Improve the country in a year...

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Abolish Buy To Let Mortages, nice idea..

Then there be even less rental properties on the market, sounds like a Landlord hater to me

The same number of physical properties will still exist. Which is all that REALLY matters. 'The market' will ensure they find their way to people who need an affordable roof over their head rather than someone who is using that property as part of an investment portfolio. Go fund your pension elsewhere!

 

[trueblue]

Better.

Better.. Better.. Better.. (All together now).. Na na na na na na naaaaaa....

 

[pastafarian]

Bring back notifacations on NSC.

blow me YES

 

[kingcole]

I have always fancied myself as Chancellor......

Tax and benefits

Firstly, tax credits should be abolished and replaced by increasing the threshold at which tax is paid to £15,000.

Child Benefit should also be abolished and replaced with a further £2500 (first) and £1000 (2nd) increase in your personal tax free pay. This would be worth £700 a year to a normal rate tax payer.

Income tax and NI should be merged at charged at 30%.

From earnings of £50k, your tax free allowance should be reduced at the rate of £1000 for every £2000 over £50k earned, so someone earning £80k (£87k with 2 kids) would receive no tax free allowance at all. This would negate the need for a higher tax rate for those earning say £45,000 pa as there is now.

I would then suggest a new 40% tax rate at £100k

Benefits

I have already said about my plan to abolish tax credits. The admin saving here will also be colossal. Instead all families with both parents working (or the single parent working) would qualify for £200 a week for childcare for all kids aged 1 year to 5 years and £50 a week for those aged 5-12.

Like now, the childcare voucher scheme should be extended so there is no limit to what you can claim against your personal tax to use for childcare.

Job Seekers allowance should be renamed to unemployment benefit. Why should someone who has worked all their life and paid £1000's in tax get the same benefit as someone who has never worked.

Unemployment benefit will be paid at a rate of between 20% and 50% of your previous years earnings. To earn 20% you must have been in continuous employment for 1 year and increases 10% each year so someone who has worked without claiming for 3 years would be entitled to 50% of their salary. This benefit would be capped at £50k and would be treated as a taxable income.

For a person who does not qualify, that person would receive food stamps and be able to make a claim for all their utility bills to be paid as well as transport costs for job seeking. If they live in rented, though would be able to also make a claim for housing benefit. For those who have a mortgage, after one whole month of unemployment, a monthly payment of 50% of the mortgage interest will be paid for a maximum of 6 months. It would be made law that no lender could start proceedings to reposes a home during this 6 month window. The other half would be added to their loan. Payments would be made direct to the lender.

For those who claim disability benefit, an assessment would be made to see what/if any work could be done. If they CAN work, they will be treated like the unemployed if they are not in work. For the long term sick, benefits would be in line with what they currently are, but would be enhanced for those who have worked and paid lots of tax over a number of years.

The old age pension will be paid as per the changes introduced from 2016, however the limit of pension contributions that can be claimed against tax will be the same at the average wage (circa £26k).

It's absurd that someone can dodge tax on £50k of earnings per year when most can only dream of earning such a figure.

The lifetime value of an ISA will be limited to £50,000. I see no reason why a further tax break should be offered to those who are capable of amassing this much in savings.

A cap should be introduced for housing benefit and i t should be based on the lowest possible rent in the councils area, not the best.

For example, someone needing a 2 bedroom property in the Adur Distric can now claim as much as £750 a month. This is nearly enough to rent a new riverside apartment by the river on Shoreham Beach. Whilst in places like Myrtle crescent in Lancing, a 2 bedroom flat can be rented for £650, so a cap in this scenarion of £650 would suffice.

Why should someone who works, saves and begs with their bank for a mortgage to live in a place of their choosing, whilst someone on benefits can live their tomorrow as their housing benefit will pay it?

Healtcare

I would keep the NHS in it's current form, but encourage private medical insurance by giving it a tax break. This will mean more will take it up private care which will free up for NHS resources for those who need it.

Education

As with healthcare, I would not change anything other than to make fee paying schools a tax break, for similar reasons as above

VAT

I felt this needed it's own section from Tax.

