11/2025 22:37

Benefits for British Born citizens only.

NHS only free for British Born citizens. You must pay a fee to go to A&E, GP etc if not British.

Lower Corp Tax and VAT to encourage people to start and run businesses.

Free Stamp Duty for over 60s to encourage downsizing.

So my Dad has worked here for 54 years and paid taxes, every single year shouldn't get free NHS treatment. He has volunteered for over 20 years at tthe community hut as well. Yet the racist cow next door who has never worked ( or probably done any for anyone) should. Right. British born means fuck all. Just luck. I prefer to reward good deeds. People that improve the country through being decent, working hard. paying taxes, helping their community and improving the world. Not those that do fuck all for anyone but their own family.

patooties · 27/11/2025 23:47

I’d let non working spouses / single parent have what was the married person allowance (so you’d get an additional tax allowance if you have children to support.
i would aggressively go after non paying exes. Why are we paying for your children?
id look at people paying themselves dividends and up that.
good luck with en masse building of social housing- most people accept a housing shortage- but nobody seems to want a social housing estate actually built.
ban the triple lock.
stop pampering OAP’s. Some are incredibly wealthy (even if that’s only via property) if they can’t afford ‘mansion taxes’ they need to move.
i would also expect young people in certain professional careers to be educated at uni free- with the proviso they stay in ‘national service’ (no private practice) for a decade

TooBigForMyBoots · 27/11/2025 23:49

We are living in "interesting" times, so have limited control over CoL.

We need Targeted investment.

If I was PM, I would build houses and invest in Defence. I would gather a team of Backlog Busters who would move between Civil Service departments to hit backlogs. I'd tax gambling more. And I'd introduce a year long Robin Hood tax.

I would also strengthen ties with the EU.

MzGG · 27/11/2025 23:50

TooBigForMyBoots · 27/11/2025 23:49

We are living in "interesting" times, so have limited control over CoL.

We need Targeted investment.

If I was PM, I would build houses and invest in Defence. I would gather a team of Backlog Busters who would move between Civil Service departments to hit backlogs. I'd tax gambling more. And I'd introduce a year long Robin Hood tax.

I would also strengthen ties with the EU.

Edited

Excuse my ignorance, but what’s a Robin Hood tax?

OP posts:
Dogmum1983 · 27/11/2025 23:58

Find a way of capping profit utility companies and corporations can make along with supermarkets etc . The fact we have thousands of, 100s of thousands of people who are struggling to feed their families and heat their homes and yet the likes of Tesco and British Gas and the water companies are basically rubbing in our faces how much profit they are making and it’s sickening .

Companies shouldn’t be allowed to give silly contracts and then use staff to fill shifts as overtime . We need proper contracts and companies should be forced to employ people in the uk if they want to trade in the uk and take our money . We need jobs and we need proper secure employment to get people off benefits. The benefit system is propping up the companies being able to take advantage of staff whilst making record profits. A retail worker is given a 10 hour contract for example and then they still have to claim benefits . Most people WANT to work , it’s just finding the jobs to give us enough money to support our families .

TooBigForMyBoots · 27/11/2025 23:58

It's a tax on transactions on the financial markets. Trading stocks and bonds etc. Even a tiny tax of less than 0.1% per transaction would provide a decent tax yield.

Genevieva · 28/11/2025 00:11

HopSpringsEternal · 27/11/2025 23:46

So my Dad has worked here for 54 years and paid taxes, every single year shouldn't get free NHS treatment. He has volunteered for over 20 years at tthe community hut as well. Yet the racist cow next door who has never worked ( or probably done any for anyone) should. Right. British born means fuck all. Just luck. I prefer to reward good deeds. People that improve the country through being decent, working hard. paying taxes, helping their community and improving the world. Not those that do fuck all for anyone but their own family.

Edited

I agree that immigrants who naturalise as British citizens (like your Dad) should be able to access the NHS, but not welfare. It’s. Privilege to have the opportunity to live in another country. Immigrants should, like your Dad, expect to contribute not take. If they can’t afford to live in the country they have moved to, they should go home. But for the initial 4 or 5 years that an immigrant is here on a visa they should have comprehensive health insurance.

Ablondiebutagoody · 28/11/2025 00:13

Slash spending and taxes

OwlBeThere · 28/11/2025 00:14

I’d abolish the royal family.
kill off everyone over 80.

sorted.

CrazyGoatLady · 28/11/2025 00:17

Genevieva · 28/11/2025 00:11

I agree that immigrants who naturalise as British citizens (like your Dad) should be able to access the NHS, but not welfare. It’s. Privilege to have the opportunity to live in another country. Immigrants should, like your Dad, expect to contribute not take. If they can’t afford to live in the country they have moved to, they should go home. But for the initial 4 or 5 years that an immigrant is here on a visa they should have comprehensive health insurance.

Oh fuck off. My parents are both immigrants and have contributed more to this country than a lot of people born here have. My dad came here as a child. He has nobody where he was born and gave an entire working life's worth of taxes. His money is as good as yours to the state and he's earned his NI the same as you lot.

Genevieva · 28/11/2025 00:24

CrazyGoatLady · 28/11/2025 00:17

Oh fuck off. My parents are both immigrants and have contributed more to this country than a lot of people born here have. My dad came here as a child. He has nobody where he was born and gave an entire working life's worth of taxes. His money is as good as yours to the state and he's earned his NI the same as you lot.

You clearly misunderstood. I said we want immigrants who contribute and I agree they should get NHS access when they become citizens. What we shouldn’t do is give welfare to immigrants (something your parents have not taken). Welfare should only be for those people who are already here because they are our responsibility. We shouldn’t foist our welfare dependent people on other countries and they shouldn’t on us.

MrsBennetsPoorNervesAreBack · 28/11/2025 00:33

Genevieva · 28/11/2025 00:11

I agree that immigrants who naturalise as British citizens (like your Dad) should be able to access the NHS, but not welfare. It’s. Privilege to have the opportunity to live in another country. Immigrants should, like your Dad, expect to contribute not take. If they can’t afford to live in the country they have moved to, they should go home. But for the initial 4 or 5 years that an immigrant is here on a visa they should have comprehensive health insurance.

Honestly, it's disgusting to see the incredible depths of some people's prejudice.

The idea that someone who may have lived here and contributed to the system for several decades, who has built their life here and chosen to become a British citizen, should be denied access to benefits if they are unfortunate enough to fall sick or become disabled or otherwise fall on tough times, simply because they weren't born here?