[Politics] General Election 2024 - 4th July

[Surrey Phil]

Sadly I have heard very little that I can believe from any of the Parties. Billions more for everything but no increase in taxes !!!

Don't worry, I've heard the new government from 4th July 2024, plan to borrow enough money to get the Country completely out of debt!!

 

[chickens]

I hear the phrase 'taxation at record levels' a lot and was just wondering what it meant? Is that in pure numerical terms, or percent of GDP, or percent of income, or some figure adjusted for inflation, or what? Does it include all taxes or just some? Because it doesnt feel like we're getting much bang for our buck if we're paying more than ever before.

Quite simply the tax is still going into central government, but it isn’t then being passed out to the usual degree to local authorities, who retain responsibility for vital services such as social care, transport, planning etc.

There are a number of different solutions, the simplest would be to increase the settlement paid out to local authorities, and undo Osborne’s darkest work. Another, which appears to be Labour’s solution, is to create a National Care Service, centralise the administrative functions, and effectively take responsibility away from local authorities for providing social care.

If social care isn’t coming out of their budget any more, then the reduced local authority budget is less problematic.

It should be remembered that apart from the absolute failure to regear our health service toward a “top heavy” older population, and ensure we have enough GPs, nurses, doctors and hospitals, another contributing factor to the NHS’s woes is the number of beds blocked with patients who can’t access appropriate social care (there’s simply nowhere for them to go that can cope with their complex needs)

 

[Audax]

another contributing factor to the NHS’s woes is the number of beds blocked with patients who can’t access appropriate social care (there’s simply nowhere for them to go that can cope with their complex needs)

Can add here that another part of the problem is that many of the social care settings that *should* be able to cope, and often *claim* to be able to cope, abdicate responsibility at the first sign of any "complexity". Complexity that is often generated because the patient is being sent into those care settings too late; such as dementia / Alzheimer's patients who are kept at home as long as possible and then react very badly to the changes that happen as part of moving into care, in many cases becoming violent and thus a very complex case. A very well known (and therefore theoretically should be well understood how to manage!) possibility, but not one that the social care system currently seems to be bothered about proactively managing.

 

[beorhthelm]

I hear the phrase 'taxation at record levels' a lot and was just wondering what it meant? Is that in pure numerical terms, or percent of GDP, or percent of income, or some figure adjusted for inflation, or what? Does it include all taxes or just some? Because it doesnt feel like we're getting much bang for our buck if we're paying more than ever before.

it's the measure as % of GDP. risen from 33% to 36%, mostly from rising corp tax and more recently freezing tax bands. we dont seem to get much bang for buck because funding for services have to go further, even when they rise its not enough for increased demand.

 

[Machiavelli]

Thought he was very shifty seems incapable of giving an answer to any questions that is contentious.Labour will hit us with taxes despite taxation being at record levels and amidst a cost of living crisis.Depressing,from one shower of shit to another.

Will take some doing to eclipse this shower of shite:

The Conservative Effect, 2010–2024

Cambridge Core - Twentieth Century British History - The Conservative Effect, 2010–2024

www.cambridge.org

 

[Machiavelli]

I hear the phrase 'taxation at record levels' a lot and was just wondering what it meant? Is that in pure numerical terms, or percent of GDP, or percent of income, or some figure adjusted for inflation, or what? Does it include all taxes or just some? Because it doesnt feel like we're getting much bang for our buck if we're paying more than ever before.

One of the things that you need to factor in and will become more prominent in the future, is that although the range of public services government's provide has reduced (eg through privatisation), the cost of those increases because of demographic shifts whereby the % of the working age population reduces due to an ageing population. This means that the cost of delivering the big ticket spending items is inexorably on the rise -- pensions, healthcare and social care especially. We do, however, need to make a decision about this. It might mean the state withdrawing from the provision of those services, or it might mean higher public spending and, as a consequence, higher taxation.
I think it should be the latter, and keep on saying that the way to do this is to shift the burden of taxation away from labour and towards assets and conspicuous and/or carbon-intensive consumption.

 

[Gabbiano]

it's the measure as % of GDP. risen from 33% to 36%, mostly from rising corp tax and more recently freezing tax bands. we dont seem to get much bang for buck because funding for services have to go further, even when they rise its not enough for increased demand.

Is there also an effect from having to start paying back the huge debt incurred during COVID?