To give the economy a boost the standard rate of VAT would be cut to 15% on a permanent basis. This would be paid for by scrapping the lower rate thresholds for fuel. We need to use less fuel, so why have it charged at a lower rate of VAT?

I would also extend VAT to all food apart from unprocessed food or essentials like bread and milk. This would be a good earner and at the same time would start to address the obesity issue that is taking hold of the nation.

If you want a shepherds pie, go and buy some mince, carrots and potatoes and make it yourself. Or buy one in a packet with loads of extra salt and pay 15% VAT

Transport

Give Heathrow it's 3rd runway. Give Gatwick it's second. Build a high speed rail line to connect both. Forge ahead with high speed rail, but also include a London to Brighton route and others to the South West and Southampton.

These expansions would make many jobs.

Scrap Air passenger duty so the world will come to the UK and trade and fill our new airport capacity.

Scrap vehicle excise duty and add the cost to fuel duty. Why should someone pay £200 a year for a car that does 500 miles a year?

To help businesses, like the haulage industry that relies on transport, half the fuel duty could be reclaimed via their VAT returns. This would make their fuel a lot cheaper than the rest and take away any advantage overseas operators have in the UK

Immigration

We should welcome all immigrants to the UK, however, none should be entitled to benefits. Those here illegally should be deported. Those who commit a crime will be deported directly from jail on completion of their sentence.

Prisons

When a judge gives a term, let that be the term. If someone gets 2 years and it out after a year, then fine. But lets call than sentence a 1 year sentence.

Anyone who gets a life sentence will have the option to choose to die instead of serving the sentence. It currently costs over £30k pa to imprison someone. A convicted person will be given this option and if taken the victims families will be given a £50,000 payment. Over a 20 year term, this would be a £550,000 saving to the government and the convicted felon can have the option of doing one thing right before they die.

 

[Brian Parsons]

I am 67yrs old and can remember the "Good old days". I was born and raised in Storrington in the other half of Sussex. When I was growing up all adults were like surrogate parents so you could be told off by a complete stranger, teachers ruled the classroom with a rod of iron and an on edge ruler across your knuckles if you were naughty.There was corporal punishment and before the tree huggers kick off I received 3 off the best and yes it hurt but not as much as my Mum's smack across my bum.it hasn't scarred me for life, I went on to have a successful career in the Royal Air Force and then a long and happy career in motorsport. I was also a school governor and captain of my golf club. There was capital punishment as well and with modern forensic science it is unlikely an innocent person would dangle at the end of a rope. Girls who became pregnant outside wedlock were shunted off to a distant relative to avoid the shame,so there was no meal ticket for life like today. There was freedom of speech you could say what you like without upsetting ethnic minorities because there weren't any.The Police were feared and respected, you turned up at your doctor's surgery and joined the queue not book an appointment and hope you don't die in the meantime. Council houses outnumbered private houses. So lets turn back time and sort out Britains ill's.

 

[Taybha]

Sew up Davina Mccall at both ends , sorted .

 

[hybrid_x]

scrap the current "backed by nothing - linked to the dollar FIAT currency £."

scrap all central banks and profit making banks.

nationalise the bank - interest on loans at 3%.

NHS and post office and transport all nationalised.

ban GMOs, and other toxic foods, and promote local governance, with more food grown locally.

no donations to goverment parties - in fact, scrap all of them and pick five groups of 20 people at random (like a jury) -to create a new constitution, and then vote on it.

a massive chunk of tax goes to trident (scrap it) and government debts on interest on their borrowing (bank loans) - so scrap council tax too, but tax those creating too much waste (some families waste per week is unreal).

insurance to be optional (massive fear based scam), scrap hedge funds, scrap nearly everything, in fact, maybe everyone leaves for a year- then they come back and start again slowly....heheh.

 

[spring hall convert]

I have always fancied myself as Chancellor......

Tax and benefits

Firstly, tax credits should be abolished and replaced by increasing the threshold at which tax is paid to £15,000.

Child Benefit should also be abolished and replaced with a further £2500 (first) and £1000 (2nd) increase in your personal tax free pay. This would be worth £700 a year to a normal rate tax payer.

