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Originally Posted by Flyboy
I do not disagree with that sentiment, but unfortunately not enough agree with paying more taxes.
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How rude of them to want to keep more of their money in their pockets.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyboy
They are quite happy to tell everyone how the tax system should work, as long as they don't have to pay for it.
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I would be happy to suggest how it could be paid for.
Tax credits need tightening up so that people with well above average incomes aren't getting them.
Reform of the welfare state, get shot of Jobseeker's Allowance and replace with Employment Insurance based on contributions and previous income which after a set period wanes to zero. EI to be funded as a flat % of income in a similar manner to an insurance premium.
Cease funding of the NHS from general taxation and instead allocate a compulsory insurance contribution to be deducted directly from salary. Each home nation funds their own health expenditure in a similar manner to the provincial schemes in Canada. Should focus the regions when they are having to directly explain to their voters why they are paying what they are - there must be total transparency in terms of expenditure with each and every NHS trust having to report income and expenditure in a similar manner to a business. Minimum standards of care, based on pre-insurance levels of service, to be set to avoid management preserving themselves at the expense of front line services.
Devolution - each of the home nations to have their own budgets, legislature, etc, in a similar manner to the USA's states and Canada's provinces. They will pay taxes to their home nation and they will pay taxes to the UK as a whole in a similar manner to the USA and Canada's provincial / state and federal taxes.
Pay as you go - both health insurance and employment insurance are to be funded on a pay as you go basis and contributions ring fenced. If it's going to be spent it must be raised, some limited latitude for economic cycle at the beginning, removed once the funds go into surplus then pay as you go with outside assistance in exceptional circumstances and expressly authorised by UK Parliament only.
Minimum income guarantee, dependent upon circumstances such as dependants and cost of living. Some of this income where children are involved must be provided via an electronic card which can only be used to purchase food.
Housing benefit replaced with a scheme with a flat maximum payout - no-one living on welfare should be having the state pay a landlord thousands a month to live in a large Central London home, if they were there previously their Employment Insurance will cover up to 75% of their income and allow them to pay the rent / mortgage assuming their own insurance doesn't cover it.
The welfare state must never supply a better income than a person could previously reasonably expect given previous earning levels - if no earnings this would be minimum wage.
That should save a few quid straight off as well as divesting power closer to those who they are working for and encouraging individual responsibility. The fact is that smaller nations tend to be more efficient and have more wealth, the exception to this being the USA which is run in many ways like a series of smaller nations.
Of course this would be incredibly unpopular for many reasons.
