Political Discussions And Ranting Thread

[The Old Crem 3,190]

7 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

It sounds like the Tories are shying away from touching Inheritance Tax after all.

 

Anyway, we will have to agree to disagree. I'm not going to agree that Josephine Rich, yer granny, who bought up five properties to let in the late 1970s and who has been raising rents on those ever since and who has gained hundreds of thousands of pounds in the value of the properties should not be able simply to die as Josephine Multi-Rich and pass on all that unearned income by her to her kids and grandkids who will simply become Kiddie Rich and Grandkiddie Rich tax free.

 

I said before, we have to live with it as did our ancestors. Because it is the wrong time to cut it or abolish it as it adds no value or growth to the economy, but gives a lot of wealthy people more money, while Mrs Fulltimeworker-Minimum wage is working three jobs to put nappies on her kids, feed them and give them a warm house to live in.

 

Let's see what the last chance saloon government decide on Wednesday.

Their could always prevent it for Buy to Let Landlords but not penalising people who worked hard and brought their own home. That’s what people resent. Having to pay that tax and also selling houses to pay for care homes while others get it for free. (Through London Prices does mean the money from  London Homes lasts longer and pays for more years of care.)

[YoungWillz 19,257]

6 minutes ago, The Old Crem said:

Their could always prevent it for Buy to Let Landlords but not penalising people who worked hard and brought their own home. That’s what people resent. Having to pay that tax and also selling houses to pay for care homes while others get it for free. (Through London Prices does mean the money from  London Homes lasts longer and pays for more years of care.)

Which is why I said the Tories haven't raised the starting rate for paying Inheritance tax for years. It was never intended to apply to people on moderate incomes - the Tories have held the rate stagnant which brings more and more folk into the ambit of it. Then more and more people resent it. Then the suggestion of cutting it appeals more. But the benefit accrues drastically to the super wealthy, to whom the tax was originally intended to apply.

 

All they have to do is raise the starting rates. So ask yourself, why haven't they done that? 

 

The rate of inflation is current 2 and a half times what it should be and the national debt is almost 100% of GDP. Growth is zero. Talk of tax cuts of any description when the custodians of the public purse have fucked up so royally is frankly astonishing. But there's an election a-coming.

[TQR 12,466]

1 hour ago, The Old Crem said:

It’s not unearned  income. Except for people that don’t like the concept of Family first, 

 

It’s probably the only tax in the UK which many people hate.  bollocks

 

Someone buys a house in the 80s for about forty grand. By the time they fucking die in the 20s it's worth over half a million. How the fuck is that earned?

[Toast 14,942]

1 hour ago, YoungWillz said:

Which is why I said the Tories haven't raised the starting rate for paying Inheritance tax for years. It was never intended to apply to people on moderate incomes - the Tories have held the rate stagnant which brings more and more folk into the ambit of it. Then more and more people resent it. Then the suggestion of cutting it appeals more. But the benefit accrues drastically to the super wealthy, to whom the tax was originally intended to apply.

 

All they have to do is raise the starting rates. So ask yourself, why haven't they done that?

 

That's exactly it.

[prussianblue 801]

It had to be Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-67478628

[Sly Ronnie 644]

47 minutes ago, prussianblue said:

It had to be Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-67478628

 

You couldn't make it up.

[Toast 14,942]

35 minutes ago, Sly Ronnie said:

1 hour ago, prussianblue said:

It had to be Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-67478628

 

You couldn't make it up.

 

It could have been Lord Cameron of Peasemore.

 

There are people who believe that there is a secret underground alien base under Peasemore.  I'm sure there's no connection.

 

[The Old Crem 3,190]

4 hours ago, TQR said:

 

Someone buys a house in the 80s for about forty grand. By the time they fucking die in the 20s it's worth over half a million. How the fuck is that earned?

it’s called inflation. Some people just couldn’t be bothered putting the work in. I’ve seen it in my family. Half did and half didn’t. 
 

 

[RoverAndOut 3,583]

6 hours ago, The Old Crem said:

it’s called inflation. Some people just couldn’t be bothered putting the work in. I’ve seen it in my family. Half did and half didn’t. 

 

What nonsense. The housing market outstripped inflation donkeý's years ago. In 1952, the average house price was £1,891. In 2022, the average house price was £269,914. Had it followed inflation, it should be around £63,300. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-10893633/How-high-house-prices-theyd-matched-inflation-1952.html

 

That's a cool 200k banked tax-free thanks simply to being able to own a home. Alright for some.

[Toast 14,942]

2 hours ago, RoverAndOut said:

 

What nonsense. The housing market outstripped inflation donkeý's years ago. In 1952, the average house price was £1,891. In 2022, the average house price was £269,914. Had it followed inflation, it should be around £63,300. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-10893633/How-high-house-prices-theyd-matched-inflation-1952.html

 

That's a cool 200k banked tax-free thanks simply to being able to own a home. Alright for some.

 

It is if you don't need to buy another house, but I imagine most people do.

[The Old Crem 3,190]

3 hours ago, RoverAndOut said:

 

What nonsense. The housing market outstripped inflation donkeý's years ago. In 1952, the average house price was £1,891. In 2022, the average house price was £269,914. Had it followed inflation, it should be around £63,300. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-10893633/How-high-house-prices-theyd-matched-inflation-1952.html

 

That's a cool 200k banked tax-free thanks simply to being able to own a home. Alright for some.

The majority of the country 35 years ago could have afforded a House with hard work and the right decisions . Now a days it’s a lot harder but it wasn’t until the 1990’s and later in some areas. 

