Politics

[Peter Frost]

The media - very much including social media is awash with dishonesty and people manipulation but if you are going to take the moral high ground you can’t be selective on the issues that just suit your beliefs- so many examples - why is MSM not repeating the words of the Israeli military leader saying it’s not about accuracy it’s about destruction - and why aren’t they hounding Hancock for awarding PPE contracts to his mates or Baroness Bra fleecing the exchequer for billions on the same subject.
Yes, of course there were major shortfalls by the police and other authorities on the non pursuit and prosecution of ****stani gangs because of not believing the victims or for fear of being called racist - but also to be noted disadvantaged young girls has been ignored, not believed and taken advantage of long before the first ****stani immigrant entered the UK and is certainly not a trait limited to one race.
The non prosecution etc at the time was fundamentally wrong and a lot of people are culpable (although the singling out of Starmer is more based on rhetoric and emotion rather than fact). Surely you also must know Yaxley Lennon has a clear objective of pointing the finger overall at the Muslim population- if he really cared about sex crimes why is he not equally vocal on the appalling prosecution and conviction rate on all rape cases?

[Bugbrooke Boy]

Threats against Panama, Mexico, Canada and Denmark. Is there any difference between Trump and Putin? Even the Archbigot of Cnterbury will have trouble defending this.

[Manwork04]

Pound falls to it lowest in years, government borrowing highest in 17 years, mortgages on the way up again, welcome to the Starmtroopers brave new world.

[Bugbrooke Boy]

Very good Mr Manwork - no expletives. They need to u-tun on the NI hike.

[Manwork04]

Very good Mr Manwork - no expletives. They need to u-tun on the NI hike.

How was school?

[DrillingCobbler]

I like reading Peter Frost's posts on this thread. So balanced. Not a lefty or a righty. If only there was a sensible political party that shared that outlook!

[Bingers]

How was school?

Ours have been closed all week because of snow and ice. Or put it another way, 15 years of under investment in council services, so we don't have the gritters, the grit bins or the manpower to get out and shift the ice.

Of course these things cost, so all those who complain about tax also complain about lack of council action. Tax us more and importantly tax the big profits earnt from big business.

[Melbourne Cobbler]

Ours have been closed all week because of snow and ice. Or put it another way, 15 years of under investment in council services, so we don't have the gritters, the grit bins or the manpower to get out and shift the ice.

Of course these things cost, so all those who complain about tax also complain about lack of council action. Tax us more and importantly tax the big profits earnt from big business.

Unless they shut up shop and move off shore. I’ll say it again, when it comes to this type of taxation every country is competition with each other. If you try and overtax these companies they’ll move the point of taxation somewhere else, and you’ll get an increased percentage of sod all. A classic politician smoke screen that might win votes and fool some, but actually achieves the exact opposite of the intention by pissing money down the drain. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news and all that.

[Manwork04]

Unless they shut up shop and move off shore. I’ll say it again, when it comes to this type of taxation every country is competition with each other. If you try and overtax these companies they’ll move the point of taxation somewhere else, and you’ll get an increased percentage of sod all. A classic politician smoke screen that might win votes and fool some, but actually achieves the exact opposite of the intention by pissing money down the drain. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news and all that.

Spot on Melly, quite frankly the left wing view of the economy is quite frankly moronic.
Tax and spend until they have run out of other peoples money.

[BackOfTheNet]

Yup. I still think they'd have been better off increasing income tax and employee NI than increasing employers NI contributions because it stil hits the average employee in the pocket regardless while also threatening their source of income altogether.

Personally, my annual cost of living pay rise is (in percentage terms) half what it was in the previous two years. The reason given? Government NI increases that need to be offset.

Frankly, I'm happy to be getting a pay rise at all this year because I wasn't expecting one for that very reason.

[Manwork04]

Yup. I still think they'd have been better off increasing income tax and employee NI than increasing employers NI contributions because it stil hits the average employee in the pocket regardless while also threatening their source of income altogether.

Personally, my annual cost of living pay rise is (in percentage terms) half what it was in the previous two years. The reason given? Government NI increases that need to be offset.

Frankly, I'm happy to be getting a pay rise at all this year because I wasn't expecting one for that very reason.

Did you vote Labour?

[BackOfTheNet]

No.

[CobblerForever]

Unless they shut up shop and move off shore. I’ll say it again, when it comes to this type of taxation every country is competition with each other. If you try and overtax these companies they’ll move the point of taxation somewhere else, and you’ll get an increased percentage of sod all. A classic politician smoke screen that might win votes and fool some, but actually achieves the exact opposite of the intention by pissing money down the drain. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news and all that.

The three most successful accountants I trained with - two of them vastly well paid as Tax specialists in the very area you are referring to above, the other does something in the City with regard to Mergers and Acquisitions that I don't really understand but his company earns significant sums engaged in the fine details.

