Political debate

[kirmal12]

I'm really not into politics but sometimes i have a passing interest in certain things. I generally support the Tories but generally I couldn't give a hoot, as the Tories are no angels and not everything that Labour did was awful, some of there ideas worked others didn't.

What I'm interested in is how do people think we could get out of the mess Britain is in. Tories are cutting , cutting, cutting. Labour where spending, spending, spending. Neither option is great, what would you do if you were a politician?.

 

[Dopeyjopey]

Ooooh... i have so many ideas! It's too late to go through them now but i'll come back at a more reasonable hour.

I will say, i'm more of a lib dem supporter, don't like them having piggy backed onto the tories though!

 

[Dopeyjopey]

Ok... this is what i would do to try and sort out the mess that we are in!

1) stop building apartments or allowing big houses to be converted into flats. It's over saturating the market and affecting the value of housing.

2) change the policies on minimum wage. It should be based on location and be equal to single person's housing benefit and job seekers' allowance. Once someone is back in employment benefits should be phased out rather than stopped straight away as a 'reward'.

3) be more upfront in the media with information about the recession - as soon as it is reported people stop borrowing money which pushes us deeper into the recession.

4) have an amnesty on illegal immigrants in preparation for stronger immigration laws.

5) employ more independent researchers for drugs (both legal and illegal) in order to have an unbiased approach. Funding would be given regardless of outcome and laws changed according to that research. Medication should be prescribed according to which will be most effective rather than the cheapest. Pressure should then be put onto pharmacutical companies to reduce the cost.

There's so much more i think should be done to encourage people to look after themselves and make their own choices. I feel at the moment that we are living under a dictatorship disguised as democracy.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I think the whole world is in a mess not just this country lol. I support labour though or green peace for local

 

[Hayley90]

Ok... this is what i would do to try and sort out the mess that we are in!

1) stop building apartments or allowing big houses to be converted into flats. It's over saturating the market and affecting the value of housing.

2) change the policies on minimum wage. It should be based on location and be equal to single person's housing benefit and job seekers' allowance. Once someone is back in employment benefits should be phased out rather than stopped straight away as a 'reward'.

3) be more upfront in the media with information about the recession - as soon as it is reported people stop borrowing money which pushes us deeper into the recession.

4) have an amnesty on illegal immigrants in preparation for stronger immigration laws.

5) employ more independent researchers for drugs (both legal and illegal) in order to have an unbiased approach. Funding would be given regardless of outcome and laws changed according to that research. Medication should be prescribed according to which will be most effective rather than the cheapest. Pressure should then be put onto pharmacutical companies to reduce the cost.

There's so much more i think should be done to encourage people to look after themselves and make their own choices. I feel at the moment that we are living under a dictatorship disguised as democracy.

I agree with most of these! ESPECIALLY number 1!!!

 

[PeanutBean]

Hmmm. I vote for politicians so I don't have to make these decisions! lol Some things I feel strongly about though. I definitely wouldn't be cutting benefits for families, particularly not childcare help, in fact I think I'd rather increase the latter to encourage more parents to work. I would also not raise VAT. Instead I would like to see a much bigger inheritance tax and I am fairly in favour of a Robin Hood tax for the banks. I wouldn't cut public services as I don't think it's fair for the public sector to pay for damage caused by the private sector and also we will all suffer greatly through this move. I wouldn't be cutting spending so hard and fast but continue to support economic growth and ease of a little of the spending whilst making stronger tax increases as above.

dopeyjopey was the amnesty one of the Lib Dem manifesto pledges? I seem to recall some argy bargy about it on one of the TV debates. It's an interesting idea. I'm fairly relaxed about immigration on the whole.

I wouldn't cut spending to science either but I think there needs to be rethink about higher education spending. I believe that higher education should be paid for my the students one way or another as I'd rather see state education spending go to compulsory education levels, particularly primary which is grossly underfunded. I've been hearing quite a bit about graduate tax recently and it seems ok. It would bring in more money than the fees (though I don't know how it would be divvied up fairly to the universities) but it's crucial that it is means based and starts at a suitably high income level, certainly £25k as a minimum. Most people I know earn more than me at the same age even if they have not gone through higher education so it needs to reflect graduates who really do earn more as a consequence of their education.

I think at this time we shouldn't be looking to massive reform really in the state sector, not until we are safely out of the recessive woods. Large scale reform costs billions before it might save anything anyway.

 

[Dopeyjopey]

Yes, the amnesty was in the lib dem manifesto. My reasons for agreeing are:

Illegal immigrants cannot work. But they are supporting themselves by doing cash in hand jobs. If they can prove they have been in the country 10 years or more, why not integrate them into society and let them contribute via taxes and NI?

Once that is done, we could impose stronger immigration policies, on a points based system.

 

[PeanutBean]

I agree with you. When I said I was relaxed about immigration I meant about it taking place rather than an apathy over policy. I think I'm probably more in favour of immigration than the average person for sure. I don't believe the hype and see a lot of good from skilled immigrants and feel an obligation to take in asylum seekers. I think the UK has always been very altruistic in that way and we should continue to do so.

 

[Dopeyjopey]

It's good to see someone else that thinks that!

 

[PeanutBean]

I think there is a culture of blaming immigrants for "taking our jobs" which excuses people's own apathy or laziness.

But yes the immigrants should be integrated so they pay taxes too.

 

[Dopeyjopey]

Ha, that one really gets me going. There are two things when it comes to them 'taking our jobs'

The employers are the ones that choose to take them on and pay them less.
Many british citizens turn their noses up at a minimum wage job, but immigrants manage to support themselves fine on minimum wage (and normally send money to their families too). They are actually grateful to even have a job. Maybe, as a nation, we have just become a bit greedy!

