Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,709
#21
What irks me Paul is the ad hominen nature of the attacks.
If you must apportion blame so be it, but why cannot politicians, like you, be constructive with that criticism and suggest some solutions.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Unregistered User
#22
Point taken Ross.
I believe we should take the hits early on, whether on tax or spending and prepare for growth.
We are outside the Euro and should take advantage of that opportunity with our exchange rates.
We should not stifle business who will bring us out of recession with the right investment at the right rates.
We need to recognise poor business models will go the wall and for them, the sooner they recognise that the better.
The public sector does not produce wealth but needs to be lean,supportative and stop resisting change.
They should also accept that the days of gilt edged public funded pensions are on the wane and they need to work longer to achieve them and make larger contributions.
We should educate and train our kids properly without the current models of governance dealing a dead hand on initiative.
De-regulate our police and treat them as a law enforcement agency and not social workers.
Make sure our defence policy aligns with our foreign policy and we train, equip and have adequate numbers of armed forces whilst recognising the changing nature of warfare and defence.
Allow immigration where there are genuine labour shortages and support legitimate asylum seekers.
We need to deal with welfare dependency, it will be hard for some. But those who pay taxes should be taxed at the lowest rates to spend in the economy, re-invest and then the taxation sums will support those who are deprived and need a lift .
I'll leave health for others to debate.
Just a few thoughts , Ross and they are mine not read from a manifesto.
Watty
Guest 667- Registered: 6 Apr 2008
- Posts: 919
#23
A few days to go and I am still not sure which way to vote, but one thing is for sure I will vote. I believe every person over 18 should exercise their democratic right.
I still find though that all the parties are good at having a go at each other without really coming out with the true facts of what they are going to do. I have just seen a Conservative poster while driving up the road. "We will bring discipline back into the schools" My thoughts were HOW? Anyone can say it just how do you carry it through?
My other thought is can we expect Interest rates to rise once the election is done and dusted and my one fear is should the Conservatives get in, will we go back to high unemployment, high interest rates and people losing their homes. I want to vote blue but I did that once before and regretted it big time, I think Labour has let us down and still have a feeling voting Liberal will be a wasted vote.
#24
I reckon whoever wins we will see unemployment rise dramatically, as will inflation and interest rates, possibly VAT too. I also reckon the housing market will do a small surge perhaps for the remainder of this year, and then drop back, with a similar trend in house prices. Those who borrow wisely will have a tough time, those who over-extend themselves will probably fail to deal with negatiive equity and lose their shirts.
With regard to floating voters, I think a good number will vote LibDem and they will become the official Opposition to a Consrvative government that has a tiny majority, possibly less than 20 seats.
What interests me to see is just how much Labour gets wiped out, I predict a blood-bath.
Guest 687- Registered: 2 Jun 2009
- Posts: 513
#25
Paul, your posting 448 is a revalation and a joy to read. Sid you are probably right as any party that has done the damage inflicted upon the British people as the Labour Party has done deserved to be wiped out. I could lay my posting out in the same format as Paul with all this governments failings listed along with it's minimal positive successes but others have done this.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#26
ken
do you not feel guilt for being one of the people who brought the sitution to how it is now?
why this sudden light in th sky?
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,709
#27
Paul
Thanks
I agree we should take advantage of the fact we are outside of the euro and can control our own interest rates as part of an independent fiscal policy.
I believe that education is all important and should be available to all from cradle to grave. We need to encourage youth to get educated and look to break benefit dependency. My personal view is that we should offer 16-18 year olds a "wage" to stay in education or vocational training, or failing that delivering community service. This should be less than current unemployment benefit levels, but no one below the age of 18 and no one who has never had a job should be entitled to unemployment benefit.
We should also seek to eliminate tuition fees as early as possible as it gives students the wrong start to adulthood to be saddled with £15-20k of debt before they even get a job.
With regard to low level crime, I want to get rid of ASBOs as they are a waste of time and resources. I would replace them with a policy of fines for the first 3 offences (that would currently result in an ASBO,) the third offence would automatically get 30 days in jail, each subsequent offence would double the previous custodial scentence. These people will learn that we should not have to and will not tolerate low level anti social behaviour such as noise nuisance, public drunkeness, fighting, public order offences etc. I would also introduce a similar approach to motor offences, get caught speeding more than once then you loose your licence for 2 weeks and get a fine related to the amount over the speed limit, next offences this doubles and so-on.
We also need to consider how best to get the most out of the current police budgets and increase officer hours out dealing with/preventing crime, this could include getting rid of some of the ludicrous form filling to generate stats, but also perhaps replacing a small number of PCSOs with decent support staff to complete what paperwork is required.
