public sector workers strike

[uttoxram75]

Doesn't that sound like a great idea to boost the economy Uttox, increase public spending...

Yep, sure does! Governments can kick start or kill economies, its a choice. There are alternatives to austerity cuts SB, as you probably well know.

[Boycie]

Fookin Bankers.

[james_ram]

No-one has a brain these days.

Lower the 50% income tax threshold to anything above £80,000 p/a.

Lower the income tax to 5% for anyone earning less than £15,000 p/a.

This will mean more spare income can be spent in Britain.

Directors of FTSE 100 companies rewarded themselves with a 50% pay increase on average this year. Tax more of that.

I can't believe actually believe that poor people should have to make the most sacrificial payments to reduce the deficit. It just shows the power of Murdoch's media.

So the people who contribute more to society as it is, your saying we should lower the 50% tax threshold so they have less money to spend? Where's the sense in that?

Close all offshore tax havens and recoup all monies owed in tax and start putting more money into manufacturing and building things, that's the way to start solving this deficit.

[Boycie]

Close tax havens?

The tories will be choking on their Pimms. It'll never happen.

Birth tax. That'll be the next one.

[Perky1106]

The UK has been in debt for over 300 years. But one thing it has never failed to do is repay its debt.

This is why the markets are always happy to invest and bond yields are kept lower than Germany's.

When we're about to head into a recession it's vital that we spend something, even if it increases our debt. The best thing to do would be a tax cut for people on lower incomes (< £15,000 p/a) so they can spend.

45% of taxpayers earn less tha £15k and this is why the economy's struggling. They don't have savings to fall back upon unlike the upper middle class and wealthy.

If this government did just this one sensible thing the markets would understand that despite putting us into more debt it would be beneficial in the long term.

Adding 3% extra tax to public sector workers (a lot of whom earn little) makes no sense whatsoever. It's incredibly regressive and it's going to keep us in recession for possibly another year.

[ladyram]

[url=http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16121698]http://news.sky.com/...rticle/16121698

Unbelievable

I can take a joke as well as the guy next door but the paragraph about kids watching - he's got a point. If my youngest who's 7 was watching he would have questioned it and thought it was ok because a "grown up" had said it. I would have probably made a joke about it and said he didn't mean it, or whatever, but the fact remains kids are impressionable.

For a child to hear this and expect a striking parent to be took outside and shot, for me is a touch much and he really should have thought twice. Just saying he disagreed with it would have done and nobody would have batted an eyelid. Maybe it was an off the cuff comment yes, but there's a time and place. Children do not understand his acerbic manner.

Just my opinion though.

[Day]

I can take a joke as well as the guy next door but the paragraph about kids watching - he's got a point. If my youngest who's 7 was watching he would have questioned it and thought it was ok because a "grown up" had said it. I would have probably made a joke about it and said he didn't mean it, or whatever, but the fact remains kids are impressionable.

For a child to hear this and expect a striking parent to be took outside and shot, for me is a touch much and he really should have thought twice. Just saying he disagreed with it would have done and nobody would have batted an eyelid. Maybe it was an off the cuff comment yes, but there's a time and place. Children do not understand his acerbic manner.

Just my opinion though.

What about programmes like Eastenders, Tanya Branning planning on killing Max then burying him alive (the poor sod) what would you tell the kids?...it's only acting?

Wouldn't you just say Jezza's joking he's a wally?

[uttoxram75]

Just seen the comment on BBC news and while Clarkson is a ********, its clear that he is being (as LR says, ascerbic) with a tongue in cheek look on his mug.

Mind you, he is a neighbour and close friend to David Cameron.........

[james_ram]

I can take a joke as well as the guy next door but the paragraph about kids watching - he's got a point. If my youngest who's 7 was watching he would have questioned it and thought it was ok because a "grown up" had said it. I would have probably made a joke about it and said he didn't mean it, or whatever, but the fact remains kids are impressionable.

For a child to hear this and expect a striking parent to be took outside and shot, for me is a touch much and he really should have thought twice. Just saying he disagreed with it would have done and nobody would have batted an eyelid. Maybe it was an off the cuff comment yes, but there's a time and place. Children do not understand his acerbic manner.

Just my opinion though.

I don't have kids, so probably can't comment on this, but surely, they would look up to their parents as role models and not people they see on tv? If they had been in the room, and heard that, and you had said something along the lines of what he said was wrong and you must never say that, then surely they would listen to you? As their parent?

[Perky1106]

So the people who contribute more to society as it is, your saying we should lower the 50% tax threshold so they have less money to spend? Where's the sense in that?

Close all offshore tax havens and recoup all monies owed in tax and start putting more money into manufacturing and building things, that's the way to start solving this deficit.

People earning over £80,000 have savings to dip into to sustain their lifestyles so spending from that wage bracket of people wouldn't change much. They would complain a lot though and wives would write to the Daily Mail complaining that they can't afford their Christmas holiday in the Maldives.

[ladyram]

What about programmes like Eastenders, Tanya Branning planning on killing Max then burying him alive (the poor sod) what would you tell the kids?...it's only acting?

Wouldn't you just say Jezza's joking he's a wally?

He doesn't watch Eastenders Daveo 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':P' />

And yes, I would tell him that and he'd understand it - but that doesn't mean I'd want him to hear it in the first place.

[Day]

He doesn't watch Eastenders Daveo 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons//tongue' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':P' />

Then I'm contacting social services, you can't stop a kid from watching Eastenders. 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons//blink' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' />

[james_ram]

The UK has been in debt for over 300 years. But one thing it has never failed to do is repay its debt.

This is why the markets are always happy to invest and bond yields are kept lower than Germany's.

