If Labour raises taxes what will you think?

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Typing on my phone so not sure I can do a poll? But, if the government raises income tax or NI at the budget, will you think:

A - let’s get real, they had no other choice
B - those duplicitous / inept bastards

A.
Also:
Clamp down on tax evasion. Including individuals and corporations.
Clamp down on all cash in hand employment.
Reevaluate the benefit system.
Cut expenses for MPs.
Look at in work benefits.
Stop throwing money at virtue signalling.

A

B they are taxing the aspiring classes to oblivion. They waste the huge amount of money raised already. I do not believe they will ever have enough but will always look at squeezing a bit of tax here and there. B bastards

With a labour government, this of course, was always going to happen

I will think that they are incompetent.

The obvious solution was a penny on income tax LAST YEAR. I said this at the time of the budget. But they pretended they could raise money but putting a grenade into the private education sector, fucking over farms and having elderly people go cold. And “growing” our way out of this mess by driving away wealth creators.

Bellends. It’s not even a case of being duplicitous. It’s just straight up incompetence.

Growth? This was always a ridiculous hope. Their policies have stifled the possibility of growth.

Totally agree.

and they do have a choice, they’ve made could do something about the spiralling benefits bill. Means test pip, cut down the amount they’re spending housing asylum seekers….maybe the barracks idea will help? Means test test winter fuel allowance . Problem is people are up in arms and they back down.

But the bulk of the welfare budget is spent on pensioners?

A. The Tories left a shit show

If? They already have.

B
We are well beyond the point of tax saturation. It's now the highest it's been since 1947, and little to show for it.
Raising it further on any sector rich or poor will continue to stifle growth and discourage investment. Taxing billionaires won’t raise a significant amount unless punitive percentages are applied and many have already moved their liquid assets out of the UK and will continue to do so.

Corporation tax could be raised from 25%, but it is already 17% higher than the European average of 21.3%. Investment is very sensitive to corporation tax rates and any increase will largely “trickledown” to the consumer as happened with Employer NI.

In economic parlance we are now on the wrong side of the “Laffer curve” aka “The rider is fatter than the horse”.

Public spending has exceeded our means since the 1970s but is so unpopular with the electorate that no party is prepared to implement meaningful cuts. The Conservatives did reduce public spending in real terms but this is generally accepted to have contributed to their loss in the 2024 general election.

The recent debacle with the Government attempting to reduce public spending further demonstrates that this is unlikely to happen under the current administration.

The painful truth is we need to slash public spending to have any chance of survival.

The bond markets will throw them under the bus if she pushes it much further, (bearing in mind most of them probably live in houses worth more than 2M.)

They (the bond markets) are deeply concerned the with the clown-car antics of the last couple of weeks, see the gold price if you're in any doubt a storm is brewing.

I’m so sick of hearing this old trope . Pensioners have contributed for decades to the system with their taxes and national insurance . Most of them are still tax payers through private pensions and savings interest etc . What about all the money earmarked for pensioners who didn’t reach pension age , that will have gone back in the pot .
Welfare needs to sort out all those who are able to work but choose not to . The biggest threat going forward is not pensioners it’s economically inactive youngsters .

If Labour increases income tax, NI or VAT in a way which breaks their manifesto promises, they have a death wish and they will deserve everything which is coming to them at the next election. It is political suicide to increase taxes on working people while spending billions to house illegal immigrants in luxury hotels and pay benefits to people who are playing the system by claiming to have fake illnesses, disabilities, anxiety & depression.

A

A

And Labour have created a dung mountain. . There is absolutely no sign of any growth except the number of corrupt ministers by the day . Nothing Labour have done have set the path for future prosperity.

B
I am old and remember the 70s.
And what @hattie43 said 100%

Could you explain what you feel would be gained by taxing benefits. Do you not think it would just add an extra layer of bureaucracy and expense? Why spend money assessing the amount of benefits someone is entitled to, only to spend more money assessing the amount of tax then due? Why give the money, only to require it back? It seems to be creating extra unnecessary costs.

I'm not sure I understand the point about PIP and motability cars either. People with "flash or expensive BMWs" will be paying to top up the motability allowance. You can't just decide to have an expensive car and get it completely paid for.

You can if you get yourself signed off sick.

Benefits should be an unattractive option not a sought after destination. Only a specific amount should be paid as cash, the rest should be in the form of vouchers you can trade for food, utilities etc The middle has had enough!

Yes, what a brilliant idea. Remove financial support from vulnerable low income people, that’ll fix everything

We need a proper tax on the 1% and big corporations. Close the loopholes that allow people to hoarde wealth and make Starbucks etc actually pay taxes.

Reducing welfare actually causes the economy to stagnate. Low income households spend their money, on food, bills, rent, transport, clothes etc. Their money goes back into the economy and supports businesses. Take their financial support away and not only do people end up cold and hungry, but businesses lose revenue.

Raising high earners and big company taxes will actually put money into the public purse and keep vital systems running.

That being the case, why wasn’t a penny put on income tax last year then?

instead, Labour have worsened the mess with stupid policies (private schools, farmers, NI) and completely stifled any chance of growth - actively driving wealth creators away and scaring investors.

The shit show is now being continued by Labour. I didn’t vote either of them in. I’m surprised many people on this thread don’t hold Labour more accountable for the effects and consequences of their budget last year.

The second highest welfare bill after pensions is in work benefits, Universal Credit for low income workers whose salary isn’t enough to live on. If you want to reduce the welfare bill in this country we need to implement a proper living wage (at least £20 ph). Maybe we should bring in a new level of taxes for companies with highly paid management and poverty wages for the rest?

But the welfare bill is not being spent on lay-about work shy youngsters. Stop believing the bullshit in the daily mail

B. If they'd have been honest they would have said A was necessary to fund their plans before the election. Either lying or terrible planning.

Big corporations and the 1% can, and will, relocate.

Chat gpt tells me:

In the UK, the latest data (financial year ending 2023) from Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that 52.6 % of all individuals lived in households that received more in benefits (including in-kind benefits) than they paid in taxes (direct + indirect).

The 1% aren’t the issue. The issue is that more than half of all us are not making a net contribution to the tax system. How can this possibly be sustainable?