Reply to: Good news? Bad news? Or just news?

[vetran]

1. But if you can't consider it to be OK to consider discussion without automatically branding people with one thing or another, how can you consider it possible for government?
You can't its like listening to James O'Brien

2. Should "the government" privatise the NHS and take us to an American model, where if you can't afford insurance and don't have a credit card, you don't get into a hospital?
No but the NHS needs a hard review as it is riddled with inefficiencies & fiefdoms.

Luckily they don't waste much time with patients!

NHS Health Check: Short GP consultations crazy, say GPs - BBC News

Average consultation length is 10 minutes in the UK - thought to be the shortest in the developed world.

3. Should "the government" sign up to tax laws preventing companies off-shoring their profits?
Are we allowed under the EU? Of course we should, charging vat on low level purchases would be a start.

4. Should "the government" encourage small businesses and local enterprises, or only go after big foreign investment?
Both of course

5. Should "the government" build affordable housing for young people,
Actually its housing for all age people, its just most older people made provision while houses were a sensible price which of course will be stolen off them to pay for their care. We could make social housing means tested and stop all the £50k motors parked outside council houses.
At £4K a year housing associations are a cheap way of supplying social housing.

Social Housing - News - Housing association average costs per unit revealed by regulator



6. and prevent old people from buying it all up? Plenty of young landlords out there. The problem is supply (we need to build > 1 million houses to cover the shortage - government figures) & demand (250K net arrivals = +125k houses and service places when we are building none) not a small number of people doing Buy to let (the clue is the name).

7. Should "the government" tax off-shore owners of UK property? A punitive absentee council tax makes a lot of sense if they are not rented.

8. Should "the government" introduce tolls on motorways so that drivers pay per mile, then reduce the tax on vehicles and fuel? No they should encourage home working and retrofit pollution devices on most vehicles before scrapping them and paying the environmental cost of building new cars.

9. Should "the government" look at long-term UK plans for power, water and transport, rather than just what will get them through the next couple of years in parliament? Yes we need a 50 year plan.
10. Should politicians be on a maximum of 3 terms then they are out?
1-2 terms fallow makes sense. Maybe we can do the same with parties

11. Should politicians be required to have worked in the real world for at least 10 years before being allowed to take their jobs? Nice idea

12. Should politicians be forced to reveal their tax returns, including any associated companies/trusts? Yes

13. Should politicians be held accountable for their promises and commitments? Within reason

Shall I go on?

in red with added numbers so we can pick off points 1 by 1.

[Yorkie62]

But if you can't consider it to be OK to consider discussion without automatically branding people with one thing or another, how can you consider it possible for government?

Should "the government" privatise the NHS and take us to an American model, where if you can't afford insurance and don't have a credit card, you don't get into a hospital?No, But the NHS does need a thorough review from the ground up to identify potential cost savings, e.g. how patients are transferred from one ward to another and the time taken for that to be completed
Should "the government" sign up to tax laws preventing companies off-shoring their profits? Yes
Should "the government" encourage small businesses and local enterprises, or only go after big foreign investment?Yes - the former"
Should "the government" build affordable housing for young people, and prevent old people from buying it all up?definitely yes, although we need to take the rental market out of the hands of the private sector and get it back in the hands of the councils. If that means council building 2/3 bed homes for rent (what we now call social housing) then that is what is needed.
Should "the government" tax off-shore owners of UK property?Yes
Should "the government" introduce tolls on motorways so that drivers pay per mile, then reduce the tax on vehicles and fuel?Why spend money on expensive tolls systems why not just put a per mile levy on fuel at the pumps.
Should "the government" look at long-term UK plans for power, water and transport, rather than just what will get them through the next couple of years in parliament?Yes. Our infrastructure should never have been privatised in the first place for short term monetary gains
Should politicians be on a maximum of 3 terms then they are out? No - in the US this only applies to the president, could apply it to the role of PM
Should politicians be required to have worked in the real world for at least 10 years before being allowed to take their jobs?Yes, but need a definition of what counts as working in the real world
Should politicians be forced to reveal their tax returns, including any associated companies/trusts?Yes.
Should politicians be held accountable for their promises and commitments?Yes, but I would be interested to see exactly how this could be implemented. Not just politicians either Political parties should be held accountable for their election manifestos regardless on whether they win a GE or not.