 

[kirmal12]

Hmmm. I vote for politicians so I don't have to make these decisions! lol Some things I feel strongly about though. I definitely wouldn't be cutting benefits for families, particularly not childcare help, in fact I think I'd rather increase the latter to encourage more parents to work. I would also not raise VAT. Instead I would like to see a much bigger inheritance tax and I am fairly in favour of a Robin Hood tax for the banks. I wouldn't cut public services as I don't think it's fair for the public sector to pay for damage caused by the private sector and also we will all suffer greatly through this move. I wouldn't be cutting spending so hard and fast but continue to support economic growth and ease of a little of the spending whilst making stronger tax increases as above.

dopeyjopey was the amnesty one of the Lib Dem manifesto pledges? I seem to recall some argy bargy about it on one of the TV debates. It's an interesting idea. I'm fairly relaxed about immigration on the whole.

I wouldn't cut spending to science either but I think there needs to be rethink about higher education spending. I believe that higher education should be paid for my the students one way or another as I'd rather see state education spending go to compulsory education levels, particularly primary which is grossly underfunded. I've been hearing quite a bit about graduate tax recently and it seems ok. It would bring in more money than the fees (though I don't know how it would be divvied up fairly to the universities) but it's crucial that it is means based and starts at a suitably high income level, certainly £25k as a minimum. Most people I know earn more than me at the same age even if they have not gone through higher education so it needs to reflect graduates who really do earn more as a consequence of their education.

I think at this time we shouldn't be looking to massive reform really in the state sector, not until we are safely out of the recessive woods. Large scale reform costs billions before it might save anything anyway.

But isn't the inheritance tax huge anyway?. I am lucky enough to own my own home and i would hope i will be able to pass it on to my son when we are not here anymore, but what hope does he have on being able to keep it if the taxes were raised even more. And just raising that tax and not cutting others is still not going to sort the deficit out is it?.

I agree totally about what was said about immigration though. It drives me potty when people complain about them "nicking are jobs" but would these people do those jobs? would they hell!!. They would rather sit on their backsides doing nothing getting benefits it drives me wild.

 

[PeanutBean]

Well inheritance tax was only one of the things I think we should increase to raise money and remember I said I don't think we should be cutting the deficit half so fast so these cuts aren't necessary in my opinion. Any increase in dividend for the country will help reduce the deficit as we will be bringing in proportionally more. I'm not sure what the value the tax is currently set at (though I think it's quite high) but I think there should be what I guess has been termed a mansion tax.

To be really honest I have mixed feelings about inheritance. Whilst I totally understand why people want to accrue wealth and pass it on to their children I think it would be more helpful to support our children more during our lifetimes and not hoard the money. It's tricky when we are currently unsure how we will finance our retirement (or even if we'll get one at this rate!). In an ideal world the NHS would provide sufficient care for retired people and some pension system, state/private/benefits would allow a reasonable income so that this wasn't a concern. Then people could adequately support their children when they really need it, like through education or when they have young families, and no-one would then need inheritance. My Mum and Dad recently downsized and gave us all £10k of the £100k profit (ish), the rest going on an extension to the new house that was a bit too small and their retirement as my Dad has only a state pension and as my Mum spent 16 years as a SAHM she doesn't have a full teacher's pension. All four of us have young kids and are financially stricken at present so the gift has been amazing - we have spent ours on legalising our existing loft conversion in the hope of getting out of negative equity. It's much more useful to us now than in 20 or 30 years times we most likely will all be comfortably earning and not much supporting our children anymore. My Mum has often said she feels it is fundamentally wrong for all these aging people to be living in huge family homes with pots of money whilst younger adults are struggling in poky places with their families. I think she has a point. I've rambled a little here but hopefully you can see how this all connects together! lol

 

[winegums]

hmmm its hard to get a happy medium between spending and saving isn't it?? i think thats what lib dems try to be but they just annoy me lol!

the thing is i support conservatives JUST because they WILL get our country out of debt. not completely obviously as i think most or all countries are in debt? but it will be less crazy - recessiony.

when my son is older it will not be HIS generation having to cut cut cut for the debt in the country, i would rather have the burdon of scrimping and saving and being poor so that he will grow up in a country where he does not have to worry so much about these sort of things like i do at the moment

also labour are just ************************* lol!!!!!! all they have ever wanted to do is throw fistfulls of money at everyone and everything... money they haven't even got. oooo your a drug addict living on the street who wont get a job, here's some money for you drugs and a house to live in and its ok you dont have to get a job just pretend your looking every couple of weeks and we'll keep giving you money. we'll give you money to furnish your house thats basically being paid for you for and we'll give you some more money if you have some kids and if you split up with your partner then BONUS here's some more cash!!!

 

[Dopeyjopey]

...and if you split up with your partner then BONUS here's some more cash!!!

It's hard being a single parent, we need help! I got pregnant whilst using contraception, turned out my ex prefered 17 year olds and getting wasted so i left for my baby's safety. He doesn't contribute anything, i have had to move in with my mum and SMP just isn't enough. It should be about helping people who genuinely need it.

 

[winegums]

...and if you split up with your partner then BONUS here's some more cash!!!

It's hard being a single parent, we need help! I got pregnant whilst using contraception, turned out my ex prefered 17 year olds and getting wasted so i left for my baby's safety. He doesn't contribute anything, i have had to move in with my mum and SMP just isn't enough. It should be about helping people who genuinely need it.

i went into the job center and asked them to help me find a job. they said as i was pregnant they wouldn't help HOWEVER i should split up with my partner and then i would get income support and i wouldn't even have to get a job lol!

 

[Dopeyjopey]

That is bad. I think it is necessary to help those in need though. I've worked full time since I left school and would lose everything if i didn't take the benefits whilst i'm on mat leave, however much i hate having to do so!