Off Topic Politics Thread

[San Tejón]

The Good Law Project has discovered that an online government tool for calculating tax was also capturing personal data for other purposes, without permission.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C38ItZFNv3i/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

 

[Number 1 Jasper]

I will be fine because I’ve been saving and investing since I started work at 16.

I won’t be relying on the state.

People need to stop relying on daddy government and start being more responsible.

I don’t understand this mindset of people failing to take any responsibility for their retirement, and then wanting to punish the working people for their poor decisions over their lives.

Not sure how old you are , but I will say 26 .

you have been saving and investing for 1pm years , well done .

That is genuinely meant , no sarcasm , I joined BT in 1983 , saved had shares etc .

I could have chosen to get on the property ladder but decided not to .

That was 40 years ago . I have a decent pension thanks to BT , not old enough yet to claim my State Pension .

So. OS .

Here we are in 2024 , can you honestly say you could save and invest like you could when you were 16 ?

What sort of wage were you on ? What would the wage need to be today to be the same ?

And I’m sorry but there is no way of knowing you won’t be relying on the state .

 

[EasyBreezer]

Lowest State pension in Europe. Not a good deal at all.

Different countries have different systems, UK is nowhere close to being the worst place to be retired in Europe.

 

[......loading......]

We need people who do the low paid work. The factory workers, shop workers, road sweepers are all essential to society. We don’t pay them enough to build a nest egg - so the state pension is a necessity.

That said, the key point here is that we do need to do more for young people. The very first thing we need to do is revolutionise the housing system. Capped rents would destroy the disgusting buy-to-let system we have. A national house building drive would decimate the value of the stock.

Good! Give people a chance to live!

 

[thereisonlyoneno7]

We need people who do the low paid work. The factory workers, shop workers, road sweepers are all essential to society. We don’t pay them enough to build a nest egg - so the state pension is a necessity.

That said, the key point here is that we do need to do more for young people. The very first thing we need to do is revolutionise the housing system. Capped rents would destroy the disgusting buy-to-let system we have. A national house building drive would decimate the value of the stock.

Good! Give people a chance to live!

100%

 

[EasyBreezer]

As an overseas pensioner I'm aware of the poor UK pension in comparison with other comparable European countries.
Raising the threshold of income tax is the best way to help those most in need rather than reducing NI.

Completely agree the threshold needs to be increased before the freeze is due to end.

https://www.mercer.com/insights/inv...k-and-trends/mercer-cfa-global-pension-index/

This seems to be comparing entire pension systems, and suggests that UK retirees are doing better than most of Europe.

 

[Lemons and Oranges]

Hopefully because they have finally realised that they need to actually help working people instead of using them as cash cows.

I don’t see why pensioners should get so much really. They’ve had their whole lives to save and buffer for their retirement.

Not on out that, most of their pension schemes were 100x better than ours.

Stop giving them money is absolutely fine with me. Reward young, hardworking families instead.

What we need here is a "Logan's Run" type of solution, so that once people (like me) have stopped working, or otherwise usefully contributing to society, they should be 'renewed', thus leaving the entirety of the earth's resources to "young, hardworking families", as opposed to the meek, who were originally lined up to inherit the earth. Alternatively, you could persuade "young people" to vote, thus giving them a voice in decisions, like pensions, and pensionable ages.

 

[Osvaldorama]

We need people who do the low paid work. The factory workers, shop workers, road sweepers are all essential to society. We don’t pay them enough to build a nest egg - so the state pension is a necessity.

That said, the key point here is that we do need to do more for young people. The very first thing we need to do is revolutionise the housing system. Capped rents would destroy the disgusting buy-to-let system we have. A national house building drive would decimate the value of the stock.

Good! Give people a chance to live!

Your heart is in the right place. But again this is a truly misinformed post

Price caps and centralised control of markets (property or otherwise) always leads to one outcome: complete breakdown of the market due to improper price signals

The only solution to the problem is sound money and moving away from a debt based economy.

 

[Osvaldorama]

What we need here is a "Logan's Run" type of solution, so that once people (like me) have stopped working, or otherwise usefully contributing to society, they should be 'renewed', thus leaving the entirety of the earth's resources to "young, hardworking families", as opposed to the meek, who were originally lined up to inherit the earth. Alternatively, you could persuade "young people" to vote, thus giving them a voice in decisions, like pensions, and pensionable ages.

