If you think IR35 is a heap of poo...

[Zero Liability]

Well I believe you know what my thoughts on the government are, however the government is so far removed from anything resembling restraint that even a reduction to 25% would be a huge leap forward. I'm not too fond of those sort of metrics, however, because ideally what should constrain the government is the scope of the services it provides, if nothing else. At the moment, it is at the behest of lobby groups and various ideologues who think the tax system is there to loot and plunder the 'wealthy' (mostly just the middle class.) The wealthy, though they bear much of the tax burden, are also the ablest to move their wealth about, until of course the OECD, the parasitical IMF and the equally parasitical governments supporting it get their way. The threat of secession for areas that want to go at it alone, such as Scotland, could also be a useful constraint. I'm not too optimistic about constitutions given the history of countries like the US, but I agree with what you say.

Constraints on its ability to borrow and inflate would be welcome. It just pisses me off that they assume that they have carte blanche to spend as they will, and then just pass the bill onto us afterwards and act as though it is through lack of patriotism or some other ideal they conveniently pull out of their posteriors that we don't pay 'enough' tax. These are people whose entire vocation as politicians or bureaucrats is tax-funded. The shroud of 'democratically elected government' also has its role in it, because if some bare minority of the population voted them in on promises they never intended to deliver, obviously we all asked for it.

[scooterscot]

Trouble is, the politicians and civil servants won't fook off and get out of th.....

Agreed. Simpler government all round please.

[scooterscot]

Government is a good idea

Well I believe you know what my thoughts on the government are, however it is so far removed from anything resembling restraint that even a reduc....

Just not a centralised one for a population the size of the UK.

It seems to me it is no longer possible to have a one size fits all attitude across the UK landscape. Many cities should have their own powers including control of business taxes. I think it would be wonderful for the country. They could stop the independence referendum in it's tracks if the current government were not so London centric.

But it'll not happen, our current government have demonstrated time after time to deploy reactive decision making. We've lost our spark and fundamental change is required to get Britain moving again but I'm not certain it could ever happen in time now.

[Mich the Tester]

Well I believe you know what my thoughts on the government are, however the government is so far removed from anything resembling restraint that even a reduction to 25% would be a huge leap forward. I'm not too fond of those sort of metrics, however, because ideally what should constrain the government is the scope of the services it provides, if nothing else. At the moment, it is at the behest of lobby groups and various ideologues who think the tax system is there to loot and plunder the 'wealthy' (mostly just the middle class.)...

Not only do they plunder the middle class and whoever fits into this vague concept of 'the rich' or 'the wealthy', but when they take on debt they plunder children who haven't had any say whatsoever as to whether they want to spend their lives paying interest on the debts of the past. Now I know, there are commitments to educate those kids and in theory a parliament can just cancel all the debt or vote to default, but that would leave the economy in such a parlous state that it isn't a real option. It disgusts me and I find it utterly immoral that governments, supposedly to satisfy the multitude of demands from the public, load young people with debt before they've even had the vote or started voting. I can make exception for some defensive war like WW2 or the recovery from some disaster like the floods of '53, but if a government is disciplined in its approach it can set aside reserves for many eventualities.

[scooterscot]

Not only do they plunder the middle class and whoever fits into this vague concept of 'the rich' or 'the wealthy', but when they take on debt they plunder children who haven't had any say whatsoever as to whether they want to spend their lives paying interest on the debts of the past.....

It is repugnant. Our debt exists & grows as we know because government cannot afford what it pays out. Our credit card is beyond saving imo. Our banks should have defaulted, our children spared, capitalism saved.

[MicrosoftBob]

It is repugnant. Our debt exists & grows as we know because government cannot afford what it pays out. Our credit card is beyond saving imo. Our banks should have defaulted, our children spared, capitalism saved.

But your Scottish prime minister abolished boom and bust, what could possibly go wrong

[scooterscot]

But your Scottish prime minister abolished boom and bust, what could possibly go wrong

Not only that he saved the world.

One thing our culture could do without is looking back in blame but instead look forward for progress.

Our country is consumed by greed from those that represent us to the Jone's next door. I don't care for it myself but quality living is more important the material living.