How can we cushion ourselves from the Tories?

[ButterPie]

What can we do (apart from go back in time and get degrees and top careers) to cushion ourselves a bit from the Tories? Feeling a bit vulnerable here in the minimum wage/sahm/he/renting/long term health issues world...

It's the same as at any other time. Try to manage your money so that you live within your means & put some money aside (even if it's just a little) for a rainy day. The Lib/Con alliance is not going to send poor people to the workhouse, whatever scaremongering you may have heard.

Campaign like crazy for Labour at the next election. Then at least it's only (only!) 5 years. And boycott the Murdoch press.

Inform yourself and don't believe the scaremongering. Then remember that the Tories got a bigger share of the vote than Labour did in 2005. And stop whinging.

Three words - Fixed Rate Mortgage

As a self employed person on a low wage,I'm going to be better off.I earn under £10000 and have to pay my own NI,so will be glad of the changes.I'm not being shafted by Labour any more.

I'm self employed and on a low wage but I don't feel shafted by Labour. I have enjoyed the vastly improved standards at my local hospital and when I was an SM I was hugely grateful to get tax credits.

ButterPie - I am a Tory voter and I work with a lot with people in your position as a volunteer at a charity and also used to work in the City. I have some experience at both ends of the income scale.

I honestly do not believe the Lib-Con alliance is going to set out to victimise you. What would be the point?

I do believe they would like to help you go back to work and allowing you to work tax free for the first £10k would surely be a help. I do also know for sure they want to curb the excesses of the City and are also raising Capital Gains tax that usually only falls on people who are well off.

The Labour Party spent years frightening people about nasty Tories but the world has moved on.

You could cross your fingers and hope the Lib Dems will cushion you from full-on Tory action?

Sorry, I have every sympathy with your position... especially knowing that the declared cuts are less than they'll have to do in the end.

You could try giving them more than 24 hours in power before you start panicking....

But I don't WANT to go back to work, I want to work from home but mainly focus on my children. It would actually cost the government more if I worked, they would have to look after and educate my kids for me, which would cost way more than the tax i would pay from any job I could get. Plus I have been told that full time work would likely have me in hospital.

If you HE, you may well be better off, at least with regard to state interference. Ed Balls pledged to get the Badman recommendations into law as soon as possible should Labour get back into power.

Butterpie - what do you think they're going to do to you?

I'm worried that they may relax minimum wage leglisation and employees rights, reduce tax credits, reduce sure start, reduce funding to community mental health services, reduce or even take away DLA, make rental laws more in favour of the landlord, reduce funding to public libraries, museums and art galleries, public transport, all of which would cause me huge problems.

I must admit I don't think I am that badly off with the proposals now, and I know any party would have made some cuts, I just have this horrible feeling of dread...

Are any of those things in either party's manifesto (I know tax credit reduction for the more wealthy and Surestart centre reduction are)? If the others are not, then you'd have had just as much reason to be worried under a Labour govt wouldn't you? Labour didn't exactly have a track record of being honest about their plans.

Funding for local libraries, museums etc. is in the hands of local not central govt. As local government would be feeling the squeeze from any govt I don't see this is particularly a worry about the current state of affairs.

AnyFuleKno - yeah, the banks would love for everybody to get a fixed rate mortgage.

There's a very good reason that variable rate mortgages aren't available at the moment - they don't make banks any money.

We've just come off our fixed rate and our monthly payment has gone from £1250 on fixed 6.5% to £760(ish) on the variable rate.

so... I won't take you advice, thanks.

How about small acts of civil disobedience? Any one any ideas?

Yes Jareth, the interest rate probably will stay this low, dontcha think?

"But I don't WANT to go back to work"

Unless we're in the fortunate position of being independently wealthy, what we want and the way we have to live are more often than not, not the same thing. And that applies to anyone in society. If you have health problems, if you're incapable of earning a living wage, if your children have special needs etc., then you can expect some assistance.

Incidentally, even if you don't pay much income tax you're already paying for education through your council tax bill and anything you contribute to central coffers in the form of VAT and duty on goods like petrol, alcohol or cigarettes.

AnyFule - well I bloody hope so for the moment .

butterpie - "relax minimum wage leglisation and employees rights" ; the Lib Dems would never agree to that IMO. Or "make rental laws more in favour of the landlord".

"reduce or even take away DLA" this is a possibility if finances get really desperate, but hopefully they will protect it as far as possible.

"reduce funding to community mental health services, public transport" both of these likely I'd say.

"reduce funding to public libraries, museums and art galleries" as gaelicsheep says, this is local gov't but as they have no money either, yes, likely to be cut.

Be rich. This would be true whoever was in power.