The state needs to encourage and assist business, particularly small business, through a range of measures including reducing employers NI, providing soft loans where jobs are or will be created, provide grants to assist SMEs deliver training and education etc.. But we must step back and then let business stand or fall on its own merits. With regard to financial services regulatory oversight and activity needs to be removed from the Treasury entirely (it is not their function and never should be) and divided between the BoE & FSA; the former taking the macro view, the latter the micro view. By removing the Treasury form the equation we ensure at least a modicum of independence and reduce the ability of ministers to interfere. Banks should be clearly divided between retail and investment with these entities being housed in separate subsidiaries that are not allowed to cross subsidise and are ring fenced to protect consumer deposits from contagion from the market making/investment activities.
There is loads more but that will do for now
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#28
A pleasure to read PaulW's personal view of what should be done - he may not be loved by everyone, but he is the best MP we never had.
Some of Ross's posting also made sense and on the helping small-businesses front, I would suggest help with business rates - for existing (small) businesses, based on their ability to pay and for new businesses, they start off at 50% then increase by ten percent each year until they reach 100%; this will allow them to build up their business and make them able to pay and have a fair reward for their efforts.
This would also of course help Town centres up and down the country and encourage people to start new enterprises and help with employment too.
Roger
#29
Good posting Ross, I can agree almost entirely with your suggestions. We differ in two regards.
1. On the subject of ASBO's. I would recommend two strikes rather than three.
2. Speding offences should be graduated. Speeding in residential areas should carry a heavier fine and number of points than speeding on a motorway for instance.
Otherwise, a "top banana" posting.
Guest 687- Registered: 2 Jun 2009
- Posts: 513
#30
Howard I feel no guilt at all for previously supporting the party that has wreaked such havoc on the nation. I for one would never have supported uncontrolled immigration, be it from the EU or not; 24 hour drinking resulting in our hospitals and police being inundated unnecessarily with its aftermath,178 tax rises of which many were never on the statutes previously. If this government could find a way of taxing breathing they would.
This government has no idea of the concept of cause and effect, they have obviously never playrd chess or thought anything through to it's logical conclusion. I have not 'seen the light', I have like many others come to the conclusion that our country and it's people would be best served by a competent administration and that would mean electing a Conservative government.
#31
I might be tempted by the blues if they were honest about the tax rises they will make . Have just seen Dc on sky news again not answer the question . Whether we like it or not the yellows will be much stronger after the election .
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
#32
Mark - the fact is that tax rises would be the very last option for the Tories, we are fundamentally against higher taxes. They hope higher taxes wont be be necessary and that a combination of spending cuts and growth will deal with the problem. The problem with tax rises is that they wuill reduce growth so they are not a 'penalty free' option and indeed some taxes need to be reduced to stimulate growth, there is a tricky balance to achieve.
Until they can get hold of the Treasury computer model, see the 'bboks' and understand the break claus penalties on spending commitments they cannot possibly give full details of what will happen.
Only Labour could do that as they have the details - they just wont.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
#33
BarryW
How do you explain away the cut in inheritance tax that DC has pledged to carry out if elected which GB states "benefits only the richest 3% of the country".?
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
#34
That is utter nonsense Marek.
First and foremost that has been downgraded in priority with top priority being given to reduce Labours increase in tax on jobs.
Secondly, speaking professionally. The very rich have ways to get around this tax (once described by Dennis Heally as a voluntary tax).
The people most badly hit (and certainly not just the 'richest 3%' that is an out and out Labour lie) are ordinary people with between £650k and £1m who's assets comprise mainly of their home. I am limited in what I can do to mitigate this without depriving them of benefit from their assets.
The very rich, with a lot of liquid assets, can more easily use trust planning to reduce or eliminate this tax quite legitimately. They generally can afford to tie up a significant proportion of their assets in trusts/gifts wheras less well off people cannot.
In my professional experience it really is this middle group of very ordinary people who get hit the worse.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#35
tax a debatable subject,to be honest a thing not to be belived from any party.the biggest culprets are the blues double standerds all round closly followed by the reds.the yellows as of yet hasnt been tested on this subject.
#36
Now that I've stopped laughing at the wildly inaccurate and desperate content of #35, let me just say, tax in real terms invariably goes down when the Tories are in power, and up when Labour are in charge. As for LibDems, they are, I agre, an unknow quantity on this subject but, their keenness for local taxation worries me greatly as we are almost certain to incur a higher tax burden should that policy be implemented.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#37
sid
the thatcher administration in the middle eighties collected a much larger tax take than the previous administration
Guest 667- Registered: 6 Apr 2008
- Posts: 919
#38
They had to Howard they put that many out of work under Thatcher hey had to get more money from the few left with a job.
I just hope we are not going to go back to those days that we had under Thatcher, while I understand cuts will be made this time, last time is was the don't care attitude that turned me against them.
Is it time for Change "Yes but a change for the better not a change back to those days of selling off the Country's silver and putting as many on the dole as they can.
I do want to but dare I trust them.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
#39
There is no need for any cuts just come out of the EU that is all that is needed save 49million aday 365 days ayear,and that is alot of money.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#40
sid,i just dont trust the torys on tax issues.
vic,coming out of europe wont make any differance to job cuts,it will only isolate us evan futher.