June 2008-keeping little hands off mummy's creme eggs

[poppy34]

New thread here

that's wonderful spider!

Great news Spider, what a relief, now relax!

Great news Spider!

Are there plans to cut CB? Or is it just tax credits? I think the tax credit threshold is £56k now, isn't it, so not much difference to £50k?

I am really torn on the issue of transferring your tax-free allowance, cos on the one hand I think anything that makes it more affordable for people to stay at home and look after their own children is good for society as a whole. You're right that it would have to be available to everyone not just married people.

There's an interesting article on the ft website about it...

"The beneficiaries of transferable tax allowances are single-earner couples who tend to be at the upper end of the income distribution. The policy is therefore a straight-forward redistribution from poor to rich. There is nothing inherently wrong with this - it is a political choice - but anyone proposing such redistribution must be honest about the consequences. A transferable tax allowance is a straight subsidy of single-earner couples compared with two-earner couples. So those in favour of it must also be in favour of reducing the potential labour force. It really is something when a political party is insistent on getting more disabled and sick people back into work, so that they can pay taxes to allow rich mothers to stay at home."

It does seem unfair to lower-income families who just don't have the option to only have one income even if the tax-free allowance is transferred but I am still not convinced either way.

There definitely seems to be good reason to let people keep more of the money they earn in the first place rather than taxing them and then giving them that money back as tax credits, but unfortunately I don't know enough about economics either to decide on this (wish I did). I know exactly how you feel about being forced to give up your job because I felt the same - I felt quite bitter at the thought of having to give up my job (which surprised me cos I thought I would want to) and I don't even like it that much .

It really annoys me that the rich find havens for their money to avoid paying tax. Greedy bastards. Especially inheritence tax .

Sorry work is not going so well Abdn, do you think it might get better with time. You were really excited about it IIRC?

Rolf, didn't know about Debi's facelift! I know what you mean about the Labour candidate, they missed a trick there picking him over the local option. According to wiki if the new boundaries had been in place at the last election then Labour would have got the most votes, then Tories then Lib Dems quite a bit behind. So I am assuming it is Lab v Cons here which is why I am voting Lab. If only everyone else would say what they were voting then I could decide . I would vote Lib Dem but I think Lab have a better chance here. Tories must think it is very winnable though.

Sorry for mega post - got a bit carried away there (again)

Hooray Spider. Lovely news. I bet you're delighted and relieved

Not everyone who is statistically a "high earner" is stinking rich

Goddess do you have a view about our Labour candidate?

Still undecided . I think I let myself be swayed by Eddie Izzard and am feeling very enthusiastic and grateful about the wonderful NHS care I've received over the past 10 years, and the good schools we have around here.

Yay, wonderful news spider! spider, don't let the LibDems hear you say that not being a Tory is the same as being a Labour supporter - there is a third way you know!

I personally think child benefit should be abolished for anyone who earns over £100k - thousands of middle class families (including us) put it aside in a savings account for when the children need a house deposit/uni fees etc. That is absolutely not what it is intended for - it is meant for basics like food, nappies and clothes. I wonder whether the likes of the Beckhams fill their forms to collect their £180 a month?

And the child trust fund should be abolished too - total nonsense.

As for Thatcher, I was being a little flippant but the scars do run deep - the damage she did to society has never been repaired and her "I'm ok, fuck everyone else" attitude is responsible for so many of the problems that we face today. And this is my problem with the Tories - they are the party of the rich for the rich. DC has no idea what it's like to worry about money, to not know where the next penny is coming from, to fear the post as the next half a dozen bills turn up that you can't pay .

This video says it all for me.

On the subject of inheritance tax, there absolutely should be an exemption for people who lose their parents young but that is very very rare - I know of one person who was orphaned at 21. If dh and I died before the boys were 25 then I would want them to inherit our money to help get them started in life, however, if they are both settled and financially solvent by the time we die then I wouldn't want them to inherit much more than about £250k anyway. We will either spend it on enjoying ourselves or give large sums to charity. I don't understand why inheritance tax causes such a furore - as Neenz pointed out, it's only 40% on income over £350k so if you inherited £1 million then you would still receive nearly 3/4 of it!

Rolf, I guess you're talking about the real Eddie Izzard and not me?!

neenz should be avoiding this - but look at it another way. Why is a childless couple on 2x40K paying way less tax than a single earner family on 80K where the wife takes care of the kids? then it's a transfer from those with more disposable income to those with less rather than a poor->rich arguement. It's like anything, you can spin it whichever way you like.

Plus ft ignores that the current system forces many women out of work when it talks about reducing the labour force.

And what I'm suggesting isn't just a tax allowance, but a tax combination so that a family with one salary at 20K and one at 60K would be taxed the same as two at 40K. If we are going to really value the work that SAHMs do, then we need to do this! If they Lib Dems weren't so pro-nursery then I'd hope they might champion this.

And yes, I was excited about work possibilities but the more positive ones fizzled out and all that's left is basically sales job. I'm going to approach my boss and ask for it to be changed to include some technical elements as otherwise I'm considering quitting - and then cross my fingers because financially it's very helpful.

so at least are we all agreed that inheritance tax is okay as it stands? (Although it wont have any impact on us so of course I've no issues with it).

Spider - great news! How are you feeling now?

Abdn - sorry to hear about your bad week. I hope the bank holiday improves things.

In an attempt to turn the discussion away from politics and back to trains what do the experts think of this, it seems like a fairly good deal to me (plus we have an ELC voucher to spend). All the train talk before reminded me that my Mum got J First Sets/Products/33713 this last year so I dug it out and he has been playing with it today. It's a bit odd, the big horse has magnetic nipples that the little train horses can stick to!

Thanks for all the support about wanting a friend for J. I think I'm just missing my friend who moved away.

