Comments on: Taxing the poor

By: jean baker

jean baker — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:15:04 +0000

You mean like a Court, with a presiding Judge appointed by the political majority in residence ?

MP’s have always been accountable to their constituents and still are via ‘surgeries’, e-mail letter.

By: RobertD

RobertD — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:51:44 +0000

Certainly not. I want reform of parliamentary procedure so that MP’s can have a real opportunity to change legislation and to demand that Ministers attend the House and account for their actions.

By: Lola

Lola — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:27:07 +0000

With respect I am not entirely on your side regarding ‘asset stripping’ if by that you mean the effectively forced sale of an elderly and inform persons home to pay for long term or nursing care. Assuming that the elderly person has offspring waht you are really suggesting is that their inheritance should be subsidised by the rest of us. I do not approve of that.

The problem is too many people have relied on their home as a source of wealth and saving. If that means that it has to be sold to pay for LTC then so be it.

I have some experience of private LTC/Nursing homes and by and large they do a good job. The state run homes I have knowledge of are generally staffed by less caring people than the private homes.

By: jean baker

jean baker — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:31:47 +0000

All MPs are readily available by e-mail.

By: jean baker

jean baker — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:29:53 +0000

Would you prefer direct rule under some form of dictatorship – state or Brussels ?

By: Matthew Reynolds

Matthew Reynolds — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:44:11 +0000

Well to state the obvious why take income tax & NI from those who low incomes only to give it back in complex welfare payments that either diminish the higher a persons income ( like tax credits that create a poverty trap) or are mad ( like child benefit for those who do not need it) ? This creates huge administritive costs and by retarding social mobility you fuel poverty as self-improvement is punished by means-testing.

To state the even more obvious why not phase out tax credits & other handouts for the working poor and raise the basic personal tax allowance & NI starting threshold ? Ronald Reagan gave egalitarianism the elbow by not opting for yet more liberal-left ideology but went for lower taxes instead. The result was faster economic growth, more social mobility and falling poverty rates.

Job Seekers Allowance & Incapacity Benefit ought to be replaced by one sort of stringent payment designed to slash economic inactivity . Private firms ought to be paid to get the jobless back into work while pointless training schemes like the New Deal need to be axed. A Citizenship Pension ought to be implemented to reduce pensioner poverty and reward saving as well as ensuring that those not on full NI such as women raising children are not punished. The Dutch & Swedes know that vouchers benefit all children and the Germans & French know that Social Insurance improves healthcare for everyone.

There is a strong case for radical policies to help reduce poverty so that the Tories are a true one-nation reformers party again. Getting funds to charities & churches to tackle social problems will achieve more results than men behind desks in Whitehall following Soviet style targets while being remote from local people.

The 10p tax band fiasco should be an opportunity for the Conservatives offering to recast the welfare state so that it is truly fit for purpose in the 21st Century. The Five Giants as pointed out by Beveridge need slaying with modern tools.

The Tories need to get radical about tackling poverty because the 10p tax debacle shows that the majority of people want something done urgently about this.

By: Mike Stallard

Mike Stallard — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:06:28 +0000

It stinks. You are right (again!!).
But, can you put your hand on your heart and tell us that the Conservatives, if elected, will be any different? Power and the gift of Offices to followers are very basic instincts. When they fall to the Conservatives, will they be able to resist that pressure?
I honestly think that giving up smoking is easier than giving up the gift of Office to followers.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:32:50 +0000

It is sickening how many of our elected representatives put party loyalty (ie their own careers) before the people they are meant to represent – even when it will hurt the poorest in society and means supporting a policy which is contrary to their party’s core values.
The expenses scandal was bad, but this is where the word “honourable” really rings hollow.

By: Adrian Peirson

Adrian Peirson — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:07:18 +0000

It’s a Disgrace the way we treat our elderly, the way I see it they work all their lives and now we have a system where once they become ill, they are asset stripped to pay for private care then abused to death in Privatised care homes.
And I hear Lord someone or other is pushing for a Bill to introduce Euthenasia.
Of course they argue it would be used only under the strictest of controls, rather like the abortion laws would, 7.2 Million since 1970.
Now we have these centres in every town reasssuringly called pregnancy advice centres.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcrfaWzREVM

By: Adrian Peirson

Adrian Peirson — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:02:18 +0000

Exactly, if they disn’t steal our money in the first place, we wouldn’t need it back as Welfare or Credits.
and even if we did, our friends, relatives and collegues would be better placed to help us out.
We are being deliberatley enslaved and this represents further evidence we are sliding into Communism.
I believe we work better as a society when we are incentivised, not by the Gun, but by Reward for our efforts.