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Mountain bikes?
Yep, high VAT on Mountain bikes. They are not essential and if you want to spend less get an old one. I hear 26" wheeled ones are good value...
Even being able to think about spending £3000 on a mountain bike means you are well off compared to A LOT of people in this country.
(awaits the yeah but I don't but this or that and it is my hobby BS)
There is no such thing as a perfect tax scheme and any change has winners and loosers. Currently we just hike indirect taxes which disproportionately hit the poor, which is morally indefensible.
I would be cautious with the comment that they 'disproportionately hit the poor', A significant amount of that that is down to personal choice - again, the Beer and Fags element - Of which there is, no doubt, a significant correlation with poverty/lower social classes (for want of a better phrase) but I'm not sure you can really point to it as being an inherent unfairness in the system that the government should be held responsible for.
ninfan - MemberIf you take that away, then wheres the point in saving at all? they might as well just spend it on expensive holidays and then rely on the welfare state in retirement.
It's not a good idea to discourage people from saving. All sorts of bad things happen.
indeed
recently being the operative word there. Point still stands, hoarding cash isn't good for the economy.footflaps - Member
Rather than languish in peoples accounts accruing interest.
Have you looked at savings rates recently?
It's not a good idea to discourage people from saving. All sorts of bad things happen
[url= https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/mar/31/uk-households-savings-fall-record-low-warning-sign-economy ]oh[/url]
It's not a good idea to discourage people from saving. All sorts of bad things happen
No reason why a wealth tax would do that...
After all we have income tax rates of > 40% and people don't refuse to work....
[quote="ransos"]...abolish NI and incorporate it within income tax...
Good luck getting any pensioners to vote for that, it would take a big chunk out of their income (pension income does not currently attract NI).
Good luck getting any pensioners to vote for that, it would take a big chunk out of their income (pension income does not currently attract NI).
Nobody will do it because it would look as though basic rate tax had shot up. But the present system is ludicrous.
jamba - can I just check, that wasn't you on QT last night was it? Because there was a chap with a handful of paperwork doing a very similar Laffer Curve argument...
[quote=chewkw ]You do understand that most celebrities are not really that concerned about others views don't you? They have thick skin and that's their job ... to look like a fool, be a fool, to be fooled and to fool others.
I'm impressed. Even for you, to have quite that great a misunderstanding of other people's motivations is unusual. Of course celebrities are totally uninterested in what other people think of them, and that's why they become celebrities.
Some light relief:
chewkw... They have thick skin and that's their job ... to look like a fool, be a fool, to be fooled [s]and to fool others[/s].
Oh. I didn't realise you were a celebrity...
😆Mr Woppit - Member
chewkw... They have thick skin and that's their job ... to look like a fool, be a fool, to be fooled and to fool others.
Oh. [s]I didn't realise you were a celebrity[/s]...
9 fat Bald ugly unfit white fat Tory bastards, these 9 were just 7% of the Question Time audience, yet they got in 30% of the questions
9 fat Bald ugly unfit white fat
Contribute 80% of forum posts
Lol
Randomly bumped into Corbyn last week in kings cross, he was buying a disgusting looking green smoothie... What really struck me was that he had a couple of staff and an obvious protection officer but they were all stood off, just watching while crowds of randoms walked up to him and said hi- selfies, handshakes, quick chats, all that. No smarm, no management, no deflecting people away so they can get a fake photo op of "Jeremy meeting people", not one placard. And no media- the only cameras were punters. And a nonstop mob of people coming to him, all just spreading by word of mouth- interest and enthusiasm. Lots of people wanting to say hello or get a touch.
I hung around for a bit people watching and even people just walking past seemed pleasantly surprised, "****ing hell, it's Corbyn!" was the recurring theme. A couple of shaking heads but no heckles, not one angry person. I told him "I hope you win but I'm voting SNP", he said "Yes, scottish people keep telling me that", good natured and natural.
People keep saying "politicians don't meet real people" or "it's all stage managed" or in Corbyn's case "He only ever meets Momentum people". Probably people would say "It's London" but not everyone in London votes Labour and obviously lots of people walking out of kings cross aren't londoners, I'm not.
Compare and contrast with Theresa May being delivered to sealed events in Scotland without ever touching the ground or meeting anyone that isn't a party member or employee. It shouldn't feel weird or interesting, to see a senior politician out meeting the public without a protective screen, but it does now- in fact there's this pervasive assumption that this is just how it is, politicians have People and Events and you see them on TV or when they come to you for a stunt. We have politicians turn up for stuff at my work quite often and he was both the most natural and the most accessible by miles- even bloody Willie Rennie has more handlers.
Obviously good natured responses and selfies don't translate into a single vote- I'm still voting SNP after all. But it was an interesting thing to see. OTOH he'd be pretty easy to assasinate.
In contrast, I had the misfortune to see Boris in Uxbridge town centre. It was a bit like stepping in a large and smelly turd. He was carefully mussing his hair to appear in selfies while 2 black-suited goons looked on.
Isn't it amazing how the thread has slowly died off in comparison to the bumbling Maybot
(and in further contrast, I saw the leader of one of Denmark's main political parties wandering casually down a busy pedestrianized street in Copenhagen and looking very good in a mini-skirt)
People seem to have stopped talking about Brexit too...
