The post you are reporting:
Lots of suggestions there. many I like, some not - some great in theory but not workable sadly....
Here are some of my ideas....
1/ Public sector pay freeze except the lower paid but for more than just one year - for the full parliament but structured in such a way not to hit the less well off as badly as the better paid as follows:
Year 1 except for everyone on under £18k -
Year 2 except for everyone on £21,000 or less
Year 3 except for everyone on £25,000 or less
Year 4 except for everyone on £30,000 or less
Year 5 except for everyone on £45,000 or less
Do note - this is public sector only, the Government has no role in limiting the pay in the private sector. it is not the private sector where we have a deficit problem.
2/ Public sector recruitment freeze - except for doctors, nurses, teachers and the military. For the whole parliament. This would be difficult and a lot of re-training will be needed. It would reduce redundancies though not totally. The public sector is so bloated and inefficient the discipline of this will reap massive rewards by way of additional savings.
3/ A 'zero based' budgetting exercise throughout the whole public sector. This means examining all aspects of public spending to do the following:
a) To see whether each penny really has value to the public
b) To see if it can be spent more efficiently or effectively
c) To see if the service delivery can be done more cheaply
d) Is it necessary at all.....
4/ I would review exactly what we expect of Government and reduce those expectations. Withdrawing the State from many aspects of our lives all together. This would mean a bonfire of quangoes and useless laws and regulations all of which add to costs in both the public and private sector.
5/ I would ring fence only one department, Defence. The reasons being that this department has not beneffited from the spendthrift policies of the last 13 years and we are at war. I would like to increase it but that is not possible so within the department, economies will need to be made to spend more effectively.
6/ I would conduct a wide ranging review of taxes and tax laws. The objective being simplification. This will reduce the cost of collection and make it easier for all of us to work out what tax we have to pay. Flatter, simpler, lower taxes should be the objective. It should also reduce the potential for avoidance and evasion.
7/ There is a lot of 'excess' government that can be scapped for which there are many plans now (sadly the EU cannot practically feature in this now!!!) A lot of projects that can be done away with and dozens of so called 'initiatives'....
8/ I did not mention benefits. They are too high and we should get back to the concept of them being available only as a basic temporary safety net. Those on incapacity should be tested to see that they really are unable to work and if they can work give them 6 months to get back into work then withdraw all benefits.
9/ Tax Credits - scrap them. Phase them out over a 4 year period completely.
10/ Child Benefit restricted to 3 children and for those families with less than £30,000 per annum net income.
I dont know what that lot would ad up to but its a start.....
