Starmer's vision quest

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

BoldonLad

Old man on a bike. Not a member of a clique.
Location
South Tyneside
Yep. They had to make silly promises during the election about not raising taxes.

But now they need and must start raising taxes. Even if the Tories have already taxed us to death.

The problem they have with income tax is that And millions more are now dragged into the 40% tax band. And the over £100k earners are already paying a marginal 60% rate so it’s tricky to hit them harder.

A wealth tax won’t work.

I was having a similar discussion with my friends.
I am now comfortably well off. I have a very affordable mortgage, a house with 4 beds and 3 bathrooms, 2 cars and a take a good holiday every year.
If I was offered a management role for another £50k a year I wouldn’t want it as it would come with obligations to work much harder, and it wouldn’t make a material difference to my life. There is nothing I need.

One of my friends earns £350k but his life really isn’t much different to mine except he is mega stressed at work. His cars and house are nicer and he has a swimming pool but it cost a fortune to heat it. But he is no happier than me.

Unless you are earning bonkers money like +£1mill your life really doesn’t change. And then you are probably worried that someone will take it away.

We have had income tax rates way higher than 20%, 40% and 60%, in my lifetime, and, life continued on.

Still plenty to squeeze out of the wealthy, and, even the Comfortably off.
 

Stevo 666

Senior Member
Yep. They had to make silly promises during the election about not raising taxes.

But now they need and must start raising taxes. Even if the Tories have already taxed us to death.

The problem they have with income tax is that And millions more are now dragged into the 40% tax band. And the over £100k earners are already paying a marginal 60% rate so it’s tricky to hit them harder.

A wealth tax won’t work.

I was having a similar discussion with my friends.
I am now comfortably well off. I have a very affordable mortgage, a house with 4 beds and 3 bathrooms, 2 cars and a take a good holiday every year.
If I was offered a management role for another £50k a year I wouldn’t want it as it would come with obligations to work much harder, and it wouldn’t make a material difference to my life. There is nothing I need.

One of my friends earns £350k but his life really isn’t much different to mine except he is mega stressed at work. His cars and house are nicer and he has a swimming pool but it cost a fortune to heat it. But he is no happier than me.

Unless you are earning bonkers money like +£1mill your life really doesn’t change. And then you are probably worried that someone will take it away.

When you say they must start raising taxes, that is mainly because they have tried and utterly failed to reduce spending.

As Starmer said before he caved into the rebels, they would reduce benefits spending 'the Labour way', which presumably means by failing.
 

Stevo 666

Senior Member
We have had income tax rates way higher than 20%, 40% and 60%, in my lifetime, and, life continued on.

Still plenty to squeeze out of the wealthy, and, even the Comfortably off.

If youre referring the the 70s when Labour were in charge then life did continue; however as I recall, economic growth didn't. Nor did loads of tax revenue continue as Healey had to get a bail out from the IMF.

Labour are currently discovering the limits how much you can try to tax people.and businesses.
 

Psamathe

Über Member
More than 70 people arrested for expressions of support for Palestine Action.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...london-event-that-references-palestine-action

Where are all the free speech absolutists hiding?
Wonder where people would stand posting the same message on Twitter using a phoney name through a VPN?

Ian
 
  • Like
Reactions: C R

Psamathe

Über Member
Yep. They had to make silly promises during the election about not raising taxes.

But now they need and must start raising taxes. Even if the Tories have already taxed us to death.
Many commentators are just saying how "her choices are limited" but my concern is that those choices are limited to taxation that is more damaging to growth and less suited to the needs of society making the Reeves/Starmer taxation commitments daft and damaging.

Worse was that last year she had the opportunity to break those commitments given the unexpected impact of Trump (tariffs and defence). Back then she'd have taken a popularity hit but very early in their term, reasonable unforeseeable causes and she could change taxes better suited to allowing growth and the needs of society. Instead Winter Fuel Allowance (disaster for Labour) and employers NI (disaster for growth).

And now it seems she's deciding how much to increase employers auto-enrolment pension scheme contributions (heap more costs onto business to further discourage investment, further discourage growth).

Ian
 
  • Like
Reactions: C R
Top Bottom