The Yes/No Game
- Thread starter Inkandtatts
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In considering my reply to this question, I’m going to quote a very wise person: Mostly no but there are some exceptions that think age gives them some sort of uber entitlement
Do you use Uber?
Do you use Uber?
Uber Eats occasionally but it's pricey. Uber taxis I think I used once.
Do you think pensioners deserve to lose their winter fuel payment?
Do you think pensioners deserve to lose their winter fuel payment?
To a point yes.
I know of a fair few pensioners who are comfortable financially, don’t need it, and use it for things other than fuel. There are two couples I know that use it towards Turkey & Tinsel in Torquay every Christmas, another one uses it to take their family out for a meal, and another stashes it in the bank with various other money they get and then have a week in Spain.
I’m sure there’d be less of an uproar about it being taken away if it was a credit directly against fuel bills rather than free cash in hand.
I’m not against helping those that really need it but when I’m getting taxed as much as I am to pay for some pensioners to go on their jollies, I think it really does need to be means tested.
Would you like to be Chancellor of the Exchequer?
I know of a fair few pensioners who are comfortable financially, don’t need it, and use it for things other than fuel. There are two couples I know that use it towards Turkey & Tinsel in Torquay every Christmas, another one uses it to take their family out for a meal, and another stashes it in the bank with various other money they get and then have a week in Spain.
I’m sure there’d be less of an uproar about it being taken away if it was a credit directly against fuel bills rather than free cash in hand.
I’m not against helping those that really need it but when I’m getting taxed as much as I am to pay for some pensioners to go on their jollies, I think it really does need to be means tested.
Would you like to be Chancellor of the Exchequer?
No. I think anyone that takes that job is either a few bob short of a quid or needs a huge brain and copious amounts of booze.
Did you know Starmer has won the vote on the pensioners?
Did you know Starmer has won the vote on the pensioners?
Yes I read it online. Over 50 Labour abstentions (i.e they lacked the balls to actually stand up for their principles) and one good Labour MP that voted against. They still should have raised the funds from fossil fuel companies, energy supplier an non-national water companies.
Do you think the government is tough enough against that general sector?
Do you think the government is tough enough against that general sector?
No. I think it's a tough balancing act though, particularly in a globalised world.
If the private sector is taxed too much, the only people that suffer are the consumer unless you have State intervention on pricing but then too much intervention leads the way to everything being State controlled then you end up in the 1970s.
Wealthy people are similar. If the State taxes the wealthy too much, they bugger off to other countries where they're taxed less and I think the only way to solve that is to have similar tax regimes across the globe but that's never going to happen because countries will always compete to have the wealthiest people living there. If they don't leave the country, they use tools to reduce their tax burden. Even those that aren't wealthy get in on it - an example being a pension appearing on a payslip as a salary sacrifice rather than a pension contribution. Perfectly legitimate way of doing it and it reduces the tax burden on the tax payer but cuts the tax take from the Revenue.
Do you ever think life is too complicated?
If the private sector is taxed too much, the only people that suffer are the consumer unless you have State intervention on pricing but then too much intervention leads the way to everything being State controlled then you end up in the 1970s.
Wealthy people are similar. If the State taxes the wealthy too much, they bugger off to other countries where they're taxed less and I think the only way to solve that is to have similar tax regimes across the globe but that's never going to happen because countries will always compete to have the wealthiest people living there. If they don't leave the country, they use tools to reduce their tax burden. Even those that aren't wealthy get in on it - an example being a pension appearing on a payslip as a salary sacrifice rather than a pension contribution. Perfectly legitimate way of doing it and it reduces the tax burden on the tax payer but cuts the tax take from the Revenue.
Do you ever think life is too complicated?
Yes based on past performance. If the Government could control the unions and if utilities were delivered at cost price, I’d be for it. This country’s record of state owned companies/industries has been pretty poor. They can’t even run local councils without going bankrupt.
Are you a capitalist?
Are you a capitalist?
No if the definition is based on continuous growth but yes if it’s based on freedom and free markets
Are you a socialist?
Are you a socialist?
I lean towards the left. I think that the gap between rich and poor needs to be addressed and very soon. It's an obscenity that the richest 10% hold 85% of global wealth. That has to change and the quickest way I can think of dealing with this is to limit the inheritance of relatives to a set sum, liquidise the remainder and invest it in universal health care and good social welfare programs globally. Let the relatives run the businesses that remain and make sure they treat all employees fairly by paying a decent living wage. Freedom of the individual is important and to a much lesser extent, freedom of markets.
Are you a socialist?
Are you a socialist?
No. I used to say I was but I'm somewhere in the centre now. maybe slightly right of centre.
Do you think people should be allowed to stay on State benefits/welfare for a long time when they're physically capable of working?
Do you think people should be allowed to stay on State benefits/welfare for a long time when they're physically capable of working?
Yes because physically able doesn't always mean able to work. If people worried less about the welfare system and more about the tax avoiding rich scum then we might get somewhere with funding for agencies and systems.
Do you think tax avoidance loopholes should be welded shut?
Do you think tax avoidance loopholes should be welded shut?
Yes completely but for as long as there are rules there will be legal ways of avoiding them. There’d have to be a review that would close all the loopholes. You’d then have to decide how often to review and close the new loopholes, and how much money you want to spend on reviewing them and balance that against what the return would be.
It need a holistic approach. Even if the tax avoidance loopholes are closed, my taxes are unlikely to go down but I still won’t get value for money for my contributions.
Do you think that people take for granted a lot of what the State provides that they didn’t in the not so distant past?
It need a holistic approach. Even if the tax avoidance loopholes are closed, my taxes are unlikely to go down but I still won’t get value for money for my contributions.
Do you think that people take for granted a lot of what the State provides that they didn’t in the not so distant past?
The return would be globally huge and it would send a clear message to the exploiters. Regular reviews wouldn't be onerous, tax authorities already do this and don't forget that the people and organisations you'd be chasing are huge, wealthy, and pay virtually nothing. The tax burden on lower income bands should fall as the outstanding dues are collected and fed into the system.
No. That's the wrong way to view it IMO. We should be providing good support for those that need it and while a few may need to learn to take more responsibility for themselves, they only represent a burden because of gross underfunding of those services. Claw back taxes and fund them. It'll take a few years to acquire and train the specialists needed but it's an investment in the country.
Would you privatise the NHS?
No. That's the wrong way to view it IMO. We should be providing good support for those that need it and while a few may need to learn to take more responsibility for themselves, they only represent a burden because of gross underfunding of those services. Claw back taxes and fund them. It'll take a few years to acquire and train the specialists needed but it's an investment in the country.
Would you privatise the NHS?