[Politics] General Election 2024 - 4th July

[Audax]

driving across the shire today, some Lewes and Wealden constituencies, was struck by lack of any political signs. only noticed once i saw a Conservative one so looking out for them, counted one other and a couple for Liberals. places previously festoned with signs had nothing. realised none around the neighbourhood either. quite odd.

Saw a sign for the Conservatives on the A26 near the Ringmer junction / Cock Inn area. On one side it had "No Thanks" scrawled across it in black spray paint.

Agree it is a choice to go private in whatever capacity, but also it shouldn't be a mindset of paying twice given all our contributions are for society as a whole, not just for individual access.

There are many people that don't have children, but they need everyone else's kids to be educated. There are plenty of people who don't drive or don't use our roads, but they contribute taxes to roads because society needs them. Many people don't even really need to use the NHS, but others do so we all contribute.

Top post - exactly the right mindset. We don't pay taxes to benefit ourselves. We pay taxes to benefit everyone, because ultimately doing so means we're all better off.

EV’s and hybrids will be taxed heavily eventually, shirley. And/or per mile taxation.

Yep, and I'll happily pay it when the time comes. For now, however, EVs need to be given a tax break to help them get that foot in the door ahead of the ban on ICE sales. IMO, VED on new purchase ICE vehicles should be getting sent through the roof from the next budget onwards. Sunak's reversal/reduction of punitive VED rates on the big, heavy fuel guzzlers was stupid. Should be going the other way. If people really want to buy them, let them, but make them pay extra because at this point they're doing it knowing and ignoring the damage it causes. I'd be increasing VED on new buy pure ICE at every budget between now and when the ban kicks in, especially given Sunak pushed back the ban. Then once the ban comes in, you start gradually bringing the VED for EVs and hybrids up, with hybrids increasing more rapidly. Have those increases done on a trajectory that has them reach "normal" VED rates somewhere between 5-10 years after the pure ICE ban kicks in.

 

[Bold Seagull]

road spending is about £11bn. https://www.statista.com/statistics...-uk-public-sector-expenditure-national-roads/
fuel duty alone is £25bn. https://www.statista.com/statistics/284323/united-kingdom-hmrc-tax-receipts-fuel-duty/
with VED on top £7bn. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn01482/

road users pay 3:1 over spending on the roads, we really shouldn't be dealing with potholes. one of the biggest unanswered questions, how this will be replaced as we transition to EV, no mention of inevitable road pricing in this election.

Fuel duty is raised from all fuel, liquified gas, aviation fuel, oil for heating and industrial use, agricultural use etc.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Brilliant put down of the Green spokesman by Nick Campbell just now on R5, when discussing the UK's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions (1%) and how people around the world are approaching (ignoring) the issue:

"I don't know whether you've sailed to America recently..."

 

[Dick Swiveller]

My lifelong Tory parents have a Lib Dem poster up.

 

[beorhthelm]

Fuel duty is raised from all fuel, liquified gas, aviation fuel, oil for heating and industrial use, agricultural use etc.

as i understood it various rates and rebates apply, offsetting non-road use. transport is by far our large use of oil fuels. though now i'm going to waste the morning looking for a breakdown of duty sources.

 

[Bold Seagull]

as i understood it various rates and rebates apply, offsetting non-road use. transport is by far our large use of oil fuels. though now i'm going to waste the morning looking for a breakdown of duty sources.

I couldn't find one!

 

[jcdenton08]

When do we get our polling cards?

 

[dolphins]

When do we get our polling cards?

Have had ours for around a week(?) now. Me and Mrs Dolphins are doing postal votes though as we're away when the election takes place. Will be reminding our sons though to make sure they vote as they aren't coming with us on this holiday (finishing their uni courses).

 

[Machiavelli]

Brilliant put down of the Green spokesman by Nick Campbell just now on R5, when discussing the UK's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions (1%) and how people around the world are approaching (ignoring) the issue:

"I don't know whether you've sailed to America recently..."

I would have thought that a prominent scientist might be somewhat critical of that 1% GGE figure given that:
-- it's the current figure, and ignores the fact that for decades and probably over a century the UK's contribution was in % double figures
-- it merely takes account of the production of emissions and, given that we've exported production elsewhere in the world, once consumption is taken into account, the figure is way, way higher
-- a better (but by no means the best) way to calculate that figure would be to take account of per capita emissions within a country rather than just the country itself
I might say that this is because Labour members, voters, politicians, etc rank the climate crisis somewhat lower down their agenda, that Starmer and Reeves have slashed the Green Prosperity Plan that the first two of those terms are somewhat tenuous, and that they've also put Ed Miliband on mute for the past six months, but that would be ungenerous and I'd rather see what they do once in government.

 

[Machiavelli]

Have had ours for around a week(?) now. Me and Mrs Dolphins are doing postal votes though as we're away when the election takes place. Will be reminding our sons though to make sure they vote as they aren't coming with us on this holiday (finishing their uni courses).

Same with us, turned up last week.

 

[jcdenton08]

You can vote without them though right, in case ours don’t turn up? Just ID?

 

[dolphins]

You can vote without them though right, in case ours don’t turn up? Just ID?

Yup, but not ALL ID is accepted. Seems to favour the sort of ID held by older members of the population...

 

[Notters]

When do we get our polling cards?

About 2 weeks ago here.

 

[Is it PotG?]

When do we get our polling cards?

Last week

 

[Is it PotG?]

I see Starmer on LBC and matey now on Politics Live still refusing to confirm/deny Council Tax and some important IHT threshold changes for agricultural land.
'We have no plans .....'

 

[Chicken Run]

Yup, but not ALL ID is accepted. Seems to favour the sort of ID held by older members of the population...

oh shit, i have a drivers licence and a passport?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I would have thought that a prominent scientist might be somewhat critical of that 1% GGE figure given that:
-- it's the current figure, and ignores the fact that for decades and probably over a century the UK's contribution was in % double figures
-- it merely takes account of the production of emissions and, given that we've exported production elsewhere in the world, once consumption is taken into account, the figure is way, way higher
-- a better (but by no means the best) way to calculate that figure would be to take account of per capita emissions within a country rather than just the country itself
I might say that this is because Labour members, voters, politicians, etc rank the climate crisis somewhat lower down their agenda, that Starmer and Reeves have slashed the Green Prosperity Plan that the first two of those terms are somewhat tenuous, and that they've also put Ed Miliband on mute for the past six months, but that would be ungenerous and I'd rather see what they do once in government.

Fair comment.

But the question on every journalists lips currently is "How are you going to pay for it? Experts say you spending plans don't add up". So I don't think that labour giving the impression they are not going to spend, spend, spend like Viv Nichols, is such a bad thing.

As you say, judge them when they are the ones making the choices. The only party that hasn't made any manifesto spending commitments (indeed any commitments) is the party with no manifesto, because manifestos are 'lies'. Step forward the party that isn't a party (it is a limited company), 'Reform'.

 

[Chicken Run]

Fair comment.

Step forward the party that isn't a party (it is a limited company), 'Reform'.

PMSL Te Labour Party is also a Ltd Company

 

[WATFORD zero]

Have had ours for around a week(?) now. Me and Mrs Dolphins are doing postal votes though as we're away when the election takes place. Will be reminding our sons though to make sure they vote as they aren't coming with us on this holiday (finishing their uni courses).

There's no way they'll remember to vote. They'll have enough on arranging the party and clearing up after it

 

[Weststander]

We’re special, a handwritten letter just for us from Caroline and Siân .