The Starmer Years - Can The New Broom Sweep Clean?

[Farmer Saint]

I do agree with removal of the triple lock though...sorry TD

[tdmickey3]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

I do agree with removal of the triple lock though...sorry TD

As long as those who need more help get it but means testing is usually a mess

[egg]

1 hour ago, Farmer Saint said:

I think the two kid cap removal is fine, but also needs to be part of a complete rehaul of the benefits system in general.

Two kid cap I'm somewhat torn on, but on balance I would have kept it on affordability rather than moral grounds. The whole welfare system needs overhaul - state pension included. What grates with me is people shouting to slash welfare, but never the part of the welfare system they hope to benefit from. 

[Weston Super Saint]

7 hours ago, Farmer Saint said:

Inflation down more than expected, 0.5% rate cut please BoE.

Meh.  5+% works for me  - having paid the mortgage off nice and early  

[egg]

3 hours ago, tdmickey3 said:

Fair enough but we know how good all governments are at means testing....

I'm very much on the camp of supporting all those in society who need it, pensioner's included. Getting it right won't be easy, but it's doable.  

[iansums]

1 hour ago, egg said:

Two kid cap I'm somewhat torn on, but on balance I would have kept it on affordability rather than moral grounds. The whole welfare system needs overhaul - state pension included. What grates with me is people shouting to slash welfare, but never the part of the welfare system they hope to benefit from. 

Not me, I agree that the triple lock needs to be scrapped even though it would be detrimental to me personally.

[Lord Duckhunter]

In real terms, the state pension should be worth the same the day you die as the day you retire. In other words should increase with inflation only, a single lock. If that means an increase of .55p, so be it. I don’t blame pensioners for wanting to protect the triple lock though, and it’s not just selfishness. Gordon Brown well and truly fucked private sector pensions, and even now the Government attack the same private pensions with this salary sacrifice stuff.
 

The ridiculous thing is it’s not today’s  pensioners and “gammon” over 50 at the moment who’ll suffer, it’s the next generation and the generation after that. Our generation had a few years with defined benefit pensions, and got decent tax breaks for bunging a few extra quid in. Politicians left pensions alone to give stability and assurance, now they create uncertainty and doubt and look at them as ripe for picking. God knows what age today’s 40year olds will be working to and god knows how they’ll afford a decent retirement. 

[whelk]

41 minutes ago, egg said:

I'm very much on the camp of supporting all those in society who need it, pensioner's included. Getting it right won't be easy, but it's doable.  

You don’t want to be subsidising bastards who deliberately don’t save for pensions when sensible people plan. Will be genuine cases but I know of some who done fuck all when should know better

[hypochondriac]

22 minutes ago, whelk said:

You don’t want to be subsidising bastards who deliberately don’t save for pensions when sensible people plan. Will be genuine cases but I know of some who done fuck all when should know better

TBF though when young people now get old their pensions will essentially be worthless no matter what they save.

[egg]

10 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

TBF though when young people now get old their pensions will essentially be worthless no matter what they save.

I'm not sure about that. Invest well, and they'll be ok. The issue is doing that as property will take priority and getting started there isn't easy. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

1 hour ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

In real terms, the state pension should be worth the same the day you die as the day you retire. In other words should increase with inflation only, a single lock. If that means an increase of .55p, so be it. I don’t blame pensioners for wanting to protect the triple lock though, and it’s not just selfishness. Gordon Brown well and truly fucked private sector pensions, and even now the Government attack the same private pensions with this salary sacrifice stuff.
 

The ridiculous thing is it’s not today’s  pensioners and “gammon” over 50 at the moment who’ll suffer, it’s the next generation and the generation after that. Our generation had a few years with defined benefit pensions, and got decent tax breaks for bunging a few extra quid in. Politicians left pensions alone to give stability and assurance, now they create uncertainty and doubt and look at them as ripe for picking. God knows what age today’s 40year olds will be working to and god knows how they’ll afford a decent retirement. 

I fully expect to have been dead for at least a decade, before I'm allowed to retire.

[iansums]

1 hour ago, egg said:

I'm not sure about that. Invest well, and they'll be ok. The issue is doing that as property will take priority and getting started there isn't easy. 

Very true, start early even with small amounts. As Martin Lewis would say, personal finance should be part of the school curriculum.

[hypochondriac]

1 hour ago, egg said:

I'm not sure about that. Invest well, and they'll be ok. The issue is doing that as property will take priority and getting started there isn't easy. 

If you invest money sure. I was talking more about a young person sticking money in a pension scheme. At that point the retirement age will be nearer 80.

Edited Wednesday at 20:58 by hypochondriac

[egg]

1 hour ago, iansums said:

Very true, start early even with small amounts. As Martin Lewis would say, personal finance should be part of the school curriculum.

Agreed. Trigonometry isn't much use in life, but money / life skills are essential. 

[whelk]

14 minutes ago, egg said:

Agreed. Trigonometry isn't much use in life, but money / life skills are essential. 

