Off Topic Political Debate

Ireland's corporation tax rate is 12.5%, much lower than the UK. This very competitive rate obviously helps Ireland attract a lot of multinational business. The french and germans hate the fact that Ireland can set its own tax rates, this will cause a major battle when the superstate rules are drawn up.

 

The better off need help so they can carry on subsidising the less well off and the workshy.

 

By giving them tax-cuts?

How does that make any sense?

 

When people are not excessively taxed they work harder, longer, and are prepared to take on business risks if they feel most of the proceeds will be theirs. It has been established by reducing the top rate of tax the UK actually raises more revenue.

 

Australia hails 600 days of no asylum boats. They claim its policy of sending boats with asylum seekers back to their own country has prevented many deaths at sea.

Under the previous Labour administration, at least 1,200 people died trying to reach Australia by boat between 2008 and 2013.

How many deaths has Merkel caused?

 

That's not answering my question.

How does cutting tax for the well-off subsidise the poor?

It's been proven that the last tax-break for the rich didn't raise more taxes, companies already knew it was going to occur and delayed paying their staff bonuses until the law changed.

Try again

 

Well i'm really looking forward to keeping more of my income, I'll probably give a bit more cash to the Albanians cleaning my cars by slightly more frequent visits, poetry in motion.

 

So you were talking out your arse?

Fair enough, you could just admit it rather than swerving as you usually do

 

I'm just so pleased Corbyn is ensuring we have a Tory chancellor at least till 2025, happy days.

 

We'll see about that

 

I would end the present european subsidies for dairy farming w_y. There was a time within living memory (mine at least) when people ate meat at weekends and cooked for a few days in advance. Now they expect meat (in some form) every day. The role of agriculture has been that of keeping prices down to ensure spending power was created in other areas. If you take the percentage of their income that people gave out for food in 1900 it was about 3 times higher than today. I would happily give out more for better food and have less for other things. The average German spends more on modernizing their kitchens and on kitchen gadgets than they do on the food they eat.....and that is crazy.

 

I agree with most of that Cologne, in fact I would end most farm subsidies. It's probably too late to turn round the whole of society, because it's ingrained in the culture of size and speed. Also our relationship with food has very much changed. As a child I do not remember people walking about eating or ready to eat food being so available - maybe fish & chips out of a newspaper on a Friday. But now every station and every corner shop sells "ready to eat" food and you see people eating on the go. One of my earliest memories is of my mum taking me on the bus to St. Albans on market day and she would take me around the cattle market to see the animals and after we would go into a little Café with waitresses with white pinny's - I used to have pilchards on toast! Just cannot imagine that now - it would be a stupidly priced Coffee and Baguette on the hoof!

 

Top afternoons fishing sir - if I had a cap it would be doffed in your direction.

 

You two make the perfect team

Don't forget to share the braincell between each other when you post, superhorns needed it earlier when he made a tit of himself

 

I am afraid to say it, but France is following in the same way. There are still many restaurants and bars that get well used, but over the past 10 years fast food outlets have appeared in most towns of any size, and the "drive through" will have a queue at midday. Sometime back a man was jailed because he burnt down a McDonalds that was under construction as a protest against fast food, and there is a movement that pops up from time to time supporting "slow food".

 

It always astonished me when living there, the French treat 'McDo' as some kind of special treat. I think the people queueing there nowadays are the young people that were taught that it was only for special occasions, and are now available to eat there more often now they're grown up. Also, it's the sort of food that doesn't go well with drink, whereas most meals in France feel weird without a glass of red or at least an aperitif...And with drink-driving laws being so strict it's no surprise people try to avoid any alcohol consumption when driving about.

 

It's a real shame OFH, I always hoped that France would stay strong - although I do like the idea of being able to get a beer with a burger there and in Spain! I remember years ago going on the annual beer and wine run and after the early start spied a McDonalds near our favourite Hypermarket - only to find it did not open until lunchtime!

 

France has long been one of Mcdo's best markets. I celebrated my 50th birthday in Mcdo's at Albi many years ago. By coincidence a brass band turned up to play, they obviously realised they had a VIP in their midst.

Most of the workers are post graduates on zero hours contracts.

 

So pleased to see that Osborne is likely to have to rethink the Disability cuts.

The single most appalling thing about the present regime is their seeming lack of care for the most needy in our society. It seems ideological. Which is deeply worrying.

A rebellion from in the ranks is brewing so a volte-face is inevitable it appears

I include an ITV link ( to discourage those of you who seem to think there is a BBC bias on these things):

http://www.itv.com/news/story/2016-03-18/disability-cuts-are-a-suggestion-tory-mp-says/


I continue to do better personally after the latest budget. But as i said before I would willingly pay more to support those in need. It is a moral imperative that as a society we support all our people. The disparaging remarks of some who seem to think a disabled person is workshy or a person on the dole is a money-grabber or a mentally ill person is fit to work are beyond acceptance. I say we have a responsibility, a duty, of care.

 

I have never met, heard or read anybody who claims all disabled are workshy, all on the dole are money grabbers or all mentally ill people are fit for work.

It is the government's responsibility to ensure all claimants are in genuine need. We all know of somebody who does not fall in this category.

We have a duty of care but only for those that deserve it.