'If you were chancellor, what'd you cut?' poll discussion

ifan.goch

How about increasing the tax on share dividends to whatever your tax rate is. Why should company directors pay themselves just enough salary to attract a NI cont without actually having to pay any employee/employer NICs and then pay themselves a dividend equal to a handsome salary but with only 10% tax and no NICs. They are getting maximum gain from the system for minimum input. I worked at HMRC for years as a compliance officer and these people are just laughing at us. These are the people who are paying less tax and NICs than their cleaners, while they are taking the rest of us to the cleaners. :mad:

Also, there is no option in the poll to cut the budget for sports, culture and the arts. These are all nice to support if we can afford it, but I would rather see people keep their jobs than to subsidise opera and ballet. Lets face it, these are businesses out to make money. If they can't make money on ticket sales then do people actually want to see what they are doing in the first place? :cool:

monkeylina

If the government thinks that the minimum wage is an acceptable, liveable wage for anyone in the UK, why isn't the maximum benefit paid out equal to a full-time minimum wage pay packet? I've come into contact with lots of people living on benefits who have massive TVs, better cars than me (two salary household), more branded clothes, more kids they can afford to support. I work hard and can't afford these things. How can that be fair?

Also why don't prisoners get given jobs inside that produce what the government needs? HMP Postit Note Factory? Prison-brand biros? Sewing nurses uniforms?

In fact, if the whole government machine bought its supplies together, it would probably justify creating new manufacturing jobs - whole factories making the office supplies just by and for the government, creating jobs and keeping costs down? Could this be an alternative to importing cheap goods?

orangemorag

katmcleod wrote: »

I was quite shocked how many people said overseas aid. We might think we have it hard but think how many kids die because they have no water? We need to keep helping those less fortunate. They need it more than we do. Pay it forward and all that

Well said katmcleod. I can't say I was particularly shocked, just saddened. There are a lot of selfish people out there.
Even with all the cuts here we are still way way WAY better off than loads of people in other countries.

meher

you reap what you sow, many nations have been looted and the vast majority of people of those nations ended up in abject poverty and related social issues - you can turn away without offering aid but their presence in our lives would be felt, eventually - with them knocking on our doors as refugees or the communicable diseases that would reach everywhere if they don't get timely help

In any case I don't think many people who oppose offering aid are even aware that it's not as benevelont as it looks; there are strings attached to it that Britain would benefit in the long term - it is nothing short of a business model, no more, no less. The idea is to keep poor nations perpetually poor so that we can live on the interest and benefits the returns fetch.

I'm not entirely excited about aid to any poor nations because it hurts to see people exploited because they are in a debt trap due to these business deals with the west that they are committed to at the expense of their hardship. So we need to know a little more before being dismissive of the foreign aid dynamics.

owdfosil

I'd begin by reducing the cost of keeping criminals in prisons, there must be scope for lowering the price of their upkeep, If the government can take it from the rest of us why not from those who would take it dishonestly

harz99

To answer the OP; I would start with the number of MPs, MP and Ministerial salaries, MP and Ministerial expenses, the House of Commons subsidies, the House of Lords in total, the Judiciary (Judges etc.) salaries and expenses and the Civil List - it's called leading by example!!!

rickbonar

Overseas aid has increased!

Astounded at Osborne for this.

If I were Chancellor I wouldn’t designate a single 1p for this.
In fact I think they should be paying us!

Defence is somewhat misleading as all we appear to be doing is policing far away lands that would not be any threat to us but by acting as a military police force the countries people actually become enemies and turn against us.. Ridiculous ... the Americans can deal with themselves as they started this.

As the guy defending the banks in the earlier posts ... why shouldn't the bankers have bonuses?
If it was like most businesses where you take money in bonuses out of the earned profit fair comment however when a bank LOSES billions and is propped up government public taxes as in the case of Sir Fred Goodwin (and he isn't the only one but as example).

Then how can anyone defend paying them massive wages and golden handshakes and pension schemes?

I think Sir Fred should have been arrested, then interrogated by M16, his assets and chattels seized and liquidated and then for to detained at her Majesties pleasure indefinitely.

Now that's the bonus Sir Fred and his companions really ought to have.

rickbonar

owdfosil wrote: »

I'd begin by reducing the cost of keeping criminals in prisons, there must be scope for lowering the price of their upkeep, If the government can take it from the rest of us why not from those who would take it dishonestly

I think you're right; the prisons as far as I can see often better than Butlins for some of the inmates.

Some prisons in Vietnam, Singapore are relatively empty perhaps we should send a few of our criminals there and pay those prisons and governments to deal with our overspills when needed.
That may be also a detterent for some of the lags.

I don't understand why it supposedly costs so much to keep them here?
I know court processing fees are high but this could minimised by far far longer prison terms.

A burglar can be out in a couple of months, if this 4 or 5 years then it would save on court processing fees.

A reasonable cell room could 10 feet by 8 and with a toilet even a tele. Now food simply could supplied for government tax relief from supermarkets that simply would and do bin so much good food because it's out of date time.

Prison sentences actually are so mild that they are incentives to commit more crime and need to be harsher. However I would say people starting on the road to crime need a system where they are given a decent chance to reform. Say first offence you not given a permanent record and community service and progressive as they commit more it worsens up to 5 times and then heavy sentences engage,

tp306

orangemorag wrote: »

Well said katmcleod. I can't say I was particularly shocked, just saddened. There are a lot of selfish people out there.
Even with all the cuts here we are still way way WAY better off than loads of people in other countries.

I think the problem with overseas aid is who it goes to. If it were better directed then it would be far more acceptable. India, a nuclear armed country with a space program gets the largest proportion of aid from us by far. Yes there are many people in poverty in India and I accept many of the arguments about India needing nukes as a deterrent as Pakistan has them, and even about the benefits of a space program but it still doesn't feel right.

sparky421

Shame on us for voting to cut overseas aid! It's pitifully small as it is, Are we really saying that it's OK for children to die of starvation or disease as long as I can have that extra cigarette or glass of wine..?