Greens take Brighton Pavilion

Entertainer

carolt wrote: »

I'm dubious about this. £8 is not that much more than the current £6.90 (?) - only businesses with huge numbers of low-paid staff would face problems; for most businesses, staff are only 1 of many costs.

I remember how all the representatives of business came out when the minimum wage was first introduced and said it would bankrupt business, create huge unemployement - it did nothing of the sort, as we all know.

It's £5.90 not £6.90. It very much does depend on the level. Certainly I do know of businesses that have shut down because they can't pay the MW, how many in total it is, I don't know but they are there. I take the point about businesses complaining but at the 1992 election Labour wanted a minimum wage of median earnings which was then £4.50 an hour. In today’s money that would be around £8 and would cost jobs. The level that was introduced in 1999 was £3.60 so basically what they brought in was lower than they first promised/threatened that was spooking business. So it's disingenuous of critics of business to cite their dissent for something which wasn't introduced. Labour wouldn't say what the level would be in the run up to the 1997 election so they didn't give any ammunition to their opponents about possible job losses (rather like not having a spending review now so they can't take any flack on cuts- new Labour sophistry is still alive and kicking.)

In any event, the rate is set independently of government by the Low Pay Commission who consider what rate business can afford and its effect on jobs. So they have come to a considered opinion and have increased it gradually when they think it is affordable. And they will continue to do this (unless politicians put their oar in and use it as a political football.)

bo_drinker

It's usually rent and rates hikes that kill small businesses, if they can't pay m w surely the business is not viable ?? especially as they know what wages would need to be before they start

fc123

SimbaK2K wrote: »

Am I the only one who thing the Green Party are more bonkers then the BNP? They want to allow mass immigration from non EU countries, give them citizenship and raise the minimum wage to £8 while raising benefits? Sounds like a sure way to screw up the country if you ask me.

When I thought I was in Brighton Pavilion ward and when I found out I could vote for and get a Green MP, I got quite excited.
I had a look on their site and saw some stuff that I liked the sound of. Idealistic, yes, but nice to be a bit idealistic sometimes...anyway, totally missed the £8 MW and 'The world is for Everyone' policy. I agree with it in principle but acknowledge that in real time, unlimited immigration just won't work.....

...anyway......I had a niche business in Brighton from 98 and have lived here F/T from 05 and I have to say, it has been a priviledge, an absolute priviledge. OH loves it and he never wanted to leave London..ever.

Bluddy expensive mind, but maybe the tolerant, yogi, unprejudiced, tree huggy feeling is the secret to pushing up HP in an area?

The fact that Brighton voted in the only Green MP says a lot about those who live here...it is a very liberating, free thinking place with very little small mindedness........written from my own experience. One of the reasons we chose to open a shop here also.

I really noticed the difference in the Brighton customer base when we first opened as we had our SE London shop until 02 so they overlapped.


The Gay community bring masses to the area plus I have heard that it has a higher number of gay females than anywhere else in the UK as it is so tolerant.
Gay females can get more predjudice and stereotype mickey taking than gay males...it's either !!!!!! type nudge nudge or taking the p** as they may look a bit masculine. Trust me, you couldn't tell the difference from appearance 90% of the time.

My customer base comprised of so many different types of people and I had the pleasure to serve people like J Burchill and partner on a few occasions plus other well known, not gay Brightonians.

Voting in a Green MP could be seen as a very symbolic way of saying brighton has it's own mind and way of doing things and is not scared to go against the grain.

£8 Min wage? No problem...I will just have to charge more for the end product ......but people won't mind as they will be earning more...min wage pushes up all other wages so everything layers above it pro rata.

fc123

bo_drinker wrote: »

It's usually rent and rates hikes that kill small businesses, if they can't pay m w surely the business is not viable ?? especially as they know what wages would need to be before they start

Depends on the type of business really....

PasturesNew

While on the subject of "who you'd do".... that Capn Mad Tom, Westminster Independent ... do him, but he'd HAVE to keep the pirate outfit on or the deal's off!

PasturesNew

Tax credits makes up the minimum wage to probably close to the £8 for the lucky few I bet.

Entertainer

fc123 wrote: »

When I thought I was in Brighton Pavilion ward and when I found out I could vote for and get a Green MP, I got quite excited.
I had a look on their site and saw some stuff that I liked the sound of. Idealistic, yes, but nice to be a bit idealistic sometimes...anyway, totally missed the £8 MW and 'The world is for Everyone' policy. I agree with it in principle but acknowledge that in real time, unlimited immigration just won't work.....

...anyway......I had a niche business in Brighton from 98 and have lived here F/T from 05 and I have to say, it has been a priviledge, an absolute priviledge. OH loves it and he never wanted to leave London..ever.

Bluddy expensive mind, but maybe the tolerant, yogi, unprejudiced, tree huggy feeling is the secret to pushing up HP in an area?

The fact that Brighton voted in the only Green MP says a lot about those who live here...it is a very liberating, free thinking place with very little small mindedness........written from my own experience. One of the reasons we chose to open a shop here also.

I really noticed the difference in the Brighton customer base when we first opened as we had our SE London shop until 02 so they overlapped.


The Gay community bring masses to the area plus I have heard that it has a higher number of gay females than anywhere else in the UK as it is so tolerant.
Gay females can get more predjudice and stereotype mickey taking than gay males...it's either !!!!!! type nudge nudge or taking the p** as they may look a bit masculine. Trust me, you couldn't tell the difference from appearance 90% of the time.

My customer base comprised of so many different types of people and I had the pleasure to serve people like J Burchill and partner on a few occasions plus other well known, not gay Brightonians.

Voting in a Green MP could be seen as a very symbolic way of saying brighton has it's own mind and way of doing things and is not scared to go against the grain.

£8 Min wage? No problem...I will just have to charge more for the end product ......but people won't mind as they will be earning more...min wage pushes up all other wages so everything layers above it pro rata.

But what about self employed people/small business people- their wages wont go up? What about retired people, disabled people, people who aren't working? None of those people will get the compensation of wage inflation to mitigate the higher inflation, particularly in services, that could result.

This is the problem when people talk about the minimum wage or increasing it to a certain level (some people want £10 an hour) it is not an exclusively painless, win win situation- like handing out a Christmas present- there is a downside as well.

carolt

True, but I'd rather the winners were those working than those not working - too much over the last decade, those in work have been shafted to pay for all those not in work.

I think the balance has gone too far.

Why should those who put in a full day's work not do better than the unemployed?

Entertainer

carolt wrote: »

True, but I'd rather the winners were those working than those not working - too much over the last decade, those in work have been shafted to pay for all those not in work.

I think the balance has gone too far.

Why should those who put in a full day's work not do better than the unemployed?

1. Improve benefit tapers (otherwise known as "making work pay") so that low earners don't lose in work benefits as much. For example, disabled people are only allowed to earn £20 a week (which hasn't increased for 6 years), thereafter they lose benefits pound for pound (I would like to see this mentioned in somebody's manifesto.)

2. Make people who are capable of working, work. See here.

carolt

Well, I have no problems agreeing with that unreservedly.