Shall I go on?

See answers in Red

[TwoWolves]

Lol, always somebody else’s fault...

Nearly 10 years of Tory and Tory-led government and it’s still Labour....

This attitude is exactly what's wrong with voters. Governments don't just spend money, they install future obligations that future generations and governments will have to either service or abolish. Labour left some real stinkers:

1) Tax credits. Sound nice but employers use it as a vehicle to pay less, it was really a bail-out.
2) Bank bailouts. Don't believe the headline figures, the sums involved will take decades to normalise.
3) Student debt. Have you seen what senior department heads get paid? Loan delinquency rates?

I could go on.

It doesn't matter who is in power now or next, they have a big problem on their hands.

P.S. The public are starting to cotton on, that's why HS2 is so unpopular - these schemes are just ways of funnelling money to their friends, of all colours. It's us vs. them.

[WTFH]

I meant in terms of Government not discussion. Just to clarify.

But if you can't consider it to be OK to consider discussion without automatically branding people with one thing or another, how can you consider it possible for government?

Should "the government" privatise the NHS and take us to an American model, where if you can't afford insurance and don't have a credit card, you don't get into a hospital?
Should "the government" sign up to tax laws preventing companies off-shoring their profits?
Should "the government" encourage small businesses and local enterprises, or only go after big foreign investment?
Should "the government" build affordable housing for young people, and prevent old people from buying it all up?
Should "the government" tax off-shore owners of UK property?
Should "the government" introduce tolls on motorways so that drivers pay per mile, then reduce the tax on vehicles and fuel?
Should "the government" look at long-term UK plans for power, water and transport, rather than just what will get them through the next couple of years in parliament?
Should politicians be on a maximum of 3 terms then they are out?
Should politicians be required to have worked in the real world for at least 10 years before being allowed to take their jobs?
Should politicians be forced to reveal their tax returns, including any associated companies/trusts?
Should politicians be held accountable for their promises and commitments?

Shall I go on?

[NigelJK]

I meant in terms of Government not discussion. Just to clarify.

[meridian]

Fro the record I think we need to stop the whole 'left/right' thing

I'll also add that it's those on the left that have a selective memory.

[NigelJK]

anyone who doesn't follow the far right

I do hope you're not insinuating what I think you're insinuating. Fro the record I think we need to stop the whole 'left/right' thing and replace it with something a bit more modern, to include policy being raised by the public and more frequent referendum on Country changing issues.

I'll also add that it's those on the left that have a selective memory.

[Zigenare]

My money is on both. It's not either / or.

Not a bad call.

[scooterscot]

We already have the bunting out since you announced you're staying in Munich...

I do like an audience.

[scooterscot]

If you said it was daylight, I'd go out and check.

Thought it was only the Twits that lived in a house without windows. No mention of the distant cousin until now.

[Mordac]

Tax receipts are up so borrowing is down. Vote Tory for more taxes & piss poor services.



Although... Since the Tory came to power in 2010 debt has almost doubled to an eye watering two trillion. Two damn trillion.

Shall I get out the bunting?

We already have the bunting out since you announced you're staying in Munich...

[Old Greg]

If you said it was daylight, I'd go out and check. You're either the crown prince of bulltulip who believes his own crap - or just just a clueless moron.

My money is on the latter.

My money is on both. It's not either / or.

[Zigenare]

Finally the resident muppet is asking the right questions.

Here's a bone, go fetch.

If you said it was daylight, I'd go out and check. You're either the crown prince of bulltulip who believes his own crap - or just just a clueless moron.

My money is on the latter.

[scooterscot]

Erm... Aren't Labour supposed to be Socialists?

Finally the resident muppet is asking the right questions.

Here's a bone, go fetch.

[Zigenare]

And ten years later, we're in a worse state, but remember, it's the fault of the commies, whether they are in power or not, anyone who doesn't follow the far right is responsible for everything wrong with the world.

Round them up in a field and bomb the b......

Erm... Aren't Labour supposed to be Socialists?