Not saying that. I’m saying that by the time people are 60-70, even on the lowest of wages they will have collected hundreds of thousands of pounds over the course of their life.

Educating people about the importance of finance and saving for retirement would solve more problems than a few % on the state pension

 

[ChilcoSaint]

Not saying that. I’m saying that by the time people are 60-70, even on the lowest of wages they will have collected hundreds of thousands of pounds over the course of their life.

Educating people about the importance of finance and saving for retirement would solve more problems than a few % on the state pension

I don’t disagree, but you seem oblivious to the fact that millions struggle to pay their rent/mortgage, heat their homes and feed their kids. How do you propose they also save enough to have a comfortable retirement?

 

[StJabbo1]

Completely agree the threshold needs to be increased before the freeze is due to end.

https://www.mercer.com/insights/inv...k-and-trends/mercer-cfa-global-pension-index/

Another report puts the UK 17/50 European countries https://www.almondfinancial.co.uk/p...-state-pension-compare-to-the-rest-of-europe/
We're fortunate to be living in the Netherland and working on after reaching UK pensionable age increased my pension considerably. That together with my Dutch pension, not full, not enough qualifying years, plus a QROPS from which I drawdown from as required give us a comfertable income.
Another big plus is the health service both having issues dealt with promptly and efficiently.

 

[Gregm1988]

Isn’t it about that time of year where the story comes out about high the percentage of people in this country without £1,000 in savings gets released? It’s rather high if I recall

 

[......loading......]

Your heart is in the right place. But again this is a truly misinformed post

Price caps and centralised control of markets (property or otherwise) always leads to one outcome: complete breakdown of the market due to improper price signals

The only solution to the problem is sound money and moving away from a debt based economy.

Depends what you think is important. The next truly great revolution will be the rejection of capital. We all are subservient to our wealthy overlords simply because we agree to accept the illusion of "money". Money means nothing if people decide it doesn't.

When preserving "the market" trumps the lives of ordinary people, you know you are in a horrendous trap. Capitalism is the tool which enslaves us all. The first stage of fighting back needs to be the collective decision that everyone deserves a place to live- and that human rights are not an opportunity for profiteering.

"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control." This is the International Bill of Human Rights.

When it comes to food and clothing, we have options. We can shop around for what is cheap - capitalism hasn't failed us here yet. Health care is slipping into the capitalistic noose as we speak - and look at the state of health in the US! But, housing is a capitalist dream and a human nightmare.

If I have the means to make good money I can buy a house I will not live in and rent this house out to someone else. This other person will pay me a rent above the rate I am repaying my mortgage at - and I get a free house and they get... nothing. This is economic sin. It is foul and it is sickening our society has accepted it. This "market" prevents us building new houses and prevents young people becoming financially independent.

So, yes, let's smash the market as the market is just chains around the ankles of our young people.

 

[Osvaldorama]

I don’t disagree, but you seem oblivious to the fact that millions struggle to pay their rent/mortgage, heat their homes and feed their kids. How do you propose they also save enough to have a comfortable retirement?

A massive part of that is the fact we pay the most amount of taxes since WW2 (Which goes nowhere btw).

People need more money back in their wages by reducing taxes. That means more responsible decisions by both government and the general population.

Both high taxes and the real problem, inflation, are a direct result of government policies. Neither of which are even being talked about as a problem, let alone close to being solved.

Ultimately, the sooner people realise the government is ****ing them over and their state pension will likely be absolutely ****ed by the time they hit retirement age, the better for everyone.

We need to be telling everyone that the state pension cannot be relied upon. Because it can’t. The country is too poorly run.

We government has a spending problem, not an income problem. The money is all completely wasted.

 

[EasyBreezer]

Another report puts the UK 17/50 European countries https://www.almondfinancial.co.uk/p...-state-pension-compare-to-the-rest-of-europe/
We're fortunate to be living in the Netherland and working on after reaching UK pensionable age increased my pension considerably. That together with my Dutch pension, not full, not enough qualifying years, plus a QROPS from which I drawdown from as required give us a comfertable income.
Another big plus is the health service both having issues dealt with promptly and efficiently.