Income tax and NI should be merged at charged at 30%.

From earnings of £50k, your tax free allowance should be reduced at the rate of £1000 for every £2000 over £50k earned, so someone earning £80k (£87k with 2 kids) would receive no tax free allowance at all. This would negate the need for a higher tax rate for those earning say £45,000 pa as there is now.

I would then suggest a new 40% tax rate at £100k

Benefits

I have already said about my plan to abolish tax credits. The admin saving here will also be colossal. Instead all families with both parents working (or the single parent working) would qualify for £200 a week for childcare for all kids aged 1 year to 5 years and £50 a week for those aged 5-12.

Like now, the childcare voucher scheme should be extended so there is no limit to what you can claim against your personal tax to use for childcare.

Job Seekers allowance should be renamed to unemployment benefit. Why should someone who has worked all their life and paid £1000's in tax get the same benefit as someone who has never worked.

Unemployment benefit will be paid at a rate of between 20% and 50% of your previous years earnings. To earn 20% you must have been in continuous employment for 1 year and increases 10% each year so someone who has worked without claiming for 3 years would be entitled to 50% of their salary. This benefit would be capped at £50k and would be treated as a taxable income.

For a person who does not qualify, that person would receive food stamps and be able to make a claim for all their utility bills to be paid as well as transport costs for job seeking. If they live in rented, though would be able to also make a claim for housing benefit. For those who have a mortgage, after one whole month of unemployment, a monthly payment of 50% of the mortgage interest will be paid for a maximum of 6 months. It would be made law that no lender could start proceedings to reposes a home during this 6 month window. The other half would be added to their loan. Payments would be made direct to the lender.

For those who claim disability benefit, an assessment would be made to see what/if any work could be done. If they CAN work, they will be treated like the unemployed if they are not in work. For the long term sick, benefits would be in line with what they currently are, but would be enhanced for those who have worked and paid lots of tax over a number of years.

The old age pension will be paid as per the changes introduced from 2016, however the limit of pension contributions that can be claimed against tax will be the same at the average wage (circa £26k).

It's absurd that someone can dodge tax on £50k of earnings per year when most can only dream of earning such a figure.

The lifetime value of an ISA will be limited to £50,000. I see no reason why a further tax break should be offered to those who are capable of amassing this much in savings.

A cap should be introduced for housing benefit and i t should be based on the lowest possible rent in the councils area, not the best.

For example, someone needing a 2 bedroom property in the Adur Distric can now claim as much as £750 a month. This is nearly enough to rent a new riverside apartment by the river on Shoreham Beach. Whilst in places like Myrtle crescent in Lancing, a 2 bedroom flat can be rented for £650, so a cap in this scenarion of £650 would suffice.

Why should someone who works, saves and begs with their bank for a mortgage to live in a place of their choosing, whilst someone on benefits can live their tomorrow as their housing benefit will pay it?

Healtcare

I would keep the NHS in it's current form, but encourage private medical insurance by giving it a tax break. This will mean more will take it up private care which will free up for NHS resources for those who need it.

Education

As with healthcare, I would not change anything other than to make fee paying schools a tax break, for similar reasons as above

VAT

I felt this needed it's own section from Tax.

To give the economy a boost the standard rate of VAT would be cut to 15% on a permanent basis. This would be paid for by scrapping the lower rate thresholds for fuel. We need to use less fuel, so why have it charged at a lower rate of VAT?

I would also extend VAT to all food apart from unprocessed food or essentials like bread and milk. This would be a good earner and at the same time would start to address the obesity issue that is taking hold of the nation.

If you want a shepherds pie, go and buy some mince, carrots and potatoes and make it yourself. Or buy one in a packet with loads of extra salt and pay 15% VAT

Transport

Give Heathrow it's 3rd runway. Give Gatwick it's second. Build a high speed rail line to connect both. Forge ahead with high speed rail, but also include a London to Brighton route and others to the South West and Southampton.

These expansions would make many jobs.

Scrap Air passenger duty so the world will come to the UK and trade and fill our new airport capacity.

Scrap vehicle excise duty and add the cost to fuel duty. Why should someone pay £200 a year for a car that does 500 miles a year?