Just laughing at the idea that single earner couples are at the upper end of the income distribution! We certainly aren't, we're nearer the bottom end.

Can't get the Brio link to work but it was this one.

Just to lower the tone...

Poor DD1 has been sick all over our bed, and herself. It is so gross. I've showered her and washed her hair but she still smells of sick, and still doesn't feel very well. Our bed stinks and I'm typing this as an interlude to wandering around trying to decide where to sleep. DH has hidden up in the study (where there's a spare bed) .

On my way home from pub and a bit too tipsy for politics but Rolf was just being nosy re your candidate in case it was someone I knew, but I don't.

We just bought a zafira - think I might be able to even get three stage two car seats across the middle row which would be brilliant for the school run. DS1 is so close to the stage 2 (14.5 kgs and almost four). We should get it by thursday - two full weeks without a vehicle - even living rurally it's not been too bad aside from begging rides for DS1 to get to nursery (the primary is in the village but the nursery is 6 miles away).

Rolf, sorry to hear about DD1 - how grim . Hope you found somewhere to sleep.

AH, just replied on your other thread - we love our zafira and haven't had any problems with it, but am seriously put off using the back row of seats having watched that vid . (Although the idea of putting the MIL there is a good one! ).

Eddie given how hard dh and I have worked for what we have, I think we deserve to leave it to our kids. You however, should feel free to leave it to the cats home

Rolf, hope dd1 feels better, and that your bed has recovered. When my dd was a toddler she used to take off her nappy, lie in my bed, and then wee. Every single night. It got old really quickly.

abdn glad you have got a car sorted. I think zafiras have a really good reputation, although personally I love my picasso.

But that's the point sybil, inheritance tax only takes a small portion of your money which is then redistributed to help others, leaving the lion's share to your kids - not the local cats' home!!

oh sybil I would be gutted if the boys peed in my bed. That would the worst. I don't mind it everywhere else but I do feel a bit precious about my bed and my space. I think it helps that it's only a double so we've not been able to cosleep once the boys were past the newborn stage - if DS1 is upset, then I get into bed with him.

Sybil DS1 used to do the same thing about weeing. It drove me bonkers. The mattress smells ok now (I think) but probably won't be dry enough to sleep on. So gross. DD1 is exhausted and very pale, poor girl.

Glad you have a car sorted out Abdn.

Quick update here - English couple came with their estate agent and ours, we had drinks with both agents on the terrace whilst the couple looked round the house for 2 hours, then they agents left, the couple went off for a walk to clear their heads and said they'd be back to ask more questions. They came back and then said they were off....not likely - I asked them, do you think you might put in an offer, they said they might, and that they'd let us know within a week one way or the other.So we're still no closer to a sale but it's the only house they have viewed twice and they flew out this morning and fly back tomorrow just to see the house. They've also done a business plan for it, so if you're not coping with new babies, or children weeing or throwing up in your bed can you please keep your fingers crossed for us?

Being in Austria means that we're not bombarded with the pre election frenzy in the UK,however I do have a personal interest! My cousin is standing as Conservative parliamentary candidate for Birkenhead.I would love him to win for himself but I don't think he stands much chance really in Birkenhead.

rolf oh I missed that your DD1 was sick in your bed - not hers. uggh!!! (and poor girl...)

deb fingers definitely crossed for you!

Aaarrggghhhh my horrible nieighbours are having a party. They're really rowdy. DH and I will no doubt be kept awake half the night especially as they'll all be out in the garden smoking and making a right old racket.

It couldn't have happened at a worse time - we've not had a decent night's sleep for weeks. S has been a bit of a nightmare recently sleep wise. He came into our bed for a while last night and when DH put him back in his own cot (he had been kicking and pushing us) he had a super-charged tantrum. Way beyond the usual toddler tantrum we're used to.

Sorry, bit me, me, me. Just so desperate for a good nights sleep.

Deb - how excruciating. James and I both now have our fingers crossed for you.

Missed your post DGT. That sounds fairly excruciating too. Hope the neighbours put a sock in it soon. Ear plugs? I speak from experience of having the noisy neighbours in Nottingham a few years ago that I mentioned the other day. I did tend to end up sleeping through my alarm for work though.

Deb I think I'd have been tempted to sit on them until they made an offer! You must be biting your nails.

Goddess I get really horribly wound up about being kept awake. If DH wakes me up I get like Lady Macbeth "you killed my sleep? MY SLEEEEP?" . I hope the night isn't as bad as you fear.

Thanks guys. The noise mysteriously just stopped about 11pm which is very unlike them. We didn't hear any noise from people leaving etc. Such a relief. They're a complete PITA at the best of times. Not sure if I've mentioned that they have a dog (which they never seem to walk) and the garden is now covered in dog mess . We're now contemplating losing some sun and going to considerable expensive to put a 6 foot wall between our garden and theirs. They're currently renting the property (which is privately owned) via the council so I'm going to have a quiet word with the local councillor to see if anything can be done without them knowing we've put in a complaint (they're a bit intimidating IYSWIM). Fingers crossed we get something sorted.

Deb fingers crossed on the offer. Sounds reasonably encouraging so far.

Ktpie the train set looks like a good offer - is it compatible with all the other brands?

Has Amber been on in the last week? Don't think I've spotted a message over the last week. Hopefully she's not still out boozing with MrAmber

DG - I think it's compatible. Glad your neighbours didn't keep you up all night.

Deb - fingers crossed!

Not liking the idea of sick or wee in my bed. H is sick in it fairly regularly but that's not quite the same, plus it normally gets caught on a muslin.

Abdn - glad you got a car sorted.

We had a lovely day yesterday, my friend came over from Manchester with her 2 kids, her son is just a few months younger than J, they had a whale of a time! Wish they lived a bit closer.