If you were PM... where would you cut back?

foxxymynx

how much does it cost the government to run big brother...I mean CCTV?
I think we should drastically reduce the amount of CCTV anyway, busy streets and "rape/thief hotspots" keep them, but not every street in UK needs CCTV.

Benefits is a tricky one, some people should get benefits like people genuinely unable to work, but those who are just too lazy should be working - however on the otherhand, there aren't anough jobs available in UK at the moment for those who want to work, nevermind the bone idle ones who don't want to work.

I think that the country would be considerably better off if MPs expenses were all scrutinised and they could only claim for genuine expenses and all those lavish dinner parties etc that the government have were scrapped also! They're paying for it with our money and we don't see the benefit, while Johnny Blogs down the road is struggling to make ends meet and goes without dinner to pay for his gas to keep warmm that winter night.

foxxymynx

jumpycheese1 wrote: »

I would scrap IVF on the NHS as its not life threatening if you do not have children. You aren't going to die because you are childless. There are hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) of people in the UK that don't have children and they healthy.

Having children is a privilege and not a right.

There's a huge amount of medical issues that are not life threatening. Should they all be scrapped too?

One common cause of infertility is actually a brain tumour, it's tested for when a couple go to see an infertility specialist. The list of human rights also states that it's a human right to have a family.

Infertility is a medical condition, whichever way you look at it. Something medically is not working as it should and therefore causes infertility. There are a huge amount of illnesses and conditions that the NHS treat that are not life threatening.

Take for example, Chronic Pain. Chronic Pain is Pain that lasts for 6 months or longer. Chronic pain isn't curable in most cases, so all that can be done is pain management, taking painkillers, various techniques etc. However living in pain will not kill you. Does this mean that all treatments for Chronic Pain should also be scrapped?

zygurat789

tr8 wrote: »

It must start with benifits as vouchers only, so those abroad on benifits its worthless, smokers have to quit, etc.

It seems to be a popular idea but the admin involved musrt be enormous and there is always the danger that they will become another form of convertible currency and be exchanged for fags and booze anyway

teddyco

The first step to solving this problem is to get rid of Labour.
This country needs an intelligent leader who has a clue.

beer_tins

samw wrote: »

If we weren't fighting other people's wars then we would need to be fighting in some of these places, that would save money.

It was us (and the US) who chose to invade these places, no one else. I fail to see how these are anyone else's wars. We should be grateful that other countries (who were largely against these invasions) help by sending troops and money.

beer_tins

Tone14 wrote: »

I am afraid to say that as PM i wouldnt cut back on any of them instead i would remove this stupid expences that ministers get as they are redicoulous that is what their wage is for. For crying out loud if anyone else was to get also recieve the redicoulse stuff they do this country would be a mocary. Use your wage for paying for this stuff not the public's money its for us not you!

Sadly, the MP's expenses are a miniscule amount of the government's spending. Even if we were to cut them completely it would make no difference to the budget.

zygurat789

teddyco wrote: »

The first step to solving this problem is to get rid of Labour.
This country needs an intelligent leader who has a clue.

And common sense and integrity.

Did you have anyone in mind cos it certainly couln't be Cameron or Clegg or any other of the cheatin layabouts who think they're part of democracy.

Spoil your ballot paper and send a real message to the "politicians"

zygurat789

beer_tins wrote: »

Sadly, the MP's expenses are a miniscule amount of the government's spending. Even if we were to cut them completely it would make no difference to the budget.

But if we were to get rid of the MPs - that would be more worthwhile

H2SO4

Social Protection:

- means-test the old-age pension - someone like Fred Goodwin should not receive a state pension when they already have significant resources of their own.

- Means-test Child benefit - again, those already wealthy do not need it, and it could be better spent on those who need it

Education:

- Increase means-testing for university subsidies - those with parents making over, say, £150k, should pay the £10k foreign students pay, which would be used to reduce Govt. expenditure on university and cross-subsidise more less well-off students. Makes sense that those who benefit (students) pay rather than taxpayer

- Reduce Whitehall/LEA education bureaucracy - give schools more freedom to run own affairs and lay off central managers; use money thus saved to prevent teacher layoffs

Health:

- Cut bureaucrats/managers/red tape, thus cutting costs without cutting patient care

- Ideally (but not realistic) go to single-payer system more like French/Canadian - Govt. does not employ doctors directly but instead 'insures' everyone (pays independent, non-profit hospitals for care provided rather than regardless of whether they are working or not), giving hospitals motive to cut unnecessary costs.

Employment:

- Cut stupid promises - like the all school-leavers in employment pledge, which forces employers to employ under-qualified 18-year olds instead of older, better qualified people. Also very inefficient - means someone (presumably taxpayer) is paying some people who have little productive worth to do jobs that are not needed.

Defence:

- Cut wastage and bureaucracy - NOT frontline

Transport:

- More Turnpikes

Corporate Welfare:

- Cut entirely; if Govt. lends to companies to keep them afloat it should also have the intent to make a significant taxpayer profit

Generally:

- Cut government largesse and bureaucracy, lay off any civil servants who have no productive use (eg, some departments consider number of bureaucrats and size of budget as a sign of importance - should be purely a function of necessity)

- Stop 'prestige projects' - government construction made for no other reason than to fulfill stupid promises or show off (e.g. building houses where they are not needed)

Tax increases/cuts:

- Ideally no increases; could be a case for *cutting* NI because it is a tax on jobs, so cutting it might cause more people to get jobs and thus have incomes, thus paying income tax and not receiving benefits

- Maybe increase 'sin taxes' (booze, cigs, pollution)

- Windfall taxes on bonuses (95%???) and 'golden parachutes', and possibly also the Goodwins and Applegarths of the country

Gavin83

zygurat789 wrote: »

Agreed, how about a higher minimum wage? That way those who are working benefit and they then need to claim less in benefits.
But we still haven't solved the basic problem of helping those in need without supporting the idle.

I do agree with this in theory but it just means that more businesses will go bankcrupt and those who are ok will just employ less people.

JustJewels wrote: »

If a company trades in the UK, it is headquartered here. No moving operations overseas to save tax.

Terrible idea. It just means that many companies will deem the UK to expensive to trade in and therefore simply wont bother. Therefore the public in the UK will be unable to buy a number of goods that our European and American counterparts can. Think of all the companies based elsewhere who this will apply to.

foxxymynx wrote: »

There's a huge amount of medical issues that are not life threatening. Should they all be scrapped too?

One common cause of infertility is actually a brain tumour, it's tested for when a couple go to see an infertility specialist. The list of human rights also states that it's a human right to have a family.

Infertility is a medical condition, whichever way you look at it. Something medically is not working as it should and therefore causes infertility. There are a huge amount of illnesses and conditions that the NHS treat that are not life threatening.

Take for example, Chronic Pain. Chronic Pain is Pain that lasts for 6 months or longer. Chronic pain isn't curable in most cases, so all that can be done is pain management, taking painkillers, various techniques etc. However living in pain will not kill you. Does this mean that all treatments for Chronic Pain should also be scrapped?

With all due respect the inability to have a family isn't a direct medical issue. Anything that affects your quality of life should be dealt with on the NHS, anything that doesn't shouldn't.

You can argue that not having children affects your quality of life but it's not quite the same as being in constant pain or needing drug treatment.

I really don't think IVF should be on the NHS either.