To help businesses, like the haulage industry that relies on transport, half the fuel duty could be reclaimed via their VAT returns. This would make their fuel a lot cheaper than the rest and take away any advantage overseas operators have in the UK

Immigration

We should welcome all immigrants to the UK, however, none should be entitled to benefits. Those here illegally should be deported. Those who commit a crime will be deported directly from jail on completion of their sentence.

Prisons

When a judge gives a term, let that be the term. If someone gets 2 years and it out after a year, then fine. But lets call than sentence a 1 year sentence.

Anyone who gets a life sentence will have the option to choose to die instead of serving the sentence. It currently costs over £30k pa to imprison someone. A convicted person will be given this option and if taken the victims families will be given a £50,000 payment. Over a 20 year term, this would be a £550,000 saving to the government and the convicted felon can have the option of doing one thing right before they die.

Some really sensible stuff there, thanks for taking the time.

 

[spring hall convert]

There was capital punishment as well and with modern forensic science it is unlikely an innocent person would dangle at the end of a rope.

Unlikely? So you'd be prepared to be the innocent party executed in error to support this belief?

 

[Shoreham Gull]

The same number of physical properties will still exist. Which is all that REALLY matters. 'The market' will ensure they find their way to people who need an affordable roof over their head rather than someone who is using that property as part of an investment portfolio. Go fund your pension elsewhere!

But if people can't afford to buy a home or have bad credit etc!!! They need to rent..

How are these properties going to get to them turning them into council homes?
Buy to let mortages and rental profits/taxed, goes into the economy and that's what this thread is about...

 

[Commander]

I am 67yrs old and can remember the "Good old days". I was born and raised in Storrington in the other half of Sussex. When I was growing up all adults were like surrogate parents so you could be told off by a complete stranger, teachers ruled the classroom with a rod of iron and an on edge ruler across your knuckles if you were naughty.There was corporal punishment and before the tree huggers kick off I received 3 off the best and yes it hurt but not as much as my Mum's smack across my bum.it hasn't scarred me for life, I went on to have a successful career in the Royal Air Force and then a long and happy career in motorsport. I was also a school governor and captain of my golf club. There was capital punishment as well and with modern forensic science it is unlikely an innocent person would dangle at the end of a rope. Girls who became pregnant outside wedlock were shunted off to a distant relative to avoid the shame,so there was no meal ticket for life like today. There was freedom of speech you could say what you like without upsetting ethnic minorities because there weren't any.The Police were feared and respected, you turned up at your doctor's surgery and joined the queue not book an appointment and hope you don't die in the meantime. Council houses outnumbered private houses. So lets turn back time and sort out Britains ill's.

With all due respect, that sounds shit.

 

[Bakero]

With all due respect, that sounds shit.

You mean you're not in favour of children being beaten at school, no sex before marriage, fear-inspiring police and widespread racism and xenophobia? Bloody lefties.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

First start is to teach children RESPECT....respect to teachers and which must ultimately start with the parents...no mobile phones in class...you're there to learn not sit there texting.
Bring back Apprenticeships...firms that take on apprentices get tax breaks.
For those who are not working or don't wish to work....earn your dole money by National Service....not a military service but a community service helping out keeping our streets clean...parks and gardens...this way they learn to respect their countryside and not vandalise it.
Limit immigration to those who can support themselves....have a job and no benefits until they have been here one year,it's very noble to say Yes,let them all come...but others are saying build more houses...concrete over our countryside.....more immigrants....more houses,more traffic,more on our hard pressed NHS,more fuel used.
Tax foreign lorries...we have to pay to use the roads on the continent....why should they get it free here.
Banks...lend more money to small firms...get them manufacturing and employing more people.
Stop being the 'Worlds Policeman'...we cannot afford it!
Foreign Aid...Instead of giving tinpot dictators money to line their accounts...send out British workers to build their schools and hospitals...that way we keep our workers in employment,they get their new buildings and the money does not reach the corrupt.
Why do we give Aid to Russia,China,India....all countries that can afford to indulge in the space race...
Do not nationalise any big company...competition makes people work...nationalisation gives the lazy and the unions power....disaster...we've tried nationalisation and it does not work.
Leave the banks alone...(apart from them lending to small businesses) they are one of our biggest earners,yes there bonuses should be limited but why do you think Europe wants to get there hands on the City...it earns billions.
And lastly if you rebuilt this country the one thing you must NOT do is to relinquish our defences....we almost came unstuck before in the two world wars....We give up Trident and we are at the mercy of rogue states....Iran,North Korea...yes it's costly....but better than being blasted by a nuclear strike. Leave the ECHR and draft a new British bill of rights.Why should some lawyer who has never been a Judge,who from hails Albania be able to sit in judgement on this countries laws....did any of you vote for him....Europe itself is corrupt...it has never ratified their accounts...why....fraud...the whole structure needs redrafting.Freedom is self determination.
I agree with Brian Parsons,discipline is a great teacher.
Now await replies from the left ,tree huggers

