stockmarkets -are we nearing the bottom or is there further to go ??

Glen_Clark

MK62 wrote: »

.....they said that if we voted to leave,....... we'd be in recession....didn't happen.

For many people it already has: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2018/11/08/un-investigator-slams-uk-government-for-forcing-food-banks-to-keep-picking-up-the-pieces/

masonic

justme111 wrote: »

That's why I don't vote - doing it properly would require inordinate time and effort

I can think of worse ways to spend an afternoon once every few years.

I suppose I can't complain. Those who don't vote make the votes of those who do carry a little more weight.

MK62

Glen_Clark wrote: »

For many people it already has: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2018/11/08/un-investigator-slams-uk-government-for-forcing-food-banks-to-keep-picking-up-the-pieces/

More to do with Austerity than Brexit.......and let's not get into why Austerity was needed in the first place......and just in case you think that's a UK thing, ask the people of Greece and Southern Europe, and ask who effectively imposed it on them.....(just to maintain the Brexit link)......

justme111

I do not think in an afternoon one would be able to figure out competence, motives and conscientiousness of candidates.
In fact I am quite disillusioned with democracy when whoever lies better succeeds - I do not think the concept is great - politicians pander to what electorate wants to hear and of course nobody wants to hear unpalatable things which result in a cycle of short thermism and denial . Take this Brexit debacle - have you ever thought how come for one pro Brexit opinion or remark there are 50 against it on media ?
Participating in this farce does not seem to have a point.
Shame other forms of government are even worse ..

MK62

As Churchill once quoted

"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others"

masonic

justme111 wrote: »

I do not think in an afternoon one would be able to figure out competence, motives and conscientiousness of candidates.
In fact I am quite disillusioned with democracy when whoever lies better succeeds - I do not think the concept is great - politicians pander to what electorate wants to hear and of course nobody wants to hear unpalatable things which result in a cycle of short thermism and denial . Take this Brexit debacle - have you ever thought how come for one pro Brexit opinion or remark there are 50 against it on media ?
Participating in this farce does not seem to have a point.
Shame other forms of government are even worse ..

An afternoon should be long enough invested to be better informed than 90% of the electorate. If you still feel unqualified to vote then that's a shame. Perhaps there is more than one way to improve democracy. It's fair enough to level some blame on the candidates, but the electorate deserve some as well, especially those who defer the decision to those even less informed than themselves.

sevenhills

dividendhero wrote: »

Quite so and up until around 1910 there was complete freedom of movement worldwide, not even a passport required - you could pretty much pitch up and settle anywhere you fancied

But you would need to stay clear of the wars between the UK and France, and all the others.

greenglide

.and let's not get into why Austerity was needed in the first place......

To make sure that the people at the bottom of the heap paid for the mistakes of those with more money!


Increasing taxation was obviously too hard.


Can anyone reasonably justify why the ISA limit has been increased to £20,000 during a period of "austerity". It makes no sense to me?

Alexland

greenglide wrote: »

Can anyone reasonably justify why the ISA limit has been increased to £20,000 during a period of "austerity". It makes no sense to me?

As a token gesture to high earners who were significantly impacted by the reduction to the pension annual allowance and lifetime allowance? Being able to stash away £60k pa in tax advantaged pensions and ISAs is still pretty generous.

Alex

EdGasketTheSecond

Alexland wrote: »

As a token gesture to high earners who were significantly impacted by the reduction to the pension annual allowance and lifetime allowance? Being able to stash away £60k pa in tax advantaged pensions and ISAs is still pretty generous.

Alex

But being taxed 40% with another 13.8% NI on top in the first place is not at all generous. A high earner in Hong Kong pays less than 17% all in.