I’m not advocating euthanasia for fat slobs but if they did have a policy that 1 in 100 fat slobs would be euthanised on the first day of each year at random we’d be a fitter nation. Fewer sick days, reduced burden on the NHS, higher productivity. But I’m not advocating that. Stopping the boats is the first step of course.
My serious idea would be UBI or Universal Basic Income for brb. Would, as always, put a high tax burden on higher earners but takes a lot of the massive admin cost out of the equation. Also a small thing that could be tweaked is peak rail fares which are a huge hindrance to people bettering themselves and impact almost entirely working people. It’s something like £55 for a peak return from here to London now. I think if you can prove you’re commuting you should be able to claim the difference from an off peak ticket back. Also an even smaller thing, if I’m getting the 6am train that’s not ****ing peak time because I’m one of the few ****s on it so peak services should be trains getting into major cities 8-10 or something.
Semantics - Yes I'll have had child benefit and yes I will have used the NHS - and no, my kids didn't go to private school - they got to Uni without any advantages ... of which I'm pretty proud... ... but I've worked in my profession since 1986 and never had a day off on the sick (I was on gardening leave at the time of my heart surgery) - I've paid higher rate tax on my wages for over 25 years - and I've paid for (and been taxed on - benefit in kind) family private medical care for about the same time.and that has paid for my heart op, MRIs (and subsequent treatments) for the missus and 2 of my girls .... So in terms of 'net spend' I've contributed vastly more than I have ever 'benefited' or received support for.. now I wholly accept that not everyone can do that - for health and other reasons - but I don't have a great deal of sympathy for those that have had a lifetime of relying on the state when they could have contributed to it but just preferred not to - yet continued taking ...
