UK PM Kier Starmer

[119]

So, as it’s pretty much a given that we will have a Labour led government next time, in an ideal world, what would you like to see addressed first?

We all want the NHS sorted but that is going to take a huge amount of time, so looking at short term fixes.

[S600BSB]

Not a single vote cast yet, so not a given. Fight for every vote.

[alfa phil]

Triple lock , how many million pensioners will vote Tory.

[119]

Hmmm not so sure looking at the recent polls.

The Tories have had it.

[S600BSB]

Regulation of the water industry (and eventual renationalisation). The spilling of sewage into our rivers and waterways is an absolute disgrace. The dirty boat race yesterday simply served to highlight it internationally.

[Nomme de Plum]

alfa phil said:

Triple lock , how many million pensioners will vote Tory.

Could you live solely on the state pension?

'According to Retirement Living Standards for a ‘moderate’ retirement, an individual needs £23,300 a year – more than twice the state pension. Even a ‘minimum standard of living’, would need an annual income of £12,800, more than £2,000 more than the state pension, meaning 6.9 million over 50s are at risk of poverty in retirement,...'

Anyway. The election is some time away yet to so it is unwise to assume Labour will have ran overall majority.

[Shambler]

End devolution

[alfa phil]

But the majority don't give a stuff , it's what money they have in their pocket, think labour will get in , but can't see it making a huge difference to this big mess we are in .

[A500leroy]

Roll all taxes into one. Getting rid of;

VAT
COUNCIL TAX
VED
FUEL TAX
INCOME TAX
NATIONAL INSURANCE
ALCOHOL TAX
TOBBACO TAX
INHERITANCE TAX
CGT

[Nomme de Plum]

alfa phil said:

But the majority don't give a stuff , it's what money they have in their pocket, think labour will get in , but can't see it making a huge difference to this big mess we are in .

Pensioners living on the state pension alone do not have money in their pocket and not giving a stuff cuts across all age groups.

[Nomme de Plum]

A500leroy said:

Roll all taxes into one. Getting rid of;

VAT
COUNCIL TAX
VED
FUEL TAX
INCOME TAX
NATIONAL INSURANCE
ALCOHOL TAX
TOBBACO TAX
INHERITANCE TAX
CGT

Based on what?

Can you not see the flaw in your proposition?

[MikeM6]

I would like to see some meaningful and sustainable economic growth, the Tories don't appear to have managed it. I am not hopeful that a Labour government will either, but we shall see.

I would really like an end to the doom and gloom outlook we have had over the last 15 years or so. Be nice to have a collective optimism for a change.

I would also like to see proper investment in public services, intended to make them better, not just cheaper. I want effective services that improve society overall and I am willing to pay for these IF they offer value for money. We currently seem to be paying for ever worsening services.

Can they deliver? Can anyone?

[S600BSB]

MikeM6 said:

I would like to see some meaningful and sustainable economic growth, the Tories don't appear to have managed it. I am not hopeful that a Labour government will either, but we shall see.

I would really like an end to the doom and gloom outlook we have had over the last 15 years or so. Be nice to have a collective optimism for a change.

I would also like to see proper investment in public services, intended to make them better, not just cheaper. I want effective services that improve society overall and I am willing to pay for these IF they offer value for money. We currently seem to be paying for ever worsening services.

Can they deliver? Can anyone?

Spot on. Whatever the priorities are for mending broken Britain we have to get the economy growing after 14 years of stagnation.

[Stella Tortoise]

Nomme de Plum said:

A500leroy said:

Roll all taxes into one. Getting rid of;

VAT
COUNCIL TAX
VED
FUEL TAX
INCOME TAX
NATIONAL INSURANCE
ALCOHOL TAX
TOBBACO TAX
INHERITANCE TAX
CGT

Based on what?

Can you not see the flaw in your proposition?

It would win my vote if it was based on the average person’s spend.

I can see the flaw(s) but would be a few years cheap living for me.

[540TORQUES]

Nomme de Plum said:

Could you live solely on the state pension?

'According to Retirement Living Standards for a ‘moderate’ retirement, an individual needs £23,300 a year – more than twice the state pension. Even a ‘minimum standard of living’, would need an annual income of £12,800, more than £2,000 more than the state pension, meaning 6.9 million over 50s are at risk of poverty in retirement,...'

Anyway. The election is some time away yet to so it is unwise to assume Labour will have ran overall majority.

The state pension in this country is atrocious.

Gordon Brown removing the tax free status on pension funds and subsequent governments not reversing this policy is going to have a huge impact on the retirement income of the average/lower paid workers.

[Hants PHer]

[redacted]

[alfa phil]

Nomme de Plum said:

alfa phil said:

But the majority don't give a stuff , it's what money they have in their pocket, think labour will get in , but can't see it making a huge difference to this big mess we are in .

Pensioners living on the state pension alone do not have money in their pocket and not giving a stuff cuts across all age groups.

I was referring to the man in the street as well , if he feels he can get a newer premium brand german car on his drive he will stick with the Tories, sure I could not survive on state pension alone but having worked for 50 yrs I have a couple of other personal pensions that top it up. If you have just spent every penny during working life then your left feeling the pinch into old age. Then everyone wants the state to pay up for everything. I think we have become a nation of greed and in consideration, subjective obviously.

[valiant]

alfa phil said:

I was referring to the man in the street as well , if he feels he can get a newer premium brand german car on his drive he will stick with the Tories, sure I could not survive on state pension alone but having worked for 50 yrs I have a couple of other personal pensions that top it up. If you have just spent every penny during working life then your left feeling the pinch into old age. Then everyone wants the state to pay up for everything. I think we have become a nation of greed and in consideration, subjective obviously.

Not so sure.

Hunt recently cut NI which puts a few quid back in the working mans pocket and yet the polls continue to go backwards for them.

People are waking up to the state of public services and want them improved and are no longer being blinded by tax giveaways. I dare say it that some would also accept paying more to getting services back to where they were 14 years ago.

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

A more coherent environmental strategy. net zero either being abandoned or changed to mean ‘where energy is consumed not produced’ if the latter of might actually wake everyone up to the implications of this policy.

[Mrr T]

540TORQUES said:

Gordon Brown removing the tax free status on pension funds and subsequent governments not reversing this policy is going to have a huge impact on the retirement income of the average/lower paid workers.

Not really correct. Pension funds do not pay tax, and income from a pension was always taxable. What Brown did was to stop pension funds reclaiming ACT. Effectively pension funds received UK dividends before corporation tax. It was a massive tax break for those in defined benefit schemes, pay for by those who where not. It had the affect of killing off defined benefit schemes. However, such schemes only tended to be offered by large companies and even then often not to the lowest paid.