Hate paying £5k train fare. Realistic alternatives??

buglawton

AdrianC wrote: »

Of course we live in a democracy.

Stand as the "commuter's friend" party, and see if people vote for you. If your theory that this would be a popular policy are correct, then you've very little to lose, certainly not your deposit. After all, that'd only go if very few agreed with you. And what could be more democratic than not having government policies that few agree with?

I've worked, in central London, with people who commute daily from Swindon, from Lincolnshire, from Birmingham. Then there's those who commute for several days at a time from further away - Cornwall, the Highlands. You believe that those choices should be subsidised by other taxpayers, right?

German workers like British ones pay whopping income taxes. But they get the tax element refunded on their commuting costs while we don't. Because commuting cost is like a business expense. I think the principle is called 'fairness'.

AdrianC

buglawton wrote: »

German workers like British ones pay whopping income taxes.

"Tax-free day" UK - 13th May
"Tax-free day" Germany - 19th July.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_Freedom_Day#Tax_Freedom_Day_for_workers_in_the_European_Union

buglawton

Yup, and those who contribute more in personal effort, e.g. who have kids or long journeys to work, get more refunds on their tax than in the UK. Which might explain why their economy is much more productive than the UK's.

AdrianC

I fail to see how either a long commute or breeding "contributes more", but there we go.