You are right. The current government hasn't a clue - Reeves has to go and they need to get Ed Balls involved (he's the only Labour leaning one with the practical experience and understands this sort of thing).

[CobblerForever]

The media - very much including social media is awash with dishonesty and people manipulation but if you are going to take the moral high ground you can’t be selective on the issues that just suit your beliefs- so many examples - why is MSM not repeating the words of the Israeli military leader saying it’s not about accuracy it’s about destruction - and why aren’t they hounding Hancock for awarding PPE contracts to his mates or Baroness Bra fleecing the exchequer for billions on the same subject.
Yes, of course there were major shortfalls by the police and other authorities on the non pursuit and prosecution of ****stani gangs because of not believing the victims or for fear of being called racist - but also to be noted disadvantaged young girls has been ignored, not believed and taken advantage of long before the first ****stani immigrant entered the UK and is certainly not a trait limited to one race.
The non prosecution etc at the time was fundamentally wrong and a lot of people are culpable (although the singling out of Starmer is more based on rhetoric and emotion rather than fact). Surely you also must know Yaxley Lennon has a clear objective of pointing the finger overall at the Muslim population- if he really cared about sex crimes why is he not equally vocal on the appalling prosecution and conviction rate on all rape cases?

A National Inquiry.

Drill down hard into the figures. No hiding places for any race, religion or ethnicity.

It's what many have been calling for, for ages. Allison Pearson wrote a brilliant article in the Daily Telegraph just a few days back - it's Journalist of the Year material and required reading if you care about this.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/01/07/elon-musk-has-ripped-cloak-of-deceit-off-britain-scandal/

I know it's behind a paywall.

[singcobb]

What these morons don't realise is that if you raise taxes and NI contributions for companies all they do is raise prices to cover it and you get rampant inflation and a workforce that isn't getting any extra money to cover it.

[Terryfenwickatemyhamster]

I saw the farmers protesting on the roads around Northampton today. I understand from a farmer friend f mine, that they are willing to cut production for a short while, in order to force prices through the ceiling. In turn fùcking over this shìt shower of a government. All the areas that are dodging the bullet when it comes to contributing to the national purse. And they start on our pensioners and farmers first. What a complete shambles this is turning into.

[Peter Frost]

I saw the farmers protesting on the roads around Northampton today. I understand from a farmer friend f mine, that they are willing to cut production for a short while, in order to force prices through the ceiling. In turn fùcking over this shìt shower of a government. All the areas that are dodging the bullet when it comes to contributing to the national purse. And they start on our pensioners and farmers first. What a complete shambles this is turning into.

….yes the poor farmers having to pay the same tax as everyone else - well actually no as it’s only 50% of what everyone else has to pay and of course the privileged right to pay that off interest free over 10 years - of course if they bequeath it to their family and live for 7 years nothing at all to pay.

Labour have royally f***ed up on a number of fronts but forgive me if I’m not over sympathetic to the farmers, who while I’m at it gladly sucked up EU subsidies then voted leave and were a bit upset the conservatives didn’t give them the same subsidies. For a closing note yes some farmers work very hard as indeed do many other workers who will neither be cash or asset rich.

[Manwork04]

….yes the poor farmers having to pay the same tax as everyone else - well actually no as it’s only 50% of what everyone else has to pay and of course the privileged right to pay that off interest free over 10 years - of course if they bequeath it to their family and live for 7 years nothing at all to pay.

Labour have royally f***ed up on a number of fronts but forgive me if I’m not over sympathetic to the farmers, who while I’m at it gladly sucked up EU subsidies then voted leave and were a bit upset the conservatives didn’t give them the same subsidies. For a closing note yes some farmers work very hard as indeed do many other workers who will neither be cash or asset rich.

What the fcuk are you wittering on about now, have you had a dodgy oyster in gay Paris and it’s sent you mad?

[Terryfenwickatemyhamster]

….yes the poor farmers having to pay the same tax as everyone else - well actually no as it’s only 50% of what everyone else has to pay and of course the privileged right to pay that off interest free over 10 years - of course if they bequeath it to their family and live for 7 years nothing at all to pay.

Labour have royally f***ed up on a number of fronts but forgive me if I’m not over sympathetic to the farmers, who while I’m at it gladly sucked up EU subsidies then voted leave and were a bit upset the conservatives didn’t give them the same subsidies. For a closing note yes some farmers work very hard as indeed do many other workers who will neither be cash or asset rich.

They are businesses. Not simply property…

[Peter Frost]

What the fcuk are you wittering on about now, have you had a dodgy oyster in gay Paris and it’s sent you mad?

Quite possibly- but your response did make me smile ……