9 fat Bald ugly unfit white fat
Ah, the "progressive" left...
Me, Mrs and stepson were having a meal after Tuesday's Albert Square vigil and Jeremy Corbyn was passing the end of our table. I congratulated him and he stopped and chatted for about 5 minutes, very personable and charming bloke running a very good campaign. As above, nothing staged and a very relaxed (and very small) entourage.
Ah, the "progressive" left...
Am i wrong?
no.
Did we do, Labour spending plans endorsed by 129 economists?
[url= https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/jun/03/the-big-issue-labour-manifesto-what-economy-needs ]https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/jun/03/the-big-issue-labour-manifesto-what-economy-needs[/url]
"Stephen Hawking, regularly referred to as the world's smartest man, has backed Jeremy Corbyn."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/stephen-hawking-jeremy-corbyn-labour-theresa-may-conservatives-endorsement-general-election-a7774016.html
One of the things that happened early on in Corbyn's leadership was the forming of a circle of economists to advise him. It seemed to break down at the leadership challenge last year which was a disappointment. Good to see some of the names from that on the list though. Namely Simon Wren-Lewis and Ann Pettifor.greentricky - MemberDid we do, Labour spending plans endorsed by 129 economists?
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/jun/03/the-big-issue-labour-manifesto-what-economy-needs
Edit: Danny Blanchflower isn't on that list, but has separately endorsed Labour in this election.
Blimey, he's that good he's endorsed by a dead Spurs captain as well as the great economist David Blanchflower.
I don't watch telly, so I missed this.
Hopefully this is effective:
Having read the whole tax debate on the last few pages I think a lot of people need to pull their head out of their arse. My pre-tax salary is barely half of the post tax take-home of the >£80k earners and yet with a little careful spending I can lead what I consider a very luxurious life - I have 3 bikes, a fun car, at least 1 holiday a year and can enjoy a good evening out whenever I like... Yes I agree to have got to the position of earning that much they (mostly) deserve to be rewarded but I genuinely struggle to conceive what you would spend all that money on to actually improve quality of life. Have some compassion for those less fortunate for crying out loud!
But, But Rsl1...
I genuinely struggle to conceive what you would spend all that money on to actually improve quality of life
More holidays, even funner car, 6 bikes and even better evenings out. Although in reality most of it probably goes on bigger mortgages and makes no difference to quality of life.
Happiness is not directly equal to quality of life but is a factor and research shows that once you get past around £40K happiness does not get better. Guess that is really telling us that a materialistic life doesn't actually make anyone happier...
Id concur, looking at the miserable reactions of some of the tories on here...
once you get past around £40K happiness does not get better.
depends where in the country you are on that 40k. House prices in London are now 14 times the average salary.
Sort of makes the labour plans for tax rates seem unfair if they are not going to take into account cost of living.
And as taxes from london and the south east already subsidise the rest of the country so they can have free prescriptions and university then labour must be pretty sure that their unfair taxation policies are going to work and not screw up the 'cash-cow' areas.
Sort of makes the labour plans for tax rates seem unfair if they are not going to take into account cost of living.
That’s (partly) the idea - if it is uncomfortably expensive to live in London, try living somewhere where it is more comfortable. Spread the wealth geographically as well.
That’s (partly) the idea - if it is uncomfortably expensive to live in London, try living somewhere where it is more comfortable. Spread the wealth geographically as well.
and earn less, and contribute less tax ? And less tax to support the welfare system ?
That makes a lot of sense.
if it is uncomfortably expensive to live in London, try living somewhere where it is more comfortable.
Wasnt that referred to as "Social Cleansing" ?
That’s (partly) the idea - if it is uncomfortably expensive to live in London, try living somewhere where it is more comfortable. Spread the wealth geographically as well
Can you persuade all my potential employers to move to Bristol then? That would be awesome.
Can you persuade all my potential employers to move to Bristol then? That would be awesome.
Had this conversation with my brother looking at houses near Cambridge/London commuter line. They were worried about off shoring in some ways and getting talent. I suggested they went to Leeds/Manc and paid london wages imagine the talent they would get for that - nah who would want to live there
House prices in London are now 14 times the average salary.
The UK average house price is around 10 times the average salary isn't it? So on average not that bad.
I would have liked Corbyn to put in place some rent caps as would immediately help renters but also bring down prices of houses so help buyers too in longer term.
depends where in the country you are on that 40k. House prices in London are now 14 times the average salary.Sort of makes the labour plans for tax rates seem unfair if they are not going to take into account cost of living.
It more exposes the stupidity of housing policy for the last 30-40 years.
I suggested they went to Leeds/Manc and paid london wages imagine the talent they would get for that - nah who would want to live there
Is there a pool of skilled labour there? And, for the skilled labour, a pool of alternate employers to go to paying similar salaries? Or are you stuck with the one company forever once you've moved there?
Is there a pool of skilled labour there? And, for the skilled labour, a pool of alternate employers to go to paying similar salaries? Or are you stuck with the one company forever once you've moved there?
The point being there seems to be a London or nothing principle going on where people refuse to look outside. It's becoming ingrained and it's against the national interest.
Talking of housing policy and right to buy
Does anyone know who the housing minister under thatcher, Ian Gow, son happens to be?