Will the Tory's cut free nursery places?

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As in the 12.5 hours my DS gets a week? Is it true they will cut this?

And Tories will target anyone vulnerable - disabled, working poor, poor, etc. and if they can't afford the cuts then it's going to be made out to be their own fault for not pulling themselves up by the bootlaces, being responsible enough, etc.

" Tories will target anyone vulnerable - disabled, working poor, poor, etc"

Unfortunately, it's not a question of 'targeting' those people so much as they are in receipt of public money and therefore their income depends on what can be afforded. Lib Dem, Labour or Tory - it's the same problem.

Flip-side of the equation are tax-payers. They will also be targeted by whatever government is in charge and taxes - income, capital gains, VAT, corporation tax, death duties, National Insurance - are going to rocket.

'Flip-side of the equation are tax-payers.'

For the thousandth time, working poor pay tax!

Many have no dependent children.

So they do not get any public monies.

They are not the flip side, they are both poor and pay taxes!

And everyone pays VAT! Even pensioners who are taxed on their pensions.

I didn't say the two were mutually exclusive. Pretty much everyone benefits from public services (NHS, Police, Education, local services) even if they are not dependent on the state for their income and most people pay tax in some form even if it's only the VAT on their gas bill. Usually, the working poor are shielded from big tax rises with measures like increased lower tax thresholds, tax credits and other top-ups.

I simply think it's wrong to generalise that the only people who are going to suffer as the books are balanced are the 'vulnerable' at the hands of the Tories

Time will tell. But if the tories get in it will be history repeating itself,

History already is repeating itself. A dying Labour government, overspent, presiding over a crippled economy, increasing unemployment, union unrest and rocketing national debt... it's 1978 all over again

"I simply think it's wrong to generalise that the only people who are going to suffer as the books are balanced are the 'vulnerable' at the hands of the Tories"

Well perhaps, however, it's not too difficult to see that those with the very least disposable income will feel the pain the most, unless the tories have something up their sleeve to help them?

Something along the lines of the IHT plans for the mega rich maybe?

Shame they haven't bothered to announce it yet.

I thought Tory inheritance tax plans meant that only the very rich would pay ,not that only the rich wouldn't,ifyswim.??
Having said that,I would be happy to keep that policy as it stands now,which under Labour is around £600,000,I believe?
£300,000 each.

VAT has never been increased under Labour.

Georgina - you are of course correct - but it's easier to throw one's hands in the air and scream about poshos instead!

The current allowance stands at £325k, or £700k when the allowance is passed to a spouse.

The increase is proposed to be 1 million, or 2 million when the allowance is passed onto a spouse.

I'm not screaming about "poshos", simply confused as to why this particular policy is being pushed in the current climate.

It wouldn't be my priority. It seems insane.

"It wouldn't be my priority. It seems insane. "

Because people die everyday and £325k is not a lot of money if you factor in a house and a couple of life insurance policies TBH, divide that by the kids and what have they each got?

Why should the government get it's mitts on the money and not the family for whom it was left?

£700k is a helluva lot of money where I come from, £2 million is beyond my comprehension!

"Why should the government get it's mitts on the money and not the family for whom it was left?"

The same is true of any tax though Atlantis. We have to pay for public services, the question is what is the fairest way of doing it?

I don't have any objection in principle to increasing the IHT threshold, just confused that it's a flagship policy of the tories at this point in time.

Wubbly,

I don't own a house etc but I have got a £400,000 life insurance policy, split between two kids (cheaper than a mortgage per month for me to pay) if I drop dead tomorrow I want to know that they get that money, not the bloody government who has been getting my taxes all these years.

To me, it is important, it's the only way I have of taking care of my kids if i'm not here.

I don't disagree Atlantis. I'm wondering if some kind of trust would help with the IHT situation?

I can perfectly understand that you would worry about taking care of your children if were to drop down dead. It's not a problem I face personally, since no one would insure me!

I can also clearly see that many people are struggling to provide for their children despite the fact that they are both alive and working hard!

Skihorse:
"Don't worry! If Labour get back in they can borrow more money (which your kids can pay off!) so that they can have childcare. Happy now?"

Not that hat matters of course.

After all we are out of recession and the recovery is locked in

After banging on about the debt tsunami headed this way for some time, it's is kinda weird its gone mainstream knowledge now and people are getting scared.

I've been scared for months, have sold one of the cars and downsized to a cheaper smaller house.

I remain VERY ANGRY with ZaNuLiebour for this and other things (illegal war in Iraq/ disturbing increase in state control eg id cards/increase in welfare dependency etc etc)

My politics are left wing, I score near to Gandhi on the politicalcompass, but I would vote Conservative to get this shower of shit out of office.

They have duped the public buying votes, keeping their lying edifice up and mortgaging our children for their generation and possibly beyond

Ever heard of Vicky Harrison? A bright girl who was sold a lie, like many young people have been.
Vicky committed suicide after applying for 200 plus jobs despite having numerous qualifications upto A level (that industry regard as worthless because the standards are poor and thus fail to differentiate between candidates)

They have lied and lied, the worst lies to the young, who should be the future.

Instead they have mortgaged them for foreseeable.

More wicked is that Gordo et el encourage people to think everything is OK.
Take on a more debt, its OK. You cant loose.

After all we are out of recession and the recovery is locked in

It's not "unearned", the parents/grandparents/spinster Aunt Joan in Gloucester have earned it.

700k is a shite load of money in my book too - but to those living inside the M25 it's probably the equivalent to a weekly Ocado delivery.

Elenor I cried at that story (Vicky Harrison). I agree with everything you've said.

But I would be sad if our house had to be sold to pay the inheritance tax due on it

Currently it isn't in the bracket but I would hate for DD to bear the burden of Inheritance tax just because my house in is the band & I believe it to be the only way she will own a house

Yes but if you agree to taxation on inheritance then hypothetically you could die first & she would pay tax on what little there was?

I know it's below the limit but if you agree that inheritance should be taxed, could be the eventual outcome

My grandparent paid tax while earning money, then they paid it again when saving the money that they had earnt, then when they were retired they paid tax on both the income that they received (out of the money they had paid tax on when they earned it & when they saved it) plus tax on the amount they didn't spend but saved

So they were taxed:
when earning
when saving
when retired on income
when retired on savings
& then when they died they were taxed again

& they weren't terribly rich, they were just hard working & frugal

What Elenor said.

Georgina, you are right too, sadly.