Useful if you want to know the optimum angle to cross the road in most efficient way. Although who carries a slide rule with them these days

[Gloucester Saint]

Good - sick of UK citizens stirring this up. If you want to kick off and fight, fly out there and get stuck in by all means. Or if you want to advocate for Palestinian rights in a peaceful and constructive way then I actually have plenty of empathy with you. But to chant these slogans such as Intifada and from the River to the Sea are extremist, and incitement to others https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cde65de81jgo

[Turkish]

It seems like every country is in serious debt!

[egg]

25 minutes ago, Turkish said:

It seems like every country is in serious debt!

Yep. The US are different though as the strength of the dollar allows them to borrow without reducing the value of their currency. There's a reason why US foreign policy takes fire at countries who threaten the power of the dollar. Libya, Brics. 

[badgerx16]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

It seems like every country is in serious debt!

Most of those countries "own" part of the debt of the others. 

[whelk]

56 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

Most of those countries "own" part of the debt of the others. 

 

[whelk]

That is probably written for children but might help a few on here

[iansums]

Labour have increased the debt, flatlined growth and punished small businesses and much of the private sector with increased costs and taxes. Apart from that, they’re doing a great job.

[Sir Ralph]

1 hour ago, iansums said:

Labour have increased the debt, flatlined growth and punished small businesses and much of the private sector with increased costs and taxes. Apart from that, they’re doing a great job.

Not one business person you speak to has a good word to say about them. They then claim that they are helping to reduce inflation (still highest in the EU under their watch) but one of the reasons this is  happening because of a lack of growth. Its an economic illiterate party

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Sir Ralph

[whelk]

4 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

Not one business person you speak to has a good word to say about them. They then claim that they are helping to reduce inflation (still highest in the EU under their watch) but this is only happening because of a lack of growth. Its an economic illiterate party

 

By ‘business person’ you probably mean Tory/Reform people and your tax dodging greedy mates.
Don’t worry about exaggerating though as Caroline Leavitt literally said teh other day that 100% of all jobs created under Biden were for immigrants. We have gone past even pretending to tell he truth or being embarrassed by obvious lies

Can you point to a Western European govt that has cracked theirs growth, inflation, full employment thing? With the right legislation we can blow China and India out of the water 

[whelk]

1 hour ago, iansums said:

Labour have increased the debt

Genuine question, do you understand what you mean when levelling that as a criticism?

[Sir Ralph]

15 minutes ago, whelk said:

By ‘business person’ you probably mean Tory/Reform people and your tax dodging greedy mates.
Don’t worry about exaggerating though as Caroline Leavitt literally said teh other day that 100% of all jobs created under Biden were for immigrants. We have gone past even pretending to tell he truth or being embarrassed by obvious lies

Can you point to a Western European govt that has cracked theirs growth, inflation, full employment thing? With the right legislation we can blow China and India out of the water 

By business person I am referring to a wide range of people. A few of them voted Labour because they were fed up with the Tories and I think most of them said they wont do it again or are certainly thinking of voting for someone else.

Labour states it is pro business. It courts business on the face of it and sticks to fiscal rules which is good. However, it achieves this by taxing businesses and those that own them to achieve this. Not pro business in reality - when the Cabinet say this I do not believe they understand what they are saying or how to get there. What policies has it brought in to help businesses day-to-day?

Ireland is a good example of a western country that has achieved economic growth. Do you know how?

Edited 1 hour ago by Sir Ralph

[Sir Ralph]

5 minutes ago, whelk said:

Genuine question, do you understand what you mean when levelling that as a criticism?

They have increased day to day public spending and welfare spending at the cost of the tax payer and business. Do you dispute that and do you think you grow an economy doing that?

Edited 1 hour ago by Sir Ralph

[whelk]

9 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

By business person I am referring to a wide range of people. A few of them voted Labour because they were fed up with the Tories and I think most of them said they wont do it again or are certainly thinking of voting for someone else.

Labour states it is pro business. It courts business on the face of it and sticks to fiscal rules which is good. However, it achieves this by taxing businesses and those that own them to achieve this. No pro business in reality. What policies has it brought in to help businesses day-to-day?

Ireland is a good example of a western country that has achieved economic growth. Do you know how?

You added Ireland to your original reply. Google it? And incidentally I do yes - do you know anything about post the Tiger economy? We keep having a similar discussion- just wanting growth isn’t as straightforward as you think ie cut taxes, there are so many global factors that influence.

The NI rise did not help growth, but neither does shrinking public services and lowering minimum wage. I get you blame Labour for all the gloom but the gloom isn’t easy to clear. I don’t want to endlessly repeat though as made my thoughts clear many time about ageing population, immigration, disposable income going on digital services that pay fuck all tax, as do many other corporations like Nando’s, Starbucks, Vodafone……

[whelk]

18 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

They have increased day to day public spending and welfare spending at the cost of the tax payer and business. Do you dispute that and do you think you grow an economy doing that?

Welfare needs reform and not helpful Starmer couldn’t get it through. Other than the two child cap I am not aware of any ideological changes to expand. Do you get annoyed at the increase public spending required to sustain the triple lock on state pensions?

[badgerx16]

1 hour ago, Sir Ralph said:

Not one business person you speak to has a good word to say about them.  

 

You need to get out more.