 

[supaseagull]

First start is to teach children RESPECT....respect to teachers and which must ultimately start with the parents..

And that's where I stopped reading! It's a bit like the issue where the FA are trying to teach grassroots players and coaches Respect and yet everyone sees professional footballs as role models talking and acting like utter w@nk3rs on and off the pitch.

Politicians want people to act in the right way, whilst they take tax breaks, have second jobs and claim millions on expenses...

 

[Bakero]

First start is to teach children RESPECT....respect to teachers and which must ultimately start with the parents...no mobile phones in class...you're there to learn not sit there texting.
Bring back Apprenticeships...firms that take on apprentices get tax breaks.
For those who are not working or don't wish to work....earn your dole money by National Service....not a military service but a community service helping out keeping our streets clean...parks and gardens...this way they learn to respect their countryside and not vandalise it.
Limit immigration to those who can support themselves....have a job and no benefits until they have been here one year,it's very noble to say Yes,let them all come...but others are saying build more houses...concrete over our countryside.....more immigrants....more houses,more traffic,more on our hard pressed NHS,more fuel used.
Tax foreign lorries...we have to pay to use the roads on the continent....why should they get it free here.
Banks...lend more money to small firms...get them manufacturing and employing more people.
Stop being the 'Worlds Policeman'...we cannot afford it!
Foreign Aid...Instead of giving tinpot dictators money to line their accounts...send out British workers to build their schools and hospitals...that way we keep our workers in employment,they get their new buildings and the money does not reach the corrupt.
Why do we give Aid to Russia,China,India....all countries that can afford to indulge in the space race...
Do not nationalise any big company...competition makes people work...nationalisation gives the lazy and the unions power....disaster...we've tried nationalisation and it does not work.
Leave the banks alone...(apart from them lending to small businesses) they are one of our biggest earners,yes there bonuses should be limited but why do you think Europe wants to get there hands on the City...it earns billions.
And lastly if you rebuilt this country the one thing you must NOT do is to relinquish our defences....we almost came unstuck before in the two world wars....We give up Trident and we are at the mercy of rogue states....Iran,North Korea...yes it's costly....but better than being blasted by a nuclear strike. Leave the ECHR and draft a new British bill of rights.Why should some lawyer who has never been a Judge,who from hails Albania be able to sit in judgement on this countries laws....did any of you vote for him....Europe itself is corrupt...it has never ratified their accounts...why....fraud...the whole structure needs redrafting.Freedom is self determination.
I agree with Brian Parsons,discipline is a great teacher.
Now await replies from the left ,tree huggers

We don't give aid to Russia or China, and aid to India is being phased out.

What part of the ECHR do you have a problem with? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Convention_on_Human_Rights

 

[ROKERITE]

I am 67yrs old and can remember the "Good old days". I was born and raised in Storrington in the other half of Sussex. When I was growing up all adults were like surrogate parents so you could be told off by a complete stranger, teachers ruled the classroom with a rod of iron and an on edge ruler across your knuckles if you were naughty.There was corporal punishment and before the tree huggers kick off I received 3 off the best and yes it hurt but not as much as my Mum's smack across my bum.it hasn't scarred me for life, I went on to have a successful career in the Royal Air Force and then a long and happy career in motorsport. I was also a school governor and captain of my golf club. There was capital punishment as well and with modern forensic science it is unlikely an innocent person would dangle at the end of a rope. Girls who became pregnant outside wedlock were shunted off to a distant relative to avoid the shame,so there was no meal ticket for life like today. There was freedom of speech you could say what you like without upsetting ethnic minorities because there weren't any.The Police were feared and respected, you turned up at your doctor's surgery and joined the queue not book an appointment and hope you don't die in the meantime. Council houses outnumbered private houses. So lets turn back time and sort out Britains ill's.

