Recession-busting suggestions for UK plc

kabayiri

Hi all

First time posting, so please be gentle :rolleyes:

I'm not sure about others here, but my biggest fear is the world financial economy deciding next year that the UK economy is in default, financially speaking. Broadly speaking, that view will be based on our escalating expenditure without any credible plan to bring back the deficit. This situation would lead to currency collapse which hits everyone.

I know we can raise taxes to generate income, but shouldn't we be applying money-saving skills to the economy at large ?
A few things I can think of straight away :-
1) withdraw from Afghanistan. That's 4.1bn per annum saving.
2) dump/postpone the ID card scheme. Up to 12 bn there.
3) Comms database. Even if you agree with it, the timing is not right, and it's another potential 10bn+ project.
4) legalise drugs (yeah, you heard me). This isn't argued from any morality POV, it would just generate a very decent short term income.
5) legalise prostitutes. I don't imagine this profession will ever go away, but this should be seen as taxable revenue.
6) Close off the offshore tax havens, starting with the easiest targets first. Plenty of money here.
7) Build a mega cheap shopping centre near dover. If the pound does slide, at least this will take advantage of the euro-shoppers !

I am sure there are other areas missing. I await your comments with keen eyes

itsallagame_2

I have no idea how much the prison system costs but no doubt it a fortune.
So why not have a penal system where the offender is actually punished, if it’s not pleasant I’m sure a fair few wouldn't re-offend.

I like your idea of going for the ‘unthinkable’ taxes also better than slapping a fine on me because my dustbins not shut properly.
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socrates

I think the costs of Iraq and Afghanistan have been vastly understated by the government as has the hidden income from the stolen oil. Or was it just the yanks who got their hands on that?

russ21282

Some interesting ideas there, i'd agree with most them even if there wasn't a recession! There was an interview with a UN chief a few weeks back who said the economy had benefited from the cash that had come from drugs as it was the only liquid asset at the end of last year.

As far as i'm concerned it's a no brainer, the drug industry is worth billions in this country alone, why not leagalise and tax? drugs would be safer, harder for children to get hold of and would support the economy.

The same with prostituiom, safer, controlled and taxable.

Prohibition never works.

kabayiri

itsallagame wrote: »

I have no idea how much the prison system costs but no doubt it a fortune.
So why not have a penal system where the offender is actually punished, if it’s not pleasant I’m sure a fair few wouldn't re-offend.

I am quite liking this prison focus. We have a residence hierarchy in the normal house market, so why not in the prison world?

Top rate prison cells (let's call them the Archer suites for convenience) :- they would cost the prisoner 250K a year, lower spec cells would have a lower rental price for the prisoner.

Thinking about it, this is more of a 'timeshare' scheme though, isn't it?

We keep on rolling these ideas in, we will soon have that trillion pound deficit covered.

kabayiri

russ21282 wrote: »

The same with prostituiom, safer, controlled and taxable.

The advantages with legalising prostitution are widespread. It would allow MPs to record their visits as legitimate business expense then.

I am pretty sure this is one of the reasons why they demand a 250 quid unreceipted allowance (allegedly).

Pssst

Round up all the redundant miners and all the young fit and strong jobless.

Set them to work tunnelling under the UK.

Attach the door of no10 to the pier at John O Groats to use as a rudder.

Sail the country to the med and moor it just of Ibiza.

Lets all drop an E,lie in the sun and get pi**ed.

( I have the Samuel Barber Adagio for strings remix on my woofers right mow...)

chewmylegoff

can you explain how legalising drugs would raise revenue? assume you mean taxing it.

where will the govt get a legal supply which it can tax

even if it could overcome this hurdel, how will it deal with the fact that legal drugs would be much more expensive than illegal drugs, to the extent that everyone would just buy illegal ones.

kabayiri

chewmylegoff wrote: »

where will the govt get a legal supply which it can tax

even if it could overcome this hurdel, how will it deal with the fact that legal drugs would be much more expensive than illegal drugs, to the extent that everyone would just buy illegal ones.

Supply? Lemme see.....find a country which produces drugs, oh I know, Afghanistan! So we do a deal with the Taliban then :- "lads, we pull out of your homeland, but in return we need first dibs on the stuff you produce for the West".

Seriously though, I suspect drugs are just tradable commodity (and I have no experience in this area I might add). I don't see why UK plc can't buy drugs cheaper, and also QA it at the same time.

Are you saying the current situation is better? Namely, drugs barons and overlords get seriously wealthy on the black market and fund all sorts of other criminal activity.

Again, my stance is not political, or moral. I just reckon the tax payer needs a bit of payback for all these years of paying for 'rehab'.

russ21282

chewmylegoff wrote: »

can you explain how legalising drugs would raise revenue? assume you mean taxing it.

where will the govt get a legal supply which it can tax

even if it could overcome this hurdel, how will it deal with the fact that legal drugs would be much more expensive than illegal drugs, to the extent that everyone would just buy illegal ones.

Drugs can be produced extremely cheaply. Their inflated costs are down to the fact they are illegal and everyone takes their cut from supplier, to dealer, dealer, dealer etc. It would possible to produce the drugs cheaper than the illegal market.

Take Amsterdam for instance, you get unauthorised dealers selling cannabis in the streets, but most people don't go near them and go to a coffee shop instead.

MrFonzerelli

itsallagame wrote: »

I have no idea how much the prison system costs but no doubt it a fortune.
So why not have a penal system where the offender is actually punished, if it’s not pleasant I’m sure a fair few wouldn't re-offend.

Methinks that punishment does not equate to rehabilitation.
There's the mad, the bad and the sad that commit crime.
It's more complex than simply 'punishment'.