Is it time to raise basic tax rate?
Comments
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The NHS deficit is getting an awful lot press but if we consider that, at its inception, medical expertise was quite primitive compared with today. Organ transplants were unheard of for instance. Tumour on the brain? Put your affairs in order and make your
peace with your maker. Add in a population that is 25% greater than then, the bulk of which increase is elderly and you can see why there is a crisis.The welfare system has grown like topsy and effectively subsidises many who have made appalling life decisions, insulating them from their own stupidity. It's going to take a very brave politician to grasp the nettle.
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Even more strain on the tax resources as they have announced that Buck Palace is to be allocated £369 million for much needed restoration.
See here.My opinion is that we pay enough income tax and VAT already. As for volunteering to help councils by doing things like picking up litter, I have been known to do that off my own bat, stiffer fines for people who drop litter would suit me and don’t get me
started on dog owners who don't pick up mess.
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My view is that the basic rate of tax should most definitely not increase and, in fact, should decrease.
There is still a massive amount of waste in public services......hospitals, schools and local / central government in particular.
Naturally, the royal family should be abolished.
The foreign aid budget should be cut and used to increase defense spending......although there is also massive waste in the MoD.
I wouldn't have a problem with increasing the higher income tax rates and corporation tax (which basically gives company directors more pay in the form of bonuses etc).
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Personally I think there are many ways of raising much needed funds for public services not just by income tax ,
Such as?
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My view is that the basic rate of tax should most definitely not increase and, in fact, should decrease.
There is still a massive amount of waste in public services......hospitals, schools and local / central government in particular.
Naturally, the royal family should be abolished.
The foreign aid budget should be cut and used to increase defense spending......although there is also massive waste in the MoD.
I wouldn't have a problem with increasing the higher income tax rates and corporation tax (which basically gives company directors more pay in the form of bonuses etc).
The royal family is fantastic VFM. Why would you want to get rid of the best UK promotional organisation?
Lets have your figures then!
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Briang, yes, in the 1970s the top rate was eye watering, it's easy to look up past rates on the internet.
Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Should five per cent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman
If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.
Don't ask me what I want it for
If you don't want to pay some more
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
And you're working for no one but me.the bold text equated to the 95% rate, and beautifully expressed in the song....with thanks to George Harrison.LOL loved George Harrison, but he was a multi millionaire
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This year will be a tough year in local government, local council cuts so far have been relatively easy and minimal effect on the council tax payer. however due to central government removing funding they send local councils it's leaving many with a black
hole in their books and pressure to raise coincil tax if they cant find significant areas to cut. Leaving the EU will save us £11bln a year and cutting overseas aid or scrapping it will save us £12bln, cutting over burdening regulation on business will free
up employers to start employing, reduce corporation tax to encourage businesses to set up or move to the UK. Oh yeah and create a flat tax rather than the over complicated system we have now.0 -
Actually it was the debate that I wanted to stimulate. I agree without reservation that the question is far more complicated than either A or B. Otherwise the solution would have been found a long time ago.
Nevertheless I do feel that most of the public services have long since swallowed all of their own fat, and we do need to better fund them. Just how, I am at a loss to understand.
TF
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They could start introducing a small charge for parts of the service used, e.g. why should you not pay something towards food when in hospital? We already pay something towards dental charges.
Use more national lottery money to support essential services.
Just a couple of ideas.
peedee
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Havnt seen any "savings"in Local Authority only cuts in essential services. The sexy fringes still gets done with gutso.We have 22 LA in Wales for the same population as Birmingham and yes an Assembly. Soaks up all the cash in "administration"
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Gosh, Then you are lucky! My Local Authority is a mere shadow of what it once was. Staff levels are way down, and it takes a lot longer to get things done now. Planning decisions take ages. Grass verges not cut beyond one meter from the kerb. Bus subsidies
cut back so a lot of rural routes no longer supported. PCSO's no longer paid for as extra's so numbers down. I could go on.Parish Councils now having to bear much of the burdon of grass cutting, emptying dog bins etc, and such things as youth clubs etc.
TF
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Parish Councils have a fraction of the budget district councils have. The real first step to saving money in local government is to do away with county and District and have unitray authorities.
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Even more strain on the tax resources as they have announced that Buck Palace is to be allocated £369 million for much needed restoration.
See here.My opinion is that we pay enough income tax and VAT already. As for volunteering to help councils by doing things like picking up litter, I have been known to do that off my own bat, stiffer fines for people who drop litter would suit me and don’t get me
started on dog owners who don't pick up mess.HRH has £23Billion, She should downsize from Buck Palace & turn it into accommodation for those in need, cheap social housing. Austerity seems to be for certain parts of society apparently not all. Yes!!!, I hear you say-'He should be a Politician'
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Even more strain on the tax resources as they have announced that Buck Palace is to be allocated £369 million for much needed restoration.
See here.My opinion is that we pay enough income tax and VAT already. As for volunteering to help councils by doing things like picking up litter, I have been known to do that off my own bat, stiffer fines for people who drop litter would suit me and don’t get me
started on dog owners who don't pick up mess.HRH has £23Billion, She should downsize from Buck Palace & turn it into accommodation for those in need, cheap social housing. Austerity seems to be for certain parts of society apparently not all. Yes!!!, I hear you say-'He should be a Politician'
Completely agree, Rocky......!
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Here's a suggestion for savings.......get rid of parish councils (if you had ever been to a meeting of ours, you would see why!), halve the number of local councillors, dump the notion of locally elected mayors, cut the number of MP's by about a third, get
rid of the house of lords.....and of course the royal family.0 -
Even more strain on the tax resources as they have announced that Buck Palace is to be allocated £369 million for much needed restoration.
See here.My opinion is that we pay enough income tax and VAT already. As for volunteering to help councils by doing things like picking up litter, I have been known to do that off my own bat, stiffer fines for people who drop litter would suit me and don’t get me
started on dog owners who don't pick up mess.HRH has £23Billion, She should downsize from Buck Palace & turn it into accommodation for those in need, cheap social housing. Austerity seems to be for certain parts of society apparently not all. Yes!!!, I hear you say-'He should be a Politician'
Completely agree, Rocky......!
Thank you Ian, but I'll never be a Politician
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Even more strain on the public purse is the obscene amount of money that it is going to cost to repair the outdated, crumbling and creaking buildings of the palace of Westminster.
Much better to build a new parliament building outside of London , perhaps between Brum and Manchester and knock that old ruin in London down.. Im sure there would be many property developers desperate to pay good money.for that site beside the Thames. A
win win situation all round.Cheers .......K
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The reliance on "Consultancy Culture" needs addressing, huge wastage on this score.
Couldn't agree more. We pay the top managers and CEO's of public organisations huge salaries and benefits for their experience and expertise but as soon as something demanding crops up they take on expensive consultants who walk away when it all goes tyres-up,
and then the highly paid executives merely say 'Lessons will be learned'. Surely, we don't pay them to learn at the taxpayers' expense?0 -
Even more strain on the tax resources as they have announced that Buck Palace is to be allocated £369 million for much needed restoration.
See here.who don't pick up mess.
If HRH's claim for Housing Benefit of £369 million fails she should get her name down asap on Westminster Council's 'Affordable Housing' waiting list.
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She has a lot of dependents so it'll be a big Home that's needed, good luck with that one Ma'am
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I think there is far too much waste of money in pretty much all public services. When it is not your own money you are spending, that apparently rare attribute "commonsense" seems to go out of the window.
If we ran our household and budget like the public sector runs theirs, we would be in deep financial problems too!
No need for higher taxes, rather a need for better decision making and sensible spending.
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