You talk a lot of sense Sir, which is why the pampered mob on here disparage you. This country needs a swing to the right and discipline instilling in its youth.
It's noticable how many on here would blithely scrap Trident but be the first to moan when a defenceless Britain was attacked. Nothing is more important than defence spending which should be increased. That a Conservative led government has reduced defence spending by so much is a disgrace.
Stop paying people for overbreeding!

 

[kingcole]

Unions

This will be contentious on here. Ban them. Full stop, end of.

People are dismissed from work for one of 4 reasons:-

A) They are shit at their job
B) They have broken a rule / law
C) The company can no longer afford to employ them
D) The company is moving away.

No matter what a union might think they can do, it can't change one of these scenarios. A company doing well will never get rid of someone who does their job well and who does not break the rules / law.

Not sure what union fees are nowadays, but say it averages £10 per week over ones working life. If that was all put into a pension, I would guesstimate a pension pot of about £150k at retirement, just from their subs savings alone.

 

[BadFish]

I am 67yrs old and can remember the "Good old days". I was born and raised in Storrington in the other half of Sussex. When I was growing up all adults were like surrogate parents so you could be told off by a complete stranger, teachers ruled the classroom with a rod of iron and an on edge ruler across your knuckles if you were naughty.There was corporal punishment and before the tree huggers kick off I received 3 off the best and yes it hurt but not as much as my Mum's smack across my bum.it hasn't scarred me for life, I went on to have a successful career in the Royal Air Force and then a long and happy career in motorsport. I was also a school governor and captain of my golf club. There was capital punishment as well and with modern forensic science it is unlikely an innocent person would dangle at the end of a rope. Girls who became pregnant outside wedlock were shunted off to a distant relative to avoid the shame,so there was no meal ticket for life like today. There was freedom of speech you could say what you like without upsetting ethnic minorities because there weren't any.The Police were feared and respected, you turned up at your doctor's surgery and joined the queue not book an appointment and hope you don't die in the meantime. Council houses outnumbered private houses. So lets turn back time and sort out Britains ill's.

So based on your study of one person from well to do Storrington you think have decided that we should go back to corporal punishment and hitting kids. I am glad you turned out well, good for you. There are many indepth studies on the effects of hitting children and if it is all the same to you I will derive my parenting techniques from them.

Although while we are using small samples to prove points i would like to point out that my kids are respectful, well behaved, hard working, clever, funny, persistant, creative and happy (So far anyway). I have managed this without hitting them with slippers, rulers or anything else.

I would suggest that you turned out so well because your parents parented you successfully rather than because they hit you. Hitting you was one small part of them parenting you and disciplining you. One that has been proven to be unnecessary and harmful to many children.

I think the children you see and assume are in need of a good whack are in fact in need of some good parenting and good discipline to teach them some respect.

 

[BadFish]

Unions

This will be contentious on here. Ban them. Full stop, end of.

People are dismissed from work for one of 4 reasons:-

A) They are shit at their job
B) They have broken a rule / law
C) The company can no longer afford to employ them
D) The company is moving away.

No matter what a union might think they can do, it can't change one of these scenarios. A company doing well will never get rid of someone who does their job well and who does not break the rules / law.

Not sure what union fees are nowadays, but say it averages £10 per week over ones working life. If that was all put into a pension, I would guesstimate a pension pot of about £150k at retirement, just from their subs savings alone.

This saving is nothing in comparison to the money that people would continue to lose in pay and conditions without someone to stand up to government and corporate pay masters.

Unions do cause problems but i think they are necessary to bring a modicum of balance to wages and conditions negotiations.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Make Paul Barber emperor.