The British Politics Thread

[cpr]

No more incompetant than private business tbh. Had just as many if not more issues with private couriers than Royal Mail, and current trains are fantastic and value for money.... My dealings with SLC (ie, once i've had my loan, and the subsiquent years paying it back) i've found them to be pretty spot on, have to speak to them a fair bit with this job and they seem on the ball and know what they are on about....Having said that, student finance, bunch of useless ****s, pity any student trying to get their fees sorted now TBH.

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by Neil Pickup

I forgot how effective and non-incompetent nationalised services like the Student Loans Company, Royal Mail and British Rail were.

Thought british rail didn't exist anymore

[cover drive man]

The first one for me is an increase on corporation tax (which, as I've mentioned before, was lowered at the budget)

[GIMH]

But that prices businesses out of the country and in turn damages the economy. Its not as black and white as taxing the rich.

[cover drive man]

I know, but I'm not saying the rich should pay everything back, in fact that standpoint quite annoys me. I just think relying on the private sector is risky.

[fredfertang]

Originally Posted by cover drive man

I know, but I'm not saying the rich should pay everything back, in fact that standpoint quite annoys me. I just think relying on the private sector is risky.

Its nonsensical really but the more so if any reward for the risk taken ends up at HMRC

[cover drive man]

Originally Posted by Neil Pickup

I forgot how effective and non-incompetent nationalised services like the Student Loans Company, Royal Mail and British Rail were.

What about education services like connexions? (who, I must say from experience, do a very good job) Or the winter fuel payments for elderly people? Free swimming for potential paraolympic swimmers?

[Scaly piscine]

Originally Posted by cpr

No more incompetant than private business tbh. Had just as many if not more issues with private couriers than Royal Mail, and current trains are fantastic and value for money.... My dealings with SLC (ie, once i've had my loan, and the subsiquent years paying it back) i've found them to be pretty spot on, have to speak to them a fair bit with this job and they seem on the ball and know what they are on about....Having said that, student finance, bunch of useless ****s, pity any student trying to get their fees sorted now TBH.

SLC are complete and utter ****s. The way they've pestered and intimidated my sister is an absolute disgrace. They harass people for money who aren't remotely fit to work and are registered as such. The sort of vulnerable people who could end up committing self harm or worse as a direct result of these ****ing scum phoning them up.

[Uppercut]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

But that prices businesses out of the country and in turn damages the economy. Its not as black and white as taxing the rich.

I'm completely against high corporation tax for the reason fred succinctly summed up. But when you call an emergency budget on the grounds that the deficit needs to be cut urgently, surely you can't then use that budget to reduce taxes.

[Goughy]

Could write an essay on this but I will not.

I didnt think there were any socialists left in the world outside of Scotland and lunatic asylums.

If you want something run badly with the customer secondary and interference from those where the business agenda is coincidental to their own aims then let the Governement run it.

If you want low productivity and inefficiency then get a stong union.

If you want both then you are ****ed

Socialism is dead and unless the aim is to make everyone less well off then has no place in a modern political discussion.

Capitalism and the 'market' are not perfect. Especially as a strong rule of law is required for success (some would argue that capitalism comes first) but when factors are close to what is needed then the 'market' does a far better job of wealth creation and making people better off than any government run institution could ever do.

[cover drive man]

I'm not a socialist. I support social democracy. No one party states or "Dictatorships of the prolatariate" Just a more stable, less-exploiting, free market.

[cover drive man]

I don't for a minute want to get rid of the free market. I'd be a hypocrite if I did.

[Goughy]

Originally Posted by cover drive man

I'm not a socialist. I support social democracy. No one party states or "Dictatorships of the prolatariate" Just a more stable, less-exploiting, free market.

The free market is like a virgins maidenhood. Once you **** with it then its lost.

So many people say that a free market is great but if only we could do something about this and about this and maybe about this. Once the interference starts then the wealth creation stalls. The greater the meddling and the more politicised the involvement then the more the system fails.

[cpr]

Originally Posted by cover drive man

What about education services like connexions? (who, I must say from experience, do a very good job) Or the winter fuel payments for elderly people? Free swimming for potential paraolympic swimmers?

Don't start me on Winter Fuel payments, most ****ed system out there. There are pensioners out there who earn more in pensions than I do in wage, quite a fair few who earn double and more than me, who still get this money because of their age. There is no income looked at when paying out. When it comes to Tax, pensioners get extra tax free, but that starts to disappear when their income goes above £22,800, when they hit £29,000 a year they get the normal rates.... but still get winter fuel payments. Applying the same tolerances would save the country millions without hitting any hard off pensioners

[cpr]

Originally Posted by Scaly piscine

SLC are complete and utter ****s. The way they've pestered and intimidated my sister is an absolute disgrace. They harass people for money who aren't remotely fit to work and are registered as such. The sort of vulnerable people who could end up committing self harm or worse as a direct result of these ****ing scum phoning them up.

What have they actually done, out of interest? as far as I was aware they'd only look at taking money when income goes above £15,000. I've never heard of them calling people for money before (even myself when I was hiding from about £4k worth of payments!), but then its not a field I work in so dont know the ins and outs of their jobs.