That report is nonsense.. A quick web search shows the average state pension is 900 euros per month in Spain. Presenting the maximum as the standard would immediately lead me to believe the rest of their data has not been collected by someone who knows what they are doing.

 

[......loading......]

A massive part of that is the fact we pay the most amount of taxes since WW2 (Which goes nowhere btw).

People need more money back in their wages by reducing taxes. That means more responsible decisions by both government and the general population.

Both high taxes and the real problem, inflation, are a direct result of government policies. Neither of which are even being talked about as a problem, let alone close to being solved.

Ultimately, the sooner people realise the government is ****ing them over and their state pension will likely be absolutely ****ed by the time they hit retirement age, the better for everyone.

We need to be telling everyone that the state pension cannot be relied upon. Because it can’t. The country is too poorly run.

We government has a spending problem, not an income problem. The money is all completely wasted.

You just keep ignoring the facts to defend your view, mate!

Let's say I earn £24k and I am single.

That is £2000 per month before tax.

My deductions are:

£750 rent
£50 gas
£50 electric
£400 food
£90 council tax
£30 water
-- £190 tax --
£15 towards my year's car tax
£50 car insurance
£60 petrol
Now, let's assume I want a modest social life and deduct £200 per month for that

That leaves me with £115 to save up each month. I will need £57,278 to be able to afford the average UK deposit. I can save that up in 41.5 years. After that, I can start saving to support myself in my old age!

Tax is not the problem. The housing market is. My parents paid £50 per MONTH for their social housing rent. Good luck anybody to find that today.

 

[ChilcoSaint]

A massive part of that is the fact we pay the most amount of taxes since WW2 (Which goes nowhere btw).

People need more money back in their wages by reducing taxes. That means more responsible decisions by both government and the general population.

Both high taxes and the real problem, inflation, are a direct result of government policies. Neither of which are even being talked about as a problem, let alone close to being solved.

Ultimately, the sooner people realise the government is ****ing them over and their state pension will likely be absolutely ****ed by the time they hit retirement age, the better for everyone.

We need to be telling everyone that the state pension cannot be relied upon. Because it can’t. The country is too poorly run.

We government has a spending problem, not an income problem. The money is all completely wasted.

What you’re doing is conflating the fact that the current government has funnelled billions upon billions of taxpayers’ money into their chums’ pockets one way or another, with the fact that taxation actually funds everything the state provides. Healthcare, education, roads, defence, and everything else. Just because the current government can’t be fiscally responsible for a jumble sale doesn’t itself prove your theory in the slightest.

Until 2010 our standard of living was probably the highest it’s ever been, hospital waiting lists were at record lows, and education standards at their highest. Since then, the taxes we pay have been squandered, sure, but that doesn’t mean the concept of taxation is wrong, just its implementation.

 

[thereisonlyoneno7]

What you’re doing is conflating the fact that the current government has funnelled billions upon billions of taxpayers’ money into their chums’ pockets one way or another, with the fact that taxation actually funds everything the state provides. Healthcare, education, roads, defence, and everything else. Just because the current government can’t be fiscally responsible for a jumble sale doesn’t itself prove your theory in the slightest.

Until 2010 our standard of living was probably the highest it’s ever been, hospital waiting lists were at record lows, and education standards at their highest. Since then, the taxes we pay have been squandered, sure, but that doesn’t mean the concept of taxation is wrong, just its implementation.

What worries me lol is that for a 'righty', I tend to agree a lot on here and most my views are pretty close to you lot

 

[......loading......]

What worries me lol is that for a 'righty', I tend to agree a lot on here and most my views are pretty close to you lot

(pssst... that is because left and right are fictions created to simplify political viewpoints)

 

[ChilcoSaint]

(pssst... that is because left and right are fictions created to simplify political viewpoints)

And this leads to what James O’Brien describes as “footballification”, or defending and voting for a particular party or viewpoint just because it’s “yours”.

On my Parish Council we don’t have political allegiances, and we vote on every issue according to our conscience and what we believe to be in the best interests of our village. I think there’s an argument for abolishing all political parties.