When we're about to head into a recession it's vital that we spend something, even if it increases our debt. The best thing to do would be a tax cut for people on lower incomes (< £15,000 p/a) so they can spend.

45% of taxpayers earn less tha £15k and this is why the economy's struggling. They don't have savings to fall back upon unlike the upper middle class and wealthy.

If this government did just this one sensible thing the markets would understand that despite putting us into more debt it would be beneficial in the long term.

Adding 3% extra tax to public sector workers (a lot of whom earn little) makes no sense whatsoever. It's incredibly regressive and it's going to keep us in recession for possibly another year.

But would they spend it though? It's like when the BoE announced it was going to step up its quantitative easing scheme, and pump £70bn into the banks, people were asking, why not put it into small businesses?! Fair point, but wouldn't they just sit on it? And think, no we're not going to spend X amount of money on new staff etc, we will sit on the money and wait for better times. If you cut the taxes for the lower earning people, then it's not a sure fire guarantee they're gonna' spend it.

[Perky1106]

But would they spend it though? It's like when the BoE announced it was going to step up its quantitative easing scheme, and pump £70bn into the banks, people were asking, why not put it into small businesses?! Fair point, but wouldn't they just sit on it? And think, no we're not going to spend X amount of money on new staff etc, we will sit on the money and wait for better times. If you cut the taxes for the lower earning people, then it's not a sure fire guarantee they're gonna' spend it.

The lower class are the consumerist class. They are better spenders than anyone, as long as they have the spare income to spend. At the moment their real income has fallen by nearly 4% while their fuel and bills has gone up and up. Cutting their income tax from 20 to 5% would get them spending money.

You're right about quantitative easing though. It doesn't work. Even if banks do lend to small business, will the small businesses even want to get loans if people aren't buying stuff? The small business are our restaurants, cafes, independent shops, B&Bs, butchers, corner shops, builders, contracters etc. Even with money it isn't worth investing in expansion/new staff if no-one can afford a meal out, a weekend break at a B and B or an extension on their house. The way to fix the economy is to give people who will spend money the means to spend money. But it seems that this government has a different agenda.

[james_ram]

People earning over £80,000 have savings to dip into to sustain their lifestyles so spending from that wage bracket of people wouldn't change much. They would complain a lot though and wives would write to the Daily Mail complaining that they can't afford their Christmas holiday in the Maldives.

Ok, so what happens when these 'savings' are spent? Then what? People on that kind of money can tighten their belts as well, and most probably will. Your assuming that if people suddenly see there salary has dropped, their going to continue spending the same amount of money as they were before it dropped.

[Perky1106]

Ok, so what happens when these 'savings' are spent? Then what? People on that kind of money can tighten their belts as well, and most probably will. Your assuming that if people suddenly see there salary has dropped, their going to continue spending the same amount of money as they were before it dropped.

Retailers in America have reported increased sales because of people dipping into savings.

The savings that reasonably wealthy have can see us through while everyone below has more money to spend. It's the only way I can see us getting out of the recession we're about to head into.

[uttoxram75]

Lower earners will usually spend virtually all they earn.

The problem is when large multinational corporations or incredibly wealthy individuals become too cash rich it just sits in offshore tax havens and does fook all to help the country where it was first made.

The answer is not punitive tax (the crooks will just find other ways to hide it) but some good old fashioned politics. Whats stopping Dave from getting a few of the top players (industrialists, financiers, hedge fund managers, some old chums from Eton, etc etc) round for a pint at No10.

Get a few halves of Bollinger down 'em and say, "oh, by the way chaps, old Blighty is in a bit of a mess just now, the frightful oiks left us in a bit of bother. Thing is, it would be highly appreciated in the right circles if you old boys could stick a billion or two into creating a few jobs for the peasants, they're getting above themselves again. Perhaps pay a bit of tax for a year, or better still, back off with the panic buying and selling on the market. Oh, and no more Gas and Electric rises for a year or two either chaps.

That should keep Her Maj's right hand and sword busy next year...there'll be no need for any unpleasantness then would there....i mean, we don't want any nasty stories in the daily rags about certain people being unpatriotic, you know, not wishing to help the old country out at times of need....pip, pip"

[james_ram]

Retailers in America have reported increased sales because of people dipping into savings.

The savings that reasonably wealthy have can see us through while everyone below has more money to spend. It's the only way I can see us getting out of the recession we're about to head into.

What your suggesting is a short term fix, a quick way to stop an impending recession. It would work most probably, but, the only way we're going to have growth over the long term is by creating jobs, and jobs can be created in manufacturing sector with the right investment, this country could try and become a world leader in new technology, it just has to make the investment, look at Toyota for example, they take on employees, grow as a business, invest for the future and they are probably one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world and have a large socioeconomic impact on Japan.

[james_ram]

We need to stop relying on the square mile of the city for everything. Where they deal in money that doesn't even exist and reward failure with huge bonuses and are all registered in the Canary Islands, but unfortunately, Mr. Osborne isn't going to do that as he wants a plush job when he is ousted as chancellor.

[uttoxram75]

What your suggesting is a short term fix, a quick way to stop an impending recession. It would work most probably, but, the only way we're going to have growth over the long term is by creating jobs, and jobs can be created in manufacturing sector with the right investment, this country could try and become a world leader in new technology, it just has to make the investment, look at Toyota for example, they take on employees, grow as a business, invest for the future and they are probably one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world and have a large socioeconomic impact on Japan.

Toyota don't panic if they have a slow 3 month period. Our economy is ruled by the "markets" who demand instant returns. For companies like Toyota to prosper they have to have a more long term approach to growth.