Reply to: Oh dear - "middle class" are going to suffer

[Brussels Slumdog]

Germans vs Brits

How about these mad Germans?

The Germans all see themselves as Germans

The Brits all see themselves as Working class,Middle class or Upper class
Southerners or Northerners
The Upper classes earns all the money and the other classes can go to hell
The Southerners think that the lazy Northerners should go down South to look for work as there is no way that the Upper classes are going create jobs up there.

[Brussels Slumdog]

Copying the Swiss

I agree with this. I get £20 a week from HMRC for my little one but I don't really need it.

However I would say that all benefits should be scrapped. IMO the state should only provide:

* defence (couple of nukes pointed at France should do)
* police
* basic education with limited number of funded university places
* basic bare essential health care
* soup kitchens in time of recession

Income tax set to around 12p/£ flat, first £10K free. Scrap NI and everything else.

Sounds like the tax system in Switzerland

[SantaClaus]

The 15K figure says a lot more about what the govt. thinks of its citizens.

i.e., be a good boy/girl, earn your 15K, pay us loads of tax and dont get above your station. A decent standard of living should be reserved strictly for MPs.

[FarmerPalmer]

It defines middle class as a household where the total income equates to £15,000 a year for each adult and £5,000 per child.

so you need to earn exactly that figure to be middle class - any more and you are poor and any more and you are rich ?

[darmstadt]

How about these mad Germans?

[BrowneIssue]

I look up to 'Corbett'

I now have a mental image I didn't want.

[Addanc]

I agree with this. I get £20 a week from HMRC for my little one but I don't really need it.

However I would say that all benefits should be scrapped. IMO the state should only provide:

* defence (couple of nukes pointed at France should do)
* police
* basic education with limited number of funded university places
* basic bare essential health care
* soup kitchens in time of recession

Income tax set to around 12p/£ flat, first £10K free. Scrap NI and everything else.

Congratulations, you're well on your way to being a Libertarian

[BrowneIssue]

It defines middle class as a household where the total income equates to £15,000 a year for each adult and £5,000 per child.

Are we supposed to be sending our children out to work now? £5,000 is going to be hard for them: £96 per week on a paper round is a big delivery route.

[HairyArsedBloke]

I was a 'Barker', most definitely feel like a 'Corbett' these days.

I know my place.

I look up to 'Corbett'

[gingerjedi]

I was a 'Barker', most definitely feel like a 'Corbett' these days.

I know my place.

[swamp]

I agree with this. I get £20 a week from HMRC for my little one but I don't really need it.

However I would say that all benefits should be scrapped. IMO the state should only provide:

* defence (couple of nukes pointed at France should do)
* police
* basic education with limited number of funded university places
* basic bare essential health care
* soup kitchens in time of recession

Income tax set to around 12p/£ flat, first £10K free. Scrap NI and everything else.

[HairyArsedBloke]

In this country it's only worth being very poor or very rich.
Because in both cases you can have a laugh and not give a tulip.

That's me.

Time to emigrate, methinks ...

Already done it.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Time to emigrate, methinks ...

OK see you - have fun!

[DimPrawn]

Luckily my "income" is less than that, so....

[sasguru]

In this country it's only worth being very poor or very rich.
Because in both cases you can have a laugh and not give a tulip.
But history shows the middle class rebel if you squeeze them enough.

Time to emigrate, methinks ...