It looks like it was in this case, and the yogurt throwing woman. The disturbing number of serious attacks against politicians in Germany are largely Radicalised Left against right wing politicians, AfD. There have been attacks by the right too, but, so far as I can see, not so numerous. Last year, there were 86 violent attacks against AfD.
But more fatal, as Jo Cox’s family would attest. Whoever commits this type of action, whether chucking a milkshake of seriously attacking a politician, for whatever motive, is moronic, contributing to the ongoing dumbing down of out political culture which the politicians are doing a great job of doing themselves with no external help.
David Amiss was killed for his conservative beliefs. Yes, the lower grade stuff is mindless, and a prison sentence should follow conviction. Ironically, these attacks tend to attract sympathy and votes from a public that is intolerant to violence.
My wife and I were talking about that yesterday - clearly, those words have been chosen very carefully. I wonder what potential taxable ‘items’ will come into play? Higher rates of CGT? Introducing CGT on Principal Private Residences? Pension Pots? Higher rates/progressive rates on Inheritance Tax? Mansion Taxes? Wealth Taxes? Whatever/whichever is chosen, let’s hope that there will be no ‘unintended consequences’ as was the case when Gordon Brown used his first budget to raid pension tax relief (ACT) in 1997. The removal of dividend tax credits from pension schemes was a huge factor which contributed to the demise of the UK’s (gold-plated) Defined Benefit pension schemes. That said, perhaps the phrase ‘unintended consequences’ is inappropriate given that Brown had been warned by officials that he risked long term damage to Britain's occupational pensions industry when he pressed ahead with the £5bn a year cut in tax relief in his very first budget. Official Treasury documents indicate that officials told the chancellor that his decision to cut the long-standing tax break to pension funds would place an added burden on employers and could hasten the demise of final salary scheme pensions. Prophetic words indeed.
All Labour spokespeople are busy 'failing to rule out' CGT changes, which means they will almost certainly introduce them. Whether this will be in the manifesto or not remains to be seen, though. All of the tax changes you mention, including a wealth tax, will remain open to Labour once in power, without breaking promises and without hitting 'every household' for £2,000.
Burnside @BurnsideNotTosh In the old days MPs used to work in the real world, if you were a Conservative perhaps as a barrister or a busines owner, in Labour in a factory or school, as a Liberal perhaps you were a celebrated nonce. Representative of their core constituency, with experience they could bring to Parliament. Now their experience is working in politics having studied politics. Matt Hancock and Yvette Cooper are essentially the same hideous monster created by PPE and hanging around other bollocked breathed sociopathic ****licking parliamentards determined to boss every ****er around on the strength of a degree in being a ****cunt. Bin the ****ing lot.
Just seen a Scottish conservative one, they just attacked the SNP and played strong on the Unionist vote, basically begging for tactical voting from Labour and Lib Dem voters. Douglas Ross is standing down as their keader due to an expenses scandal but is all over the broadcast, you couldn't make it up
The Times says that at least 41 Reform Party candidates are Facebook followers of Gary Raikes, leader of the New British Union (slogan ‘The future is Fascism’), a truly pathetic group modelled on Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists, even down to the poxy blackshirt uniforms. Several of these candidates like to post in support of Mr Raikes and his ideas. On skimming the Tory manifesto it becomes clear that all the giveaways will be funded by cuts to welfare payments and social care budgets.
I think I’m right in saying that his mother worked in the NHS too. I could be mistaken on this, but perhaps he’ll remind us of this on a few more occasions.