[TQR 12,466]

Oh, I missed this!

 

 

Dry your eyes though, it'll probably be back again soon when Johnson's vast array of kids grow up.

[ThereWillBeDeaths7 615]

It's Election Day in the Netherlands today!

 

First, we say goodbye to an old friend, seen in action below as a true statesman:

 

 

- Prime Minister Mark Rutte, also known as "teflon Mark" is retiring after 13 years as PM (since October 2010), having been the political leader of the VVD since 2006. While I certainly have respect for his way of dealing with national disasters like the downing of the MH-17 in 2014, as well as most of his COVID-policies, the consensus seems to be that he stuck around too long and survived multiple politicial scandals over the years without paying any significant consequences. Anyhow, a talented politician who can make deals with a whole load of other parties if needed. Also made some headlines last month as after making a visit to Netanyahyu, he also visited Abbas, the first European leader to do so since 7th October 2023. Perhaps we'll all be seeing more of him if the rumours about NATO are true. A last gem from Rutte, his meeting with Trump in 2018:

 

 

[ThereWillBeDeaths7 615]

And now for a more political analysis of the elections today:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/19/far-right-party-for-freedom-gaining-in-polls-ahead-of-netherlands-election

 

- Polls indicate that about 15-18 parties will be seated in the new (150 member) parliament; most of which will struggle to get even 10 seats.

 

- The battle for the lead seems to go between four parties:

 

VVD: liberal-right party led by justice minister Dilan Yesilgöz-Zegerius, the party has led all Dutch governments since 2010 and has (sometimes deservedly) been criticized for major crises in the country: housing prices, income inequalities, migration overflow, declining trust in politics and much more. Anyway, most polls indicate they will lose multiple seats but they might still win the elections. Perhaps helped by their own created problems, more on that down below.

 

GL-PvdA: an alliance of Green Left and the Labour Party, led by former European commissioner Frans Timmermans. The political left has struggled to unite voters for years, with the last Labour cabinet ending in 2002. As the only party on the left with a chance to win, perhaps they can succeed - some uncertainty however as the two parties have existed besides eachother for decades, never combining before as they've done now. 

 

PVV: right-populist, anti-immigrant party founded and led by Geert Wilders since 2006. In the last couple of elections they managed to get between 15-17 seats but had no real chance of winning because all other major parties kept them out of formation talks. Well, guess what the VVD did at the start of this campaign: the PVV has gained about 10 seats in the most recent polls because of this decision.

 

NSC: New Social Contract, a new party led by parliamentarian Pieter Omtzigt, formerly of the christian party CDA. Promises major changes in governing policy and to improve the means of living drastically. Omtzigt founded his party at the end of summer and led the polls for a while, in the last week he is losing multiple seats in polls, amidst speculation and confusion as to whether he would like to be Prime Minister after the elections.

 

I'd say the following seems likely:

- VVD will probably win the elections, but only just with ~28 seats. GL-PvdA and PVV to come right behind them with ~26 seats each.

 

- NSC will be the fourth largest party, somewhere at about ~20 seats.

- even if Wilders manages to win the elections, the path to a PVV-led government seems difficult. Will be a large opposition party anyway.

[DCI Frank Burnside 2,852]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/22/hmrc-david-cameron-greensill-flights

 

Normally you'd say something like this could result in him being one of the shortest serving Foreign Secretarys but as we've seen before they have no shame

[TQR 12,466]

Autumn statement coming this afternoon from Jeremy Cunt-Er-Hunt, but I think what we all really want to hear is Liz Truss’ response to it. Can’t wait.

[YoungWillz 19,257]

PMQs.

 

Will Sunak be asked and will he respond to the accusation that he would be content to "just let people die" during the Covid pandemic?

 

A simple question he should be able to answer in Parliament at the despatch box.

[The Old Crem 3,190]

I can see Starmer getting moving Rachel Reeves to stop the plagiarism thing from becoming something the Tories go on and on about. Replacing her with Cooper or Streeting. 

[The Old Crem 3,190]

I can see a hung Parliament occurring. The electoral  system means Labour could be several points ahead and not win a majority. 

[maryportfuncity 10,038]

So, possible investigation into the sale of the Daily Telegraph- is there anything to investigate or are the Tories just bricking it that their go-to source of support might - like - have slightly different opinions going forward? 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67497471

[Toast 14,942]

1 hour ago, The Old Crem said:

I can see a hung Parliament occurring. The electoral  system means Labour could be several points ahead and not win a majority. 

[The Old Crem 3,190]

27 minutes ago, maryportfuncity said:

So, possible investigation into the sale of the Daily Telegraph- is there anything to investigate or are the Tories just bricking it that their go-to source of support might - like - have slightly different opinions going forward? 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67497471

Mainly it’s a concern about an UAE backed company buying it on security grounds vs the other contender - the owner of GB News.

[TQR 12,466]

Rachel Reeves’ response to the budget was pretty strong.

 

(insert ‘well done to whoever wrote it’ joke here)

[msc 17,806]

1 hour ago, Toast said:

For the record the labour lead required for a minimal majority without any tactical voting whatsoever is 5.1%.

 

I suspect there may be some tactical voting, let alone a slightly larger labour lead.

[maryportfuncity 10,038]

1 hour ago, The Old Crem said:

Mainly it’s a concern about an UAE backed company buying it on security grounds vs the other contender - the owner of GB News.

 

 

Well yeah, but...

 

also a concern that their go-to source of high end journalism succour may change tack in terms of editorial line. I get the focus on business side, but would they give a shit if this was The Guardian?