Consumer confidence has fallen. Investors are putting off new projects. Landlords are selling up. Shareholders are taking gains while they can. That’s what two months of things can only get worse from the government does. That’s what leaving open so many possible tax rises does as people fear they will be taxed into financial difficulty.
Newspapers and media fuel the downbeat mood with item after item asking who might the government come after? There is a mighty long list as there so many groups Labour seems to dislike. Will they come for landlords, savers, people wanting a decent pension, the self employed, the drivers, the rich, the high earners, all the successful, the strivers, people with good homes, energy companies, banks, small businesses, large companies?
If you want growth and more investment that list is the list of people and companies that will do most to deliver it. It is a bad idea to let them all fear the budget. In three months many of the super rich will have gone to homes elsewhere and will have signed the papers to pay their taxes to other governments. Many of the well off will be well advanced with plans to move away or with better legal ways of placing their savings at home to reduce the coming tax bill. Many strivers will strive less or take early retirement, deterred by the likely higher tax and growing hostility to running a business or renting out property.
The government message seems to be “I warn you, do not work for yourself, do not save too much for your retirement,do not  build a successful company or invest successfully. The government will be out to tax you.”
September 23, 2024
All of the above.
One area of growth will be car sales and boiler sales.
They are forcing me to buy a new car in about 2028 – so I can buy an ICE car to see me out. And a new gas boiler – which I will buy before the mad scheme Mad Miliband is going to introduce on boilers. I am hoping to buy a boiler and store for years until it is needed. Air source heat pump no use to me whatsoever.
Reply Indeed. I have put in a new gas boiler ahead of higher taxes and bans.
September 23, 2024
Reply to Reply.
Me tambien, I have just bought a new combi boiler and a 2 year old japanese ICE car to replace my partners 12 year old japanese ICE car. An act of faith based on 32 years experience. Both will probably see us out.
September 23, 2024
Indeed purchased a 4 month old diesel car last year at a 20% discount on its new price, guess it will see me out.
Was concerned, I was making the right decision at the time, but now a no brainier as things turned out.
Traded in my old 23 year old petrol V6 for it. (Neither UK made).
September 23, 2024
I put in a nice new boiler earlier in the year. It would have been required in the next couple of years but I brought it forward.
September 23, 2024
I’m aiming to buy a new petrol car in 2026 but depending what the lunatics announce it could be next year, or delayed by a year or two.
September 23, 2024
It will all add to their early demise. I will just illustrate how dangerous both Labour and their predecessors are and were. We need clean reliable energy under our own control. Rolls Royce could provide it within 5 to 10 years with factory produced SMRs. What has happened. The CS has worked its traiterous gonads off to block such a solution, backed by totally ineffective governments based on their collective ignorance. So front of the customer queue at Rolls Royce are Sweden, The Netherlands and Poland. This is the ” white heat of technological progress”, writ large, UK style. With Rasputin leading the inmates the best advice I can give the board at RR is re-incorporate in the Caymen Islands.
September 23, 2024
A government should tick over smoothly in the background to protect its citizens efficiently.
It should not act as a constant threatening force that restricts people’s freedom, takes their money away, causes risk to health and imposes nuisances that spoil the quality of life.
This one has aggressive intent, claiming to pursue goodness, but bungling into fixing worse.
September 23, 2024
As you say, The government message seems to be “I warn you, do not work for yourself, do not save too much for your retirement,do not build a successful company or invest successfully. The government will be out to tax you.”
The reason for this is not just hatred and envy, but a wish to drive everyone to dependence on the State. Universal income, digital currency, electronic voting etc. They are vile people who despise humanity and western Christian society in particular. They are out to destroy it, and have total control over us. If the armed services would do their bidding, they’d change things pronto, Pol Pot style.
They really are as bad as some people were warning. The Conservative Party did nothing to protect us from them or their policies, then prevented a true opposition (Reform) from getting the representation it deserved.
September 23, 2024
It seems John is confusing elected government with an all powerful, un-elected woke Socialist client state, which of course operates outside the democratic construct and in many cases outside the criminal law without regard for due process or regard to accountability.
It would assist his readers understanding if he detailed how this woke Socialist state goes about its grubby, filthy business beyond the prying eyes of interested parties ie the people. If anyone knows an ex-politician does.
September 23, 2024
Yes it is very bad. Even worse than my low expectations. People really need to vote Conservative even if it only yields a 3/10 or 4/10 govt like the last one.
At the next election we need to get a campaign of tactical voting going so as to kick out Labour.
September 23, 2024
Richard 1,
There is only one tactic, Vote Reform.
September 23, 2024
Richard
Reform is the only real game in town now given the conservatives programme.
September 23, 2024
“Will they come for landlords, savers, people wanting a decent pension, the self employed, the drivers, the rich, the high earners, all the successful, the strivers, people with good homes, energy companies, banks, small businesses, large companies?”
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Yes, and anyone else they can think of …. whether they are still moving and breathing, or not.
But their client state in the Public Sector will be cushioned from the “universal” tax increases by hefty pay increases and state-run “projects” which will keep them employed and able to squander taxpayers’ money on an industrial scale.
Down here in Dorset, the small towns have lost their banks and many of their shops. They are just about keeping going via the hospitality and service sectors, which have recovered since the Covid Tyranny. But it appears the vindictive, idiotic, authoritarian Puritans in Government are going to kill them off by increasing the already exorbitant alcohol taxes …. and driving even more pubs, restaurants and cafes out of business.
RIP British Economy: murdered by the Westminster Uni-Party.
September 23, 2024
let’s be honest. The reason Labour got in was because the Conservative party let the people down on many fronts . After 14 years people were just weary and public services just got worse. I doubt we’ll see an improvement with Labour, they guaranteed to be out come the next election.